A common sense appeal

from Demigod Forums

My frustration with custom games over the last couple of days is mounting.  I've played enough now to recognize that a number of custom games are against set teams.  I do not have an issue with that per se.  Where I have an issue is my own teammates.  Irrespective of whether the game title says "good players only," I am finding that a lot of substandard players still join these games.  When it is a game against a set 3 or 4, I routinely look up my own teammates online to check their win/loss records and find one/two/three with a 30% win record.  These games just end up in a 20 minute beat down with my side feeding upwards of 10 kills in the first 5 minutes.

So, I want more information in the lobby BEFORE I start the game.  It is tedious to alt-tab out and look up the players on my team and their team to get an expectation of whether I will be wasting the next 20 minutes of my game playing time.  I want to see their win/loss record or at least be able to click on their name and have the information brought up in a browser.  Sure, I know that the data is not entirely accurate, but a person with a 20% win rate is going to be worse than someone with an 80% win rate, irrespective of the number of disconnects which have fudged the number. 

This alone will drastically cut down on rage quits.  It's 2009, there should be some way of getting a decent game or at least know what the type of game we are getting into.

And before someone mentions Pantheon or Skirmish, both are non-functional.  I played 4 Pantheon games last night, and every single one had an AI.  In some cases, it was 2v1 with the 1 being an AI.  That's just a waste of time.

demigod
6,412 views 11 replies
Reply #1 from Demigod Forums Top

I agree.

I like how it is in the Battle.net where you can just type in /stats "playername" and it shows you win-loss-disc.

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

This is why I rarely play custom games.

Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion
Reply #3 from Demigod Forums Top

I wouldn't mind it, but it would need to actually report games realistically. Stats get oddly reset, some games arent' considered wins, or have the wrong players winning.

But yes, a /stats #playername# command from chat would fix this. Just a simple win/loss/disconnect list could save a lot of time.

Reply #4 from Demigod Forums Top

Solution to pre-made team is go play out-dide and make some friend than come back playing.

Reply #5 from Demigod Forums Top

Quoting Wagnard, reply 4
Solution to pre-made team is go play out-dide and make some friend than come back playing.

You miss the point completely.  I don't mind playing a premade team.  But if I am going to play a pre-made team, or for that matter any team of competent people, I want the same on my side.  DG's game design is not very forgiving to the team that has the substandard player. It's not like a typical RTS where a really good player can split their forces and be everywhere at once.

Ultimately, what I am looking for are balanced matches - something that is woefully lacking in DG but doesn't need to be.  Balanced matches are good for everyone and make the game enjoyable.

And going outside at midnight to make some friends isn't recommended in my neighborhood.  :grin:

 

Reply #6 from Demigod Forums Top

Quoting Wagnard, reply 4
Solution to pre-made team is go play out-dide and make some friend than come back playing.

Ewww... outside people

Reply #7 from Demigod Forums Top

Yeah everytime I host I use something like 'pros only'. Never works. I suppose it's natural.. most people think they're hot sh!t right? Not sure what to do about it. Stats don't even work.. since custom games are custom.. they could be comp stomping. If the title specifically says no noobs.. and there's a couple of them in the game.. probably just quit and remake, save everyone some time. It was like that in dota too really.. nothing you could do then either.

Reply #8 from Demigod Forums Top

It is tedious to alt-tab out and look up the players on my team and their team to get an expectation of whether I will be wasting the next 20 minutes of my game playing time.

Solution: Play in windowed mode.

Reply #9 from Demigod Forums Top

Quoting Andianqz, reply 7
Yeah everytime I host I use something like 'pros only'. Never works.

This is exactly the problem - if you host a game called 3v3 pros or 3v3 no noobs, whatever, you will struggle to get players. I myself play with friends on an almost nightly basis and there is nothing worse than walking over another team, this is where demigod fails, it's pure tedium. However when we get a challenge and the game is hard fought and down to the wire, it kicks total ass.

So what's the magic solution? There isnt one. If i was playing with 2 friends for a set 3v3 team, i have considered splitting us up as we're all quite good players, but what then? One is stuck on a team with potential noobs and the experience is just plain cancerous.

 

The only solution IMO is to put in a completely random team option and i guess Panthenon is this to a degree, but i never play Panthenon as i dont dig 2v2's on 5v5 maps.

 

Dawn of War 2 has 2v2 and 3v3 gameplay where you can join as a random, but if you do go in solo youre still mostly going vs set teams and getting smashed if your teammate isnt up to scratch. There's no magic wand fix unfortunately. Nor is there such a massively huge playerbase to sustain all kinds of variants - ie 3v3 good players

Reply #10 from Demigod Forums Top

Quoting Zamzoph, reply 8

Solution: Play in windowed mode.

Actually I do play in windowed mode.  Alt-tab still works to switch windows.  :grin: And it is still a pain in the butt.  Game still needs an in-lobby method for determining skill level.  It doesn't need to be perfect.  Someone can have an artificial win/loss from comp stomp and I am fine with that.  Not many of those anyway compared to the hordes of players that want to play in a "Good" game with a losing record.

Reply #11 from Demigod Forums Top

Quoting Deepjay, reply 9


So what's the magic solution? There isnt one.

There may not be a magic bullet, but we can certainly get closer to the target.  Putting people's win/loss record next to their name goes a long way in at least weeding out people that on paper are not appropriate for a game.  It goes both ways too.  Poor players are punted from good games while pros are punted from noob games.  We did it all the time in Age of Mythology - custom games were usually filtered by rank (e.g., 1750+ only).

This game is hugely dependent on your teammates, and if people continue to have lopsided games, they stop playing.  And we don't want that.