This is a goodbye post. Not a goodbye post in which I will whine and yell at SP for killing the game. Not a goodbye post in which I will just try to draw attention to my little persona, only to return a few months later because I have an addiction problem.

This is a goodbye post to first of all thank everyone for their camaraderie over the years, most notably my teammates in AMAB and Untamable but also a few regulars on this forum and my esteemed adversaries in wars, and to thank SP for putting out the best mobile game I know. The past 4,5 years have been absolutely awesome.

Of course there are good reasons why I decided to uninstall the game in a few wars time. Quickly summarised: even though the game still is very enjoyable, there also are many downsides that have been eating at me. A hobby that is so time consuming as Monster Legends should not bring so many mixed feelings. I think I can find something else to do that also brings me joy, but doesn't give me the downsides.

More in details:

• Gambling chests: morally reprehensible, with the caves as the new low. I cannot longer morally justify playing a game, that should be for all ages, that encourages such gambling behaviour.

• Over powered monsters that rule entire wars. At first there was Voltaik, until he finally got an answer in Faraday (unfortunately now we have the same problem in nature thanks to the idiot frog); then there was Samael who reduced elite wars to 'Samael counting' to know who would win; then there was Xiron with ridiculous control skills; and now there is Thalassa. Samael and Xiron are not over powered anymore thanks to the release of other monsters. Undoubtedly Thalassa will get equal answers. The problem is though: in the meantime we are stuck with monsters that take away too much fun from me. Not being able to think of anything that can counter such monsters on defence is equally frustrating to me as having troubles on attack.

• Racing has become too much of an integral part of the game. The game should be about thinking on attack and defense strategies, and to make sure everyone in your team can get a maximum number of coins every war. Instead, to many the game is about getting the newest race monster at low cost and complaining if this monster is not over powered. I do not longer feel at home in a game in which Warriors are being replaced by Race Bunnies whose idea of having fun is doing mindnumbingly stupid tasks.

• Poison in the community. Too many people cower from wars against their peers, cheat and exploit whenever they can, by bending the rules or abusing bugs. Too many of SP's resources go to fighting cheaters and exploiters. I am tired of this selfish behaviour that will give a small advantage to the exploiters, but can seriously hinder other gamers.

My decision to leave is final. Once again, thank you all for playing with or against me, and thanks SP for putting out a great game that continues to be great.

I have very, very seldom had the good fortune to get to know someone with as much compassion, integrity, insight, good humour, and intellect. I am proud to have shared the journey with you. May the future hold only what you and yours deserve.

So sad seeing so many people going away from this game...

@Ekto-Gamat , will be sorry to lose you both from the game & the team . Team wars brought a whole lot of us together from the old forum, although saddened by your decision, I feel honoured to have been your team mate at the start & now at the end of your game. Thank you, for your wisdom, your knowledge of strategy, your humour, your cheerleading ...thank you for all that you've done . You will be missed, my ML brother .

Really hope sp start to see sense unfortunately I now think as I have said in many previous posts it’s all greed for them no not player enjoyment, losing long terms players like we have done should be a wake up call but I really don’t think so. Ekto’s as always a very good post by you and hope u have a change of heart if only just so I can say whine over Ekto .

Good post. You've always given good insight to the game. Even got me to change my opinion now and then. I'd say start a martial art with your new free time. Competitive and you can compete in "wars" on the mat every week.

You'll be missed Ekto! All the best and enjoy your ML free life

Great post but not great news. Really sad to see yet another stalwart of the game walking away because of the direction the owners are pushing it.
I really hope new legislation comes into play sooner rather than later that outlaws unregulated gambling in games played by minors.
I wish you all the best Ekto, you will be sorely missed.

I will miss you

@ekto-gamat said in Ekto's Final Thoughts:

I cannot longer morally justify playing a game, that should be for all ages, that encourages such gambling behaviour.

Keyword(s): all ages & gambling
Those two words shouldn't even be in the same sentence!!!
If SP had any shade of humanity left in them, they will go back to the drawing board with this Cave or remove it altogether.

I also read a post recently where @David-ML mentioned he had to stop the kids from trying to spend gems to continue gambling in the Cave. I mean.... doesn't that send a chill up your spine?! This is where it begins amongst young ones, up until it becomes a full-blown gambling addiction. Put your kid(s) in that situation for Goodness sake.

I haven't been for that long in this Forum but I do follow all the comments and post . . . Really enjoyed your insights Ekto . . . Enjoy your life and wish you the best!

Hi @ekto-gamat,

I am very sorry to hear that. We will greatly miss you in the community!!
You've always been a voice of reason in the forum and brought so much knowledge of ML to everyone here.

Thank you for the detailed points of feedback, I will definitely share this with people in the team.

Anyways, you will always be welcomed here.

@fox maybe just me fox and I know 1 player does not make a game but I expected a little more than we’ll your welcome back anytime, maybe something like we have put all your points across to sp/take 2 and hope to get some answers or changes to the constant downfall of game or even just the gambling aspect not just we will pass on your points blah blah. Seems like devs and mods really don’t care about losing long term players suppose as long as the whales keep spending really doesn’t matter.

@callumarachnoid but then whales are sad that they have to fight the same opponents over and over because the gap is so huge while SP only makes it even bigger with new mutant runes and there is still almost no opportunities to catch up without spending literally thousands of $

I don't have a problem fighting any team...& in all fairness, those teams (as long as we get reasonable rules), provide the most entertaining wars we get...but when we keep getting fatso Thalassa, paired with anything, not all, but some of us are just 0 coining, unable to contribute to the war, at all. & top teams need to be able to have easy wars too .

@callumarachnoid said in Ekto's Final Thoughts:

@fox maybe just me fox and I know 1 player does not make a game but I expected a little more than we’ll your welcome back anytime, maybe something like we have put all your points across to sp/take 2 and hope to get some answers or changes to the constant downfall of game or even just the gambling aspect not just we will pass on your points blah blah. Seems like devs and mods really don’t care about losing long term players suppose as long as the whales keep spending really doesn’t matter.

What exactly is she supposed to say? She has said repeatedly that she takes the input from the community to the people in the know. Reiterating it here will accomplish, what? I am sure Testcyp will say I am being aggressive again but I do not see the point of this statement other than tainting Fox's well wishes to Ekto.

@Ekto-Gamat I too will miss you, I have valued your presence here, you are one of the many who I think bring a vital contribution to the community.

I want to ad to this please dont try and use this for your own problems with the game, this post is about Ekto Gamat saying goodbye for his reasons, I think we all can read them and respect them

Wow b2b mods she could give an explanation why sp think this new chests are ok why things are broken in the game but never get fixed why good players are deserting the game, if sp are thinking these things are a bad idea or just interested in the next buck to be honest she could have said quite a lot of things but I guess as long as the devs and mods are happy doesn’t really matter what players think, hope this doesn’t come across as aggressive ..

As a sidenote: in two wars time (which should be Friday) Untamable will be needing two players to replace both of my accounts.

Requirements: look at our war log and become enthusiastic at the idea of contributing to the awesome wars we fight.

@callumarachnoid said in Ekto's Final Thoughts:

Anyone know why my above post is greyed out

I was wondering the same thing, I thought you deleted it. It shows that you edited it last.

It was my pleasure playing against you and your team for the past 4 plus years with the records of 0-4 vs. your team ([aPex] vs. AMAB). I enjoy your insight input and always stay positives as I had known you. Every journey will eventually comes to an end. Who knows, my journey may come to an end too. I wish you well and have a safe journey.

@ekto-gamat I would apply but I only work 20 hours of OT a week so I wouldn’t be able to buy enough gems to keep up

@testcyp , try us... you'll be pleasantly surprised

@Ekto-Gamat I am happy to have known you and even though never really met you i know you are an amazing person. You will be missed by all of us in the community.
May God bless your soul.

Thank you all for your more than kind words.

I just finished my attacks in my last war, and will leave the game by the end of it.

For anyone interested in elite wars in the first 2 years, I once again share the links to my 2 part history of Resurrection of AMAB:

[https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5XxTQqxGprOWEJkTGtoYnVOQ00/view?usp=sharing](link url)

[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lwKRXwk1pU76GtDnj_u5YPkLIPdWozQO/view?usp=sharing](link url)

No history for Untamable, simply because wars were not lived as intensely as in AMAB. Big kudos to Untamable however, and most notably to its lead Sheela, for growing from a mediocre team to a team that beat Grindhouse and ML Italia in war and United Assassins in TBGR.

I have never recorded many videos, because it may have caused an increase in the chance of crashing (a frequent occurence in the first year of wars). What I recorded and saved (mostly from the last 1,5 year) can be found here:

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDVLdkbNl3E&list=PL-ZmsXL52PrZF3AMufSnaerI3q59AzEgw](link url)

Typical of these videos is my preference for attack teams consisting of two supporters setting up one hitter. Maybe it can inspire anyone.

Keep enjoying the game, my friends! I certainly did until my last coin.

@ekto-gamat it is funny that you posted the history again, i read them again earlier this week.
It really makes me wish i had been strong enough to have been part of that.
I have really enjoyed my time being able to fight alongside you in Untamable.
You will be sorely missed both here and in the team and can only wish you all the best for the future.
P.s the ending to the last video was very poetic

Im proud to be in a team that was there alongside AMAB, although i wasnt in it at that time. The team's name is in the writings and thats makes me part of one of the oldest teams around

@ekto-gamat
All the best. My battle mate.

goodbye ekto. will miss ur opinions.
i personally dont mind team races cuz they are the only event(now) in which u can get a easy ranked legend without $$ (at least my team(invincible champs)) its a little repetitive tho.Miss titan invasions . Gambling has always been part of the game with chests and breeding events and 1-1-1 rune crafting and whatnot. however i do agree with ur other points. i am not a veteran of this game (only been around 8 months) but this is my opinion. wish u good luck for ur other journeys

I hope everyone here discovers Age of Magic - the best game I have ever played.

And no, I am not being paid to say that.
Age of Magic is everything ML should have been.

@clackers said in Ekto's Final Thoughts:

I hope everyone here discovers Age of Magic - the best game I have ever played.

And no, I am not being paid to say that.
Age of Magic is everything ML should have been.

I can't even find the words to react on this except maybe go and bother their forum really

@ekto-gamat Wow! Sorry to see you go. I also saw that c0ntr1v3d is selling their account Thanks for all you have contributed!

Is c0ntr1v3d leaving game as well

@callumarachnoid Most people are leaving the game. Stats show ML is on a downwards curve. The reason so many stupid gambling chests are now prevalent is because the devs want as much money as possible before they lose their jobs. Can't blame them really. Although I have a motto that I only spend money on games with futures.

@clackers Where do you find those stats bro? There will always be people stopping the game and new ones always coming. Game is not dieing, not yet at least.

Plus, selling accounts are not legal afaik. But maybe this is not the case for ML.

I am not going anywhere unless I sell my account for the right price and to the right person. Both things are equally important to me.

Equally, I don't plan to sell my account if it is prohibited, and I hope to clarify that.

The Terms of Service and linked TakeTwo EULA do not appear to prohibit it. There is an absolute prohibition on selling or transferring Virtual Currency or Virtual Goods - but neither of those things prevent transfer of the account as a whole. In fact, there are provisions in the EULA which appear to allow transfer as long as no copy is retained. But the EULA was not designed for ML specifically and so is not sufficiently precise. It could be interpreted contrary to my interpretation, and let's be real: if SP decides it prevents account transfer and deletes the transferred account, that is de facto the outcome. That is why I am looking to clarify SP's stance.

Separately, at present the accounts are linked to a Facebook account, and Facebook's terms are another matter entirely. If Facebook were to lock the account, the player would be left without a backup. Presumably SP will ultimately find a different system and get free of Facebook, and then this problem will fall away.

As to Clackers and his "ML is dying" refrain - he has been saying that for a very, very long time. The truth is that products like this are always high risk since the market is fickle (and this is acknowledged in TakeTwo's annual reports).

I don't have the underlying data, so I have no idea about player base demographic trends, which underpin predictions. I can say that ML has experienced financial year on year growth, attributable to increased monetization only possible in part due to maintaining desire among the player base. One desires what one values, so the product itself is plainly good. And TakeTwo purchased as a long term income producing asset, so there is no intention to cash grab and run.

The risk area for ML is the balance between continued revenue growth, and sustainability. Too much monetization and the base may implode. Too little, and it becomes an underperforming asset which risks being canned. For me, the TakeTwo trend of classic gambling hooks to separate children and addicts and the uninformed from their cash is abhorrent and may ultimately tip player sentiment the wrong way; similarly, the rapid rolling of the end game towards the horizon does not allow those who have invested breathtaking amounts of money and time, to savor their accomplishments - and that, too, could be fatal.

For now, the product is good, and its community is strong. Clackers cannot produce stats showing the game is in decline, because it isn't.

@c0ntr1v3d I would have to dispute take 2 buying this as a long term investment. They bought it because it was available and they were looking for a way into the app market. I'm sure it's been a huge disappointment they haven't been able to get anything close to this since acquiring SP so they have been trying to squeeze out as much cash as possible without making massive amounts of people quit. They have no loyalty to the game, they didn't create it. I'm really surprised they haven't gone the Zynga route and just copied other successful games as fast as possible for short term cash

@testcyp

Well, SP's EBITDA in 2016, before TT acquisition, was an impressive $20m. But TT makes more than that in an opening weekend on its AAA console and PC titles.

And TT acquired it for $250m. That is a lot. So, I expect that (1) TT wants to learn mobile game expertise from the deal and (2) recoup its purchase price. A $250m acquisition of a $20m p.a. (pre tax) income stream suggests an intention to make a long term success of SP's products - since the know-how could have been acquired for a LOT less outlay by just headhunting the SP management and creatives. A lot of value has clearly been put on the titles inventory in that sale, so they won't want it to fail. And yes, that means balancing increasing income against risking alienating the player base.

@c0ntr1v3d I believe but im not sure since i dont have all ins and outs its forbidden to make a profit as player. So if that's the case I think (again not a lawyer) as a long time player it would be an immense amount of money when you reach that point of profit.

@clackers maybe next time come with fact's instead of hollow words.
Nothing is forever only fact we can give at this moment and thats for almost all games, companies, people etc its going to end some day.

@marianne-van-es
Sorry, do you have facts that show he's wrong?
Could you share them with us?
Thanks.

@jimmy said in Ekto's Final Thoughts:

@marianne-van-es
Sorry, do you have facts that show he's wrong?
Could you share them with us?
Thanks.

That's not really how this works. Clackers made a statement which he said was fact, and referred to stats he said supported that assertion. Why should anyone have to disprove what he hasn't proven, but has asserted as unsubstantiated fact?

Be that as it may, the facts underpinning the observations I made above are matters of public record. Anyone can google TT's annual releases.

@c0ntr1v3d

so basically nobody knows if clackers is wrong or right.

I see nothing in your post that proves ML is not in a downward curve., as clackers stated.

As a long time player I'm very interested in the future of this game and, since I see lots of players leaving, I will be happy to know if the number of active players is increasing or diminishing.

@jimmy

No, hang on. What Clackers wrote was: "Stats show ML is on a downwards curve."

Clackers has chosen to invoke some supposed data, rather than stating as an opinion. He most certainly does need to put up or shut up, or admit he is basing his comment on opinion, not evidence.

What is fact is that SP has shown year on year economic growth. You can see that in TT's December 2018 report. From that, I make an assumption, which I am expressing as informed opinion, that while there is broad unhappiness at the increasing monetization, people are nevertheless buying - which indicates they want the product.

Clackers must show his evidence, not other people prove he hasn't got any. The fact he doesn't give it, must draw an adverse inference. I call bull.

@c0ntr1v3d

I'll try to clarify my point despite my poor english (sorry): I know that clackers had proven nothing and I don't give much credit to his assertion but, anyhow, since what I see makes me think that his statement is plausible, I wished something more than simple speculations to deny it.

I agree with you that problably TT don't want the game to fail and they are not programming to close it anytime soon, but I don't know if this is already happening despite their purposes.

To be plain honest: this game is very time (and money) demanding, so I will feel more comfortable knowing for sure that it will not suddendly close (like some other game before).

@jimmy but is this specific for ML doesnt that apply for all mobile games you infest time and money in

Anyone else find it [ironic?] that a f2p game is also #8 top grossing?

Yeah they need to keep ML going for a long time to try and make their money back. TT wanted a high profile, profitable company to get their foot into the app market, so far I’d say that’s been a failure. They didn’t buy SP to make a few bucks off ML. They wanted to take market share from other companies and have a bunch of money making apps.
And I never want to hear the “well SP needs to make a profit” excuse from Marianne ever again when people get angry over blantant, petty money grabs like charging extra gems to speed hatching.