In short, playing ranked and arenas is desirable for many different reasons to different people. But because of population, ELO does not adequately group or match players - it does not account for class balance, play style and experience, casual or hardcore, gear or objectives (conquest, for example). And because people don't like this mess, they're not playing. Or hating it when they do.

A simple change would be to allow us to SELECT what level of competition we want.

How it goes:

Pre-season would run as usual. At the beginning of each season, though, you elect to participate in Silver league or Gold league.

SILVER league, once you choose it, that is you for the season. The % percentage threshold for the silver rewards with remain the same, but that is the top reward available. Participation crystals can return to this league, with a rating floor.

This will be the "practice arena", practice to be competitive with the different roles, comps, etc without getting farmed or being discouraged or ruining pro rating. The place for pro non-fotms to carry arenas competitively, the place for casuals; for the "off-faction" on each server. To practice team ranked. Arenas can then be removed from the unranked queue, and you can queue silver and unranked at the same time.

And maybe after a few seasons in silver, you join the contenders - you choose GOLD at the beginning of the season. This is where all those great players who have played hundreds/thousands of arenas, not just in SWTOR, come to strut their stuff. The gold league is just like the current ranked. The gold reward should be boosted a bit too (eg: season passes for character transfer for your toon, etc). This is where the Elite come to play. Those who are out of their league will learn it, and can retire to the silver league at the cost of their entire gold league rating; those who are out of their league and persisting to play there for whatever reason, can be watched more easily for trolling and wintrading. Silver would be the ranked for everyone; gold for the elite. No excuses for wandering into gold unprepared. (They could make silver success a gate to gold, but I think that's unlikely and unnecessary.)

Mostly, though. people will choose what suits their gameplay. I think splitting the queue would increase pops. More people would participate in silver. The best players would queue in gold with more confidence, perhaps even bring players back to the game.

With limited resources (apparently) for developing new content for PVP, it seems this is the best way to give more to the PVP community - from casual to the elite - while costing very little.

Tl;dr: Making two ranked queues, one with silver as the top rewards, another just like present (gold) - and letting players choose which league to enter - would provide quality end-game arenas to PVPers of all levels.

What do y'all think? It may even be better than cross-server.

I don't know if it would work, but this is the first suggestion in a while that's not totally nuts.

Or just implement it for group.

I don't know if it would work, but this is the first suggestion in a while that's not totally nuts.

 

Or just implement it for group.

Well, in theory we have this already. It's called Ranked and Unranked. The trololols and pve hero's already abuse to ranked que when they shouldn't be there. Solo Ranked has simply become an RNG game. If you're a good player, you'll eventually make T1, just how long depends on RNG.

Dethla had a good post with a token system, but honestly, I think it's time to retire solo ranked.

I like the OP's idea, but I think the same could be achieved by:

-have a new queue for unranked area play.

-add an expertise requirement for ranked play

Both solutions would still allow easy win trading opportunities. Sadly the one solution more players via x-server is just not an option.

I appreciate the post and the well thought out idea, but would love to see some gold posts of the same caliber that contain anything about PvP. Let us know we(pvpers) are still wanted before everyone is gone.

-Zoist patch comes. ...damn no new wz's....well at least I'll have a new open world title hopefully something on the level of scare bear. ....ohh no ow pvp on a pvp server. ...sad day

Well, in theory we have this already. It's called Ranked and Unranked. The trololols and pve hero's already abuse to ranked que when they shouldn't be there. Solo Ranked has simply become an RNG game. If you're a good player, you'll eventually make T1, just how long depends on RNG.

 

Dethla had a good post with a token system, but honestly, I think it's time to retire solo ranked.

This comment misses the point. "If you're a good player"? The point is most people want to get better; they want to play for rewards; they want to play for ranked comms. They don't want to be farmed or trolled. Look at DomiSotto's stats: about half of toons entered in a season do not complete the daily. These are not trolls. These are players who are dipping into the current ranked queues and not enjoying it. Not because they are bad, but because the gulf of experience between them and most of those queuing is too vast and frustrating for both.

For instance, my server, Harbinger, has been colonised by some of the best players in the game. They play in my times slots, streaming, for hours on end into my (Australiasian) evening. In voice. I can play arenas, I enjoy them ,and want to get better, but it will be no fun queuing with them. And you can see the odd not-so-hot player popping into queue against them, but they vanish quickly. Same for most pubs who try queuing against them. They have made their own gold queue; the rest of us need a silver one.

People would pick silver for easy wins and gold would have no pops......Then again the current version barely has any pops so what makes you think splitting the queue would work? That would literally make things worse.

It's like you didn't even read my post. As above: "Gold" is already popping on the Harbinger. I want a silver queue for the off-faction and everyone else in the game. The majority of players are being shut out of solo and team ranked because of the vastly more experienced players; unless they are trolls or just enjoy being farmed (it happens). Anyone who rates their epeen won't queue silver for "easy rating" when that won't count for anything compared to the top players queuing for top prizes in gold.

I like the OP's idea, but I think the same could be achieved by:

-have a new queue for unranked area play.

-add an expertise requirement for ranked play

There's no reason the new queue couldn't be a form of ranked. I understand most forum posters thinking my focus is on cleaning the ranked queue so the best can play - most who play here are probly serious pvpers; but getting that serious takes time. My suggestion would make it clear that gold queue is for the serious pvpers; silver for everyone wanting to get better, for ranked comms, for lesser rewards. What we have right now is that people not at their level are trying ranked, which they are entitled to, but being shut out by the best, who just farm/abuse/get rightfully frustrated with their (our, because this is me too) decision-making ,which will be nowhere near elite standard.

One simple fix for ranked PvP: People should start playing it.

Indeed. Only few people actually play ranked...

a few comments...

-separate queues would mean even longer queues

-locking it in for the season would discourage improvement

-you would still have those who would abuse it to look better

-it does nothing to change the balance issues

-it still doesnt address the problem of a toxic community

I dont mean to poopoo it, its just that like many suggestions here it doesnt address any of the real issues holding back ranked play. What we need is proper match making, better balance, and a community that realizes the hypocrisy of begging people to queue in gen chat then blasting them for not being superstars match 1.

You're right about the issues we're trying to fix, flop. I guess I just believe there is a vast pool of players - a whole faction on most servers - with radically different goals from the top players. I honestly think the queues will stay as are for gold, and you'd open the door to a whole lot more in silver.

Yes, a small group will go silver for high rating - but they would be top of the "silver" league, so their rewards and epeen would be small. If the seasons stay short, 6-8 weeks, i don't see the harm. Certainly not worse than current.

But yah, we all know, these forums are full of people raising good issues and fixes for ranked. but no gold post, probly not read. No huge fix is coming. It seems a simple fix like this would be worth a go.