Upgrading Cards

[maverixk]

I just saw a topic for manual/custon card upgrading and I remembered back when I first started playing and how bummed I was to see the cost of upgrading a card: 1500
So, how about lowering it to 1000 the first time, and then something like 1050, and then 1100, progressing back up to 1500. Just to give the newbies a reason to keep playing instead of quitting because they were downed about the cost.
I know for most people this wouldn't really affect them but I think it would keep more early players.

[Sevs]

I think all of us were in the same boat when first looking at 1500. It really isnt too difficult but the learning curve is really steep at that point. AI3(cheap cards ~<100) --> FG&Arena (expensive>1500) once you have an upped deck the electrum is much easier to get. but getting there is a huge challenge that probably makes a decent portion of players quit the game. The dynamic cost for upgrading cards is intriguing and seems pretty fair, but there are many who have just upgraded their first couple of cards that would be really frustrated.

[maverixk]

I know there would be some frustration, but I think people could get over it, I mean, it shouldn't affect people with a few upgrades all that much.

[teffy]

Upgraded cards have a sell price of 1100 - 1300 , how would you handle this problem ?
Players could also assume that the + 50 cost increase wouldn´t stop at 1500 (and quit because of the assumption). I think it´s not the right gift for new players.
Better use mechanice like Arena, Oracle money, predictions, and maybe daily quests, or modified costs for the AI levels (and pvp).

[maverixk]

Upgraded cards have a sell price of 1100 - 1300 , how would you handle this problem ?
Players could also assume that the + 50 cost increase wouldn´t stop at 1500 (and quit because of the assumption). I think it´s not the right gift for new players.
Better use mechanice like Arena, Oracle money, predictions, and maybe daily quests, or modified costs for the AI levels (and pvp).

Hmm, I hadn't thought of selling them...eh, it was just an idea.

[Znork]

Upgraded cards have a sell price of 1100 - 1300 , how would you handle this problem ?

Let's be clear - I'm a newbie and I have only upgraded one card. I really like the idea and I don't see the selling issue as a big problem:

Firstly, I personally wouldn't sell my first upgraded cards. I would choose what to upgrade with care and use the cards. Others may think differently. Secondy, if I was to speculate in selling with a profit it wouldn't be that profitable:

Let say I have 1000 Electrum and I won 7 Pharoahs (I believe they sell at 1308?):
I could upgrade them and sell each one for a profit.

Sale # /  Upgrade cost / Profit
1            1000               308
2            1050               258       
3            1100               208
4            1150               158
5            1200               108
6            1250                 58
7            1300                   8

Total profit                   1106

But now I have no upgraded cards and an upgrade is now 1350 for me. I will have to win 244 to upgrade the next card. And 1400 more after that.

Had I kept my first 7 upgraded cards it would have saved me 2450 in Electrum (compared to 7x1500). The total amount I could save is 2750 (10 upgrades - after that the price is 1500). I would definitely go for that option.

If we were talking about upgrading Nymphs (selling at 1608) it would be a different story - making the total profit 3830 for 10 Nymphs. But winning 10 Nymphs with no upgraded cards seems impossible to me. And if I am correct that upped Nymphs sell at 1608 (I never had one) you could always make 108 Electrum on that anyway - although selling an unupped Nymph for 908 seems like a better idea :-)

Players could also assume that the + 50 cost increase wouldn´t stop at 1500 (and quit because of the assumption). I think it´s not the right gift for new players.
Better use mechanice like Arena, Oracle money, predictions, and maybe daily quests, or modified costs for the AI levels (and pvp).

You could easily explain the new system in the Quests window.

 

[Eleahen]

Interesting idea.

Players could also assume that the + 50 cost increase wouldn´t stop at 1500

That's an easy one. On the Upgrade screen show cost as "1500 - 500", "1500-350"... As it would be progressing it will be apparent that it will (might) stop at 1500.

Another way of displaying it would be displaying some text in the far right. Something like "Newbie discount is ..."


I'd even suggest to take it even further with first two upgrades. First upgrade at 600. Second upgrade at 800.

[maverixk]

Yay! I'm glad some people thought of solutions and are supporting this!s

[RagingAlien]

Oh, i remember the first time i saw that 1500 cost. I was like "NO DAMN WAY I'LL GET THAT!" Then i thought to myself: "But i liked the game until now. This just gave me something to look forward to." Which I am sure is what a many deal other players did.
Then you grind, grind, grind until you can upgrade your first card. Then you're like "Hey, it wasn't that bad. Lets try this card out." And you find out you would like to upgrade all of that type of cards, so you can get money faster. and on it goes.

Long story short, high upgrade cost = motivation!

[maverixk]

Well, not everybody saw it that way. When Nepycros introduced me to EtG, he also introduced about four other people. We started playing, eventually got 500 score, and then got depressed. We didn't know to grind, but we did our best. The others got discouraged by the amount of time they would have to spend just to upgrade one card. Sure it gets faster every time you upgrade one, but the first few are miserable to get quite a bit of the time. Now it's just down to me an Nepy...

[Arum]

Lol i was the one who made the Manual/Custom upgrading topic, just look in my posts for proof.  I get credit, in an indirect way.  Topic will be posted later.

[Arum]

http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,29258.msg399920#msg399920

There is topic. . . Please more feedback on that and this.

Should we get a curator to merge these two topics?