Popular streamer Timothy “TimTheTatman” Betar is seemingly at the center of the discourse around Modern Warfare 2 and skill-based matchmaking. In an October 23 video, he said that while he’ll “be here” when the game launches in full this weekend, he’ll only stream the game for “a day.” He’ll still grind it off-stream for the camos but clarified he can’t stream Modern Warfare 2. The reason? Skill-based matchmaking apparently sucks the enjoyment outta the multiplayer experience because he’s playing against highly skilled players that body him, and he isn’t having fun with the established “meta” and the “good guns” folks regularly use. His solution? Create two separate playlists: a Quick Play one not based around SBMM and a Ranked one that is.
“If SBMM wasn’t a thing, I would stream multiplayer,” he said. “SBMM—I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, man—is, I dare say, killing video games.”
Skill-based matchmaking is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a feature usually employed in multiplayer games that pairs you with other players around your skill level. Only level 10 months after a game launched but still wanna check out the multiplayer component? No problem. SBMM should—heavy emphasis on the “should” here—match you with other folks that are also level 10. Getting better at the game and leveling up at a rapid clip? The game’s SBMM should—again, with heavy emphasis on the word “should”—recognize this progression, placing you with others that are equally improving their skills. It doesn’t always work out this way, but that’s the general idea behind the methodology.
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There’s some irony to the complaints here. If one player has hit prestige, frequently ending matches with some insane kill-death ratio, then they should obviously be placed with other equally dominating players. They shouldn’t be given the opportunity to jump into non skill-based lobbies to crush folks still learning the ropes. It’s like a heavyweight boxer packing a ton of muscle taking on a lightweight half their size. I mean, come on, that’s clearly an unfair advantage. If you wanna be the best, you gotta beat the best, right? Like Twitter user headfallsoff aptly asked in response to the dizzying SBMM discourse: “What would Goku think”? Well, I think he’d be pretty disappointed.
kotaku.com
Super Sweats whining they cannot feast on unskilled players
SBMM ... good I won't have to play with Try Hards that do nothing besides play 2 hrs a day 7 days a week
“If SBMM wasn’t a thing, I would stream multiplayer,” he said. “SBMM—I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, man—is, I dare say, killing video games.”
Skill-based matchmaking is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a feature usually employed in multiplayer games that pairs you with other players around your skill level. Only level 10 months after a game launched but still wanna check out the multiplayer component? No problem. SBMM should—heavy emphasis on the “should” here—match you with other folks that are also level 10. Getting better at the game and leveling up at a rapid clip? The game’s SBMM should—again, with heavy emphasis on the word “should”—recognize this progression, placing you with others that are equally improving their skills. It doesn’t always work out this way, but that’s the general idea behind the methodology.
[clip]
There’s some irony to the complaints here. If one player has hit prestige, frequently ending matches with some insane kill-death ratio, then they should obviously be placed with other equally dominating players. They shouldn’t be given the opportunity to jump into non skill-based lobbies to crush folks still learning the ropes. It’s like a heavyweight boxer packing a ton of muscle taking on a lightweight half their size. I mean, come on, that’s clearly an unfair advantage. If you wanna be the best, you gotta beat the best, right? Like Twitter user headfallsoff aptly asked in response to the dizzying SBMM discourse: “What would Goku think”? Well, I think he’d be pretty disappointed.
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Fans Can't Believe They Have To Play In Fair Matches
Ahead of the multiplayer going live Friday, folks are already criticizing the game’s skill-based matchmaking
kotaku.com
Super Sweats whining they cannot feast on unskilled players
SBMM ... good I won't have to play with Try Hards that do nothing besides play 2 hrs a day 7 days a week