Ranked mode punishes you for playing well. It makes me not want to play the game.


(Dashiva) #1

I’m currently 10-10 in ranked mode. It’s a colossal waste of time. Out of the 10 matches I’ve won I’ve had to fight tooth and nail for 8 of the wins, essentially carrying the team. The losses are consistently the same pattern: 2-3 team mates who know what they’re doing, and 1-2 who shouldn’t be there. In 90% of the matches I’ve been the top player, often the only person with a remotely positive k/d ratio.

The problem with this is no matter how well I play relative to my team mates, if we lose I get punished. Therefore, there’s really no incentive to play ranked and to try to win if my team is obviously going to lose. This makes it so that ranked really isn’t a measure of skill, it’s the luck of the draw, at least in solo queue.

What Splash Damage really needs to do is to change the ranked algorithm. It needs to work less on win/loss percentage and more on personal skill vs. your team mates and the opposing team. Otherwise there is literally no reason to play ranked in solo queue, as it cannot possibly be a measure of your own personal skill. The whole experience has really soured me on playing Dirty Bomb.


(Sawbonez) #2

[QUOTE=Dashiva;563512]I’m currently 10-10 in ranked mode. It’s a colossal waste of time. Out of the 10 matches I’ve won I’ve had to fight tooth and nail for 8 of the wins, essentially carrying the team. The losses are consistently the same pattern: 2-3 team mates who know what they’re doing, and 1-2 who shouldn’t be there. In 90% of the matches I’ve been the top player, often the only person with a remotely positive k/d ratio.

The problem with this is no matter how well I play relative to my team mates, if we lose I get punished. Therefore, there’s really no incentive to play ranked and to try to win if my team is obviously going to lose. This makes it so that ranked really isn’t a measure of skill, it’s the luck of the draw, at least in solo queue.

What Splash Damage really needs to do is to change the ranked algorithm. It needs to work less on win/loss percentage and more on personal skill vs. your team mates and the opposing team. Otherwise there is literally no reason to play ranked in solo queue, as it cannot possibly be a measure of your own personal skill. The whole experience has really soured me on playing Dirty Bomb.[/QUOTE]

I completely agree. I made an account just to post that I agree with this 99%.

To play devil’s advocate with the remaining 1%, it’s the same problem in lot of MMOs. I am certain CS:GO has had players complaining about this since its launch too, with the whole “forced 50” algorithm kicking in. I don’t think forced 50 is wrong, but I think placements ought to be better balanced and reflective of experience and skill. I got placed with several silvers and bronze players in my placement games (one game, I was matched with a group of silvers against a cobalt and some golds and silvers). I lost many games because players (not the previous example, but other games) had no idea how the game mode worked (friendly fire, objectives, etc.), disregarded comp completely (I always field a medic, objective specialist, and my best merc because no one ever plays the first two in my tier), or the matchmaking was just completely skewed. I ended up getting placed as silver recruit, and have since been demoted to bronze. I play min 10 servers and frequently top the leaderboards, and I can hold my own ground decently on min 20 servers (I personally feel these are more competitive/realistic for ranked than the current ranked mode).

Personally, I have the most problems with griefers, trolls, team killers, and AFKers; not just leavers, but people who intentionally AFK by moving around every so often so they don’t get autokicked. Sadly, most players fail to vote out these AFKers in ranked games, and it’s one of the most frustrating feelings when you realise your 5th teammate has gone AFK in the 2nd half, after you and your team dominated the 1st.

Bad players and teammates are it’s own problem. People not playing ranked properly are another, and a bigger issue that needs to be addressed. The ranked experience is sour for me too, and I’m less inclined to “grind” ranked games if it’s going to be a random draw with leavers and griefers coming into games.


(Sawbonez) #3

[QUOTE=Dashiva;563512]I’m currently 10-10 in ranked mode. It’s a colossal waste of time. Out of the 10 matches I’ve won I’ve had to fight tooth and nail for 8 of the wins, essentially carrying the team. The losses are consistently the same pattern: 2-3 team mates who know what they’re doing, and 1-2 who shouldn’t be there. In 90% of the matches I’ve been the top player, often the only person with a remotely positive k/d ratio.

The problem with this is no matter how well I play relative to my team mates, if we lose I get punished. Therefore, there’s really no incentive to play ranked and to try to win if my team is obviously going to lose. This makes it so that ranked really isn’t a measure of skill, it’s the luck of the draw, at least in solo queue.

What Splash Damage really needs to do is to change the ranked algorithm. It needs to work less on win/loss percentage and more on personal skill vs. your team mates and the opposing team. Otherwise there is literally no reason to play ranked in solo queue, as it cannot possibly be a measure of your own personal skill. The whole experience has really soured me on playing Dirty Bomb.[/QUOTE]

I completely agree. I made an account just to post that I agree with this 99%.

To play devil’s advocate with the remaining 1%, it’s the same problem in lot of MMOs. I am certain CS:GO has had players complaining about this since its launch too, with the whole “forced 50” algorithm kicking in. I don’t think forced 50 is wrong, but I think placements ought to be better balanced and reflective of experience and skill. I got placed with several silvers and bronze players in my placement games (one game, I was matched with a group of silvers against a cobalt and some golds and silvers). I lost many games because players (not the previous example, but other games) had no idea how the game mode worked (friendly fire, objectives, etc.), disregarded comp completely (I always field a medic, objective specialist, and my best merc because no one ever plays the first two in my tier), or the matchmaking was just completely skewed. I ended up getting placed as silver recruit, and have since been demoted to bronze. I play min 10 servers and frequently top the leaderboards, and I can hold my own ground decently on min 20 servers (I personally feel these are more competitive/realistic for ranked than the current ranked mode).

Personally, I have the most problems with griefers, trolls, team killers, and AFKers; not just leavers, but people who intentionally AFK by moving around every so often so they don’t get autokicked. Sadly, most players fail to vote out these AFKers in ranked games, and it’s one of the most frustrating feelings when you realise your 5th teammate has gone AFK in the 2nd half, after you and your team dominated the 1st.

Bad players and teammates are it’s own problem. People not playing ranked properly are another, and a bigger issue that needs to be addressed. The ranked experience is sour for me too, and I’m less inclined to “grind” ranked games if it’s going to be a random draw with leavers and griefers coming into games.

EDIT: I tried editing my post but it disappeared. Sorry if this is a double post.


(binderr) #4

Ranked is completely broken, no wonder they have alpha slapped on it. I love the game but can’t stand competitive, its no fun at all. Even with all the incentive to get you playing competitive, its just a frustrating mess thus why should I waste my 30min of time. Ide rather just have a pub match and have some fun win or lose!


(Glottis-3D) #5

first of all.

  1. ranked system DOES count your position (best player is punished LESS and is rewarded MORE)
  2. ranks are messed up because of several reasons:
  • team-boosting of ratings for 5v5
  • winning/loosing spree boosting
  • bugs in the algorithm, that caused badly balanced team compostions due to “duos”
  1. though ranked system is self-consistent and eventual will distribute ranks correctly, but above reasons make this time very large.

next season we very much hope that all the mistakes are gone.
most of all 5v5 boosting


(RectalTerror) #6

& what would that even change? It’s not like the one you kicked will be replaced.

I’ve gone AFK in some ranked matches btw, to boycott it. It’s simply not acceptable to be put in a team of pure noobs, I want a challenge, & if the game is so poorly balanced that it’s spawn-rape for 15min, I refuse to be part of it.

Ranked punishment sucks btw, we can’t even TAKE it, and go play another match. That’s why people stay there, because they can’t leave, thake their penalty, and play another match (that will most likely be crap, anyway). Penalty or not, you simply cannot play another match.


(shaftz0r) #7

Maybe you shouldnt have moved. AMIRIGHT?

I honestly dont really feel this problem much. its probably because i havent been playing alot and enjoy jumping in and carrying random noobies to victory :stuck_out_tongue:

seriously though, i think the macro issue is the player pool. it happened when qlive came out in a big way, and was always an issue in the ET community. Theres a large learning curve, and not enough players to support “youth development”. This game has had such a long release period, that most people have already gotten over it. the same maps for years, and from the onlooker, the only thing that has changed at all is the movement. /shrugs. kbye