There are 3 major issues:
1) Three modes splitting the playerbase. Two of them are identical.
Ranked and quick play cannot both exist at the same time. Either the playerbase will be split in half, one of the modes will be dead, or both of the modes will be dead. Any of these outcomes is bad. Remove ranked, give quick play the leaderboards.
2) Can't queue up as either faction and no mirror matches so what playerbase we do have is effectively split in half.
Simplest solution: Mirror matches need to be re-enabled. History buffs will complain, but not only does this make a much larger pool for matchmaking, it makes for a lot more variety in game. Things like 716 vs Luftlande are a ton of fun, and if we end up with dead ranked again, that will be something very few people will ever experience.
If that is not an option, at least let people pick a battlegroup from either faction and queue up for both simultaneously.
3) Can't queue up for multiple game sizes. This kills 2v2 - 4v4.
Even if the first two issues were solved, you could still have 12 people trying to find 3v3 or 4v4 matches using the matchmaker and it fail to create a match because of how they are split, 5 in 3v3, 7 in 4v4. That's a worst case scenario, but with every issue combined right now you could easily have 30 people trying to find 2v2-4v4 and none of them finding matches.
Meanwhile even when using an archaic and terrible system like the server lobby you can get a 3v3 going even if only 6 people are online looking for 3v3+.
TL;DR:
Ranked removed, only quickplay. Option to queue up as both an Axis and Allied division simultaneously. Option to queue up for any map sizes you want simultaneously.
This needs to happen. You can't get away with splitting the playerbase this much in bigger games, let alone a niche strategy game.
Edit: I'm getting a lot of "Respectfully Disagree" but all the comments are in support. Can I hear some possible reasons for disagreeing with this? I was under the impression that what I was suggesting wasn't really an option, it's what the game needs to do to not have player pool issues.
1) Three modes splitting the playerbase. Two of them are identical.
Ranked and quick play cannot both exist at the same time. Either the playerbase will be split in half, one of the modes will be dead, or both of the modes will be dead. Any of these outcomes is bad. Remove ranked, give quick play the leaderboards.
2) Can't queue up as either faction and no mirror matches so what playerbase we do have is effectively split in half.
Simplest solution: Mirror matches need to be re-enabled. History buffs will complain, but not only does this make a much larger pool for matchmaking, it makes for a lot more variety in game. Things like 716 vs Luftlande are a ton of fun, and if we end up with dead ranked again, that will be something very few people will ever experience.
If that is not an option, at least let people pick a battlegroup from either faction and queue up for both simultaneously.
3) Can't queue up for multiple game sizes. This kills 2v2 - 4v4.
Even if the first two issues were solved, you could still have 12 people trying to find 3v3 or 4v4 matches using the matchmaker and it fail to create a match because of how they are split, 5 in 3v3, 7 in 4v4. That's a worst case scenario, but with every issue combined right now you could easily have 30 people trying to find 2v2-4v4 and none of them finding matches.
Meanwhile even when using an archaic and terrible system like the server lobby you can get a 3v3 going even if only 6 people are online looking for 3v3+.
TL;DR:
Ranked removed, only quickplay. Option to queue up as both an Axis and Allied division simultaneously. Option to queue up for any map sizes you want simultaneously.
This needs to happen. You can't get away with splitting the playerbase this much in bigger games, let alone a niche strategy game.
Edit: I'm getting a lot of "Respectfully Disagree" but all the comments are in support. Can I hear some possible reasons for disagreeing with this? I was under the impression that what I was suggesting wasn't really an option, it's what the game needs to do to not have player pool issues.
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