How do you define MPQ "skill?"

entrailbucket

Thanks -- this got derailed pretty hard but I'm still interested in people's answers to the question. I don't think we've come close to nailing down a consensus and it's a fun topic.

Bowgentle

I'm alternating between all of the Shang things mentioned, depending on how the board looks.
That's considered "skill", seriously?
Huh.
I thought that was the idea to keep the combo going, and placing purple to do just that.

entrailbucket

@Bowgentle said:
I'm alternating between all of the Shang things mentioned, depending on how the board looks.
That's considered "skill", seriously?
Huh.
I thought that was the idea to keep the combo going, and placing purple to do just that.

So that's...like...the whole point of asking this question. The game is making players feel skilled, it's making them feel like they're doing something that other players can't do, that they're better at the game than everyone else, and for a lot of players that's a really big draw.

dramatist

I don’t have any mad match 3 skills, but I read the forum and my Line alliance chat so I get by. I really play to build my roster and to waste time. I like growing my roster. I tolerate the gameplay to get me the resources I need to grow my roster.

Most of the time I play while watching tv, or bathroom breaks. I miss obviously better matches sometimes because my attention is not focused. I’m fine with that.

Akoni

I define MPQ skill as the capacity or range of how well one uses the resources they have in the game environment including speed and win rate in both PvE and PvP, supports, boosts, team-ups, leveling, farming, vault, recruit store, offers, resources store, and as well as VIP usage. Even selecting an alliance may have a skill component to it. There are multiple strategies for every single one of these components within the game. It is possible to apply a number to skill for each player but the only ones with access to all of the data necessary to do such a thing is devs. I don't even want to contemplate the nightmarish task of organizing all of that data and attempting to assign skill levels to each.

In addition, a player's goal can influence their perceived skill level. For example, a player who is highly skilled in both PvE and PvP may decide to only focus on DPD and PvE progression rewards due to their schedule irl. Another player may decide that spending money to level a character is in their best interest. Would that make him a less skilled player since his peer decided to earn that extra cover via rewards and shards?

I don't have answers but I think the discussion of skill should be focused on one aspect of the game rather than the game as a whole. There are just too many variables to consider. Each one of those components can be considered a sub-game within MPQ. A player who has mastered S.H.I.E.L.D. battles in PvP may not be very good in PvP battles with required characters due to her narrowly focused roster. One who farms, like myself, has a roster with breadth but not depth since I purposely soft-cap all of my fully covered 5*. I find that this makes me decent at required character battles but I suffer in S.H.I.E.L.D. battles.

itsuka7

What defines skill in MPQ is an interesting question, and I got a few insights for myself from comparing it to my other deep roster match 3, Gems of War (I like both games for different reasons). In GoW, there is no speed play needed, skill is in facing the board itself, making the optimal match. Cascading is not bad so board control remains key, every move can be considered, also extra turns fall on 4 matches, not on 5. That makes a world of difference. High skill in GoW means board control where you take a (very) restricted roster against much stronger opponents and still come out alive. It has promoted a streaming culture in guild wars, where groups of players are studying the board together and try to find hidden 4 matches to keep the turn so maintain board control.

This experience showed me that MPQ is actually not focused on match 3 board control skills (though they can help, as pointed out above in the case of Shang Chi). M3 in mpq is more of a vehicle to use power combinations in play. In mpq, most board control is sacrificed for speed play in nearly all game modes. Also, the cascading button in mpq is set on 11 (well, at least that is how it feels to me compared to GoW). So the skill in mpq is much more in combining characters in the right way and timing powers on a board you do not have the time or possibility to control much. So, focus on team building skill, as others have said, which is not an individual skill, but a community skill. You can borrow team ideas from others. Don’t get me wrong, it still takes some board skills to play BRB - Polaris - Carnage against a 5* Carnage C node, but the average player can learn those skills from watching video examples and chosing the right order and focus in their opening matches.

HoundofShadow

GoW AI can do winfinite. That's one of the biggest gamechanger. Imagine MPQ AI has the ability to do winfinite...