[b][u]This is not a call to remove CBMM. I have a suggested minor tweak if you keep reading.[/u][/b]
Firstly, let's define some terms.
Casual: A game mode where the result doesn't matter.
Competitive: A game mode where the result matters.
Fair: A lobby where players are against other players of a similar skill level.
Now, let's use these terms outside of Destiny 2 as an example.
Casual: I play a game of chess with a friend for fun.
Competitive: I enter a single-elimination chess tournament.
Fair: I play against a chess player of similar skill to me.
Notice two things. Firstly, casual and competitive are mutually exclusive. Secondly, fair could be paired with both of the other game modes. You could have a casual game that is fair or a competitive game that is fair, but you could also have casual or competitive games that are not fair (pitting players of similar skills against each other).
Now, let's look at all of the Crucible playlists based on whether they are competitive or casual:
[b]Competitive:[/b]
Trials of Osiris
Surivival
Elimination
[b]Casual:[/b]
Control
Rumble
Classic Mix
Rotator Playlists
Iron Banner
Now, let's look at Crucible playlists based on whether they are fair or not. In other words, which playlists have Connection Based Match Making or Skill Based Match Making.
[b]SBMM:[/b]
Survival
Elimination
[b]CBMM:[/b]
Control
Rumble
Classic Mix
Rotator Playlists
Iron Banner
[i]*Trials has card-based match making, so it doesn't really fit any of these lists.[/i]
Do you see the problem?
[b]
All of the playlists with SBMM are also playlists where the result matters. They are sweaty game modes. There is no place for players to have a [u]casual[/u] game with SBMM.[/b]
The most common response to people saying they aren't having as much fun with the Crucible this season is "go play Survival or Elimination." But that doesn't solve the problem. [u]The bottom portion of the Crucible doesn't get to choose where to sweat anymore.[/u] If they go into Quickplay or Iron Banner, they risk getting stomped, so they have to sweat to perform well (and I am way more likely to use Mountaintop in PVP in order to prevent mercies). If they go into Elimination or Survival, it's a sweaty game mode. Sweat everywhere you go.
The top portion of the PVP community can choose where to sweat. If they go into quickplay it is a more casual experience for them but they still have an advantage because of their skill level, so it's not as sweaty for them. In SBMM, many elite PVP players complained that every match felt like a sweatfest because they were always going up against people of their skill level (and I completely understand that). They don't have that problem anymore, because they can choose between a sweaty gamemode and a casual lobby. Lower skill players don't have this luxury: they have to choose between a sweaty gamemode (Elimination or Survival) or a sweaty lobby (CBMM lobbies). Bungie announced in the 6/11 TWAB that they wanted to create a place "where players can have a more relaxed experience" in the Crucible, but for lower skill players they don't have that anymore.
So what compromise can be done to - to take Bungie's words again from that same TWAB - allow all players to "just enjoy the Destiny multiplayer sandbox"?
[u][b]Give us one SBMM playlist that isn't Elimination or Survival.[/b][/u] Give us a fair lobby with a casual game mode. Before this season, Classic Mix was a dedicated CBMM lobby, so you could do the same and make it that. Or make a dedicated Clash 4v4 playlist with SBMM. I don't care if Elimination goes or stays, I just want a SBMM playlist that isn't Elimination or Survival.
The important metric here is fun. Lower skill players (myself included) are having less fun this season. Last season, Crucible was something I could enjoy. Now, I feel like my character's progression is being held hostage by an activity I don't enjoy as much anymore. At the end of the day, this game is about fun, and Bungie should try to maximize the fun for everyone and make compromises in the Crucible in order to do that.
Note that I'm not going to address players who say things like "Just get better." It's not worth my time addressing people who are so narrow minded that they reduce problems to the effort/skill of a person and can't entertain the idea that a system they benefit from might have a problem and an opportunity to be improved.
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Your entire arguement hinges on the assumption that CBMM isn't fair, when it is. You loaded into an environment where you play against other people at random. It's the same thing if you enter a casual chess club and get paired with a random partner. Should they give you a second queen just to compensate for your lack of skill? How about if you go to the park and take turns playing basketball 1v1? Do you expect them to widen your hoop to compensate for your lack of skill there? I sure hope not. Now is it fun matching someone at ten times your level? No, but it isn't fun matching people who are only your level and lagging around either. [i]Strict[/i] SBMM is not the answer. As much as some players want it, you cannot cater to the part of the playerbase that plays the least while simultaneously damaging the experience of those that play the most. That's what [i]strict[/i] SBMM does. People say they want SBMMso they can improve. Well, as much as people want to say it does, [i]strict[/i] SBMM like we had last season doesn't help people improve either. If the search criteria is so strict the variance of skill in any one match becomes really low, any single player no longer has to improve aim, movement, awareness, etc. in order to consistently perform well within those environments. Most people measure skill by the after match results and [i]strict[/i] SBMM will show them results that indicate they don't need to improve. [i]Strict[/i] SBMM doesn't provide the desire to improve or the competition to drive someone to improve. That's just a fact. [i]Strict[/i] SBMM just has so many downsides so many people see that it just isn't worth it. Now I'm all for giving SBMM another shot if its search criteria is loose enough so that matchmaking is somewhere in between last season and this one, but all this talk of bringing back SBMM like that of last season is just ridiculous.