About the Angry Birds 2 Arena

[David Martin]

I just have two complaints, one trivial, and of of some substance.

First, the trivial one. I don’t like the “broken streak” animation. It lasts maybe two seconds before the bulb bursts and I can X out of it, but it’s salt in the wound when I’m already well aware that I’ve lost a match. Often times I will just quit out of the app when I’m losing an Arena match badly, figuring it’s not worth the effort to even finish it. When I next open the app and bring up the Arena, it still shows the animation. Little animations like that are cute the first time, but irritating as all get-out when you get teased by them over and over again. Which brings me to…

Second, the more substantial complaint. Last week’s Arena ended today, and I didn’t log in again until several hours after the end time (which was 5 PM Pacific time, presumably midnight UTC), and when I did, I saw the “broken streak” animation from my last aborted attempt, but I didn’t get the “Arena ended” screen that gives out gem rewards for placement in last week’s Arena. It seems like it can’t show both this and “broken streak” at the same time, so either it skipped the reward altogether (I was in 7th or 8th, so should have gotten 15 gems or so, but even if others had risen above me in the time since I last played, I should have at least seen the “Sad Red” showing me I didn’t earn anything), or else it gave it to me but didn’t show me any confirmation.

My suggestions: Make sure rewards from a finished week of Arena matches are always the first thing shown when the player is loading Arena for the first time after a competition ends. Show “broken streak” when a player finished a match and loses it if you really must, but if they choose to skip seeing that by aborting the match, don’t show it to them again on reload. The player understands that they have to start over. Just show their progress starting from the beginning after the next match they win.

[CaptSternn]

Hamvestor, there was a time when all could decline the match. At the Battle screen, exit the game and then close the app. on an iOS device that means double tapping the home button, find the app and swipe up to close it. Go back into it and not lose the free entry, get a different opponent. Repeat until finding a decent match. Now for those of us that can still do so it breaks the winning streak but still have the free entry or not lose a ticket. It no longer works for everybody.

[Caldazar]

Umm, how am I still waiting moderation for over 16 hours and other posts with less time are already open?

[Caldazar]

A couple of issues here.

First, why am I getting pitted against players who are three levels higher. I didn’t even know it went to 10 until today. My highest is 7. I have been pitted against 8s and above numerous times.

Second, how do some people have spells – up to five – before the battle even starts if you cannot select the spells until after that?

Third, and most serious, why do I sometimes switch arena groups in the middle of the week? Today, I was in third place, with two people above me well withing striking distance. After the game, I was in a completely different group, and no where near the top three, and unlikely to break into it. That is complete BS, and has happened more than once.

[Rhys4AUFC]

Hi everyone, first time poster.

I, like most on here, find the arena format to be VERY dodgy & even rigged. I’m currently level 34, with Terence Level 7 & the other birds Level 6. I’m not one of those users that spends a lot of $$$ on gems. I don’t know what the developers were thinking when it comes to matching us against harder opponents, the higher the winning streak gets. This shouldn’t be like that game show ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’ (where the questions get harder), simply not fair.

[kedik22]

@hank

So, this was my first experience of today…
Faced a level 30 with five spells, lost by more than 2.5 million points.
Played the video ticket.
Faced a level 53 with five spells, scored 6.8 million, and still lost by more than 900,000
Currently in eleventh place with five stars, 217 behind leader.

@hank, do you think I am having a nice Arena experience today?

[kedik22]

@hank

So, finished last post and it was time to play Arena again.
Faced a level 55 with four spells.
Was 792,470 behind after last bird.
Luckily destructometer filled, and got the Blues as an extra bird.
Faced a three stone structure, flung and got 0 points.
Watched video for extra bird, and guess what, got the Blues again.
Flung and cero points.
Two Blues in a row against all stone, is what I now cynically call random unluckiness!

Finished, and was ready to watch another video for a free Arena ticket.
But guess what, no dice, no video,no Arena ticket, no nothing.

So, now I am still eleventh with five stars, only 228 out of the lead.

@hank, you think I am having a good Arena day?

[CaptSternn]

Two blues in a row against all stone, Kedik? That is rough. Last night after the new arena started I also had a blues against stone structures, but one pig sitting ot top out it the open. Used my last bird, blues, to kill him and get another bird from the destruction as I was that close, blues again. Fine, whatever, watch the video to get another bird. Blues again. Three in a row, so I got you beat by one. :)

Right now I am in 3rd place with 31 points. 1st place has 161. But I was out of town and driving a lot, so I am just n ow sitting down to get serious. 1st place has been working at it all night and all morning so he doesn’t appear to be a hack.

[heybert17]

3 blues in a row against stone, nothing dodgy about that, even the randomness of randomness when there are 7 birds you can get says you odds of 3 blues is astronomical, you are the luckiest person in the world.

[MiddleOne]

I quit AB2 awhile back since the frustration of unfair matches outweighed the fun of playing but I have been tracking this forum waiting for Rovio to make significant changes. I noticed @Hank from Rovio has been interacting but the frustration of people in the forum seems to be the same and even intensifying. Can anyone confirm @hank is actually from Rovio or just having sport with people in this Forum?

[RedYoshi45]

@middleone
Bankler has introduced him as a Rovio employee at least…

I think the frustration especially stems from the fact @hank said all low-level players with level 10 birds were legit, just buying themselves into the game (seriously, I can’t see that even with €1,000!). And from the fact Rovio doesn’t do anything against obvious leaks and glitches that allow people to have infinite gems or infinite goes in the Arena or infinite spells.

[kedik22]

@hank

So here goes the third.
Placed against an opponent two levels higher than me.
Did not play well, misflinged one bird and lost by quarter of a million points.
Had a chance to watch the video, and you guessed it, got the Blues again and accomplished very little damage.

Next, video and Arena ticket.
Have to go against an all ten birds fellow named Eduardo, five spells AND level 18.
He obliterated me by more than 2.2 million points.

Now I am twelfth, to close to the edge, with still five points and 255 off the lead.

@hank, do you still believe my Arena playing is a grind or am I having a good time?

[DDeck]

All,

Let’s try to remember that Rovio employees like @Hank are here basically on their own time — that is, in addition to their normal duties. I think they realize the high level of frustration that many are experiencing. If not, why would they even be here? Remember, it is just a game…

[kedik22]

@hank

Hi.
Just saw Brasil loose against Peru with a clear hand-goal!
Same as cheaters in Arena gameplay.

So, my fourth experience.
Free ticket against a player with 12% higher ranking than me.
He was too good for me and I lost by more than 300,000 points.
No Blues after watching a video this time.

Next, video and free ticket.
Faced a player my exact same level.
First bird, Red failed to apply his pushing power!!!
Have evidence of that, since the activation leaves a little mark.
Thought I was doomed.
But at the end was able to beat my opponent by almost 1.5 million points, earning nine stars.

Still in twelfth place with 14 stars, 294 off the lead.

@hank, afraid to be demoted, would´t you be?

[cognitive]

I started screen-shots of all my matches this week.

I had a nice non-forced streak of 7 and one of 5 on Saturday, without wasting many of my 50+ tickets. Played pretty well too. Sunday I noticed my opponents were way harder, and decided to try my theory and sacrificed 10 tickets in a row.

Lost 9 of 10.

A good number of my opponents at streak=1 had 2-3 spells. The one I lost @ streak=5 yesterday had 5 spells.

Basically Rovio seems to want you to burn tickets one after the other. I took my time again later and the game is a bit better. During this 10-ticket spree I ran into immortal pigs, opponents who handily scored a million points a room, and one instance that has been reported by others, I had it won and the summary screen somehow showed my opponent with 200k points added and he won. Impressed.

[Anonymous]

@kedik22 @captsternn Same thing happened to me the other day:

I had one stone structure left and Blue’s to knock it down. Flung Blue’s and they bounced off destroying just enough blocks to give me another bird. Got Blue’s! Still couldn’t knock down the stone building, so I watched a video for another bird. Who was it? Blue’s!

Let’s think about this: We all had a stone structure to topple and we all got Blue’s twice in a row to do it. I would just love to hear someone tell me that ALL of our cases was just “bad luck”. Because the same EXACT problem happening to all of us is pretty fishy if you ask me.

[kedik22]

@partshade

Hi.
I would not call it fishy, too soft for me.
What it really is, is that it is rigged!!!
Randomness goes both ways, all over the place, but never one-sided.

Regards.

[kedik22]

@hank

Am sleepy, so gonna make this quick.
Remember my level is 66.
Beat a 55er with two spells, got nine stars.
Beat a 79er with three spells, got five stars.
Three game winning streak!

But, still in twelfth place, 280 stars from the lead.
Preoccupied of being demoted.

Ended the day on a happier note!

[angrynerds2]

More than two wins in a row are no more possible!
At least the third opponent is EVERY TIME a guy with level 10-birds and five spell cards.

[David Martin]

@angrynerds2 – I noticed this as well. my winning streak almost always gets broken at 3. Finally made it to a 4th match today for the first time in a while, but it required a few spells and some luck. I appreciate that they’re at least trying to ramp up the difficulty as you get farther into a winning streak, but it shouldn’t be such a sudden spike from match 2 to 3.

[Anonymous]

My streaks always break at 3 as well. Never 4, never 2.

The rigged system is getting way too obvious…

[heybert17]

This is getting ridiculous, I just lost a battle I was winning easily because my last 3 birds did not so a single thing they are supposed to do. Red, Chuck and blue. Red did not fire, Chuck bounced off wood and Blue, well he’s blue. My free video bird was Matilda, she at least let me kill the final pig but by then it was too little too late and I was nowhere near filling my meter.

[reddie]

Count me in as another who thinks the arena is rigged with cheaters! My streak almost always breaks at three. You’re making us really angry, Rovio!

[Dwhite]

I’ve stated for months how this game was rigged and full of cheaters. People on here said I was paranoid. Let’s just say in this case paranoia is just really good awareness. It’s just blatantly obvious at this point. Of course the Rovio reps will deny it. I understand their position. They have their job security to consider. So I’ve always taken anything they say with a grain of salt. Play the game if you must but be very careful about spending $$$. The cheating aspect and the game being manipulated is at an all time high right now. I’m sure Rovio will say it’s a bug. Hahaha. Actually what it’s called is greed and having zero respect for loyal, paying customers. It’s such a shame too. This game had such awesome potential. But I’m way past the point of no return.

I would make a wager that many Rovio reps get on here and read comments. About 3 weeks ago many of us were commenting on here about how much more fun the game had become. We were pointing out that winning the 7 game streak was a regular occurrence and how many rewards we were getting. Then all of a sudden- Boom. They pulled the plug. It got so bad I quit the arena and I have no regrets. Still doing DC and campaign though.

[heybert17]

Another first. I have been placed in a different League before, but this happened during play.

I started in the League I was in last night, I was in 1st place by 27 stars, I won my first battle, when I came out of the battle I was in a completely different League, I was still in first but by 6 stars.

Stop the shenanigans and just let us play.