Yup. If you can power through 8 hrs and using your heals wisely. Rubberbanding is your friend. If you can't you better pace yourself. Same goes with PVP.Yeah I am all for rubberbanding obviously. It is part of the game and has been for over a year and so to take it out now it bullshit.
If you want to start early great go ahead you get to play with everyone else who started early. You can play a lot and earn all of the progression rewards as well as all of the boosted ISO possible rewards for each node. You however have to really work for the overall rewards because you are playing against others who are playing a ton as well. You want to start later? That is also great. You have to have a crazy amount of time then as you start later because it is like compiling it all at once. I think it is a common misconception for those that don't utilize rubberbanding. I start late yes but then those days I start late, that is like all I do. If I start the last day of the event, you can guarantee I am playing for about 8 hours that day probably to make sure I can get a high score. This way also you run the risk of not getting the progression rewards and losing out on the sub event rewards and everything.
There are pros and cons to each and we have all of that information up in the OP with all of the links. I am bummed you got screwed slide, but that is just the game hah But now who cares because it clearly wont be 'the game' anymore once they finish with all of these custom end times and shit.
I cant jump in the last 1hr and pray for a good bracket, kill enough people to place high without burning all of my heals. I pace myself from the beginning...get to 300 at least...then stop once I am ranked in the 50s.