38 replies to this topic

[RussianWolf]

John Archer, on 18 December 2015 - 07:19 AM, said:

I want to thank all of you that typed in your feedback. Players like myself (who are not mathematicians and fall into the casual gamer area) really appreciate your help.

All of you have literally given the best and UNDERSTANDABLE explanations that I have seen regarding PSR and Tier advancement.

<insert the handing out of lots of kudos here>

Now with that being said: It appears, based on my several months of casual play, that I will probably never see tier 3.

Anyway, IMHO, PGI really needs to ask the community to write up HOWTO's. You guys explain things in the way that the casual gamer understands. The game needs this.

And staying in Tier 4 isn't necessarily a bad thing.

In tier 4 you play others in tiers 2-5 in the solo queue. If you move up to tier 3, you add in the Tier 1s as well. Depending on what you are trying to do, the Tier 1 players on your team could easily get annoyed with you.

I don't want to think about what competitive Tier 1s would have said about me trudging along at 32kph in my stock urbies for the laughs. Now that they are mastered, and I'm playing faster and more powerful mechs, I have a feeling I'll bump up to Tier 4 before too long, but I honestly don't want to go above tier 3 ever. I have too much fun playing stock mechs and joke builds.

[Coolant]

From what I understand, the more games you have played since January, the harder it will be to move in tier. I started a new account about a month ago to see how tiers seemed to work and to see how much CBills a newer player could earn, and I found I would move quite a bit every couple of matches. In fact, after a short period of time I had moved 2 tiers. If you have played a lot, you are probably at the tier you are supposed to be at, since you have averaged out. It's still possible to move up. Especially if you win a lot or improve. But it will take a lot more work.

[John Archer]

Coolant, on 18 December 2015 - 08:39 AM, said:

From what I understand, the more games you have played since January, the harder it will be to move in tier. I started a new account about a month ago to see how tiers seemed to work and to see how much CBills a newer player could earn, and I found I would move quite a bit every couple of matches. In fact, after a short period of time I had moved 2 tiers. If you have played a lot, you are probably at the tier you are supposed to be at, since you have averaged out. It's still possible to move up. Especially if you win a lot or improve. But it will take a lot more work.

It's the 'lot of work' part that is getting me. I am in the category of casual gamer. I play many games daily (by many games I mean games other than MWO). I do this to keep my stress and frustration levels down. It seems that one has to play this game hours and hours each day and show a noticeable improvement in scoring/play style, in order to advance.

This in itself is a bit frustrating.

Edited by John Archer, 18 December 2015 - 05:05 PM.

[Coolant]

John Archer, on 18 December 2015 - 08:47 AM, said:

It's the 'lot of work' part that is getting me. I am in the category of casual gamer. I play many games daily. I do this to keep my stress and frustration levels down. It seems that one has to play this game hours and hours each day and show a noticeable improvement in scoring/play style, in order to advance.

This in itself is a bit frustrating.

Well, it's a good goal to want to improve, but why exactly do you want to move up? If it's possibly the tier you should be at, then why not enjoy the matches against somewhat similar skilled players. Granted you play against players within two tiers, but still the matches should be about right. Just allow moving up happen naturally rather than focus on it too much is my advice.

[Bilbo]

Coolant, on 18 December 2015 - 09:04 AM, said:

Well, it's a good goal to want to improve, but why exactly do you want to move up? If it's possibly the tier you should be at, then why not enjoy the matches against somewhat similar skilled players. Granted you play against players within two tiers, but still the matches should be about right. Just allow moving up happen naturally rather than focus on it too much is my advice.

This. Your tier affects nothing but who you are allowed to play against. Nothing in the game is made unavailable to anyone in the lower tiers.

[RussianWolf]

It might be nice instead of Tiers 1-5 they called them something else entirely.

Casual Tier
Mainly Puggin' Tier
Running with the Pack Tier
Competitive Tier
Needs a Life Tier (okay, I'm jabbing here guys)

Maybe people would then be more comfortable with where they are instead of "OMG, need to move up and get to tier 1. Must be ranked number 1"

[DarthHias]

Doman Hugin, on 18 December 2015 - 06:20 AM, said:

As you get better you will progress, but you will reach a level when your average game scores drop enough that you do not raise higher in tier.

Someone posted a Query a while ago asking for teir 1 solo only players to reply, noone did. So i assume the 'teamwork is OP' saying is very true, and if you are looking to get into teir 1 you'll need to join a company to get there.

If there are any solo only tier 1 pilots, please speak up as things might have changed since that time.

Well, I never played in a unit, and I´m perhaps 5% shy of Tier 1 I play CW a lot, and as that doesn´t count to PSR I think I would be 1 if I did more quick play.

[Almond Brown]

John Archer, on 18 December 2015 - 08:47 AM, said:

It's the 'lot of work' part that is getting me. I am in the category of casual gamer. I play many games daily. I do this to keep my stress and frustration levels down. It seems that one has to play this game hours and hours each day and show a noticeable improvement in scoring/play style, in order to advance.

This in itself is a bit frustrating.

Just like the C-Bill counter or a Toaster. The more you worry/watch them, the less/longer they seem to do anything for you. Best advice is just to Play your best, try various Mechs and Builds and just play the game.

Next thing you know your Toast is UP and so is your Tier Bar slider.

Edited by Almond Brown, 18 December 2015 - 09:57 AM.

[Roadkill]

John Archer, on 18 December 2015 - 07:19 AM, said:

Now with that being said: It appears, based on my several months of casual play, that I will probably never see tier 3.

Is that necessarily a bad thing?

Part of the point of PSR and the matchmaker is to help create more balanced games. Sure, there's some part of each one of us that wants to be the best at everything we do, but that's just not gonna happen.

My Tier has been going up lately, and I'm actually worried about it. I like Tier 3 and I'm not sure I want to move up into Tier 2. But I'm leveling up my Marauders and my Origins Mechs, and apparently I'm "better than normal" in those Mechs. Which causes my Tier to rise slowly.

Right now I see all players in my matches. Sometimes I get to watch some really kick-*** Tier 1 players romp through the match taking names and chewing bubble gum. Other times I get to be that player because I've evidently been dropped into a game with a bunch of Tier 5s. It's kind of cool and keeps things in perspective. There's a REALLY WIDE range of skilled players playing this game!

The most important thing is to have fun. So if you're having fun in Tier 4, why worry about moving to Tier 3? Just keep having fun!

[John Archer]

Roadkill, on 18 December 2015 - 10:32 AM, said:

Is that necessarily a bad thing?

Part of the point of PSR and the matchmaker is to help create more balanced games. Sure, there's some part of each one of us that wants to be the best at everything we do, but that's just not gonna happen.

My Tier has been going up lately, and I'm actually worried about it. I like Tier 3 and I'm not sure I want to move up into Tier 2. But I'm leveling up my Marauders and my Origins Mechs, and apparently I'm "better than normal" in those Mechs. Which causes my Tier to rise slowly.

Right now I see all players in my matches. Sometimes I get to watch some really kick-*** Tier 1 players romp through the match taking names and chewing bubble gum. Other times I get to be that player because I've evidently been dropped into a game with a bunch of Tier 5s. It's kind of cool and keeps things in perspective. There's a REALLY WIDE range of skilled players playing this game!

The most important thing is to have fun. So if you're having fun in Tier 4, why worry about moving to Tier 3? Just keep having fun!

By any chance do they communicate more in tier 3?? In tier 4 there is no communication, no talking...just a lot of solo (selfish) players. :/

[Bilbo]

John Archer, on 18 December 2015 - 11:09 AM, said:

By any chance do they communicate more in tier 3?? In tier 4 there is no communication, no talking...just a lot of solo (selfish) players. :/

Sometimes. I wouldn't say any more than tier 4 though. If lack of communication bothers you, you need to be in a group, either in a unit or on one of the public TS servers.

[RussianWolf]

Here are some of my most recent matches. You can see even in the losses, if you do fair damage and pop UAVs and things like that, you will pull more neutrals and even an increase in a loss.

[Doman Hugin]

DarthHias, on 18 December 2015 - 09:56 AM, said:

Well, I never played in a unit, and I´m perhaps 5% shy of Tier 1 I play CW a lot, and as that doesn´t count to PSR I think I would be 1 if I did more quick play.

I'm the same solo only, but about 10% behind you. not sure if i'm climbing iether.

OP, also don't worry about what mech you play. just think about the speed, armour and loadout before you drop and figure how you can be of most use to the team.
I'm having a lot of fun in a SHD-2H, 3xAC2's & 1xML, great for getting people to keep their heads down while our assaults waddle into close range, gets reasonable damage and if i last till the end it's great at blowing out internals.

[Mister Blastman]

John Archer, on 17 December 2015 - 04:45 PM, said:

I have been wondering how tiers are calculated and how does one advance to the next tier?

I also am curious if one can fall back to a lower tier?

I ask because I have been stuck in dead center of the tier 4 advancement bar since they implemented tiers.

Any thoughts, advice, suggestions, feedback?

If you are stuck then you aren't playing well enough.

Aim for 3.0 KDR, average 500 damage a drop and 1.3+ win/loss ratio. Those are good stats. Anything less and you aren't pulling your weight. All of those figures are for the PUG solo queue.

Edited by Mister Blastman, 18 December 2015 - 04:44 PM.

[Airu]

I don't have 3.0 kdr in a mech I pilot, I do not do 500 damage on average, more like 250, but I do have about 1.3 win/loss.
And my xp bar keeps rising at a slow steady pace. Also I wonder, if everyone at tier 1 got 3 kdr, who are they killing every match then? There must be bad players mixed in otherwise after 1000 matches every good player will normilize at about 1kdr, assuming same skill level.
To raise xp bar all you need to do is not totaly suck when loosing and do about average when winning and it will slowly rise.
Besides, I do not understand the desire to raise or lower your tier, apart from removing T5 from your pool so you do not play with complete newbies.

[pwnface]

Mister Blastman, on 18 December 2015 - 04:43 PM, said:

If you are stuck then you aren't playing well enough.

Aim for 3.0 KDR, average 500 damage a drop and 1.3+ win/loss ratio. Those are good stats. Anything less and you aren't pulling your weight. All of those figures are for the PUG solo queue.

You don't need 3 KDR to get to Tier 1. You can probably get to Tier 1 without even having a 1.0 KDR. Just do damage and win games, KDR doesn't mean squat. If pushing into the enemy team when you are already gimped will help your team win, do it. Don't be a selfish KDR queen. Winning matches is what matters.

[John Archer]

RussianWolf, on 18 December 2015 - 09:28 AM, said:

It might be nice instead of Tiers 1-5 they called them something else entirely.

Casual Tier
Mainly Puggin' Tier
Running with the Pack Tier
Competitive Tier
Needs a Life Tier (okay, I'm jabbing here guys)

Maybe people would then be more comfortable with where they are instead of "OMG, need to move up and get to tier 1. Must be ranked number 1"

I dig your thinking!! This is a good idea..

[Ted Wayz]

They say you can down on a win but I haven't seen it. Was disconnected and by the time I was able to log back in and get into the match it was over. I did 0 damage, the team won, and i stayed even.

With 250 points or more you stay even on a loss. I think it is still 400 points in a loss to go slightly up.

At any rate PSR is not a skill rating, just a reflection of run rate. And it was proven that the initial seeding didn't put the "best" players in T1. But they will want you to believe that.

[Mister Blastman]

pwnface, on 18 December 2015 - 04:57 PM, said:

You don't need 3 KDR to get to Tier 1. You can probably get to Tier 1 without even having a 1.0 KDR. Just do damage and win games, KDR doesn't mean squat. If pushing into the enemy team when you are already gimped will help your team win, do it. Don't be a selfish KDR queen. Winning matches is what matters.

If you help your team by destroying the enemy and taking damage for the cause, your KDR will soar. If you're doing your job right and winning games while doing so, the numbers will improve to those levels.