Thanks Jan and Jeff! The game seems fast and fun so far and I like that the Free-to-Pay mechanics seem to be all cosmetic so far.
I also don't get the bot frustration. The majority of games, whether multiplayer with bots, or single-player (without bots), tend to go from easy to hard as the player progresses, so they can learn to use what's in their toolbox as the gameplay progresses. It's a while before you progress from goombas and turtles to fire breathing pirana plants and hammer brothers. Bots in multiplayer games are essentially this to help onboard the player, get them to learn the mechanics and feel comfortable when finally playing an actual person. That said, to each their own.
MovieFlask's comments