This is a proposal to add an option for anonymous matchmaking. Explanation Anonymous matchmaking is that both players names and ranking are hidden, both during and after the match. If a player has this option enabled, then all matchmaking matches they are in will be anonymous in that way. Rationale Knowing who ones plays against has a strong psychological effect. This leads to significant expectations and strategic decisions. Also, this leads to more repetitive and less interesting matches. Not knowing who one is playing against makes the matches less predictable and forces the players to consider more possibilities, therefore increasing the depth of the game within the existing mechanics. Contra Knowing who one is playing against allows practicing the reaction and adaption to a particular playstyle. Matchmaking isn't the place for dedicated practice, but for competition. Practicing like that can be done in other matches. I would like to hear your opinion on this.
+5 / -0
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It is an option that I wouldn't mind, but with the current player base size, its often quite easy to know who you will be playing in MM by who is online, especially near the top of the ladder, and often I play people multiple games in a row if we're the only two playing at the time. Naming no names, there are some people who I match on ladder who often defeat themselves mentally before the games even begins. They have a better chance than they realise and may perform better with anonymity. I think the game mode that would most benefit from this option is FFA with all chat turned off, would see less decisions and attacks being made for meta reasons.
+5 / -0
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Thanks    PRO_rANDY for your constructive input and being the first to contribute here. I agree that anonymity in FFA matches would be helpful. Though, disabling the chat I don't see as necessary as people with anonymity can already refuse to reveal their identity. Ganging on someone based on the games situation is not as cheesy and bad as ganging on someone just because of who they are. Furthermore, I don't think anymore that the name and ranking after the match must be hidden. It's an optional part of this proposal.
+1 / -0
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Probably my disdain for FFA chat shining through, always the same. "Don't attack me! North West has xxxxx!" "I'm weak, someone else strong" "X has two starting spots" " "
+3 / -0
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This sounds like an interesting idea, I also agree that it would make FFA much more like actually playing the game, instead of everyone having a grudge against this specific person and going all out for them no matter what, which happens quite often. Also agree with PRO_rANDY there, that happens like every game in FFA. With chat disabled people will hopefully make their own decisions and discover things for themselves.
+2 / -0
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(edit: my comments are more for 1v1, for FFA I think such an option would be interesting) My feeling is that this might be better suited to be a personal option, rather than something imposed for all other players/spectators. If a player wants to know whom he plays against I think it is fair he knows. If a player does not want to know (because of said psychological effects) he could have the option to "not show name/rank of opponent while playing". quote:
Not knowing who one is playing against makes the matches less predictable |
Would be interesting to try to quantify iff that is really the case. As a spectator I did not find many matches to be predictable, except the level of aggressive expansion - which is more related to rank than to the opponent.
+1 / -0
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I think it is an integral part that choosing anonymity also enforces it on the other players. Or at least get only matched with those that also choose that, but I think that would unnecessarily narrow the candidate options.
+0 / -0
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Sounds good. I've mused about it but nobody implemented it. A 'true' implementation would take infrastructure work, but if we aren't concerned with the potential for people to hack around the anonymity, there are easy game-side solutions. Those are easy because that's in my domain. It would be hard to make it a per-player option though.
+2 / -0
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quote:
I think the game mode that would most benefit from this option is FFA with all chat turned off, would see less decisions and attacks being made for meta reasons. |
I've seen plenty of FFA games where people don't talk and consider other's ELO. They are boring and predictable "the purple wins" games. Often the purple is me and feels like a waste of time.
+1 / -0
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If FFA was anonymous that would be so boring.
+0 / -0
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I don't think all FFAs should be anonymous, but it would be nice to have as an option. In those games you mention dyth, I'm guessing the results are more reflective of WHR's predictions? Currently with meta decisions, these percentages are way off and therefore, from a rating point of view, its not advisable for high rating players to play FFA.
+2 / -0
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Perhaps only play on a no-elo FFA or better yet, the beginning of an exclusive FFA ladder, independent of casual and MM.
+0 / -0
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An implementation that isn't resistant to cheating would already be an important step forward, since I think most people don't cheat and allow us to consider if this is a good change or not.
+0 / -0
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An option that makes it so that you don't know who your opponent is would be an easy first step, if there is any merit to it only happening in one direction.
+1 / -0
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I think I repeat myself, but I want to make my reason clearer. That the option of anonymity also hides ones own identity from the other player is what this is about. Hiding information about the enemy can be done client side already, probably in a widget. This proposal is about being hidden from the other players.
+1 / -0
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To get around brother PRO_rANDY's concerns about being able to predict who you're fighting based on the 1-2 valid opponents in range being logged in, could "anonymous" mode also come with an "appear offline" mode? I do wonder if there are unforseen psychological factors with this idea.
+2 / -0
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I suspect that anyone who wants it to be uncheatable will have to get their hands dirty and write it themselves. As it is, I have an implementation in mind but it's terribly hacky and I'm not looking forwards to doing it. I also don't know if the server will survive me throwing blind uncompiled code at it. I repeat, anyone who has any interest in learning C# and how to setup a development environment will do better than me. I am also concerned about the psychology of it. The matchmaker is someone social and we could lose that.
+4 / -0
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quote:
I am also concerned about the psychology of it. The matchmaker is someone social and we could lose that. |
This is a big concern for me. If MM games are anonymous, then what happens to the spectatorship around the match? What happens to postgame chat? If this is an opt-in, how much does this split the already miniscule MM playerbase? What is the point of taking these risks if I can just look and see whose online? IMO, first remove "wide" or "narrow" from the orange button. This already allows it to be much easier to selectively choose or dodge matches.
+1 / -0
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The identity could both be revealed to specs and after the match to the players.
+1 / -0
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