First off, I think the latest update was a step in the right direction for overall game balance. The Tick Tank and disruptor infantry were needed for each side and the introduction of FairPlay was severely needed for game enjoyment.
However, I'm done for good, uninstalled and not coming back. Got to within literally 1 point of Master League and then all of my matches started to be against players with units 2-3 levels higher than mine. My level 8 Hammerhead does nothing against level 10-11 Banshees. I'm in the middle of the top 100, yet I seem to have units 2-3 levels below most of the other players up here. I've gotten a few units to level 9, but getting any to level 10 is just a pipe dream. This update has done almost nothing to actually help me and make the game more enjoyable. There are still issues with matchmaking and fairness for me, I have had many battles where I outsmarted my opponent and would have won if my units could actually beat theirs in a 1-on-1 fight.
But that's not the only thing that's made me decide to quit. The prices for the in-game bundles and microstransactions are the epitome of greed. I'm not upset with the developers or community managers, but I cannot understand how any businessperson or marketing team could choose to set these prices and have a conscience. Sure, it's "just" a mobile game. But it's become abundantly clear that it's a mobile game designed to draw people in and get them to spend money. I could spend a decent sum of money to get my units up to a fair level and probably get to the top 10, but I'm not going to do that.
Because seriously... $39.99!?!? Thirty-Nine Dollars and Ninety-Nine Cents... For level 7 Tick Tanks... I can buy Destiny 2: Foresaken for $39.99. You're telling me that getting one unit to level 7 (which is a pittance at the higher levels) is equivalent to a major expansion to an FPS RPG? This is just scummy behavior, it's seriously embarrassing. And it's not just the one bundle. $19.99 for the disruptor infantry? 1000 diamonds for the "Colossal" Crate? As a developer, I've left companies for scummy behavior before. I don't know how anyone can keep on working on these projects at EA. People who can't afford to, spend far too much money on games like this and ruin their lives.
I might have paid $30 for this game with everything unlocked, no unit levels. It's by far the best mobile RTS I've played in terms of gameplay. Even more impressive, it's one of the better RTS games I've played period. Despite what others have said, I think the gameplay makes it worthy of the C&C label. But then EA had to go and ruin it with microstransactions.
I would have played this for free and spent a bunch of money on cosmetics. But this is predatory, pay-to-win at its worst. I'm out, and I'll see you guys again if you remove the p2w aspects of the game. But I doubt that's going to happen...
