Advice on Ranked Battles

Not trying to be difficult here, but

"ranked matches are a place where players compete against each other in terms of strength, so the most important thing to consider when designing a ranked match is to create a system that can properly evaluate players' abilities"

reads to me like an argument in favor of the drop ship, not against it.

The only assumption I can make as to why you would use this as an argument in favor of fixed drops is if you believe that the only skill set worth assessing and using to judge rank is simple mechanical skill. I'm inferring that you mean to say that judgement in dropping, or skills used to survive a bad drop, are not really skills at all. What are they then? Luck?

Since this is a post aimed at developers, I won't be getting into a debate here, but I'd like to briefly state my personal opinion.

In a nutshell, skills are all the skills you need to become a champion.　Whether you use a dropship system or a POI system, both require skill.

However, the dropship system can be said to be flawed as a system for selecting strong players. The dropship system allows for rapid troop depletion, making it possible to climb the ranks without fighting. Of course, it is equally possible to climb the ranks without fighting in the POI system, but this requires a greater understanding of the game and a more skilled player.

The same is true for the initial fight. If it's a one-team battle, you may be able to pick up weapons. Furthermore, if multiple teams gather in the same place at the same time, it will be disastrous. Of course, you will need to have the skill to survive, but there will obviously be a large element of luck involved.　With the POI system, you can always pick up weapons. You can also predict whether or not there will be an initial fight. Even if multiple units launch an initial fight, an experienced player can win and control the battlefield.　Obviously, there is less luck involved. Of course, there is an element of luck involved depending on your initial landing location and arsenal, but this is minor compared to the increased luck involved with using a dropship.

The dropship system also makes it easier for multiple teams to team up illegally.

With the POI system, if you're a solo player, knowing where you'll be landing and what weapons are available in your arsenal before choosing your character will help you fill in any gaps in your teammate's composition.

The explanation is much appreciated. A lot of people seem to love one system or the other but are not always able to articulate the whys and wherefores.

"The dropship system allows for rapid troop depletion, making it possible to climb the ranks without fighting."

Without fighting, or without fighting AS MUCH? And how far is it mathematically possible to climb without engaging at some point? And is that a viable strategy for anyone who takes ranks seriously? Let's say that a player just so happens to be a "drop cold, rat to final three" kind of player. Just how far up the ladder can you expect to go with that mindset? Even in a season that favors placement? 

Play styles will differ depending on the server in each country, and since we don't have concrete data, we can't give you a definite number.　Because without data, discussing numbers is meaningless because it's just a delusion.

What is certain is that the POI system makes it more difficult to become a champion, as it requires skill to reduce the number of battles.　There is an element of luck in the POI system, but not as much as in the dropship system.

I love that response because you said exactly what I've been saying for years:

The thing I love about battle royale as a game type, the entire reason I left arena shooters years ago, is because br is so much more complex than Halo slayer or CoD deathmatch. And for me a huge part of that complexity is risk management. I can't get any better at aim than I already am, but I've spent the last seven years in this game learning how to assess risk, avoid risk, and learning to know when taking it offers a reward that's worth the danger. So when someone says "there's an element of luck in the drop ship system," they're absolutely right. To my way of thinking the game shouldn't seek to eliminate the role of luck. Players should seek to learn to manage it. And I'm living proof that it's a skill set and that learning it can make big differences in outcomes. I still can't hit the broad side of a barn with an automatic, but I can pick and choose the time and place and terms of engagement with surgical precision.

Now if what you're really talking about is idiot jump masters who go into ranked matches in order to hot drop and die in 19th place... yeah, those people are legion, and yes, the elimination of the drop ship is one partial solution to that problem. Another would be to encourage players to stack with teammates who are known quantities. I know that isn't easy to do, but any given player's rank is already artificially capped if he's insists on trying to rank up with randoms. No matter which drop system the game uses.

Or so says me.