Bryan Ekman, on 22 November 2012 - 04:07 PM, said:
We've looked at tonnage. However tonnage doesn't factor in player skill. It's part of the equation, but not the the whole answer. If you took identical teams (mech for mech, loadout for loadout, etc..) skill would still be the single deterministic aspect of deciding which team would win. ELO MM handles this concept a bit better, albeit still not perfect. No MM system is.
The problem with matching mech for mech, it doesnt do for very dynamic matchups. in MW4, league, we had tonnage limits, and it was very interesting to see what teams did with their tonnage limit. With mech for mech matchups, you already know what your facing... How is that make for a challenge? The unknown is much more interesting, and challenging. How fun is it to take catapults, to be matched up with 8 catapults? And even if you are matched 8 catapults vs 8 catapults, they are still all different in the weapon configs. And even then, if you were to take 8 dragons 60 tons(for example) you could be matched with 8 cataphracts 70 tons.... how is that fair? So its still not truly even, since we all know some weapon configs are either easier to use, or more efficient, longer or shorter range so really... how is matching mech for mech make for an evenly matched game where only skill matters? It doesnt.
With a tonnage limit, a team might choose to take 2 scouts, and ton up the others, and the other might choose to take 1 scout, and have more mediums than heavy/assault... the point here is you might see a million different mech combinations and weapon configs with a tonnage limit, and you never know what your gonna get, in that view the whole teams skill is pit againt the other team, and not as an individual, and the match will be fair, because you know your opponants have the exact same tonnage limit.
So basically.... your wrong,(Byran Ekman) basing matchups by tonnage is more fair (and fun/interesting)than matching mech for mech. I have played both tonnage limits(MW4 NBT, and mech for mech(MWO) And I still say tonnage matchups were better.
Hmmm I seem to be talking about premade vs premade, and I totally forgot about pugs... Perhaps you can just make premade vs premade limited by tons, and pugs matched by mech for mech.. Then, when, if pug players ever transition to team vs team premades, itll be like a new game mode, and a new learning curve... skill curve. Itll be like playing 2 different games in one... Plus, you make everyone happy.
I should make this a poll....
Edited by Teralitha, 23 November 2012 - 04:50 PM.