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Ideal AM Playing Time

tekkn1kaltekkn1kal Posts: 430
edited October 2017 in General Discussion
What is your ideal playing time for AM? Please consider times based on US PST. So, when I say early to mid-day, that would mean something like 6 AM - 12 AM PST.

Feel free to expand on your poll result with explanation of why this time works best for you!

Ideal AM Playing Time 45 votes

Weekday morning to noon
4%
DeadSilenceJetfire 2 votes
Weekday afternoon to evening
57%
MustangjonFrench_BakerJKLWolfeMegaKuppCakeKaozBigbowlrNightchrisDavienUltraPrimeDarkPhilosopherRay94NerguryIvanTyBeerguzzlerVindictiveLaprasNick_80BOFADZahngril 26 votes
Weekday late night
20%
Manthrotekkn1kalCanuck33FyrintenimarDirculesKingChris2sc00b3BeerguzzlerTheCarter 9 votes
Weekend morning to noon
4%
KrugaPromethium1 2 votes
Weekend afternoon to evening
8%
JoannaTrailbreaker77InsanecloudElsie123darcey 4 votes
Weekend late night
4%
DanhansenMnicely80 2 votes
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Comments

  • tekkn1kaltekkn1kal Posts: 430
    Weekday late night
    Personally, I like to play late night... it is the perfect time, when family is asleep, and I can completely focus on the game.

    Weekends are generally bad for me, especially during the day.

    While it is obvious that every possible schedule is going to be bad for someone, I think I fall directly in to the time zone that the "majority" of the players are in, so I tend to think that many users will echo my concerns.

    Really, though, the worst thing about the change to me, is that the "US majority" will lack that "recharge time" that we are used to overnight. This same "recharge period" will now come at a time where AM is either already completed, or AM will likely be over by the time you wake up.

    This will result in the majority of the players staring at 0/5 or 1/5 energy throughout the day. Further, it will remove that period of the map, usually occurring when people woke up, where you could rattle off a bunch of nodes with everyone all on at the same time.

    Instead of that coordinated rapid-fire effort occurring once at the start of the map, and again around the mid-way point of the map, it will now be replaced with a lot of scenarios where people are being waited on to log back on to use their one energy.

    These situations create frustration for everyone. IMO the old schedule was nearly perfect. MOST people are around at the previous start time to be able to kick off the AM, you could clear thru the second mini boss, then go to sleep, and everyone wakes up with full energy to push through the second half of the map.

    Things are even worse now for your average international player, as the time they would normally be able to log on and carve through a bit of the map, waiting for the US players to get back online, is now the window at the end, when AM had better be completed already anyways.

    The logistics just don't make sense.
  • XhibitAXhibitA Posts: 201
    edited October 2017
    Weekday afternoon to evening
    I feel that having to start an AM at 8:00am EST is just flat out rude. If I didn't work from home this would be a huge problem for us. It still is a huge problem for anyone who works days, goes to school etc. Also having to wake up early on the weekends to start an AM is in poor taste. I would prefer to run AMs during the week having the weekends off period. I thought that starting at 8:00pm EST was just fine, not sure why they up and changed it....
  • Hey! Thank you for the very well thought out post! I've already raised this to the team for discussion, but will be sending your post over to them as well!

    Like we've said in the past (and you did as well), we know that no time is perfect for everybody, but we are totally open to possibly changing the series start and end in the future.
  • tekkn1kaltekkn1kal Posts: 430
    Weekday late night
    Yep, sorry about that ... I know that you already responded to me before, so I didn't want it to seem like it was unappreciated. However, I felt that these concerns warranted a proper separate thread so we can track people's concerns as the AM week unfolds.
  • tekkn1kal wrote: »
    Yep, sorry about that ... I know that you already responded to me before, so I didn't want it to seem like it was unappreciated. However, I felt that these concerns warranted a proper separate thread so we can track people's concerns as the AM week unfolds.

    No worries! I didn't feel that way at all, but wanted to make sure you know that we have talked about this internally as well
  • Odie21Odie21 Posts: 209
    If something isn't broken, don't try to fix it. I could understand if there was a plethora of complaints about the start time of AM (old way) but I really don't recall all that many publicly posted. If something isn't broken and thus far has worked well, why would you change it?

    This time change (based on US clientele) is VERY difficult for the working adult as the start time is when the average adult is either getting ready for work or on their way to work. In conjunction with what Tekk said, the 8-10 hours of recharge time while sleeping is now nonexistent.

    This also hurts some players that rely on their AM team of bots to help in missions, raids, etc. So an average BG starts (old way) at 8pm EST and the soonest that I've ever seen finished (that I partook in) was 10am EST the next day (recharge time, players in different locations, etc). So that's 14 hours. Under the new change, that would be 10pm EST. Now people are going back to bed. I'm sure there's varying situations depending on time zones but you get the general idea.

    This is a real head scratcher because of all the new additions, chips, etc and that no new things were really added to the milestones in AM, you can earn back and then some in other ways without tying up your best bots in AM, it may just cause people/alliances just to skip certain AM's all together if they can earn more T3's, T2A, bot chips in SLM's, Arena's, Raid's, etc.
  • Weekday afternoon to evening
    Only one explanation: school. Also, im busy on weekends, sadly
  • SabugenSabugen Posts: 350
    Weekday afternoon to evening
    This is really bad for Europeans who are a minority in most alliances. There will only be a few hours to participate in AM before going to sleep in the middle of the action. This is made even worse with the weekend AM, since weekends are busy for almost everyone and people will not be available to play. so progress and participation will be even more scarce.
  • TechnosTechnos Posts: 29
    edited October 2017
    As European we have to see if the start time of AM fits. Our alliance only consists of European players.
    Based on the previous time schedule the am started during our night (02 am). So we started am around 06-07 am, when the first players woke up. We were almost forced to complete it in the evening since no time was left for completion the next morning. However, we managed most of the time to complete it around 10 pm.
    In the new scheme we start 02 pm (thus not as above mentioned we only have a few hours to play before going to sleep).
    At first, we were concerned about the night. But we never had thought about our energy which is fully recharged when we wake up. Reading the above posts it looks like an advantage but we never faced it.
    All together I think that it looks like harder than it will be for completion despite the time AM is started.

    I totally agree which is said above with regard to the days of AM. The weekends should be OFF en not ON.
    During weekend I really want to use my top bots for completion of the hardest Spotlight Missions (Expert Mode for example). With the current schedule I expect my bots to be stuck in AM the whole day and thus whole weekend).
  • Weekday afternoon to evening
    Hey! Thank you for the very well thought out post! I've already raised this to the team for discussion, but will be sending your post over to them as well!

    Like we've said in the past (and you did as well), we know that no time is perfect for everybody, but we are totally open to possibly changing the series start and end in the future.

    Just a thought, if it needs to be morning in the US for start time why not 8am PST instead of 5am?

    Europe and Asia would get afternoon/evening start times
    All time zones in the US would generally be awake (sorry Hawaii) and into their morning rather than just starting it and should a group be running behind at the end, the possibility of an early morning blitz is still possible.

  • Weekend afternoon to evening
    Any weekend time is best for me but once the kids are in bed that's my grind time
  • tekkn1kaltekkn1kal Posts: 430
    Weekday late night
    Technos wrote: »
    As European we have to see if the start time of AM fits. Our alliance only consists of European players.
    Based on the previous time schedule the am started during our night (02 am). So we started am around 06-07 am, when the first players woke up. We were almost forced to complete it in the evening since no time was left for completion the next morning. However, we managed most of the time to complete it around 10 pm.
    In the new scheme we start 02 pm (thus not as above mentioned we only have a few hours to play before going to sleep).
    At first, we were concerned about the night. But we never had thought about our energy which is fully recharged when we wake up. Reading the above posts it looks like an advantage but we never faced it.
    All together I think that it looks like harder than it will be for completion despite the time AM is started.

    I totally agree which is said above with regard to the days of AM. The weekends should be OFF en not ON.
    During weekend I really want to use my top bots for completion of the hardest Spotlight Missions (Expert Mode for example). With the current schedule I expect my bots to be stuck in AM the whole day and thus whole weekend).

    I actually think it would fit great for your schedule, since you are all European. Europeans in mixed alliances probably will have a less comfortable fit, like Sabugen was talking about above.
  • DirculesDircules Posts: 509
    edited October 2017
    Weekday late night
    As many have said before in this thread, I'll just echo some concerns for me personally, I'm really really afraid that this shift in time will just kill AM for me entirely.

    I'm from Europe, and a working dad of two young kids. Most of my AM action I get (got) done early morning before everyone else in my house got up on weekdays (usually about 4 hours into an AM, always last to join). And then the occasional toilet break in work after I got a morning of work done. I'm lucky to be in a very good and very active alliance that wraps up AM in about 12 hours from start to finish which meant that my AMs were done around 2pm EU time. Perfect. Got evening to myself with family, and GF after kids are in bed. No game obligations. Weekends were a little more difficult because everyone has stuff to do, stays up late, wakes up later, bit more out of sync there, would typically take 14-15 hours to complete running into the afternoon for me. Never my most active part of the day as my GF and I both have full-time jobs, we like to spend some time with the kids in the weekend and, if at all possible, do something outside the house.

    Now with the change what I am foreseeing, or rather am afraid of, is that during my work hours, I get to play for about 3 hours before I go home, cook, eat, bath kids, put em to bed, etc. Then if I don't have my volleyball practice in the evening, my GF does like some attention and does not appreciate me playing on my phone very much. And we go to bed at the same time (Yuck! I know...) I would like to keep this one as my GF for a while longer...
    Then there is the weekends .... with starting time at 2pm my afternoon ... basically I'll be able to sneak some fights in, but won't be very responsive or pro-active as I'm most likely doing something else.

    So yeah there's my story. Last couple AMs were absolutely perfect as the dead-zone had just shifted to overlap with the weekend so I couldn't be happier. Then this gets announced that 50% of the AMs will be in the weekends, always, and not just that, but also to when I'm least available. I hope it won't be as bad as I'm afraid it'll be. We'll find out.

    ps. I voted Weekday late night, because late night PST means (early) morning for me.
  • Weekday afternoon to evening
    I would like the previous starting AM time to be back. Which option is it? I'm from Europe, so Idk the exact timezone.
  • nomisunomisu Posts: 307
    ditto. i am in Singapore the previous AM start time was great for me.
  • BigbowlrBigbowlr Posts: 121
    Weekday afternoon to evening
    I like the previous start time better because it meant I could do stuff after AM ended. Currently all the time I'm have now involves my top bots being locked in AM. The previous start time meant we could clear the AM in the morning and have the afternoon to do missions and other things. Now AM is going to end at night and I'll probably be asleep during my free time. Meaning alot less time to clear the spotlights
  • tekkn1kaltekkn1kal Posts: 430
    Weekday late night
    I would like the previous starting AM time to be back. Which option is it? I'm from Europe, so Idk the exact timezone.

    Weekday or weekend afternoon to evening is pretty much the old one.
  • kranderskranders Posts: 479
    Zahngril wrote: »
    Hey! Thank you for the very well thought out post! I've already raised this to the team for discussion, but will be sending your post over to them as well!

    Like we've said in the past (and you did as well), we know that no time is perfect for everybody, but we are totally open to possibly changing the series start and end in the future.

    Just a thought, if it needs to be morning in the US for start time why not 8am PST instead of 5am?

    Europe and Asia would get afternoon/evening start times
    All time zones in the US would generally be awake (sorry Hawaii) and into their morning rather than just starting it and should a group be running behind at the end, the possibility of an early morning blitz is still possible.

    This would be better but like others have said why even change the times. Everything seemed to be much better balanced. As it stands now unless we rush through and actually finish those on East Coast time will almost always have top bots in AM unless we start late. In addition we have to wait for anyone further West to start.

    This just makes no sense, worse than usual.
  • BOFADBOFAD Posts: 481
    Weekday afternoon to evening
    Okay so looking at the results of this thread and the above poll I am happy to see I am good company. I am not happy about this change its almost impossible for me to pull off. Here is thing Kabam, we as ADULT gamers are not stupid. AM times starting at 8AM EST, is clear as day that you are trying to push to buy alliance energy.

    AM used to start at 8PM EST. That meant I could go in, slaughter some bots make some moves, run the arena, raid, then go to sleep. Wake up and I have 5 moves ready to go. Also my AM team they do the same. We now have half of a BG team that may be in bed if we don't finish by 11PM EST. We probably will finish before then, but how am I supposed to play the rest of the game?

    Here is my schedule, I wake up at 6AM EST to get ready for work. While I get ready I log into the game, kill bots, kiss the wife, kiss the kids and off on my commute. By the time I get to the office I have one AM mission energy, ready to roll. Login, crush a bot, run some arenas maybe a raid then I move on. Now its work time....work away, login kill some bots, maybe buy some extra energy and BOOM...down goes Shockwave faster than Tyson rolled through boxers in his prime.

    This is 11AM EST Total time in AM 14hrs. However I now I have the rest of the day to raid, run arenas etc. At this current schedule, I do not. If we finish today by 8PM that is 12hrs, not only is that quick for us, its clearly a cash grab by you because in order to do that, we need to by AM energy which is conveniently located next to the raid chips that we can cash in for energon today.

    Listen you want us to play and we want to play. You want us to spend money and we want to spend money (on things we actually want or need) but lets compromise.

    Keep the schedule at 4 days on and 3 days off but move the time back to the original start time. This is not something people can easily adjust to especially people on the East Coast of the US.

    Explain to me how on this planet you expect us to actually play anything else while in AM all day? Alot of us have a job. How are we supposed to sleep? Pretty sure this is going to push me out of AMs all together same as half the other guys on here. BTW all of these guys posting have been around since the start of this game like myself. Thanks
  • Canuck33Canuck33 Posts: 244
    Weekday late night
    Bigbowlr wrote: »
    I like the previous start time better because it meant I could do stuff after AM ended. Currently all the time I'm have now involves my top bots being locked in AM. The previous start time meant we could clear the AM in the morning and have the afternoon to do missions and other things. Now AM is going to end at night and I'll probably be asleep during my free time. Meaning alot less time to clear the spotlights

    This is me exactly, usually would end up with a nice 12 hours to run spotlight etc. Now ill be lucky to have 2 hours with my top bots available.
  • Odie21Odie21 Posts: 209
    Sorry Mike, I know you're not a decision maker at Kabam but you do have to take the brunt of people's frustrations and this AM time change is no different. This was an absolute ridiculous decision by the powers that be over at Kabam corporate offices. Your company decided to make a decision to make a change without testing the waters by asking your customers first. This change is/has provided a huge inconvenience for most people here, working people. For what? To get people to spend Energon to buy energy refills? Ridiculous...
  • MustangjonMustangjon Posts: 1,146
    Weekday afternoon to evening
    Actually I’ll be the devils advocate here after finished with am as a whole this didn’t hurt us, and I know the wife and family going to like my free time better.

    We did rearrange bgs with the change in mind and will make tweaks as we go

    Yes it’s a 180 from what we are use to but you could potentially be done by evening and do your other stuff with bots free or spend time with your families
  • I like that its thursday to sunday now because im off Thursday Friday and Saturdays but the time it starts sucks now im sleeping at that time
  • Not reading all the posts but 400pm est would be great. New time is horrible for players who have jobs that pay for energon- nought said
  • DavienDavien Posts: 758
    Weekday afternoon to evening
    Please make AM back to weekdays. Weekends ppl are too preoccupied with sleep and family.. Definitely harder to play on weekends!
  • SabugenSabugen Posts: 350
    Weekday afternoon to evening
    im guessing no wife and kids?
    I like that its thursday to sunday now because im off Thursday Friday and Saturdays but the time it starts sucks now im sleeping at that time

  • tekkn1kaltekkn1kal Posts: 430
    Weekday late night
    So, now that we're almost through with AM, and we've experienced both weekdays and a weekend day, I'm curious how people are feeling about the time change now.

    For those who have already shared their opinions, I imagine there is not much new to be said, but I would like to hear from those who were reserving judgement, as well as anyone who has changed their position.

    How did the change affect your day-to-day? If Kabam leaves it this way, how does that sit with you? Progress report, please!
  • MustangjonMustangjon Posts: 1,146
    Weekday afternoon to evening
    I don’t mind being done with am before I get home from work actually, leaves time to run other things or spend with family
  • tekkn1kaltekkn1kal Posts: 430
    edited October 2017
    Weekday late night
    Mustangjon wrote: »
    I don’t mind being done with am before I get home from work actually, leaves time to run other things or spend with family

    Your experience is certainly valuable, because it shows what can be done if you run your lanes optimally and don't leave wasted energy on the board. However, I'm also curious to get more of a broad idea from many; how the less organized alliances are faring.
  • MustangjonMustangjon Posts: 1,146
    Weekday afternoon to evening
    I’m sure with more casual less organized it might be stretching it to complete etc but it is achievable with right coordination and bg building, we have two bgs finish around same time with one later bg to accommodate those players
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