Dear Hunters, as you know, we recentlyintroduced some matchmaking changes in Update 1.51. Since the matchmakingchanges dropped, we have been monitoring your feedback, analyzing the game data,and examining how the changes have played out in the bayou.
You can get the full lowdown on thematchmaking changes from Update 1.5.1 in this blog. However, today, we wantto explain how the changes have affected the matchmaking game data, what wehave fixed already, and what we may change in the future to improve theexperience for everyone.
So, after Update 1.51 rolled out, we,unfortunately, saw an increased amount of unbalanced matches in the data in thefollowing days. We then released a number of fixes, some of which have alreadyhad an impact.
First of all, we modifiedthe ratio for team-based matchmaking. The matchmaking system uses the group average PvP(player versus player)rating to find a suitable game. Within a group, the PvP rating for individualplayers can be fairly different. For example, within a group of two players,you could have one player with a very low PvP rating and one with a very highPvP rating or two players with two average PvP ratings. That's a balance tostrike when it comes to matchmaking. The ratio is a hidden multipliercalculated into a team's rating to accommodate fortheir relative strength compared to other groups. By reducing this ratiofigure, we have seen in the data that this has helped prevent groups,especially groups of three, from being pulled into higher rating matches, thuscausing an imbalance.
Next, wedecreased the strength of the ELO decay, another feature introducedin Update 1.5.1. ELO is a method ofskill-based matchmaking drawn from the world of chess, and you can read upin-depth about how it is implemented in Hunt here.
In broadterms, using the ELO method, we generate a figure that should accuratelyreflect your individual skill level within the community by looking at yourplayer versus playerperformance.
The ELOdecay figure takes into consideration players who have not played Hunt for awhile. We assume that if they have not played recently, they may not have thesame PvP skill as when they were playing previously, thus lowering their PvPrating slightly over time. There are two coefficients for players who haveabsences from the game, set at seven days and thirty days, each of whichslightly lowers the player's PvP rating. After the player has come back, theyare no longer in the state of "ELO decay." We adjusted this figure bydecreasing the strength of the "decay," but this tweak did notsignificantly reduce the number of unbalanced matches showing up in the data. We will keep monitoring the numbers andratios implemented and may adjust them in the future as needed.
We thendecided to increase the number of brackets in all regions, especiallyfor high skilled players. We found that very high-ranking players ended upin matches with players with lesser skills due to the size of the higherbrackets. We have now separated these extremely high-ranking playersout into more brackets. This has resulted in more balanced games, lowering thedifference between the PvP rating of different groups in a match. This was one of the largest areas ofconcern showing in the data after Update 1.5.1, and we can already see morebalance come through in the current data.
We would also like to discuss the matchmaking systemaround random groups. Random groups donot use a PvP rating to find a suitable partner at this time. Currently, first,the system looks to see if a potential partner has Prestige or not. If you area Prestige player or have a 100 rank, we will aim to group you with other playerswho have achieved Prestige or a 100 rank.
If you have neither Prestige nor a 100 rank, thesystem will aim to match you with players who also haven't achieved Prestige orsuch a high ranking either. However, if suitable partners are not found, thesystem will then look for anyone in the queue in the same region and same typeof group as you, for instance, a group of two or three.
Because we prioritize finding a game quickly ratherthan waiting for a perfect match, it can mean that when you are playing withrandom players, you may match with a player who has a very different PvPranking.
At the moment, when you get matched with a random teammate, or an invitedone, you do not know the exact matchmaking ratio of your teammates. Because of the logic described above, yourskill may be lower or higher than them. However, the enemy team's average willbe on a similar skill level after the matchmaking system has performed itscalculations. It should be noted that team invites have a slightlyhigher rating compared to random groups due to thepossible pre-existing synergy and communication betweenteammates.
However, to address this, we may try to match random teammates with more comparable skill levelsto achieve more balanced games in the future.
We do not currentlyexpose player or team PvP data generally in the game. However, you may haveseen a PvP rating on the death screen. This rating compares you and the personwho killed you, and it does not consider the team's average PvP rating. Forexample, you could be killed by someone with a significantly higher ranking whois partnered with someone with an extremely low ranking. The overall ranking ofthe group explains why you might appear to have such a personal 'one-on-one'mismatch on this screen.
This is also an areawhere we plan to make changes. After a match, we intend to show you informationabout who was in the match and which team they were in. By doing this, you willsee the rankings of all players and teams and how they compare to you and yourteam. We haven't yet decided how to showthis in the most user-friendly way, but we think demonstrating the relativeskill of all players and teams will help give you context for the results ofeach and every match and your achievements in them.
We may also removethe ranking comparison in the death screen, as we think this info might bebetter explained with the full context of the ranking data described above.Instead, in the pre-game lobby, you'll see ratings and rankings for both youand your teammates, and in a new post-match summary screen, you will see moreinformation about all the players and teams in each match, including the personwho killed you (or you killed!) We'll have more news on this when we decide whatwe think will be the most effective system.
We are also reviewingthe group calculation to see if we need to put more weight on a higher PvPrating instead of averaging out the team's rating. This work is happening now,and if we find a reasonable calculation, it is a potential change that couldarrive in Update 1.5.2.
We believe thattransparency is important. Our goal with Update 1.5.1 was to improve thematchmaking system and, consequently, improve the Hunt experience foreveryone. Ultimately, you never reallyknow how things will play out until you can see the data. Hopefully, you haveseen the effect of the tweaks and changes we've already made. Be assured that wewill continue to analyze the data, listen to your feedback, and make furtherchanges, including those outlined above, as we go forward. Game development is ultimately an art, not ascience, even when the data heavily influences decisions. While we have seensome steps forward since Update 1.5.1, our work doesn't stop to make thematchmaking system the best it can be. And your input is vital on this journey.
See you in the bayou,
Your Hunt Team.
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