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nebwise's avatar
nebwise
4 years ago

Comprehensive S12 Wishlist (and beyond)

Apex Wishlist (Console) @EA_Kent , @EA_Atic , @EA_Darko  The following is a response to devs' open call for player feedback and suggestions based on my own experience, conversations with dozens of ...
gameplay discussion
Asmodeus566's avatar
Asmodeus566
Hero+
4 years ago

@nebwise 

Again thanks for your comments.

If you look you can see from previous posts I have written that I am a big supporter of team play. 

The recent changes to the ranked RP system I think have been overall good. it allows lower skilled players the possibility to gain more RP however it has also had a negative impact as well in so far as encouraging hot drop and the me me me way of thinking which of course not cohesive with team play as you mentioned.

Team RP would be great if it was added in some shape way or form.

I would also advocate the possibility to being able to gain some sort of RP for reviving  downed teammates along with re-spawning boxed teammates. This would need to be capped so as to limit and or avoid abuse. I think this would go a long way into incentivizing team play. We all know that not every player is the good gunman.  How many times has a good revive/respawn lead the team to victory or higher placement. Supporting the team other than performing kills and assists needs to be rewarded more and it would provide more of a reason to help out that other player and reduce the me me me mentality.

What do you think about this?

nebwise's avatar
nebwise
4 years ago

@Asmodeus566 The changes to ranked scoring are problematic for two major reasons:


First, if you're a weak player, you're not winning fights. More KP for the same performance doesn't reward weaker players, it simply accelerates higher-performing ones out of lower ranks faster. That means, as a weak player, you'll have less time with teammates who could teach you to play better.


Second, raising the KP cap incentivizes high-kill players to kill more, which starves their teammates of KP in lower-rank lobbies where solo play is more feasible, or splits squads actively trying to play together as high-kill players rocket ahead.


Consider that an ideal game of 60 equally-skilled players is halved after the first fight, to 30 players with one kill. After the second fight, we get 15 players with two kills, and only five squads left. After the third fight, we're effectively at 7 players with an average three kills.


So, the theoretical baseline Apex "game of attrition" is three even fights, three kills per person, and a final circle of two teams and a straggler.


Which leads us to the core Apex paradox: by combat skills alone, evenly-matched players can only expect three kills per game. To average more than three kills/game through attrition, you're either manipulating or abusing your teammates, matched to lower-skill players, or cheating.


As players climb up ranks, there's a clarifying effect: your opponents are increasingly closer to your skill level. At some point, the determining factor shifts from combat skill to strategy and tactics. Ideally, this provides a natural pivot-point that forces squads to work cohesively toward progress.


Player skills are complex and dynamic. There's no substitute for the growth each season found in natural progression up the rank ladder. It takes practice to be a good squad, and squadmates learn more from each other when given more playtime. Incentivizing kills breaks this up.


It feels good, but the risk of a higher kill-cap is more fragmented teams, and mid/high-level players orphaned in plat and diamond rank. Over-incentivizing kills creates a self-sabotaging Apex Games by disrupting squad formation. This seems to be where we are now, and why it's so critical to share KP between teammates or award RP for notable non-kill achievements.