Server Ranking System Issues (Feedback)

[Lakzoh]

Hello all! My name is Lakzoh, and I'm a fairly new recruit so please forgive me if there is anything about this forum post that is incorrect or seemingly senseless. 

Having played on the trade 3 server for quite a bit in the past couple of weeks I've noticed something within the server that comes across as a bit "discouraging." This discouraging piece of the server is the point system that is enacted currently. 

A bit of background - in all of the games I've played in the past I have found it quite fun to try and push myself to the higher part of any leader board or ranking system that the game has in place. With the current way the point system is in place, I find myself being discouraged to play once I get a satisfactory rank, and I believe this to be due to two things: 

1.) Upon reaching ~Top30 you're met with the aggravating circumstance of losing up to 25 points upon a death from someone with substantially lower points, this is a substantial amount of points when considering the average amount of points that are gained at these ranks can be as little as +2, or even 0. 

2.) The point system doesn't necessarily reflect skill level, it's not hard to camp in spawn with a sniper and rack up points against friendlies on the other team (something I have done, and something I'm sure most other people have done as well.) Because the point system doesn't reflect skill level, rising up in ranks - or attempting to sustain a good rank is seemingly impossible when there are people with a 1,500 point skill level who have 200 points, sniping you across spawn or throwing a bombardment of rockets at you (at spawn.) 

Considering both points, I have found myself less willing to play on the server at times because I'd be at risk of losing the rank levels that I had spent so much time achieving. 

I am making this post to attempt to both bring some perspective to this issue as well as a way to get some feedback on ways to combat this inconvenience - so please, leave some feedback (on ways to remedy this, or maybe some other issues you might have noticed), any feedback is worth directing attention to in efforts to correct the system in it's current state. 

 

[Admiral MacK]

It is understandable from the point of view that players have when they actually try hard to achieve VIP rank without having to pay for it. This is also Top 20 Players, not Top 30. The amount of points taken away from players with high ranks that were killed by lower ranked players is excessive, but necessary. 

The point system that is in place throughout all of our HG TF2 Servers is the same. It also is programmed in this respect (for lower ranks to get more points for killing high ranks) because it keeps the better players of the servers in check. It gives the opportunity for others to reach Top 20, which might be hard, but not something impossible if done with commitment to time and technique. This also completely resets every 1st of the month, so it does balance the players and give them all a chance at VIP if not previously getting enough points to be in Top 20 numbers. 

I don't see too much wrong with the current system we have, but it would be nice to see the automatic "handing out" of VIP fixed. As I don't know if we still have to check and do manual entries of Top 20 players.

[Lakzoh]

@Admiral MacK Thank you for your feedback! I think you brought forth some valid points: 

"It is understandable from the point of view that players have when they actually try hard to achieve VIP rank without having to pay for it." 

This is something I haven't considered before, it is important to recognize that there is a free granting of the VIP rank for the Top 20; this is important to consider as it provides an explanation for the essential grind that needs to be had in order to get Top 20 - as you are indeed getting 10 dollars worth of content for putting forth the time. 

"It also is programmed in this respect (for lower ranks to get more points for killing high ranks) because it keeps the better players of the servers in check." 

You bring up the point of keeping the better players "in check" but I believe it's important to note that not all players are going to feel the need to try harder in order to sustain a rank - as I had mentioned before, there may be some players who find it more beneficial to stay away from the server in an effort to keep the rank they have, I believe that this is the issue that needs to be looked at a bit closer. 

Again, thank you for your feedback! 

 

[Admiral MacK]

@Lakzoh,

As you said in your first reply, it is good to keep the point system more "unforgiving" so the more active and intrigued people are the ones receiving the VIP. It keeps the people who come on the servers rarely or just to troll, out of the ranks unless bought with money for VIP or Gold Account Admin.

Your second response is also completely understandable, but you're forgetting to include the HG side of operations. The HG TF2 Divisional Leadership/Management are required to keep the servers running and populated to support HeLLsGamers a whole. The VIP system is set to let the people often get in and out of VIP, making it possible for more people to achieve the rank necessary for an amount of time (as long as they can fight to keep that rank). The more people that become VIP through it, the more popularity there is on the server, which with how the modern generation is; popularity is an excellent attention grabber (so even more popularity will spread on the servers).

We are simply keeping the pin wheel spinning. The players are the spindles, one's on top, then the next, then the next. This continues infinitely. If we were to stop it, we would loose much of the population. That includes not clearing the point system monthly.