20 replies to this topic

[Roadkill]

I was on vacation when PSR was added, and then didn't have a lot of time to play until this past weekend. So I'm just now experiencing the matchmaker using the new PSR and I'm finding it ... weird.

So as I understand things, my "base" PSR was supposed to be set using historical data. Great, that makes sense. I expected things to be different since the skill rating system was different, but not too different since my base rating was being set using historical data.

What I found was that my first 10 or so missions seemed the same - like there had been no change at all. I performed about the same as always, others seemed like they were performing about like I expected in the solo queue, and the games were overall pretty competitive.

Then things started getting worse. My performance was worse (which made me think that I'd probably moved up in skill rating), but simultaneously the perceived performance of the other players in the matches got worse as did the overall quality of the matches.

All of this took place over this past weekend on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. So it's likely that the "weekend frenzy" for the Double XP Weekend played a part, but I can't figure out what's going on.

Games being more challenging (read: my performance dropping) makes sense. I've probably moved up in skill rating a bit. Not a big deal.

Enemies getting worse at the same time makes no sense. If I'm performing worse due to a rise in skill rating from my baseline, shouldn't the other players appear to be performing better?

The overall quality of games getting worse is just sad. The first 10-15 games were close and fun. The last 10 games (out of ~40 total) have contained all of the 12-0 to 12-2 wipes in both directions, and only 1 game in which the loser managed at least 7 kills. Both teams got at least 5 kills thoughout the first 10-15 games, but that's been rare over the last 10-15 games.

So at least for me, it feels like PSR is worse than Elo.

[Soultraxx]

Different people experience different things.

Im sure much of it is down to the xp event and people levelling mechs they arent used to.

Hang in there as most of the games I play are good fun - some stomps of course but on the whole ok

[Roadkill]

Thanks... but yeah, it's just weird and I'm really hoping it's because of the weekend event. There was some seriously derpy behavior that I'm not used to seeing in my matches, but it didn't start happening until after the first 10-15 games when things seemed to be going really well for me.

[LordKnightFandragon]

Or your worse performance placed you in a lower skill bracket where everyone is derpier, so the games are ending faster, giving you less time to do much of anything.

[Roadkill]

LordKnightFandragon, on 14 September 2015 - 12:01 PM, said:

Or your worse performance placed you in a lower skill bracket where everyone is derpier, so the games are ending faster, giving you less time to do much of anything.

That's what was weird about it - for those first 10-15 games I was doing really well, so at least in theory my PSR should have increased during those games. I was routinely in the top 4 (match score) on my team during those games.

Then things leveled off and for 10 games or so I felt like I was struggling (~150-170 match score), and then for the last 10-15 games I've been very average on the end-of-game screen. Typically 6-7-8 or something like that.

All of which fits the expected pattern if my initial PSR was too low and then corrected upwards over those first 10-15 games.

Except that the play of others around me seemed to get worse, even while my own performance (relative to my team) was also getting worse.

Maybe it's because most of those games were played leveling up my new X-5 and 3M Cicadas? In the first 10 games people weren't good enough to deal with me, but then I moved up and at least some of the players had no trouble hitting a small(er) Mech so I struggled.

Still doesn't really explain some of the truly derpy behavior I started seeing in the last 10-15 games.

[Lugh]

Welcome to the bottom of the next tier's skill floor, baby! It'll be alright.

[LordKnightFandragon]

Meanwhile, I like w/e tier im in. Had about 10 games so far in it, and the overall experience has been worlds better then it used to be. Even though some were wipes for the other team, they were still not ready, set, 12-2 games. It was still a slow paced, corner humping, 7-10 minute game. My 1 loss was a 10-12, almost total draw kinda game, where had me or anyone else done something just a little different...like me being able to actually LOCK ON wiht my damn LRMS a few more times, woulda swung the pendulum back in our favor for a win. It was the 2nd time ever I felt good about a loss. Had a game earlier where for a minute it looked like we might lose it, as the score was hoping around, 6-7, 7-7, 7-8, 7-9,...but in the end, our side pulled it off for a 12-10 win.

Much better experience...if it was like this since day 1, perhaps this game might have a few more players in it.

[Davers]

I have not really noticed any change in the switch from Elo to PSR. I was having good and enjoyable matches before, and I am still having them now. I am actually kind of shocked how people are claiming huge differences- both better and worse.

[CalicoJackRackham]

Well I'll chime in and say my PSR matches have been extremely frustrating. For example tonight I just played 5 matches with no wins, and no kills. It's almost like all my weapons have been nerfed and my armor effectiveness cut in half. What's interesting is I still see players that get 4 kills in a match routinely. It's still cannons and cannon fodder. I don't really see any leveling of the field.

[DERANGEDDM]

My games have been variable of late. My last one was the king of derp. Here I am in my Dire Whale, throwing some LRM love across the field while I waddle into position in Frozen City conquest, when lo and behold an adder crests a rise - and decides to give me some face time. Say what? I ask as I remove him from existence. As I am gearing up to relocate, a Dragon crests the same rise, and instead of backing off, runs straight at me.
Sure, why not? I think, as I delete him from the active directory. Waddling on, a Mauler charges me. Ah - now this is more ... wait, he's dead and I don't even have any red? The TBR I death from aboved and shredded next at least twisted torso well and tried to get away, but the first three?

All I can guess is I must be tier 4 or something, because my historical stats were wretched.

Edited by DERANGEDDM, 15 September 2015 - 07:26 PM.

[Jman5]

Yeah it's really weird lately. I'm interested to see how the tiers pan out once they get released next week. I wonder how much spread we see and how often.

If you want to see some really funny games, make sure you have Oceanic server selected. So few people queue up for it that when it finally manages to put a match together the skill level is all over the place. You get one guy on each team doing all the damage while everyone else is busy running into walls.

[N0MAD]

Blame it on the match maker, not saying its bad, but a match maker has release valves, the fewer players on the more valves are released.
You say your first games were ok coinciding with an event, events generally bring in people that dont generally play.
When event is over pop drops and valves start releasing, your problem is well a low pop, get use to it.

[Mcgral18]

Jman5, on 15 September 2015 - 08:25 PM, said:

Yeah it's really weird lately. I'm interested to see how the tiers pan out once they get released next week. I wonder how much spread we see and how often.

If you want to see some really funny games, make sure you have Oceanic server selected. So few people queue up for it that when it finally manages to put a match together the skill level is all over the place. You get one guy on each team doing all the damage while everyone else is busy running into walls.

Last time I did that, I waited 20 minutes (I timed it) and got nothing.

I wanted my Warhorn...It's remained unchecked since.

[Roadkill]

N0MAD, on 15 September 2015 - 08:44 PM, said:

You say your first games were ok coinciding with an event, events generally bring in people that dont generally play.
When event is over pop drops and valves start releasing, your problem is well a low pop, get use to it.

All of the games were part of the same event and queue times weren't noticeably different, so I doubt there was much of a population difference over the course of the ~40 games.

I had all 3 servers selected (I'm West coast, so Oceanic and Europe have roughly the same ping for me) and Skirmish + Assault selected. Seemed like a pretty even distribution of servers and roughly 50/50 Skirmish/Assault as well.

/shrug

[Chuck Jager]

It would take a sample group of 1000 to be really good sample, and with that you would notice clumps of wins and losses.

MM does not take into account player builds and the specific mech. Also if the spread of tiers is wide, A t2 player balancing out t4 will play very differntly while a group of 3s may all push together.

[Mechwarrior Buddah]

Roadkill, on 14 September 2015 - 12:17 PM, said:

That's what was weird about it - for those first 10-15 games I was doing really well, so at least in theory my PSR should have increased during those games. I was routinely in the top 4 (match score) on my team during those games.

supposedly it takes hundreds of matches for you to move.

and if you are tier 3 then there might as well not BE tiers because youre matching across all tiers

Edited by Mechwarrior Buddah, 15 September 2015 - 09:20 PM.

[Jman5]

Mcgral18, on 15 September 2015 - 08:51 PM, said:

Last time I did that, I waited 20 minutes (I timed it) and got nothing.

I wanted my Warhorn...It's remained unchecked since.

Hah, I don't doubt it. I meant have oceanic as well as the other regions selected.

[Mcgral18]

Jman5, on 15 September 2015 - 09:22 PM, said:

Hah, I don't doubt it. I meant have oceanic as well as the other regions selected.

I guess that makes more sense.


Still, I'm happy with the average 2:30 min queue on everything but Oceanic.

[Duke Nedo]

Roadkill, on 14 September 2015 - 09:20 AM, said:

I was on vacation when PSR was added, and then didn't have a lot of time to play until this past weekend. So I'm just now experiencing the matchmaker using the new PSR and I'm finding it ... weird.

So as I understand things, my "base" PSR was supposed to be set using historical data. Great, that makes sense. I expected things to be different since the skill rating system was different, but not too different since my base rating was being set using historical data.

What I found was that my first 10 or so missions seemed the same - like there had been no change at all. I performed about the same as always, others seemed like they were performing about like I expected in the solo queue, and the games were overall pretty competitive.

Then things started getting worse. My performance was worse (which made me think that I'd probably moved up in skill rating), but simultaneously the perceived performance of the other players in the matches got worse as did the overall quality of the matches.

All of this took place over this past weekend on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. So it's likely that the "weekend frenzy" for the Double XP Weekend played a part, but I can't figure out what's going on.

Games being more challenging (read: my performance dropping) makes sense. I've probably moved up in skill rating a bit. Not a big deal.

Enemies getting worse at the same time makes no sense. If I'm performing worse due to a rise in skill rating from my baseline, shouldn't the other players appear to be performing better?

The overall quality of games getting worse is just sad. The first 10-15 games were close and fun. The last 10 games (out of ~40 total) have contained all of the 12-0 to 12-2 wipes in both directions, and only 1 game in which the loser managed at least 7 kills. Both teams got at least 5 kills thoughout the first 10-15 games, but that's been rare over the last 10-15 games.

So at least for me, it feels like PSR is worse than Elo.

I experienced a similar trip. First days/a week was fine with excellent team mates and opponents, then something happened and all was crap for a while, and now I think I may have returned to where I started, pretty good quality now. I am more thinking that they changed MM/PSR variables/weightings behind the scene than that I during this time managed to drop 1-2 tiers and then go right up again, especially since my own performance has been rather constant during this period, over all winning more than losing.

[Speedy Plysitkos]

RK: its settling down for all players. play more 30 games, and it will become "stable" (you move somewhere to some TIER lower or higher).