I sent an e-mail saying that I was unhappy and disappointed with the new code. Nothing to specific except that the Wolverine making "hit quotes" when other shots were made was inexcusable and should have been caught on ball one of the first ball played with the update.
I felt that there was no reason to go into much depth as I'm guessing most, if not all, e-mails are ignored anyway. I said I just wanted to let then know to count me as someone that is disappointed and unhappy with the update.
To be honest, the biggest thing that upsets me is that very little is added, fixed or thought out on this update. It's like they just got what was in the game before and shook it around. No fixed Beast voice, no added use of the inserts to describe what you are doing in a mode (which would be largely useless now with 4 hero modes going at once), no ball save quote, still busted (sometimes it's there and sometimes it isn't) and inaudible outlane drain sound. I'm also not very happy with BEAT modes still being replayable. It's not quite as big of a hassle now that hero modes are super stacked, but why even do it? I've already beat that mode...I don't even want to give it any more speaker or DMD time again that could be used working on another mode, until the final wizard mode has been passed.
I may try changing my setting to make it harder to start hero modes, but to be honest....my gripe isn't that they are too easy to start or beat now....it's that they are stepping all over each other by running at the same time. I was a big advocate that the rules needed to be softened up. Mainly the villain modes...but making the hero modes all stack, 1 hit to start them and they don't need to be beat to get to Danger Room seems like a bit of overkill to make it easy.
Speaking of which......so what is the incentive to beat a hero mode now....besides points? Goal wise is there any advantage to beating them now? I think if I were to change hero mode things from 1.22 I would have made it so hero modes started about the same (2 hits). When in one hero mode you could still qualify the other shots for their hero modes....but they wouldn't start until the running mode was finished and that shot was hit again after being qualified. Also beat modes would not be replayed. When all hero modes are played...DANGER ROOM. If all hero modes are beat....SOMETHING ELSE??? I would also rework the inserts to better describe each hero modes goal. I would also implement the option to "Run away and live to fight another day" when hitting the scoop when Villain is lit. This would give the player the option to actually just play the game in a hero-centric way if they chose to.
Doing things this way would give each mode it's own turn to shine (DMD animations, audio, and also let the game use the inserts to describe the modes goal) without stepping on the toes of another mode. This would also make it easier than any previous version to get to Danger Room, but not as easy as it seems to be now and not the cluttered wreck it is. I honestly don't think most peoples suggestions of changes from the old code was that the hero modes were too hard anyway. Most of the real issue was that the multiball targets were dead during modes and the villains were too hard and needed softening up (hopefully in a creative way instead of the generic "takes fewer hits" way that they implemented).
I hope something is done and would really like a statement released about the mistake that this release is. A "We're sorry we missed the mark. We are listening to your suggestions and reworking things to better the game". Just curious...have there been any other Stern updates that have been widely received so poorly?