64 replies to this topic

[Paul Inouye]

Hey there folks. Got a brief update here for you regarding the upcoming release of the Faction Play Update. Fair warning, it's a bad news/good news kind of deal.

While the upcoming Faction Play update is humming along smoothly on the content-side, the Matchmaker portion of the Faction Play update in particular has run longer in development than originally projected. While the update could potentially make it in for April's patch, doing so would not enable us to properly test the updates both internally and run a PTS to ensure stability on production servers. Due to these considerations, and the need to ensure this fairly significant re-write of the Faction Play Matchmaker system is working correctly, we have made the difficult choice to push the Faction Play Update to the May 21st patch.

This delay will allow us to perform a necessary stabilization pass for internal testing as well as to run a PTS to ensure that nothing goes awry on the production servers when it comes to the Faction Play Matchmaker. Internally, we're expanding our internal production oversight on this aspect of the update to conduct daily update scrums and ensure its progress is running at-pace. I'll update the community again this Friday and will continue to do so throughout the remaining development of the Faction Play Update as we approach the PTS.

I apologize for the delay of this anticipated and much-needed update to Faction Play, but we must make sure that the Faction Play Matchmaker is working correctly or all will be for naught, as the Matchmaker is a critical pillar of making this a successful update.

Now for some good news. To help offset some of the disappointment from this delay, we will be releasing a new re-worked Quick Play map in the April 16th patch instead of the May patch! This is the frozen version of Canyon Network that was recently mentioned in the Roadmap. This alternate version of Canyon Network is more than a visual change. There are new visible pathways to the upper deck areas near the center and there are a few more blocker areas and assets to make the gameplay unique to this map compared to the original Canyon Network.

[Tarl Cabot]

Testing.. this isnt locked ? Nope.. I am first!! No sloppy seconds!!! /ice cream /smacks!!

As aiming for May 2019 patch, better that there is time extra time to test, etc, before it is seriously stressed tested when it does hit the live servers.

Edited by Tarl Cabot, 18 March 2019 - 06:03 PM.

[eminus]

cold maps..I like cold maps

[MechTech Dragoon]

Better to release it late and release it right than release it half done on time!
Good job guys, just upping the anticipation.

[DaRkInLiGhT]

better to have it bug free and stable then potentially break so many things to the point you guys are going in circles over it, keep up the good work and yes, another cold map!

Cheers.

[shameless]

you're communicating, We like that.

thanks for the heads up, I'd rather the time be taken to test it fully

[Skippynibble]

A Solaris City Map on Fire could be fun

[DaRkInLiGhT]

Skippynibbles, on 18 March 2019 - 06:19 PM, said:

A Solaris City Map on Fire could be fun

a fractured solaris city with a terra therma twist to it, apocalyptic theme, I could dig that.

Edited by DaRkInLiGhT, 18 March 2019 - 06:24 PM.

[KodiakGW]

So, no changes to Solaris before the next season starts.

[Kamikaze Viking]

Thankyou Paul.

One question about teh new FP matchmaker. Is it using the existing PSR system?

For example in QP people always complain about teh matchmaker. Yet my research combined with what I've learned about how things work over the entire course of this game is that the Matchmaker works. But that the PSR ratings for tier 1 are what is causing all the problems.

Testing using lower tier alt accounts and I don't see any of the usual gameplay problems that exist at tier 1. I firmly believe that this is caused by the XP bar effect meaning that tier 1 has both the best players and the worst players rated in the same tier.

[C337Skymaster]

I sincerely hope that for a Faction Matchmaker PTS, you'll be encouraging PGI staff to log in and play? And running an event with Live Server rewards for PTS participation WITHOUT having a live server event running concurrently? In order to test a matchmaker, I would imagine you need a large population from which to draw (otherwise it'll default to the only 8 people signed in, regardless of their skill level, when it can't find any other options).

PGI will need to artificially inflate those population numbers with their own employees as much as possible, and will need to sweeten the pot significantly in order to draw enough players to make a meaningful test... The live server population is already declining. The PTS servers are typically a ghost town, with only the testing grounds available to test changes.

[Prototelis]

I hope this matchmaker is successful and that you've learned enough to revisit the matchmaking in QP and Solaris.

[Yondu Udonta]

So I've gotta wait an additional month for my Faction patch? And how many more months for my first Faction event this year? Yall in PGI talk about 2019 being Faction Play focused but we have gotten nothing but the queue counter which was a feature that existed years ago. All in all, Faction Play has gotten ZERO updates so far and we are already 1/4 through the year. I may be able to wait, but I can't say the same for the rest of the dwindling FP population.

Edited by Yondu Udonta, 18 March 2019 - 08:18 PM.

[General Solo]

Kamikaze Viking, on 18 March 2019 - 07:09 PM, said:

Thankyou Paul.

One question about teh new FP matchmaker. Is it using the existing PSR system?

For example in QP people always complain about teh matchmaker. Yet my research combined with what I've learned about how things work over the entire course of this game is that the Matchmaker works. But that the PSR ratings for tier 1 are what is causing all the problems.

Match maker did work for about a year or so pretty good.

But then the upward bias creeped in creating the T1 problem you mentioned.

Why?

Due to the fact at their are two (2) possible conditions to lose PSR.
And six (6) possible conditions to increase PSR for the current quick play MM as I under stand it..

As this image shows:





Making the PSR condtitions for winning games the same as currently for losing games IMO fix the problem in a minimal effort but effective way.

Thought I would mention it as Paul maybe reading.

Edited by OZHomerOZ, 18 March 2019 - 08:26 PM.

[Geewiz 27]

KodiakGW, on 18 March 2019 - 06:38 PM, said:

So, no changes to Solaris before the next season starts.

This is a Faction play update only it has nothing to do with the solaris game mode.

[Magic Pain Glove]

I've been having a hard time getting any FP drops whatsoever lately (mostly as solo) . I might be missing the EU/ NA prime time tho (if that still exists for faction play).

[justcallme A S H]

Kamikaze Viking, on 18 March 2019 - 07:09 PM, said:

Thankyou Paul.

One question about teh new FP matchmaker. Is it using the existing PSR system?

For example in QP people always complain about teh matchmaker. Yet my research combined with what I've learned about how things work over the entire course of this game is that the Matchmaker works. But that the PSR ratings for tier 1 are what is causing all the problems.

Testing using lower tier alt accounts and I don't see any of the usual gameplay problems that exist at tier 1. I firmly believe that this is caused by the XP bar effect meaning that tier 1 has both the best players and the worst players rated in the same tier.

Nothing to do with PSR. New ELO system (was covered in the FP MM Video that Paul put on YouTube) - would assume it's based off Solaris given that already exists and the Solaris one would work if there was more in the queue.

That said the Solaris (and CompQ) ELO system did have a massive bug/issue and I know PGI are aware so hopefully that isn't carried over if it's using that ELO creation.

[ccrider]

I'm very happy to wait an additional month for a tested update. Thank you very much for keeping us informed. Communication is much appreciated!

[Sigmar Sich]

Well, after 7 years with you, PGI, what is one more month? Nothing.
And very well communicated, thank you for this.

P.S. Does this mean CW update gets a little more features? Like some more scenarios for the event system?

[Javin]

Thank you for communicating.

Any chance you could release map tools so your player base could make maps for you? You could get new maps every patch! More maps would help this game out tremendously.

Thank you for working to improve FP.