Forum Discussion

CapedCrusader42's avatar
CapedCrusader42
New Novice
9 months ago

Re: Ranked SBMM

Hi! Thank you for your response. While I totally understand and agree about it being a grind, my issue is with the subgrouping within ranked. Here is an excerpt from EA about the new ranked system:

  1. We are in the process of retiring our old Skill Based Matchmaking (SBMM) system for a new one that more accurately groups our players based on skill, and thus lets our matchmaking algorithm make better decisions when forming groups. The end goal is to create fairer matches and experiences that are more fun for all. 

My concern is that if lower skilled people are paired in easier lobbies, they can make it farther than better players with just more time, not more skill. Similarly, higher skilled players are consistently grouped with high skilled players, even in lower levels. That Isn’t a true representation of your rank.

4 Replies

  • reconzero's avatar
    reconzero
    Seasoned Ace
    9 months ago
    @CapedCrusader42

    "My concern is that if lower skilled people are paired in easier lobbies, they can make it farther than better players with just more time, not more skill. Similarly, higher skilled players are consistently grouped with high skilled players, even in lower levels. That Isn’t a true representation of your rank."

    Your concern is legitimate if you believe that most lower skill players will remain lower skill forever. And that's not usually the case. Most of them will improve over time and start moving up the ladder. How far they move and how fast they get there is another issue. But it doesn't sound at all to me as if Respawn is attempting to assess skill early in the season and then just lock a player into perpetually easy or hard lobbies based on that early experience. It sounds like they're trying to match teams in the same way they match lobbies, which is to say all three teammates or roughly equal skill. I'll believe that when I see it.
  • r1ggedgame's avatar
    r1ggedgame
    Seasoned Ace
    9 months ago
    @CapedCrusader42 Just ask yourself the question :
    If the SBMM Blogpost from Samy Duc would reflect the InGame Reality ... why are there still so many rants on this Forum about the Matchmaking ?
    Simple Answer : The Blogpost doesnt reflect the InGame reality ...
  • CapedCrusader42's avatar
    CapedCrusader42
    New Novice
    8 months ago

    Thank you for taking the time to read and respond. I know I’ve said a lot, but what drove me to write this (in hopes respawn sees this) is I’m just pointing out a discrepancy in skill in my actual game play with my friends. Said friend is Plat 3, has over 100 games more than me on the season and does decent damage in games (600-800+) when playing alone (he sends screenshots). However, when he plays with me in my current “Gold 3” lobbies, he barely does 200-300 damage and doesn’t usually win 1v1s.

     

    He has always been stuck in Gold before SBMM but with the addition of SBMM, he is in Plat and has hit Diamond. This shows that even though he hasn’t been progressing in skill (with all love and respect, he hasn’t), he’s able to progress his rank anyway because SBMM is pairing him with other lower skilled players and his rank isn’t an actual representation of his skill, it’s more just a representation of how long he plays.

     

    Meanwhile, a more skilled player in silver and gold is hitting a wall due to their higher SBMM rating pairing them with better players vs using their actual rank to match players together. If rank actually represented your skill, you wouldn’t need to have a background SBMM operating in addition to your rank, right? You could just use placement matches to start everyone at different ranks at the begging of the season and fill lobbies by rank +/- 1 tier if needed.

  • r1ggedgame's avatar
    r1ggedgame
    Seasoned Ace
    8 months ago

    @CapedCrusader42

    Rank != Skill
    i also get ranked matches with people parading 20bombs and 4k badges , often same or higher "rank" and they just melt away in my lobbies, doing a fraction of the damage or simply doing the most stupid tactical decisions.

    The only rank seasons that are actually worth the rank in skill are the most hated by the so called "casuals" : S6, S13 Split 1, S18, S19.

    And guess which seasons are said to be the most easy ones ... S5, S12, S17 ... can you see the theme why the others got  hated 😉 ? 

    But on the other hand its a good indicator , if you see smb parading a s17 or s12 diamond/master badge you'll instantly know what to expect ...
    A real master would be embarrassed flashing that s17 badge ...

    Respawn SBMM deals you crap players or unfilled teams on purpose.
    Wouldnt look good if one of their content creators would loose 100s of games in a row, so you get to play as cannon fodder

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