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OFFICIAL: Skullgirls Spring Rift Battles Update

Liam

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Hidden Variable Dev
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Hey everyone!

As most of you are aware, we recently announced that we would be adding "Catalysts" to Skullgirls Mobile. Catalysts are collectibles you can use to customize the modifiers on your Rift Battle defense nodes. Catalysts are not consumable, and can be reused in different configurations. With catalysts, you decide the best way to add a twist on your defense to keep things challenging for your opponent.

We know there's some concern about Rift Battles, Catalysts, and other areas of the game right now. So, here's an update on some of our plans for Skullgirls and Rift Battles.

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WHY CATALYSTS?

For a bit of context, ever since the inception of Rift Battles as a game mode, Catalysts were a planned feature that we originally wanted to include with the launch of 3.0.

While we made tons of progress on them before 3.0 arrived, we unfortunately had to delay their release, and instead focused on getting them ready for 3.2 alongside the release of Robo-Fortune.

Letting players create their own "Daily Events" for others to fight against is a huge part of our Rift Battles vision. That kind of user generated content offers tons of unique challenges that you wouldn't come across otherwise. The goal is for every Rift Battle to present a new challenge that asks players to adapt their strategies to overcome new scenarios. Catalysts are a big piece of that design - and we sincerely apologize for the delay on their arrival!

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HOW DO I GET THEM? IS THIS PAY TO WIN?

While we did initially show that the Rift Relic (which is available for Theonite) would be a source of Catalysts, the TREASURES tab of the Cabinet of Curiosities will also be a reliable place to get more Catalysts.

FUN FACT: The Cabinet of Curiosities was originally designed to release with 3.0, and the Moves in the TREASURES tab were all originally intended to be Catalysts. ;)

As such, you’ll be able to save up Rift Coins and wait for the perfect modifier to complete your defense map without spending any Theonite or making any in app purchases. As always, the free to play experience is extremely important to us.

We'll also be sending everyone some free Rift Relics in the mail to get Catalyst collections started at the beginning of 3.2.

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WHAT ABOUT THE NODE MODIFIERS WE HAVE CURRENTLY?

We'll be tuning the Rift Battles defense map modifiers to make sure that the existing modifiers complement the new addition of Catalysts. Catalysts won't outright replace all of the modifiers that we've set up already, but Catalysts also won't stand on their own.

Catalysts are also not nearly as powerful as your standard modifier - so we aren’t expecting any one single catalyst to rule them all. All of the Catalysts that have been implemented are brand new modifiers which suit their new context!

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WHAT ABOUT MATCHMAKING?

We're well aware of the issues that players struggling with in Rift Battles, with matchmaking being one of the larger ones. We do have plans to make larger changes (especially with matchmaking) until Rift Battles are feeling "just right". This is not unlike the months of changes that went into making Prize Fights into the game mode that you see today.

There is unfortunately no band-aid solution for matchmaking in Rift Battles at the moment, so we'll need more time to implement changes to the core foundation of how we match players, handle rewards, calculate Rift Rating, etc... That said, this is a HUGE priority for us that we’re actively focusing on.

Our goals for matchmaking:
  • Make sure that all players have a fighting chance against the opponent they are matched with.
  • When the above isn't possible (it isn't always possible, unfortunately), make the experience as fun and rewarding as possible for both parties.
We appreciate your patience while we work towards these goals!

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WHY NOT IMPLEMENT CATALYSTS AFTER FIXING OTHER ISSUES?


Without getting too far into it, our team isn’t a linear train that moves in a single direction. We all have different skill sets, and for us to maintain maximum velocity, we all work on different tasks and features.

Since a lot of the work was already half done for Catalysts, we are eager to get it to the finish line (alongside Robo-Fortune’s development) to make Rift Battles “feature complete” per our original goals. Now that Catalysts are almost finished, we’ll be free to work on solutions to other Rift Battle issues and the many other requests and concerns that are frequently brought up by the community.

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OKAY BUT WHAT ABOUT <THIS OTHER THING THAT I WANT>

We hear you loud and clear! As a small indie studio with limited resources, we always have to make tough choices regarding what feature(s) we implement next. That said - to name a few - we are actively working on new Origin Stories, new Fighters, oft requested Quality of Life improvements, and much much more!

Per our 2019 preview thread, there’s plenty of other content is planned for this year:
https://forum.skullgirlsmobile.com/threads/official-2019-preview.5016/

We'll have more details on what's coming down the pipe very soon!

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WRAPPING UP

Hopefully goes without saying by now (we can’t say it enough!), but the player experience is the most important thing to us at Hidden Variable.

As such, the input of our players is invaluable to us. We do our best to listen to feedback, and we’re always open to pivoting our priorities when appropriate. To those of you who have been sharing your thoughts with us on the forum recently, we really appreciate it!

On behalf of all of us at HVS, thanks so much for your tireless support! Without you guys, everything we do is meaningless...

PS: This is also our first our non “update notes” update post on our forum! If you found this helpful, let us know and we can look into doing more of these in the future.
 
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Not Bad, but How many will cost a Catalyst Relic?
 
Glad to hear this update from you all, Thank you devs for all of your hard work! Im very excited to see what catalysts bring to rift battles!
 
Once again, appreciate the transparency. And thanks for writing up such a detailed post!
 
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Always know you guys listen, that is always appreciated. You hit the first issue that matchmaking is rough right now. Really appreciate you guys looking into it.
The other issue I am hearing a lot of is that the best rewards being tied to the PvP rift mode. Kind of has a feel of strong getting stronger, even with myself placing diamond each week. I really hope that you guys expand on areas where you can acquire diamond keys, such as a small chance from AE or whatever you guys have in mind.
Thanks for the update and looking forward to 3.2.
 
I'm glad y'all are looking into the Rift Battle issues that make it feel more frustrating that fun for many of us. Here's hoping changes to the matchmaking come sooner rather than later.

It's nice to hear that you all have put thought into the F2P aspect with regards to Catalysts; the fact that they aren't consumable is nice to hear, as that puts less emphasis on the pay-2-win aspect of them, as you won't need to replenish your Catalyst collections after using them. I also am glad to hear that Catalyst modifiers won't be super strong compared to existing modifiers; if they represent a lateral shift in Rift Battle difficulty as opposed to a vertical one, that's great. Diversity in fights will breathe some extra life into the game, for sure. But I sincerely hope that certain Catalysts don't become a "meta" for the game.

Still hoping that more social features like guilds/friends are added soon. And of course, a fight against an actual Skullgirl would be nice.
 
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This should have been done earlier but well it's better than nothing. I still have doubts about catalyst but we'll have to see how it goes first. Though you guys must understand it is not just F2P aspect that is problematic about catalyst but the problem with how long will it take to make an optimal base and the balance part. Not only it should be too powerful but also it should have some impact at the same time and not finding this middle on launch will cause major negative feedback considering how people still am not satisfied with rift battle and won't tolerate any more bad decision.
 
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Letting players create their own "Daily Events" for others to fight against is a huge part of our Rift Battles vision. That kind of user generated content offers tons of unique challenges that you wouldn't come across otherwise. The goal is for every Rift Battle to present a new challenge that asks players to adapt their strategies to overcome new scenarios. Catalysts are a big piece of that design - and we sincerely apologize for the delay on their arrival!
Thanks for sharing the vision with us! The design idea of catalysts sounds like an integral part of the whole package that would have been awesome to come with 3.0. Shame that wasn't reality but we know you guys tried hard!
As such, you’ll be able to save up Rift Coins and wait for the perfect modifier to complete your defense map without spending any Theonite or making any in app purchases. As always, the free to play experience is extremely important to us.

We'll also be sending everyone some free Rift Relics in the mail to get Catalyst collections started at the beginning of 3.2.
Thanks in advance for the free rift relics to get us started with our catalyst collection. I'd like to take this opportunity to briefly express my dislike of RNG only path to obtaining resources/characters in this game. I understand that gatcha has its advantages, but it's also a source of frustration because the result is luck dependent. It would be great if there is an alternative path to obtaining a specific item in the game, whether it's catalyst, character, or move. I wonder if HVS would eventually consider in-game purchases of catalyst, character, or move of our choice. It would be a great way for players who don't like the nature of gambling to still support the game financially. Perhaps limit the number of purchases per month (1 per month) so it doesn't turn into pay to win, but still give players an opportunity to progress when lady luck just isn't on our side.
Our goals for matchmaking:
  • Make sure that all players have a fighting chance against the opponent they are matched with.
  • When the above isn't possible (it isn't always possible, unfortunately), make the experience as fun and rewarding as possible for both parties.
We appreciate your patience while we work towards these goals!
I'm deeply impressed at how well HVS summarized current issues with Rift and synthesized these 2 clear goals to work towards. Thank you for always listening and paying attention to the community. The fact that you took time to communicate with us shows genuine dedication to our playing experience! Much appreciated.
We hear you loud and clear! As a small indie studio with limited resources, we always have to make tough choices regarding what feature(s) we implement next. That said - to name a few - we are actively working on new Origin Stories, new Fighters, oft requested Quality of Life improvements, and much much more!

Per our 2019 preview thread, there’s plenty of other content is planned for this year:
https://forum.skullgirlsmobile.com/threads/official-2019-preview.5016/

We'll have more details on what's coming down the pipe very soon!
Did you say Quality of Life improvements? Personally the ability to disable flashing bright light when defeating an opponent just can't come sooner. Really looking forward to hearing details on what's coming down the pipe soon. :D
Hopefully goes without saying by now (we can’t say it enough!), but the player experience is the most important thing to us at Hidden Variable.
As such, the input of our players is invaluable to us. We do our best to listen to feedback, and we’re always open to pivoting our priorities when appropriate. To those of you who have been sharing your thoughts with us on the forum recently, we really appreciate it!

On behalf of all of us at HVS, thanks so much for your tireless support! Without you guys, everything we do is meaningless...

PS: This is also our first our non “update notes” update post on our forum! If you found this helpful, let us know and we can look into doing more of these in the future.
As I mentioned already, non "update notes" are extremely helpful in keeping player moral high and improves player retention. I know I've shared some comments that are more negative in nature, but do know that this update note have successfully turned my perception around. Thank you and the rest of HVS staff for consistently demonstrating care to the players. You guys are true heroes!
 
if they represent a lateral shift in Rift Battle difficulty as opposed to a vertical one, that's great. Diversity in fights will breathe some extra life into the game, for sure.
Yeah, this is pretty on the nose. A lateral shift in difficulty with the twist of customization helps create engaging fights that don't go stale!

I understand that gatcha has its advantages, but it's also a source of frustration because the result is luck dependent. It would be great if there is an alternative path to obtaining a specific item in the game, whether it's catalyst, character, or move.
Yeah, I hear you. While it doesn't solve every issue, being able to wait for the Catalysts in the Cabinet of Curiosities you're looking for before spending should hopefully resolve that tension for F2P players as far as Catalysts go. BACK IN THE DAY, for example, players opened Gold Move Relics hoping to get the specific BB they wanted, AND the correct stats... Now you can wait for what you're looking for.

I know the Cabinet solution doesn't apply to things like a non Prize Fight Gold for example, but we can certainly look into new ideas to offer variants players are looking for without compromising the economy we've built. It's a tough balance!

Did you say Quality of Life improvements? Personally the ability to disable flashing bright light when defeating an opponent just can't come sooner.
I'll be implementing this in the next few days. It'l be in for 3.2, barring catastrophic circumstances.

but do know that this update note have successfully turned my perception around. Thank you and the rest of HVS staff for consistently demonstrating care to the players. You guys are true heroes!
NICE. I wrote this thread with your recent posts (and the other recent posts on the forum) in mind.

I just want "No Dark" Catalyst for my Boss node. LOL. Xeno is pain
Currently, none of our Catalysts apply Character, Element, or Rarity restrictions to nodes. Shoehorning someone into using a specific character won't be too fun if it happens to target your best variant and you're in the early game with a smaller collection.
 
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Thanks for keeping the community informed on the status of things as much as possible. As a player, developer communication outside of just patch notes is a big motivator to continue playing. Looking forward to 3.2 and the rest of the year!
 
Well this is interesting. Can i ask how the catalysts in the COC will be handled? If moves were originally catalysts, are they being removed? Are we getting more coins from rifts? Or are catalysts being added with no change to the current coin values?
 
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Very useful! Please do more of these :)
 
Bom,pelo menos uma explicação decente.
 
Thank you for be so caring about our requests. We know it takes a lot of work, and sometimes we act like crybabies, but you always do your best and we aprecciate it. I'm very excited for the how the changes will spice up the game. You are the best develop team I've seem! Thanks again! :D

Bom,pelo menos uma explicação decente.
Não seja tão duro com os caras, ainda tô pra ver uma equipe tão dedicada a fazer um jogo cada vez melhor pra nós, ouvindo nossas sugestões e sempre dando satisfação. :)
 
Thank you for be so caring about our requests. We know it takes a lot of work, and sometimes we act like crybabies, but you always do your best and we aprecciate it. I'm very excited for the how the changes will spice up the game. You are the best develop team I've seem! Thanks again! :D


Não seja tão duro com os caras, ainda tô pra ver uma equipe tão dedicada a fazer um jogo cada vez melhor pra nós, ouvindo nossas sugestões e sempre dando satisfação. :)
Thank you for be so caring about our requests. We know it takes a lot of work, and sometimes we act like crybabies, but you always do your best and we aprecciate it. I'm very excited for the how the changes will spice up the game. You are the best develop team I've seem! Thanks again! :D


Não seja tão duro com os caras, ainda tô pra ver uma equipe tão dedicada a fazer um jogo cada vez melhor pra nós, ouvindo nossas sugestões e sempre dando satisfação. :)


È pq eu ja passei bastante raiva na fenda,todos aqui querem o melhor pro jogo mas è cada decepcao que a gente passa nele que desanima muito joga-lo.Se eu fui um pouco grosso ou fiz alguma afirmação negativa sem a tal necessidade peço desculpa desde ja
 
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I thought I had: another game I played that had skill-based matchmaking would only create matchups where the winning odds were at most 60:40, meaning no match would be created where the weaker party had less than a 40% chance of winning. This was because they saw an exponential increase in quit rates when winning odds were less than 40% (what player wants to play a game where they’re getting dunked on the whole time?).

I don’t know what calculations go into determining rating or how you guys determine what kind of matches are allowed, but if there is any sort of outcome prediction that goes into setting up matches, I think setting this sort of 60:40 threshold would be helpful as a whole for improving the impression on Rift Battles.
 
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