Incentive to go Flawless

Hey, just wanted to share my experience this weekend with Trials and bounce a couple questions off you guys. Popular opinions incoming.

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Played since launch. I'm a career 1.45ish K/D in crucible and a 1.15ish K/D in Trials (not KA/D to be clear). However I've taken some very long breaks from the game and now I'm lucky to break 1.0 K/D in Trials. Read: Not a complete bot, but I am not good.

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My two friends (1.8ish and 1.2ish in Trials) played Friday night, went flawless (seven win streak) and got shit loot from the lighthouse. Not a surprise because they were around 250ish light, under GR7, etc.

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As soon as their cards transformed into Flawless Passages, they entered the flawless pool and started having a rough time. They got frustrated and the whole vibe changed. Their loot continued to be shit, even after wins.

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Once I got my light up to 200, one of my friends (1.8) and I duo'd and we won 7/8 so I snagged my shit loot from the Lighthouse. BUT, I didn't win seven in a row, so I reset, and we continued to chill and have a good time and win 7/9 or 7/10. Lighthouse again. Shit loot again, as expected, but whatever.

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The issue came the Saturday when I accidentally won seven in a row. Due to not being in the flawless pool, I won three in a row in a duo with one friend, took a 1.5 hour break, came back, and won four in a row in a trio. We were having a good time and I wasn't even paying attention to my yellow squares.

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Lighthouse again. Flawless. Seven in a row baby. The pinnacle PVP activity. Shit loot, my old friend. Again, par for the course and the system right now, so not super upset.

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Here's where the real issue began: flawless pool jail for the rest of the weekend. Like a switch, we went from having a great time to banging our heads against a wall while we played against the Destiny Olympic team. I am NOT GOOD. I just want to play with my friends, and if I do happen to get lucky/lock in and win 6/7 or seven in a row, I would like to at least be rewarded with some decent loot. And if I'm not getting good loot from winning seven games of Trials in a row, that's when I start asking questions:

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What motivates you, this season, to go flawless?

Considering high-powered guardians are receiving T4 loot from Trials losses, regardless of flawless status, which of the below applies most?

• Consecutive weeks flawless
• Glow
• Do it once, unlock the paid ornament in the Eververse
• Website stats?
• Sense of pride and accomplishment?
• 80%-90% of your opponents won't miss a headshot until Tuesday
• Lighthouse loot? (Is it significantly better than postmatch rewards at higher light levels?)

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What's to stop players from resetting their card after each and every win?

• As I mentioned, I've taken long breaks from the game. I strive for more balance with how I allocate my time, so for me, playing my favorite ever game with my longtime friends is for fun and quality time. Mental wellbeing takes priority, and I would imagine most people feel similar.

• I do not care about going flawless. I know for a fact that I'll have more fun if I don't win seven in a row, so tbh I am probably going to actively avoid it. Easy for me, because again, I'm not good. BUT, what's to stop my 1.8 K/D friend from hanging out in the non-flawless pool for the entire weekend? What's to stop 3.0 K/D players who also are disillusioned by the Lighthouse?

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Has there ever been a dynamic like this before in Trials?

There are plenty of seasons I didn't play, so please let me know if there was a season or situation before when there was so little perceived incentive to go flawless. How did it play out?

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What are your thoughts on the new loot tiering system and reward structure of Trials?

It's pretty clear how I feel, but I am curious to hear what some of the more involved PVP community thinks of the current state of Trials.

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TLDR: IMO the current landscape/reward structuret is bad for the health of Trials and I don't think it's at all sustainable. For them to have revamped Trials so rewardingly, so recently, I think this is a massive step backward.

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Thanks for your time, and I hope you have a great rest of your day 👍