Ranked Improvements / ALGS
After the Ranked Reset the ranked distribution looks almost unchanged. Except for the highest tiers.
So, what's the purpose of a split? I got demoted to Plat 4 from Plat 3. What?!?!
Ranked needs help from the top down. Top players are grinding for what? I like the cosmetic items and all for lower tiers. But Predators need something to "boast" about. Higher tier players are the ones streaming and making a living off of being an "Apex Content Creator". They need something for their viewers to get "hype" about. I just finished watching Apex on Twitch and the content creators don't have a lot to be hype about and that sentiment is passed to their viewers, which is bad for "marketing".
I mentioned in previous posts that these players need better rewards, not just for them, for the hype it creates. A one-of-a-kind mythic gun skin for the #1 player. Now Unc will sit down and watch the young people play their best for that or whatever else. But Unc isn't going to watch you play around with your ALGS squad until 5pm scrims. I do watch scrims, mainly NiceWigg. But I would watch high tier Ranked play, if it were a thing. Right now, it's not. Basically, Ranked needs to "hang from a trophy" (mythic gun skin or something). With a better reward system and direction Ranked splits might become an outdated mechanic. Additionally, an end of season Apex Legends Predator Tournament would create a lot of hype and give spectators something additional to watch. Right now, Apex experiences the highest viewership for comp. I think there's room to expand on that.
Ranked is a bridge to the ALGS, whether that's accepted or not. Every pro player has grinded Ranked. The notion that there should be a "large" gap between Ranked and comp doesn't make sense to me. The current Ranked system is great because if provides some structure for the whole competitive ecosystem. That's why I was advocating for the "Stay with Team" feature, because that completes the new Ranked setup.
As a spectator I want to be able to watch the ALGS and when it goes off be able to play Apex and experience what I just enjoyed watching. This is the case with ALL sports. When I was growing up everybody wanted to be like Jordan, because of what we had seen in the NBA. This applies to Apex too, from an esports perspective. I'm sure there's plenty of young players who want to be the next ImperialHal. The current Ranked changes assist with starting that process.
I've been watching since the beginning, EXP Invitational 2019 . I've watched all of those kids become professionals within this community. Apex gained a competitive following out the gate. We can't downplay that. I'm trying to help you all understand the "big picture", not individual preferences. There are too many "individual preferences" to try and cater to, so the devs/community needs to find a "happy medium" that makes sense for competitive Apex. Because Apex is an Esport. I hope the competitive ecosystem continues to evolve. I hope the devs find a happy medium with the esport orgs, especially in regard to having some in-game cosmetics (again). All of these improvements will create more "fandom", not less.
Have fun in Japan!!!! :-)
