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Player Discussion: This IS an issue.

Player Discussion: This IS an issue.

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8 фев. 2024, 00:0308.02.24
08.08.20
106

Player Discussion: This IS an issue.

When players come on the forum to try to explain the AI problem of: "enemy bots are stronger, smarter, better setup than the bots on my team which are basically useless", the typical response we get from the moderation team is "that sounds like a conspiracy theory". So, rather than using my words, I'm going to be quoting from a recent YouTube video from one of the games OFFICIAL CONTENT CREATORS, RuFFles.

https://youtu.be/Xro6MwQGLPA?si=WkbSiSr761L8aIFN

Starting around 20:36:

"So, now I want to talk about some of the things that I don't believe are issues that, but I still see them come up very often. Still on the topic of bots, still, one that I see a lot is the bots having like a quote 'team bias', where they will purposely throw the game for you or they will purposely do better; 'the bots on the enemy team are doing way better than the bots on my team,' that's the complaint I constantly hear. And yea, that's probably true, but it's not purposeful. It's random. The bots are random. If you were to flip a coin four times, sometimes it's going to land all four times on heads. Sometimes, it's not going to happen every time, but sometimes it happens. Sometimes, it's going to land all four times on tails. You're not necessarily going to notice; in fact, I can pretty much guarantee that almost no players notice or pay attention to when the bots are favoring their team."

I completely disagree with RuFFles on this one, THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE, one that we tried to address way back in beta which obviously fell on deaf ears. Having the AI decide match outcomes (and let's assume for the second it is "random") negates the entire spirit of this being a competitive game. This setup negates matchmaking even, as even if the players are balanced perfectly, if the three-four bots on one team are predisposed to lose, than you've just ruined that balance between players. Ultimately, what this equates to is the game is deciding winner, "randomly" if you believe RuFFles. Your skill and ability, your spending, your actual talent with the mechs you play with are insignificant, if you're having to play one versus five because your AI is too dumb to leave the spawn zone.

Further, speaking as a long term free player (joined when open beta started, August 2020, no dollars spent), I can tell you this "team bias" IS NOT random and it IS purposeful. It might seem random to spenders, in which they might fight players whom have spent more and less than them. On the free to play side, the slant is far more than 50%, it seems closer to 80%. I have no doubt the AI is being used as a paywall: the bigger spender gets upgraded and smart AI, while the smaller spender/free players gets very broken and useless AI. For me, this has always decided my desire to spend in this game (or decidedly, NOT spend); I DO NOT want to spend for easier games because the AI basically feeds me while my AI runs the match. This is not PvP. This isn't even a game if the system decides the winner, rather than our talent playing the game.

Not for naught, at 50/50 to get stronger or weaker bots on your team, to "flip a coin and get head or tails four times in a row" is a whopping 6.25%. That means you have a higher chance to pull a gold implant from an advanced chest (7%) than to get four games in a row of consecutive superior or useless bots.

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8 фев. 2024, 11:0908.02.24
04.08.22
218

As a pocket change player I tend to agree with ruffles. Sometimes you're the nail and sometimes the hammer. As a free to play player you'll be the nail more often. 

8 фев. 2024, 11:5208.02.24
08.08.20
106
Lark

As a pocket change player I tend to agree with ruffles. Sometimes you're the nail and sometimes the hammer. As a free to play player you'll be the nail more often. 

So, just making sure I understand you, you're alright with the game deciding you get to be the hammer or nail, rather than you own talent and ability, or how much you've spent?

8 фев. 2024, 13:0708.02.24
07.04.22
3

In my experience, the game weighs in your winstreak. The higher the streak, the stronger the odds.

This seems to be true for the following factors: Bot equipment, Bot aggressiveness and skill.

There are some matches where you see 2 Aegis domes regularly in orange, you can be lucky if you see just one blue dome at all.

There are matches where every enemy bot turns instantly towards you and fires and there are matches where your team bots fire into the wall, or not at all. Or run in circles.

8 фев. 2024, 14:1208.02.24
08.08.20
106
Swashbuck

In my experience, the game weighs in your winstreak. The higher the streak, the stronger the odds.

This seems to be true for the following factors: Bot equipment, Bot aggressiveness and skill.

There are some matches where you see 2 Aegis domes regularly in orange, you can be lucky if you see just one blue dome at all.

There are matches where every enemy bot turns instantly towards you and fires and there are matches where your team bots fire into the wall, or not at all. Or run in circles.

I agree, I have noticed the same correlation. Likewise, winstreak comes into play for match making with human opponents, it makes sense they'd apply a similar consideration to AI creation. 

CrystalDrewCommunity Manager
8 фев. 2024, 14:4008.02.24
10.02.23
2079

Hello! Makes sense. Btw, this video by Ruffles is amazing and it was checked out by our team.

Talking about the Matchmaking system, it considers various aspects while paring. It can't be explained in a nutshell, as the process is comprehensive. We are doing our best to improve it and the work is in progress. The same comes about the AI - our team is working on improvements for the AI to make them more advanced in imitating real players in that we want to provide fair battle conditions. 

8 фев. 2024, 18:0608.02.24
30.03.19
19

what you explain is one of the 3 reasons that make me abandon this game.. given that the promises of C.D. they don't come true, in fact the game gets worse. this is a game where you waste time.. and in these last 2 months there have been more games lost, .... which didn't happen before, so I'm leaving. I don't want to waste time with garbage made just to rob you of money.. for nothing.. and fight against an A.I. HACKER no thanks. my time deserves better.... 2 games and I'm already out, bay bay rubbish... you're getting worse and you don't understand it, actually you know it but now after the nerf of EM where the revolt broke out, you're getting worse every day after day. there is no more remedy.

8 фев. 2024, 18:1008.02.24
30.03.19
19
CrystalDrew

Hello! Makes sense. Btw, this video by Ruffles is amazing and it was checked out by our team.

Talking about the Matchmaking system, it considers various aspects while paring. It can't be explained in a nutshell, as the process is comprehensive. We are doing our best to improve it and the work is in progress. The same comes about the AI - our team is working on improvements for the AI to make them more advanced in imitating real players in that we want to provide fair battle conditions. 

explain to me the reason for the pairings and the wickedness of your A.I. if you want to call it that. it only exists here in mech arena... a game 70% managed by a stupid A.I. and from incomprehensible combinations it cannot be found in any other game. ONLY HERE. but you know well that it is wanted by you. and nothing will make you change. You know well that players spend money before they realize the uselessness of this game. and when they realize they have already spent hundreds if not thousands of euros... no, it's not a game to have fun... there's no return in what you spend and in the time wasted...

8 фев. 2024, 20:2008.02.24
08.08.20
106
CrystalDrew

Hello! Makes sense. Btw, this video by Ruffles is amazing and it was checked out by our team.

Talking about the Matchmaking system, it considers various aspects while paring. It can't be explained in a nutshell, as the process is comprehensive. We are doing our best to improve it and the work is in progress. The same comes about the AI - our team is working on improvements for the AI to make them more advanced in imitating real players in that we want to provide fair battle conditions. 

Being real with you CD, the game is three plus years old with over 70 million accounts made (that we can see in game). In this three plus years, NO real improvements have been made to either the matching or AI, and in fact, the AI has only gotten worse. To the degree that, we can't even tell if player matching works. Even if we do get matched well, despite power and skill differences, it's then completely negated when we get placed with an AI team that can't seem to make it out of the spwn zone and a player is having to one versus five the balanced opponent and their four terminator AI that auto-target only the player, hit us behind cover, appear on control points we're standing on, and are playing better than humans can. This is the system deciding the winner, even though RuFFles can't say that, that's what's happening here. There's no need for the AI at this point, and not in the extreme extent that it is used in the game (3-4 AI per team with 70 million+ actual accounts), unless the game just can't keep players at all. 

Might be because no one wants to PvP with 80% AI teams. Just a wild thought.

CrystalDrewCommunity Manager
9 фев. 2024, 12:0809.02.24
10.02.23
2079
Free Player

Being real with you CD, the game is three plus years old with over 70 million accounts made (that we can see in game). In this three plus years, NO real improvements have been made to either the matching or AI, and in fact, the AI has only gotten worse. To the degree that, we can't even tell if player matching works. Even if we do get matched well, despite power and skill differences, it's then completely negated when we get placed with an AI team that can't seem to make it out of the spwn zone and a player is having to one versus five the balanced opponent and their four terminator AI that auto-target only the player, hit us behind cover, appear on control points we're standing on, and are playing better than humans can. This is the system deciding the winner, even though RuFFles can't say that, that's what's happening here. There's no need for the AI at this point, and not in the extreme extent that it is used in the game (3-4 AI per team with 70 million+ actual accounts), unless the game just can't keep players at all. 

Might be because no one wants to PvP with 80% AI teams. Just a wild thought.

Thanks for your feedback. Sorry to hear that, but I understand why you came to such conclusions. Nonetheless, during these three years, a lot of work has been done. Sad to know that it seems unnoticeable to you. Hope that future updates will change your mind as the work is in progress 🪛

9 фев. 2024, 13:1409.02.24
30.03.19
19
CrystalDrew

Thanks for your feedback. Sorry to hear that, but I understand why you came to such conclusions. Nonetheless, during these three years, a lot of work has been done. Sad to know that it seems unnoticeable to you. Hope that future updates will change your mind as the work is in progress 🪛

yes in these three years you have done a lot of work, but on the contrary, you have only made everything worse, even now I have played 2 games and I left vomiting. and if you go to the forum 99% only complaints, I think that mech arena has become the most unbalanced game, full of laemtele, and least fun on the whole web... fun is guaranteed only for the smart ones and the BTOs., and not tell me that you are working on it because they are just lies... I wasted 1 year of my precious time in this useless game..., to come to the conclusion that it is just a scam,, and don't say no. the worst kind of arena mech game.

9 фев. 2024, 17:3609.02.24
04.08.22
218

It's not a scam in my opinion. 13k matches and joined December 2021. 

9 фев. 2024, 19:1509.02.24
9 фев. 2024, 19:17(отредактировано)
09.07.23
229
CrystalDrew

Thanks for your feedback. Sorry to hear that, but I understand why you came to such conclusions. Nonetheless, during these three years, a lot of work has been done. Sad to know that it seems unnoticeable to you. Hope that future updates will change your mind as the work is in progress 🪛

Never in my time playing MA did I see improvement to AI. There would always be bouts of matches lost to team sabotaging AI that would not capture control points that were 2m away and get themselves killed. The winning team, whichever side you were on, would have competent bots with impeccable accuracy while the losing team's bots did squat but run around and shoot nothing. I have trouble believing it's coincidence. I don't know how much it's change. But in 3 months I don't expect any change has happened, it didn't in 3 years.

10 фев. 2024, 00:1410.02.24
08.08.20
106
CrystalDrew

Thanks for your feedback. Sorry to hear that, but I understand why you came to such conclusions. Nonetheless, during these three years, a lot of work has been done. Sad to know that it seems unnoticeable to you. Hope that future updates will change your mind as the work is in progress 🪛

Thank you for your feedback. Just to clarify, it isn't that the work your team has done hasn't been noticed. Perhaps that's what is feeding the issue:

  • In the last three years, we've seen you make some aesthetic changes (good and bad).
  • In the last three years, we've seen you add a couple new modes, and a few new maps (good).
  • In the last three years, we've seen minor tweaks to the AI and matching system (very bad).
  • In the last three years, we've seen you introduce a bunch of equipment for the company to profit (bad for players, good for company).

When you break it down, you can clearly see that your team has been neglecting an area severely, and hyper focused on another. I understand Plarium is a business and is, by nature, going to focus on making money. However, adding new stuff to a broken system while ignoring the system is literally ruining your game. Now, it's easy to understand why there have been no actual fixes applied to the AI; for your team, it is working within perimeters to maximize profits.

Ultimately, there is literally no reason the AI should be deciding the match outcomes except to try to "strong arm" players into spending more. The only reason you should really have AI in a PvP environment is if there's not enough players for the matching system to work. If after three years and 70m accounts, you can't make matching work (as it is a crucial backbone component to any PvP game), it's because something is seriously wrong. In my opinion, your team is overthinking it - likely because your players aren't a consideration, just their money is.

If the match making system for humans is working, and it's matching us properly based on the considerations expressed to better adjust for skill, then you DO NOT need to rebalance the AI again. Give both teams balance AI, meaning dumb or smart bots both sides. If the players are balanced, then you don't need to skew that balance with adjusted bots. It's been three years, it should be obvious even to a greedy, unethical company, this stepup isn't working.

10 фев. 2024, 03:5910.02.24
10 фев. 2024, 06:35(отредактировано)
08.08.20
106

Also, I'd like to add I disagree with RuFFles that players can't tell when their AI is doing better than the opponents. When there's only one opponent mech left (the player) after a minute or so of game play, knowing that poor player is having to try to one versus five our full team of balanced player and Terminator AI bots, we know. Or worse, when it's two plus minutes of hunting out that last player because they went and hide because honestly, they have no other option in those odds.

It makes for a spectacularly lackluster gaming experience. On both sides of the snafu.

10 фев. 2024, 14:5310.02.24
04.08.22
218

I don't think ruffles will be devasted you disagree. He seems a genuine chap I'm sure your opinion is as valid as his. 

I try and have as many players as possible in a team. If it's 5 players invariably the opponents are 5 bots in which case it's a walkover no matter how strong they are. Or it's 4 or 5 players which is an intense and exciting and sometimes frustrating experience if they are whales. Most times it's balanced. 

Just play with more players and you'll have a better experience or more 2 v 2 where bot randomness is reduced. 

10 фев. 2024, 15:0010.02.24
08.08.20
106
Lark

I don't think ruffles will be devasted you disagree. He seems a genuine chap I'm sure your opinion is as valid as his. 

I try and have as many players as possible in a team. If it's 5 players invariably the opponents are 5 bots in which case it's a walkover no matter how strong they are. Or it's 4 or 5 players which is an intense and exciting and sometimes frustrating experience if they are whales. Most times it's balanced. 

Just play with more players and you'll have a better experience or more 2 v 2 where bot randomness is reduced. 

Your opinion is noted.

CrystalDrewCommunity Manager
12 фев. 2024, 11:3112.02.24
10.02.23
2079
Deepthroat

Never in my time playing MA did I see improvement to AI. There would always be bouts of matches lost to team sabotaging AI that would not capture control points that were 2m away and get themselves killed. The winning team, whichever side you were on, would have competent bots with impeccable accuracy while the losing team's bots did squat but run around and shoot nothing. I have trouble believing it's coincidence. I don't know how much it's change. But in 3 months I don't expect any change has happened, it didn't in 3 years.

Hello! Sure, I understand why you came up with such thoughts. But sharing my own experience recently, I was shocked by bots performance on FFA. Really, I was sure that I was playing with a real player-controlling Cheetah until I saw its nickname. The tactics were so sophisticated, but still not overpowered (I mean the bot did all the moves that a real player could make). They made an ambush for me, several times actually. It's not that common for the fast-paced FFA mode tbh

CrystalDrewCommunity Manager
12 фев. 2024, 11:3812.02.24
10.02.23
2079
Free Player

Thank you for your feedback. Just to clarify, it isn't that the work your team has done hasn't been noticed. Perhaps that's what is feeding the issue:

  • In the last three years, we've seen you make some aesthetic changes (good and bad).
  • In the last three years, we've seen you add a couple new modes, and a few new maps (good).
  • In the last three years, we've seen minor tweaks to the AI and matching system (very bad).
  • In the last three years, we've seen you introduce a bunch of equipment for the company to profit (bad for players, good for company).

When you break it down, you can clearly see that your team has been neglecting an area severely, and hyper focused on another. I understand Plarium is a business and is, by nature, going to focus on making money. However, adding new stuff to a broken system while ignoring the system is literally ruining your game. Now, it's easy to understand why there have been no actual fixes applied to the AI; for your team, it is working within perimeters to maximize profits.

Ultimately, there is literally no reason the AI should be deciding the match outcomes except to try to "strong arm" players into spending more. The only reason you should really have AI in a PvP environment is if there's not enough players for the matching system to work. If after three years and 70m accounts, you can't make matching work (as it is a crucial backbone component to any PvP game), it's because something is seriously wrong. In my opinion, your team is overthinking it - likely because your players aren't a consideration, just their money is.

If the match making system for humans is working, and it's matching us properly based on the considerations expressed to better adjust for skill, then you DO NOT need to rebalance the AI again. Give both teams balance AI, meaning dumb or smart bots both sides. If the players are balanced, then you don't need to skew that balance with adjusted bots. It's been three years, it should be obvious even to a greedy, unethical company, this stepup isn't working.

Hello! Thanks for such a comprehensive response. You are right, but only partly. See, the game core base is complicated. It's way too complicated, as it can seem to be. Every aspect depends on another, but at the same time, it affects it as well. That's why the Matchmaking system and the AI can't be quickly fixed, and that's why the mentioned minor tweaks are actually harder to develop than any other thing.

But still, the work goes on. We develop, test, and experiment with various stuff, so after some time (maybe pretty long, though, but I don't think so), there will be more noticeable improvements regarding these issues. Our team has a lot of plans to make the game advanced, so it's only the beginning 😉

12 фев. 2024, 14:1412.02.24
30.12.23
91

The bots are predetermined. 

Code is predetermined. It's almost impossible to add actual randomness to code. 

The bots won't have a bias. They act how they act based on input data, which is generally the position of beacons and the player. 

If the bots make you lose, well, actually, you allowed them to make you lose.

Me and my main account are both, f2p, so I'd have no reason to be carried by bots, but it still happens on occasion.

12 фев. 2024, 15:3612.02.24
01.03.15
2
CrystalDrew

Hello! Makes sense. Btw, this video by Ruffles is amazing and it was checked out by our team.

Talking about the Matchmaking system, it considers various aspects while paring. It can't be explained in a nutshell, as the process is comprehensive. We are doing our best to improve it and the work is in progress. The same comes about the AI - our team is working on improvements for the AI to make them more advanced in imitating real players in that we want to provide fair battle conditions. 

your words don't make sense for more than a month now I lose all the games, and even if I'm the best, the opposing team always wins, where the only gamer there has killed fewer than his bots... this game it does not make sense . your words don't make sense.. you changed the settings, making it worse,, I certainly don't pay for this game. extremely frustrating, and unplayable, not to mention matching with opponents 3 times stronger. if this is your vision of fun, well then dear guys, you need a visit.