22 replies to this topic

[Mawai]

There are a lot of folks saying ELO is broken and there are just as many saying it seems to work just fine. (I am in the just fine camp).

Here is my experience, match results can be tiered:
1) Some matches ... maybe 20% or less run to 8-0 either as wins or losses.
2) The next tier of matches are 8:1, 8:2, 8:3
3) Next tier is 8:4, 8:5
4 ) Final tier is 8:6, 8:7

Since ELO was introduced, I have had far more matches in the 3rd and 4th tier than I did before ... playing in all classes of mechs. 8-0 ROFL stomps were probably 50% of game results before the ELO match making (at least it felt that way).

However, the reason the games often turn out 8:<4 ... is because it is very difficult to come from behind in this game.

1) Most mechs retain full firepower until they are destroyed. From an offensive viewpoint the only way to reduce the opponents is to actually kill the mech.
2) With torso twisting and proper maneuvering it is possible to continue to be effective with a damaged mech .. in addition, there are no visual queues to see which mechs are damaged and which aren't ... only targeting will give this information and that takes time.
3) If a damaged mech withdraws and comes back it is able to damage the opponents and usually survive since most people fire at the closest opponent and do not necessarily scan for the weakest opponents.

The net result of all of this is that once you start losing mechs, unless you have inflicted enough damage to put an opponent at risk then the opponents have a significant advantage. I have seen teams come back from a 4:8 deficit and still win ... but it was only because those 4 stuck together and focused fire on opposing mechs that were in vulnerable positions with limited support. They did not rush the opposing 8 mechs and pray. They played strategically and won.

ELO is only one factor in balancing a match. An excellent solo player who has no conception of team work can sometimes be a detriment to the team. They may be off harassing opponents while their team mates are eliminated one by one in a series of 3:1 brawls ... as the opposition rolls over them.

Finally, ELO only goes down when you lose to a team that has a lower ELO rating than yours and it only goes up when you beat a team with a higher ELO rating. As long as the ELO number you have actually predicts the match outcome, your ELO does not change.

[Angel of Annihilation]

Mawai, on 15 July 2013 - 11:06 AM, said:

Finally, ELO only goes down when you lose to a team that has a lower ELO rating than yours and it only goes up when you beat a team with a higher ELO rating. As long as the ELO number you have actually predicts the match outcome, your ELO does not change.

This right here might be the problem. If you reach an ELO point, be it high or low, where your always dropping with a team that is predicted to lose then your stuck at the point and going no where. It isn't till you win one your suppose to lose that your ELO creeps up and eventually gets you out of the hole for a bit.

Also am I the only one that things there is an issue with a system that matches teams with one predicted to win and one predicted to lose? I mean shouldn't it be matching based on both teams having an equal chance to win?

[Agent 0 Fortune]

One of the fundemental problems with ELO is that it is based on weight class (assault, heavy, medium, light), however weight class matching is a low priority for the matchmaker.
So you will end up with a player who is pretty good at heavy mechs and a player who is pretty good at Assault mechs, they get matched up even though there is a tonnage discrepency. However things go sideways because the assault player is on a team and brings his 3 buddies are even beter assault players. And in the 20 seconds that the matchmaker has to put something together it just dumps whoever is in the queue to fill the rest of match and we end up with a horribly mismatched game.