Still no explanation why sets/seasons were ever added
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It seems that many online sports game developers follow the same MO. They may do it a bit differently, but sets/seasons don't provide some amazing level of lineup diversity. The best cards will be used in any season/mode. What it does do is let the game developer increase the number of micro-transactions and in 2024 between seasons and fewer top-level cards on release, it will make the core cards much more valuable and cause more people to strive to finish the collection earlier IMO. If I were a game development company I would want to make as much money early in the game cycle as possible. I think this is the world we live in these days.
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Also, I think Captains are going to play a bigger role in 2024. They can say there will only be 91's or whatever, but captains can boost cards up many levels. I am going to reserve judgment until I see how it plays out. This idea that the developers didn't think out what version of what card would come out in a season is comical since the content releases are not planned a couple of days before they are released. There is a master project schedule and cards in a given release package are put together in advance. Topps Now for an example of a Milestone card can't be predicted, but acting like SDS is lost is an opinion that I do not agree with.
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@fellspointguy if they actually planned what cards were dropped, and when, with actual thought… then 23s content was even more laughable. For them to actually plan out having multiple 97-99 version cards literally a set apart, is just ridiculous.
I could give numerous examples how poorly their releases were with what cards were already in the game.
Edit: and I’m not talking about Topps or POTM. I’m talking predetermined programs/packs.
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@genopolanco said in Still no explanation why sets/seasons were ever added:
Who made this decision and why?
You can’t tell me it creates lineup diversity because if anything it makes it significantly worse. Pigeon-holing what players you can use is never going to create diversity.
I wish there was more backlash. I know there is a lot of people unhappy with seasons returning, but this is should be unacceptable for anyone. All this does is gives them less excuses as to why they pump out 8 versions of the same card.
How many times last year did you see players get a 95, then the next season a 91, then season 3 is a 94, season 4 is a 97 but somehow a significantly worse version, and so on? If there wasn’t seasons, we all would’ve just had the 95 and there would be no reason for them to release the lower versions.
This is one of the laziest things I’ve seen any sports game do with their ultimate team mode. They added seasons so they can just drop content without putting any thought into it. Have fun collecting your 8th Larry Walker in September.
Does anyone actually have a solid reason why this is a good thing for this game? I don’t care about if you think it’s ok, I want to know why it is better for DD to have this structure than not.
It's simply to encourage reoccurring consumer spending. These companies have hired individuals who's only objective is to manipulate the user into spending real money on fake cards/currency.
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They did give a reason before 2023 was released. They said that they were responding to complaints that people had about not having usable versions of their favorite cards until the postseason.
And, while never admitting it, they were probably trying to increase stub purchases in the early part of the year as well.
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@genopolanco said in Still no explanation why sets/seasons were ever added:
@SaveFarris and what good does that do for the longevity of the cycle?
Only SDS has the internal metrics to gage whether or not their plan was a success, but your insinuation that there was no plan or purpose is verifiably false.
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@fellspointguy said in Still no explanation why sets/seasons were ever added:
It seems that many online sports game developers follow the same MO. They may do it a bit differently, but sets/seasons don't provide some amazing level of lineup diversity. The best cards will be used in any season/mode. What it does do is let the game developer increase the number of micro-transactions and in 2024 between seasons and fewer top-level cards on release, it will make the core cards much more valuable and cause more people to strive to finish the collection earlier IMO. If I were a game development company I would want to make as much money early in the game cycle as possible. I think this is the world we live in these days.
absolutely you are correct in what you say - even though it is the world we live in with Battle Pass access etc. - it doesn't mean that we should ever tolerate it or think its good practice - the easiest thing is to simply not buy - the world moves on, you can do more with your finite amount of time on this planet
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@SaveFarris I’m not saying they didn’t have a plan or purpose, it was just a very poor plan and an unknown purpose.
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They 100% did say why they added sets and seasons...just go watch last year's stream.
The problem is there will always be people who are unlocking or buying a card days, even hours before they expire...and now you have to earn the right to rent them back via these wildcards? We should just get all 4 wildcard spots right away.
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@genopolanco said in Still no explanation why sets/seasons were ever added:
@SaveFarris I’m not saying they didn’t have a plan or purpose, it was just a very poor plan and an unknown purpose.
You sound like an old video game producer, with all the knowledge you have about this business model …
But, btt … Nobody has given me an answer yet on why multiple power creep increments (like in 24) is a) a problem at all and b) does not lead to lineup diversity (comparing to 23). In 23 I had a god squad after less than 4 weeks and used it until the end of Set2. After that I switched some of the 99s to some else to compete in ranked. And about 70% of the people I faced did the same
To me, they did adress this in a) resetting after S1 and b) having a power creep. I will for sure replace some lower 90s/golds with (higher) diamonds. That is a big change to the system and still you guys complain about it without even experiencing it
… Very interestingLast point: nobody (besides the TT-lovers and Tony Gwynn Fans
) at any point told me why having a better card later was only a problem in 23/24. -
@genopolanco said in Still no explanation why sets/seasons were ever added:
"Who made this decision and why?"
"Does anyone actually have a solid reason why this is a good thing for this game? I don’t care about if you think it’s ok, I want to know why it is better for DD to have this structure than not."[gets told why]
@SaveFarris I’m not saying they didn’t have a plan or purpose, it was just a very poor plan and an unknown purpose.
The purpose was known, as has been for almost a year.
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@SaveFarris
To increase lineup diversity. Am I right? The actual reason was to increase microtransactions and revenue.
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@genopolanco said in Still no explanation why sets/seasons were ever added:
@SaveFarris I’m not saying they didn’t have a plan or purpose, it was just a very poor plan and an unknown purpose.
Poor to you and I. Not likely to them.
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@TripleH-4481 said in Still no explanation why sets/seasons were ever added:
@SaveFarris
To increase lineup diversity. Am I right? The actual reason was to increase microtransactions and revenue.
Not really. Lineup diversity hasn't been a problem that needed solving since 2018.
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The Chase cards are straight micro transactions, Pure and simple.
If memory serves me I believe they said in a stream last year that they added sets & seasons to give DD a fresh start. That they felt the old model was boring people away - I never believed them but that’s what they said.
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@YOSHI24 said in Still no explanation why sets/seasons were ever added:
But, btt … Nobody has given me an answer yet on why multiple power creep increments (like in 24) is a) a problem at all and b) does not lead to lineup diversity (comparing to 23).
In the end it all depends on the execution of the new system by SDS.
As for the power creep, I have to wonder how it will work based on how much people play. I will have an issue if I unlock the best cards of each season with only a week or two left in the season. The wildcards will help a little but only a little
I am not sure how it helps lineup diversity, especially if we have to jettison everything but a few wildcards at the end of each season. There will be cards considered Meta (there always are) and most people will simply use those cards as their wildcards and then supplement those with the best cards in the current season. I expect to see a lot of similar lineups.
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@Dolenz I totally agree…Right now there’s excellent diversity in lineups with all sets available for use…But when 24 drops I think you nailed it…How you laid it out is 100% how this will go. There will be two lineups - NMS & Whole lotta money spent…That’s it.
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@Dolenz_PSN @IrishFist412_XBL It is the total difference right now even with all the players of every set available. I play about 2-3 ranked games a day since October and in 90% I see Acuna, Griffey, Mickey, JRam, Elly, Adley … Even with superpowered captains nobody uses them and everybody uses the meta/big boys.
Of course we will see the meta guys in season 2 at the wild card spots (depends on how many meta 99 guys they roll out) but each of us has only 1 WC to start with. That will help with lineup diversity … at least in the first few days/weeks
But … if you look back at pre-23… what was the difference? We had some 99s (collections) which lots of players had by early summer. Then everybody added the big online rewards over time. I do not have the data but if I remember right we had not that big of diversity each month.
Last one: Of course they have to earn money with the game … You do not have to do it but it‘s in everybody‘s hand … But imo no need to blame anybody (including SDS)
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@genopolanco
In all fairness, I can see the rub that many people feel about this. With that said, I can make an argument that people used different cards due to the restrictions of sets/seasons and the single wildcard. Was it my favorite, no. I think that I should be able to use whatever card I want when I want, but... they have restricted cards in many instances through what is available in BR, the usable cards for every event, and to some extent, when better versions of cards like Griffey drop.
If they dropped all 99's at the same time people would complain that the best cards came out too late in the cycle. If they drop the 99's early people complain that they want power creep. If they drop them in the middle and take power creep into account, people complain about in-game content.
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@IrishFist412
I agree with that as well. Money will always give an advantage, but SDS is about as good as it gets for providing a way for free usable content. I just watched about 6 hours of videos where the only way to get a 100 overall card in NBA24 was to pull it from a pack. I watched one you-tuber spend about $3500 in packs and not pull the card. At a 2% pull rate, he should have had the card like 2-3 times for that price. But making it unavailable on the market forces the purchasing of packs if you want the item. Just crazy
