Multiplayer # of players searching display

Instead of showing a number which confuses people who don't understand the system, perhaps we could use a low/medium/high value for players searching. Would that be a better alternative?

I suppose we could try to remove faceplates on the loading screen as well, a lot of people were dropping simply on seeing higher ranks.

Why not just remove that type of information from the loading screen and then include all of it in the post game screen so then you can see how "skilled" your opponent was.

I'm not sure about the best way to handle the players searching metric in game. Any way Relic is willing to show both the number of players searching for a game (and make it a clear statement that it is exactly "Number of players actively searching for a game") and the total number of players in game?

We need the number of players searching !!!! People don't wait in queues if they don't know that they will get a game !!!! That has the biggest impact in 3 vs 3 or 4 vs 4. I waited 3 times 5 minutes without getting a match !!! Never happen before !!!!

=1

I know 3 of my close friends stopped playing simply because of seeing a drastically higher rank than them when starting. Bridger was one of them. Its needless frustration and I am glad its out.

...let's keep it in perspective here...

This isn't like vcoh where the rank is related to any certain skill level (or ability/willingness to drophack). Just because someone is level 100 doesn't necessarily mean they are lighting the world on fire.

They could be like SageOfTheSix for example

Leaving because someone is better than you is simply self-defeating in and of itself. I'd rather they leave anyways if they're going to be that concerned.

Instead of showing a number which confuses people who don't understand the system, perhaps we could use a low/medium/high value for players searching. Would that be a better alternative?

I suppose we could try to remove faceplates on the loading screen as well, a lot of people were dropping simply on seeing higher ranks.

How is the search value hard to understand? I say it's even harder to understand now since you don't know the actual values. And instead of dumbing down for everyone make it easier to understand than to remove it.
(Germans :5) (Soviets: 6) (Random : 2)
lowmidhigh would pnly create more confussion since those people don't know the values and low sounds discouraging

When I was rank <40 and saw people with a much higher level it was more a challenge to me in my mind.

Instead of showing a number which confuses people who don't understand the system, perhaps we could use a low/medium/high value for players searching. Would that be a better alternative?

I suppose we could try to remove faceplates on the loading screen as well, a lot of people were dropping simply on seeing higher ranks.

Well - you see - there were these things called "Lobbies" where players could then determine if they wanted to play with the team of players present based on their skill, ping and map of choice......

Instead of trying what you're trying (i.e. lets be oblivious to the problem) - why not just reintroduce what worked in COH1?

Why is there such a stubbornness here on the dev's behalf?

Instead of showing a number which confuses people who don't understand the system, perhaps we could use a low/medium/high value for players searching. Would that be a better alternative?

I suppose we could try to remove faceplates on the loading screen as well, a lot of people were dropping simply on seeing higher ranks.

How can the number of players searching for a game confuse people? That's actually the easiest way to let us understand how many players are searching for a game.

Also I think that it would be a bad move to remove faceplates since those are something you sell to people and their only purpose is to be showed at the start of the game and on the top right corner of the profile. With this I am not saying that I disagree with a change on the system, I would in fact prefer a visual addition to let me understand a bit better what's the skill of the player im going to face ( even a comparison between ELO+ and a message that says who has the advantage, like SC2)

...let's keep it in perspective here...

This isn't like vcoh where the rank is related to any certain skill level (or ability/willingness to drophack). Just because someone is level 100 doesn't necessarily mean they are lighting the world on fire.

They could be like SageOfTheSix for example

Leaving because someone is better than you is simply self-defeating in and of itself. I'd rather they leave anyways if they're going to be that concerned.

The problem here is that 90% of the players out there that just play a random match DON'T know that - they correlate rank with SKILL - which is far from the case now.

So 90% of the time - you see the match over in 10 seconds after a player has dropped after seeing a bunch of higher ranks on the opponents and lower ranks on their team.

Or they drop because its a map (i.e. most likely a winter one) they don't want to play on....

Or they drop because the lag has started due to the poor ping of the players...

I know 3 of my close friends stopped playing simply because of seeing a drastically higher rank than them when starting. Bridger was one of them. Its needless frustration and I am glad its out.

Hi Rogers

Normally, I agree with most of what you write,but I feel constrained to disagree here.
Sorry

CoH1 loadouts showed skill levels - so I do not understand why Bridger would have withdrawn from the whole game just bcs of this? As others have noted, you get a fair approximation of rank just by looking at the stars over the faceplates,and levels are no accurate reflection of the skill level. Or to put it another way, if the matchmaker is doing its job, you should be bracketed with others of approximately the same skill set, regardless of level attained.

Hmm.. People seem to forget the number of threads complaining about population when the players searching for a game metric was included - at least I remember a fair share of them. It wasn't difficult to understand but if threads were showing up it says that people were misinterpreting the metric.

Personally I would want removal of rank/skill identifiers for group games - especially if I play with randoms. For 1v1 it would make complete sense to leave all information in because you only hurt your own ranking if you leave a 1v1. However I don't know if it is practical for Relic to do a bunch of programming to differentiate between the loading screens for group games and 1v1s.

The problem here is that 90% of the players out there that just play a random match DON'T know that - they correlate rank with SKILL - which is far from the case now.

So 90% of the time - you see the match over in 10 seconds after a player has dropped after seeing a bunch of higher ranks on the opponents and lower ranks on their team.

Or they drop because its a map (i.e. most likely a winter one) they don't want to play on....

Or they drop because the lag has started due to the poor ping of the players...

Then I would say that your latter two points are the most pressing. I agree with input lag and abominable blizzards. I have harped on this since the beta to a bunch of deaf ears (maybe they're blind too?). I wrote diatribes decrying all the points you people are just now catching up on and requested that, in the early stage, these things could be fixed by developers. People said "oh, just wait a bit. Blizzards are cool!!! They're dynamic! Input lag will be fixed!!" - WRONG. To all those morons out there who said "Oh I like the blizzards, they're fun, they're different, *sniffle* *sniffle* it's my bed time, mommy tell me a story." all I can say is "I told you so."

Yet, some people STILL think that trivial bullshit such as a faceplate or a rank scaring off the e-insecure people of the rapidly depleting COH2 universe are pressing issues? Please. This game was doomed from its infantile creation, a classic "they don't make them like they used to story." If VCoH was made with steel and brawn, CoH2 was made with cheap plastic knockoffs by some poor underpaid third world laborer.

Soultion: Make it a option which is not that easy too find, or call it something that "normal" players wouldn't think they want/need.

This way only people who already invested time will see it, its very likely that these people understand the System.
Or even make a warning when you want to activate the option where it is explained.

I don't really understand this change. The people that enter automatch are informed by knowing how many others are searching, and which factions are being searched. Players that play both factions will often switch to the faction that is less represented so that they get a game quicker. This info is useful on many levels.

There is already a percentage of searching indicator. So the faction switching argument doesn't work.

Players just need to know if people are searching, and which faction has less. The solutions already brought up should suffice.

What I struggle with here - and its a generallity of COH2 - is that why, given this is a sequel built on an original, are we given so much LESS CHOICE that what was provided in the original??

One would think the reverse would be true - that as something expands and evolves - MORE CHOICE would be given.

I really think the Dev's decision making here in that "they know best" rather than giving their customers to ability to determine that for themselves is a VERY bad policy choice.

I don't really understand this change. The people that enter automatch are informed by knowing how many others are searching, and which factions are being searched. Players that play both factions will often switch to the faction that is less represented so that they get a game quicker. This info is useful on many levels.

I do this. Although I can't anymore.

When you are matched with someone instead of showing each player's level on the load screen it should have an arrow. Either a downward red arrow (indicating player is of a lower ladder position than you) or a green upward pointing arrow (indicating higher ladder rank) - simple information that is not rendered useless because of grinding.

Instead of showing a number which confuses people who don't understand the system, perhaps we could use a low/medium/high value for players searching. Would that be a better alternative?

I suppose we could try to remove faceplates on the loading screen as well, a lot of people were dropping simply on seeing higher ranks.

The best way for automatch searching is to bring the number of players back. Instead of having a percentage of each faction, why not just list the number of players searching for each faction?

Back in CoH1 late nights on PST, I would 2v2 AT with a friend; if we were the only ones searching, we'd stop the search and do custom lobbies.

As for faceplates, why not remove stars so all faceplates remain the same, and then display for team/player: "Slightly favored" or "favored"?

Instead of showing a number which confuses people who don't understand the system, perhaps we could use a low/medium/high value for players searching. Would that be a better alternative?

I suppose we could try to remove faceplates on the loading screen as well, a lot of people were dropping simply on seeing higher ranks.

Removing only the «stars» on faceplate would be ok.(customization is cool)

Number of people searching for a game :
A play random side option would be nice.

We need to know that there is enough people to start a game...

So for 1 person looking for a game :
The minimum number of people searching for game in 1vs1: 1
The minimum number of people searching for game in 2vs2: 3
The minimum number of people searching for game in 3vs3: 5
The minimum number of people searching for game in 4vs4: 7
Example : (4vs4): minimum # to start a game Russian side:
*More then 3 Germans are searching for game* = 4 min
*More then 3 Russians are searching for game* = (3+me)= 4 min
= A game could start.

Instead of showing a number which confuses people who don't understand the system, perhaps we could use a low/medium/high value for players searching. Would that be a better alternative?

Or maybe just bring back the numbers. The only confusion that anybody ever had was if the numbers represented all players searching, or those within your immediate skill bracket. It took no brains to know more was better and less was worse and that was what mattered. Hardly a confusing idea.

I suppose we could try to remove faceplates on the loading screen as well, a lot of people were dropping simply on seeing higher ranks.

You know what would probably fix that? A Ladder and Elo.

ive read somewhere that the number of players searching was only those in your elo range. anyone know if thats true? perhaps that is causing some of the confusion? if it is true, people might see like 10 players searching and jump to the conclusion that "the game is dead". maybe they could add something like war thunder where it shows how many people are playing multiplayer currently (steam stats include singleplayer) and how many games are currently in progress.

as for players dropping based on level, i dont think there is anything that can, or even should, be done to stop this. if people are bad sports and only want to play lower levels, there is no way to really stop them. even if you remove all info from the load screen, you could quickly search for the player and find their rank on this site. im fine with removing the actual number and only showing the faceplate, but this shouldnt be taken any further.

I know 3 of my close friends stopped playing simply because of seeing a drastically higher rank than them when starting. Bridger was one of them. Its needless frustration and I am glad its out.

Level never stopped Bridger from playing and posting his own games in COH1. Whatever happened?

Sorry, but I don't think that excuse holds up. This is a game for MEN who want a good fight and don't care about the bruises. It's not a kindergarten sandbox.