OFFICIAL: Skullgirls Spring Rift Battles Update

[Ryouhi]

I thought I had: another game I played that had skill-based matchmaking would only create matchups where the winning odds were at most 60:40, meaning no match would be created where the weaker party had less than a 40% chance of winning. This was because they saw an exponential increase in quit rates when winning odds were less than 40% (what player wants to play a game where they’re getting dunked on the whole time?).

I don’t know what calculations go into determining rating or how you guys determine what kind of matches are allowed, but if there is any sort of outcome prediction that goes into setting up matches, I think setting this sort of 60:40 threshold would be helpful as a whole for improving the impression on Rift Battles.

This week i almost only got matched vs people with lower rank and weaker bases than me - makes me feel kinda sorry

Really hope this update makes matchmaking more balanced again.

 

[Dusty00]

This week i almost only got matched vs people with lower rank and weaker bases than me - makes me feel kinda sorry

Really hope this update makes matchmaking more balanced again.

This week was the opposite for me. Of the 14 matches, 1 was against #1 player, 5 against other diamond 1s, 5 against diamond 2-3, and only 3 against high gold 1s (1960+). I think matchmaking has finally normalized after the reset where people who had inflated scores are settling in the range they should be at.

@Liam is it possible to know where the cutoff lines are for D4 and G1 since reset? My prediction is that it’s on a declining slope at around 1950 by end of this season. So D4 would probably be as low as 1960 and Gold 1 probably range between 1850-1950. Just guessing here...

 

[fanghoul]

I met a Diamond 4 in the low 1900s at the end of last week. No way to know if they're still a diamond now though.

I've been expecting there to be a pretty steep cliff between people who can keep in the 2000s, and those that can't, but having that gap in the middle of the diamond tier would be an interesting development. Probably it'd actually be a good sign that someone might actually be able to catch up with that tier, rather than have the tier get ever more impossible to access.

 

[Dusty00]

I met a Diamond 4 in the low 1900s at the end of last week. No way to know if they're still a diamond now though.

I've been expecting there to be a pretty steep cliff between people who can keep in the 2000s, and those that can't, but having that gap in the middle of the diamond tier would be an interesting development. Probably it'd actually be a good sign that someone might actually be able to catch up with that tier, rather than have the tier get ever more impossible to access.

Ended up in D2 with 2046 last week. Past weeks 2080 would still place me in D1. Starting to feel that with the reset it’s likely that 1900 would be the threshold for breaking into diamond tier. The 2000 mark is maybe for D1-2 to not get too far ahead that they don’t get matched with anyone.

It’s ironic that at some point some people were suggesting 2 reset lines of 2000 and 2100. That’s maybe the pattern except with 1900 and 2000?

 

[TonyPartridge30]

Ended up in D2 with 2046 last week. Past weeks 2080 would still place me in D1. Starting to feel that with the reset it’s likely that 1900 would be the threshold for breaking into diamond tier. The 2000 mark is maybe for D1-2 to not get too far ahead that they don’t get matched with anyone.

It’s ironic that at some point some people were suggesting 2 reset lines of 2000 and 2100. That’s maybe the pattern except with 1900 and 2000?

It's def above 1900. I wouldn't be surprised if the threshold for D4 is 1940-1950.

 

[Dusty00]

It's def above 1900. I wouldn't be surprised if the threshold for D4 is 1940-1950.

Currently yes, but I was speculating a few weeks from now that it might drop a bit.

 

[StrongestAntiMETA]

Yeah, this is pretty on the nose. A lateral shift in difficulty with the twist of customization helps create engaging fights that don't go stale!


Yeah, I hear you. While it doesn't solve every issue, being able to wait for the Catalysts in the Cabinet of Curiosities you're looking for before spending should hopefully resolve that tension for F2P players as far as Catalysts go. BACK IN THE DAY, for example, players opened Gold Move Relics hoping to get the specific BB they wanted, AND the correct stats... Now you can wait for what you're looking for.

I know the Cabinet solution doesn't apply to things like a non Prize Fight Gold for example, but we can certainly look into new ideas to offer variants players are looking for without compromising the economy we've built. It's a tough balance!


I'll be implementing this in the next few days. It'l be in for 3.2, barring catastrophic circumstances.


NICE. I wrote this thread with your recent posts (and the other recent posts on the forum) in mind. ♥


Currently, none of our Catalysts apply Character, Element, or Rarity restrictions to nodes. Shoehorning someone into using a specific character won't be too fun if it happens to target your best variant and you're in the early game with a smaller collection.

Oof.. guess I sounded too serious, I know it is not good as a catalyst for Rift. Also thank you so much for making it clear. That is a great info.

 

[Liam]

Hey everyone, just a quick update!

We're making Rift Battle matchmaking updates in 3.2. Instead of just relying on Rift Rating to find a match, we'll also be taking your collection strength into account.

Key points!

• You shouldn't be matched with anyone that has a wildly different collection strength than your own. Battles should be at least competitive, and you can hopefully clear most or all of your opponent's base for Rift Coins even if you're the underdog.

• You may match with players way outside of your Rift Rating, but this is because the matchmaker found your collections to be competitive. These types of matches should be less common as time progresses.

• You may end up waiting longer for a fair match. We'll be keeping a close eye on this.

More to come in our update notes which will be arriving very soon, but we just wanted to keep you guys in the loop. Thanks again for all of the feedback so far!

 

[TonyPartridge30]

Hey everyone, just a quick update!

We're making Rift Battle matchmaking updates in 3.2. Instead of just relying on Rift Rating to find a match, we'll also be taking your collection strength into account.

Key points!

• You shouldn't be matched with anyone that has a wildly different collection strength than your own. Battles should be at least competitive, and you can hopefully clear most or all of your opponent's base for Rift Coins even if you're the underdog.

• You may match with players way outside of your Rift Rating, but this is because the matchmaker found your collections to be competitive. These types of matches should be less common as time progresses.

• You may end up waiting longer for a fair match. We'll be keeping a close eye on this.

More to come in our update notes which will be arriving very soon, but we just wanted to keep you guys in the loop. Thanks again for all of the feedback so far!

Sounds fair. I'm sure the algorithm of determining collection strength is super secret, but I hope it's more complex than just total collection fighter score. I do like the idea that matches against even wildly different Rift ratings will be fair because of collection strength parity; should prevent matchups with apparent derankers. Hopefully the changes feel good!

 

[Liam]

Sounds fair. I'm sure the algorithm of determining collection strength is super secret, but I hope it's more complex than just total collection fighter score.

Yeah, I'd rather let people judge the fairness of the matches by the matches, and not a bunch of data in advance. If it feels good it feels good!

 

[Gamma Ray]

I presume players would have to face myself, Gunz, or other top players, regardless of collection strength, once they score high enough?

 

[PycoBeg]

• You shouldn't be matched with anyone that has a wildly different collection strength than your own. Battles should be at least competitive, and you can hopefully clear most or all of your opponent's base for Rift Coins even if you're the underdog.

• You may match with players way outside of your Rift Rating, but this is because the matchmaker found your collections to be competitive.

Not quite clear... What about some examples of "collection strength"?
Just imaging: i have 40 gold characters (not uped to diamond) - will i matched with someone with 20 fully diamonds?
Another version. 1st player has ~50 playable skins and 0 of "future dublicates", and 2nd player has ~10 "normal" wariors and 200+ bronzes to future skillpoint farm... Are they equal to be matched with another?
I mean... Idea is good on my end basically but it must be very clear and smart formula to calculate some "account power" but not just compare of chars' count or full collection strength sum...

 

[Dusty00]

Not quite clear... What about some examples of "collection strength"?
Just imaging: i have 40 gold characters (not uped to diamond) - will i matched with someone with 20 fully diamonds?
Another version. 1st player has ~50 playable skins and 0 of "future dublicates", and 2nd player has ~10 "normal" wariors and 200+ bronzes to future skillpoint farm... Are they equal to be matched with another?
I mean... Idea is good on my end basically but it must be very clear and smart formula to calculate some "account power" but not just compare of chars' count or full collection strength sum...

You’d think they’d do the obvious of just total score if top 20 characters. That’s what I’m hoping for at least...

 

[Liam]

Just imaging: i have 40 gold characters (not uped to diamond) - will i matched with someone with 20 fully diamonds?
Another version. 1st player has ~50 playable skins and 0 of "future dublicates", and 2nd player has ~10 "normal" wariors and 200+ bronzes to future skillpoint farm... Are they equal to be matched with another?

It's not as simple as the sum of your entire collection, so the examples you gave shouldn't happen. Definitely appreciate the concern! Those are the same ones we made sure to take into account for these changes.

 

[Veeko]

Looking forward to these changes (not as much as Robo of course)! Thanks for being transparent with us. Appreciate you guys.

 

[educavalcantee]

I repeat: this is the best develop team of a game. Ever.

 

[KeenFox]

I strongly believe that your Rift Battle system is pretty random.
I am seeing lots of flaws over there.

Can you give us an example on how all calculations are made so far in a Rift Battle from the side or the AI?

Most of the time my defense in stronger than the enemy's by a large margin yet I lose when I completely defeat him while I have no losses at all.

How is that fair?
I am keep losing rank points for this.

It is pretty annoying.

 

[Liam]

Most of the time my defense in stronger than the enemy's by a large margin yet I lose when I completely defeat him while I have no losses at all.

How is that fair?

From the sounds of it, this means your opponent is taking advantage the scoring bonuses more than you are.

If you're reusing fighters, then you'll lose out on points. If you aren't getting combo and blockbuster finish bonuses, you'll also lose out on points... etc.

 

[KeenFox]

From the sounds of it, this means your opponent is taking advantage the scoring bonuses more than you are.

If you're reusing fighters, then you'll lose out on points. If you aren't getting combo and blockbuster finish bonuses, you'll also lose out on points... etc.

Of course!When you fix the matchmaking it will be harder for the enemy to win.

Look at this.
Is this fair?
It is way easier when they have stronger fighters and their level is way above mine.
It is as if I have a handicap to begin with and it is not fun at all playing against stronger people.

 

[Euclis Más]

Tried posting specifics about how these updates made the game worse but it wouldn’t let me post. But yeah the rift battles now are way less fair than they used to be. and I’ve been finding opponents instantly who can annihilate instead of it taking a long time. Before it took such a long time that my ticket would get refunded. Now I find a diamond four as soon as I search for a fight as a gold 2. Wouldn’t be a problem if I had the rank. But since I cannot win these fights, my score keeps dropping. Last week my rank dropped because I kept getting matched with diamonds, then an announcement was made that fights would be more fair, and it happens more so.

Being able to clear a map and being able to clear it with characters used only one time is different. Literally cannot win. I’m thinking of quitting because rifts are the only manageable ways to get diamond keys.