16 replies to this topic

[Chris Lowrey]

Greetings MechWarriors,

With this year’s MWOWC open season now a month in, I figured it was long past time to provide a bit of a Month 1 roundup considering the unique way that the tournament is being held this year. As well as share a handful of broad data points we have gathered for those interested in observing how the current competitive queue is playing out.

First off I would like to thank all those participating and highlight the top 5 teams for Month 1:

• 1st: EON Synergy: Two time runners up at the MWOWC.
  
• 2nd: Empyreal: Two time Champions of the MWOWC.
  
• 3rd: 228th Wild Ones: 3rd place Veterans of the 2016 MWOWC.
  
• 4th: Isengrim: Runners up of the 2018 MRBC League North American A Division.
  
• 5th: 228th Black Watch: 3rd place Veterans of the 2017 MWOWC.

We still have two months of the open season left to go and plenty of time for challengers to rise to the call to secure their position among the top 12 teams for a semifinal run. Good luck to all those participating.

With the way that the tournament is being handled this year, I figured it would be a good time to share some high level data that we have observed. At this time, the data being shared will only be provided in the broadest strokes, as we do not wish to divulge too much of what the top competitors this year are cooking up for a potential Semi-final run. As we get closer to Mech_Con, we may release more info for those interested when we feel it will not interfere with the competitive strategies of teams making a run for the championship.

Drop Compositions

This year we introduced a more lenient way in which a team composition can be constructed. Limiting teams to a 480 ton drop limit, and a maximum of 3 'Mechs per weight class. This has allowed for a much more dynamic amount of different team compositions rather than the ridged restriction to 2/2/2/2 in the previous MWOWCs.

Sampled among the top 10 teams of Month 1, we have found that the average Drop Deck remains close to the more traditional 2/2/2/2 composition when averaged across the various teams, but individually, we are finding the teams are making full and unique use of the more open construction methods. With top teams finding success utilizing multiple different team compositions, and nearly no individual team composition being favored by a majority of teams.

In fact, when looking at the average drop deck from each of the individual top five teams listed above, you will find four unique average team compositions for each team, with only one specific average team composition being favored by two teams in the top 5. Each team has been finding success in their own way.

Another very interesting bit of info we have found is that while we openly allow it under the rules of the Tournament, we have been finding very few teams have opted to not take at least one of each weight class into a match. So much so that I feel inclined to state that: Yes, if you feel you want to take zero Heavies and triple up on Assaults and Mediums, you are fully allowed to do so under the rules for the Tournament.

'Mech and Weapon Use

Concerns about Stock Mode in the Tournament seem to be alleviated from the data we've gathered. Player skill, overall team composition, and match strategy has been shown to bring a lot more to the battlefield, with a wide amount of 'Mechs and tactics actively being utilized by high performing teams. While this information is going to be kept in very broad strokes for now, this is something that we more than likely expand on closer to Mech_Con.

• 80% of the available chassis in the tournament have been successfully utilized by the current top 10 teams.
  
• 100% of the tonnage classes (20 ton - 100 ton) have been successfully utilized. While some tonnage brackets have been favored more than others, dependent on team composition, we have seen wide variances in which tonnage bracket 'Mechs are preferred depending on overall team composition.
  
• 100% of the available weapons roster has been successfully used by the top 10 teams. Although we acknowledge that stock 'Mechs and the limited weapon roster of 3039 will inflate this number, when it comes to general team composition among the top teams, we have not seen teams actively attempt to avoid any individual weapon system among the top teams.

These stats have been interesting to monitor and lean toward what we were hoping for with the 2018 MWOWC.  Moving forward we will continue to monitor activities and report on our findings as we roll up to Mech_Con 2018.

[Jarl Dane]

Chris Lowrey, on 25 July 2018 - 11:10 AM, said:

• 4th: Isengrim:

CHRIS OUR NAME IS CLEARLY WRITTEN IN ALL CAPS. YOU GOT THE CAPS PART RIGHT FOR EON, BUT NOT FOR US?



YOU DO NOT WHISPER ISENGRIM LIKE AN EMBARRASSED FART. OR STUTTER IT OUT LIKE SOME LOOSE LIPPED MARRIAGE PROPOSAL. YOU DO NOT CASUALLY TOSS THE NAME AROUND LIKE YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER.

NAY. YOU PLANT YOUR HEELS, INFLATE YOUR BLADDER, FILL YOUR LUNGS, STALL YOUR HEART, AND LOOK DOWN INSIDE YOURSELF FOR THE MECHA-G-SPOT AND LET IT ALL FLOW OUT IN ONE TRIUMPHANT BURST.

THAT SHATTERS THE FICKLE COMFORTS OF OUR FRAIL REALITY AND EXPOSES THE TRUE GIRTH OF SELF THAT LINGERS BENEATH ALL THAT SUPERFICIAL MUCK.

WE ARE ISENGRIM

[Marius Evander]

errrr PR ? ok.

[Quicksilver Aberration]

I think there are some assumptions about composition and mech choice that are being attributed to stock mode and not the different composition rules (like not forcing 2/2/2/2, duplicate rules, and limited chassis selection) that I think it is REALLY important not to conflate.

The limited chassis selection and duplicate rules help force 2/2/2/2 cause you can't just stack like mechs. Think MtG where you have 10 different counter spells but all of them have some restrictions around them except the best one. The Hunchie IIC and Huntsman immediately come to mind from my days in MRBC where you used Huntsman as a poor man's Hunchie IIC. There aren't many variants in stock that allow for that sort of stacking.

Then there is the fact that you can't have more than 3 in any weight class so you can't just stack a bunch of heavies and a few mediums/lights which forces you to go 3/1/1/3 (since main body is gonna slow, might as well max out the firepower) or you go 1/3/3/1 (for a mobile main body). The tonnage limit kinda forces you within a certain bounds.

Tonnage being a factor also forces more tonnages to be used as virtue of trying to min/max the right mechs (sometimes sacrificing a better assault for a better light or something like that), but the no duplicates and limited selection definitely has an impact again (hunchie IIC and huntsman is always a good example).

[Nightbird]

I'm expecting a shamefully delightful video again from Isengrim for the semis, don't disappoint me!

Edited by Nightbird, 25 July 2018 - 08:14 PM.

[Jarl Dane]

Nightbird, on 25 July 2018 - 08:13 PM, said:

I'm expecting a shamefully delightful video again from Isengrim for the semis, don't disappoint me!

Go big or go home.

Never gonna be another time to make videos like the ones we do.

DO US A FAVOR THOUGH AND THROW.

Edited by Mech The Dane, 26 July 2018 - 12:40 AM.

[Torrn]

Concerns seem to be alleviated? Is this meant as some sort of Joke? Your comp scene is barely hanging on here and you think its all going well? Let me offer a different perspective from within the queue:

All I see is the same 10 mechs over and over and over. This stock mode thing is completely terrible. 46 matches against maybe 10 Teams and the mech compositions may have varied in the beginning but they certainly have been pretty one dimensional in the last weeks.

The Dane summed it pretty well. Last year we had 150+ Teams competing, this Year its down to 52, and 10 of these have already stopped after making their 20 games. How are you still thinking this is going well?

The only two decisions made for this years WC that are actually working out fine are locking in three match days per week, so you dont have to hang around in the queue every day and switching up the maps. Those are solid.

But switching the mode to stock? That killed off so much diversity. No more fast vs. slow decks, no more mid range vs. long range decks, no more light chioce, ....

There where so many strategies, mech builds and team compositions to choose from! Now everything has close to the same speed and the same range and there are maybe 15 mechs that have viable arms, heatsinks, armor and hardpoints. In theory you can play brawl and play lrms, but in reality its all outperformed by the few really viable PPC and Laser mechs that are available. Oh and grim plexus, well you can do interesting things on that map, because its too large for stock mechs to move around on it, you could run even better strats in a non stock set up.

I have seen more different mechs in a single MRBC matchday than I have seen in the first month of the queue.

You know whats another good indicator? Comp activity outside of the queue. Last year most teams where playing scrims parallel to the comp queue in private lobbies to train for said comp queue. But for this stock thing, hardly anyone one wants to scrim, because no one is in a really try hard place anymore. MRBC and BFM currently are simply more relevant than a Stock Tournament.

So yes, some of us still play, and of course the same teams will be on top, but this WC is significantly less fun than it was in the past. The first step to solving a problem is recognising that you have one. What really scares me, is that you might acutally believe all is going well...

Edited to fix the worst spelling mistakes.

Edited by Torrn, 26 July 2018 - 12:23 PM.

[Lukoi Banacek]

Torn.

While opinions will likely vary, I've got to say I found your note above, or rather the premise of it to be spot on.

[Asrrin]

Torrn has said pretty much everything I could possibly say. It's not fun or interesting to play stock mechs past week 2. Everything to figure out has pretty much already been figured out, there is no flexibility and little variation because there is no build diversity. I, and many others, are pretty much only playing comp mode for the prizes. It could have been so much more if only it wasn't stock mode.

[Marius Evander]

^what they said

[Cozened Indigo]

Git up 228 Wild Ones. Be nice to get an Australian team at Mech Con.

Tournament has been fun so far, just need some more teams out there playing.

[ClaymoreReIIik]

Asrrin, on 26 July 2018 - 02:22 PM, said:

Torrn has said pretty much everything I could possibly say. It's not fun or interesting to play stock mechs past week 2. Everything to figure out has pretty much already been figured out, there is no flexibility and little variation because there is no build diversity. I, and many others, are pretty much only playing comp mode for the prizes. It could have been so much more if only it wasn't stock mode.

I am really sick and tired of people going like there was much diversity in full mod WC. People were playing 3-4 matches against the 3 (if your being generous 10) teams that are always at the top of the spectrum and then it was copycat mania from there on out.

In the first WC where it was only 1 map it took about 2 weeks until every top team ran a similar loadout. The current quirk system in combination with the skill trees make it pretty clear whats the name of the game.

Yeah sure MRBC top divisions have been more diverse then they ever were, but it has been the worst overall level of gameplay in this last season as well. It is nowhere close to the level of gameplay that it was 2 years ago.

Face it. Full mod would have been boring. Stock mode will end up being boring.

The entire farming the queue thing is way more problematic then dropdeck construction rules. What team wants to learn the ropes of comp play and gets it's feet under them when EON/EMP/228 whatever await and empty the queue bit by bit? It is not even fun for the top teams to farm the queue.

Give the top teams a way out of farming (Tournaments that give the winner direct placement in semi-finals tournament) while the queue leaders fight for the remaining spots.

This game has a problem getting players hooked on competitive gameplay because there is no "entry level leagues to grow people from". This game throws the interested newbie in with the proven elites and that is not yielding addicts, its growing frustration on both sides.

The mechlab choices that are there or not there do little to nothing to tip the scales in comparison to that problem.

This WC would be a burning dumpsterfire if it would be full mod or if it is stock.

I for one would have never gotten my team to play 20 matches of this crap in full mod. We got 20 in stock mode though. At least for us it was more fun.

If for you it ain't: enjoy your memories of the last 2 WCs that were so much better than this one.../sarcasm

Edited by ClaymoreReIIik, 27 July 2018 - 06:09 AM.

[Bluttrunken]

I was trying to find some recordings of Qualifier matches but failed to find any. Someone can point me to some?

[QueenBlade]

56 Teams
26 have at least 20 games played (8 teams have stopped playing since hitting their 20 match goal).
5601 Tournament Supporter Packs sold. ~672 players in MWOWC.
If all MWOWC players bought a TSP, it would account for 12% of sales, meaning 88% aren't playing in MWOWC.

Page 1 teams have played 567 matches
Page 2 teams have played 259 matches
Page 3 teams have played 279 matches

The top 18 teams have played more matches than Rank 22 - 56 combined.

DudesClub has played the most matches (73) followed by 228th -Swamp Foxes- (72).
Last year, TCAF had the most played matches (97) followed by 228th Wild Ones (90).
Last year, the top12 teams averaged playing 62 games.
Last year, WDMC qualified with the lowest amount of games played (32).
Currently SR-J holds this with 23 games, with JG-x and S373 having less than 20 but currently in top12 positions.

*not sure if you have to have 20 games played to qualify for Semi-Finals as rules only state you need 20 to qualify for prizes.*

- 2016
28 Matches determined the top 5 for NA
26 Matches determined the top 5 for EU
12 Matches determined the top 5 for AP

82 NA teams signed up (53 teams were dropped before the end of the qualifier)
51 EU teams signed up (24 teams were dropped before the end of the qualifier)
20 AP teams signed up (7 teams were dropped before the end of the qualifier)

45% of teams stayed until the end of the qualifier.

Edited by QueenBlade, 27 July 2018 - 11:50 AM.

[Lukoi Banacek]

You have to hit 20 by the semi final date to qualify as a top 12 team.

[justcallme A S H]

Yeah RJ and Nutty have been streaming their matches in CompQ.

So you can see a number of days of it from their stuff.

Problem is CompQ has a lot of 'filler' time so it's hard to make a stream interesting. So there isn't a lot of interaction between drops etc due to how the queue works.

Edited by justcallme A S H, 27 July 2018 - 05:48 PM.

[justcallme A S H]

Oh and nice stats QB!

Very interesting indeed. Seems there are less teams this year which is a bit of a bummer. I wonder if that is because of stock mode or overall attrition of top players/comp teams departing in a sizeable amount in the past 6 months or so. MRBC last season was still a good showing of teams!

The active teams seem to be playing regularly at least it seems.