Problem: Currently, the primary problem which causes imbalance in PvP battles is the queue system and how it actively creates imbalanced numbers of players for the teams. It MUST be the case that both teams roster remain as closely balanced as possible from the beginning of the game to the end. If you seed a game with 5 Fed players and 1 Kling for even just the first 30 seconds of a match, it creates an unfair advantage.
Solution: Reprogram the queue system to pull in new players IF and only IF "Team A" has a maximum of one less player than "Team B" AND "Team B" has a player being notified to join. Also, shut down games where several players leave causing an unfair advantage if and only if the smaller side has no additional players waiting in queue. In this situation make the reward smaller (by % completed, or a generic "unfinished match" amount) for those who are still in the match when it is cut short of the typical objective due to insufficient players.
A fair match is ALWAYS more fun than a free win (or jumping into a match that is certain to be a loss). The current system for queuing players into PvP arenas creates unfair conditions which (speaking for myself and probably many others) takes a lot of the fun out of the game.
The Dev's say they are watching. I've seen this suggestion before on these forums. I want to see a fix to the current pvp queue system.
Generally (barring this and a couple other fixable issues) I am VERY impressed with the pvp balance in the game. Good work Cryptic!
I am 100% in agreement with you. The current PvP queue system is disgusting. I am tired of joining matches being the only one in it and I mean I am the ONLY person in it. Not even the klinks have anyone on their team. If there are other people, it is completely lopsided with 10 klinks and 4 feds or the reverse. Either way it is absolutely NO fun at all.
Rather than just shutting down un-even games, which would be frustrating, given the amount of time it takes to even GET IN a match, why not just have a scaling buff on the side with less numbers? You could have an HP/Shield/Damage buff that drops as you get more players on your side, or if players on the other side dropped out, and that would disappear when teams were of even size (even if it was 2v2).
The only real way to fix this is to stop people queuing for more than one arena at a time; that's the real cause of the problem.
The game finds that there are enough people on each side to start the match, but then half the players go to a different arena instead.
I saw this in action yesterday. At Commander rank, there only seemed to be 5 Klingons doing ground PvP; they would queue for all three ground maps at once, so all three would launch at the same time. Then we have 5 Klingons between 3 arenas.
I agree completely the queue system needs some major work. Imbalanced games are mostly annoying. I say mostly because I have actually managed to win 3 or 4 v 5 before on both sides and it was always a challenge. I even did pretty good in a 2 on 5 once but we eventually lost. We did give them a good run for their money though
The major problem is when there is one player on one side and five on the other. Then that player gets bored and leaves and is replaced by another, who gets frustrated... meanwhile the other team is just sitting around and it lookes from the scoreboard like there are multiple enemies in the game, but none show up, so they get bored and leave. Then there's the infamous one player alone on a map situation. Yeah, that's fun :rolleyes: If they'd fix the queue system it would alleviate a lot of the balance issues in the game right now.
They should also make it so neither side can move until both teams are full so that the first team to fill doesn't just spawn camp the other- yes, it's mostly Klingons that do this since we tend to join games faster due to shorter queues, but I've seen Fed teams do it too given the opportunity. Not allowing a team to move until both sides are ready would remove this problem.
I even did pretty good in a 2 on 5 once but we eventually lost.).
I won a ground 2v5 once. It was tough going. We were using all powers and got though a whole stack of hypos. We constantly fell back, using cover and switching between expose and exploit weapons. It was close but we just nicked it. They were the toughest 2 guys I ever fought.
The problem is that the PvP queue already judges how balanced the teams are based on notifications. People get notified, then drop out or snooze the notification. Those that accept are sucked in to a game that the queue thinks is balanced, because it notified the proper number of people.
The problem is that the PvP queue already judges how balanced the teams are based on notifications. People get notified, then drop out or snooze the notification. Those that accept are sucked in to a game that the queue thinks is balanced, because it notified the proper number of people.
Exactly.
This is the primary feature of the entire game that needs immediate attention. It should be the one and only priority until it is resolved. For me, its a deal breaker for my subscription where other little imbalances and bugs are forgivable and are being resolved over time.
This is the primary feature of the entire game that needs immediate attention. It should be the one and only priority until it is resolved. For me, its a deal breaker for my subscription where other little imbalances and bugs are forgivable and are being resolved over time.
The devs probably expected that most people would form a team of 5 players and join the queue as a team, on both sides. So that way you would have a good situation.
But the way people behave; joining solo, finding a pick up group, some not even teaming up once inside the instance; and people disbanding when it's over to requeue the exact same queue... is dumb. Blame the players as much as the queue system there.
Anyway; there's always the possibility of private matches where the PvP is VERY different; both teams are organized, and ready when the match begins. And you realize that many of the so called "imbalances" proclaimed on the forums are just by products of bad organisation / teamplay.
There is no way to justify your blame of the players vs the devs on this issue. Its a design flaw. The queue system needs an overhaul. Players are currently doing the best they can with a really bad system.
Again, the game is excellent. The queuing system is terrible.
If matches aren't populated evenly, then all other balance issues no longer matter, because you cannot have a fair game without some semblance of fair teams. The more similar the teams, the better the competition. As it stands, the competition is rarely even.
Comments
The game finds that there are enough people on each side to start the match, but then half the players go to a different arena instead.
I saw this in action yesterday. At Commander rank, there only seemed to be 5 Klingons doing ground PvP; they would queue for all three ground maps at once, so all three would launch at the same time. Then we have 5 Klingons between 3 arenas.
The major problem is when there is one player on one side and five on the other. Then that player gets bored and leaves and is replaced by another, who gets frustrated... meanwhile the other team is just sitting around and it lookes from the scoreboard like there are multiple enemies in the game, but none show up, so they get bored and leave. Then there's the infamous one player alone on a map situation. Yeah, that's fun :rolleyes: If they'd fix the queue system it would alleviate a lot of the balance issues in the game right now.
They should also make it so neither side can move until both teams are full so that the first team to fill doesn't just spawn camp the other- yes, it's mostly Klingons that do this since we tend to join games faster due to shorter queues, but I've seen Fed teams do it too given the opportunity. Not allowing a team to move until both sides are ready would remove this problem.
I won a ground 2v5 once. It was tough going. We were using all powers and got though a whole stack of hypos. We constantly fell back, using cover and switching between expose and exploit weapons. It was close but we just nicked it. They were the toughest 2 guys I ever fought.
Exactly.
This is the primary feature of the entire game that needs immediate attention. It should be the one and only priority until it is resolved. For me, its a deal breaker for my subscription where other little imbalances and bugs are forgivable and are being resolved over time.
The devs probably expected that most people would form a team of 5 players and join the queue as a team, on both sides. So that way you would have a good situation.
But the way people behave; joining solo, finding a pick up group, some not even teaming up once inside the instance; and people disbanding when it's over to requeue the exact same queue... is dumb. Blame the players as much as the queue system there.
Anyway; there's always the possibility of private matches where the PvP is VERY different; both teams are organized, and ready when the match begins. And you realize that many of the so called "imbalances" proclaimed on the forums are just by products of bad organisation / teamplay.
There is no way to justify your blame of the players vs the devs on this issue. Its a design flaw. The queue system needs an overhaul. Players are currently doing the best they can with a really bad system.
Again, the game is excellent. The queuing system is terrible.
If matches aren't populated evenly, then all other balance issues no longer matter, because you cannot have a fair game without some semblance of fair teams. The more similar the teams, the better the competition. As it stands, the competition is rarely even.
Me? No... what makes you think that?