59 replies to this topic

[BaronSaturday]

Back in my day, we just got good.  UT99 didn't have no handholding.

 

Casuals.

 

Seriously, though: While I understand that matchmaking provides new players a smoother learning curve, I can't help but cringe every time one acts as though playing someone better is an offense against humanity.

This.  So many this.  As I said, if you can't find a match, invite me.  I'll fight way up there.  It's not going to hurt me in any way.

[crockrocket]

Back in my day, we just got good.  UT99 didn't have no handholding.

 

Casuals.

 

Seriously, though: While I understand that matchmaking provides new players a smoother learning curve, I can't help but cringe every time one acts as though playing someone better is an offense against humanity.

 

That's a statement you can afford the luxury of if you aren't struggling to maintain a solid playerbase. But if you want to attract more players that will stick around you need to make the initial experience less harsh on newbies.

 

Note: I'm not saying that specifically in reference to smurfing. Softening the experience in my mind means a better tutorial system.

[IareDave]

 

 

 

I'm not ignorant, nor do I ever try to be. I do lots of research, which people would realize if they clicked the link that is on literally every one of my posts now.

I spent an entire six hour period writing that article, fact checking, double checking sources, reading, writing, re-writing... I know my intentions.

My original post was DESIGNED to cause this uproar from upper level players. I wanted that, and I understand that it was offensive, and I'm very sorry for that. But we all know this is an issue, and I will gladly take full responsibility for it.

It goes much deeper than match-making, and much deeper than just personal statements of disuse, it is a system that has left upper level players locked out, and lower level players grinding into a blender. It must be changed.

But I do appreciate your comment. It means so much to me that you took the time out of your busy life to say something.

Uproar is the last emotion I'd experience when reading your post because this issue has been hammered down countless times before you. If you would of taken the time to read my post that I linked, as I have your thread, you would understand that this is an issue I fullheartedly understand and want fixed. This is where your ignorance comes into play, perhaps you don't fully understand, or perhaps you just don't care that high mmr players literally can't join a single room regardless of the time of day. 

 

 

So what are we going to do? Make a smurf. Why? So we can play the game that we have supported for years. I don't care if that tickles you the wrong way, it's not up to us, it's up to the developers to create a matchmaking system that corrects this. 

[KilleR_OrigiNs]

Redacted. 

Edited by KilleR_OrigiNs, 30 April 2015 - 10:13 PM.

[(P:B)Augmentia]

You know what could be interesting? An mmr reset function for an account. It would be free, instant, and worth less accounts. Sure, you would get some curb stomping, but I think that is healthy for the new players. When I was newer it wouldn't have helped me at all if I hadn't gotten my ass kicked by players a lot better than me. Some of the matches I have played with smurfs have showed me completely different fighting techniques and rythms, which in turn helped me lay the smack down on other people. It is a learning experience, and just because you got killed a few times in a game isn't the end of the world. If a player leaves because they are stomped on a few times, I honestly don't want them to stay. It isn't even ridiculous, seeing as we don't have that many high tier players. We have at most 30 high tier (A very high estimate IMO) and a whole bunch lower than that. The players arent going to quit because they get stomped in a few matches. Now, if I were to constantly run into smurfs that might be a problem. But I don't. Not yet, anyway. When I do, I will go ahead and call you up and we can picket together. Until then, I fight on, and continue to learn, adapt, and destroy.

[Scow2]

Smurfs are my main priority, and the MMR system causes it. I understand that not every smurf is vicious, but it is the greatest threat to new player retention. No, I'm not saying alienate the original players, I'm saying make sure they can't destroy new ones from enjoying this game too.

I think you need a lot more to back this claim up. There are far, far bigger threats out there to new player retention than an occasional stomp in random matchmaking. Fortunately, most of the actual threats to new player retention were removed by the new devs - The LOADEDASSAULT is more capable of competing at all levels than the original naked recruit as well as significantly more respectful to them, servers are being maintained again, support is online, and the Test Drive system is no longer stagnant.

 

Right now, I'm pretty sure the greatest threats to new player retention are the continued lack of content, "Buy MC Now! Look at all the stuff you can't have unless you fork over your cash now!" plastered over everything (But not as bad as MWO), and the bugs, long load times, and server instability.

Edited by Scow2, 08 April 2015 - 04:56 AM.

[Anichkov3]

Many times already discussed these issues. 

And every time I have a desire to say - "people turn on your brain!"

Those who say that they can not find a server to match their level. Stop using the "Browse Server", if you want to just play. "Play" button (quick start) will join you for a match, no matter how many stars will be in this match.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh. You do not want to play with newcomers? Sit and wait for high level players. To correspond and negotiate at a specific time to play together. By the way it is already possible to identify a similar trend. Split the community. When the 30 people involved in the "events" and the other players if you please just be spectators on YouTube.

Deliberately creating new profiles and humiliating beginners .... YOU, YOU, YOU - just demonstrate their contempt for the game. It is because of people like YOU, beginners and complain that autobalance games all bad. Yes, the players in the game a little. It is one thing when people see well-known name and get a kick from it. It's quite another thing when a beginner sees another "newbie" who humiliates all.

P.S. By the way, do not hesitate to look in other regions the game. You enough "cool", for you + -70 Ping does not mean anything, right? 

Edited by Anichkov3, 08 April 2015 - 05:43 AM.

[Scow2]

Deliberately creating new profiles and humiliating beginners .... YOU, YOU, YOU - just demonstrate their contempt for the game. It is because of people like YOU, beginners and complain that autobalance games all bad. Yes, the players in the game a little. It is one thing when people see well-known name and get a kick from it. It's quite another thing when a beginner sees another "newbie" who humiliates all.

... not really. Beginners all have different levels of skill anyway. And, you can't really identify who's a 'beginner' or not - any mech can be piloted by any player of any experience.

 

In fact... I think my brother's been accused of being a Smurf after picking up the game after he found himself naturally acing his role as a Technician (He bought the Technician as his first mech after joining for the Double-HC weekend, and got a quick grasp on the mechanics. His actual KDR is bad - but that's not visible to other players. Only the massive number of assists, points, and screentime in their deathcams are.)

Edited by Scow2, 08 April 2015 - 06:07 AM.

[KilleR_OrigiNs]

Redacted.

Edited by KilleR_OrigiNs, 30 April 2015 - 10:13 PM.

[spinningchurro]

Hey.

 

Hey.

 

Hey, you.

 

 

 

 

Get gud.

[wolfrock]

Hey,

You sound pretty angry. It sounds like you get angry when people beat you at a video game when they are better than you at playing it.

You look at their mech, maybe their account. You get angrier because somehow it looks like the game has allowed someone much better than you are to play with you.

You feel that the people who could change how the game is made could change it so this doesn't happen so often, so you can win more.

I played Street Fighter in arcades, basketball and tennis in real life, and play this game, and got beat soundly in all of them. Tennis is like a 2hr 1v1. Talk about psychological. You could call those "learning opportunities". Anytime I play CS:GO I'll get beat by people far better, almost every match. It's hard. I don't complain or ask anything from Gaben.

I didn't complain here because DreamedArtist or any number of players beat me in a bare Fred last year and smoked everyone in deathmatches I was in. I just friended him and tried to learn.

You're asking for a lot here. There are other priorities, like bugs and maybe new content, one day.

[KilleR_OrigiNs]

Redacted. 

Edited by KilleR_OrigiNs, 30 April 2015 - 10:13 PM.

[(P:B)Augmentia]

There are only so many higher level players to Smurf. I would estimate we get a fix for the mmr system in 4 months, give or take a month. It would take alot of deliberation. But back to the topic. There are only like 40 high level players that are hgh enough to smurf. Compared to the rest of the population, they are like the .01%. This is .01% of players who smurf and that only makes a few people. I personally have never been up against more than 8 smurfs overall, so this really isn't a big problem.

[IareDave]

There are only so many higher level players to Smurf. I would estimate we get a fix for the mmr system in 4 months, give or take a month. It would take alot of deliberation. But back to the topic. There are only like 40 high level players that are hgh enough to smurf. Compared to the rest of the population, they are like the .01%. This is .01% of players who smurf and that only makes a few people. I personally have never been up against more than 8 smurfs overall, so this really isn't a big problem.

The issue is that we have to smurf in order to play. The side effects of this are obvious - imbalanced matches, dropping other players MMR, and then you have people like killer origins spewing walls of text proclaiming his hatred to smurfs as if they were the devil himself.

Best thing is to wait and see when the devs will act. It's not a complicated matter, just allow high MMRS entry to the highest available lobby.

[talon70]

Good  players not being able to play is a broken system. Everyone deserves to play. The ambiguous 3 star rating for servers needs to change also. Maybe have top level  servers that reward lower level pilots with more XP to encourage them to play there.

 

The smurf problem as  I see it is not the players so high in mmr they need to create a smurf to play. I bet it takes little time , literally before they are 2000ish and getting locked out of the lowest level servers. The problem is other types who really are not that good and make a smurf  accounts just to pound newbs. I believe that IS a problem and why I feel a pilot license fee will stop the unlimited create a new account mentality for them.

 

Smurfs also negate accountability. "This pilots IP also has garaged the following pilot names"  <--Then display the last 10 names from ip.

[RedVan]

The smurf problem as I see it is not the players so high in mmr they need to create a smurf to play. I bet it takes little time , literally before they are 2000ish and getting locked out of the lowest level servers. The problem is other types who really are not that good and make a smurf accounts just to pound newbs. I believe that IS a problem and why I feel a pilot license fee will stop the unlimited create a new account mentality for them.

Smurfs also negate accountability. "This pilots IP also has garaged the following pilot names" <--Then display the last 10 names from ip.

The problem with this is: the players who are not good who make smurf accounts are not good, so it doesn't matter if they smurf. They're not good, they'd be able to get in low MMR games on their main anyway...

[KilleR_OrigiNs]

Redacted. 

Edited by KilleR_OrigiNs, 30 April 2015 - 10:13 PM.

[KilleR_OrigiNs]

Redacted.

Edited by KilleR_OrigiNs, 30 April 2015 - 10:13 PM.

[Hustler01]

Remove MMR, remove matchmaking.

 

Server browser, use the star level to indicate the general skill level of players you want populating the server. Lock one star servers to accounts with under x hours of gameplay.

[FRX23]

The good side of this evilness is that shows how Hawken is XP/skill based and definitely not a Grind2W or P2W.

 

I reserve my other thoughs for a further post.