13 replies to this topic

[MrSpaceCat]

I just don't understand why you'd drop the ability to see a list of servers, complete with map, gametype, number of players, and instead leave matchmaking as the only option.

It's not even an improvement. Half the time when I ask to "find a match" I get put in an empty server. I'm sorry, but I don't want to wait awkwardly for some other pubbies to join in an almost empty server. In fact, I doubt any of them would stick around anyway, if my mindset is common enough. If I'm not willing to wait in a server to fill up, then most likely a lot of others feel the same way.

Furthermore, I like being able to pick and choose what server I'm joining from a list. I like finding an awesome server with awesome regulars to play with and chat with and goof off with. To be fair, the list needed some ironing out, like being able to see IP addresses or the server names, but if I recall correctly near the end of CB2 there were already some defining server names, like all the Insanity servers that supported 32 players. I could understand adding some features such as the ability to favorite servers for future reference, but dropping it completely_

Dropping this feature completely just seems like a very questionable design choice. Such a choice can seem restricting to players (read: players like me) and drive these players away from the game.

In game, I've noticed that there can be a serious lack of new players joining games. This can be huge; after one or two players quit a game of Team Deathmatch, things can quickly get out of hand for one team as the other team, which outnumbers them, begins to get ahead. more and more players on the other team would lose interest and quit as well, and the teams would get more and more stacked. The few new players who may magically find their way to the game through matchmaking would find their team losing horribly, and abandon ship as fast they got on.

You could argue "the other team's players can even it out by joining the losing team." Rubbish. When teams are stacked, very rarely would anyone want to ditch the wrecking ball to join the losers.

This lack of newcomers in the middle of games may have nothing to do with the sole use of matchmaking, instead relating to a lack of players in general, but I must say something about this trend I noticed. Considering how in past betas there was almost always an influx of players to take empty slots during a match, the difference is very noticeable, and I can only assume it's due to making matchmaking the only method of finding games.

As a result, the less players there are per game is, quite frankly, cutting down on the fun quite a bit.

[RipperT]

As stated by the dev team in other posts. This is a temporary issue to refine the match system.

Ease up please.

[TWDaboss]

I agree it has impacted the fun of the game, but they did say its for testing to make sure that the matchmaking system works. That is what beta is for_

[Deu]

CBE3 is just wrecked garbage. None of the changes were improvements in anyway. Everything was figuratively crapped upon. I know people want examples but all of CBE3 is the example. Matchmaking, internals (Were perfectly balanced now a clustered madness of debuffs), maps, UI (why have half a physical HUD and half a digital HUD that can display all the same info without taking viewing space), mechanics (all the movement speed changes and others), upgrade trees (the percent differences now mean that each class gets a different amount from each point WTF_!), and nerfing the Vulcan just to put in the mini flak.. I think the devs gave in to the tears and made changes that were just unnecessary to begin with. All for the cause of experimenting.

TL;DR CBE3 is fail. Hurts to say it.

Edited by Deu, November 22 2012 - 12:36 PM.

[Spiderz]

Deu, on November 21 2012 - 10:50 PM, said:

CBE3 is just wrecked garbage. None of the changes were improvements in anyway. Everything was figuratively crapped upon.

the netcode and physx improved alot tho, plus they added servers for 3 regions including mine.

[MrSpaceCat]

RipperT, on November 21 2012 - 10:32 PM, said:

As stated by the dev team in other posts. This is a temporary issue to refine the match system.

Ease up please.

Ah. See, I didn't see that info. That's nice to hear then.

[Russhole]

Why ease up_ If they're testing matchmaking, what better than feedback from pissed off users to show what needs improvement_

I get the impression that the matchmaker would rather create several partially populated servers rather than stacking everyone into a single server and filling it.

At least, that's the only thing I could think of to explain the low pop servers I keep getting placed into. The  overall population couldn't have dropped to much to the point where you can't fill a 12 person game...could it_

[SystemiK]

I suppose I can't blame them for trying, but in the end I think the fact that they had to resort to completely disabling the server browser in order to get people to use the matchmaking system pretty much speaks for itself...

Why waste effort on a system that the large majority of players clearly don't want to use_  Matchmaking has NEVER been popular in the history of gaming and I seriously doubt that it ever will be.

[CyanideFuse]

Maybe this won't be the case but:

I am concerned that CB3 is going to put people off coming back when open beta goes live.  I have noticed lower numbers playing with really lopsided numbers in each team; maybe this is solely because of matchmaking, I don't know...

Newcomers might not know that a server browser existed before and will be put off with the lack of this feature and the near-empty matches/lopsided numbers.  Not everybody trawls forums and knows what the latest features/changes of a game are.

My enjoyment of Hawken has dropped in this test due to the lack of a server browser but I am okay as long as it comes back.  I am just a bit impatient because alpha and CB1+2 were so enjoyable and my concerns are that people might not want to come back thus making for lower numbers playing.  Maybe I am reading too much into this in regards to player numbers, I don't know.

[Saunders]

Sorry you guys aren't enjoying this test as much as the last one   I'm not either.

We're working hard on fixing every one of the issues listed above - expect big improvements between now and open beta.

Also, right now it seems like there are less players than there actually are because the matchmaking system tends to place people in empty servers.  This is one issue I'm personally going to make sure is fixed ASAP - hopefully as early as Monday or Tuesday.

[Spiderz]

[ADH]Saunders, on November 23 2012 - 02:14 AM, said:

Sorry you guys aren't enjoying this test as much as the last one   I'm not either.

We're working hard on fixing every one of the issues listed above - expect big improvements between now and open beta.

Also, right now it seems like there are less players than there actually are because the matchmaking system tends to place people in empty servers.  This is one issue I'm personally going to make sure is fixed ASAP - hopefully as early as Monday or Tuesday.

test a party system while we test match making_

[KaszaWspraju]

If matchmaking have  to work must have a very, very large number of players 24/7 in each country / region.

We have four modes to play to from which we can choose, that already chopped pool of from the matchmaking can choose. He needs to take into account the player's level 0-20, another breakdown the available number of players. It is clear also that the number of players will be less at certain times of the day. One of the drawbacks is the lack of choice of the map on which you want to play.


Therefore, Matchmaking, almost never work satisfactorily. Matchmaking should serve as, find me a match quickly.


It is easier to build a community within a server, Examples from the past, Q3, CS 1.6 and CS.S, Battlefield, BF1942, BF2 and other.

[Raxaphan]

It will be nice to know what criteria MM is using to sort players out and to fill servers.
MM and the server browser should make each match to have a mech level restrictions, this might be a skill improvement to each player, because now if someone plays with a low level mech and gets owned he/she then spawns with a high level mech.
And this might prevent the starting matches to have high levels with low levels in the same place.

Edited by Raxaphan, November 23 2012 - 06:02 AM.

[Etan]

Well i know what im doing next week Mon/Tue. Thanks Saunders for the heads up. Glad to know that the low pop is actually a issue and is being addressed