Wild Cards for Collection Missions

[emilempenza]

Honestly, it's a nice solution to a problem that shouldn't exist. I'd rather they came up with a better way of getting the market more active tbh, but this is a workable solution to the collection problem. (although I'm sure some people would find a way to abuse this, as they do with everything)

[Westheim]

Packs from tournaments are the solution. Packs, packs, packs. If people are so smart not to open packs with their precious PP, force them to open packs until they weep. That's my solution.

[waittilnextyear]

Originally Posted by Westheim

Packs from tournaments are the solution. Packs, packs, packs. If people are so smart not to open packs with their precious PP, force them to open packs until they weep. That's my solution.

Well, I've opened about 4500 packs this cycle and it's not necessarily just an unwillingness to open packs that makes the collection missions frustrating. I think that a small number of actors with a nigh unlimited amount of time to influence the AH economy is a separate problem, even if you do open packs like a good boy. Opening packs is part of the solution, but making the missions a bit less bottleneck-y is also important.

I will agree that I'm not exactly crying for people who absolutely refuse to open packs at all. I view this as a calculation/strategic decision they've made--there are pros and cons to each strategy.

[dkgo]

Packs are going to lose you points in the long run and you arent going to find the cards you need anyway, so whats the point?

To me there are way too many cards which lowers the frequency of specific cards. Like why do we need six different mike trouts? cards have multiple versions within the same rating

[Catchthedamnball]

Originally Posted by waittilnextyear

Well, I've opened about 4500 packs this cycle and it's not necessarily just an unwillingness to open packs that makes the collection missions frustrating. I think that a small number of actors with a nigh unlimited amount of time to influence the AH economy is a separate problem, even if you do open packs like a good boy. Opening packs is part of the solution, but making the missions a bit less bottleneck-y is also important.

Agreed. Opening packs means little if nobody who pulls a key card from a bottlenecked mission lists it on the AH-- or if nobody manages to pull such a card at all.

[atabakin]

Originally Posted by dkgo

Packs are going to lose you points in the long run and you arent going to find the cards you need anyway, so whats the point?

Because opening packs is fun. It doesn't all have to be based in logic. Let's say a pack costs 1000 PP and the EV is 700 PP (pulling numbers out of thin air). To some, the excitement of opening a pack is worth that 300 PP deficit, especially if they aren't targeting a specific card.

[waittilnextyear]

Originally Posted by dkgo

Packs are going to lose you points in the long run and you arent going to find the cards you need anyway, so whats the point?

To me there are way too many cards which lowers the frequency of specific cards. Like why do we need six different mike trouts? cards have multiple versions within the same rating

But as a player of OOTP, opening packs is something I can actually control. There's a non-zero chance I get a card I need. And, if I strike out there, then there's still a decent chance I get something else I can use or sell. Complaining about structural issues might help with PT v3.0, but it has a 0% likelihood of unearthing the cards I need. Waiting for the right card to show up is also not something I can control.

Also, I'm not so sure that "packs lose you points in the long run" is entirely accurate. I've been subsisting off of my same slug of PP for months now. Opening, selling, repeating...it does take some work though. There have been several attempts at calc'ing expectation values, but everything I've seen is just way too small of a sample--and generally seems to be coming from a biased starting point.

I agree that we probably don't need sixteen versions of the same player card. I am especially not a fan of having two of the same player in the same tier or even in the same overall number. Seems a bit much to me.

[Dogberry99]

Originally Posted by waittilnextyear

But as a player of OOTP, opening packs is something I can actually control. There's a non-zero chance I get a card I need. And, if I strike out there, then there's still a decent chance I get something else I can use or sell. Complaining about structural issues might help with PT v3.0, but it has a 0% likelihood of unearthing the cards I need. Waiting for the right card to show up is also not something I can control.

We have zero control over the content of the packs, merely that we're using them. Likewise, we have zero control over the content of the Auction House, merely that we're using it. There is also a non-zero chance of the needed card showing up on the Auction House, and there is still a decent chance I'll spot something, an undervalued and poorly priced card, I can use or resell. If anything, the Auction House gives players MORE control than packs because the decision to participate in the purchase method occurs AFTER we see the contents of our purchase, rather than waiting for RNG to roll our cards after we tear open the pack.


Additionally, I believe the larger amount of cards is a strength of 20 and one reason why it is better than 19. However, I also believe that the number of cards is too large for current pack probabilities.

What I would personally do to help start to fix this is to additionally weight unowned cards. Don't go so far as to eliminate duplicates, but giving packs better odds to at least increase the variety of options on a team plays into one of this game's strengths. Team building and the choices pertaining to it is what makes this mode of play special, and duplicate cards - whether it be a 2nd Jon Jay or a 2nd Cy Young (God, if only... ) - do not directly increase the choices we face and do not make the game more interesting. All they are at that point is a check we can cash in the Auction House. Packs need to be more than that.

[waittilnextyear]

Originally Posted by Dogberry99

We have zero control over the content of the packs, merely that we're using them. Likewise, we have zero control over the content of the Auction House, merely that we're using it. There is also a non-zero chance of the needed card showing up on the Auction House, and there is still a decent chance I'll spot something, an undervalued and poorly priced card, I can use or resell. If anything, the Auction House gives players MORE control than packs because the decision to participate in the purchase method occurs AFTER we see the contents of our purchase, rather than waiting for RNG to roll our cards after we tear open the pack.

None of this really addresses the issue of bottlenecks arising in the collection missions, unfortunately. By not opening packs, you have no chance to navigate the bottleneck because someone with 100 STAM is checking the AH more often than you are. If the bottleneck cards appear at all, they are immediately snatched and re-posted at 'bottleneck prices.' Thus, any poorly priced cards will never be the main bottleneck cards. By not opening packs, the supply of the necessary cards is even scarcer. Your only option without opening packs is to wait until the bottleneck clears.

It's fine if people make a strategic decision to not open packs. But, then they are completely relying on others to make the cards they need available.

[mcdog512]

I'm not remotely a fan of collections but I've come to learn, for me, any of my free to play teams I spend PP to get a solid core lineup from the AH. Once I've got a solid foundation and upgrades are going to be 1 guy every few weeks, it's pack time.