Why Sloppy Matchmaking is Bad for StarCraft 2

[Jason]

<strong>[ Editorial ]</strong>

<p>Earlier this week, Blizzard's Rob Pardo <a href="http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/99211-Battle-net-StarCraft-II-Matchmaking-Too-Good" target="_blank">mentioned</a> that they're considering adding "a little sloppiness<span>" to the Battle.net matchmaking for <a href="http://www.starcraft2.com/" target="_blank"><strong>StarCraft II</strong></a>, meaning that you might wind up facing players that are above or below your skill level. The Escapist's Shamus Young <a href="http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/experienced-points/7313-Experienced-Points-The-Isolation-of-Random-Matchmaking" target="_blank">doesn't think</a> that's such a hot idea.</span></p><blockquote><p>I think what Pardo is proposing will just make the game feel sort of arbitrary. What if I'm not in the mood for a tougher challenge tonight? What if I am, and the game hands me someone of lesser skill? That guy who just wiped the floor with you? Was that player way above you, or did you make a blunder? Did you just win because you're improving as a player, or the matchmaker threw you a newbie? You can't face that opponent again and find out, because they have vanished into the crowd and the game is going to give you another random name to play against.
</p></blockquote><p>Spotted @ <a href="http://www.escapistmagazine.com/">The Escapist</a></p>

 

[Yeesh]

That guy who just wiped the floor with you? Was that player way above you, or did you make a blunder? Did you just win because you're improving as a player, or the matchmaker threw you a newbie? You can't face that opponent again and find out, because they have vanished into the crowd and the game is going to give you another random name to play against.

Like seriously? With 10 million people playing, were you really going to get the same person twice in a row anyway?

But anyway what do I know? I'm too old to even dream of playing a competitive RTS online.

 

[Monocause]

Was that player way above you, or did you make a blunder? Did you just win because you're improving as a player, or the matchmaker threw you a newbie? You can't face that opponent again and find out, because they have vanished into the crowd and the game is going to give you another random name to play against.

It's easy to figure out. First of all, when you start a game there's that "favoured" bar which shows who's the better player ladder-wise. Second, if you lose to someone who's better than yourself, you lose only a little amount of points. If you lose to a noob you lose a lot of them.

Gaming journalism, I mean, what the fuck?

 

[Norfleet]

Sounds mostly like sensationalism to me. A little bit of noise in the matchup is how one finds a challenge every now and then. Of course, as even the most immature encrustling knows, there must always be one Spathi that picks the short Ta Puun stick.

 

[DraQ]

The Escapist's Shamus Young doesn't think

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