Re: DEVS Please Fix GAC
I’m not suggesting GP matchmaking. GP matchmaking is a problem because it incentivizes players to not grow as you pointed out.
So, what is your suggestion? I'm generally interested as you're clearly intelligent, have a very good grasp on GAC and are playing in Carbonite.
Honestly I think what you suggested seems like a solid feasible solution. In Carbonite, if higher GP players are grouped together in a division it helps newer or f2p players to have actual competitive matchups.
The issue with this is, you and a few others have pointed out that there's such a diversity of rosters in Carbonite, what is significantly more than the average? The other point is, what match ups in Carbonite do you have that aren't competitive?
I don't think F2P or not, has much influence. If you're P2W you either climb or are no better than the rosters in Carbonite already.
I think the way to account for the diversity of rosters is to simply make a cut-off. Like accounts over 4m GP are in the “higher” bracket while accounts below are in the “lower” bracket for example.
Hmmm, OK, I'm not anti that idea per se. I also have to concede that being a Kyber player, how much empathy and understanding can I have for the current Carbonite situation. However, if this condition was made for Carbonite, is there an intrinsic difference to Bronzium conditions? Wouldn't a player that moves up with lower GP in Carbonite, then want the same rules for Bronzium and so on?
help prevent newer players from having to pray that their opponents don’t play.
I think this has to be a new league, that is lower than Carbonite. This league would be sacred. You can't demote into it. It really needs to be seen as a training ground, where tadpoles can be tadpoles before they're swallowed up by full size cane toads. In that way, when a player does join Carbonite, they've at least had some positive experience and some experience on how to play GAC.
You don’t even need to implement this in the higher tiers of GAC, as the problem is not prevalent there. Really just Bronzium and Carbonite because after that the differences in rosters become more and more negligibe
I think this is a new player outlook on things. "The issue is with the very low leagues, they're OK up there". I'm in Kyber 2 below 12 million and I really feel it, vs bigger rosters. There are rosters that can flaunt their muscle, just like in the lower leagues. However, I'll let you know a secret now. If I ever get paired with a roster significantly lower in GP than me.....it terrifies me. They're obviously there for a reason. I reckon some of your opponents feel the same about you.
You also have to take to account, how much of a GP advantage is an advantage in Carbonite. With the size of a GAC in Carbonite, there's very little GP a high GP account can actually use. So, it comes down to efficiency. If you have the tools to take out what they have on defence, then they're in big trouble. And as we're seeing, when big accounts in Carbonite are in trouble, they reach for that white flag pretty quickly.
I’m sorry this is the one part of your proposal I disagree with.
Sorry isn't necessary. We both have an opinion. I feel you have more of a grasp on what is 'actually' happening in Carbonite. Where, I feel, I have a better grasp on the big picture and what we had before vs now. Either way, your opinion is valid and apologies aren't necessary.
Shouldn’t we be incentivizing players to be good at the game? To make good strategic decisions and know what they’re doing? In other games that’s exactly how it works, the person who is the best at the game is usually the winner,
The situation is, you find your optimum placement. You win (or lose) until you find your optimum placement, then you roughly go 50/50 until something significantly happens to your roster. You are incentive is that you are rewarded in where you are. Going 50/50 in Kyber gives you far better rewards than going 50/50 in Carbonite. So, the incentive is to get as high as possible, find your balance and then hold position until you makes a noticeable difference to your roster. The incentive is to climb, not to win unconditionally. If for example, I go 30/70 in a season in Kyber, I'm still doing far better than a player going 70/30 in Carbonite.
The issue for you is, why aren't you climbing more quickly than you are. You have quickly found a position where you are balanced, which is lower than what I would have expected. Is this down to how many larger rosters are competing in Carbonite, or how much GP small rosters are now. When Grand Arena (GAC) actually started 3 million GP was the cut off for the very biggest accounts. Even Ahnaldt101 wasn't a 3 million account. Now, we're seeing accounts starting their GAC journey at this size. Is this affecting division placement?
not the whale who opens their wallet.
Again, you mention 'whales' or 'p2w'. This isn't the issue. Either, their spending is effective and they disappear upwards quickly or it isn't and are on par with their current league. There are f2p accounts doing well in K1 at 13/14 million. Spending money isn't a factor (other than the top half of K1), especially in lower leagues.
How is it unfair that the person who understands the game and takes the time to do so is rewarded by winning fair matches? Isn’t that the point of a “skill” based system?
You're rewarded by your league/division position. The better you are, the higher your league and division. The higher the position the better your rewards. Fundamentally, we're all winning roughly the same amount of games. Well I doubt there are many that think "skill' is the basis of the system. You can have all the skill in the world and you wouldn't beat a chimpanzee playing a large K1 account. It's more a muscle, knowledge, effort and homework system. There's plenty there that you can influence if you have the desire and put in the time.
I only win by brining my good stuff on offense, and crossing my fingers and hoping that my opponent doesn’t put their best GL’s on defense. Not particularly engaging strategic decision-making if you ask me.
Hmmm, I think you should be getting the match ups you're getting. Just that, why aren't you facing 8 million GP rosters in Chromium rather than Carbonite? The rewards you're getting don't match the feats/wins you're achieving. That's an issue that I have no idea how to fix. For you, eventually it will sort itself out. The more muscle you put on your roster, the less these larger rosters can do to combat you. I think it's fine as long as you competitive games (which you do most of the time), even if you have to think outside the box a bit. Where it is a problem is when a large account puts 2 GLs on defence in Carbonite and small rosters can't do anything. That really shouldn't be the Carbonite experience.
I’m confused about why you think it’d be unfair for players who are good to win as opposed to players who voluntarily drop to bully smaller rosters.
Winning unconditionally isn't the goal with the current GAC system. It's to reach the highest League/Division possible. If we look at football/soccer. Is there an incentive for Manchester City to drop to League 2 so that they can win every game? No, there isn't. GAC should be a struggle to promote, but with each promotion comes better rewards.
As for players dropping to voluntarily bully smaller rosters, is that an actual thing? Yes, there are players who dislike the current system and try to destabilise it, but in the long run they disappear. Yes, there are players that lack the back bone to compete and only play when they think they can win. Yes, there are all a few silly billys that think they can demote without playing and then promote and can go even on rewards (btw they can't reliably). However, players demoting deliberately to bully smaller accounts, what's the incentive in that when rewards are better the higher you are? Again, if a percentage of players are doing this, they don't have the brain to cause you issues in the long run.
