I agree with you. That doesn’t mean Activision doesn’t psychologically manipulate players to keep them playing.
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How are they manipulating us LMAO?
I play the game because I like the game.
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The closest thing to manipulation in the game right now that I may agree with you is that there is way too much positive reinforcement in the game. Making is way too easy to think that they’re better than they are just because they got some flashy feedback or god forbid a gold medal. The game just generally needs to tell players where they need to improve more actively.
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I like the game too. Doesn’t mean I can’t tell when I’m the weak link, or expected to carry. If I weren’t being manipulated, I’d be playing players closer ro my skill every match, but that is not the case. Not by a long shot.
Majority of games is around your MMR. Some games arent, because it is still dice roll on team mates and it is not fixable unless blizz will use AI bots instead of team mates.
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Then please explain why:
How is that manipulation? So you think that you dont deserve SR if you win a match?
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I can play like trash get carried and still earn SR. No manipulation there? I obviously dont belong in that rank, but climb anyway?
Yes and thats why you will receive less SR as it was explained in your quote 
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I just found a google doc for that which is like 150+ pages and I’m not about to read that right now…
But in the brief reading I did do…
A. No mention of Overwatch
B. Algorithmic approach
- select 1st player team 1
- select 1st player team 2
- and so on
Didn’t read the details of how it selects the additional players but I’m curious. That said, I really would be surprised if this applies to Overwatch as it’s based around a console platform.
It outlines the peripherals more of the likes of an Xbox than it does a ubiquitous gaming computer setup
- though there is a mouse and keyboard adaptation, it’s still designed around a console.
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I agree that if you do well and improve you will climb. I also believe that the matchmaker purposefully pendulum swings your matches to make it take longer. This is bad because it causes a lot of players to be misjudged and put into games where they dont belong, thus artificially skewing MMR for everyone in that match.
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But why? For what purpose?
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To make it take longer (MAU).
To make it seem like you are improving when you aren’t.
So that you keep playing.
So the stats look good to board members.
So that CEO gets a raise.
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Honestly I myself have to further read it. The stuff is very long. Of course it’s not going to mention which game it is tied to. I will read the whole thing eventually and make a judgement call then.
I still believe blizzard uses it.
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While yes some matches feel easier and harder as you go I don’t believe it is intentional or anything like “this player won three games in a row, time for them to lose or time for a hard one.” At lower ranks players are going to be stupid inconsistent, not to mention someone may have godlike aim but trash positioning and game sense but have it mitigated by some teams and exploited by others. The same is true in reverse.
What? It doesnt make any sense. Game is trying to make your climbing longer by letting you go up and down but you are not improving? I Dont get it lol. If you are not improving, of course you will be climbing very long time
It doesnt have to be longer. Why should any developer make your climbing longer to keep you lower then you belong? It would only damage integrity of whole system.
Also if you are 2000 ranked and your skill would be 2500:
Long Climb: frustration from not climbing while playing good
Short Climb: happinnes from climbing
So forced longer climbing process is not really beneficial to anyone.
It does take a very long time to climb in this game. To reach where you actually belong. I think we discussed this before with svb’s great rank debate.
So I have a low plat account that I’d like to eventually climb to diamond
(Diamond being my peak it just takes forever so I just play on my main and my alt both in Diamond)…
I played a couple games on it the other day and yes I agree with you. I soloqueued on Monday last week. 5 wins straight (placement games). No throwers or leavers on either side.
Considering I’m playing about 600 SR below my peak of 3150, I’d say I was smurfing.
Of those 5 games, I failed to achieve all golds (not that it matters) only once. After placements I stopped for the week on that account. I came back on Sunday to play some games and for 4 hrs straight, win 2 games, lose 2 games, win 2 lose 2. Until I was finally on that win 2 streak and I was exhausted and frustrated and did EVERYTHING I could to push through and I finally won the 3rd game.
In the games where I’d lose 2 in a row, one of those games I’d have all golds, a solid 3-4/1 elims/D ratio and in one of those lost pairs of games, I literally couldn’t do anything (no medals, few kills) literally looked like a carried player.
And it wasn’t even because the enemy team had exceedingly impressive players, their teamwork was honestly “just better.”
If I remember, I’ll try to post a replay code from a game where i hard carrier and a game where I was a potato.
Overconfidence? Fatigue? Attitude? Not really sure. No comms maybe except for the poor mercy listening to me shot calling and telling my tanks to push even though nobody was in VC? 
A myriad of different issues. The final game came down to synergy between my Winston and me on dive… And we staggered the Ana and Mercy and they had no defense ult for junkrat tire which ultimately wiped point.
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Only when you smurf and SVB does smurf.
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Okay so then we’re likely looking at the same document? I’m hoping?
Either way… This IS an Activision IP and to assume that Blizzard wouldn’t change certain aspects of it to fit the format they’re using for Overwatch would be naive for both of us…