PVP-CC-Rank

[Reinhardt_Azureheim]

I can see the benefits of per-job ranking "if done correctly" (keywords) but a variety of factors would need to be done before that is put in, such as making maps either random on a per-match basis or making each job generally be good on all maps (i.e. no massive advantages due to specific CCs or job interactions present). Also "how" the reward structure would look like is also important.

Last factor is "do we have the playerbase to sustain this", which at least in my opinion I have strong doubts.

But yeah, hard no on merged queues.

3) That could be a problem for very high ratings (with the coming Ultima and Omega ranks). On the other hand, they're also no lifing this so...

Let's not design around people no-lifing things...

[Valence]

I think the playerbase requirement to sustain it would actually be easier, because there is also a gain in flexibility, namely that if your ranked diamond crystal games don't pop, then you can instead go and play on a job you have at a lower rank to try the queues there instead, which is something you can't currently do unless you have an alt precisely placed in different ranks. This would also offer incentives for people to play more once they just reach their rank goal with their main job for the season.

[Reinhardt_Azureheim]

I think the playerbase requirement to sustain it would actually be easier, because there is also a gain in flexibility, namely that if your ranked diamond crystal games don't pop, then you can instead go and play on a job you have at a lower rank to try the queues there instead, which is something you can't currently do unless you have an alt precisely placed in different ranks. This would also offer incentives for people to play more once they just reach their rank goal with their main job for the season.

Point noted, I can see that benefit for the lower ranks, but it's also hinging on higher rank players willing to do that (and also may not exactly last for long). I'd prefer a more organic approach of making sure lower ranks are picked up from adequate incentivization, as that would lead to a longer lasting solution over purely choice driven queue boosts. (not that they are mutually exclusive, but if I had to pick I'd prefer that)

[DallsBeep]

In the end, you believe in that and I believe in something else.

1. The whole "stakes" thing. CC rewards suck. There's nothing to play for. Pretty much everyone universally agrees on this. First timers wanna get a weapon glam but after that? Not much point unless you want more weapons glams. Thus the stakes are just your competitiveness as a player and wanting to perform well so your team can get a win. Once you get past the frivolous baubles you'll get from ranking up the only point is pride. So if you're that kind of player who's playing the mode for fun and to compete, which is the vast majority of players, the stakes are entirely self imposed. This is the reality of this community and the mode, if there was something actually worth competing for then I would be willing to accept the traditional definition of "stakes" but it doesn't exist at present, so no, it doesn't really have a place in the discussion unless something changes.

2. I've ranked up multiple characters just in the last year I've gotten at least 5 characters to diamond, three to crystal. Starting from the very bottom. The queue is already full of players who have no idea what they're doing. There's very little difference in quality of opponents below gold and your standard casual match. So no, learning the intricacies of CC at that tier presents no real issue. Anchors are there just as they are in casual, a good player won't suffer that long for it. What I'm talking about as the "basics" players should learn how to do in FL: sprint, recuperate, how to hit buttons. If you don't know these things then CC isn't the place for you, play FL until you figure it out.

3. "What's the point if I can't climb to Crystal anyways" There really isn't much point, that's the point. The difference between casual and ranked queue is entirely superficial, it makes no difference, I think I've illustrated how that is the case. If a player has no shot to rank up to Crystal, they remain at gold and below most likely. And there are lots of players like that, and for some reason you think that queue's going to die when that makes up the vast majority of players. It's pretty weird to type long posts about this issue when the main fundamental point of your argument is something this illogical and flawed.

I don't even really need to go to point 4 and beyond, there's really no reason to. But I will say that getting an easy box ticked on WT is pretty enticing for people who do that every week. It takes 5 minutes which is shorter than a lot of your options week to week. Also, there are plenty of casual players that could use wolf marks, and don't discount the fact there are plenty of completionists who just want to fill out their challenge log every week because it's there. These kinds of players are basically why your casual queue pops fast as it is now to begin with, so it's just weird to act like they don't exist lol

[DallsBeep]

Also, another thing we need to keep in mind here is that they've consolidated ranked to one server per data center now, and have mentioned they'll look into allowing players to queue for ranked from their home server while still being placed in that composite queue. If casual queue were to go away, and every player from the same data center was put into one ranked queue. Queue times are gonna be the least of your problems. The main problem is getting Diamond and above players to play continuously under those conditions. That can be done very easily, it's not hard to think of ways to give incentive to players to play a game mode that they clearly have mastered and like to play.

[Valence]

I'm staunchly convinced that removing casual will just turn CC into a mode where only the same few culprits would play, with the need to constantly queue sync else nothing would pop. Whether there is a difference between casual and ranked or not at a materialistic level, that's still not taking into account how players think and react. Even I, as a ranked player, sometimes I just want to chill without the pressure.

Trying to shoehorn casuals into ranked is doomed from the start, and even if you did, it would only help queues up to gold (unless you want them to be paired with plat/diam+).

[DallsBeep]

I misspoke in my last post. Obviously the way ranked works now is you have to travel data centers to play ranked if the season isn't on your data center so I worded that wrong. As it stands now, casual queue is from your entire data center, and ranked is from one particular data center per season. If they do change it so you can queue up for ranked regardless of which DC you're presently on as they've said they would like to do, and casual queue was removed, that would mean that every player queuing for CC in all of NA would be put into the same queue, at all times. As it stands now you have to consciously make the effort to move data centers to even participate in ranked if it's not being held on your home data center, and we have casual queues being ran for each individual data center, obviously. Now imagine we throw em all together. Not getting an instant queue pop would be basically unheard of.

If consolidating what is presently 5 queues with each data center's casual queue and 1 NA ranked into one queue is going to kill queue times because of hypothetical mumbo jumbo then nobody is actually playing the mode anyways so may as well remove both queues. Casual matches are "ok" sometimes, but you'll always get better matches in ranked, at any tier because the matchmaking is just flat out better. That's why I create new characters to manipulate their stupid system.