Posted 04 April 2015 - 11:02 PM
I think at times both sides of this particular argument need to take off their rose tinted lens and actually look at the reasons why this game has ended up with these particular modes and why specifically in CW do pugs 'seem' to always go against organised groups.
1. Originally this game back in closed beta had 1 system for ALL players to queue into games. That meant originally you had anywhere from 1-8 players grouped up against 1-8 players. And yes, this had the result of 'premade' stomps in the games.
2. So they split the queue system into group only, full 8 man vs 8 man, and the 'pug group' 1-4 players in group vs 1-4 players in group making up the 8 mans. The big groups that had been through all the old games and had been waiting for CW (part of the original promise of the game) got disheartened by the fact that they had to basically had to very carefully organise games between themselves and try synchronised dropping to find specific opponents in the group queue. So the big groups started falling away and dissapeering off the game. At the same time the 'solo' only players were still complaining about 'groups' in their game mode.
3. They extend the game to 12 players per side, then introduced the Solo only queue, so absolutely NO groups in the drops, and group mode of 2-10 or 12 players in a group. Solo players then started the complaints about the fact that there was no teamwork in the mode, and the small group players basically ended up going up against the competitive or large groups in the group system all the time.
Note: This is the short and honest version of events, no sugar coating, both groups and solo players had gripes with each other about the game/game modes. Also the way ELO/matchmaking is set up doesn't help the equation in solo/group modes, it is designed by nature to force a players win/loss ratio to 50/50 that means the system is set up to stack the deck against you every other match.
4. CW gets introduced... group sizes 1-12 players, no ELO ranking/matchmaking just whoever as your opponent. Something a lot of the player base had been waiting for. Initially no mixed unit groups... which caused all sorts of problems for factions. Because units couldn't always get the required numbers to make the right size groups for 12 mans. Eventually gets patched to allow mixed unit drops. However, population disparities means various factions surge ahead, other factions despite wins continue to lose planets. (Heavily highlighted by last CW event). 'Faction Loyalists' basically have no reward to stay with factions because of the rewards system for CW.etc.
5. Original cycle times meant that regardless of what the Asian/EU player base did, the end result was only ever decided in the last 2 hours of the cycle by the NA player base, and resulted in a heavy drop off of the Asian and EU player base. The change to the 3 attack cycles then allows some contributions but now really highlights the population disparities.
6. CW match system basically doesn't reward defensive dropping compared to offensive dropping, by this I mean for some factions with the lower numbers, they had to focus the offense and trade planets under various cycles. The way that Clan/IS attack modes work means only the specific faction can attack and anyone can defend results in 12 man groups going up against pug groups a lot more frequently as the organised groups are trying to take territory from the enemy.
7. In game VOIP gets introduced after a lot of complaining about not being used, to help solo players with teamwork. Basically not used that much in the games I had it turned on for, solo players continue to complain about lack of teamwork whilst not using the tools provided.
Now I play in solo, group and CW modes, both sides of the groups/solo's have valid arguments about the state of game play, I know groups who don't play CW because its in beta, the systems/factions are not balanced.etc, I know players who wont play solo because it's 'terribad' for them no teamwork or communication.
End Result: Upshot is sometimes you are going to get stomped by a big group, or rolled by another pug, or by another big group. 12 man groups do run into each other, and even then stomps/rolls do occur in the game play. The sad thing is that the 4vs4 CW mode that might come out is really going to generate even more complaints... cant wait for the OMG the sky's are falling (For the same reasons small groups were removed from the solo/pug queue originally)
5
PappySmurf, on 04 April 2015 - 02:25 PM, said:
