This “feature” needs heavy improvement. It is bad enough to get backfilled into a game that you know you are likely to lose, however there needs to be a limitation on the games that are considered for backfilling. I have just watched 3 games of backfill in a row 1 of which as soon as I loaded the defeat screen showed up.
This is unacceptable. I waited my time in the queue just like everyone else to be forced to requeue because I was backfilled into a match that was already (or nearly) over.
Back fill has gotten noticeably worse over the last few weeks due to players leaving games much more frequently. The discussion about harsher leaving penalties aside, I should not be punished because someone else left the game.
Games that should NOT be considered for backfill:
If a game is already in overtime (I understand that this is a condition that can be changed and the match could potentially be reversed. I simply want the match to be disqualified while it is in overtime state)
If a game is more than 80% completed (second point already has 2/3 of the capture ring completed. or 80% of path already completed on payload)
If a game has had more than 50% of a team’s players leave in the last 30-45 seconds. (In this instance the game should be scrapped like a leaver in competative)
If multiple players have left back to back ( Join-leave-join-leave pattern) Once the number of players reaches a threshold value (3 in my opinion) over the last 30-45 seconds the game should be treated in a manner similar to the previous case.
In the last 2 cases the system should be able to detect that something has gone “wrong” in this match and for some reason players are not inclined to stay. This logic could be implemented to prevent the game from happening in the first place as it is likely to not be fun for the team with the issue.
In summary, If the game is already “over”, it should not be considered as a viable game for backfill.
It may perhaps be easier to define conditions where backfill is desired in a match. The way I see it there are fewer more identifiable circumstances that would make it perhaps easier to create a whitelist approach to backfilling games rather than the blacklist approach detailed above.
I could include my opinions for leaving penalties in QP, but I will leave that for another time. (Though I do belive the two issues are mutually inclusive)
Unfortunately, this is not the best place to provide suggestions for game features. The bug report forum is where Blizzard tracks unintended behaviors, glitches or other bugs in Overwatch. I suggest posting your suggestion in the general discussion forum.
If in the event you are unable to post in the general discussion forums, please check this troubleshooting guide.
I disagree that you would view this as a game feature request.
I am informing you that the backfill system as it stands is useless. It creates more problems than it solves. That to me is the definition of “unintended behaviors”.
Unless you are suggesting that is is Blizzards official stance that this behavior is desired: wasting customer time due to being placed in matches that are for all intents and purposes “over” was by design.
It is clear that these circumstances were not thought through far enough in design. I understand that the motivation for creating the feature is to not punish players when someone leaves, but there has to be a limit. Clearly there is not one.
Trying to label this as a “Feature Request” is reckless. As a software developer myself, if it was brought to my attention that there was a feature that was causing more harm than good in a software product I was producing, that issue would be pretty high on my priority list.
Alright let me get it straight for you then. This forum section is only to inform about bugs NOT to discuss/post suggestions. It will be unheard here and i recommend you move it over to the general discussion thread.
Again, the software is behaving in a way that satisfies the definition of a bug provided by WyomingMyst. (unintended behavior) Thus my reasoning for posting here.
Your attitude is quite clear and it is not appreciated.
I am trying to report what is clearly a bug in the backfill system. I am having respectful discourse. From what I can tell you have no official status and I do not think you needed to weigh in on this.
Just because my report of a design flaw (bug) also came with a suggestion for a fix, does not invalidate the bug itself. I do not care if the suggestion I presented is not utilized, I simply want the issue fixed.
I would now like to know if there is a more official method of submitting bug reports that is not a public forum. I would like my report to actually be seen by a Blizzard official. (I can not decern whether WyomingMyst is such or just a player with a fancy forum rank.)