Forum Discussion

4 years ago

Arenas SBMM

Are you guys enjoying the SBMM in arenas? Anyone who’s read my threads know that I like to track my numbers. The last 53 consecutive games that I have played (across 3 days) have consisted EXCLUSIV...

discussion

Axs5626Sxa5001

4 years ago

@E9ine_ACThat’s the beautiful thing about tracking numbers— they don’t lie.

I played Daltoosh twice since arenas went live, and both of those occasions happened when queing with my PC friends.

I am LITERALLY only playing Masters and Preds. Perhaps other variables are being tracked to determine ELO (I’m currently top 30 in the world on console for headshots for some reference).

I don’t know what to tell you. SBMM is harsh. I probably wouldn’t feel so demoralized if skilled players were rewarded but the fact remains that it’s actually more beneficial to be an average player (you can win just as much as a highly skilled player without having to practice to be skilled).

People absolutely love this sort of SBMM because it means they win more than they would if lobbies were made randomly.

E9ine_AC

Hero+

4 years ago

@Axs5626Sxa5001 So your top 30 in the world for headshots on console. This tells me you know how to point and shoot your gun properly. Which makes you a well above-average player. I feel you are playing verse people you should be playing against. You are top 30 in the world for headshots which means you know the basics and more of the game. I dont feel they should be placing you in lesser skilled lobbies. You are one the big boys you will be playing with the big boys.

Axs5626Sxa5001
4 years ago
@E9ine_AC

Eh. I feel that’s the way ranked should work— not non-ranked.

I feel like SBMM is noble in intent but has a really ugly “unintended consequence”. And that consequence is: players of all skill start winning and losing at similar rates. This is called “equal outcomes”.

I don’t like equal outcomes in PvP.

I think there should be equal outcomes in modes designated as “ranked”, because those modes require the player to opt into “tournament-level” matches.

But I feel like creating an environment where everyone wins equally does a disservice to the notion of becoming skilled. You don’t improve to lose more, you improve to win more. I’m losing more now (overall: pubs + ranked) than I did when I was average at the game.

Hear me out— I don’t want to exclusively play weaker players. That would be boring. But I also don’t want to exclusively play my doppelgänger. I just want a bit more variance from my pubs.

I spoke with someone yesterday that praised SBMM. They told me that skill shouldn’t matter in video games. They said that everyone deserves to win, regardless of skill. I have serious issues with this sort of thinking.
- E9ine_AC
  Hero+
  4 years ago
  @Axs5626Sxa5001 Well I also wonder with how sbmm is currently working in arena mode if this is not tailoring / testing for ranked once it releases.