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POLL: Your Preferred Way To Queue Ranked Going Into Season 17?


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The only realistic options are solo queue and team queue of any size.

About a year after initial release, we had both a solo queue and a team queue. Solo queue was popular at first, but then dropped like a rock due to two main factors: 1) "me first" gameplay, which included toxic players 2) the winner was usually determined by which team had the fewest clueless players. Team queue was a far better environment, as players actually tried to work together. Many players who valued the team aspect, but were queuing solo switched to team queue. Solo queue pretty much died. The same thing would happen again with a solo/team queue split; the choice is in effect the same as team queue of any size.

It's very clear that no one likes solo+duo queue. It only seems popular overall because its promoters really want team queue, but it's the closest they can get.

ATs are not a solution for team play - even with swiss (which won't ever finish as this rate) or more frequent tournments. Teams want on-demand play (as opposed to only being able to play at certain times). The only way to achieve that is to have a team queue or do on-demand tournaments (like the ones which existed at initial release). Which goes back to my earlier comment about how the only viable team queue option is any size party.

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@"Exedore.6320" said:The only realistic options are solo queue and team queue of any size.

Team queue was a far better environment, as players actually tried to work together. Many players who valued the team aspect, but were queuing solo switched to team queue. Solo queue pretty much died. The same thing would happen again with a solo/team queue split; the choice is in effect the same as team queue of any size.

True, and I think going by what i've heard so far; it's safe to say both people who played back then, and even now are interested in the prospect of TeamQ returning, but I still think that would appeal to the more... hardcore crowd.

The average casual ranked player isn't going to have 4 other people to queue with all the time, and probably won't go out their way to find the most optimal people to play with, as in such a low population game that can be a long and arduous process that gets more and more unforgiving the lower you are in rank.

But still, just giving everyone, including that crowd; the option to SoloQ separately to the old TeamQ or any sort of new any-sized merged queue would satisfy. If it would eventually die as you predict, then there really isn't any harm in doing so.

Really the only people to lose in such a case, are the people who do or would abuse merged queues to essentially farm SoloQ players sometimes 2-300 rating beneath them which...

About a year after initial release, we had both a solo queue and a team queue. Solo queue was popular at first, but then dropped like a rock due to two main factors: 1) "me first" gameplay, which included toxic players 2) the winner was usually determined by which team had the fewest clueless players.

...Doesn't seem all too different from what you describe here really. Actually in the context of DuoQ or a merged queue i'd say it even exacerbates the second issue beyond anyone's control. Like, with a population as small as ranked's is; I fail to see how inserting high-disparity and/or some of the highest ranked players into a DuoQ/MergedQ, and then into a matchmaker that values time to queue over quality is going to lead to anything but them being matched with lower rated players, or "clueless" I guess. The same goes for those lower rated players attempting the same thing themselves.

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SoloQ only. Honestly the only two paths forward that I see working out at every hour of the day is to keep queuing as is or switch to SoloQ only. The PvP population probably wouldn't be able to handle much else, especially during off peak hours. I have reasons (based on experience from this season) for supporting SoloQ only.

1) Matchmaking with current population - Because of the current population in PvP you are inherently at a disadvantage if you do not DuoQ. While I can't prove that the matchmaker is dipping several divisions down to find players scientifically (lol), I have had several instances where I asked players who got farmed what their division was. Gold 1, Gold 2, Silver 2 are getting pulled into matches with mechanically sound Plat2+ players. This is the biggest gripe I have against DuoQ - with this kind of population it inevitably almost always slants team advantage in favor of the DuoQ not because of player skill, but the lack thereof on the other team. 501-34 matches. You're lucky to get into Plat 3 before you start facing all of the Top 50 DuoQers.

2) Rating safety net - It probably doesn't occur that often but queuing with a friend gives you a safety net. Queue with a friend on a trash account, if things start going south just dc.

3) I don't believe people actually just want to play with their friends - This is one of the main reasons for adding DuoQ back in. I support playing with friends. However, there are two other game modes in PvP where you can play with friends. But uh.. those don't seem to rouse as much passion as Ranked with all those cool titles and great rewards. Hmm : D It's pretty obvious that DuoQ is all about the advantage that it gives but I guess we can humor the thought of "having fun with friends" a bit more.

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@"Ivantreil.3092" said:In a Vacuum, a split of Solo Q/Team Q would be the ideal thing to do, but the PvP population of this game can't afford said luxury, it would lead to ridiculous time waitings for the team q's.This community has expresed very well with the pass of the time how fighting against a team feels unfair as a solo player who can only do so much with their skills against coordinated communication.

But most ppl (at least all of those who I know) who want a full team Q are very aware of this problem and would rather wait 20minutes or so to have one proper 5v5 thancoin flip after coin flip, like it is atm. Solo Q only would only make it even less appealing for a good portion of the already small playerbase.Also without ranked full team Q there's just no need for a PvP guild (and as we've seen they are (almost?) all gone since the switch to solo/duo Q) which in return means - in my opinion - there's less incentive to play PvP at all. Just imagine raiding or fractals where you can ONLY join solo/duo.. I'd predict that PvE dies within days. Like we don't even get the possibility to lfg in PvP and I think this is also part of the low population problem.. It's just a self fulfilling prophecy at this point imo. When we argue against every change with "but the low population!" nothing will ever change and the population stays low, instead of creating more incentive to actually group up, bring friends and guild members to the game mode etc.

@edit for a comment on my vote: If we'd get Solo(+Duo)Q and a separate team Q, please give us a split ranking for both queues as well (I think this should be very obvious but I still want to point it out, since Anet had some very obviously flawed design choices in the past as well imho).

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@"DoomNexus.5324" said:But most ppl (at least all of those who I know) who want a full team Q are very aware of this problem and would rather wait 20minutes or so to have one proper 5v5 thancoin flip after coin flip, like it is atm. Solo Q only would only make it even less appealing for a good portion of the already small playerbase.Also without ranked full team Q there's just no need for a PvP guild (and as we've seen they are (almost?) all gone since the switch to solo/duo Q) which in return means - in my opinion - there's less incentive to play PvP at all. Just imagine raiding or fractals where you can ONLY join solo/duo.. I'd predict that PvE dies within days. Like we don't even get the possibility to lfg in PvP and I think this is also part of the low population problem.. It's just a self fulfilling prophecy at this point imo. When we argue against every change with "but the low population!" nothing will ever change and the population stays low, instead of creating more incentive to actually group up, bring friends and guild members to the game mode etc.

@edit for a comment on my vote: If we'd get Solo(+Duo)Q and a separate team Q, please give us a split ranking for both queues as well (I think this should be very obvious but I still want to point it out, since Anet had some very obviously flawed design choices in the past as well imho).

You're totally right in my opinion.

If the leaderboards and queues are split, there's incentive to play both. Like people have pointed out LFG isn't exclusive to PvE, and split TeamQ gives even more reason to use it within PvP where quality over quantity matters more anyway.

Split queue also eliminates the age-old "I just want to play with friends" excuse in a way that's actually fair to people who can't have or don't care for the luxury.

Like some people have pointed out, merged queues and Solo only queues have failed and upset players in the past. If the low population is the excuse for not trying something new, then history is just doomed to repeat itself, and the problem most definitely is a self fulfilling prophecy. Although, I do think there's ways to make that problem much worse, as in; there have been ways queue in the past much worse and better off than others.

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