127 replies to this topic

[Onyxian]

I'm not sure if this is the right place for this, but if it isn't can the mods please move it to the appropriate forum?


I really wanted to like this game... Scratch that, I wanted to love this game. But the only emotion I've felt while playing, after the initial gee whiz, is despair. A month straight of endless beat downs capped off last night by 10 straight games of 0-12,1-12,0-12,0-12,2-12,1-12,0-12,2-12,4-12(!),1-12,1-12,1-12.

I don't know how to post screenshots, but I took a few, and its a joke. My team will always have 6 people with about 50-100 damage, while the red teams *worst* will have 200+. Every game. EVERY GAME. I know I'm part of the problem, but just through random chance, I should get put on one of these fantastic teams once in a while??? Nope, all of us crap players get lumped together for target practice for the better players.

I asked this same question a couple weeks ago, (why am i always losing) and the answers I got were

"Bad luck" - ok, bad luck with the matchmaker I can understand for a night, maybe a few nights. But a month straight of bad luck with the matchmaker?
"wait for your Eli to stabilize" - its been a month. How many weeks of getting slaughtered every time I play should be enough for my elo to drop? Because I think a month is long enough, if it hasn't dropped by now, then I don't have the stomach to endure however many more it takes.
"Get a team/clan/group" - designing your game in such a way that new players are doomed to get destroyed until they join a group is fundamentally flawed. Last night when I was on, none of my group was.. I understand grouping is a distinct advantage, but I, and other players, should be able to play without getting absolutely destroyed without my group.

I want to know, and no one can answer this, is why the red team is *always* ALWAYS perfectly coordinated while my team never is? They know exactly the best sniper spots, they know exactly when to push, they know exactly when to fall back, and when they do they have covering fire to protect them, they know exactly when/where to flank. Every game. Every every game. My team often runs in 6 different directions (despite me warning them it will get us killed, then they call me a know-it-all. "Its called flanking, genius, ever heard of it?". Nobody ever says Gee, you were right, sorry, when we get annihilated though. But that's better than the names I get called while dead players are spectating me, so I have that going for me). And if my team actually stays together, we mill about like sheep.. kiling us is like shooting fish in a barrel.

I know I'm part of the problem, but *surely* I can't be the reason my team gets stomped. Every. Single. Game. The only answer I can come up with is that it's no accident, the matchmaker is set up to put all us crap players together for the entertainment of the better players. Yeah, I know that's ridiculous, but its the only thing explanation for what I've seen. If the matchmaker was truly putting together *even-ish* teams, then just through random chance I should be getting on the better (or winning) teams occasionally. Ive gotten stomped when the other team had 2 disconnects (so having me on a team is *worse* than being short a player???). I've gotten stomped when my team had 9 assaults with 3 DDCs.

I wanted so badly to love this game, but its going to have to go unrequited. I've run out of the neccessary amount of masochism, stubbornness, and stupid it takes to force myself to keep playing in the hope it will get better.

Good luck all. I wish I could say thanks for the memories, but I want to forget this last month as quickly as possible.

[Redshift2k5]

I know it can be frustrating! Here are a few things to keep in mind.

Just because a match is a stomp does not mean the matchmaker failed. The no-respawn system and multiplication of force makes it easy to turn a small advantage into a large lead. (If your team has one lance in the wrong place, that can easily lead to four quick deaths for your team)

Facing six, eight, ten Assault mechs and a bunch of DDC is terribly frustrating! We've all been there. In a few weeks public matches will be restricted to a maximum of 3 Assaults per team, which will greatly change the dynamic of team balance and composition. Maybe take a break until then?

Look for other pilots to play with. Check the factions forums, check the hiring hall, or just head to NGNG's public server for pick-up groups. Playing with a group means you can bring complimentary mechs, means you can coordinate targets, you might even learn some tricks and tips.

[Roughneck45]

Should give it another try in a week or two when the launch module comes out. It could help the problem you are having.

[Onyxian]

I cannot use TS, too much RL around me. Kids, the tv is right next to the computer.

That shouldn't doom me. The game should be playable without HAVING to TS to have any success.

And I don't think you read closely... MY team had 9 assaults with 3DDCs. And we got slaughtered. Yeah, the one time I look at my team and think "Yes, finally a win". I can't remember the exact score, it was a couple weeks ago, but it was a stomp. 4-12 or worse.

[Modo44]

TS can be used for just listening. Many groups/factions have big (often majority) casual elements, often people with RL commitments. They will understand if you can not talk for whatever reason. The hardcore competitive scene is only a part of this community.

That being said, MWO's matchmaker is in a pretty bad state, and the results you describe are not uncommon. Things will improve starting with a first serious step on April 29th (next scheduled patch: strict weight matching, slightly stricter skill matching). If you do not wish to spend more time on it, consider coming back in a month or three. AFAIK, accounts do not get closed from inactivity.

[Redshift2k5]

It's perfectly playable without TS. I did my 5 wins for the Thunderbolt solo, then grouped up later to help my groupmates earn theirs.

But for people who are having a rough time, you should seek out advantages instead of shunning them(if you can't beat 'em, join 'em). I have two kids and my PC is right next to the TV, I still manage to play on a TS server.

[Joseph Mallan]

I was like you Red only I won one Tbolt in a couple Hours and one in 7 matches! As Joe, I played over my Elo dropping with my fellow Lawmen, as Anton I was solo and had good teams.

[PitchBlackYeti]

This is my first post on the forum, so hello everyone. Now back to topic, I came to the forum looking to vent about the same problem. The 0-12 or 2-12 losing streaks are starting to piss the living hell out of me. I have started playing MWO about 2 weeks ago to take a break from World of Tanks. Now in WoT, people complain about the MM constantly, but I tell you its NOWHERE as bad as this. I've had maybe 2-3 games thet were really close shave, most of the time it's just lolstomp for one team or the other. I know I'm just a beginner but I'm familiar with the Battletech system and also doing quite well in WoT. I'm also aware that PGI is attempting to tweak the MM to group players by their skill but so far it doesn't seem to be working at all.

[Flaming oblivion]

Everyone who isn't lucky gets put in this position the majority of there fights , If your team isn't good your in trouble fact is its a team game less effective they are - less effective you are.

The objective is to kill them before they kill you thing is if your team starts going 8 different directions your going to get stomped because the enemy team will start to pick you off in clusters.

The larger there advantage gets the more your forced into defensive mode limiting your damage significantly and eventually no matter what you do your going down when the entire enemy team catches up with you.

The matchmaker needs a serious fix I wont deny that it is completely and utterly broken , But something else needs a serious fix to peoples intelligence/ strategically thinking

[Onyxian]

sneeking, on 21 April 2014 - 05:29 AM, said:

how are you getting such consistent losses ? even suicide farming the trial mechs you would pull some wins.

That's exactly what I want to know. The other team is always always always better. Always.

I just retyped and deleted pretty much the same rant as above... but it boils down to a question no one is going to be able to answer. Can't just be bad luck for an entire month straight. I can't be worse than a farmer or DC, and after a month my elo should have dropped. So why/how is this possible? And how/why is this NORMAL?

[Onyxian]

Redshift2k5, on 21 April 2014 - 05:28 AM, said:

It's perfectly playable without TS. I did my 5 wins for the Thunderbolt solo, then grouped up later to help my groupmates earn theirs.


But for people who are having a rough time, you should seek out advantages instead of shunning them(if you can't beat 'em, join 'em). I have two kids and my PC is right next to the TV, I still manage to play on a TS server.

That's great for you. You're a much better, or luckier, or both, player than I am


It's beside the point. I shouldn't *have* to TS to have *any* success. I (and other new players, although I'm not sure if still considered new) should be able to win something without TS. I'm not saying I should be dominating, I stink... But I should be able to at least NOT get annihilated every single game without the TS

Edited by Onyxian, 21 April 2014 - 05:46 AM.

[dragnier1]

Usually wins-losses are fairly even (for me at least, i pug), except these few days while the 5 match challenge is going on. I've gotten many losses. It might be down to luck too, perhaps.

I don't TS myself, i play without sound 30-40% of the time+don't have a head set.

[Durant Carlyle]

Your Elo rating only experiences adjustments if the match didn't end the way it thought the match would end.

If Elo predicted you lose, and you lose, there isn't much adjustment.
If Elo predicted you win, and you win, there isn't much adjustment.

You start at 1300 for an Elo rating, which is in the average range. If your team always did as Elo predicted, you could still be sitting at 1300 rating right now.

Also note that you have four different Elo ratings -- one for lights, one for mediums, one for heavies, and one for assaults. If you've been spending time in each weight class, you haven't adjusted Elo as much as you think you have.

[TheCaptainJZ]

Hmm...
Have you tried taking command and issuing orders before? Or even just posted a rendenvous coordinate in chat or general strategy? Most players are looking for someone to take charge and if no one does, come up with their own plan, on their own. At least, that has been my experience. It may not work out in the end, but you'll feel better if your team actually had a goal.

Oh, btw, the red team is always the enemy. Conversly, you are always the red team from their perspective.

[Flaming oblivion]

so if I lose I fight it thought i'd lose it leaves my elo where it is so I can keep getting shafted..... Whos idea was that?

[FlipOver]

@ Onyxian (or any other player with Ony's problem):

Personally I can't imagine how frustrating must be to have so many bad matches in a row.
So I can't pretend I know what you guys are going through, but I can suggest some things:

- Get a 80-90kph+ mech and use the speed to move about the battlefield to support the lance(s) that show they actually know what they are doing.

- If the whole team seems they don't have a clue of what they are doing, use the team chat to let them know what to do (often take advantage of the first seconds of the match so everyone can read you). Typing something like "Group up at E4, guys!" in the first seconds of the match helps the team to coordinate movement, after that, either you try to give hints or commands like "Move on the E line towards E7 and DO NOT GET SPOTTED" or you just see how they behave and follow them.

- If even so you see it doesn't help/work... well you are a bit out of luck, so try to stick to a large group and support them as best you can.

Pugging is frustrating in most times, but if you manage to type and make the teammates understand the blue text is to read and follow, then you are half way through a nice combat.

And don't quit the game. There are ways to manipulate your team to move towards a better path.
Lock only the enemies you see fit to be destroyed if your team moves towards them and see if the team moves. Multiple locks also help since the bleeping sound and the flashing triangles on the radar usually call their attention.

Hope this helps you.

[Enigmos]

When scouting/spotting if you lock a target try to keep it locked. LRM can only track as long as your lock holds. If you change your target while a teammate's missiles are in the air and that mech moves those missiles will have no way to correct their trajectory.

Similarly if you are firing LRM don't switch targets until your missiles hit or they will no longer track; they will be wasted.

The ELO band is very wide. Too wide, really, to get an appropriate drop. The devs had to do this because so few were patient with the wait times required to get a match with narrower skill bands. Because they classify the new player, completely unskilled, unable to control his mech, unable to aim properly, all those completely unpracticed pilots are being thrown in with well-practiced but average pilots.

Maybe its only me, but it seems like it would be better to presume the worst of completely new pilots and start them at the bottom with the rest of the completely unskilled, unpracticed new pilots and let them rise or stay on the basis of their measured performance.

[Roughneck45]

Onyxian, on 21 April 2014 - 05:14 AM, said:

And I don't think you read closely... MY team had 9 assaults with 3DDCs. And we got slaughtered.

The Atlas is mostly a bullet sponge these days, so yeah, that was going to happen if the other team had jump snipers.

Having more DDC's meant you won back in closed beta.

[Enigmos]

I'd say for a pilot's first 20 matches they should stay at the bottom of the ELO list. For the 21st match and thereafter compile their standing and drop them accordingly.

[meteorol]

Whats your current w/l ratio?