Last Stand Expert Mode needs tweaks…

JayZ · January 2022

Even on a week with a pretty strong hero lineup, Expert Mode doesn’t come close to competing with SMY. This is shown in the leaderboards.

The top 4 Regular Mode scores were all double that of Expert Mode. Out of the top 25 players, only 4 were Expert Mode players. One would hope most of the top players (or at least half) were playing in Expert Mode.

I actually find Expert Mode to be quite fun. You can use some creative and interesting team combinations. While a lot of the score certainly comes down to how many tools you’re willing to throw at the end, there’s still a lot more differentiation of skill than just using SMY endlessly.

Give the players playing Expert Mode some added in-game incentive! The Expert Mode score multiplier should be 10x (instead of just 5x), and the post-mission rewards should be doubled. At least then, Expert Mode stands a chance of competing. Otherwise, create a separate Leaderboard for Expert Mode.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6025874/uploads/editor/zd/zgtu1fsa3086.png

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6025874/uploads/editor/zl/o78m8illyu0b.png

Video from my last run: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcu-YBaW2hw

ShadowWalker · January 2022

These rewards are 💩

4 Hwacha and Sniper Morgan? 3 Dwight? 6 Shooter? 🤬

I agree, I do like Expert mode, but I am going to need better incentives or a separate leaderboard. Otherwise, considering how long it will take just to get supports to lv 3, I will only play this mode on Mondays just for fun (gasps!)

Edit: Also, I just want to add: TOOL LIMIT. That is all, thank you.

ghost_pepper · January 2022

If the rewards were even close to the regular rewards, I would play expert simply because it would be over FASTER!!

The more supports that come out, progressively the longer it takes to even be able to use the things. While this poor design is an issue to address in another place, playing the Expert mode has the potential to present a fix. The rewards should be structured differently. Surviving each level should be a huge achievement using only from this random string of heros. Each level should carry a progressive increase in rewards.

Lots and lots of support tokens

I mean LOTS of extra support tokens

More premium hero tokens
More reroll tokens

More radios

More tools

No class tokens

No 2nd and 3rd class hero tokens

And more support tokens. Did I say more support tokens already? I'll say it again.

More support tokens.

Each run on LS I use Rick CE, Lucky staff Eugene, Beta MS. I never deviate from this strategy because I have perserverance on 2 of them, I can't stomach playing long bouts of LS, and because I've no reason to move my stellar badge sets off of those heros. This gets me top 5%. I have ZERO incentive to play LS for longger amounts of time. I have zero incentive to get onto a leaderboard since I'm not and never will be that type of player. Even the reduced time going into Expert isn't incentive enough for me.

Incentivize me to play Expert and only Expert!

Firekid · January 2022

@ShadowWalker if you haven’t already I’d contact support as you shouldn’t be able to get that amount of hero tokens on expert so somethings wrong there.

Hickle121 · January 2022

I have started playing a one and half week ago and this game is addiction now love the game and the features are so amazing reply me if you have any suggestion for me

Superhero · January 2022

Hickle121 said:

I have started playing a one and half week ago and this game is addiction now love the game and the features are so amazing reply me if you have any suggestion for me

You`ll find all needed suggestions in this mindblasting compendium.

https://forums.nextgames.com/walkingdead/discussion/41787/jayzs-nml-strategy-compendium/p1

ShadowWalker · January 2022

Firekid said:

@ShadowWalker if you haven’t already I’d contact support as you shouldn’t be able to get that amount of hero tokens on expert so somethings wrong there.

I'll contact them just to let them know there is a problem, but they can keep the Sniper Morgan tokens. In fact they can take back the ones I got too.

JayZ · January 2022

Last week’s TLS was a prime example of how imbalanced expert vs. regular mode is… No expert mode players made the top 100 with all 3 runs whereas 1 regular mode run is enough to put you well in the top 100.

ShadowWalker · January 2022

Well to be fair if I used all my tickets on Expert mode I still would've been in the top 100. I actually scored less when I used SMY, but I was only playing to a certain point since I was just trying to use up my Wed/Thurs ticket (seriously @Lexia just give us 3 tickets on Monday and let us use them when we want).

I don't have screenshots of my other scores, but with SMY I played until around 40,000, and then on the weekend I used the same team as above and scored around 100,000.

That being said, even my best expert score is no where close to what you did in your one regular mode run.

JayZ · January 2022

Nice scores @ShadowWalker! It looks like you are more of an expert than I am. Looks like my team selection was not particularly savvy

ShadowWalker · January 2022

I am but a fraction of the player that you're @JayZ

JayZ · March 2022

Bump. Last week's scores show the absurd discrepancy between Expert Mode and Regular Mode. Only one single player in the top 100 made all three runs in Expert Mode. The other players on the top 100 played 1-2 rounds of Expert Mode and then got an insanely inflated SMY score with their final run in Regular Mode.

How can a score of 345k compete with scores of 10-26 million? Expert Mode desperately needs its own Leaderboard for players that play all three missions in Expert Mode. Otherwise, you can rename Expert Mode to be something like "Mode for people who want worse rewards and have less time to grind with SMY."

ATLAS-Z · March 2022

I agree this is fucked. But I don't see an easy solution.

Even a decent bump in rewards and points for expert won't close that gap. Not in any meaningful way?

Stuff like this I think is what lead to the challenge cap. Which I'm pretty sure we don't want here.

Maybe some type of rewards cap though? After a certain point, no more extra rewards? You're just running up your score for the hell of it? I think this would dissuade this type of inflated play?

Ideas @JayZ?

JayZ · March 2022

There is no chance NG meant for LS to be an unlimited game mode, where the only constraint is how much time you have. So, below are a few ideas, some of which may be unpopular, but I'll share them anyways:

There are two things that make it easy at the very high levels: (1) All of the damage done at high levels is based on a % of walker health, like Mercer's LT, fire damage, grenades, etc.). This is a game mechanic, and it can't/shouldn't be changed. (2) After a certain point, all walkers spawn from the same side. This makes it really easy to build walls and hold new spawn waves at bay. Updating the high level play so that walkers can still spawn from all four directions may potentially prevent LS from being endless. If players are able to keep advancing through walkers spawning from all four sides, they will probably have to use more tools/more strategy, so they would at least be earning/paying for their scores.
Specifically, for Expert Mode: All of my suggestions in the original post still stand. Double the rewards, double the scores, and create a separate leaderboard. Comparing Regular Mode vs. Expert Mode scores are like comparing apples and penguins.

ATLAS-Z · March 2022

@Lexia that's good stuff right there ☝️☝️

Pretty basic good suggestions.

ignas · March 2022

Was it actually confirmed by NG that same side spawn is intentional and not bug? Those insane scores are exactly because of that. You use tools to get to that point and afterwards it’s just endless routine.

Last Stand Expert Mode needs tweaks…

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