It is pretty clear that this game is balanced by having healers and tanks in mind, which leads to some problems in all dps arena matches.

That is because some defensive cooldowns and escape abilities like Enraged Defense, Vanish, Barrier (just to give some examples) are too strong in short-term fights.

 

Classes who don't really have such kind of abilities like Snipers and Mercenaries are really struggling in those match-ups while being perfectly fine if grouped with a tank and healer.

 

In other words, the class balance is mostly fine, it is the system which is in need of an overhaul.

My suggestion is to only start solo ranked games, if both teams have a healer, a tank and two dps.

Yes, this would lead to an increase of the queue time but the benefits would be a better overall experience while also fixing the problem with hybrid specs.

Best way to fix Solo Ranked: remove it.

I'm going to agree with cashogy, solo ranked is never going to be balanced without extreme homogenization of classes, which nobody wants. Right now solo ranked is a haven for self sufficient classes like vigilance and will always cater to such classes. Period. Edited May 18, 2014 by Zoom_VI

I'm going to agree with cashogy, solo ranked is never going to be balanced without extreme homogenization of classes, which nobody wants. Right now solo ranked is a haven for self sufficient classes like vigilance and will always cater to such classes. Period.

 

But why not make all classes equally self-sufficient within their role?

But why not make all classes equally self-sufficient within their role?

 

Because the Devs don't know how.

But why not make all classes equally self-sufficient within their role?

 

Because in order to do that it would require extreme homogenization of classes.

But why not make all classes equally self-sufficient within their role?

 

The issue is that most 4 DPSvDPS matches always end up with the entire team focusing one or two players.

 

If balance is done with Solo Ranked in mind, all classes will either have to survive a long time in a 4v1, or be very squsihy but do an extreme amount of damage in a 4v1. The issue with that is, that Solo Ranked is a 4v1. But Group Ranked is 4v4. In Group, where every player is supported by every other player, this would make games end either end in seconds (scenario 2 mentioned above, squishy classes, extreme damage) or never end at all (all classes survive a 4v1, no one dies in a 4v4).

 

For Group Ranked to be balanced, Solo Ranked needs to unbalanced. There will always have to be some class that succeeds insanely with good support, but does very poorly in Solos.

Because in order to do that it would require extreme homogenization of classes.

 

this wouldn't bother me. basically what he's saying is that every tk sage, MM sniper, arsenal merc have access to similar dcds (like a mitigation bubble that lasts the same time and protects the same %, burst that's roughly equal in magnitude and ramp up time, "oh sh*t dcd" that absorbs the same, etc.).

 

this is fine for me. they'd have to balance pyro merc with engineering and balance. the only difference in abilities would depend on the effective mitigation of armor class and healing ablities. and since so much dmg ignores armor and most heal classes cannot cast effective heals in dps spec, I imagine that variance would be very minor.

 

but bear in mind you're talking "homogenizing" a system in which the developers couldn't even "homogenize" mirror classes (animation delays on one faction compared to the other). so while I'd actually welcome this kind of balance (concealment and deception are very similar conceptually and separated by a chasm in practice), it's as difficult, at least, as any other proposed option. that's not a good thing. that puts it up there with cross-server queues.

Best way to fix Solo Ranked: remove it.

 

I would have to agree at this point. The solo scene is dominated by the same classes/specs. Maybe it should just be re-titled "Ranked Knights/Juggernauts and Stealthers".

Remove solo rank . More people would queue 4's. Or get rid of solo and bring in 2v2 arena.

Remove solo rank . More people would queue 4's. Or get rid of solo and bring in 2v2 arena.

 

No. Remove Solo Ranked, and 4s will have no one queuing at all, except the people who are already queuing currently. Solos serve as a a bridge between Regulars and Ranked.

 

The only thing they should do, is give better rewards to 4s. Removing Solo means killing Ranked.

Edited May 18, 2014 by EzioMessi

No. Remove Solo Ranked, and 4s will have no one queuing at all, except the people who are already queuing currently. Solos serve as a a bridge between Regulars and Ranked.

 

The only thing they should do, is give better rewards to 4s. Removing Solo means killing Ranked.

 

Solo rank is a horrible idea . When you face 3 people all in the same guild on the other side and under geared players on your team that's not competitive . Many of the top players who don't sync queue solo rank (and please don't say it's not possible it's been done on stream plenty of times) know that solo rank is not competitive play but only a sync queued team v pugs. I would love for solo rank to be removed and given 2v2 arena. I think a lot more people would play that bracket more so than they do 4v4 .

Edited May 18, 2014 by Prodiigy

No. Remove Solo Ranked, and 4s will have no one queuing at all, except the people who are already queuing currently. Solos serve as a a bridge between Regulars and Ranked.

 

The only thing they should do, is give better rewards to 4s. Removing Solo means killing Ranked.

 

Completely disagree with the bolded.

 

The people doing ranked now would be doing it anyways. "New teams" 9 times out of 10 are usually just a new assembly of people from a previous Ranked-participating guild(s). Increasing Ranked participation is a pipe dream w/out some massive overhauls of the entire system.

 

 

Whoever suggested 2v2 instead, LOLOL

Completely disagree with the bolded.

 

The people doing ranked now would be doing it anyways. "New teams" 9 times out of 10 are usually just a new assembly of people from a previous Ranked-participating guild(s). Increasing Ranked participation is a pipe dream w/out some massive overhauls of the entire system.

 

 

Whoever suggested 2v2 instead, LOLOL

 

I'd rather be teamed up with 1 other person I know that face a sync queue with my pug. At least you agree that solo rank should go . Give more rewards for 4's.

I'd rather be teamed up with 1 other person I know that face a sync queue with my pug. At least you agree that solo rank should go . Give more rewards for 4's.

 

The smaller you make the teams, the more glaring balance issues between classes become.

Completely disagree with the bolded.

 

The people doing ranked now would be doing it anyways. "New teams" 9 times out of 10 are usually just a new assembly of people from a previous Ranked-participating guild(s). Increasing Ranked participation is a pipe dream w/out some massive overhauls of the entire system.

 

 

Whoever suggested 2v2 instead, LOLOL

 

Exactly. The people who were doing 8v8 back when it was Ranked, and are doing 4v4 now, will do 4v4 anyways. They [you] don't need an incentive, other than the possibility of fun matches.

 

Solo serves as a bridge, because many good 4v4 teams I put together last Season (haven't played 4s yet this season) were just 4 of us who met in Solo queue who liked how we played together, so we did 4s. Without Solo, most people would still be doing Ranked.

 

It also serves as a training ground for less hardcore players.

 

They need to give greater rewards to Group, not make it the only option.

 

And I agree, with the current state of balance, 2v2 is a laughable idea. Double stealths ftw.

Remove solo rank . More people would queue 4's. Or get rid of solo and bring in 2v2 arena.

 

THIS, OMG THIS I love 2v2s so much, this would lead to a lot and I mean a lot more complaining BUT ppl would que in teams more and it would be more based on your own personal skill, warning wow story but one on my favorite pvp experiences was when I played an arms warrior and met up with a random frost dk and we won 16 and lost 1, amost every time no matter what class we dominated

 

so ya long story short 2v2s would be amazing

nah, I think the whole ranked and ranked comms system is fail to begin with. The only thing ranked should have going for it is the desire to face more organized and skilled opponents (skill part lacking atm), and have a rating + leaderboard.

 

Just have group only que for ranked, and have normal reg warzones give ranked+reg comms, and make solo que for regs SOLO ONLY, and group regs be group ONLY

 

However, fixing healing (especially scouperative healers which are overtuned atm), adding some kind of better healing debuff/guard counter attached to an ability/talent, and a overhaul to resolve system is what is needed most atm.

Edited May 19, 2014 by scylence

I do almost exclusively solo ranked.

 

It's not that I don't like group ranked, it's that it is near impossible to form a team in the current climate of the game. At least on pot5 and bastion, group ranked is in a sorry state. Why? Because pvp guilds don't want to bother trying to incorporate players they aren't 100% familiar with. For all of you people who do group ranked: When was the last time you invited a player to your guild and encouraged him/her to participate in ranked?

 

If you have a problem with solo queue, don't queue. For a lot of people, it's just not going to work out. Solo queue takes time. It's a numbers game. Because luck is such a huge factor in the short term, you have to continuously play well over hundreds of games to make certain that your skill level is represented by you win loss ratio in the long run.

 

Eliminating solo queue will be the end of ranked. If you think there isn't a big enough population of 4s right now, wait until you eliminate the very last place in the game where good players get together to go head to head while getting a decent idea of each others skill level. It's the stupidest most misguided idea these forums have ever produced. Please stop asking for the dissolution of solo ranked. You will not be happy with it.

The best way to fix solo ranked in my mind is to put a gear based gate on entry.

 

You should have max expertise to enter solo ranked. I have a seen way too many in lvl 30 greens or even EMPTY shells of armor in solo ranked. you end up with the guy that is bolstered to 24k hp in a ranked on your team; they die so fast that it is 3v4.

 

If a 4 man pre-made doing ranked wants to carry a naked player, let them, that is their choice. shouldn't have to see that in solo.

 

another thing I would like to see is balancing ranged dps and melee dps; a team of 2 balance sages and 2 snipers really has no excuse to lose to a team of 4 melee dps. and in the event that teams are same faction there is no reason why it cant be 2 rDPS, 2 mDPS per team.

 

I like that the Q's only add healers or tanks if each team has one, that is start.

I pretty much keep my sub live for solo ranked only as well as almost everyone I know still playing this game.

 

Removing solo ranked will not improve 4s, people will just stop playing ranked. The population pool has dwindled far too much at this point. There's only a handful of very good teams that queue 4s and they want more people forced into 4s so that they can farm and that's it pure plain and simple.

 

I'd love to have 2s and 3s introduced, the more the better but it won't happen. There's only one thing that can fix what's happened with this game and help improve it's state tremendously and that's cross-server queues, anyone who denies that including bioware/ea employees is a complete fool.

 

Even those who don't like Wildstar or have any interst would benefit and have more fun jumping ship here to play over there for PvP for the plain and simple fact that the population there will be booming. As is there's already cross-server queues and average BG pop time is under a minute in BETA.

 

I'm barely hanging on here as it is because lightsaber > all and pew pew is fun but remove solo ranked and i'm out. No xserver queues within 6 months and I'll probably be out anyway regardless after my experience on WS, the devs listen there.

First off, I can see how Mercs/Mandos can feel screwed if it is an all DPS match, however Snipers have no excuse.

 

All I see is snipers ************ and moaning about LoS this and LoS that, as if no other ranged DPS has cast/channel abilities that require them to be stationary and suffer if they are LoSed, and I bet in most cases you have more utility more damage and more escape. Barrier is meaningless in an all DPS match, anyone who knows how to switch targets even minimally means you are insta popped right after barrier ends anyway.

 

Mara/Sent on the other hand have a lot more trouble because there is far too much CC that can be thrown around at a whim with short cooldowns and broken resolve.

 

Also try playing a TK sage in ranked lol.

 

I think with obvious class and CC balance issues aside,

The whole idea of Ranked giving ranked comms and regs not is silly to begin with. There is no reason ranked has to be given everything and the world. The rating, the challenge, and the end of season rewards should be way enough.

 

So I say:

 

Step 1: Add X-server ques (very easy to implement BW is just ignorant)

 

Step 2: Remove Solo Ranked

 

Step 3: Solo que in regs is now Solo ONLY

 

Step 4: Let players opt out of 1 gametype when queing for regs (Ex: opt out of Arenas)

 

Step 5: get rid of Bolster in ranked

 

Step 6: Regs now grant Ranked comms at 1/2 the rate of Warzone comms.

 

Step 7: Fix CC, resolve, and class balance issues

 

Profit

Edited May 21, 2014 by scylence

Focus change in solo rated? Not gonna happen.

If the initial target does not die, there is usually chaos.

If the initial target was a sorcerer and all the burst was put into that target and the sorcerer just bubbles when he is really low, that's major burst wasted.

And snipers have all the rights to complain, because they are as squishy as mercenaries.

Marauders on the other hand, have no right to complain at all because that class together with the Juggernaut is the most durable.

Edited May 21, 2014 by Venjirai

Focus change in solo rated? Not gonna happen.

If the initial target does not die, there is usually chaos.

If the initial target was a sorcerer and all the burst was put into that target and the sorcerer just bubbles when he is really low, that's major burst wasted.

And snipers have all the rights to complain, because they are as squishy as mercenaries.

Marauders on the other hand, have no right to complain at all because that class together with the Juggernaut is the most durable.

 

Can't tell if serious.

 

1/10

Can't tell if serious.

 

1/10

 

To be honest, I wasn't sure if you were serious when you complained about Marauders.

0/10

Edited May 21, 2014 by Venjirai