11 replies to this topic

[B4DD4WG]

I played a long time ago, and didnt have much luck with MWO back then. Between a bad pc and a crap connection, I just wasnt having a good time out of it.
In the last couple of years I have upgraded my pc, and I now have a pretty good connection. So, I thought I would give MWO another go, with the recommendation of a fellow guild/clan member that plays.
Now, after a few days of trying it out, I find myself getting bored to death waiting on a match. Whether we are grouped up, which does seem a little longer wait, solo/pug wait times are just as bad. I have tried messing with the filters to try and speed it up a bit. Like, choosing only US, and then letting it go for broke with all the search open. And yet, it seems to not have any baring on the length of time waiting to find a match.
Does MWO have a player count issue? Is there just few players playing? Is it a net framwork issue?
Either way, I find it hard to stay involved wanting to play. I'll wait up to 5min on a match, and I'll just go play something that I can play, and not wait.
Maybe you nice guys at MWO could think about having a few dedicated servers, instead of this COD matchmaking stuff. I would much rather find a server I like, and know that I can get into it without all the MWO waiting game. That kills this game for me.
But, I will say, what little bit that I have been able to play, it was fun. But, if you happen to get taken out early in a match, the wait to get into another is.....................

[Ragnahawk]

There's a percentage for different weight classes, you want to go for the smallest percentage. you want to checkmark all the game modes and maybe the European server. If it's still taking a long time PSR is now in affect instead of ELO. The game is probably trying to making the teams equally skilled.

[SnagaDance]

You're not playing Community Warfare are you (with the 4 mech drop)? The waiting times there are really rather long and wholly independent of the other filters (except for the server locations I think).

[B4DD4WG]

Yeah, I didn't mention the % of mech's. But, we tried that too. Going for the least amount used still didnt really help. Thanks for the reply, but I think that they need to do something about it. Because, Im sure they would like to have some new players onboard. And, if they can't get into a match, because we are useing the "wrong" mech, or have a lower "teir" rating, these new guys won't stick around to wait.
I do like the game, but the wait is just too much, when I could go play something else, and not spend most of my free time waiting to play.
Here is hoping they work something out, I would really like to actually play MWO, not the "MWO Searching" game..

EDIT: No, we are not playing CW. The guy that got us to try MWO out, made sure to let us know about that. Just trying out the normal matches.

Edited by B4DD4WG, 19 October 2015 - 07:49 AM.

[Spleenslitta]

It also depends on when you're playing. US and EU server have a lot difference when their high activity periods are.
Light mechs are usually have 8-15% of the players waiting/playing with them. So light mechs have shorter waiting times for sure.
5 minutes is a very long time...i usually get a match within 0.5-2 minutes or even instantly.

[JC Daxion]

If you want to get quick matches, don't play heavies.. though even heavies i rarely wait longer than a min or two.. Play lights or assaults, it is typically under a min wait.. and lights, you can often click, join, and then click cancel right after and you already will be loading into a match.. aka seconds.. though it does take a bit of time for the match to load once you are in the cue'd match.

FYI, i just run PUG's maybe they go faster.. But i typically never even have enough time to click join match, and run into the next room to fill my glass of water.. When i do by the time i get back the match is about to launch, or often has already dropped in.. and i need to catch up to the team on occasion..

On a rare occasion it seems like the match maker gets stuck, and i will wait 3 mins.. But outside of CW i have never waited 5 mins, ever..

[Koniving]

B4DD4WG, on 19 October 2015 - 06:25 AM, said:

Your post is dated around 10 AM Eastern Standard Time. What servers do you have enabled? Beside "PLAY" is an arrow (v) that has game modes and server lists. Early US hours tend to yield poor results. It's about prime time for Europe and the Oceanic players aren't that far from bed. I believe only the US servers are enabled by default but not certain.

Enable All servers and All game modes for the fastest matchmaking time.

Note: If you have something like only "Conquest" selected or are using the highest quotient you're bound to have to wait at least 2 minutes for the "valves" to loosen up and the game to start tossing out balancing.

Also if you haven't played for a long period of time, the game could be trying to ascertain what your "skill level" is from past gameplay, this would definitely add time.

Finally, if you are playing in a group the matchmaking would take longer regardless.

Edited by Koniving, 19 October 2015 - 09:09 AM.

[B4DD4WG]

@Koniving,

I think that we are just getting a combo effect.

Like I said above, we have messed with filter options. Only US, and then only EU. Plus, turning everything on, just to try and have it go a little quicker.

If it has anything to do with "peak" times, then there is a playerbase issue. And, we just don't have many US players. I may have started this post at around 10am, but we dont play till later in the day, when we are off, and have some free time to play. Thats about 7-11pm(est). That depends on when we get the chance in that time period. I would think that others would start getting on about those times as well. We talked about it possibly being peak times, but we still have long search times. Even in what we would think of being "peak" times most would get the chance, just like my group and I.

Looks like most of you guys live in the "EU" zone, those that dont seem to have any issues with getting into a match in .05 min.(30sec to get into a match...I wouldn't care about it. But we are talking well over 2min for us) So it must just be my buddies and I that are having any problems, being in the US. .And, for us, playing on a EU server with 100-150 ping, just isnt an option. We like the game, but it's not worth getting frustrated over lag, just to play it.

Thanks for these civil replys. I was expecting to get bashed a littler harder than this..lol

[Rogue Jedi]

Until a few months ago there were only NA asrvers, EU and oceanic players had been playing for years with 100-150 (EU) and 250-400 (asia/oceanic) ping,

while I have noticed a slight improvement in gameplay since the EU servers were introduced (taking me from about 110 ping down to about 40) it is not anywhere near bad enough to convince me to remove the NA servers from matchmaking.

Being UK based NA primetime is probably 3-7am for me so I rairly play during those times.
In solo queue if I pick a heavy I can be waiting 2-5 minutes for a game, but I usually play Light or medium, playing those in solo queue I seldom wait more than 2 minutes for a match, however when I am in a group (usualy 3-6 players) it is highly unusual to find a match in less than 3 minutes, in this case the only near certain way to find a match quickly seems to be to hit cancel (but I am not recomending you try it, we do usualy instantly find a game when canceling matchmaking to add someone to the group).

I usualy leave the forums or some other website open and just switch between when playing in a group

[The Basilisk]

Like Koniving said: Your Problem is you are paying in a group.
If your group got a certain unfavorable number of mechs or even ammasses mechs of one weight class your match making time will rise.
Reason is the matchmaker will have more work finding other ppl ON YOUR TEAM to compensate for the choices you made for mechs in combination with YOUR number of players.
Matchmaker trys to make a evened out match.
If you do a little math just think about the hillariously large amount of players that would be needed to compensate for every hairbrained choice of mechclasses and number of team members that are possible.
If you want quick matches loosen all choices and drop solo.

Edited by The Basilisk, 19 October 2015 - 11:41 AM.

[Koniving]

Group queue (unpopular) is separate from the solo queue (popular). Add to this that the time of day is unfriendly to the large amount of the NA player base (Americans late 20s to 60s), whether getting up early or working or what-have-you...and you're just gonna see a slight dip in queue times.

If you're playing in groups, even if just one other playing launching at the same time, you will have significantly better luck in the American afternoon after 3 PM EST.

To note:
MWO's highest population is NA with Europe coming in close behind.

[JC Daxion]

I really play at all different times, and rarely find a time i have long waits.. I do play in the day some times, like 10am-3pm.. But honestly i really don't see much difference than i do at the 7-11PM times, or when i pull late night games,, like 1am-5am.. The main difference is the late night runs i will run into the same people a lot more often..

I also typically turn off the other servers, and often i will uncheck all but conquest..

I do play lights, and mediums most often and those are lower cues..


But let me ask you this, What mechs are you using in your group? Have you tried picking different mechs? If you have three friends in heavies, that could be part of the problem.. Load up 3 lights, or 3 mediums, or perhaps try mix and matching classes..

Also, have you tried using the group finder? I could swear i remember one of the devs talking about wait times, and group sizes, and match making.. I don't recall the post, but maybe someone else does. But perhaps if you could adjust your mechs, or group size you would get much faster matches..

Personally i don't find a min or two a long wait.. Especially in a group on TS.. just chat, and keep yourself entertained.. Besides, you can always tab out and play with Smurfy and build mechs.. it is a very nice past time, when waiting a min or two when running groups..