MWO Matchmaking should be changed to have the two queues described below.
The first queue is for players that want to play as singles, with four players ( one lance) able to join a group (
this is the same as four man is set up today).
The second queue is a team queue for players that want to play with, or play as, coordinated teams. This queue would allow any number of single players or groups to form teams up to eight (and up to twelve when the game switched to 12 vs 12). Players can make a group of 1-8, and any holes in the team would be filled by single players or smaller groups until a team of 8 is created. (
This is a variation on how eight man is set up today).
Why change eight man to allow single and smaller groups to join if they wish? There are several good reasons:
- Some of us players want the challenge and opportunity to play in, and play with, more coordinated teams. We understand that we might be up against a full eight man team, while our own team might be made up of a group of five, a group of two, and a group of one, and we are okay with that. (In fact, we relish the chance to trounce that eight man and knock their ELO down a peg).
- Single players who want to experience more coordinated team play can do so, while other single players who want to play as individuals against other individuals can do so (without each others choices negatively affecting the other).
- Single players who want to try and meet other teams and other players will have the ability to do so in the team queue, while teams who are trying to build their ranks can play with, and play against, new talent.
- Allowing those players who want to play in more coordinated teams but can’t muster a team of eight can do so in the team queue without having to try and “sync drop” into the single player queue. When a sync drop works is isn’t as fun for the pugs, and when it doesn’t work it just frustrates the teams who are trying to sync it.
- It will help build a stronger MWO gaming community by bring together more teams on the battlefield. Right now I have a great group of friends who I play with, but it can be rare to get a full eight of us together. We end up having to split our friends up into a four man group and a three man group, or splitting into two groups of three, or worse, four in one group and one person doesn’t get to play or has to play alone. That isn’t fun, and isn’t encouraging us to play the game. Instead, it’s encouraging us to play something else that we can play together, or the odd man out end up not playing at all, since they can’t play in the group and don’t want to play alone.
- It will improve the time, variety and ability of the matchmaker to find and match up in the eight man team groups by increasing the number of players in the team queue. Right now it is not uncommon to match up multiple times with the same team, because at times there is not all that many eight mans out there. Letting the five and three group fill an eight would provide more groups for matching.
- When 12 vs 12 comes around, it will be even harder and less likely to find a full team of twelve. Changing the team queue to the above will make it much more likely that 12 vs 12 teams can find a match up.
Set up the game so that single player is the default. That way, new players will start play in the single queue while they learn the game, and if or when they want to be a part of a team then they have a place to participate in that dynamic.