darkSpyro

While sitting here looking at my Skylanders collection(300+ figures), magic items, expansion packs, and traps, I began to think about all the money and time that went into compiling this collection.

I've come to the conclusion that Trap Team is probably my last Skylanders game.

I probably could have gotten a supercharger and other mods for my Stingray with all the money I've spent on Skylanders these past 4 years.

I love Skylanders, but the fun of finding figures and other items has lost its luster.

With the expansion packs already beaten and all the wave 3 characters now powered up, there's nothing else to do.

Seriously, the game is fun and the figures are awesome, but after you've beaten the game... all that's left is the "grind" of doing all the side quests and powering up your characters.

The "grind" isn't much fun anymore. I've got better things to do with my time than sit for hours grinding away.

Then again, we'll see what next year brings in the new game. We'll see if I get the "bug" again. LOL

Well, you can just wait an extra month and just buy the next CD and portal instead of getting toys after toys. If they cut fowards compatibility it really isn't worth collecting anymore, but if not you can use what you have and just miss out on 100%ing the game.

All of your complaints have been there from day one, which is why I've REALLY been wanting something inside the game to keep me busy for my characters. Heroics/Quests are a cheap/weak way to keep me occupied, and they even took that away.

If they keep it totally focused on toys next year and don't address this very basic shortcoming, this will be my last too. I've entertained this thought every year, but I can without a doubt commit to it now. I have hope they can pull a magic rabbit out of the hat, but not dime one until I know what I get next year.

I find it interesting that the "expansion packs" EXPAND gameplay, but it's only like an hour or less AT BEST with replays. They need to toy with consumer based build tools for fans to expand gameplay FOR OURSELVES if they won't do it for us. Online is on the short list as well. PvP must come back.

Totally understand about "the bug". Buying / finding the toys is cool ... way more cool than the longevity I get in the game. If they fix that problem, I'll be hard pressed to complain about this franchise.

The expansion packs left a lot to be desired.

Actually, after finishing Trap Team, I loved the game, BUT I felt they just "phoned it in" and just counted on the figures for their massive profits cuz it was way too short and lacked really anything groundbreaking.

I'd like to see next year's game played from Kaos' side and/or maybe even an RTS like Halo Wars and LOTR Battle for Middle Earth II.

The option of buying every figure in one box(weary of the hunt and scalpers) and on-line co-op would get me back in the pool.

I love on-line co-op with my buddies in the Rainbow Six series, Left 4 Dead series, and other co-op games.

The co-op experience is what keeps me going back to those games that are years old. It's always better with friends.

I can't wait till Mediacom finally gets our development wired so I can get on XBox Live again.

I was hopeful for the community experience when Universe was still online. The general vibe I'm getting is that despite all of the money they get off this franchise, they simply don't think it's worth the investment. I just can't move forward with them if they can't adjust to a few things like this.

i had a really hard time to get on the skylanders wagon this time with stt, im sure everyone read about my struggles here at the forums. so if there is no online gameplay, like i can team up with ghostroaster for an online gameplay of skylanders next time and there is bug fix patches for this insane expensive game (like they cant take the time to finish this game when its cost around 1000 dollars to get one of everything), i am done...

Step one - they need to raise the level cap from 20 to 30 or higher to compensate for their foolishness this time around. I put that as the number one priority over online play and other stuff you guys are asking for (not that those other things aren't important and useful additions). I want to pick up all my older figures and level them up higher...I loved capping everybody off at level 20 in the Swap Force arenas (Angry Angry Plants was a great place to level up).

Regardless of what you decide, I think you or anybody else bailing on the franchise for your myriad of reasons should at least pick up the next game at Black Friday prices...nobody asked you to chase after them all and that's probably the root cause of your burnout. There's such a thing as phasing out of a franchise you enjoy by cutting costs from several hundred dollars a year to less than $50 rather than bailing out completely. Bailing out should occur once you've truly lost your enjoyment in the game and you want to move onto something else.

Game needs a random generating dungeon or something.

All i have to say is see ya! This is like the umteenth dozen i quit thread they are getting old. If you dont like the game dont get it. Do you really need to justify not liking a game to the masses. Get over it and move on.

They made it clear it's all about the money.

Hardly any new figures except a load of "high end" gimmick figures you are forced to buy because they changed the element gate requirements.
A load of "blobs" of plastic that are much cheaper to produce and way over priced.

Only 2 "expansion packs" with tiny levels.

Basically this game represents a shift to much less game play and fun to much more paying for nothing. Not a good shift.

Downloadable levels? Figure updates for older games? PvP? Online play? More integrated worlds? Random levels? User designed content?
They have no interest in ANYTHING like this because they "make a loss" on the starter pack" in order to get you hooked on the collectible cash cow figures. At least the first couple games were fun to play, but they have sucked all the fun out of it now and not even my kids are interested in playing the same stuff over and over again in the game.
When even a 5 and 9 year old think the game is lack-luster you know there is a problem. Not only could this be my last Skylanders game, it could be theirs. Actually, they will probably push out a 5 in desperation and it will flop so badly they won't make anything more.

Quote:

Step one - they need to raise the level cap from 20 to 30 or higher

Please no. While it would give you more to do with old characters, it would also add a ton of repetitive grinding.

Quote: Arc of Archives

Quote:

Step one - they need to raise the level cap from 20 to 30 or higher

Please no. While it would give you more to do with old characters, it would also add a ton of repetitive grinding.

Only if you choose to - you could simply leave the old ones at level 20, if you don't want to grind them. After all, nobody is forcing you to grind...

Quote: Pyrofer

Downloadable levels? Figure updates for older games? PvP? Online play? More integrated worlds? Random levels? User designed content?
They have no interest in ANYTHING like this because they "make a loss" on the starter pack" in order to get you hooked on the collectible cash cow figures.

thank god for its not downloadable dlc and figure updates with patch and all that digital crap. because digital you never own, and server can be shut down then you lose everything. so if this have been the case the game would have been done years ago. skylanders is a 1000 dollars game and having things as a digital, it would be throwing money out the window for collectors.

I used to agree with you on all that, but then I got over it.
To be honest, Nintendo protection on the WiiU doesn't worry me as I imagine they will be around doing it longer than I will be wanting to play the game.
Also, I am not saying those features should be forced on you or the game should require DRM etc, but what's wrong with having the option for those that want it?
As long as you can still buy the disk and have the game to play optional extras won't hurt at all!
A DRM figure update for an older game that may or may not work later on is better than NO UPDATE AT ALL. If you don't trust it then don't buy it but some of us would like the choice.

Quote: mastermc54

Regardless of what you decide, I think you or anybody else bailing on the franchise for your myriad of reasons should at least pick up the next game at Black Friday prices...nobody asked you to chase after them all and that's probably the root cause of your burnout. There's such a thing as phasing out of a franchise you enjoy by cutting costs from several hundred dollars a year to less than $50 rather than bailing out completely. Bailing out should occur once you've truly lost your enjoyment in the game and you want to move onto something else.

You presume too much from buyers. Some get "sucked into it". Yes "no one asked them to buy the figures" but some people know they will be tempted, and thus a clean break is needed. I know if I just bought the game, I'd be sucked into it at some level, so this would remove the temptation altogether. YMMV.

Quote: Pyrofer

They made it clear it's all about the money.

Downloadable levels? Figure updates for older games? PvP? Online play? More integrated worlds? Random levels? User designed content?
They have no interest in ANYTHING like this because they "make a loss" on the starter pack" in order to get you hooked on the collectible cash cow figures. At least the first couple games were fun to play, but they have sucked all the fun out of it now and not even my kids are interested in playing the same stuff over and over again in the game.
When even a 5 and 9 year old think the game is lack-luster you know there is a problem. Not only could this be my last Skylanders game, it could be theirs. Actually, they will probably push out a 5 in desperation and it will flop so badly they won't make anything more.

You're totally 100% right. I've gotten slapped every Oct but Jan-Apr is always full of hope and promise. I think I've finally learned my lesson lol. I do think you've underestimated their performance this time, but I do agree that their decisively more "toy" vs "content" approach is netting more complaints from parents on online venues I visit. I do think they made just as many bad decisions as good, which is going to splinter their fan base. It's anyone's guess how the next game will be received. I do know that I'll have to depend on THIS BOARD to get the 411 before I commit to a purchase, if their "pre game" marketing is as bad as this year.

Quote: Arc of Archives

Quote:

Step one - they need to raise the level cap from 20 to 30 or higher

Please no. While it would give you more to do with old characters, it would also add a ton of repetitive grinding.

Not so sure about that, considering Trap Team is ridiculously generous with XP. Do some rounds of Kaos Doom Challenge solo or with a friend, see them get level after level after level. I left my neighbors play a bit and when I looked back they had 4 Skylanders at level 20 when they were at 10 or 15 when I got there.
But it'd be nice if there was more than one way to get XP than fighting. TT has experience for finding collectibles, but how about for playing Skystones or some new minigames?That way people can move from one method to the other.

It's not really that generous. Unless I play Doom Challenge, I find it about as grindy as SF. And I think it's boring afer playing it so much. It's slower to level in SF, but the options are much more interesting (most of all because the combat itself is better, but that's another discussion). I would like EXP through other methods, though. Woulda been neat if Skaletones Showdown did, because atm that extra is terrible.

Quote: mantez

Game needs a random generating dungeon or something.

YES!!!!!! They did it for Fatal Labyrinth on the Sega Genesis. There's no reason they couldn't do it on the 360.

Quote: Spybomb

All i have to say is see ya! This is like the umteenth dozen i quit thread they are getting old. If you dont like the game dont get it. Do you really need to justify not liking a game to the masses. Get over it and move on.

Spoken like a true, snot-nosed, spoiled, little brat.

Not really. Quitting threads do get old,but you bring up some good points for once. Unlike some dozen ones which are about ACTI DOESN'T RELEASE SERIES 2 GHOST ROASTER GAME IS RUINED and not much else.

Quote: Arc of Archives

Quote:

Step one - they need to raise the level cap from 20 to 30 or higher

Please no. While it would give you more to do with old characters, it would also add a ton of repetitive grinding.

This whole thread is about the concept of "being forced." Nobody is forcing anybody to buy more and nobody is forcing anybody to level up anything. It's all about added options. You can play Trap Team from beginning to end with a starter pack and old characters. A couple years from now, 99.9% percent of you aren't going to look back at unlocking and exploring past any particular elemental gate as a fond memory. I prefer to grind with my old characters and yes - mentally, I'd pick up my series one Zap, Shroomboom, Dino Rang, Fright Rider, and the rest of the gang more in Trap Team if they were leveling up beyond 20. Not raising the level cap is them doing the bare minimum in making the old characters forwards compatible. 5 or 10 levels isn't much and I welcome the chance to level up my characters with new graphics in every game in the series. To me, it adds enjoyment and I don't consider it grinding in a negative connotation. Sure I may not want to "grind" 5 or 6 different versions of Spyro or Gill Grunt, but nobody is forcing me to do that...I still prefer a raised level cap with every new game. I recently found a Magna Charge at level one that I hadn't played with and I've been having a blast leveling him up in Trap Team...did you know he can pick up & destroy the playground stuff over by Persephone outside the Skylanders Academy building in the main hub area?

Quote: mastermc54

Quote: Arc of Archives

Quote:

Step one - they need to raise the level cap from 20 to 30 or higher

Please no. While it would give you more to do with old characters, it would also add a ton of repetitive grinding.

This whole thread is about the concept of "being forced." Nobody is forcing anybody to buy more and nobody is forcing anybody to level up anything. It's all about added options. You can play Trap Team from beginning to end with a starter pack and old characters. A couple years from now, 99.9% percent of you aren't going to look back at unlocking and exploring past any particular elemental gate as a fond memory. I prefer to grind with my old characters and yes - mentally, I'd pick up my series one Zap, Shroomboom, Dino Rang, Fright Rider, and the rest of the gang more in Trap Team if they were leveling up beyond 20. Not raising the level cap is them doing the bare minimum in making the old characters forwards compatible. 5 or 10 levels isn't much and I welcome the chance to level up my characters with new graphics in every game in the series. To me, it adds enjoyment and I don't consider it grinding in a negative connotation. Sure I may not want to "grind" 5 or 6 different versions of Spyro or Gill Grunt, but nobody is forcing me to do that...I still prefer a raised level cap with every new game. I recently found a Magna Charge at level one that I hadn't played with and I've been having a blast leveling him up in Trap Team...did you know he can pick up & destroy the playground stuff over by Persephone outside the Skylanders Academy building in the main hub area?

I so agree. Many people talk about likening heroic challenges gone because this way they arn't "forced" to do them all. I swear sometimes you guys sound like drug addicts...

This is my last Skylanders game..

It's not that bad to where I really need to complain about it.. I'm just growing up I guess, I can't keep spending money on these things, as much as I love them, This will be my last game,

Well, unless Sky 5 is amazing wow whoa kool then i'll maybe get the starter pack.

I need to spend money on other things too, and save my money, and I've pretty much grown out of most console games anyways...

"Growing up" same thing people keep saying to explain why they don't play "baby" games like Pokémon or anything in a nintendo console when they're great games. It's just easier to say that the investment in the series got way too expensive, not imply that the game is too dumb for you.

You know what they say. "Growing up is optional. Growing old is Mandatory." Age really has nothing to do with anything, you either enjoy something or you don't. People shouldn't give things up just because other people think they are too old for it.

Quote: mantez

You know what they say. "Growing up is optional. Growing old is Mandatory." Age really has nothing to do with anything, you either enjoy something or you don't. People shouldn't give things up just because other people think they are too old for it.

Btw, I went on skylanders.com website and filled out the survey. They wanted your EXACT AGE up to 50

Probably to stop people from being silly like in Neopets where you can pretend to be over 100 years old. Sure, you MIGHT be, but most of the time it's kids trying to be attention seeekers by being 'omg so older and smarter than all of you'.

Skylanders is $80 for a fun playthrough, but after the main quest is over, there isn't anything to do anymore, at least for me. I have no interest in Heroics or grinding up 78 figures to level 20, so now you have a pile of figures, portals, and game boxes just collecting dust.

I might have bought Swap Force or Trap Team if there was more than just the main quest, but the replay value is too low for me to keep shelling out cash every year. Disney Infinity also suffers from poor replay value as well, and I stopped after the first game there too.

We'll see what the next game brings, but for me playing and upgrading the skylanders is part of the fun. Like you, there should've been way more to do after the main story...in fact...they should expand the story or have something substantial once it is beaten to prolong the game...not just expensive "expansion" packs that take 30 minutes. The "beat the game again for a silly hat" stuff has to go.

SF took a step in the right direction with score tracking, but a worldwide scoreboard would make that much more entertaining. Or we could use something like weekly challenges (think the Torunaments from Mario Kart Wii).

I'm just gonna have to agree to disagree with everyone on grinding. For me, satisfaction currently comes from getting each character maxed, and although it was better in TT (it's certainly more entertaining than maxing gold), levelling was easily the worst part in SF. A lot of the time, even after you finish all Quests you spent half an hour grinding. So yeah basically I don't want it because of my selfish completionist reasons but at least I'm admitting that

Quote: Arc of Archives

SF took a step in the right direction with score tracking, but something like weekly challenges or a worldwide scoreboard would make that much more entertaining.

I know...took lots of steps backwards on many things. I spent quite a few hours to challenge myself in score mode by adding you guys to my list. It was awesome fun and didn't need anything from them other than support a simple network for score keeping and retrieval (and of course a scoring system in the game).

I still can't get over the lack of professionalism in doing something simple like getting a consistent voice actor for Brock, and simply reusing voice overs to save some coin.

I'm with you though---the character grind was a bit obsessive for me but was fun. Now I can't even have that. I'm not even bothering with maxing my money this time after I get my upgrades. Just for old times sake I will crank up Swap Force and Giants and execute the Heroics and Quests for the five reposes.

Ask Rayman Legends about weekly challenges with scoreboards. I never got so bored over an online mode.
What would be nice is that if they did what TFB did with Villain Quests - smart use of the existing models to make a nice maze with several themes, or even have a villain boss rush to spice things up. Just not too frequent, otherwise eventually it'll always look like the same thing.

Well yeah that's kinda what the torunaments were like: https://m.youtube.com/playlist...yn5zg4xc17bui_O
Challenge in an existing, unaltered level once in a while wouldn't hurt.

Trap Team is disappointing. I did get one of each trap element despite the cost (well, not Light & Dark & Kaos yet) to be able to try all the villains, but frankly the trap masters don't hold much appeal. From the ones I've seen, the elemental areas seem even more lackluster than in previous games so in a sense it's even more annoying that they locked them behind the Trap Masters. That's not all that's disappointing certainly, but even so I don't see why I wouldn't get the next game unless it's clear before even trying it that they've completely foobared it.

They really should add more online functionality and bring back some things from the first three games while not having "mandatory" gimmicklanders, but I suppose we'll see eventually what happens.