Scenario Matchmaking Rework Megathread

[Hazmy]

Scenario Matchmaking Rework Megathread


Hey Everyone

This Scenario Matchmaking Megathread has been created to group together all feedback and duplicate threads, that's specifically asking for adjustments or information about Scenario Matchmaking. For now we'll merge all such threads into this one to provide clarity on the subject and also keep the forums a bit more clean.

There is a Scenario Queue Rewrite in the works that is high priority for the Team to finish, and we hope to be able to share even more news with you in the future!

August 2023, Developer Update

The Scenario Queue rework has been officially announced in the August-2023 Developer Update, where you can read about the rest of the announcements too, but just in case we'll post it below for you to read:

Scenario Queue Rewrite:

We are working on a complete rewrite of the Scenario Queue system.

The current state of the scenario queue system has its problems as I am sure everyone is aware.

Scenarios being created with weird archetype combinations and people being able to join games in unfair ways.

The main problem we have is that testing the scenario queue system is really not possible.

Without going into too much technical detail the small scenario system which we had written years and years ago had been continuously built upon and it has become a very complicated bit of code with many moving parts.

One change could cause problems but we didn’t really have a way of tracing it down without doing all the calculations in your head.

The new system will allow us to apply fixes and changes without needing to restart the game server, meaning we can implement new features throughout the week.

The primary focus of this redesigned system will be on optimizing team formation.

We want to ensure that teams aren't repeatedly matched against opponents that are repeatedly winning without them standing a chance.

To achieve this, we're implementing a diverse set of metrics to prevent any attempts to exploit the system.

We are also hoping to improve the scenario grouping if for any reason a premade is put against a pick up group. Although we want to mainly not mix pugs and premades.

Our approach is dynamic, with the match criteria adapting to balance games and expanding the player pool for those who've been in the queue for an extended duration

[trh382]

I would divide the issue into three cases:

1. Medium-High Population times where 2 or more scenarios are firing.

During these times more weight should be put on match balancing and composition so that the games are more fun.

2. Low Population times when 1 scenario is firing

During these times you want to ensure that people can continue to play the game. I recommend adding an interface identical to the rank queue tracker which shows how many of each class are in queue on each side. Have this run for t1, mid tier, and t4 in the same window.

By examining what is going on with the queue, players can coordinate to make sure at least one of the queues are popping and they can play the game.

3. Very Low Population times when zero scenarios are firing

I suggest that you implement cross faction discordant queue, similar to the solo ranked queue during the dead times late NA etc when players simply cannot get a scenario pop at all. Same interface as above as well, so that everyone can see what is queued in t1/mid tier/t4 and relog as appropriate to get games.

For the mixed discordant pops, I would require at least 1 tank and 1 healer per 12 players in all games for the scenario to fire - otherwise the game is basically unplayable.

[Poknok]

2. Low Population times when 1 scenario is firing
...
I recommend adding an interface identical to the rank queue tracker which shows how many of each class are in queue on each side. Have this run for t1, mid tier, and t4 in the same window.

.
This would be great.

[GONDOR]

I hope it doesn't place too much emphasis on the 2/2/2, or the need to group to get pops.

There was a lot of chill being able to jump on and punch out a few discordants in an evening.

Sometimes you just want to play and not have to stuff around for 20-40 minutes with group comps and comms.

[Speedyluck]

i only have one request and its fast pop, i dont mind prem vs pugs or no heal or no tank or anything, just keep scs popping this is my only request tyvm.

[JohnnyWayne]

To quote myself:

The best way to go about it, is creating a bucket system that kicks off matches every one or so minute.

You gotta calculate a score for each invdividual and each possible team composition. Use an optimization algorithm like ant colony for that.

Individual score needs to include rr, time in queue, "fun" factor (Aka how was the recent wl / how hard were previous matches).

Then you abstract on party level for group size and how good the combination synergizes. Add archetype matching. 1/4/1 setups are fine as long as they are mirrored on the other side aswell. You can use something like entropy (with little adjustments) as a measure. Don't go lower than that. Don't match solo players against a premade except the match maker is struggeling and the wait weight gets too high. Queue times should not exceed 5 minutes. At the moment solo players on order wait up to 30 minutes. If push comes to show, build a dps only sc or something. It is still playable and might be fun.

Redesign the reward structure for SCs. Give each SC a pool of sc end rewards that increases the longer an SC goes. Design it in a way that hard fights give at least as much reward as stomps. Players need transparency on what is in the queue. Archetypes, parties and their sizes, players in general. People get the chance to switch and adjust to benefit the match maker this way.

DO NOT give premades or certain archetypes preferred placement in queue. That is what cause the situation we have right now.

With this setup, a constant optimization of matches created (that even works in low pop) no distinction for population is required. An actual weight for having fun in SCs leads to people not only having hard matches, this is not ranked after all. The statistics about archetypes and groups and their respective sizes in the queue, hopefully helps players to see whats needed in the queue and balance it out for better matches.

Also to mention it, I have implemented a similar heuristics based / swarm intelligence optimization approach for customers, so its not just empty talk.

[Dackjanielz]

i only have one request and its fast pop, i dont mind prem vs pugs or no heal or no tank or anything, just keep scs popping this is my only request tyvm.

This guy doesn't speak for all of us.

I never want to see a premade vs pug happen ever again for as long as i live. its by far the worst thing that exists on this server and is toxic as hell.

It rivals perhaps even GTDC's existence which thankfully was fixed.

Put an end to this elitism farming once and for all. Thank you guys.

[lemao]

i only have one request and its fast pop, i dont mind prem vs pugs or no heal or no tank or anything, just keep scs popping this is my only request tyvm.

This guy doesn't speak for all of us.

I never want to see a premade vs pug happen ever again for as long as i live. its by far the worst thing that exists on this server and is toxic as hell.

It rivals perhaps even GTDC's existence which thankfully was fixed.

Put an end to this elitism farming once and for all. Thank you guys.

What should the "premade" do if there is no other premades queueing anymore on the other side because they just got beaten ?
Get punished and sit in queue for 1 hour until the next premade decides to queue ?

[Nameless]

For the love of gods remove barriers, allow free entrance to your own wc and bring guard's kills renown. Then pugs may try and at some point succeed at fighting premade.

I have many found memories from WAR where prems lose to good bunch of pug players. To achive that pug player need the leverage of save spot to retired and possibility to gain something even if that is guard kill

[Phantasm]

Spoiler:

What should the "premade" do if there is no other premades queueing anymore on the other side because they just got beaten ?
Get punished and sit in queue for 1 hour until the next premade decides to queue ?

Go to sleep? What do you think solo player do when he gets paired over and over against same premade group queing in low pop hours?

DPS only queue could be a nice event, worth to test it. I many times had lots of fun in such scenarios.