On Game Queue Stacking

[Emuchu]

So as we should all be aware, by now, queue stacking is a pretty annoying problem in the current build. In the upcoming patch, the First Turn Advantage is being significantly reduced, meaning that game stacking will no longer offer easier wins for players looking for an easy way to climb the ladder, so the incentive there might be gone.

That being said... I'll probably end up stacking games, anyway. The patch will put me on a mighty Outwitters high (I love this game), and I get antsy if I don't have turns to play, so I have a habit of opening new games whenever there's a lull in my current ones. In fact, I might end up doing it more often, since I won't be worried about getting boned by other players stacking. There won't be anything to stop me from keeping my queue filled all the time!

Any thoughts, guys? And be honest, would you be annoyed at me if you got stuck in 2-3 games with me as player 2 now? How about after the patch?

[worldfamous]

I've never been bothered by queue stacking. I am however bothered by the fact that there is no random first turn system. With the system the way it is, queue stacking is your only option to balance your starting position. Usually the first 2 or 3 games I start will be P2. Then I start another 2 or 3 as P1 and stop the stack. I won't go more that 2 or 3 beyond what my P2 count was. Self balancing. In my 2v2 games we seem to get first turn every game but its not as much of an edge there. Curious if they're adding the 3 wits in 2v2. Hope not.

[garcia1000]

If the only change is 8 wit for P2, I will still stack P1.

[wonderpug]

FTA issues aside, my main beef with the queuing issue is having all my new games be against the same person. It's less fun than playing a variety of people, and it makes it so my games all become my turn in clumps, rather than spread out across the day.

It also makes it hard for me to fill up my game queue, because I either have to wait for a queue stacked person to have his matches fill up, or I have to start games slooowly to avoid becoming a queue stacker myself.

[aaronINdayton]

I started 7 games the other night, 4 with the same person as P1, then finally got to start 3 as P1 to 'balance out' as mentioned earlier. I don't mind playing 4 games with the same person, for now, but I do mind playing all my games as P2, thus the new game spree. I usually only start 3-5 new games at a time...

Being P1 or P2 should be a coin flip, also mentioned before, that would make the world a better place!

[Emuchu]

It would be an interesting change, to be sure.

You would pick New Game, and if you're matched with someone, the game randomizes first turn the way it already does for Pass n' Play (which actually annoys me when I'm doing experiments there). If you're not matched, it returns you to the main menu saying "Waiting for Player..." and you don't get to start until the spot is filled.

Another one that could use improvement is how the challenging player in a friendly match always gets 1st turn. I'd like an option for 1st/2nd/Random there, too, since I'm more active than my friends, but I don't want to stack them, either.

[Saren]

A thought occurred to me today about queue stacking. What happens if you "give up" a game before you have taken your turn? I've never had the desire to try it in case there is a penalty (I've also not wanted to give up my player 1 spot). Will someone whose done this please tell me what happens? Is there a point penalty?
If there is no penalty, how do we know that people are not map shopping as well? There are maps that I know I am weak on, and the idea that people might be able to queue stack and avoid the maps they suck at irks me a bit. And if this is a problem it won't be fixed by simply fixing FTA.

[blckace]

Currently there's no penalty which is a huge flaw, but it has been brought up a few times they would be crazy not to implement a penalty in the upcoming update
Why am i mentioning this? Because it annoys me and the more exposure it gets the more hope there is for a fix

[Emuchu]

(10-25-2012 04:49 PM)Saren Wrote:  A thought occurred to me today about queue stacking. What happens if you "give up" a game before you have taken your turn? I've never had the desire to try it in case there is a penalty (I've also not wanted to give up my player 1 spot). Will someone whose done this please tell me what happens? Is there a point penalty?
If there is no penalty, how do we know that people are not map shopping as well? There are maps that I know I am weak on, and the idea that people might be able to queue stack and avoid the maps they suck at irks me a bit. And if this is a problem it won't be fixed by simply fixing FTA.

I read about this in another thread and tried it myself: there is no visible penalty for resigning a game without an opponent, points or otherwise, and the game disappears from your queue. A while ago, when I was particularly frustrated by a string of losses on Foundry, I started level-shopping around it (whether P1 or P2), and didn't observe any problems, but I don't do that, anymore.

[worldfamous]

(10-25-2012 04:56 PM)blckace Wrote:  Currently there's no penalty which is a huge flaw, but it has been brought up a few times they would be crazy not to implement a penalty in the upcoming update
Why am i mentioning this? Because it annoys me and the more exposure it gets the more hope there is for a fix

In 2v2 this occurs even after you have an opponent. Player 3 or 4 can decline the invite with no penalty. This has created both map shopping and opponent shopping. Your teammate starts a game, you don't like the map or opponent, just decline the invite when it comes. This is a major flaw just begging for abuse.