Updated 11/30/16 Ongoing:
Jump to What I’d Like To See + Thoughts on Changes
Click on What I’d Like To See + Thoughts on Changes to jump to the section on this page where I talk about what I’d like to see (ongoing), and what I think of changes (ongoing). Below were my initial thoughts of the game at launch.
November 3, 2016 marks the official launch for DC Legends!
I was actually able to download this game last night about 11pm EST. I had been waiting for this game since the ending of Marvel Avengers Alliance [MAA], my favorite mobile game! So safe to say I played it a lot.
DID I LOVE IT!?
Find out under my Final Thoughts at Launch and then …. read about What I’d Like to See and My Thoughts on Changes [Ongoing].
Here’s the new Cinematic Trailer!!
It’s game time. #DCLegends pic.twitter.com/FgQ41wng5r
— DC Legends (@DCLegends) November 6, 2016
I noticed there’s been a “connectivity” issue and it seems to have gotten worse today. I got SO many error messages, at some times, literally seconds apart for the entire time I was playing. I really hope they deal with that ASAP since it may deter new players.
Update: They must have fixed it,.. seems to run smoothly now!! YAY!
I’m going really going how to play or to go into any tips or anything yet. That’ll come next. For now I’ll just talk about the game a little bit.
For those of you who pre-registered, we all got Striker Wonder Woman! She kicks ass!! And later today I got a SECOND one making her Rank 4.
Update: Here’s a new DC All Access with the design director Sean Dugan!
Thoughts
Visuals
The graphics are great. The art and ability animations for the characters are very very good, though sometimes they seem a little stiff. Just a little bit.
Backgrounds are nice, with things that move in the background. I’m looking forward to more, and maybe also seeing different environmental effects. Night, rain,.. storm, wind and snow!!!
Game play
Once you get going past the tutorial it’s simple enough. I was really used to things in the MAA, and I liked their interface. This is similar, but the differences aren’t necessary better, just different. But to many, it may be better because overall, it’s also simpler. There isn’t as much information to digest as in MAA. For me, in some cases that’s good, others not great, but ok.
Sound and Music
I was actually concerned about the music pre-launch. I think I heard some from videos and such and I wasn’t sure about it. It didn’t convey the tone I think it should, BUT now that the game has launched, I’m not disappointed. Granted there isn’t a theme that I can get hooked to per-say, but it is grand, epic and sweeping. A memorable theme would be nice. I also noticed there are different songs for different parts which I like. It’s all pretty good. I particularly like the more moody, mysterious ones and I also like the voices I hear in one song.
The sound design is good too. It’s pretty standard I think.
Final Thoughts
Overall I want this game to succeed. I love this genre of game and I love DC Comics, so it’s a no-brainier for me. And with promises of new content released regularly, I’m sure it’ll soon be my favorite game! I just hope new MAJOR content isn’t weekly,.. that’d destroy me ha ha. It’s too much. I already spend too much time playing as it is and I’m not speaking too much as a casual player. I’m far from casual.
There’s plenty to do so long as you have energy, which can run out quick if you use the Speed Force to complete previously 3-Starred Battes, which to my surprise isn’t horrible. It actually makes my game play more balanced as I have time to go away and do some work and then come back without worrying that a full bar of energy had been sitting around waiting for me to return for too long. At the Watchtower, there are all these areas that you can do different things in. Story Campaign, Mail (Daily Missions, Campaign Missions, Achievements), Shop, Hero Collection, Teams, Essence Collector, PVP, and two other unknown areas. So there’s a lot to look forward to. I think this is a game that can continue to grow and get better so long as people support it!
What I’d Like To See + Thoughts on Changes [Ongoing]
I’m really looking forward to improvements cause it’s not perfect. Like some negative reviews the I read about “micro monetizing,” things costing too much, repetitive, too difficult to get characters or to make Legendary, so many confusing resources and unexplained things like key words for abilities, all of which could lose people. I’m not talking about me, but the bulk of casual players. I want this game to survive and get better.
Keywords
They’re really should be descriptions for players who don’t know what “silence” is, or “purging a stack” and many others. I don’t know what some of these things are, how will casual players? They’ll get frustrated and quit. Just have a floating description when you hold down on the keyword!
Chapter and Battle Progress and 3-Star Completion
I would like to some graphic representation of how long each Chapter is, either showing your progress with a bar, or percentage, or have a fraction that shows you that you’re on 2 of 6, 2/6 etc. Also, something to show 3-Staring completion for the entire Chapter.
Combat and Turn Order
When in combat, you can’t look to see an opponent’s, or your team’s, Super Powers/Abilities or Stats. That would further aid in strategy. So basically I’d like to see more information when I hold down on any character. In addition to Buffs and Debuff, I’d like to see Stats, and Abitities/Super Powers so a. I know what to expect from an enemy, and b. I can double check the Abilites/Super Powers of my other teammates when it’s not their turn when I’m trying to decide what to do.
I get the way in which a player can tell the turn order (the yellow circle track), but I wish there were a way that made it clearer versus having to check every character and guess.
Auto-Play
I love that there is an auto-play feature. What would make it even better, but not mandatory, is the option to have auto-play stop itself if someone on your team is defeated, and/or when a boss Battle begins.
Readying For Battle
- When in the Readying For Battle screen, I’d like the option to see the Abilities, Stats, etc of my characters without having to exit out of that screen and go to my collection.
- The Affinity symbols with the numbers underneath showing how many opponents of each Affinity are in the Battle, I’d like to see the symbols for the Affinities in order of their relationship, Physical, Mystical and Energy, versus how it is now with it being Physical, Energy, Mystical. It would just help visually determine who I want for my team. That or put them in the formation like the info graphic for the Affinity Relationships, so that I can easily see their relationship as well.
The are a lot of Stats. It’s kinda difficult to grasp lets say how Agility aids in Defense when there also isn’t a Stat for Defense. Speaking of Defense. Defense is one of the stats that Gear can boost, but I’m not sure how DEF applies when there isn’t an established Stat, and I also have no idea what they are like AR, AP, and RES. RES = resistance? to what?
Gear Window
This isn’t a huge deal, but when in the window for a Gear, it’d. be nice to be able to just swipe left and right to go from one to the other if you wanted. It’s helpful when you are focusing on powering up a specific character and want to check to see what Gear Material you need.
Super Power Abilities: Cooldowns
The game lets you see the SP Abilities of all characters even if you don’t have that character yet. Great. They should also add the cooldown for each as well.
Character Preview Videos and Info
For all characters, they should have a mini video on a YouTube channel that previews their abilities, and also show you their max potential stats at their highest levels! If not the base stats, atleast their Max potential PWR. This is helpful especially when new characters are released!
Teams with “Back Up” or “Sidekicks”
Maybe have 5 or 6 characters in a team, but with only 4 active. The extra characters are “back-up” or “Sidekicks” who can be called in during battle to attack or to switch out. One can even be another player’s leader from their team from an Alliance you’re in or someone on your “friend” list. Or maybe they come in when a character dies.
Training/Sidekick
Maybe “Sidekicks” get “trained” and gain XP or something?
Team XP
All members of your team gain XP for being used in a team.
Hero Collection Stat Boosts
Imagine that every hero you have in your collection adds a boost to all character stats. The amount of characters you have for each Affinity adds to a stat boost for all characters of that Affinity. This encourages players to collect all the characters.
Slotable Abilities or Gear
Instead of just having a set number of Super Power Abilities and/or Gear, maybe have a set number of slots for Abilities/Gear, with more Abilities/Gear that players can choose from so they can customize their characters. Offer Abilities/Gear specific to each character, AND abilities that are not so you can have events where you can win a Slottable ability/Gear for ANY character!
Make Opening Packs, etc more of an Event
Sometimes the appeal and excitement of a game comes from the bells and whistles. People like it to be an “event” when they get stuff,.. it’s like a ritual. It aids in addicting players, encouraging them to spending money to get their fix. Right now, though in context the void swirl is kinda accurate, it’s pretty passable and underwhelming.
Cross-platform
Make it cross platform compatible. Not huge, until you change OS.
Raids
Boss Events where Guild/Alliance teams have to fight a boss until it dies, competing with other Guilds/Alliances.
Ranking Up Growth Modifier/Stats/Power Screen
What in the world do these numbers mean??
The modifiers kinda make sense and I tried making sense out of it on the first character profile I did which is for Green Lantern Hal Jordan, but for the most part, the numbers are not making any sense to me.
But really go to see my Green Lantern Hal Jordan profile page and you’ll see what I mean as I try to make sense of the data going from one Rank to another,..
Shop
11/17/16 they made a few changes in the shop. Some are good some less. I like that the new Packs give you so many Fragments and leaving out the bonus Materials isn’t horrible. The price point of Essence Gems is okay. But no higher please, or a little lower would be nice. I understand they have to have a balance to encourage people to use real money.
Mini and Big Arena Packs
One change I don’t like are with the Mini Arena Pack and Big Arena Pack which both now instead of only offering Exclusive Arena Fragments along with a Emotional Spectrum Energy for upgrading Super Power Abilities, it now has included Common Fragments and eliminated the Emotional Spectrum Energy all together! BAD! Not cool!
I’d like for those to go back to what they were at launch or something better please!
Also, I didn’t love the Gear Up Pack change!
Gear Up Pack* – 6000 Essence (Green) 600 Essence Gems (Boo!)
Collect 5 20 Gear Materials with a chance for rare items.
Though I gotta say, 20 Gear Materials is more useful than just 5, but for 600 Essence Gems? Not gonna happen! Make it 100,000 Essence (Green) is better than that.
New: 10 Power Rings – 850 Essence Gems
Again, I’m not so sure about this one. We can already grind for them, … idk. For someone who doesn’t pay to play, that’s a lot of Essence Gems.
Wraith Doppelgangers and PVP
I actually think they are a lot cooler looking than I had originally though,.. but, it would still be cool if they looked more like the characters. I get why they look like that. Because a. there aren’t two of the same person, b. they’re Wraiths. BUT, maybe consider having some with just a different color scheme? Other than being a little boring, sometimes it’s also difficult to identify who the Wraiths are which would help in determining your strategy. Maybe opposite colors and/or maybe their skin tone is that of the current Wraith color, but their clothing is colored?
If not, I’d prefer that they atleast have some color in the Wraith Arena when we are playing against other players’ teams!
PVP Wraith Arena
PVP Practive Mode
Self-explainatory. There should be a mode to try out your PVP teams before you use them officially. That way you’re not losing Trophies trying a team out.
Set Defense Team
It seems you can be attacked whether you’re actively playing or not. It’d be nice to have a feature where you can set your PVP Defense team, especially for when you’re away, otherwise the default team is the last team you used even if it was for a Chapter Battle.
PVP In General
Update 11/30/16: with the NEW pvp,.. my concerns are more or less gone, so long as I can get the reward I want, I don’t have to be #1 Rank. The minimum should always be enough Fragments to get the character with potential to get enough to get to the next Rank or so.
I don’t know anything about the old system, so I can’t compare, but I’ve been reading all kinds of complaints and suggestions for PVP. Some actually complain that it’s too easy to beat those who are higher in Power than you, What!?! I wouldn’t be complaining if I was winning, but I guess it could suck being on the other end. I don’t know, that wasn’t my experience at all, maybe they’ve changed some things since those complaints. Here’s my experience. In the beginning when it was officially launched, that game was already in the middle of a PVP season and I was able to get to 1400 Trophies. Great! Maybe in the future I’ll get higher!! NOPE,.. in the future, as I leveled up and got increasingly more powerful characters my Trophy average has suffered to the point that I can barely get to 1000 Trophies and maintain it! If I were just a casual player, ok, but I’m not a casual player. I play every free moment I have every day and that’s atleast playing through full energy atleast 4 times a day meaning about 40+ PVP battles per day. I feel that for a person who plays more than casually like myself should atleast at minimum be able to achieve 1400-1500 Trophies or however many is needed to actually GET the featured character by the end of PVP! Casual players, maybe 1200-1300 Trophies, so maybe they’ll try a little harder next time and get more. And for anyone else higher, especially closer to the top, I’d expect that they probably spent money, and I’m ok with that. That’s their reward for spending.
I hate to compare, but being a fan of Marvel Avengers Alliance 1 and 2, I have to, because I loved what they did. In MAA1, their PVP was closer to how DC Legends is now in that you have to always come back to try to earn what you lost from being defeated while defending in PVP. That was hard, but I was STILL able to get the top rewards of the game because players didn’t have to be the best, they just had to have enough wins to qualify for the accumulative award rankings. There were different rewards for each ranking tier. e.g. 50-100 wins is Rank 1, 101-200 is Rank 2, etc. If you reach the top rewards rank, then you got the reward for that ranking and every reward in the lower ranks. So you just had to maintain your rank. In MAA2, they got rid of the mechanic that made you loose rank when you lost defensively. You only lost rank when you proactively attacked and lost. So you were only really playing against yourself, trying to have as many winning streaks as possible. I loved that. In MAA2, I was also able to get the top rewards! Because I played a LOT until I won enough to reach the top rewards ranking! Usually the second to last PVP ranking awarded the player a new character. Getting to the top ranking gave you most of that character’s abilities! Either way, you got the character.
With DC Legends, I can’t even get the character.
I don’t think players should have to pay to make PVP worth participating in. I know you can get Battle Essence, but… that’s not enough incentive for getting into a higher League, as you’re already getting Battle Essence for winning Battles in general.
BUT, I did notice that completing 10 wins without refreshing now awards Fragments!! That’s awesome! That part is great!
Pay to Win vs Free To Play
With further thought, another issue is the “pay to win” (p2w) versus “free to play.” (ftp) It might just be the way it is for this model of game to make money. Those who play to win, get such an advantage, when they go up against the free to play, they steamroll them. That would be fine except I actually hear from those who DO pay, that they don’t like that advantage. They feel it becomes easy and boring. They’re apparently mad!
Apparently it’s a mess cause people are fighting people they shouldn’t be matched up with Why is this happening? My theory is the problem may be that there are p2w, but not so many that they’re just all fighting eachother. The problem is that there aren’t enough and so they are fighting the f2p. .
HOW ARE MATCHES MADE?
I’ve heard it’s by Max Possible PWR Level of the most powerful in your Hero Collection regardless of whether or not they are on your team. In addition, a snapshot of a player’s previous Team is used which is supposed to explain why someone with lower PWR might have beat you, because they actually beat a team you previously used. Over time, the snapshots are updated to more recent teams, but will always be behind your most current team.
Update: 11/30/16
When you refresh, you are now pitted against opponents of your current League all with +9 Trophies for defeating them. Lets see how this works,.. sounds logical maybe,… hmm.
- New matchmaking based off of PvP Entries.
- Matchmaking will now be based off of your league, not power score.
- Increased amount of players rewarded in upper leagues
Fragments and Characters I’d Like To See
Update: I’ve noticed complaints about how many Fragments are required to get a character to full Legendary and how much people have spent and STILL wasn’t able to make thier character 5 Star Legendary! People have spend $100 and STILL can’t get a character to 5 Star Legendary! Ok, if that’s the case, that’s ridiculous!
In general, I do think maybe it may be a bit much to get to 5 Star Legendary, and that would be ok, but it shouldn’t be near impossible without money nor should a player spend $100 and still not get the character to 5 Star Legendary! Having said that, I’m not sure that it’s near impossible to get a character to Legendary without money, but I’ll have to get back to you on that as I haven’t gotten that far yet. Right now, my highest Rank character that started out at Rank 1, is now Rank 4, so it still seems reasonably possible, I think.
Otherwise, they really need to rethink all of that.
Characters I’d Like to See
I’d like to see the awesome characters from the DC Multi-verse like those from the Infinite Crisis MOBA by Turbine! e.g. Gaslight Batman, Mecha Superman, Atomic Wonder Woman,.. etc
Ambush Bug
Aztek
Booster Gold
Constantine
Darkseid
Dax the Red Lantern Cat
Doom Patrol
Haunted Tank
Indigo-1
Justice League Dark (Madame Xanadu, Deadman, Black Orchid, Entrigan, Shade the Changing Man, Enchantress)
Justice Society of America
Krypto
Larfleeze
Legion of Super Heroes
Lobo
Midnighter (and any WildStorm characters actually like WildC.A.T.s, Stormwatch, Authority, Gen 13, Deathblow, Backlash, Divine Right, Wetworks, Intimates, Sleeper, 21 Down, Allegra etc.)
Mogo ha ha
New Gods
OMAC
Oracle
Plastic Man
Psycho Pirate
Ragman
Rip Hunter
Saint Walker
Spectre
Super Sons
Teen Titans
Titans
Watchmen
… I’d name more, but I’m sure you have plans for Aquaman, Nightwing,.. etc.
READ MORE ABOUT DC COMICS LEGENDS
DC Legends: Tips and Strategy
DC Legends Guide
4 Character Announcement and Thoughts
DC Legends Pre-Launch Details and Speculation
DC Legends Unite Fan Group on Facebook
DC Legends Unite LINE Chatroom
DC Legends YouTube selections from YouTube
DC Legends Official web site
DC Legends Official Forums
DC Legends Facebook Official
DC Legends Discord Chat Forum (Let me know if this doesn’t work)
Introduction Trailer
Game Play Trailer
KCRRLives! - The Personal Blog of Carl K. Li 
This looks pretty great! I’ll probably give it a download and try it out 😀
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Thanks Paul. I appreciate you reading my post. Let me know what you think of the game.
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For sure! I actually forgot to download it yesterday, made sure to get it on my phone now and I’ll give it a go on my tram ride home this evening. 😀
That said, do you share your posts on any other websites? I work over at Creators .Co (we’re part of Movie Pilot and Now Loading) and this is the sort of content that makes for an interesting read. If you were open to the idea of posting your work on our sites in addition to also having your blog/site here, I’d be more than happy to help you get started. My e-mail and more info can be found on my page. (o^.^)b
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Absolutely, that’d be great. I share my posts on social media and Facebook groups only so far. So email you?
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