Can we talk ranked queue?

[Dark-1827]

In their eyes smurfs are people playing their game. And I would assume possibly spending money for boosters. No incentive for blizzard to stop smurfs.

[Parzival-1346]

@Dark-1827

In their eyes, smurfs are people playing their game. And I would assume possibly spending money for boosters. No incentive for blizzard to stop smurfs.

I completely agree and I know fixing one thing would mess up another and money and numbers will always trump the needs/wants BUT Blizz is in the middle of a major PR change and they are trying to change how they are viewed and are replying to feedback across all their IP. They are even hiring new people back into this “dead game”.

I have some wavering faith that a thread about this topic, with a positive outlook and enough constructive conversation and people actually trying to think and work together on views, just might come across the right set of eyes.

[Minky-11649]

@Tassadar-22846

Then again that would mean something like 70-80% less “new” accounts which would be terrible statistic for dev team which is why they’ll never do that.

People used to still smurf all the time before they dropped the character and account level restrictions. They only dropped those requirements when they were trying to promote their new “solo queue and group queue Team League” so they would have a justification to merge the two to make Storm Team League.

Now the dust has settled, just put back in place the old restrictions, but leave it that people don’t have to own 16 heroes, just have them at level 5. People will still smurf, it will just take them a tiny bit longer to get to level 100 and maybe some will spend some money if they want to get there faster.

You also need to keep in mind new players get a 2 week boost. It’s really very fast to level up an account, even if they added back the restrictions.

[Gréine-2506]

The reason is as old as the world - flawed matchmaking teams, for so many years it has not been fixed. Instead of recognizing that the game has serious problems, it’s easiest to just call everyone a whiner and do nothing.

[Tooton-1952]

Just make more heroessss

[TheMeatballs-1711]

Along with new players, I think we also desperately need a way to teach newer/low ranked players about how the game works.
So many bronze players don’t know how soaking works. They either think they need to last hit for exp and overextend, or just completely ignore exp orbs altogether.

[Parzival-1346]

@TheMeatballs-1711

I think we also desperately need a way to teach newer/low ranked players about how the game works

I sadly often find myself asking why people are even in ranked when it’s very clear they don’t know core mechanics. We can’t assume people will treat ranked with the level of respect that the mode should demand, I think it is the mentality of “if I queue ranked then my team will obviously know what they are doing because my team in QM are bad”

@Minky-11649

You also need to keep in mind new players get a 2 week boost. It’s really very fast to level up an account, even if they added back the restrictions.

Very good point!

[ReggiDytriN-1163]

@Ray-24412

Also, if someone has been away for years, lock them from Ranked for at least 10-20 Quick Match games so they get familiar with new stuff like weather effects, lack of tower ammo, new heroes and objectives, etc.

THIS RIGHT HERE, YES 1000 times.

I have also been in the same boat with a brand new noob that after 2-3 years decides to come back for ONE game and goes ranked, new hero, is absolutely horrible and ruins the game. This would be an easy fix. If you did not play ranked LAST season, you must complete X amount of UNRANKED games. Let’s say like 5 Wins, not played but wins.

@Dark-1827

I called you out for it and your response is to double down on the BS.

Ironic coming from someone who only posts on the forums to bring other’s ideas down, feed his own ego and win imaginary internet points.

@Parzival-1346

There has to be some way they could just add a checklist to pair accounts with similar attributes.

I’ve asked for this many times before, what this game needs is quality control, something that blizzard threw out the door since the Activision merge.

@hunterbees44-1622

Like the ranked requirements should at least be lvl 100 if not higher and it should be that you are required to own at least 2 heroes of each role, tank, bruiser, ranged dps, melee dps and healer. Then any of said heroes have to be level 5 or higher to be allowed to be used in ranked.

I agree, maybe not to that extent, it would surely reduce smurfing and make sure that the people who play SL are competitive and serious. But Blizzard only cares about snowflakes who don’t want 10+ minute queues. Serious players like me would wait 30 minutes for a good game rather then suffer through 2 terrible games found in 30 seconds in the same amount of time.

@Dark-1827

Everything you suggested can’t be done.

Why so negative man? Anything is possible.

@Parzival-1346

I have some wavering faith that a thread about this topic, with a positive outlook and enough constructive conversation and people actually trying to think and work together on views, just might come across the right set of eyes.

We need more people like you and less people like Dark. A lot of people who are regulars on the forums only try to win internet points and have no intention of actually having a productive exchange of ideas.

@Parzival-1346

We can’t assume people will treat ranked with the level of respect that the mode should demand

Which is why I strongly believe that sometimes, you need to take away player freedom and ease of access to achieve a good experience. When the whole F2P, maximum accessibility and trying to please everyone thing started at Blizzard (After the merge), what made them a quick buck, made the long term sustainability and relevance of most of their games dead. This is why people in WoW wanted Classic, because they don’t like the new ways of “woke” blizzard. I also think you are correct, Blizzard IS trying to change their ways. Make a game for a SPECIFIC audience and let it stand on it’s own merits. Make it too accessible and try to appeal to everyone and all you end up with is nobody liking your game. Just look at most F2P MMORPGs, mobas and other games that died after not even a year because they did the same mistake in thinking that they can just try to make it for everyone.

[Dark-1827]

Look at the white knight bringing up internet points. haha
Fabricating stories as well about post history to fit your own narrative.
I added to the conversation and gave good examples of road blocks within the system but you ignored all of that. You are the one being negative and spinning a story to win points. Stop wasting people’s time with this nonsense. Condense your posts to only things on the topic matter.

[Moonshadow-2748]

This game is a clown Fiesta. Blizzard simply doesn’t care about creating a competitive environment anymore. If you want “serious”, HOTS is not for you, as much as it may hurt.

[Xeerz-2657]

I bumped a lot into baddies high plat/low diamond when I ranked back in the day.

My issue is not solving the problem though, it’s the next problem that will pop up and need change after. Cause giving in and changing the system for you, will just shift the blame to something else.

The current issue is not that terrible imo, eventually you’ll rise if your good enough or you don’t. No matter your fellow ‘potaters’ in each game.

[Dark-1827]

What exactly do you mean by competitive?
Yes Activision removed the pro circuit, but the game, a MOBA, is in itself competitive. If people are in fact wanting to get serious about being a pro gamer than I am sure they already know where the money is, so stating that HOTS is not for you is redundant.

This post is more for the fans that are serious about finding improvements to the game they love within the community. Blizzard has hired new staff to hopefully improve the game. This is good news for the community and paints a bright picture for HOTS. @moonshadow Do you have anything positive to add?

[Yusuke-2949]

@Parzival-1346

I just today got into a match with a player who hasn’t played in 3 years, it was his second game back and he was on a level 2 hero

The number of players are lower than in other mobas and if you add other restrictions to ranked you have to wait for longer queue times. Do you want thisl? A lot of people won’t this.

[hunterbees44-1622]

Nah that would be the miniumn…Like ive said before. players can get lvl 50 in a day if they try hard enough. 100 slows down cause not as many heroes to level or the higher you level, the slower it gets.

[Parzival-1346]

@ReggiDytriN-1163

Make a game for a SPECIFIC audience and let it stand on its own merits

Sadly games are only made for the reward of cash money. Even startups with the best of intentions fall prey to this. Obviously, you deserve to earn money from your product but there needs to be integrity.

@Dark-1827

Stop wasting people’s time with this nonsense

Now Dark, I thought we moved passed this. Yes he left out when you finally started contributing but he has a point based on things before so. In nearly all cases it is better to be the bigger person without the need to be noticed for it. Now let’s keep it positive for the sake of gaming in general, we don’t need more negativity and toxic crap messing up what we spend our free time doing.

@Dark-1827

This is good news for the community and paints a bright picture for HOTS

I agree and have my fingers crossed!!! I just hope they aren’t afraid to keep trying new heroes, new mechanics, and new stuff and bring players back, and then hopefully they may address some other issues.

@Yusuke-2949

The number of players are lower than in other mobas and if you add other restrictions to ranked you have to wait for longer queue times. Do you want thisl?

Honestly… as stated above by another poster, yes. I would rather wait longer for better games then have faster less balanced ones. I mean at least give me the option to only queue with similar stated accounts or something and then I can choose to broaden my queue search.

[Nemarra-1831]

@Dark-1827

Sadly SL takes a players QM mmr rating into account if that player has no previous SL mmr rating. This is a huge problem for people with established accounts. Their true SL rating could be Platinum or even higher but because they goofed around in QM with new heroes or fun time with friends and murky, their account is placed in silver. Many players have found themselves stuck in silver or worse stuck in bronze hell.

Do you happen to have a source for that? I’m not calling you a liar or anything; what you describe aligns with my experience, but I try to think critically and sources help. If indeed true, then there is no reason to play QM, ever (best for playtesting or goofing around would actually be unranked draft).

[Parzival-1346]

@Nemarra-1831

Do you happen to have a source for that?

It hasn’t been updated for terminology but even their wiki page explains that QM mmr is used as a reference for placements matches.

There was blue post like two years ago that explained how at the start of a new season they take your old mmr and reference your QM plus your standing in the placement matches to calculate your placement. That is why you may win all but 1 and get placed in S2 and someone else has the exact match results but gets placed in gold and such.

I believe the reasoning was “to get a better overall view of the players stats for the initial placement so that storm league/hero league is more rounded and less susceptible to players getting help in their placement games.”

[Nemarra-1831]

Ah. That explains why I won all 3 placement matches solo and got dropped in Silver 4. I’d only played QM, previously.

[Parzival-1346]

Yup! I understand that Blizz can’t make us ALL happy but right now it seems like more people are wanting some sort of rework on the matchmaking and mmr system. I will say that Blizz has a good mmr system vs League but there are some phone mobas and other games that have different ways of viewing a player’s account and matching them that just feels more balanced.

[Dark-1827]

@Parzival You will single me out but you won’t single him out for doing the same thing? Got it. And your fake reports about my posts were reversed by blizzard. Once again I have to call you out on your BS. I don’t have patience for it anymore. I am leaving this post. Bye