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[Antonius Prime]

In order to encourage more people to use Lights and Mediums in the Public Queue, would you consider having the matchmaker attempt to fill the team to a maximum tonnage size?

Say, 720 tons. (You can adjust the number. It is just sample number for thought.)
This would allow for:
3x 30 tons
3x 50 tons
3x 70 tons
3x 90 tons

The game would still cap at 12 people on a team, but would allow for less than 12 in the event that it cannot find lighter mechs and the majority of people are running heavy.

-The cap of 12 still prevents a swarm of Lights being of any use.
-You could still keep the 4x3 rule for groups.
-It would encourage more people to use mechs that are lighter in the same weight class or just lighter weight classes overall. Currently people tend to gravitate toward the heaviest mechs. That is fine, but you run the chance of facing 10 vs 12, or maybe you would just end up 9 vs 9 if the queue was stacked heavy enough.

Based on the current trends, most teams would start out with 10 or 11 mechs.
2x Jenner/Raven/Firestarter = 70
2x Shadowhawk/Griffin = 110
3x Timberwolf = 225
3x Direwolf = 300
Total 705 tons.
-Assuming there is a sprinkling of mechs that are lighter than these, then you would squeeze in a 3rd Light or Medium making 11 mechs on the team. (A single Locust/Commando instead of a Jenner in adds room for one more Light to the above team.)
-If there aren't enough Lights/Mediums to pull another in and most everyone is running Heavier mechs, they would end up with only 10.
-As people realize that there is an potential numeric advantage, they will be more encouraged to run either lighter weight classes or at least lighter mechs within their weight class. You will then see team sizes much more frequently reaching the maximum potential of 12.
-You would especially encourage people to run more Lights and Mediums, as these free up a whole bunch of tons to help reach the 12 more easily.

I think this solution plays to human nature more than giving rewards for running Light and Mediums does. It has the potential to hit people where it really hurts, in the win/loss category. Psychologically people will either:
-Respond to the Reward of having the advantage of more team members.
-Respond to the Consequence of having fewer team members.
-Or get really stinking good with their heavier mechs (whether in weight class or within the weight class).

I think this would be interesting to have happen, anyway, to have occasional matches with fewer mechs. It would add another interesting dynamic to public drops, for sure.

Edited by Antonius Prime, 21 October 2014 - 05:44 AM.