Spark Run!

[ph]

@exientgreg

Whose bright idea was it that if you do not make it to the astrotrain you get zero sparks?  The previous version you received the sparks just not the bonus.  Now not only do you have to pay to play, you can get zip.

[FortressMaximus]

So today all my bots died on a spark run for the first time in forever (last one died to a swarm of flying pigs whe astrotrain was on the way), but then I learned that I could try again after watching an ad.  So I did, and finished without losing the first one.  The video lets you start over with recharged bots, but you are stuck with your original choices.

[ABT]

Been doing 1 to 2 Spark Runs a day, and I’ve encountered these two annoying issues more than once already:

1. Spent 15+ minutes doing a Spark Run and got full sparks, watched video for another 10% bonus. Then, go back to the Map and there’s a Wifi with a X symbol (looks like this ). Restarted the game and NOTHING COUNTED. Wasted 15+ minutes and got no reward. At least the coins were returned.
2. Got >50% through the Spark Run and the game crashed. Restarted the game, and the coins (200K+) spent on the Spark Run’s not refunded. Again, NOTHING COUNTED AND COINS (200K+) SPENT WERE ALL LOST!

I’m starting to miss the old, more manageable Spark Run. Even though it had a lower max spark reward, it took less than half of time and costed ZERO coins.

(Note: I haven’t had any bots in the bonus group, so I’m stuck with 630% bonus, which takes 10+ segments to finish.)

[Soundwave]

Still on the old version with three slots unlocked.  Any idea if I unlock the fourth slot for 1000 gems before I upgrade if it will unlock the third slot in the new version after I upgrade?

[The Fastest Deletus In The West]

@abt Sorry about the issues you’re having. Let’s just hope Rovio and Exient can fix them soon.

[Pinokio]

@Grimlockdown yes, but we talking about Rovio’s game, so I think level cap will be again. But even if cap is 340 lvl, will be hard to pay ~500k coins every day during many months just for Spark run.

@abt I have this “connection bug” almost every day, sometime twice a day, during months. I don’t know, why I still playing so buged game … One of previous update said they fixed “connection problems” but as we can see – jarsu.

[Pinokio]

@soundwave 4th slot before update unlocking 2nd after. And I think you’ll need atleast 2 bots to successfully complete Spark run levels. With just one bot it’s posible, but VERY long.

[Soundwave]

@papakarlo. So even the second slot costs gems in the new version?  Is it 1000 also?

[Pinokio]

@soundwave I don’t know about price, but most probably price the same. Someone said has 4 unlocked before, and got 2 slots after. I has 5 unlocked and got 3. So you can update and try to play with one bot. If you have good geared, OP and promoted Mirage, I sure you can play this week with just him. But next week idk.

[Soundwave]

Thanks for the info!

[Pinokio]

@soundwave yw. I can confirm, 3rd slot unlock after update cost 2500 gems, so 2nd I think is 1k

[Greggers]

Unfortunately for you, it was my idea! Sorry
IMO it makes it more tense/challenging/fun.
If it’s too difficult, you can always lower it.

[Andrew]

@exientgreg Thanks Greg- just a couple of points:

• Only subtract the coins once the run is over. This way if the game crashes during the run, the player does not lose those coins. Likewise the number of plays (I think it’s currently 2 per day).
• I think the cost per play needs to be reduced by about a factor of 10. Or have some form of exponential increase rather than linear for the cost/level.

[Greggers]

Noted, we should probably fix those crashes :)
Will ask code to refund the attempt/lives… but not the coins if the session ended too early. Otherwise ppl will abuse, oh I can do better.. and force quit. FYI if you fail ATM for a video you can get another attempt with your team fully healed and no re-entry cost :)
Awaiting analytics to help balance the costs. Cheers

[Greggers]

Will ask code to refund the attempt/lives… (turns out it already does this and just tested myself!) if it crashes you don’t lose your one of your two attempts a day :)

[Pinokio]

@exientgreg thank you for answers. Is it posible to change Astrotrain arriving time? Why just not let Gravity Beam take bot onboard right after points threshold is done? Many players die, waiting Astrotrain, and it’s very sad, because they already collected points. Thank you guys for new Spark run, I like it very much!

[Greggers]

Making astotrain is oddly hard to make appear/land on instant queue/when we want (so can’t change sorry). Imagine he needs a clear runway :)
Also TBH.. the tension of must make it to the end is intentional “GET TO THE CHOPPER!”

[Pinokio]

@exientgreg troops evacuating can be done in many ways. When I play with buddy, Astrotrain apear for a while during descent, but when buddy go – just circles and gravity beam, no Astrotrain. Just imagine, how many cry will be from casual players in the future, when Spark run duration constantly increacing, but you need to go to the next level just to board Astrotrain. It’s like troops after mission need to go on their foot to the border, where evacuation forces chilling in the shadow, landed in safe zone.

But this is just my point of view, and I can play with pleasure new Spark run. Can you answer please, if we have Spark run level cap and this time? Or it’s endless?

[Greggers]

it’s endless until you reach the required score (so you either die trying to reach astrotrain or you make it)

500 difficulties ATM

[Pinokio]

@exientgreg cool! 500! Thank you for answer!

So in ~4 months, players theoretically can get 10k sparks per day from Spark run! Just a little problem, where to get billions of coins? :) Will be nice if coins cost will be reduced!

[Andrew]

@exientgreg just make the Astrotrain appear at the end of the current segment- where it would usually appear on normal games and the old Spark Run

[Pinokio]

@exientgreg last question, why players, who live in Mexico country be able to buy Event bundle, wich consist of 23k event tokens and 500 gems for just 59.99 peso wich equal to US$2.66 ?

North American timezone players working hard and paying alot of $ to get some sparks, but can’t compete with Mexican players because of this bug …

[Greggers]

investigating…cheers

[MillForce2k]

Cost is increasing (between 301 and 309) by 700 coins per level, with every fourth level costing 800. If this continues, though I’m sure it will start jumping higher, it will cost almost 60M coins to go from 301 to 500.

I used @grimlockdown’s strategy. I already had Mirage at green crown, so I promoted Sideswipe and Sunstreaker to gold crown for 1680%. Finished in five stages, going into the sixth. Still needed 1305200 total points, but the targets were worth considerably more. Gold blocks when from a little over 8K to over 19K.

[Pinokio]

@exientgreg this screenshot kindly gived me nice guy from Mexico, who also widely used this bug, but not doing such destructive influence to whole ABTF player community, as some other players from Mexico do.

Bundle price looks like same for US players, but it’s in peso. Mexican peso have same sign as US dollar. So actually, Mexican players can buy this bundle 22times!!! cheaper, then other players around the world (I don’t know, maybe some other countrys have this bug also). Because 59.99 Mexican peso = 2.66 US Dollars atm.

This bugged bundle gives them increadible power for very cheap price – 25lvl bots (espicially new one), almost unlimited recharges in Events and Challenge run by very cheap gems, and also almost unlimited sourse of Sparks, when they exchange 1500 gems from just 3 Event bundle for 750k Sparks, during trade, which is happend sometimes for all players.