If we have a look at the current modes in Quick play:
Random map → This is already in ranked as well.
EW → This can also be added to ranked.
BR → I understand your point as in: This game mode isnt meant to be played as competative mode. For me the elo is only used to get balanced matches. Currently there are always some favorites and the others would almost never make it to the top 4. Also having a ladder for these kind of maps isnt that strange. Voobly also had a CS Ladder for this kind of game modes.
I think something like the no wall mode is one of the few exceptions that might be fun for ranked play. I can also understand that not many lobby users want to play with that mod. Lobby is more likely much more casual players.
I am not much into modding, but i feel like there arent many mods that are suitable for ranked. I can see a monthly rotation mod in ranked is possible. At least as something optional. I just see a small issue: If some mod is used in ranked, then it is kind of an official mods, because the devs support it. So they kind of become responsible if the mod has some bugs. Not sure if the devs want that.
Exploding villagers is ore for community games. Not really something for ranked. Forest Nothing is just a map, which might appear in the map pool at some point (i hope not). Then you have CBA. That is something completely different to RM. I dont think you need to mix those. If BR has an own ladder, you could also add CBA to that ladder as well. CBA was also part of the CS Ladder at voobly.
So in the end i still only know of no wall mod as something that would be suitable for ranked.
I really do think the minor details are minor.
Win conditions: Doesnt matter in most games, so the setting doesnt really matter.
Rate of match ups: It isnt 40 minutes to find a game. It is just some minutes. That people still have to wait for 40 minutes has to do with Alt F4. But i expect not much difference between Ranked and Quick play on the behaviour of users. So if you want a RM team game, then you are still better of in Ranked. I expect more users, so the queueing time will be shorter in ranked.
Not sure which game modes are impossible in ranked. EW and BR? They can be added, isnt it?
Seems like you have ideas to improve quick play. Could you share these ideas with us?
Do you get the irony?
“Ranked” is just the name of a match-making queue, used to get mostly-balanced matches. You correctly diagnosed in your OP that it’s just a name and there’s no particular reason why “ranked” games should be serious, and in fact we might
And yet it seems like you’ve fallen into the same trap… Unless I’ve misunderstood you?
Though judging by this quote
we mostly agree
’
The big reason to have a separate queue I only mentioned in my first post, it’s to have a queue with an opt-in map system (which quick-play currently doesn’t have). After we have that we could start giving penalties to map-dodgers without myself feeling bad for the people who don’t like playing with a map pool. As long as it’s made sure that the Arabia opt-in que has a que-time which is at least as long as the “ranked” waiting time, I think no significant damage would be done to the ranked que. In fact I’d expect that the numbers loss (due to people leaving for the opt-in que) would be out-weighed by benefit of no longer tolerating map-dodging.
For me ranked is the place to get easily into a game against equally skilled opponents. This system needs to work for as many as players as possible. In the end you always ends up with some niches which arent used widely who arent part of quick play or ranked. An example of this is the exploding villagers mods. Great for community games. Community games are with premade players, so no match making needed. No match making needed means lobby is the way to go.
Yeah, i am not against mods in ranked / match making, but in the end it comes down to supply and demand. So as long as there are some really popular mods, i can see them being part of ranked / match making at some point.
My main issue with quick play are the unbalanced teams. I dont see any solution without introducing a rating for quick play, but that is against the design of quick play: it has on rating. Your solution also doesnt seem to fix this.
These points looks more like requests to change the ranked queue, then real options to make quick play better. If i want to play Arabia only, then i just go to ranked, ban 3 maps, mark Arabia as favorite and in 90% of the games i already get Arabia. In that case i even end up with about equally skilled opponents. Such Arabia only queue wont be succeed without a rating. At least that is my opinion and my main issue with quick play in its current form.
Today i gave Quick play a try. Do you want the result? I had to wait 10 minutes to get into a EW game, which wasnt balanced at all. We both had a 1v1 RM rating and the difference was about 300-400 Elo. So Quick play isnt quick at all. Usual i get into a RM 1v1 Ranked game in about 2 minutes. And those games are much more close.
So i really hope the devs will evaluate Quick play, Currently the best fix is to just drop quick play and add EW and BR to the ranked queue. This will fix their major issue: Unbalanced games. I think EW can become pretty popular if it is part of ranked. I will give BR the benefit of the doubt. I am not really convinced about that game mode.