It's been over 4 months since release date and we have all coped without raid matchmaking. We have tried out the system that Bungie put in place which inevitably gave rise to third party matchmaking solutions like LFG, Reddit groups and more recently, [url=https://www.the100.io]The 100[/url]
Since the announcement of no raid matchmaking was made, there has been countless arguments for and against it. Now that we are 4 months out I want us to re-evaluate those arguments and see if they have changed and if we still agree with Bungie's original format.
Before we start let's take a look at some numbers. According to some data released back in [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/News/News?aid=12272]October[/url], there are 3.2 million players logging into Destiny each day. On their latest weekly update they revealed that 3.3 million players went down into the Hellmouth to attempt Crota's end on hard. This is just for that raid alone. Let's keep in mind that this was a big event so we can assume that there were more people playing than usual. However, let's not forget that not everyone was playing Crotas end at all (I was playing Vault of Glass at the time). Therefore, it is safe to assume that there are far greater number of players playing Destiny each day as a result of the Holidays etc. According to an article on [url=http://kotaku.com/how-destiny-players-fixed-one-of-the-games-biggest-pro-1678732125]Kotaku[/url], DestinyLFG.net and DestinyLFG.com get 60,000 and 50,000 unique users each Tuesday respectively. Now that number is obviously considerably less compared to the millions of players that play each day, but the group of people that don't go online and post on forums (aka your average Joe Destiny gamer) etc. is very under represented. I've met so many people who are big fans of Destiny, but have never heard of these LFG sites and had been missing out on the greatest part of Destiny: the raids.
Another number we can look at is [url=http://us.playstation.com/community/mytrophies/]83%[/url] That is the percentage of people who have NOT completed the raid. (As of Jan. 25, 2015) At all. Around 8 out of 10 have not even completed the part of the game where Destiny shines! That is an enormous chunk of the population. Now how many of these people play everyday? Its hard to tell but this is where every Destiny player is represented, the ones that get on the forums and don't.
That all being said, do we still believe that some form of matchmaking in-game is unnecessary? While I agree that matchmaking the likes of Call of Duty or the system used for Tiger strikes may not be the best way to do it, an in game LFG system where you can pick and choose which Fireteams to join would be perfect. Like in Killzone or Battlefield where you can choose the kinds of matches you could join.
[b]TL;DR:[/b] [b]It's been more than 4 months of us coping through external matchmaking. It's about time Bungie implemented an in-game raid group finder tool.[/b]
[b]Edit:[/b] People get the wrong idea with the word "matchmaking." Like I briefly mentioned in the OP, random matchmaking like the kind used for the Vanguard strikes playlist will not be the best way to go. This is the kind of matchmaking Bungie was talking about in their "vision" of raids and how it doesn't fit to it. [b]I don't think random matchmaking will be the best way to go. An LFG tool in game would be ideal.[/b] The beauty of LFG is the ability to pick and choose what team to join and have the ability to modify groups you created. This system works and I cannot think of a reason why it wouldn't work [i]in-game.[/i]
Imagine being able to set up a group with the title "New comers welcome" where anyone can join or "Hard Crota, experience required" where the game just won't let you join if you're not lvl 32 all [i]WITHIN[/i] the game. Everyone who has the game will have access to this tool and can finally do the raid and finally decrease that 83%
It is in Bungie's interest to do this why? Because if you give the player easier access to the redeeming part of the game, then the gamer's likelihood of investing more into the game and its future increases. Thus more sales for future installments and expansions.
Edit: It's good to see Bungie is thinking about it.
[quote] [b]So, no matchmaking for Raids neither?[/b]
No, but we are keenly aware of the issue. We think good Raid sessions rely on groups of communicative players who are invested in each other, but we know that it’s challenging for many players to find groups for Raids and Nightfall today. We are thinking hard about how we can help make that an easier experience in future releases.
-
Bungie has zero incentive to implement even the simplest in-game LFG system since there are so many existing external websites than can do everything efficiently already. They are better off spending time and resources developing in-game content rather than a raid LFG or matchmaking system that will ultimately be underused, fatally flawed or both. In other words, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
-
Bump, couldnt agree more
-
-
Bump for weekly update
-
It would be nice. I don't want to use an external site. Why should we have to??? I'm on of those 80% that haven't completed a raid. I tried once. I wasted a bundle of my time with people who couldn't shoot properly. It was embarrassing carrying these guys to the point where they all left the game. It's just as easy to form a lame group on LFG than a matchmaking option. This should have been built in for weeklies at least, from the release of the game
-
Agreed
-
Its troll heaven.
-
In game LFG? Maybe. Random matchmaking? Hell no!!
-
No matchmaking!
-
Why do ppl have an issue with match making for raids! If u don't want to use it then don't. But I for one am getting fed up of having to who're my self out on the internet to only do a raid with a bunch or randoms anyway! So why not have match making? Makes zero sense.
-
They should have raid matchmaking as an option. Use it at you own risk. No reason not to have the option there. There is no reason for anyone to argue against it if its optional.
-
Personally, I think it should be built into the game. I haven't been to LFG and probably won't. Those of you that have groups of friends to play with are completely unaffected. For those that don't, it wouldn't be that hard to create an in-game system where you indicated that you wanted to play and people would have access to the list to pick and choose players (up to and including examining players, or simply searching based on characteristics, such as level or raid experience). It would allow you to create groups with some expectation of your party. I don't advocate random match making, as I think that would just be a giant source of frustration.
-
Edited by brutalgear: 2/3/2015 9:29:56 PMSeems like this is the point of having the tower. The Social area to group up and do stuff together if you want.
-
Everyone who opposes matchmaking never understands what OPTIONAL means. If you don't like it, don't use it. Continue to make your own teams. For those arguing about squeakers, quitters, casuals, newbies: let those who agree to be matchmade deal with the risks of being matched randomly.
-
There is a recruitment forums section with millions of people in it....... Just use that
-
No that's a terrible idea what about all the squeakers they don't know how to play a raid. Also if a friends leaves to grab a gun and some random -blam!- joins the game and in his own fireteam we can't kick them
-
I don't understand why something like this was never an [i]option[/i] in the first place. I'm in a clan and I still struggle to get raids done every week. Only managed CE hard once this week.
-
Edited by Guardian2950: 2/3/2015 3:51:55 PMSimple as this... many players have not even tried either raid due to no matchmaking. The argument isn't if they can do it... the argument is, should they have a chance? Not adding raid matchmaking was a lazy decision and has pushed countless players away from this game... the thought that people are still arguing over this hurts my head. I am embarrassed for bungie.
-
I have always been for something like this. The only people on my friends list that play this games are the ones I have met in game. I am also one of those few that never did a raid until just last week. I like the concept of choosing the raid and it puts you into a room with a bunch of different fireteams and you choose the one that fits you. Of course fireteam leaders could set options they are looking for (Mic, level, character). It kind of reminds me of online poker. Get into a room and it tells you what each table is doing and how many open spots. All of this should be an option of course. If you like going on forums, so be it, go right ahead, but not everyone likes doing it that way. Some people just want to join a team and go.
-
I'm all for matchmaking as an OPTION. Ignorant people don't seem to comprehend that notion. The vast majority see "Raid Matchmaking" and automatically assume people want it hard built into the system. An Option for matchmaking would be good, some days I like to just be casual and run the raid with randoms and not having to through recruitment or LFG.
-
the problem is, that usually the people who dont want to have matchmaking see matchmaking as a threat to their felt uniqueness of having a raid team or other guys to play with.. they think then their special snowflake wil turn sour and they arent the big shiny hero anymore that have this one achievment in life: 120 crota completions.. sadly if you have 20 or 120 is of no real value, not even IN game since after 20 completions you probably have the same loadout as the 120 no lifer.. .. so saying no there should not be matchmaking for filthy casuals, is the description of "i dont want others to become as famous as i am now!" .. not more not less..
-
They're not putting match making in for raids. Stop making these threads. Beating a dead horse. The only people who want MM are the ones too stupid or too terrible to use LFG. I Have 120 Crota kills from LFG. There are no excuses.
-
Get off their asses and find a team is easy
-
I feel for you, dude. Everyone saying this isn't a good idea is too stupid to properly read. Maybe you should have used a different word, not matchmaking. Dumb -blam!-ig people, annoying as -blam!-.
-
We need matchmaking!! How can you lock us out of content we paid to have access to? You guys talk about how great your raid is and how exclusive and what not.....but, you won't let everybody play it?! This is bull.shit and you know it! Stop trolling the community! Hasn't it gone on long enough!!?
-
well i dont want matchmaking