Well, my time with Monster Legends is over, and temptation to take it up again is safely beyond my reach.

Just wanted to say that I got years of real pleasure from the game - mostly because there are so many awesome people in the community and in the teams I played on, so thank you. Ultimately, there is not enough time in my life for all the things I need or want to do, so.

May RNG favour you all - or better yet, play no role in your success. Enjoy. I won't see you on the battlefield again, but I expect to keep tabs on the continued growth of the game and the people who play it.

@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.

@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.

@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.

@clackers

Oh, really? I often use the epic Whale in place of an L, in war, since it is absolutely deadly if there is no Anticipation in play, since 3 turns against Magentized opponents using Metal attacks really hurts. Bit like Cain, huh? But trading damage output for added denial.

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.

@clackers said in Report bugged skills here:

Can someone tell me why Ouros' trait is now immune to Stun? He was always Mountain?

Well. He wasn't always Mountain, although he was always supposed to be immune to stun and freeze.

When he was first released, he was the first monster with two traits. And, naturally, it didn't go according to plan. What happened was that only his first of the two traits were displayed or took effect: stun immunity.

To correct the problem, a new, single trait was introduced: Mountain, which gives immunity to both stun and freeze.

But any Ouros that had been hatched before the fix, missed out on the Mountain trait, and were left with Stun Immunity.

SP allowed exchanges for players who requested it, giving a new egg and often also enough food to level it back up. Often they removed the old Ouros; sometimes they didn't.

Long story short - if you come across an Ouros which has Stun Immunity rather than Mountain, it is an old Ouros, hatched in about March 2016. All later Ouros do have Mountain.

@ss13 said in Can you PLEASE nerf/fix Thalassa??? This madness needs to stop:

@c0ntr1v3d , I believe Icebringer (Hydratila) was the only option available in those rules, right...still not sure, if there was a solution for mere mortals, especially for the rules we had in the previous war... nevermind, we just have to wait till they become obsolete or give up playing when the boredom sets in .

Yup, and mine is Riftmaker, so of zero use in Water rules wars.

Hydratila is effective for beating defence Thalassa teams, letting her go first - as long as she does not get her Special.

He has Freeze Immunity, but needs to be paired with either a Warmaster, or an Anticipation monster. She usually targets them with Plankton Eater rather than him. Result - she freezes everyone except Hydratila. He goes next, and hits Thalassa with Thetys Page 24.

Thetys page 24 - a zero cost and zero cooldown heavy special attack that gives Immunity to Freeze to all allies (and Stamina Regeneration).

This releases your team from the Megafreeze. Then your team does whatever you have put them there to do.

My Thalassa team is Hydratila (2 speed 1 team speed), Llum (2 team speed 1 strength), Gortak (2 strength, 1 team speed).

Thalassa removes Gortak's trait then megafreezes everything but Hydratila, who then releases the team; Llum gives the team double damage and precision; Gortak either Megastuns all, kills all, or kills Thalassa. I have him with Jasastur's Mask, so he also drains everything if I go the Megastun route.

Hydratila also deals with Evasion well: Area Unblessed - a zero cooldown moderate Water area attack that removes all positive status from all enemies.

Unfortunately, Thalassa has a broken special, and her extra turns facilitate it, so this isn't fool proof.

@clackers said in Can you PLEASE nerf/fix Thalassa??? This madness needs to stop:

Who's that loser not running a stamina rune on Cain? Does he even realise that Cain is an extra turner? Noob.

You're kidding, right? Why would you run stamina on Cain? He has three extra turn skills, and they are all on 4 CD. And he doesn't nickle and dime his damage - he inflicts Bleed and has Bleed Hater.