Upcoming Versus Matchmaking Test - (Updated**)

Unknown

ZeiramMR wrote:

I realize that the changes aren't supposed to take place until Nefarious Foes, though I have experienced sharding for the first time in a while.

Started Children of the Atom a few minutes ago, and as I don't need Hood covers, I figured I would play just enough for some minor Hero Point gains. Like, barely scraping Top 50 status for 50 HP from the conclusion and 25 HP from the 400 progression mark. Was put in a tournament with people shielded at almost 1200.

That may just be a function of joining late and there being fewer open brackets than usual. Since nothing else was going on for the first 35 hours of this event, scores got pushed high early on.

Unknown

i can't even do the first node in nefarious foes...all lvl 100+ and i have just lvl 70s myself.

emaker27

My two cents, I've noticed a change... (In Nefarious Foes). I have 10 maxed characters and didn't play one PvP event in Season 7. I did enter each event at random times, just to see what my starting opponent levels were. Not once was there a fully maxed 3* opponent and the last Season 7 event had me matched with non-maxed 2* rosters.

In Nefarious Foes, all 3 starting opponents have 3* maxed rosters. As I say above, I have all but given up playing since I'm looking for an easy casual time when I play any iPad game (I get enough stress from my job). So this change would make sure I don't go back to PvP.

tl;dr: I'm not a fan of the change.

Enoc99

I have three maxed characters, and otherwise mostly 2* and upon starting Nefarious Foes, I am matched mid range (120-140) 3* teams, which is pretty fair in my honest opinion.

Looking at the rosters of those I am matched against, it looks like it is taking average level of roster into account in addition to MMR, which is a good thing. That is at first glance, though... so my initial observation could be inaccurate.

whitecat31

One of the fun thing in life is to be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
I work my but off to make a team capable of beating up 2 star teams.
I would like the opportunity to climb a little and beat those 2 star teams before I start playing some 3 star teams.
To start off playing 3 star teams in the beginning for low points and to get hit early on is going to NARROW my team usage.
I won't explore the new characters as much, because to do so means I will have a team that will be vulnerable.
It turns the casual relaxing fun part of the game into a struggle climb all the way up the ladder.

I am wondering to add insult to injury, if I will only be able to target the 2 star teams for 1 point after I break the 900 point barrier.

Unknown

I personally don't care for the new matchmaking system at all. When I keep hitting a wall of 332 guys (Sentry/Hood/Laken) over and over.. skip skip skip... nope, still the same set of guys. And I haven't played a single match in the PVP tourney (Nefarious) and I've already hit the same wall you hit at around 800-900 points (which is reasonable and when I expect to hit that, and even then you can find matches that aren't full max 3*'s). But to start at max rosters in the opening round... that would drive me away from PVP completely, and probably the game. I am growing tired of the repetitive PVE grind of killing the same nodes over.. and over... and over.. and over. I have invested quite a bit of time and money into this and would hate to see them "tweak" PVP like this. I hope they hear us and opt to NOT use this new PVP matchmaking. IT SUCKS!!!!!

Unknown

Someone needs to be fired for incompetency.

JVReal

As it stood, as a casual FREE player, I relied on those early seed matches to get me to at least 150 before seeing a 'challenge', that would get me my silver Token and a little bit of ISO, but with Nefarious Foes, right off the bat I have level 94+ teams that i'm up against. I have NO MAXED 3 STARS on my roster. My highest one is a level 86 2* Human Torch with max covers.

I'm not even in the mood to start one of the matches. Congrats, you made something that was barely fun for me into something that I don't even want to try. I'm not a fan. Here I thought your changes were going to ease up on me hitting a wall at 350 points, not deny me any points at all.

Very Frustrated. Thank goodness I'm enjoying Simulator.

FaustianDeal

I still got seed teams.

The only thing I am noticing is that my tank-team has already won 5/7 matches so far causing me to be up (net +90) since starting my tank attempt. modern storm/im35/ms marvel is cleaning up. making this tank run super awkward.

whitecat31

So I am trying to think of the algorithms they might be using.
I think it is based on a point system of the characters you own and possibly the amount of covers they have. 4 star characters of course worth the most points, three star less, two star less. one star even less.
If it incorporates a mean system on average levels I believe this will be a HUGE flaw that can exploited.
Why is this a huge flaw, because it will encourage people to not level their characters, except the essential ones.
Also it might encourage people to NOT buy 3 star characters at all.

IF you don't own them you won't face three star teams.
I know this is a **** moment here.
But I am looking at the rankings of who is on top (because they haven't screwed that up yet), and they are mostly two star teams.
Why are two star teams on top? It is because they are not facing three star teams.

Professa D

The fact that the "seed" teams are ranging in the 200-300 range right out of the gate is quite disheartening. It's the same seed team names we've grown to love, but their rosters just got quite the beef injection (p)

*EDIT* after numerous skips I was able to get some more traditionallly "normal" seed teams (maxed 2*s with some unmaxed 2*s but still not Lvl 1s) so I'll wait to see what others experience before jumping to conclusions.

Spoit

Called it. It was exactly the same kind of 'gentle nudge' as before

mags1587

You decided to make the newest character the reward during the PvP where you're testing a new matchmaking algorithm. Okay, then.

FaustianDeal

FaustianDeal wrote:

my tank-team has already won 5/7 matches so far causing me to be up (net +90) since starting my tank attempt. modern storm/im35/ms marvel is cleaning up. making this tank run super awkward.

UPDATE: My tank team has now gone 7/10 gaining +120 points total. My tank team has a combined 135 levels across their 4 total stars.

The people drawing me are being punished. None of the teams hitting me have anything higher than a level-40 character (may are 1-2 cover 3-stars with no levels, and no meaningful 2-stars to speak of). My seed team has them badly outgunned.

what gives?

Unknown

FaustianDeal wrote:

FaustianDeal wrote:

my tank-team has already won 5/7 matches so far causing me to be up (net +90) since starting my tank attempt. modern storm/im35/ms marvel is cleaning up. making this tank run super awkward.

UPDATE: My tank team has now gone 7/10 gaining +120 points total. My tank team has a combined 135 levels across their 4 total stars.

The people drawing me are being punished. None of the teams hitting me have anything higher than a level-40 character (may are 1-2 cover 3-stars with no levels, and no meaningful 2-stars to speak of). My seed team has them badly outgunned.

what gives?

The "geniuses" at D3 have flipped the tables is what's happened. Those of us with a max 3* rosters are completely screwed (even worse than when I had a 1/2* roster) and those with 1/2* rosters with a few non-max 3*'s are running the table. So I have 13 166's and I can't even get a single win in the first 2 rounds of PVP... awesome job D3, way to hose those of us that have invested!!!

dkffiv

Professa D wrote:

The fact that the "seed" teams are ranging in the 200-300 range right out of the gate is quite disheartening. It's the same seed team names we've grown to love, but their rosters just got quite the beef injection (p)

How can anyone possibly react to a change like that with anything but negativity? What were they thinking?

This event and balance of power featured beefy seed teams, nothing new.

On topic, its as if the developers don't understand the mentality of a player. Let me spell it out for you: Players do not want to face great challenges at the beginning of a journey.

The player is at a distinct disadvantage to the computer - our health is a finite resource. The way the system is designed we are forced to go into battle with damaged characters. When a character is at half or two thirds life, it causes stress and anxiety and various other negative emotions when you are forced to chose to "waste" a health kit or chance it. If you wipe while chancing it you feel like ****, especially when its due to the AI getting a dream miracle cascade doing just enough damage to finish off the weakened character. When its at the end of a journey (say the final push of a PvP) it hurts but at least you can rationalize it as risking a big push for a new tier of rewards. When this occurs at the beginning of a journey, you make players question why the hell they are playing this game. Beating up weaker teams promotes positive emotions and make people want to continue playing your game. You are effectively replacing positive with negative emotions with this change.

Just because I can beat a team doesn't mean I want to risk it. If the reward isn't worth it I'll just stop playing.

Unknown

Well something is definitely different. I've wiped my entire roster in the pvp and i'm still seeing 166 (332x3) boosted teams. Normally after killing my entire roster i'd be expecting to see 2*s.

Unknown

Without passing judgement and just reporting what I ave been seeing. definitely challenge right from ground zero. In fact, won first match, lost next two and already been hit for one defensive loss (-1)

Unknown

Not entirely sure what to think of the match making in nefarious foes.... The reason is the event has buffed characters so it's hard to gauge whether the matchmaking is working as intended... Just cause I have a couple of maxed 3stars it doesn't mean they're the buffed ones for this event. so someone else in my bracket has a similar roster but his/her 3 stars lvl 166s are buffed since they just so happen to be the group that is buffed.

So as the basic thing seems to work, but for this event is was probably a poor choice to do this test with and ask for feedback. It should have been done on a single buffed hero verses event not a "group" of heroes/villians as it introduces an inconsistent variable and provides somewhat skewed feedback. As those who don't have the appropriate villains might see it as good matchmaking because its in their favor, but those that don't might see it as bad matchmaking as its unfavorable for them.

As it's still early in the event I can't really give full feedback til the end so I can guage the full effect of whatever changes was made... but the initial matches for fights I have looks kinda unfavorable to me as I don't have any max level villians but those I have to potentially fight all have... hence my comments above..

user311

user311 wrote:

I laughed when the offer for full alliance refunds came out. I wonder if this is going to be the catch. I hope not ...

... and Im still laughing.