Have to say that I am a consumate pub player nearly all quickplay, and at different hours and days lately. I’ve noticed that half the time the player match making has a strong tendency to match you with:
Player with the same weapons
Players with the same build/class
Usually this is open Damnation and maybe Heresy? Don’t get me wrong I’ve had a blast in all Psyker teams, and I’ve been on (all) Ogryn, Zealot teams, Good times! All Vet teams can be dicey, err spicy? It’s certainly novel and fun, but we all didn’t tend to have the same weapons and builds, only occasional overlapping on weapons, say.
Does the matching programming take any of these factors into account? I am seeing it occur in sort of streaks. The other day we got 4 zealots with all the same combat abilities, I chickened out and wasn’t in the mood because there is one sort of problem I noticed:
On teams that had basically two of the same build/weapon it gimped the tam’s chances of performing by flattening out the overall tools available to survive/succeed. I was on several teams like this–where at least two players were nearly the same–over a few days at least Even with good effort and performance they had a strong tendency to Nurgle Nap.
This seems to happen only when Quickplay puts you into the lobby where everyone is readying up first, not so much when you come in mid game as far as i can notice.
You should take notes next time you play, so that you have actual data.
Observations of things like these are easily influenced by bias, if you make up your opinion based on how it “feels” rather than actual hard data.
Basically any observer will have their observations influenced by their already existing ideas.
Also, people usually pay special attention to things that feel extraordinary.
For example, if you roll a dice and get 6-6-6-6-6-6, that seems incredibly unlikely and feels very special. You would probably remember that and think about it.
If you roll 2-4-3-5-5-1 instead, you will probably not think about it at all, despite both outcomes having the same probability of occuring. One of the two just feels more special and you will remember it.
About a year ago, a bunch of people claimed something among the lines of “vet is the most played class by far” and “all classes almost always play autopistol or boltgun” and demanded nerfs on that basis. None of them had actual data and they all went by their feeling.
So i gathered some data and it looked a lot like almost everything they had claimed based on their “feeling” was factually wrong.
Yeah I’m fairly good at bias, like a black hole, thus the “Is this just me?” I admit i’m too lazy to take stats, also it would be hard to get data on “builds.” I know we can see the Blitz, ability and keystones and the weapons. Don’t get me wrong I’m not complaining or suggesting any change outside of this: If there is an input/output for matching players that considers class, blitz, keystone, weapon(s) and Ability then this other consideration: that it can gimp an outgoing team–might apply.
Consider that “IF” this is the case, then it may well be for ‘social’ reasons–at least I would guess. Of course this is all my own little paranoid mumble!
I’ve been playing too much lately anyhow, but if I really feel it’s a pressing thing I’ll start taking screen shots of every Quickplay I get into and tally it as to time/day and against ‘drop in’ match ups as much as I can tell from them perhaps then present it in order to just really ask the question in my very curious mind: Do these factors–Class, Blitz, keystone, ability, weaponry somehow factor into the Quickplay system. If anything this is what drives me.
