Even though all game modes in Fire Emblem Heroes is played against AI, this game can be very competitive. Players are ranked against another. Score between players are really tight at the top. A difference of 1 or 2 points may translate to hundreds of ranks between those numbers.
As an example, in tier 21 arena, a player with 3,820 score may have rank of 1,000, that result in staying in tier 21 and get the highest rewards. Another player with a score of 3,818 may have a rank of 1,250, that result in dropping to tier 20 and get a lesser rewards.
Since we know how the ranking system works in Fire Emblem Heroes, actually players can benefit more if players cooperate with each other. By cooperating, more players can be in higher tier and get more rewards.
However, Intelligent System has created a perfect Prisoner’s Dilemma situation in Fire Emblem Heroes. It is impossible to cooperate with other players.
Let’s evaluate.
To make it easier to understand the prisoner’s dilema in FEH, let’s uppose there are only 100 people in tier 21 arena (the highest tier with the most rewards).
Current rule, top 30% rank stays in tier 21 and the rest drop to tier 20.
Suppose players can communicate with each other and those players decide to cooperate to play the arena and score 740 per game with bonus heroes. So total score is (740 + 12) * 5 = 3,760. If all 100 players get that score, they are all rank 1. All 100 players will stay in tier 21 and get the highest rewards.
However, if there’s 1 player that don’t cooperate and sneak in a higher score, 3,762 for example. This will result in 1 player in rank 1 and 99 players in rank 2. Top 30% rank only includes rank 1. Thus, only 1 player get to stay in tier 21 and get the most reward. While the other 99 will drop to tier 20 and get a lesser reward.
Since there’s no way for players to communicate in game, no way to enforce players to get the same score, randomize score fluctuation, plus the incentive to make a better defense team (rewards if defense team wins), each players have to face the prisoner’s dilemma. Cooperate to get a highest reward, but with huge risk of losing that reward if other players don’t cooperate. Players do not have any other choice but to be selfish and try to get the highest score possible in order to ensure that players is a the top 30% rank to get the most rewards.
The arena mode has turn to become a game of who has the highest scoring +10 heroes. It becomes super competitive for the 1 extra orb reward per week.
I think Mjolnir’s Strike is the most competitive game mode at the moment. Unique reward in this game mode is the divine code part 1, which is still unknown as what it’s used for. It’s a new game mode. Currently, nobody is in the highest tier 21 yet. The highest tier as of this week is 17. I’m currently in tier 15 as I failed to promote to tier 17. There are a lot of whale in tier 15-17. Everybody is racing towards tier 21. A 2 point difference in this mode can mean staying in the tier, dropping down a tier or jumping up a tier.