Remove ranked, save the game.

[feral wedge]

Streamers are going to be grinders. It’s their job. It is the worst look to watch them vs bot lobbies. They’ll get bitter, as will the general player base.

We don’t need ranked. It currently means nothing.

Just have quick play. Devs could attempt to balance teams with equal skill. Some noobs. Some veterans carrying. Then when the game has enough players, consider ranked.

If devs aren’t willing to remove ranked to save the game for a quick demise. All players to “rank reset”. Give them an option to go all the way to the bottom so at least they don’t have to vs dumb AI.

And at least hot patch it so there’s at least and equal amount of humans on each team. If players need to wait, most will be ok waiting.

[digital slate]

please at least balance the bots. We should not fight a 1v5 just because they're queued and we're not. make us wait for a fair game.

And for the love of god stop adding a random to my 3 stack party and making the 4 of us fight a poor solo guy on the enemy team (4v1). The random should go on his team at the very least before the game starts

[eternal garnet]

Thanks for your feedback! Right now leagues are implemented in quick play (if I can put it that way), as we don't have a separate 'unranked' mode alongside 'ranked'. But this is something we might reconsider for the future.
We are continuing to adjust matchmaking based on player feedback and internal data, and we'll make further adjustments if the team seems they are necessary.

[long spindle]

There is also the part that needs to be considered where new players need more opportunity to get started.

For reference, my buddies and I just got into it within this week on Xbox. We lost several of our group to frustrations of playing against busted OP builds that were clearly pay to win combined with maxed out aim assist.

When we found we could turn off crossplay and get mostly bot lobbies, those guys came back somewhat.

My point is that while some people are ONLY interested in hardcore PvP, that is definitely not the entire playerbase.

PERSONALLY, I’d be a much bigger fan of separating “ranked” from “casual” in a little bit of a different way:

• the “ranked” games would be full player games, and matchmaking based on ranks

• “casual” games would be allowing up to 4 bots per team and based off the part types and levels of those parts, thus allowing a better mode for players to actually build up and have fun without getting absolutely destroyed by constant meta builds.

[digital slate]

The current "ranked" bracket separation already exists to keep new players from fighting anything but new players. You guys weren't fighting "busted op builds that were clearly p2w" because everyone down at bronze is just as new as you & company. The only p2w bot thag truly exists is the siren, which is very obvious because it'll freeze you in place for 5 seconds minimum and you basically get executed.
Arguably the lancelot pack is a bit p2w as it's a great starter bot when you just start off, but every console player gets that for free so you're on equal footing with that actually. PC players are the only ones who get shafted in that aspect since we don't get access to this free $20 bot like you guys.

Low rank meta just consists of the default harpy and siren, then everything past that is whatever parts people can scrounge to put together an extra bot or two.

[long spindle]

What you seem to not be grasping is that players can buy pages of equipment from the store, and depending on their luck, can acquire some really strong equipment, WAY before they would get it otherwise.

This just further enforces my point, they get hold of extremely powerful equipment early on, get stuck in lobbies with other new players, then absolutely decimate due to equipment advantages.

That is why I say that “casual” needs to be based of gear, rather than rank.

[digital slate]

That's unfortunately the whole premise of this game, it's p2w as you can see from 5/6 of the store being cash-only. People will pay to get an advantage to get easier wins in their ELO as you're witnessing.

That's an issue alright, but a separate issue from the current ranked-flooded-with-bots issue.

[lament tundra]

I think the rewards and rank should stay but the lobbies shouldn’t be ranked, it’s turning into a real sweat fest in gold

[long spindle]

It is and simultaneously is not a separate issue though.

Part of the reason players at high ranks like that are experiencing games full of bots is because so few players make it that far anyways.

By having such imbalances at the lower tiers, you see a vast number of new players quit before they really even get going.

This in turn makes it take worse and worse with number of players going up in ranks.

[cyan warren]

Of course when people will realise that you can just program a macro to click play, things will change. I have already seen players doing this. I play at around 5 am becuase that is when my shift ends and I can unwind a bit before bed. All I see is 1v1s and maybe sometimes a 2v2. The way it works now bots don't overshadow you in rank, so you can sit there run forwards, game ends top rank. IZI elo cuz of course screw playing the game enjoying fun builds. Everyone and there mothers must be noachium in this rather new microtransaction filled mecha shooter. I don't even recall getting killed by anyone else besides Ever, Kate and the other dumb hero. Wish they just priced each hero at 20 dollars.
Becuase of the bot matches people end up ranking up beyond their league, and being paired up against much better players and decked out hangars full of fire and noricums, which is just depressing. Second night in a row I am excited to make a new build, then i swiftly get reminded why I only play flamers, and go back scrap it and go down to the meta roster.