@Brandoblu69
It is true that population decline is a big factor in the failure of sbmm. But it's far from the only cause. And removing it entirely as a cure all? That's like telling a patient with high cholesterol to stop taking their Lipitor. It just makes no sense at all. If bad sbmm is bad then no sbmm must be better? Just what???
"SBMM should be removed from ranked and normal game modes. Random matchmaking is safer and will promote a slower rate of player improvement over time. This could help keep the average player skill level lower, potentially increasing the game's lifespan."
Sorry to be that guy, but there is not one single statement in that paragraph that I can agree with. If you are in a flood zone and up to your neck in water, you don't say, "Hey, turn off the pumps. They're old and mostly broken anyway." Because then you would drown. Well, maybe YOU wouldn't. If you're, say, a top 10-15% player. Anyone else is dead on arrival. If you're looking for a way to speed up the inevitable population hemorrhage then you've found it.
And then you spend a curiously long amount of time explaining how sbmm, something you want to get rid of, should actually work. I know that you already know this, but in every single studio that builds shooters there are people who spend a good deal of their working day trying to figure out how to build a game with a high skill ceiling while at the same time ensuring that non-professional participants can have fun as well. To this day they have almost universally accepted the necessity for skill-based matchmaking. The fact that sbmm is virtually impossible to implement well, and completely impossible to maintain in the face of cheaters and smurfs, is beside the point. You can't put little league ball players in the same game with MLB professionals. And expect any of the players OR the spectators to think the results will be worthwhile. They won't be.
I know you're frustrated, but throwing the baby out with the bathwater is not the answer.
Interestingly though, every observation you made about the flaws behind skill assessment are 100% spot on.
Community ManagerCommunity Manager
