Unintended Consequences - Blizzard Broke Arena

[Mercurio]

So in about 8 weeks of 5v5 and 120 games played, my 4 shaman and holy pally friend have hit an all-time high of 1580 and have spent most of our time around 1460 or so.

The vast majority of those games have featured at least two gladiators/duelist/rivals.

Before Bliz "fixed" arena, the uber arena folks would
1) Match vs other known highly rated opponents for win-trading
2) Get a team up to a high rating, then let people who paid play 3 games, then play 7 to maintain the rating.
3) PL up a number of teams, raping the 1500, 1600, 1700, 1800 brackets, then sell the team and start over.

None of the three of these styles of play were what Blizzard wanted, and rightly so. However, these styles of play kept the uber teams mostly out of lowbieville (1300-1600 rated teams).

Now the gladiator/duelist/etcs make money off PLing teams up to ratings high enough to buy gear, and do so over and over again by putting in three mid-level players with two uberplayers. This means about 70% of the teams we've played have had players who should be in the 1900-2200 rating brackets. It is just too hard for a group of players (or one multi-boxer and a friend) who truly belong in the 1500 or 1600 bracket to beat teams like this with any consistency.

So my 420 resil, 11K HP, 900 spell damage shammies will probably be going back to the AFK arena strategy that gets us just as many points for MUCH less work.

Could Blizzard not have seen that this would occur? I've got to think the VAST majority of people who are trying their hand at arena with fairly solid teams and strategies and who get completely owned over and over again by gladiators are getting a bit discouraged.

[Kiljaedon]

Arenas have been a world of fail since after Season 1. I detest, despise and hate Arena. Do not say well you are wearing season 3 gear so you still play arena. I did arena to keep competitive but I will be damned if I step into much of season 4. I will just let my alts sit with season 2 gear with maybe season 3 shoulders. Trying to balance the game around arena is sad imo for blizzard. Down with Kelgan.

[Velassra]

IMO arenas suck for that very reason. Ever since I rerolled just prior to TBC and arrived at 70 mid S2 and was out geared virtually the entire time I just didn't find it enjoyable. The ratings on gear are a step in making it fair, but what needs to be done to truly make it fair is you need to maintain that rating to equip the gear. If you're really that good, it shouldn't be an issue. Remaking a team to try a new comp? Why should you get to steamroll me as a fresh 70. "Hey, it's not the gear keeping you dopwn." I wouldn't know, w/o gear facing a geared opponent I drop to fast to really find out.
The current system makes it impossible to a new player to see what works and what doesn't.

I suck enough in arenas, I'd rather just play other players that suck as well. It adds insult to injury that I have to play titled players decked in full s4 while losing points to them, losing the points and ratings I need to obtain gear to compete with them in a ratings bracket that can't even obtain me more than 1 peice of s4.

However, I believe the current system is working as intended. The nutty players, it keeps them coming back for more. Most everyone else, win one here win one there.......just enough for you to keep coming back for more. Just like the "DING DING DING" on a slot machine, giving you just enough reward to come back for more. I have no doubt Blizzard contracted out to psychologists to get just enough balance, just enough reward to keep us hooked.

[pinotnoir]

If they want to fix arena and keep a rating system this is what they have to do.

1. Permanent Personal Ratings Only on all brackets.
2. Match teams based on the Avg Personal Rating of the Qued Team.
3. Rank Players instead of teams based on permanent Personal ratings.

This will keep the 2000+ rated player from playing 1500 rated players.

If a 3v3 has the following rated players, 2000, 1850, 1500 they would play teams 1783avg rating.

The problem with arena is the team reset. If players ratings were permanent through the entire season they would be forced to play people of equal rating. This will piss off many people but its the only fair way to arena.

[Mercurio]

Yeah, it is pretty frustrating when I have put the time in to get the gear and thought that would help me be at least competitive.

This week I went 0-10 and the most under-ubered team I faced had a only one gladiator and a rival (...only).

/rant on

Thing is, arena is such a beat-down, week after week, it has become work. How can I take any joy in getting owned repeatedly? It is one of those things that Bliz has made mandatory because the gear is so overpowered yet easily obtainable by just losing 10 games a week, but I rather dread it when I have to go through the pain each week.

Isn't this game supposed to be fun? Challenging, sure, but throw at least some fun in there too. Blizzard has set it up such that very solid team make-ups that practice together a lot have very little chance to win.

What is most sad is that I run a team make-up that is known to be able to win into the upper brackets and have very good gear - and I feel this way. I know there are a few of you who post on these boards and have some level of success (and therefore probably enjoy arena - more power to ya). However, if everyone entering arena is facing MOSTLY 2000+ rating players, the overwhelming majority of players must see it mainly as a weekly pain in the ass.

/rant off

I never really enjoyed AFKing arena to get points, but I enjoyed the web surfing I could do while my characters got owned. Gotta do what you enjoy :P

[Mercurio]

Wait, what?

You're QQ'ing because you can't compete? Because you're not the best?

Seriously?

LOL

It's the obligatory Fursphere post.

I think 2,500 of Fur's 3,500 posts on this board are 2-line put-downs that avoid the real issue.

Though I will say, some of his other posts let you know that if he takes the time to think through something he is very capable of constructively adding to the conversation. :huh:

[Mercurio]

If they want to fix arena and keep a rating system this is what they have to do.

1. Permanent Personal Ratings Only on all brackets.
2. Match teams based on the Avg Personal Rating of the Qued Team.
3. Rank Players instead of teams based on permanent Personal ratings.

This will keep the 2000+ rated player from playing 1500 rated players.

I agree. This would solve things and would not be hard to implement. Pinot is a pretty smart guy, but Blizzard has an army of smart guys working the system too. Why couldn't they figure this out?

And what could be the possible complaints about a system like this?

- "You mean you want me to face players of about my same skill level?" ?(
- "But I want to play with my other friend I'm not on my uberteam with." (There are two other brackets - knock yourself out)
- "But I play this game to show off my uberness and own noobs" (Go hit the BGs then, plenty of noobs there)

The whole chess model this was based on never had teams of unequally skilled players that could band together in odd ways, nor the ability to rating-reset. Pinot's suggestion would put WoW arena much closer to the chess system that has worked so well.

[Velassra]

Wait, what?

You're QQ'ing because you can't compete? Because you're not the best?

Seriously?

I think that's his point. He knows he's not the best but his point remains, why is he facing the best constantly while hovering at 1500.

QQ? Maybe it is in the strictest sense but do you really think that titled people should be seen constantly at 1500? Seriously?

[magwo]

Fursphere, do you even play arena actively?

Don't put people down who are complaining legitimately about failed game mechanics.

[magwo]

WTF...

Yes, when you first ding 70 and jump into arenas, you're going to be OWNED. BADLY.

Captain obvious to the rescue.

I don't PvP because I suck at it.

Then you are not familiar with this subject and its details.

The spirit of arenas is to compete against your peers and set yourself apart from them by.. well... beating the piss out of them.

This would be true if the system did work as intended.

There is no other outcome. If there was, what would be the point?

What? This almost qualifies as a pancake bunny statement.