Has attempt-based starting move incrementing been removed?

シリンダーノット

Sometime in the 6000s, I stumbled upon a very obscure feature: for every 10 or so attempts on a level, you will start with 1 additional move. I think I first noticed it on a Nightmare level, but I didn't think much of it at the time.

However, when I got stuck on level 6471 (a de facto impossible level erroneously rated Super Hard), I was able to test this starting move incrementing more.

These extra starting moves stack, so attempts 11-20 will have +1 move, attempts 21-30 will have +2 moves, attempts 31-40 will have +3 moves, etc. These attempt ranges are all approximate, and I didn't test beyond 31-40 because I was able to watch ads to pass the level and get the Express Delivery train that gave timed party poppers.

Both times I noticed this starting move incrementing, I was not dealing with the Wheel of Misfortune. I had the normal extra moves scaling (+5, +15, +25 with UFO, +35, +45 with UFO, etc).

Today, I encountered level 6681, a mathematically impossible level rated Legendary. This time, I had a slightly improved version of the Wheel of Misfortune. However, when I sank about 16 attempts into the level, I noticed that the starting move count never increased. I will test this more tomorrow, but I think that the Wheel of Misfortune test also removed attempt-based starting move increments. I haven't brought this up in the Wheel of Misfortune thread because I believe it needs more research.

Has anyone noticed this kind of phenomenon? Is this the case specifically for Legendary levels, or is this the case for the Wheel of Misfortune test?

christinewupp

King are currently experimenting with all manner of means to get people who are hopelessly stuck without gold bars in the mid level ranges (around levels 5000-15,000) to move on and not abandon their games, so it seems.

Your experience is fascinating. I don't replay levels many times so would be unlikely to notice this in any of my accounts, but while testing a report in the support forum I stumbled across a level on which one out of the four colours was removed from the board after the first few failed attempts. (That test had devastating consequences however, since it led to infinite cascading.) We also saw a feature tested recently of a timed UFO and infinite lives appearing out of nowhere in many accounts every morning for a week. All these experimental features have the same aim: stop the exodus of players in the mid ranges of Candy Crush.

The increasing moves are something I used to witness years ago, going all the way back to before 2020. It's very interesting to see the app experimenting with this again.

I suspect that a lot of players have been dropping out of the game since the AI took over, and it is now trying its hardest to counter that. In my opinion they should concentrate on making the levels more interesting rather than easier if they want to keep players engaged and playing. I suspect that boredom is mostly to blame for the exodus of players in the mid ranges of Candy Crush. The game is simply not as addictive as it used to be. Changing the graphics and visuals or introducing new events which follow the same patterns and rules as previous events isn't going to keep the game "fresh and engaging" by itself.

These types of helping features for players hopelessly stuck are like applying a sticky plaster to a gaping and infected wound. What we need is not a sticky plaster but a competent surgeon and some antibiotics.