Engagement Optimization Matchmaking

[Axs5626Sxa5001]

The cat is out of the bag on the methods that EA is using to construct our matchmaking; several different popular youtubers have posted this week about EOMM.

So what is the consensus on the this forum thus far? I don’t really like the idea that the publisher is actively trying to manipulate my emotions in an attempt to get me to play more/spend more. I totally get that companies need to make money, but I feel like ramping up/down the difficulty in an activity that’s PvP is sort of wrong. 

Man I miss the online scene a decade ago, where everything wasn’t micro-transactions and loot boxes.

[apostolateofDOOM]

@Axs5626Sxa5001 I honestly think they focus on data to much and forget or push aside what makes playing fun for balance or engagement which ultimately pushes people away. Difference being that doing it their way, they have retained the wrong crowd or attract new ones and pushed away those that were originally invested with both considerable time and money, the most likely to keep supporting in the future. A few on this forum are prime examples of that.

Everything popular they have nerfed or removed.. RIP Skulltown.

Take legend balance for example, i'm not saying that balancing didn't need doing as it certainly did (and overall it's kind of been successful) but the way they've gone about it is awful. Wraith with her original instant q now taking so long to activate that you could wipe a squad in that time with good aim. How is that fun compared to before?? Increase the cd to a minute or 2 if you have to but the rework is *, turning her from a hyper aggressive character into a relocation expert or something?

Same with Path and yes his mobility needed shutting down to a certain extent but he didn't need that 0.5 sec attach grapple time added and low profile after his recent nerf should have been removed but good players can utilise his ability still and pickrate i believe is still up there so we have second most popular turned into a a spider fridge tank till the data shows otherwise.

Lobas tactical and Ramparts general design too.

SBMM, SBMR, SBR or EOMM.. Anyone playing the game will learn to get round these protection from dropping solo repeatedly, smurf acc, throwing games in lower tier ranked with no intention of progressing ect.. You all know i've brought this up a few times and created threads as it's noob bashing,  the equivalent to bullying in a sense but if the games are artificially set to stress you out and then relax you to try give you a happy medium on a RNG based BR then i can't blame the players for getting round that as it's the developers who implemented it. Not that i do or ever will condone it for obvious reason.. Often see threads on here of players doing just that, bragging how they got a high kill game but in the video or by their own admission they did one of the things mentioned and i just think it's pathetic personally. Again though, i blame the developer just as much as the player.

Microtransactions - Previously you could set up your characters look with a hundred different shoes, gloves hats ect ect.. (more choice for one set of an outfit than the entire range of full outfits we currently have) leading to million to potentially hundreds of millions of different looks to make your character unique to you and extremely rare 2 are the same unless you are new.

Less variety, fun and CHOICE for the same or in this case (compared to other f2p games) a higher price.. Cost saving on their end leading to a lower end and less enjoyable product for us, the player.

Forgetting about the 101 other problems that can be addressed the direction they're going IMO is wrong.  Back in the day hey!

Edit: It's worth noting that EOMM isn't implemented in Apex currently (apparently) according to Michael Kalas on his personal twitter, not being official i would take it with a pinch of salt, but whatever method we currently have will equate to similar outcomes anyway so still worth discussing.

Edit 2: @Axs5626Sxa5001 Do you still have a copy of that SBMM thread?

[hayhor]

@Axs5626Sxa5001While I'm not a fan this isnt new. Anyone that's played fifa ultimate team for the last 5 or 6 years has experienced it. Except in fifa they also try to control the in game with momentum and handicapping, which they deny......I've been banned from those forums before.

What would blow my mind is to find out games like Apex and Warzone also try to control the in game stuff.

[BaldWraithSimp]

@Axs5626Sxa5001 Making me lose(or win) to keep me playing is so sick and downright disgusting. We can't even enjoy the game unless it's on EA/Respawn terms.

[pastaclown]

@Axs5626Sxa5001 It's pretty scummy, and also pretty smart. The reason being is because people aren't willing to go beyond and actively criticize or think critically of what makes them happy, the hobbies or activities they consume, etc. etc. So a lot of games are going to take advantage of that, and we see this already with the current climate of gaming, what with season passes, exclusive rewards, micro-transactions, gacha games, etc. etc. 

If more people were more willing to be critical of the things they consume, you could then force publishers and developers to uphold reasonable standards in accordance to the product they deliver. They wanna charge 20 dollars for a skin, that's fine. Let's not purchase any of it until all core criticisms that have existed from day 1 get addressed. Instead we have this black and white thinking where nothing constructive is done it's just insults thrown back and forth, and we all got to see first hand how fun that was when S6 came out. Countless actually critical and constructive threads on Reddit, here, Twitter, etc. etc. derailed by some neanderthal whos immediate reaction to anything criticizing what they like is a personal attack on their character and thus they must defend their honor by calling the criticizer bad or other garbage like that. Not to mention the streamers who have extremely volatile careers who are super willing to drop thousands of dollars for a game they'll play for 30 minutes once then never come back to. 

Honestly it's a lot of real world problems that cause things like EOMM to be developed. Obviously I can't talk about it here, but let's just say if everyone got paid enough to live reasonably comfortably while also only working 4-6 hours a day, with free education and healthcare across the world, as well as an intricate safety net to combat social issues (mental health / addiction / poverty / homelessness / etc.) as well as a lot of systemic reform relating to police / government / and in general politics, I'm pretty certain we'd all be better off in the long run. 

[Axs5626Sxa5001]

@pastaclown

Well said.

As it pertains to online gaming, I kind of feel like I’m being manipulated. Even with all of the issues the game has, Apex is still my favorite shooter on the market. I criticize Respawn for their snail’s pace regarding content, but I still admire them for creating an awesome game. That being said, the news of EOMM has REALLY turned me off.

I’m serious— I actually want to spend LESS money now that I know that EA is specifically manipulating my experiences to maximize their profits.

[Axs5626Sxa5001]

@apostolateofDOOM Yes I do. Shall I send it to you?

[1ronKeys]

Well since their "Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment" paper which talks about manipulating gameplay to encourage engagement and spending of money I've not been surprised by anything. 

I just wish they had the ethics to use good gameplay and positive experiences to boost these things as opposed to manipulating negative emotions.

[apostolateofDOOM]

@Axs5626Sxa5001 Do you mind if i edit it slightly and repost?

[Axs5626Sxa5001]

@apostolateofDOOM Go ahead.