Commander match making system
Sling_Blade
Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 3412Members, Reinforced - Shadow
Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 3412Members, Reinforced - Shadow
One of the biggest problems in Natural Selection is that games are inconsistent due to the randomness of each team having a good commander. Sometimes you have a good commander, sometimes you have a bad one, sometimes you have multiple good commanders who want to command on the same team.
Given how crucial this role is, I think that NS needs matchmaking and statistics/ranking for the commander role. Ideally matchmaking would be THE way commanders are selected. It could still happen the way it does now, but with any new game matchmaking commanders should have priority. The Players could also vote to find a new commander if they don't like the one they get. Also, it would be nice if you could enter the commander matchmaking system while playing a game as a marine/alien. I would also recommend that you make voice mandatory for someone entering the commander matchmaking system. Perhaps a quick "mic check" before they can enter the system.
Matchmaking for all players might be an interesting experiment as well, but the commander role is clearly the role that needs it the most, and would be the best place to start.
EDIT: Just to clarify, I'm suggesting that the matchmaking system work across all servers. This isn't about finding the best commander on a server, it's about allowing people who want to command find games on other servers that need a commander.
Given how crucial this role is, I think that NS needs matchmaking and statistics/ranking for the commander role. Ideally matchmaking would be THE way commanders are selected. It could still happen the way it does now, but with any new game matchmaking commanders should have priority. The Players could also vote to find a new commander if they don't like the one they get. Also, it would be nice if you could enter the commander matchmaking system while playing a game as a marine/alien. I would also recommend that you make voice mandatory for someone entering the commander matchmaking system. Perhaps a quick "mic check" before they can enter the system.
Matchmaking for all players might be an interesting experiment as well, but the commander role is clearly the role that needs it the most, and would be the best place to start.
EDIT: Just to clarify, I'm suggesting that the matchmaking system work across all servers. This isn't about finding the best commander on a server, it's about allowing people who want to command find games on other servers that need a commander.
Comments
- No way to measure commander skill. You can be the best commander in the world and still lose the game because your team can't follow orders or can't aim very well.
- What if the system determines me to be the best suitable commander but I don't actually want to command that round?
- What if I have been a bad commander in the past or my rating simply got screwed up due to bad teams and the system would never actually allow me to learn from my past mistakes by never giving me the chance to command a team again?
- Commanders can already be ejected per vote if they are bad and then someone who has proven more able during the match can take the spot instead.
The current commander system is fine as it is, it just requires some communication and social tolerance from the players as opposed to replacing it with a soulless mechanic.
It's win/loss ratio. Yes your team is a part of this metric but over many games this should even out leaving the commander's skill as the only varying factor. Also getting voted out of the chair should have a detrimental impact to your score. Games like DOTA rank as well. Any team game has this problem, it doesn't mean you can't rank people. The goal of ranking is simply to try to help match similarly skilled commanders.
"What if the system determines me to be the best suitable commander but I don't actually want to command that round?"
I'm not suggesting you choose from a pool of people on a server. I'm suggesting that anyone, on any server, that wants to command can enter the commander match making system. The system finds games that are about to start or who need a commander and then connects the player to the best match, taking into account ping, the other commander's skill ranking, how full the server is, etc. The system would be voluntary, it would never make someone command who didn't want to.
"What if I have been a bad commander in the past or my rating simply got screwed up due to bad teams and the system would never actually allow me to learn from my past mistakes by never giving me the chance to command a team again?"
Ranking systems deal with this. Usually older games count less towards your rank, newer ones more, eventually making old games insignificant to your rank. If someone is doing absolutely terrible and constantly getting voted out they need to go practice on a private server because they clearly have no clue what they are doing.
"Commanders can already be ejected per vote if they are bad and then someone who has proven more able during the match can take the spot instead."
Yes, but usually by that point the game is ruined and players have to suffer through a slow defeat before they can even have a chance at winning again. That is what this is trying to avoid. I think the ranking system and statistics would also encourage players to command more, especially if they are good at it.