Hi everyone
I've been playing Free-For-All (random) for a couple of months by now, I love the idea of the format, it combines the random factor with the strategic component of a 4 way match everyone against each other, with temporary team up, betrayal, comebacks, etc. Also, it's easy to start even without a team while free for all (not random) is quite inactive because of teambuilding necessity and even if I tried a couple of matches (seeing the same players after long waiting time) it just is not the same.
But there is a big problem that makes me - and I can't think I'm the only one - lose a lot of time and fun when playing random FFA.
This is the lack of a ladder or a punishment system for bad behaviors like quitting before the match start, or half way. Almost half of the match I start lose one contestant even before turn one because of forfaiting (which has zero consequences and usually leads to others quitting, me included because I searched for a 4 partecipants match and expect that) and even when the match begin many times I face myself with opponents quitting after one or two pokemons loss, or even when they are winning. Lots of these forfaits don't even come with the forfait function but they just disconnect leaving the timer to go (I think this is the most toxic behavior possible in this meta, and many times this leads to other quitting even before time up). Needless to say, lots of these "players" are just last minute registrations (names such as 1212314234234 or goijsdjgslkdgjsl are quite clear) but the fact is, they don't just ruin one match, they will keep ruining others because there is nothing to prevent that.
A ladder would sure help because it would favor pairing of "seasoned" players with others in the same situation while bad players would stay behind and at most, ruin the fun for a couple of match for new players. I read it was already proposed and denied because it would be exploited by teamups but can guarantee that in let's say 10 match, 5 of them have a early or mid game forfait, 4 of them goes smooth and 1 (at most) have the problem of targeting and teaming. I played a lot of games up to now and it's not the targeting I fear, it's the option to lose one partecipant or two and quickly become just a random single battle (with much difficult in selecting target).
Honestly I would be fine even without a ladder counting wins and losses but just the match played and not forfeited, to favor matching of long time players and newcomers.
But even if a ladder is out of question, I'd still suggest a rule preventing immediate rematch when a player has just forfaited a match or lost by inactivity. Like, 10/15 minutes of standby (for IP, not nickname) in order to avoid exploiting the possibility without risk of punishing someone with just a bad connection.
As a last question, if not already that way, I think there should be the possibility to report a player for repeated forfaits. It happened once that I searched a match, found one and a player just quitted and others followed(can't blame the others), and this repeated for 4 times before finding a match actually starting. The first one quitting was always the same (don't remember the name) and I think he should have been reported but don't know the reason to motivate that. He was not insulting or cheating, he was just preventing the match to start stealing fun and time from other players.
I think I wrote even too much, I hope you'll consider this suggestion, thanks for your attention
I've been playing Free-For-All (random) for a couple of months by now, I love the idea of the format, it combines the random factor with the strategic component of a 4 way match everyone against each other, with temporary team up, betrayal, comebacks, etc. Also, it's easy to start even without a team while free for all (not random) is quite inactive because of teambuilding necessity and even if I tried a couple of matches (seeing the same players after long waiting time) it just is not the same.
But there is a big problem that makes me - and I can't think I'm the only one - lose a lot of time and fun when playing random FFA.
This is the lack of a ladder or a punishment system for bad behaviors like quitting before the match start, or half way. Almost half of the match I start lose one contestant even before turn one because of forfaiting (which has zero consequences and usually leads to others quitting, me included because I searched for a 4 partecipants match and expect that) and even when the match begin many times I face myself with opponents quitting after one or two pokemons loss, or even when they are winning. Lots of these forfaits don't even come with the forfait function but they just disconnect leaving the timer to go (I think this is the most toxic behavior possible in this meta, and many times this leads to other quitting even before time up). Needless to say, lots of these "players" are just last minute registrations (names such as 1212314234234 or goijsdjgslkdgjsl are quite clear) but the fact is, they don't just ruin one match, they will keep ruining others because there is nothing to prevent that.
A ladder would sure help because it would favor pairing of "seasoned" players with others in the same situation while bad players would stay behind and at most, ruin the fun for a couple of match for new players. I read it was already proposed and denied because it would be exploited by teamups but can guarantee that in let's say 10 match, 5 of them have a early or mid game forfait, 4 of them goes smooth and 1 (at most) have the problem of targeting and teaming. I played a lot of games up to now and it's not the targeting I fear, it's the option to lose one partecipant or two and quickly become just a random single battle (with much difficult in selecting target).
Honestly I would be fine even without a ladder counting wins and losses but just the match played and not forfeited, to favor matching of long time players and newcomers.
But even if a ladder is out of question, I'd still suggest a rule preventing immediate rematch when a player has just forfaited a match or lost by inactivity. Like, 10/15 minutes of standby (for IP, not nickname) in order to avoid exploiting the possibility without risk of punishing someone with just a bad connection.
As a last question, if not already that way, I think there should be the possibility to report a player for repeated forfaits. It happened once that I searched a match, found one and a player just quitted and others followed(can't blame the others), and this repeated for 4 times before finding a match actually starting. The first one quitting was always the same (don't remember the name) and I think he should have been reported but don't know the reason to motivate that. He was not insulting or cheating, he was just preventing the match to start stealing fun and time from other players.
I think I wrote even too much, I hope you'll consider this suggestion, thanks for your attention
