Problems in the current ranking system

Age of Empires IV IV - Discussion
1

Hi all,

I would like to share my thoughts on the current ranking system here and address some issues that I think are problematic. I hope that we as a community can discuss them and possibly suggest improvements.

I would like to emphasize that I am currently having fun with Ranked mode despite the problems mentioned. However, I find it a shame that since the introduction of the ranking system, there have been no significant improvements in the aforementioned points.

  1. Matchmaking and point gain: the current matchmaking system uses MMR, but the point gain is based on rank points. This discrepancy can cause inconsistencies and should be reconsidered to allow for a fairer calculation of points. For example, two players with similar skill (Elo) but different rank points may receive unfairly many or few points after a game, resulting in unfair scoring.

  2. Motivation to create smurf: The current system motivates many players to create smurf accounts. Some reasons for this are: Some players do not want to continue playing after reaching a certain rank because they do not want to lose the rewards at the end of the season. This leads them to play on secondary accounts and play many matches against much inferior opponents at first. Team rank matchmaking also motivates players to use Smurfs to sneak a higher rank. There are no hurdles, like in other games, to make it difficult to create Smurf accounts. To prevent this, higher barriers to entry for Ranked mode or alternative incentives should be created to make continuous play on the main account more attractive.

  3. Dodging: Game “dodging” is another problem where players intentionally drop out of a game to seek out perceived weaker opponents. To prevent this, penalties for repeated dodging should be introduced.

  4. Bugs that lead to game abandonment or unplayability: Technical issues such as crashes during the loading screen or bugs that prevent command entry in the game affect the game experience and should not be counted as defeats. The development team should identify and fix such bugs to ensure fair conditions for all players.

I look forward to your opinions and ideas on these points. Let’s have a constructive discussion together to improve the ranking system for all players.

Best regards,
Magges

1 Like
2

I agree there should be a vote to give up after 10 minutes, and a penalty for leaving
imagen

3

I’d like to smurf but don’t understand how it’s being done easily? A 2nd copy of the game needs to be purchased, right? Or can I just change my steam name or something and voila?

Also, on point #3, before they further punish dodging they need to fix matchmaking. I’m not gonna lie, I dodge anytime I feel like it’s an unfair matchup. I play solo; if I’m playing a team game and match against a premade, I’m dodging. If I see they’re conquerer, I’m dodging (I’m platinum). Sometimes I leave 5, 6, 7 games in a row before I see a match where everyone’s randomly queued and within 150 elo of each other. That’s not my fault. I’m not dodging the civs or the maps, but don’t waste my time matching me against people that are coordinating on discord or otherwise able to beat me with 1 hand behind their back.

4

You can use steam-familyshare to “create” smurfs, for that you only need one game.

5

I do not know what problem the voting would solve and how such a punishment can be properly recognized by the system.

6

100% agree with this problem.

first point: kill the hidden MMR please it’s stupid and not fun.

Second point can be solved very easily:
-give the bonus of end of season in regard of the higher rank do you had. And not in regard of your rank at the end of season.
-In combination with rank decay for high rank. For exemple you should play on game each 2 week or you begin to loose some ranking point.

third point 100% agree and a system for penalyse dodging. it’s a nightmare for high rank to wait 25 min for have a game. And it’s a nightmare when you begin to be diamond and more to have 10 dodge for 1 game played… It’s not healty for the game.

just one point. This problem can be easily anticipated and easily resolve by just 5 minutes on a sofa to think about it… do your job dev please!