Sad this was a commercial failure

[AverageVideoGameJoe]

This game is amazing, beautiful art style and customization, and the card battle gameplay loop was addicting. Wish I had a million bucks to give to Firaxis Games to give me a sequel

[Zodarious]

Dam shame this game offered quite a bit it is sad people are angry over bugs but the game itself was good.

[timpendragon]

As someone who plays games for character, story and to inhabit a world, not combat, I was pretty sure I'd love those aspects, but Tac RPGs, Card Battlers and JRPG-style things aren't for me, so I was hesitant about the mechanics. Got it in a humble bundle last month, and picked up the DLC on a very good deal, and I've been playing it constantly. Almost everything I wanted out of a superhero game, brilliant in terms of story and character personality, and the mechanics don't detract from it at all for me. I *like* exploring the Abbey, and once that was finished, I kept wishing there would be more expansions, but I know there never will be. I'm sad that this is it. It's a fantastic game for people like me.

[Sardorim]

It should have been real turn based, and not card system.

[kingts]

First, no issue with people's comments positively or negatively towards a game.
Second, just because a game under sells, doesn't mean in undersold over a year's time as quarterly reports, on multiple platforms had incremental additions (DLC) releases that improved their numbers.
Lastly, this is the most important part of this discussion.

What was 2k-Firaxis' plan if the game had been a success, because they plan on additions long in advance in the initial concept design part of a project.
Remember the license is still active. Marvel still is going forward with a Midnight Suns project.
https://www.cbr.com/rumor-midnight-sons-movie-mcu-michael-giacchino/

This was not just a one developer project, but other developers have deals with this brand.
Their initial 100k units sold is not where they are at now and you do not assign someone to take lead on a dead game.

Now, all that being said. I have no idea what they may or may not do. Its been a year. Any sequel or additions after the DLCS, would take time after that initial template base is set.
I do not see this as a one and done release.

What COULD we see coming.
1. A packaged MS release similar to X-com II Chosen or a Gold edition-Were you add some content while streamlining the original game into crisp clean game as X-com II did to garnish more sales. Here you may add a chapter to the way the game ended, or subtle changes, maybe even a character or two without a their own story-line in a final release package. The reasons you do this is to see, as games sell and build a cult following, if they would support another major release down the line. They use analytical numbers to determine the potential game base size world wide that may not have been there at launch.

2. A Midnight Suns expansion-Here they would go with what worked only, what you had planned originally had it been a monster hit, and what did not streamline well is out. Something like-An Expanded story-line fitting Marvel's specific guideline, remember how MS's story-line ended. Maybe x3 new characters, with again no story-line, just the cards, animations and mechanics, a new section to the base, with more puzzles that go with the aftermath of all their tales, some additions to the forge, puzzles that expand on your main characters powers, offering new cards. Even possibly a card or two for each current character since in development there are about 2-10 additional cards down in testing that do not make it to the final cut, though doubtful because of the cost additions in development of animation sequencing, it is possible they could ad at least 1 to each. Whatever the mainstream expansion would be at a minimal development cost because the base game is done and if the analytics determine the base is vastly larger than it original release, then like many titles the expansion outdoes the original launch with a larger profit margin. A small expansion for maximum profit.

3. A MS affiliation new game-Here you use the base game to introduce a whole new expansion with no ties to the original template. You exclude what did not work and create a new setting, with different characters to fit a new MCU project, similar to Chimera.
MS X-men edition, MS Underworld, MS Zmbies, MS Thunderbolts. or whatever. You don't create a puzzling finding base, you don't have that many long rpg interactions. You keep in to the game mechanics of two new groups vs each other in this format. The X-men vs Magneto and the brotherhood. You may expand on the 3 vs system to a more Warband mechanics where a player can switch a member for a new card set. Like so.
This would be a streamline edition with base characters in a new setting.

4. More specific character DLC releases with small story-line content-Very possible, a Cyclops, Thor, Loki, Doom, or Jean Grey could have their own DLC releases with content, their own card sets, and animation sequences in a very specific release method, but keep in mind every character they add complexes the characters they have now integrations that could lead to more bugs and issues. I add a Cyclops for example, his mechanics must fit all of the characters mechanics and make them interchangeable and animation sequenced, not as easy as it sounds, but possible. You add more rpg interactions with that character. If adding more characters causes too much of a negative effect on the stability of the base game then they would not go this route and simply utilize those ideas in a new game, with a new base template. If you add say a another x4 characters in their own DLC releases in a season two format, could be more problematic than it may sound.


Do they go full gacha, fomo in such expansions which they tried to do here. Do they remove the card element to any future expansion. Any sequel or even small release would be a new lead designer's dream.

This is a brand that 2k, firaxis clearly have been waiting a long time to get their hands on. I think no. 1 is probably their likely choice, and of-course they could do nothing, but whatever they do, it will be done in a more limited development budget. If I hear anything at the GDC next month, I will let you know.

A lot of possibilities, IF they continue. We will see what they do.

[Mothvibe]

I researched this game before I bought it and decided against buying it because of the bugs (among other things).

I was gifted it and have been enjoying it immensely.

I just earnt the Ancestral Armor.

It did not appear, because of a bug that's apparently been in the game since June 2023.

All that fun I had, all those good times - they still exist.

But I'm wary about continuing. I suspect I will, but I don't want to right now.

----------------------------------

It's not the suit that's gotten under my skin. It's 2ks ♥♥♥♥♥♥ attitude in general.

This was a decent game. This wasn't some meme ♥♥♥♥ like the Morbius film.

But the management didn't care enough about it, and the majority of monied gamers (like me) care about that ♥♥♥♥ nowadays.

The Baldur's Gate 3 devs were simply polite to the community, and look how far that got them. Contrast and compare to Firaxis and their '♥♥♥♥ your Ancestral Suit' vibe.

9 MONTHS.

You could give Firaxis literally all the money ever and they'd STILL make the same stupid decisions. Some modder found a workaround for the Ancestral Suit bug. We can fix it in two minutes flat.

Why are WE doing this? Isn't this literally some Firaxis employee's job?

And if not, WHY NOT?

[Kent]

I agree, been spending way too much time into this game, the combat, the voice acting, the story, it is so good. I just wish I can speed dialogues and battle sequence up a bit cause I don't have much time to play games. I love the grind but at the same time, I need some fast forward to make it less repetitive if anything.

[Sam]

Loved the social, story, character interaction parts but hated the card combat. Exploration stuff was also too much and disconnected. If Firaxis does more superhero games I'm up for it but I will be avoiding if they do any more card games. I wanted to max all friendship just to see the scenes but I can't stomach those missions anymore and there weren't enough hangouts.

[DCid]

The card combat was a choice made by 2k so they could force everyone to buy $40 card packs from the cash shop.

Seriously. The game got what it deserved and Firaxis should have been shutdown.

Now they're moving on to the next Civ game with lootboxes.

[7zH]

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย blkbutterfly:

I think Firaxis are aware of MMS's key innovation: card combat.

They even presented it at IGDC23
https://youtu.be/wrIHFzEnPPw?si=wXi7KEVClIfQVsG-

Thank you very much for sharing that. Much appreciated!

[Zebedee]

Yeah, that's a nice video filling out details which had been mentioned by Weinhoffer and Solomon in the past.

Interesting to see how the ideas built up as they iterated around that central vision of the superheroes feeling like superheroes to play. Thing I didn't know was that they do a little cheat on redraw if you have a hand of cards which can't be played to guarantee that you get a card which can be.

Would also be fascinated to see a similar style breakdown of the Abbey/RPG side because, for me, it's the part where things didn't quite gel and the novelty of doing it showed up and I wonder what lessons they took from it for anything they might try in future. eg guiding players prone to finding them away from grindy loops, avoiding avalanche of frontloaded content.

[Truess]

I loved this game the marvel heros to the way it just looked and felt when you landed a wild combo that wiped everyone in one turn even the sad times where ♥♥♥♥ didnt happen the way you wanted.

[Stj.Srex]

Well if many people in this thread actually purchased the game instead of waiting for game to be free, the game would be a success and we would maybe get new game. But people were complaining about Denuvo and they were boycotting the game, but the moment game went free, boycott stopped

[Sunsetter]

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย Stj.Srex:

Well if many people is this thread actually purchased the game instead of waiting for game to be free, the game would be a success and we would maybe get now game. But peopel were complaining about Denuvo and they were boycotting the game, but the moment game went free, boycott stopped

Nah, Im not waiting for it to be free, just 95% off.

[Jolly]

I'm not sad. The game design is bad. You reap what you sew. Companies like Firaxis/2k don't do early access or anything that involves serious feedback - they design what they design and you either like it or you don't - and with that approach there will be plenty of "they don't" - same with every other big dev that does the same.

Pile on the annoying 2K launcher and every serious gamer being sick of 3rd party launchers, and pile on everybody's least favorite unnecessary garbage in Denuvo. Then there's the cash shop element, instant DLC, shady overall feel to how things were designed and ended up. Not very Firaxis at all.

The only part of the game I like is the combat. The rest of it is off putting to brutal, especially the life sim emo parts - that stuff is tough to endure for me. If it were option or less of it, maybe.

I actually play a variety of whatever-sim games - but that's not what I wanted out of Firaxis

I equate Firaxis with top tier strategy gaming, not life sims. So I would have preferred the focus of the game be on the more serious elements like the excellent combat with the other more fluffy stuff being optional and not a mandatory time sink.

I just don't think "cards" were the reason the game didn't sell so well. I think most didn't want to endure a life SIM or have THAT much info about superheroes forcefully injected as education.

I think I read the lead bailed Firaxis to go make life sims full time. And dude apparently has a thing for the name "Lilith"

[7zH]

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย Jolly:

I'm not sad. The game design is bad. You reap what you sew. Companies like Firaxis/2k don't do early access or anything that involves serious feedback - they design what they design and you either like it or you don't - and with that approach there will be plenty of "they don't" - same with every other big dev that does the same.

Pile on the annoying 2K launcher and every serious gamer being sick of 3rd party launchers, and pile on everybody's least favorite unnecessary garbage in Denuvo. Then there's the cash shop element, instant DLC, shady overall feel to how things were designed and ended up. Not very Firaxis at all.

The only part of the game I like is the combat. The rest of it is off putting to brutal, especially the life sim emo parts - that stuff is tough to endure for me. If it were option or less of it, maybe.

I actually play a variety of whatever-sim games - but that's not what I wanted out of Firaxis

I equate Firaxis with top tier strategy gaming, not life sims. So I would have preferred the focus of the game be on the more serious elements like the excellent combat with the other more fluffy stuff being optional and not a mandatory time sink.

I just don't think "cards" were the reason the game didn't sell so well. I think most didn't want to endure a life SIM or have THAT much info about superheroes forcefully injected as education.

I think I read the lead bailed Firaxis to go make life sims full time. And dude apparently has a thing for the name "Lilith"

See, the game's design is not bad at all, it's just not for you and you fail to accept that. I'm an XCOM I/I / XCOM 2 L/I player and i still enjoy the crap out of the social stuff. It's meant to give you the comic feel of the characters and they nail it.

God forbid Firaxis tries to do something else besides pure strategy games, because elitists like you chip in with their infinite wisdom.