21 replies to this topic

[TooDumbToQuit]

I really want to know about the PTS. But the main game would be great also.

[justcallme A S H]

Well the main game is easy.

Get a group together, search QP. If there is a 15min+ wait (like we Oceanic's get), and then it's the same players over, and over again just remixed on what team... You basically know, you're the only people playing lol.

Oceanic Population, 24.

Oceanic lyf.

[TooDumbToQuit]

Uh...lol.

It seems like the PTS is dead. For days now players have waited hours without ever finding a match.

[Rogue Jedi]

If after 6 minutes you have not found a match that means there are not enough players within a range of 3 tiers of you in queue to form a match.

By the time you are in queue for 5 minutes all the "release valves" are open and the matchmaker gives up trying to match tonnages for teams, and will form a match with people from upto 3 tiers

[justcallme A S H]

Rogue Jedi, on 13 September 2016 - 10:52 PM, said:

and will form a match with people from ANY TIER

fixed

I can confirm that t5/t1 getting slapped into same games. MM cares not for tier, only how many are online

[TooDumbToQuit]

Well, i'm talking about the PTS, no one on for days now...

[Rogue Jedi]

Quote

can confirm that t5/t1 getting slapped into same games. MM cares not for tier, only how many are online
Like This

Sorry justcallme ASH but how do you know this?
The only way you can know that for certain is if you have looked up player names on the forums and they have publicaly displayed tiers, I have been in group queue games where people who claim to be t2 have finished with 0 damage, and games containing people who claim to be t1 who have been outscored by players who claim to be t5.

In those cases it is possible those games were just luck, it is also possible the people were less than honest about their tier

[justcallme A S H]

I've confirmed this by having a T5 guy in my unit (fresh guy, played a handful of games), solo drop and end up in the opposition in the same game as I am in a T1.

It wasn't on purpose and it has happened a few times now in 4-5 months with various people I play with.

There are about 4-5 other users across half a dozen other threads (Tyler Valentine & I think Bandito, I forget the rest) the past 2 months that have also confirmed this same occurrence by people they know or others testing it on alt accounts.

T1 to T5 all get thrown into the same pool if population is low, 100% fact.

Edited by justcallme A S H, 13 September 2016 - 11:39 PM.

[Rogue Jedi]

Fari enough, I had never suspected that and PGIs original pset said that a t5 should never be able to face a t1 in solo queue, and I had never had reason to doubt that before now

[S 0 L E N Y A]

Rogue Jedi, on 13 September 2016 - 11:25 PM, said:

Sorry justcallme ASH but how do you know this?
The only way you can know that for certain is if you have looked up player names on the forums and they have publicaly displayed tiers, I have been in group queue games where people who claim to be t2 have finished with 0 damage, and games containing people who claim to be t1 who have been outscored by players who claim to be t5.

In those cases it is possible those games were just luck, it is also possible the people were less than honest about their tier

He is correct, and I along with many others can confirm it happens, especially off peak hours.

[Koniving]

The test server is going to be pretty slim pickings during an event that has free mechs because there is nothing to be earned on the test server. Most people that are on it are doing private matches to have controlled testing environments to break the energy drain mechanic and point out flaws and exploits.

Once the event is over the test server may pick up again.

[knight-of-ni]

Rogue Jedi, on 14 September 2016 - 02:08 AM, said:

Fari enough, I had never suspected that and PGIs original pset said that a t5 should never be able to face a t1 in solo queue, and I had never had reason to doubt that before now

Yeah, I recall too, PGI said they would not mix Tier 5 with Tier 1, but they also said "release valves" after a certain amount of searching time has elapsed. Oh, the wiggle words. Enabling my politician filter, I interpreted that to mean, the rules are, there are no rules at all, after "release valves".

Not that I blame them. If the matchmaker can't put together a match based on its ruleset, it seems reasonable to have a certain threshold that, when crossed, the rules should be allowed to bend. What I think PGI could do better at is continually reminding the player base how it works, especially when they tweak it. Otherwise it comes off as secretive, and many assume the worst when something is not as transparent as it could be.

EDIT: grammar

Edited by knnniggett, 14 September 2016 - 08:39 AM.

[S 0 L E N Y A]

^ the question becomes "would you prefer to play with or against people outside your tier or would you rather not play at all."

[Tombs Clawtooth]

justcallme A S H, on 13 September 2016 - 10:56 PM, said:

fixed

I can confirm that t5/t1 getting slapped into same games. MM cares not for tier, only how many are online

This happens every time I play late at night. Usually it's a benefit though, because those T1 players will organize the team. And an organized team is going to beat skill any day of the week when it's focusing down individual targets.

Playing on peak hours gets players closer to or significantly under my skill level. And at that point, it's a total toss up.

Edited by Tombs Clawtooth, 14 September 2016 - 11:30 AM.

[TooDumbToQuit]

Boogie138, on 14 September 2016 - 11:11 AM, said:

^ the question becomes "would you prefer to play with or against people outside your tier or would you rather not play at all."

My question is (and all i hear is crickets when I bring it up) is would you rather play with people outside your Tier or against NPC Units?

[Mechwarrior Ellis]

justcallme A S H, on 13 September 2016 - 10:56 PM, said:

fixed

I can confirm that t5/t1 getting slapped into same games. MM cares not for tier, only how many are online

I believe this. I fought a guy/gal 1v1 in a match and he taught me some things. He was top tier. I was hurt from a clever flank his team pulled on us in Tourmaline but that takes nothing away from the way he piloted his Orion. I did hurt him pretty bad but he was definitely the better pilot and beat me.

[S 0 L E N Y A]

LikeUntoGod, on 14 September 2016 - 01:53 PM, said:

My question is (and all i hear is crickets when I bring it up) is would you rather play with people outside your Tier or against NPC Units?

ahhh, the NPC/Campaign/PvE angle.

I'm all for it, and frankly I do not see them as mutually exclusive. Games like Halo and Call of Duty traditionally did very well with both aspects.

Unfortunately, for many reasons I do not see PGI as being able to pull it off.

They do not have the in house resources to do it (or at least do it well) and I do not think this game is generating enough money for PGI to be able to justify putting together the cash to bring enough outside resources to do it.

[Xaat Xuun]

LikeUntoGod, on 14 September 2016 - 01:53 PM, said:

My question is (and all i hear is crickets when I bring it up) is would you rather play with people outside your Tier or against NPC Units?

oh I know my answer to this, may not be the correct answer, but it's just mine

NPC's if I want to win
Players if I want a challenge/learn/wtf-moments

[JC Daxion]

If you wanna play on test, the best way is to find some people and run private matches. Waiting for people that might show, is just not the way to do it.

[TooDumbToQuit]

Xaat Xuun, on 14 September 2016 - 02:33 PM, said:

oh I know my answer to this, may not be the correct answer, but it's just mine NPC's if I want to win Players if I want a challenge/learn/wtf-moments

I'd do NPCs "tier rating" in two ways. One is they would be random and the other is rated to compare with the people playing.

I'd make them "militia units" on the whole with a few "regular units" mixed in. And they would not have Mechs(maybe some basic Urbies), they would be in everything from tanks to hovercraft to watercraft to aircraft.

http://www.sarna.net...Combat_Vehicles

And they would not be easy. One difference would be the sheer amount of them. In a QP unit of 12, you might be facing 35 of them. I plan on writing some short stories based on this idea and some others. For instance, in a new kind of match called "protect convoy", you and the other 11 mechs would have to guard or escort a slow convoy of vehicles across a map.

I have to wait until I can type better but I'm fleshing them put.

You are in quick play on the River City map. And you are not taking it seriously. As you move up, someone is spotting you and artillery is coming in further then you can see or target. As one of your Mechs move between two buildings, 3 Patton tanks fire into it's side from the 3rd floor of a building. Behind you, an assault has just been hit by several man-portable Flamers. One of the Mech crossing the river is under attack from very fast hovercraft and boats.

In Faction Warfare unless you have scouted enough, you would have zero idea what you are facing. They might be cowards or crazy aggressive. On the way to the Gates, you might meet a dozen tanks hull down and waiting for you outside and two Yellow Jackets coming in from behind.

This would also cover Ghost Drops, in fact, there would never be another one. And your pay would be rated to the level of your foe. You might get an easy win but you would not be paid that much for it.

But at least it would be faster to play.