18 replies to this topic

[Doctor Fission]

I'd like to explain my views on the group quickplay queue merger in this post. In no way am I trying to say that other views are wrong, this is just what I've personally found.

I've played MWO for 1800 hours since 2013. My first 1700 hours was spent solo, because I didn't want to get thrown into what I felt was an absolute meatgrinder of the group queue. As a result, I specifically avoided friending anyone, because what's the point if I was never going to play with them?

We all know what solo quickplay drops are like. Nascar, nascar, nascar, leaving assaults to die, and bad target selection. So I did my best to call targets, strategies, etc. But it was like trying to teach a brain damaged dog to sit. Every match was the same, trying to teach a new group of random strangers the basics of combat over and over again. Eventually, out of sheer frustration, I'd burn out and quit for a year or so. This happened several times.

When I came back in March 2021, groups had been merged into quickplay, so I started friending people who seemed competent. Didn't matter what their Jarl's list said, I just wanted people who could use comms and seemed like decent human beings. Eventually several of those folks agglomerated into a unit and I've had drop buddies ever since.

Now, the main argument against groups in quickplay that I've heard seems to be that it ruins the experience for solo droppers, because the organized groups have theoretically better organization. Meaning better comms, coordinated mech comps, etc. And I can say is that having three other sapient lifeforms on my team, rather than zero when I solo drop, does indeed positively impact the outcome of the match. This is good for my group and the eight randos that drop with us, and bad for the 12 randos on the other team. And that is a good thing.

MWO is a tactical, team-based game. It isn't a personal glory simulator. The side with better team cohesion, movement, target selection, and comms should indeed be at an advantage. That's the whole point of a team-based game. I feel that the folks claiming groups are ruining solo play are missing the point of MWO. If you're getting wrecked by groups, then form a group. Use your comms, and stop yoloing off on your own in a Dire Wolf without telling anyone.

In any case, the game is 1000 times more fun now that I've got some friends to drop with. We are remarkably average, and I mute discord at the start of every round, to ensure that all calls are made in-game to benefit my eight non-group teammates, but at least I don't have to beg my team to not nascar anymore.

I know that nobody is going to change their mind on this issue just because of one post, but I wanted to make it known that a career solo dropper loves this change.

[Nightbird]

What is the name of your primary account? I'm guessing you haven't played since 2013 in this account created 2021-03-28

[CFC Conky]

Nightbird, on 01 April 2021 - 12:05 PM, said:

What is the name of your primary account? I'm guessing you haven't played since 2013 in this account created 2021-03-28

The plot thickens...

[Doctor Fission]

Originally Tackles. Then Mr_Fission. Doctor Fission is a new account I made so I could play with a buddy.

Tackles: https://leaderboard....earch?u=tackles
Mr_Fission: https://leaderboard....ch?u=mr_fission

I'm not sure why it doesn't show stats from before 2017... I used to play on my laptop back in 2013. Weird...

Anyways yeah I'm very mediocre, as I said. But there's my stats.

[Antares102]

Doctor Fission, on 01 April 2021 - 12:20 PM, said:

Doctor Fission is a new account I made so I could play with a buddy.

Why do you need to create a new account to play with a buddy?
Why couldnt you use one of your original accounts?

[Nightbird]

Doctor Fission, on 01 April 2021 - 12:20 PM, said:

Originally Tackles. Then Mr_Fission. Doctor Fission is a new account I made so I could play with a buddy.

Tackles: https://leaderboard....earch?u=tackles
Mr_Fission: https://leaderboard....ch?u=mr_fission

I'm not sure why it doesn't show stats from before 2017... I used to play on my laptop back in 2013. Weird...

Anyways yeah I'm very mediocre, as I said. But there's my stats.

Your older accounts don't have any seasons since the merged QP queue, but Mr_Fission is definitely Tier 1 at 96% on Jarl's. Your new "Doctor Fission" account has 200 games, created in March so you farmed from Tier 5.

Nothing to see here guys, new acc seal clubber.

[Doctor Fission]

I made a new account so I could go through the experience of a new game with him. No mechs in my bay, no credits to spend. That way I'd be able to make better suggestions to him.

I've been playing against a mix of high and low tier teams since joining, and to say my opinion is invalid because of it, is not really addressing any points I raised. Even when I play 228 guys in an organized 4 man, it's still MUCH more enjoyable to have three allies of my own than 11 randos.

[Nightbird]

You opinion is invalid because you didn't experience playing solo in the new queue.

Your opinion: That solo droppers' experience don't matter because this game is meant for groupers, is really really dumb. This game is for both solo droppers and group players.

[John Bronco]

Doctor Fission, on 01 April 2021 - 11:40 AM, said:

If you're getting wrecked by groups, then form a group.

I agree completely, though by design 7 to 8 players per team must be solo. Which is why the very successful 8v8 group queue needs to return. Then everyone can be happy.

[Doctor Fission]

I've played 888 games since coming back in March. I'd say 60% of them were solo, but let's say I'm wrong and it was only 40% solo. That's still 355 solo games, which is above average.

I'm quite familiar with solo play in the new joined queue. I still call targets every match and it does affect the outcome. Just now I can also group up, which makes it so I don't have to suffer for 100% of my games like before.

[Nightbird]

Doctor Fission, on 01 April 2021 - 12:45 PM, said:

I've played 888 games since coming back in March. I'd say 60% of them were solo, but let's say I'm wrong and it was only 40% solo. That's still 355 solo games, which is above average.

I'm quite familiar with solo play in the new joined queue. I still call targets every match and it does affect the outcome. Just now I can also group up, which makes it so I don't have to suffer for 100% of my games like before.

Since with your Doctor Fission accounts you have 240 matches (196 March season, 44 this season to date), and your previous 2 accounts have no games past 2019, you're admitting to creating more newbies accounts to "help" more new friends?

[Doctor Fission]

Yeah. Sadly he switched to Satisfactory, so I couldn't snag him. I just kept playing Doctor Fission, because early AM solo drops are so horribly bad, and I wanted a throwaway account.

My thinking was to use Doctor Fission as my junk account to accumulate losses, and Mr_Fission would be my main account which I'd tryhard on.

I hope that makes sense...

[Nightbird]

All good, glad you're trying to get more into the game. I hope the fact that you felt the need to create an alt for solo drops shows what you really think about the new queue.

[Doctor Fission]

Well, everything I've said so far has been genuine, and not some cynical attempt to misrepresent the truth. The internet doesn't convey context well, so I hope you're giving me the benefit of the doubt at least for being honest.

Who knows, maybe after another few thousand games (another 5 weeks probably!) I'll feel differently about the situation.

All I know is that enforced solo dropping wasn't fun. Eventually it would break my spirit. Every match, nascar nascar nascar. It broke my soul man. At least now there's a chance for something better.

[Bud Crue]

I miss group queue, especially the short lived 8v8.
That being said, I find that playing the soup queue as a group is an entirely different experience than playing solo. In a group I/we are much more reckless and less thought is given to good positioning and more thought applied to acting together no matter what it is we are going to do. This is not always the case, but it is more of the norm as a group.

As a solo, positioning is everything, and as such I find the games can be, on the one hand, a lot more exciting (when I do things mostly right) and on the other, more disproportionately frustrating (when I screw up). When playing solo, in order to not be an outright drag on my team, I find I have to be brutally realistic about my abilities and play far more conservatively with a much more limited selection of mechs and builds than I might consider when playing in a group. I can still have fun playing solo, but I have to be much more careful and patient than when playing with a group of like minded fellows.

[PocketYoda]

Nightbird, on 01 April 2021 - 12:26 PM, said:

Your older accounts don't have any seasons since the merged QP queue, but Mr_Fission is definitely Tier 1 at 96% on Jarl's. Your new "Doctor Fission" account has 200 games, created in March so you farmed from Tier 5.

Nothing to see here guys, new acc seal clubber.

This is what i'm talking about with exploiting the group queues.. these tier 1 players are stomping cadets daily.

[Doctor Fission]

Nightbird, on 01 April 2021 - 01:11 PM, said:

All good, glad you're trying to get more into the game. I hope the fact that you felt the need to create an alt for solo drops shows what you really think about the new queue.

That's not quite what I mean.

Up until about 3:00 or 4:00 PM, there is a sizable population of non-english speakers online. Even when I make calls in the game, they ignore them because they don't understand them.

After that time of the day, more English speakers come on. I apply the same tactics and approaches, but the results are better because they speak English.

So rather than wasting my Mr_Fission record on those early-day games, I waste my trash account.

(Edit) Also, I'm having more fun on the new account because I have fewer mechs to choose from. Rather than relying on old favorites, I am trying out new stuff.

Edited by Doctor Fission, 01 April 2021 - 06:04 PM.

[Gagis]

Friends make everything better.

[Saved By The Bell]

Yeterday I run for one weak mech in my Jugermech. To kill!

After the corner 3 clever guys were waited for me with ac20 or something.