I’ve seen a lot of people malding about the current tank meta, but I think it’s gotten a lot better after the recent patch. Ball is still too powerful, and monkey/rein still somewhat underpowered, but the sigma nerf was a step in the right direction, in my opinion. My real problem with ranked tank gameplay right now is one that we have struggled with for a long time.
Since there arnt enough tanks in ranked, tank players will get into games that they have no business being in. For a player that ended 4.1 last season, this means that I will get in 4.3 or 4.4 games frequently. Some players may not understand this, but the difference between 4.1 and 4.3 is larger than the skill difference between 2600 and 3200. It’s like being put into another world. Sometimes I may perform well, but most often I just feel outclassed, regardless if I win or lose. After getting in to these super high skill games, I almost always get put in low masters lobbies, which is an absolute joke compared to 4.3 or 4.4. At that elo, I can just lock the flank rein and win easily, and while it can be fun for me, it certainly isnt fun for the diamond tank players on the other team that matchmaking has screwed over. All the other tank players I know have the same problem, it’s not only me, and I think it probably happens at most skill levels, not just low gm. Its hard to improve when you play in these games due to the skill difference.
The problem is exacerbated by the 3.9 placement cap. Early season, and to some extent, later in the season, SR does not strictly correlate with skill. Everyone is 3.9, regardless if they were low masters last season and have never even hit 4k before, or if they are literally a 4.6 peak OWL player. It makes games even harder to balance, among other problems. The 3.9 cap is one of the most important thing to happen to the ranked system in quite a while, and creates way more problems than it solves. I hope they revert it.
The only real solution I see is making queue times longer. It can be an opt-in system, or it can be a change to the entire matchmaking system. Either way, giving the game more time to find a game of suitable skill level is something that I would be immensely happy with, and something that would help players enjoy the game more.
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You do realize how nonsensical this claim is, right? The rest of the ladder deals with far wider variance so complaining for a measly 200 SR higher is absurd. Most of the ladder has wider variances within a match as is by like double that and up to five times that.
The difference in SR is less than the SR differences at lower ranks, but the difference in skill between 4k and 4.1, 4.1 and 4.2, 4.2 and 4.3, etc, is incredibly high. On the other hand, ive observed that there is a very small difference between 3k players and 3.1k players. The skill difference is simply immense, which is possibly why its so hard to create balanced games consistently.
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It’s honestly true though. I agree that there’s a ton of random variation within low ranks, but there is a consistent and major difference between small SR differences at high ranks.
Because of the way the matchmaker works, the higher up you get the harder it is to continue gaining SR. Just to stay in GM requires a >50% winrate. The higher you climb, the less SR you gain per win and the more SR you lose. The skill gradient gets steeper and steeper.
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That’s not what you said though. I can agree a gap at the top of 100 SR is wider than a 100 SR gap lower down. But to claim it’s by magnitudes of six is way too far. I agree the climb gets harder the higher up you go but to act like 100 SR is the equivalent of over a rank’s difference in lower SR is… nonsensical.
As I said to OP I understand it gets harder and the smaller gaps matter more than an equal gap lower down but the degree being claimed is absurd. I can agree that 4.1 to 4.2 v 2.5 to 2.6 is a bigger gap of skill but to act like 4.1-4.2 is a bigger gap than 2.5 to 3.1 or similar is absurd. That’s my point. I agree with the essence but not the degree.
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I agree with this. There is a huge difference between 4.1k player and 4.3. I mean I never was that SR, but based on the streams that I follow I see it in their games, how much of an impact a lower or a higher SR player in those ranks has.
And yes Plat and Gold may be different in one way or another but on a greater scale of things they are basically the same.
As far as your problem goes, unfortunately I do not see an answer. The fact of the matter is there are so few of Tank players. I see so little of Tank mains in my Gold games and more so of other roles just testing out Tanks that it is ridiculous, and I can only imagine the impact that fact has on high ranked players.
Tank players in this game are like an endangered species and constant changes to Tanks does not really help the issue. Maybe it will be improved with OW2 and addition of new Tanks, but the core of the problem is that people simply do not like the gameplay of Tanks. Their role, basically, what they are supposed to do.
There will always be unbalanced games Tank wise, eve when OW2 comes out because it is unfortunately simply a role that does not appeal to the majority. Everyone wants to pew pew. Even in your Elo you have more DPS players than Support or Tanks.
I have seen 20 mins support Q’s as well in T500. The majority want to have Tanks and support in their games but they do not want to be the one playing it.
That’s because it’s individual difference. There are only a handful of players who can compete with top 500…and that’s top 500 players. Of course the difference between the best and the second best and the 3rd best feels huge for them. Sadly there aren’t enough people even good enough to be a fair match.
That will always be true.
That’s crazy dumb. The skill difference between 2600 and 3200 is massive. I know cuz I play in that rank. Quite literally my exact floating rank.
No only does the skill difference matter so does every other variable that rarely factors in top elo games (i know they can but it is way less likeky)
- Bad comps
- No team work
- Smurfs
- Lack of game sense (playing a dive comp on defense like if you were a Rein based brawling comp)
I wonder why. Couldn’t be that tanks get nothing but nerfs (unless it’s Rein+Zarya) and are either out classed or a shell of their former self.
Lmao all the low rank people taking issue with the way you explained skill gap instead of the queue issue you’re highlighting. Like, this isn’t even a debatable point, every single person ranked 4k or higher can confirm this, every single 100sr difference is more than or equal to an entire rank at lower ranks (i.e. 2200 to 2700). The reality is that plat players especially want to gate keep like plat is significantly more skillful of a rank than gold. It isn’t. Just like gold to silver there’s almost no discernable difference. It’s not the fault of the players, mind you, its an issue with the garbage matchmaker