The app and game I have played the most the past two years (or so) is definitely Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery. Anyone that knows me knows that I am a huge Harry Potter fan, so when this app came out in April of 2018, I had to play it. I've basically been hooked since then, but I have stopped playing the game for multiple days at a time. That is because there are certain things the developers have chosen to implement into the game that I do not like. If anyone from Jam City that has input on the Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery game reads this, please try to fix one of these things at the very least:
- Dueling
One of my biggest complaints I have with the game is the dueling. It's just a boring game of rock-paper-scissors. There's very little strategy involved. The games are clearly rigged because in a standard game of rock-paper-scissors, you would have the same move as your opponent (draw) 1/3 of the time. In dueling in HPHM, you draw only 10% of the time, if that. Worst of all, no matter what moves you select and when, you lose a little more than you win. My suggestion is to add helping items or bonuses that can give you a boost in dueling, such as healing items, tiebreakers, or extra damage. These bonuses or advantages could be earned through events and/or classes. That would increase the strategy in dueling ten-fold and make it much more fun. Or if that's too hard to do, make dueling more like an actual 1/3 shot of either winning, losing, or drawing.
- Full Marks
Full Marks events are near impossible to win. I won't go over their details in what is required to do well (and possibly win), but they last between five to seven days, so in order to get a top prize you have to be at it 24/7 for close to an entire week. Even if you are, you'll likely still remain behind at least one or two players. I am convinced some of the players on the leader board that you compete with are bots and not real players. I have read many posts and comments on Reddit about how when people see a Full Marks event, they take a break from the game because the event is just not worth it. You bust your butt for an entire week for coins and maybe some books? Not worth it. My suggestion is to have rewards for getting a certain amount of points, regardless of how everyone else does. It's fine to have the grand prize (outfit, decoration for dormitory) be a competition between players, but every other prize should be obtained from reaching a certain number of points, just like in House Pride events.
- House Pride
Speaking of House Pride events, they are not perfect, either. I like how you get rewards no matter how your team does, but getting the top prize is near impossible now. When this event first started out, it was very easy to win, and now it's impossible. No matter how often I play and get extra energy from spots around the castle, I always am behind at least one person on my team and behind at least one house for the house totals. One thing I have read is that as you progress through the game, your energy requirements to complete classes goes up. When you first play, it only takes 10 energy or so to get a star in a class. In year six, it takes 15-20 energy. In other words, a team full of first and second years can complete classes much quicker than a team of sixth years. That should not be the case; in fact, it should be the other way around. Jam City, you have this backwards. I don't know how, but somehow make it easier for dedicated players to the game like myself to win these House Pride events. Perhaps give players in later years a multiplier on the house crests earned. But we should not be penalized for being further in the game than other players. I honestly cannot remember the last time I won either a House Pride or Full Marks event.
- Story/Characters
The story in the game has severely lacked in years 5 and 6. The story gets released so slowly, it can be very hard to try to remember what was going on in the last chapter. I am getting to the point of losing interest in ever finding out who's behind this "R", if we'll ever find and get revenge on Rakepick, and if our brother Jacob will ever hang around for more than a minute. I can't remember the last time our story involved Tulip Karasu or Barnaby Lee. You've made a mockery of Tonks, whose only apparent character trait is being a prankster. And Ben Copper's character took a complete 180 and became cold and uninteresting. And you can't seem to make up your mind if Merula will ever come around, or if she's going to forever be our arch rival. And with the story being released as slowly as it is, it's extremely hard to get invested in it at all, and I find myself not really caring too much for what the characters are saying.
- Focus
Clearly, Jam City's focus in the past year or so in the game has been to try to get people to spend real life money by introducing new pets, creatures, and now dorm decorations. It seems like every time I go on the game there's a new thing to buy or try to invest books in. I know, that's how you guys keep the game running, but if you keep at this pace, people aren't going to care. The game is slowly becoming all show and no substance. Some players have realized this, and more will if you're not careful. Many apps and games have seen their profits dwindle because they tried too hard to get people to spend money and didn't focus on making a quality game. I don't feel as fulfilled with having creatures and pets as I do with a great story, interesting characters, and fun and winnable events to do. The game is at its best when the pets and cosmetics are an additional/side feature, not the main feature.
- Creature sidequests with Hagrid
Every now and then a sidequest with Hagrid will pop up involving a pet or creature. However, the most recent two are ones that make me not want to even try anymore. The sidequests require we adopt a certain pet or creature, and their requirements are insane. First, the Welsh Green Dragon, which requires 60 Red and 30 Blue Books. Blue books are extremely hard to get in the game, and getting just two or three in an event is very tough to do (usually it's the reward requiring the most amount of classes/crests). And you're asking for thirty of them!? Second, the Puppy Crup, which requires 120 Brown Books. Fortunately, Brown Books are a lot easier to obtain, but 120 of them?! And woe is me, I spent 50 Brown Books on a Streeler mere days before the Puppy Crup sidequest comes out. Figures, right? If I had known, I would have saved my Brown Books. These requirements to obtain these creatures to further our friendship with Hagrid are just insane, and they make players like me not want to even bother because it's so difficult and time-consuming to earn them. And you can't expect players to shovel out real money just so they can progress a sidequest.
- Friendship Requirements/Attribute Requirements
The requirements to level up certain friendships are insane. I'm talking about Jae, Badeea, Liz, and Fred. Having to do a friendship task 20-30 times with each to level up is just way too much. And having to spend our hard-earned coins each time just adds insult to injury. I've basically stopped doing the friendship tasks unless I'm trying in a Full Marks Event and it requires a friendship task. At least there are some friends who don't require that many points to level up, such as the three Quidditch friends (Orion, Murphy and Skye), Chiara, and Talbott (sort of).
And then the points required to level up your attributes (courage, empathy, knowledge) get insane around the late 20's. At level 29, it requires over 17,000 points?! Are you kidding me? I'd say the average net for an attribute in a 2 hour class is 15 points. That's being generous, because you don't always get attribute points as a reward, and the highest you can get (40) is pretty rare. Doing the math, this would require us to do 567 two hour classes or 227 eight hour classes! To level up all three attributes, it would take 1,700 two hour classes or 680 eight hour classes! That's just insane. And playing the game every time you reached full energy (during awake hours, so 18 hours for most) would take an attribute to level up between 70-80 days, and that's if you focus on that one attribute only and play pretty much every time you reach full energy while you're awake. That is asking way too much of us.
I say all this despite the fact I am on it basically every day, every few hours. I still really like the game, but honestly the times when I decide to take a break and not play, I feel a bit of a relief that I'm not stressing over trying to win an event or complete a sidequest before time runs out. I am seriously thinking of taking a break from the game for a while, and not just for a few days. It's getting to the point where it's not worth it anymore. I would definitely come back and play again, if only to catch up on the story. But it is getting to that point with me, and I will not hesitate to stop playing for a while. The game is just not what it used to be. The story is severely lacking in quality, events are near impossible to win, and the side bits of the game (Dueling, pets, friendship tasks) are just not worth the time and effort. The game started out great, but then fizzled out in its second year, and if they're not careful, the same downward trend will continue, and they will lose players.
Edit: I am currently in a hiatus from the game, and part of me wants to go back to the game, but when I think about doing so, I just lose interest very quickly. This game has unfortunately descended into the depths of money grabbers, and I just lose interest in a game quickly when that happens. Also, it's hard to keep up with the game when you're busy with a job and other apps take up your time.
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