84 replies to this topic

[MischiefSC]

Elo will push everyone towards a 50/50 win/loss rate. Some people will really hate this, some will really enjoy it. New players especially will get a smoother entrance to the game. Pugs as well will find themselves playing with other pugs who play like they do, either scatter and shoot (probably a lower Elo score but who cares if that's how you like to play right) or pug teamwork.

Teams who've been pugstomping are in for a rough time as they suddenly find themselves placed against far more skilled teams and they get beaten down into place and are lucky to keep a 50% win rate and a KDR of 1.6.

I agree that we'll start to see ECM rage as people start to see what it's like in an otherwise balanced match. The further up Elo you go the less options to customize your mech you'll have.

[Daiichidoku]

Inviticus, on 13 February 2013 - 10:20 AM, said:

if PGI doesn't listen to feedback then they deserve what they get.

if players are impatient, ignorant and unrealistic, then they deserve what they get

[Snowhawk]

I'm eagerly waiting for the new matchmaker..... in the moment a lot of the matches are ridiculous.

[trebormills]

I thought ELO's Mr blue sky was best- not sure it works on any of the current game maps
/snark

ELO, MM, Lobby and all those other sexy things are needed asap

[Thorn Hallis]

I don't feel that MWO needs some kind or form of "saving".

[MoonUnitBeta]

I'm afraid the ELO is going to group too many people up together, or I will end up not being challenged enough. I hope there's a real difference, but I don't think that you will be able to base it just off wins/losses, kills and deaths. I would like to see accuracy take effect (such as how many shots fired, and how many hit), accuracy on how concentrated your damage is on a single point on a mech (shots spread out over the arms and torsos, or are you accurately focusing damage on a specific place).

I would like to see those sort of things being taken into concideration as well.

[Vodrin Thales]

Anyone who thinks that any amount of improvement in the matchmaker will prevent steamroll matches is in for disappointment. Only a combination of in game tools allowing pug players to communicate better along with a desire of lone wolfs to communicate and work together will improve the quality of matches (ideally in combination with improved matchmaking).

[Harmin]

Mackman, on 13 February 2013 - 10:34 AM, said:

There are a lot of terrible, terrible players out there, whether it's because they're playing their first few matches, are just terrible at video games in general, or whatever. There are also a lot of players much, much better than I am. I simply want to have teammates near my skill level, and play against people near my skill level. So you can take your condescending garbage somewhere else: We're trying to have a conversation here.

Well, I am sorry that you feel condescended by me, however may I just say that if you do the lone wolf thing and drop solo then whatever team mates you get is just the luck of the draw.

And you must accept responsibility for that. If you hope that ELO magically will ensure that you get team mates of similar skill level as you, then I think you'll be in for a disappointment.

What I'm saying - and I would appreciate if you do not interprete my words in any way but only take them at face value - is that if you refuse to group up with other players (even just for a session) and do not use voice chat (even if just listening in to you group mates talking), then you're putting yourself under a severe disadvantage and if you get stomped over again and again due to your choices, then that is entirely on your head.

You're very much supposed to operate as part of a group, the lance mates you're dropping with via your drop ship. If you go contrary to this very basic principle (lances / stars of mechs against other lances / stars of mechs) then the problem is not in the game, it's inherently with you.

[armyof1]

Vodrin Thales, on 13 February 2013 - 11:35 AM, said:

Anyone who thinks that any amount of improvement in the matchmaker will prevent steamroll matches is in for disappointment. Only a combination of in game tools allowing pug players to communicate better along with a desire of lone wolfs to communicate and work together will improve the quality of matches (ideally in combination with improved matchmaking).

I doubt anyone is expecting it to never happen again, but if ELO is implemented in a decent way it most certainly will make quite a difference as you'll get rid of the most extremely unbalanced matchups like one 4-man team and 4 experienced players on one side and the other side filled with fresh newbies.

[Mackman]

Harmin, on 13 February 2013 - 12:42 PM, said:

Well, I am sorry that you feel condescended by me, however may I just say that if you do the lone wolf thing and drop solo then whatever team mates you get is just the luck of the draw.

And you must accept responsibility for that. If you hope that ELO magically will ensure that you get team mates of similar skill level as you, then I think you'll be in for a disappointment.

What I'm saying - and I would appreciate if you do not interprete my words in any way but only take them at face value - is that if you refuse to group up with other players (even just for a session) and do not use voice chat (even if just listening in to you group mates talking), then you're putting yourself under a severe disadvantage and if you get stomped over again and again due to your choices, then that is entirely on your head.

You're very much supposed to operate as part of a group, the lance mates you're dropping with via your drop ship. If you go contrary to this very basic principle (lances / stars of mechs against other lances / stars of mechs) then the problem is not in the game, it's inherently with you.

So you're saying that Elo will not perform the sole function that it's meant to perform? That's really sad. It also makes me wonder what other system called "Elo" that League of Legends is using. I've played League of Legends for 3 years, and do you know when the last time I played with someone playing their first few matches was? 3 years ago.

Sure, being part of a group is great. But you are severely underestimating the impact just getting people who have played <25 matches will have on the even-ness of matches. If Elo does it's job half as well as League of Legends, it will have an amazing impact on the games of us Lone Wolves who are good at the game, but don't make a habit of jumping on teamspeak.

Edited by Mackman, 13 February 2013 - 12:57 PM.

[Cferre]

I'm also waiting for the 4man tears bitching about elo.

[Old Farkas]

I hope that ELO will help. But only time will tell. UNtil then, i play the game in solo or group. I do like both syle.

[Sheraf]

I don't think ELO will help much. People need to do something to save themselves. Come on everyone, say hi each other at the beginning of the match and use the chat. Don't fight in silence. That will help

[Will3019]

Broceratops, on 10 February 2013 - 07:49 PM, said:

it really should have been part of launch but oh well. almost here and the games not dead yet so things are looking up.

Game is not launched yet. Cannot without analog steering. (not sure if I'm serious, but I've heard it said)

On topic, ELO is half the problem. What advantages do premades have? Two: skill and communication. ELO will balance for skill, PTT VOIP for pug teams will balance comms. Why haven't we been hearing about that?

Sheraf, on 13 February 2013 - 04:22 PM, said:

I don't think ELO will help much. People need to do something to save themselves. Come on everyone, say hi each other at the beginning of the match and use the chat. Don't fight in silence. That will help

Easier said than done when your mech comes to a stop the instance you open chat window. (analog throttle users know what I'm saying)

[Greyfyl]

I'm a waiting for ELO to drop as well, but to be honest, the more I hear, the more I doubt that it really will have much of an effect on the number of good (even) matches.

[Shismar]

I doubt that Elo will "fix" anything but I do expect better matched matches.

Problem is though, the ranking is just a reflection of a players past performance. It can be very different from how that player will perform in a specific match. In both directions. I find myself doing very different in matches depending on which mech I drive, how my team harmonizes and if I drop with a premade (really really rarely but I sometimes do). Not to mention if it is my first drop of the day and how many beers I had. Of course no Elo can account for this.

Most important though, the Elo must just be one criteria for forming the actual teams. First the matchmaker needs to match premades with premades whenever possible. Matching weight classes I think is actually quite good as a second step, filling in the other 4 spots per side with another two premades. Failing that, either fill both sides with puggers or switch to a tonnage based system and retry. Whichever works better. Giving weight to certain loadouts or equipment may improve matchmaking further. But that would really be a matchmaker phase 4 I think.

As I am expecting very little from PGI concerning match mechanics and meta game, I cannot really be disappointed. As long as I am having fun just dropping into a few quick games once in a while I will do so.

[Parnage Winters]

I give it about a week before you start seeing "ELO hell" threads concerning how Elo has matched with terrible trolls and feeders and have placed them with teammates who dc and do 20 damage and that they cant' get past it due to being unable to carry.

It's going to be hilarious.

Half the community will believe in such a place, the other will not, and only a fraction will know why this happens and can explain away the so called reasoning on such a mythical place where you are forever "stuck" with people you believe far worse then yourself.

Also people will keep calling Elo, ELO causing much confusion on rather they are talking about the band or the matchmaking system.

[Mackman]

Parnage, on 13 February 2013 - 06:07 PM, said:

I give it about a week before you start seeing "ELO hell" threads concerning how Elo has matched with terrible trolls and feeders and have placed them with teammates who dc and do 20 damage and that they cant' get past it due to being unable to carry.

It's going to be hilarious.

Half the community will believe in such a place, the other will not, and only a fraction will know why this happens and can explain away the so called reasoning on such a mythical place where you are forever "stuck" with people you believe far worse then yourself.

Also people will keep calling Elo, ELO causing much confusion on rather they are talking about the band or the matchmaking system.

It's going to be just like on the League of Legends forums! Although if PGI does a good job of implementing it, most of the complainers won't have a leg to stand on (also like on the LoL forums).

[Frozen Winter]

I'm not waiting for ELO to save this game. There are many other things that I will wait to be put in before this takes the place of Planetside as my main PvP game. Maybe in a year this game will be at that level for me.

[Bleary]

Right now, in the PuG queue, about 25% of matches are worth playing. 1 match in 4 you'll get a fight. The other 3 your entire team will either die in minutes (in which case you may as well have just left your 'Mech in base and walked away from the keyboard) or slaughter everything (in which case you may as well have just left your 'Mech in base and . . .)

The saving graces are that matches only last a few minutes, and that 1 in 4 is really good. I'm on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. It's enough to keep me wading through the chaff to experience it again.

Will Elo get that percentage of great matches up to, say, 50%? I don't know, but if they implement it properly I don't know why it wouldn't. There are any number of games with successful skill matching systems. It's not hard to figure out.