235 replies to this topic

[WVAnonymous]

Vassago Rain, on 10 July 2014 - 09:34 PM, said:

Solo drops were always like that. I haven't actively played solo since I ground out the banshee. XP comes very quickly in the ghetto.

I need the ghetto. My 24 Clan mechs each need their 60,000 XP.

Feed me, Seymour.

[Davers]

Joseph Mallan, on 10 July 2014 - 04:46 PM, said:

I played an Atlas with 11 tons of LRM Ammo... I always made more than 500C-Bills... Cept maybe during the depression. You know for a fact YOU didn't but unless you hacked my account you Don't know. Which is obvious.

Making war is expensive.

So basically you were the prime example of what R&R was supposed to limit (Assault mech + rearm weapons) and yet it did nothing to stop you. Hence the complete failure of R&R.

[Satan n stuff]

Shredhead, on 10 July 2014 - 07:25 AM, said:

So, it's official and confirmed by Russ Bullock himself, no more groups in the solo queue:

So, now I hope y'all can stop the bitchin' about the evil premades and play in underhive if you so like.
To all the 2 man groups that feel let down because you (feel you) can't compete, do it like we did in closed beta; enter one of the many open TS Servers and group up with more likeminded people, they aren't hard to find and joining a unit is not necessary for that. Most of us are very welcoming to new and unexperienced players, and having some beers and banter going back and forth is part of the awesomeness of this community.

Funny story: Earlier today I got accused of being part of an evil premade. Obviously, that wasn't the case, I had been pugging because hardly anyone was on teamspeak at the time. That match wasn't even a premade boogeyman 12-1 faceroll, it was a 12-3 attrition victory that was quite close at first. Some people will blame anything and everything but themselves.

[Magna Canus]

WarHippy, on 11 July 2014 - 09:18 AM, said:

So I will never have to wait while you and others in the group are fiddling with your mechs, taking a smoke break, or running to the corner store for a six pack? Sounds amazing, except I'm not a big fan of people telling me not to "complain" because they are content with the status quo, and when I am just voicing my disappointment in the options the devs have created. So I think I will have to pass on your generous offer.

Ok, well, if you take offense at the word complain then let me change to something you can palate better like despair or worry or whatever.

Honestly, if you have an issue with 1 thing, but don't like the solution because of 2 other things then I guess that is tough luck for now. I am trying to help you out a bit here. When dealing with real people you will have real things going on like bio breaks and what not. That's part of being in a group of people and part of having friends as well. In the good old days we used to take a bit of time out for our friends and did not mind if they went for a smoke or to the bathroom. Guess those days are over.

[Itsalrightwithme]

Let's all be alone together.

[DYSEQTA]

I find this all rather interesting. I told a commander in a game last night that it was annoying to have my lance split up and spread all around the map (he had taken command and started shuffling his group into Alpha lance). His response to that was to "Shut up nooob!" and "Get on team speak and into a group if you don't want to be shuffled around".

So that means one of two things:

• People on Teamspeak are actively forming groups then sync-dropping into the solo queue or;
  
• Groups are in the solo queue

[wanderer]

Quote

People on Teamspeak are actively forming groups then sync-dropping into the solo queue or;

Got it right the first time, and sync droppers are bottom feeding scum.

Put a random delay into when someone's fed into the queue and it should make that sorta behavior nearly impossible.

[KHETTI]

Hmmm i didn't think it was possible to sync-drop the solo queue.
Saying that last night seen names i recognized from playing in the group queue, thinking to myself must be coincidence, but after seeing those very same names 4-5 games straight, you can't help but get suspicious.

Its really sad that any group would ever consider doing this, even sadder that they choose to run their mouths aswell.

[Mystere]

KHETTI, on 18 July 2014 - 05:54 AM, said:

Its really sad that any group would ever consider doing this, even sadder that they choose to run their mouths aswell.

They can sync drop for all I care ... as long as they shut their potty mouths.

Also, a bunch advertize their group quite obnoxiously (e.g. "You lost because you are not one of us!" -- or something to that effect). Really? People would actually want to join such groups?

Edited by Mystere, 18 July 2014 - 06:03 AM.

[Kjudoon]

DYSEQTA, on 18 July 2014 - 05:22 AM, said:

I find this all rather interesting. I told a commander in a game last night that it was annoying to have my lance split up and spread all around the map (he had taken command and started shuffling his group into Alpha lance). His response to that was to "Shut up nooob!" and "Get on team speak and into a group if you don't want to be shuffled around".

So that means one of two things:

• People on Teamspeak are actively forming groups then sync-dropping into the solo queue or;
  
• Groups are in the solo queue

First off that guy is a jerk, but at the same time, if you're dropping solo, what lance you're in is irrelevant really. You've nobody to coordinate with.

1. Yes, they are because it's more fun to playin group with your friends, even if you have to do Sync Drop to do it. Generally speaking this backfires half the time and you're facing off against at least half of your group. This has been the case since Closed Beta and nothing will stop it.

2. If there was a queue for 1-4 players mixed, this would be far less of a problem because the current 5+ group Queue is a disater of 12mans and other pro groups roflstomping everything in sight. It is forcing the issue by driving those who want to play with friends in a NON-COMPETATIVE manner to find other ways to enjoy the game, and that means Sync Dropping in the solo queue. If you want to be mad at someone you can look at hardcore units for ruining the alternative and PGI for not seeing that this would be a problem.

I'm not sure if you're being sarcastic or not Wanderer but tell me, would you want artificial delays on you being able to connect because you cannot tell a group is in TS sync dropping? Here, since so many do not have a clue as to what happens in a sync drop, it goes like this:

You and say 20 other guys get to gether to do a sync drop. You grab your fave mech (all have different elo ratings) and you count down '3..2..1..Bacon!' and press launch in the same mode. Now it goes spinny spinny for a while and people randomly drop into matches, in a group of 20 you might get groups of 2-5 that enter a match, which then gets split up on both sides. They then drop down to a TS channel and go smash heads just like the rest of you with a various combination of the amount of people who got in there based on Elo equalization et all. On RARE occasions you'll get a group of 7v7 or bigger, but generally speaking, that is an incredible rarity. I've done about 100 sync drops like this and only twice seen groups of larger than 5 on both sides from the sync drop. Oh, and they're about as coordinated as a bunch of high schoolers rough housing in the pool.

These are not hardcore groups but they are often good individual players. Ultimately, you can do nothing to stop it except provide a better place for them to play. This is why you should be looking angrilly at the two previous groups I mentioned. I could be glib and say 'don't hate the playa, hate the game', but this problem is caused completely by the game's lack of casual small group service.

Mystere, on 18 July 2014 - 06:03 AM, said:

They can sync drop for all I care ... as long as they shut their potty mouths.

Also, a bunch advertize their group quite obnoxiously (e.g. "You lost because you are not one of us!" -- or something to that effect). Really? People would actually want to join such groups?

They usually lose because they went into the PUG Zapper or charged the citadel or didn't take sniper peak. You know... the usual suspects.

Edited by Kjudoon, 18 July 2014 - 06:42 AM.

[xTrident]

My problem with groups dropping with groups is I play with a few buddies ~six. It's nice that PGI finally made it possible to drop with more than four people. But we literally went from good competitive matches - sometimes we'd stem roll, sometimes we'd get steam rolled and sometimes they were very close - to getting our butts kicked nearly every match. I believe of the six or seven I played Wednesday night we won one - barely. The rest were ROFL-Stomps. And I'm sure there would have been more, only I decided to quit after that many beatings.

Point is I personally went from enjoying playing the game with some friends to not wanting to play at all anymore. It's not fun now. We're casual players, maybe two of us I would consider decent, the rest of us would risk losing to any random PUG one on one 50% of the time. But the worst part for us is, all to often it looks as though we're teamed against either an eight, or ten man clan. It's hardly what I would call an even match from the way it looks just on paper. Then of course we go two or four to 12 if we're lucky.

I suppose this new group thing benefits the masses, but I just wanted to give an opinion and observation from more of a casual group of players standpoint.

Edited by xTrident, 18 July 2014 - 07:24 AM.

[Roland]

KHETTI, on 18 July 2014 - 05:54 AM, said:

Hmmm i didn't think it was possible to sync-drop the solo queue.
Saying that last night seen names i recognized from playing in the group queue, thinking to myself must be coincidence, but after seeing those very same names 4-5 games straight, you can't help but get suspicious.

Its really sad that any group would ever consider doing this, even sadder that they choose to run their mouths aswell.

Consider this...
You were also in those games with those same people, repeatedly.

Yet you were not sync dropping with them.

It was merely the case that your mechs and elo fit with theirs, and since your games ended at the same time, you were repeatedly launching at the same time.

I got put in all games with folks like MechB Kotare over and over again last night, by hr wasn't grouped our anything with him. It just happened to be that the matchmaker decided we were compatible.

[KHETTI]

Roland, on 18 July 2014 - 07:25 AM, said:

Consider this...
You were also in those games with those same people, repeatedly.

Yet you were not sync dropping with them.

It was merely the case that your mechs and elo fit with theirs, and since your games ended at the same time, you were repeatedly launching at the same time.

I got put in all games with folks like MechB Kotare over and over again last night, by hr wasn't grouped our anything with him. It just happened to be that the matchmaker decided we were compatible.

Absolutely, of course i considered that, but the same 4 guys in the same lance each and everytime.
Also once you spent time playing in the grouped queue you start to see patterns of players that are co-ordinated, and lastly some of the comments they had made at the end of the match raised suspicions by not only me.
Could i be totally way off the mark?, yes, but look at this games track record with regards to players avoiding dropping with other groups in favour of the sync-drop.

What i will say though, IF it is happening, its rare and happens at a predictable time of day/night.

[Sandpit]

Solahma, on 10 July 2014 - 07:50 AM, said:

I agree with Terciel, but I completely understand Agro's disappointment. Playing casually with a bunch of casual solo players should still exist IMO. All of the uber competitive players drop in group queue and it might not satisfy the casual gameplay that Argo and hubby enjoy.

Just to clarify and clear up a big misconception.

Some "big" groups are just as casual as solo players. We jusy don't like having to deal with 11 other players who spend 5 minutes chasing a lone spider
Or watching 3-4 derp out and get blown up in 1 min
Or saying things like "moving to theta, need help" to be met with replies of "don't tell me what to do! I'm just here for fun!" Proceeded by a few name calling sessions

Premade =/= 12man competitive. That misconception was the biggest culprit in the "premades touched me" rhetoric. Many just assumed that anyone dropping in a premade was some sort of uber competitive group of hard core elitists.
Instead of some buddies just dropping together with a few drunk ones to boot lol

[Jacob Side]

^ This man gets it

[Kjudoon]

Sandpit, on 18 July 2014 - 09:23 AM, said:

Just to clarify and clear up a big misconception.

Some "big" groups are just as casual as solo players. We jusy don't like having to deal with 11 other players who spend 5 minutes chasing a lone spider
Or watching 3-4 derp out and get blown up in 1 min
Or saying things like "moving to theta, need help" to be met with replies of "don't tell me what to do! I'm just here for fun!" Proceeded by a few name calling sessions

Premade =/= 12man competitive. That misconception was the biggest culprit in the "premades touched me" rhetoric. Many just assumed that anyone dropping in a premade was some sort of uber competitive group of hard core elitists.
Instead of some buddies just dropping together with a few drunk ones to boot lol

Teh man. U haz it.

I tried the competative scene and when I realized what it would take to REALLY be successful at it, I said sod those bags of cheese! It's even more crazy when your teammates like the way you call battle and now you're in 'charge' of what's going on. So I quit that and although I nearly always run in group, I'm strictly casual/have fun. Small group, large group, solo... I'm not gonna meta wizz on you in most cases. Wanna see group casuals, look up the Beer Warriors. Those nuts with The B33f are the definition of fun casual large group.

One positive I can see with upcoming community warfare would be team rankings because that would set the level of contracts they could get and thereby provide a system of really keeping the hardcore separated from the casual. That is the crux of the issue.

[cSand]

warning, incoming wall of text

I get what you're saying there guys but I play mostly with 1-2 people - and just like you and your group don't like playing with Pugs apparently, we pretty much are hating the 8-10 man groups right now. I am speaking for at least several people here:

There is zero chance to test your skill as a 2 man group when your team has a 10 man that carries the match, or the enemy team is a 12 that just steamrolls and the match is done in 2 minutes. As a small group player ( <4 people usually) this is the new norm because almost every match we get into has 8+ players, and our group tacked on as filler.

It's not even like we're mad cause we're losing, cause we're not losing all the time. It's about 50/50 which is great. And before the LTP comes out, we're all quite good players, the problem is we barely even get to fight when every match is a wash.

"Follow us, we're a [8-10] man" has become the worst possible thing you can read at the start of a match.

I fully accept playing with big groups if I find myself in the rare occasion to be playing with more than 4 people. That is fine.

I do not like being forced to sit in with some clan just because it's the only way I can play with my brother or my other few friends who play. I don't even If we wanted to join a clan, or a community we would have done so but frankly that's not my idea of a good time nor are any of the friends I play with particularly stoked on it

I enjoyed the randomness of old group-pug queue matches, even the occasional stomp was fine. At least there was a decent chance of a good battle and some epicness.

I need good fights and I enjoy testing my skills up against other players and frankly the group queue, for small groups, is the opposite of all that. The satisfaction from a good close battle even if you lose can be great and honestly right now the PUG queue is the only place to find that. Problem is it is now a choice:

- Play with your friend and deal with the low quality of matches
- Play solo, and have fun

I would love the option for 2 man groups to be allowed in the solo queue and opt out of large group matches.

Edited by cSand, 18 July 2014 - 10:18 AM.

[Kjudoon]

And somewhere... Roadbeer is laughing the laugh of the damned. Or the Joker. Yes I definitely prefer the joker.



As for the Wall of Text:

[Haipyng]

The solo queue is great.

I however agree with the folks playing in small groups. Our little group that plays one night a week gets pitted with a pre-made on comms or a competitive large group. Out of a dozen matches last Wed., we won one match. For casual players that just want to hop on with friends and play the current system doesn't work.

I think it's realized that group MM needs work and PGI will get there eventually. Sooner than later I hope. Lots of frustrated casual players out here.

[Sandpit]

This never would have been an issue if the player base hadn't chose premades as their scapegoat. Groups gone. Roflstomps continue in both queues. All systems nominal. Lol

Hopefully, NOW they can start looking at the real causes and ways to mitigate them