fresh new ranking system

[fpstactic]

introduction:

I am a level 50 in halo 3, and I barely played reach because the xp system gave no special award for playing good, only playing long, so my effort would not be recognised. furthermore, if I put the work in to learn the game, the only way to guarantee I would play with team mates who didn't ruin my game by playing poorly, was to go into the playlist with a set team... and even if I found a team, there was no way to guarantee the level of competition of the opposition would be worth the time... there needed to be some way to seperate players.

for this reason I have been desperately hoping for some type of ranking system, and after thinking it through have come up with an idea I want to submit, ample time before release date.

thanks in advance for reading.

 

the idea:

this can work in sync with any experience based system already on board,

this seperates players,

this give some type of visual representation of skill that can only be got by winning

this deals with the problem of derankers

 

halo 3 had a skill system that went from 1 to 50

firstly my variation on this would be to have level groups such as; begginer, intermediate, advanced, expert

and in order for a player to play in a higher group than his current one, he must win ten games in a row or have a win record of 70% or more, over his last 100 games, then the player unlocks the next level, and can play other players who have unlocked it

 

within each level, players get matched up with other players on a very similar win record to their own

 

if players join parties of two or more, the entire party is matched up with players who are equal to the win record of the best player on the party, and the win records of the other members do not contribute to the level of competition, however a win for the party will count as no more than 1 win to the records of all party members, regardless of their expected win chances.

 

additionally:

there is an opportunity for some nice level completion animations, such as "expert level master" in lone wolves gets a star surrounding their current experience level symbol, and the option to place a wolf tattoo on his spartan, and if that player also has "expert level master" in team snipers, they get an additional star around their current symbol and the option for a cross hair tattoo on their spartan

 

note:

I am not a mathematition, nor do I know how easily it should be to level up, so I cannot calculate the optimum formula for players to rank down

 

(please 343i, have something that seperates players, and put me with and against players similar to my record)

 

again, thank you for reading.

[Tallgeese]

The game goes gold at the end of the month so I suggest just waiting and seeing how 343i changed the system up.

There is supposedly a rank that only you the player can see (frankie sadi this will deter deranking, boosting, buying accounts etc. due to not being able to show off your rank to other players) that will pair you with other players of a similar skill range in ranked playlists. There is also the titles for the 50 initial levels and a title for each of the 10 specializations. So there is a mix of Reach and Halo 3.

[iTz Vplus2]

I think it's a bit late to post a thread like this, they're just fine tuning the game now and replacing the ranking system they already set up is a bit more than that.

From what i know, there will be ranks from 1-50 that you rise up by gaining EXP and then you get to pick a specialization

[Tallgeese]

There are 50 initial levels with titles such as SR-20 (hinted at by the achievement) and 10 levels for each of the 8 Specializations with their own titles. There will also supposedly be a rank that only you can see that will pair you with similar ranked players in ranked playlists. The 50 initial levels and 10 levels for each specialization will gain exp from all playlists, not just ranked or social.

[fpstactic]

people will still derank to get their friends back up to the top of competition when they buy new accounts at the bargain price of $1 per month,

but it wouldn't happen a fraction as much

thank goodness players will be seperated, so annoying when not.

 

nothing to show off to other players? alright, so long as the games are fun

 

to late for a new ranking system, maybe...

 

what do you guys think about it anyway? it may or may not be too late, either way its worth having your say if you like or don't like it, so that it does or doesn't get a proper review in the future

[Tallgeese]

It is too late...the game goes gold at the end of Sept. thats not a question, its a fact. the ranking sytem in Halo 4 is set. Halo 5 and 6 however is a different story

[fpstactic]

okay, so do you have any opinion on this thread suggestion?

[birchmore7]

I would like to see it go back to the way Halo2 was. I loved you could rank up or rank down in a matter of 2 or 3 games. The ranking system from Halo3 and on has been pretty bad due to the fact that it rewards bad players with leveling still. Its set up almost like Call of Duty. I think if it went back to the Halo 2 Setup it would put more players on edge and balance out more making a more intense matchmaking.

[Angel of Death D20]

I hope that 343 is incorporating the idea of how well you play vs how much or how much you win. If you win, yes have that be a BIG help. If you do well have that be a big help. However, some how make it HURT You if you stat pad. Even Rank Down XD And I'm sure that some will troll me for saying that.

[upton889]

If Halo 4 is going to award leveling based on EXP then there should be more emphasis on the performance bonus of the points. Halo Reach didn't hardly give anything for performing well in a game. A higher performance bonus would motivate players more to do well and consequently help the overall skill level of the player base.

[Dirty Dan]

This is how u fix the 1-50 system. Just make it were u can only team up or play with players near ur skill. Like if u are playing with a 45 in team slayer and ur friend is a lvl 30 in that playlist then a message will pop up saying u can't play with tht player! And it will get rid of most derankers. Everyone is happy. Oh and u can add that *** credit system to unlock things

 

This is how u fix the 1-50 system. Just make it were u can only team up or play with players near ur skill. Like if u are playing with a 45 in team slayer and ur friend is a lvl 30 in that playlist then a message will pop up saying u can't play with tht player! And it will get rid of most derankers. Everyone is happy. Oh and u can add that *** credit system to unlock things

[Force 410]

Halo 4 definitely needs a ranking system that's based on skill rather than experience like reach. Reach was a joke to just about everyone, and this is one of the MAIN reasons why (of course unbalanced AAs, etc.). My point is, unlike reach, H4 or subsequent games need a ranking system that people care about. You can argue, "it's just a number" but then why would so many people care about it? I mean ultimately, you can always say, "it's just a game" or "it's just entertainment." Just like most forms of entertainment, the purpose of it is to be ENTERTAINING, not practical.

 

Now that that moot point (or at least what should be one) is out of the way, the ranking system with a number there is important to indicate your skill level and match you up with others of that skill level - the number allowing you to see each person's rank without necessarily having to go through each of their KDRs. Frank O'Connor states that this can increase boosting. Personally, I never had a MAJOR problem with people boosting in H2, and very little in H3. Granted, I never exceeeded level 40 because my Internet connection was so bad (but I did have a 40!). Regardless, the ranking system gave something for players to PLAY FOR! ...To reach the highest rank and say, "hey look, I did very well at something I enjoy a heckuva lot!" (but not so much in those words, more like "F*** YEAH!"). Anyway, my point is, Reach didn't give the incentive, because experience does not equal skill, and people want to be rewarded for their skill. Reach rewarded players for boosting more so IMO because you could just put the controller down and come back a little later, and hey look! YOU'VE GOT CREDITS! That burst my bubble more than anything else. And what did Bungie do as one of their last acts - HEY! Let's ban/reset those who are doing it in FIREFIGHT! A playlst that doesn't ACTUALLY effect anyone else as far as PVP matchmaking goes.... And TO THIS DAY I still play with people who do it on my team in PVP matchmaking, or constantly betray, or constantly suicide, or just leave the game. So if I'm not with a full team, I am having a poor experience. And let's face it, if 343i cared about this at all, you wouldn't see it nearly as much (which is almost EVERY game for me - no exaggeration). People don't care and can clearly get away with doing this.

 

So Frank O'Connor, I'm respectfully calling you out for flipping your lid on a ranking system and boosting, because if this (Reach) isn't a form of boosting then I don't know what is... unlesss... Unless that is that you actually recognize that Reach doesn't involve ranking players by skill at all, let alone matching them up! Then my friend, then it would not be boosting but rather taking advantage of the system for credits that ultimately represent nothing! I would really love to hear how Reach has any competitive aspect and how it promotes this competition. That is where Reach's philosophy on matchmaking falls drastically short - that credits to buy stupid stuff matters to competitive PVP Halo players. We want a ranking system back - one that keeps track of your skills and not one that rewards you for simply playing the game.

 

Nowhere is it blatantly stated thus far for Halo 4 that the ranked system will be based on player skill whatsoever. Frank O'Connor pitched around the question by stating that players wlll be able to track their own skill and will be matched up according to their individual skill - claims also made for Reach before its release. So I want to hear it from the mouth of Frankie O'Connor himself, as blatantly as possible, stating what the actual multiplayer matchmaking will be like in H4 with regards to a ranking system and player skill. Because what I am looking for, and what almost all competitive Halo players are looking for, is a ranked system back again that measures your skill while allowing others to see your rank/level in order to determine who they're up against.

 

As far as how the ranking system would work, it would be nice to incorporate teamwork and winning games into it, but I think first and foremost individual skill needs to be a major part. Because silly things can happen such as teammates leaving games, betraying... oh wait, this list is getting similar to my last one. With that rank/level number there to worry about, and seeing that people certainly cared about it in H2-3, people would not be so keen on deranking by committing those acts (acts that should have an automatic level drop IMO if you leave a game intentionally, and have a level drop after 3 intentional suicides/betrayals per game - or something to that harsh nature). And hey, if Bungie can monitor people for not playing in firefight, I don't see why things like these can't be monitored too!

 

To me this is simple to implement as well to please both competitive players and casuals. Just have a ranked playlist and an unranked playlist that everything falls under (i.e. team slayer, team skirmish, team snipers, etc...). The ranked would have only competitive playlists and be very balanced as far as armor abilities, equipment and such (maybe none of it even), whereas the other would have everything in it (as appropriated by 343i per gametype) and could be where 343i determines what could work in competitive ranked play (sort of like testing different things out to see what's balanced enough for ranked play). Both playlists could have, for example, Team Slayer (with ranked being more balanced for competitive play), but only the unranked would have things like Action Sack. So I don't think that's too hard or too much to ask for.

 

So lastly (and I apologize for the long post but I miss ranks too much and am very passionate with this topic and Halo), I am calling for Frank O'Connor to announce or respond to me with what things wlll be like for H4 mulitplayer matchmaking regarding ranks and their basis (skill based vs experience based) in the most blatant manner possible without spoiling everything. For exmaple, just saying how the system works would suffice - like how it determines rank and sorts out players to play with each other. I would like to hear thoughts back, especially from 343i regarding my ideas for playlists and how the ranking system should be. To me it's simple and flexible enough for 343i to do a lot with it! And Frank O'Connor, I respect you as a Halo fan and appreciate the hard work and dedication to the Halo community, I just can't agree with you on a ranking system. Please don't take this as a personal attack, because I'm sure you're a great guy and all, but I'm just very passionate about this topic. So please, I implore you to make these details known and interact with the community here that is screaming for a ranking system that reminds us of the fun we had in H2 and H3....oh and by the way, while you're at it..........

 

CLANS

 

~ Force 410

[Sova]

I think you couldn't have said it better Force 410! There really hasn't been a mention on a skill based ranking system other than the supposed system that franky mentioned with regards to only you being able to see your rank. but that is just hearsay. We do need something for us competitive players. It matters much more than some stupid symbol that shows how much i've played. Halo Prestige is a joke, and quite frankly its a reaction to Call of Duty. There's no doubt that Halo has lost gamers to that franchise, but 343i is misinterpreting why they are losing them...its not because of prestige, its because of competitiveness. Reach didn't have that competitive nature to it like H2 and H3. We need that back.

[Ember132]

Yes and Force D10 that was a hell of a lot u wrote there! But yes reach was a horrible game when it comes to competitiveness, i was playing grifball once with my friend i had the bomb about to go score and he says "WAIT dont score the bomb you'll get more credits if its an absolute dead tie!" Which was about the stupidest thing i've ever heard

[Angel of Death D20]

While I do agree on the ranking system being based on performance, there's something that needs to be taken into consideration. Some people will use GB as a way to pad their stats. Some say that what they do is a legit tactic, some say there's nothing wrong with padding the stats. Well sadly, if you're refusing to complete the objective, there is something wrong with it. That I believe needs to be taken into account with extreme prejudice. I know many people strongly agree with me on this topic, and in fact it was one of the reasons why I left Halo Waypoint, but never the less, to allow someone to do it means you agree with it.

[fpstactic]

1) bit of a long post, not realy my up of tea, sounded a bit naggy

2) objectives should be completed, that can be done by rewarding the win, not the stats.

stats in halo 3 were just good for your bungie stats, but nobody cared about anyone elses bungie stats, so padding the stats was seldom

[Force 410]

So as far as stats reflecting playing as a team goes, I think, as I said in my post, it's important to incorporate it, but don't make it what the entirely what the rank takes into consideration. I have played objective games on Reach where teams just tool on our team to pad their kdr, regardless of the win and carrying out the objective. I think for objective games, there should be a greater emphasis on completing the objective to affect your rank, and a slightly diminished one on kdr. They could integrate this into gametypes I feel pretty easily. That way, objective based players (like myself to be quite honest! - ask any of my long time xbl friends) get rewarded for playing the game the way it's meant to be in those gametypes. I appreciate the input though because I didn't make it clear enough in my mini-essay there,

 

And just to make it clear and not sound so complicated: In summary I believe the ranking system should incorporate KDR and the gametype being played, and thus, reflect the contributions made to that gametype. I'm not going to breakdown percentages or numbers here because that's something I'd want to leave to the discretion of 343i; I just believe the basis for these ranks can appease the entire community in a satisfying way quite simply and without much compication - at least in concept.

[Ember132]

Well sadly the game is done and this system cant be put in.

[Shokyr]

The game goes gold at the end of the month so I suggest just waiting and seeing how 343i changed the system up.

There is supposedly a rank that only you the player can see (frankie sadi this will deter deranking, boosting, buying accounts etc. due to not being able to show off your rank to other players) that will pair you with other players of a similar skill range in ranked playlists. There is also the titles for the 50 initial levels and a title for each of the 10 specializations. So there is a mix of Reach and Halo 3.

 

We. Need. This.

[Ember132]

Yes we do but the game is done so we cant unless they change it into this without telling us before it was finished which i doubt

[Angel of Death D20]

Yes we do but the game is done so we cant unless they change it into this without telling us before it was finished which i doubt

 

Bloody good thing that I"m not one of the HIPPO's becuase if I was, I would so Force them to implement my idea. I'd say yeah you're not done until you implement this. And of course people would get pissed at me. So what lol, if people weren't jerks and didn't do it, there would be no need for it.

 

People say stop sucking and it won't happen. I say play like a good sport and it won't happen.

[Force 410]

Ember, what do you not understand about utilizing this ranking system for future games? Do you not know there will be sequels? Because I clearly stated multiple times that it can be used in future games (pending this one's ranking system is another, yet slightly better, flop - which is what most people are anticipating). Only casuals or really dumb people (usually they go hand in hand) would think that they could implement this in Halo 4. And if I stated it should be done in Halo 4, that's because it SHOULD be. That doesn't mean I'm saying that it is possible at this point.

 

And learn to spell....

[Ryu♥Hayabusa]

Ember, what do you not understand about utilizing this ranking system for future games? Do you not know there will be sequels? Because I clearly stated multiple times that it can be used in future games (pending this one's ranking system is another, yet slightly better, flop - which is what most people are anticipating). Only casuals or really dumb people (usually they go hand in hand) would think that they could implement this in Halo 4. And if I stated it should be done in Halo 4, that's because it SHOULD be. That doesn't mean I'm saying that it is possible at this point.

 

And learn to spell....

Ooohhh! Spelling in a forum? Nonsense!

 

Your simple opinion of Casuals is insulting. See me? See my posts? See my test scores? *Way the hell above average* I'm a casual gamer. So, what's that now?

[Angel of Death D20]

Ooohhh! Spelling in a forum? Nonsense!

 

Your simple opinion of Casuals is insulting. See me? See my posts? See my test scores? *Way the hell above average* I'm a casual gamer. So, what's that now?

 

Regardless of the type of gamer you are. It does Not give you the right to stat pad/boost/be unsporting and hurt the game play experience for others!

[Zodiac]

There is already a ranking system for halo 4 that we have been given hints of.