I only have the one overwatch account but I have noticed that MAAAAANNNYYY people have multiple smurf accounts where one might be in Masters, one might be in Plat and one might be in Gold (as an example)
So my question is, if someone goes onto a smurf account and does not care about the result (i.e. does not care about winning) does that mess with all the curves and statistics that the match maker uses to group people together?
Should smurf accounts be allowed, its the same game with access to all the same content so the only reason to have one is to “not try” or to “practice” so that you can take your “main” more seriously?
Discuss =D
9 Likes
Smurfs and alts are definitely a problem. Not necessarily because they’re performing at a lower level, but because they don’t care as much.
Alt and smurf accounts are basically throwaways now that you can readily purchase the game for under $20. Players use them to “practice” and to avoid posting lesser stats to their main accounts, in turn not showing their true skill ratings but instead showing their one-trick or selective character SR.
Smurfs and alts are also more likely to throw, troll, and screw around in general because it’s not tied to their main, rendering them essentially anonymous to do whatever they please.
16 Likes
Like 1% of the players are masters. Statistically improbable they are smurfing in your game.
The majority of the player base sit within 1000 Sr range. There are probably some exceptionally good casual players in there who simply don’t have the time to grind competitive enough to be in the top ranks, that doesn’t mean they are smurfing. So you shouldn’t take it for granted that you won’t come across really good players in the same rank as you.
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The verbally say “this is just a smurf account” on a pretty consistent basis.
And all the youtube personalities have them as well but its hard to prove who does and who does not have a smurf.
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Even if folks unanimously agreed alts are an issue (they don’t) how would you stop it?
Only 1 account can be purchased per credit card? Not gonna happen.
Only 1 account per IP? So now Bob and Joe and Susie either have to share (banned) or only one can play? Not gonna happen.
Insist they link all their accounts? People lie. For reasons above they cannot assume 1 IP per user. So it’d have to be opt in. Folks just won’t opt in.
Like many issues the lack of solutions might just be due to a lack of workable solutions. If it’s not effective and/or not feasible then it’s not a solution.
4 Likes
quick question, what would you rather have in your game?
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smurfs are not a problem because everyone is equally subjected to their wrath
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Smurf accounts = Money
Blizzard loves money
Therefore
Blizzard loves Smurf accounts.
Why do you think they advertise cheap buying price to people who already own the game?
Why would people who own overwatch need to see news saying its on sale unless Blizzard itself openly knows and promotes the practice of smurfing.
2 Likes
Smurf / mess around accounts don’t mess with the curve. Average ability goes up with rank, peaks in gold, and has tails in bronze and GM. This is what it should be. What Smurf / mess around accounts do is increase the likelihood of poor matches, because players are not all try-harding at the rank that they belong.
Another way to say it is that what matters as far as statistics goes is average play, not unusual (that is, smurf or mess-around) play.
P.S. Match quality is much higher in LFG. One possible reason is less mess around accounts.
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The thing I truly want is a fair and balanced match at 50% win rate so I can actually learn and improve.
Not the entire game decided at spawn based on whether someone actually wants to try or not lol
2 Likes
Smurfs and alts are 2 completely different things that are nothing alike.
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The only thing i have noticed is when you have a thrower group (smurf or not) and the team does incredibly terrible, there is nothing within your power to pull this train wreck together. You finish way under your MMR and are penalized more SR points then typical. This is the major problem I have with throwers/smurfs, if the opposite were true, you perform above your MMR yet still gain the typical amount of SR, not more.
Everyone likes to throw around statistics and say that out of 100 games this and 100 games that, but what everyone fails to recognize is that the statistic probability is per game not the collective, so yes (random number here) statistically speaking you have a 9% chance to have a smurf on the opposing team. This does not mean that out of 10 games you play this does not mean that only 1 of them is going to have a smurf, you very well could be unfortunate enough to encounter a smurf 7 times, unlucky as hell but still probable.
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If you perform above your MMR still gain basic SR you’re not performing above your MMR.
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Actually, if you are over-performing the matchmaker puts the smurf on the other team…to make things fair.
Think about that for a minute, and you will understand why high bronze players cry so much. Their player pool is very small, smurfing impacts bronze and low silver to a far larger degree than anywhere on the ladder.
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I have 2 accounts. 1 is serious and the other is just what ever. That’s how the game goes. Sometimes you win and sometimes your team is mashed potatoes.
There is a huge difference between alt and smurf accounts. Alt accounts might be to train other classes and heros and have the focuse to still win games. Smurfs will throe games to stay at a certain SR to pop off on some games. So alts are okay, smurfs are not
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No, in order to stay at a low rank, the smurf would have to bomb some games, thus balancing out the stats. If they skewed the stats, they’d be promoted out of their rank.
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if you are constantly performing above your MMR yes you will be rewarded with higher gains but if you are stuck in the yo-yo wins/losses the systems does not recognize this it calculates the MMR based off your career performance. Another reason why flexing is bad for your chances to climb.
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Blizzards system is terribly broken they have MMR and SR which are both broken. The point of the matter is that that you have true good players getting stuck at lower levels because of forced losses and true bad players getting stuck at higher levels because of forced wins (they do exist as well).
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That’s like saying “Terrorists aren’t a problem because every location has an equal and fair opportunity of being bombed.”
2 Likes