Vicious Circle (in General)

What looks like an 'O' and goes "Grrrrrr"?

Anyway, on to some serious 'TheoryBlending'.

For the first couple of days of my NCB I've been managing to make around 10K MPR per day. Let's assume this amount says the same for the whole 4 months of my bonus. I know my bonus percent will decrease, but the XP I gain from rewards should increase.

In a month I should/could make 300K MPR. By the end of the bonus let's assume I make 1.2M MPR.

That's quite a bit. (Again, this is an assumption, but not too far fetched...)

It's obvious that any character with a bonus will outperform (most of) those without.

To stay competitive, people I pass will have to start Bonus characters. Here's where the Vicious Circle appears.

Anyone starting a Bonus character later than me, will (on average, clicking frenzy aside) pass my MPR by the end of thier bonus.

This means for me to stay competitive, I will have to start a new Bonus enabled character. Which will then pass them, and they will have to start again and so on.

The later you leave the creation of your bonus enabled character, the better bonus you will get.

4 month personal re sets here we come!

Again, this is just speculation at the moment, we'll see how it goes in four months time, and how well I've progressed my character. But as soon as the bonus is over, expect to see him up for sale, and the proceeds going towards the BA cost of my next bonus character.

Long term players in the upper ranks can compete with NUB's; several have risen and found they have to work hard just to maintain their placing. Lack of strategy, experience or just patience to keep click-click-clicking has put off a few.

But the NCB's start with the know-how (apparently), the cash in some cases, the gear stored away or raising money in rentals and all the advantages NUB's don't have. I suspect the top ten will feature several NCB's within the month - and by the end of the first bonus period the top ten will be entirely NCB. My char - with it's minimal MPR levels will still be less MPR than the NCB chars by the end of another four months...

Mmmm, that was sounding a bit like an Anti-NCB whine....

somebody shoot me.....

Yeah, lets have some anti NCB posts.....

For existing long-term characters, the NCB poses the same 'threat' as the NUB.

I say: Bring it On!!!


But lets wait and see how many posts this bonus generates......

I can say one thing about the NCB...the whole concept of building a large single minion then buying into a second minion is pretty silly... That cash can be used to buy BA under the NCB and leapfrog a brand new character over your existing one.

In either case, I am saving money now (and already have the gear I want for long term). AFter the holidays I will likely try to do what I did from Jan 2005 thru March 2005 -- 24x7 BA usage, plus buying all the BA I can afford. Of course, I may be too lazy.

In regards to the NCB: as the classic end-user-receiving-a-new-software-module line goes, "It's exactly what we asked for -- but not what we want!" *smile*

Be careful what you wish for......

if you can afford 25 million for BA + NW + gear the NCB is great. basically it's for USD spenders. i don't understand why nobody else sees how foolish the NCB really is

The NCB does to MPR what the NUB does. For vets, sell off your gear to pay for BA purchase, and spend it on BA for the NCB. Getting to top 10 is an expensive route no matter which way you go - buying a char or growing NUB / NCB.

And GL - game on! We're leapfrogging right now.

I think I'll stick around where I am. Especially if all you NUB/NCB people stick with FB/DM chars. I like that combination..... ;)

I will add a quick question though - is there much point to sticking with one large character now? From a personal level I've put a lot into this one and would hate to say goodbye to it. But from a broader game view, is it worth my while?

G you're doing a lot better than me! ;)

Sute, yeah, I'm now drawn between options with what to do with my money. Save all I generate/buy to either;

1) (Original Master plan) The day my NCB ends, buy three of the expensive minion types to give me the largest possible MPR.

2) Spend it all on BA for ,my next, and bigger NCB character.

3) Keep saving and saving as the next NCB character will always be better than the one you use now.

Yes, it becomes a money management game. I have my gear for eventual WM (my main plan), but saving up to buy a minion seems like money wasted when that cash could be used for BA purchases on a new NCB.

Mega, yes, it does seem like USD heaven, but if the BA were cheaper, then it would just be NCB heaven. Everyone would start over right now and we would truly be in a 4 month reset cycle.

Let USD spenders spend. Let one get huge so that you can then start a new character and ride the wave all the more quickly. The balance is built in. The only problem is feedback causing an infinite growth loop. :\

Yup. The game will now get bigger and bigger faster than CB1, and the only way to keep up is getting an even bigger bonus.

Lets see what bonus I get in four months time on my new NCB character! :D

That is the problem with an artificial "booster" letting you get to the top. Not near the top but actually get to the top.

But let us see how far the character that is now in the top 5 and very close to getting to the top still with the NUB gets. Before all this talk of restarting over and over is needed.

QBRanger, 12:25 PM EST - But let us see how far the character that is now in the top 5 and very close to getting to the top still with the NUB gets. Before all this talk of restarting over and over is needed.

WOWEEE! Whoever that is ought to be CONGRADUATED!

It's a festivus miracle.

Since the nub is intended to allow a truly dedicated new player the chance to challenge the top spot, I expect Kitty will lose her nub once she reaches that point.

If the NUB is gone the moment someone reaches the top spot, that would be interesting to say the least.

/me puts her toes on the spot. It's so warm.

Losing the NUB once reaching the top... Hmmm...

That would indeed be interesting if it was score-based.

I could see toplist players teaming up and purposely lowering their scores to make that happen. Interesting.

Brandon,

It would likely not be score or PR based, but rather MPR based as that is a constant.

I know it wouldn't. I'm just devious like that. ;)

That would stop any rapid inflation.

But consider a Single minion team getting to the top MPR spot (Most likely using a RoE for the duration of their bonus time...) And losing their bonus. Then said Single Minion team inflates their MPR buy purchasing three new minions.

Everyone elses bonuses inflates to reach the new top spot. :)

Ranger, you know what you have to do, fire some/all of your minions to lower your MPR, and lower the bonus everyone gets! :D And the new number one Spot should do the same!!

>;)
>;P