Matchmaking in Halo 3 and Halo: Reach were a self-defeating system. I know Bungie isn’t running the ship anymore, so I’m not sure how matchmaking in Halo 4 will shape up.
I have no issue with how the ranked playlists work. They work as intended, you play against people of similar skill and try to ascend the ranks.
What I want to touch on is the unranked playlists. There have been hidden ranks in these playlists, which essentially make them ranked.
So, why have 2 sets of playlists when they do THE EXACT same thing? You are only fragmenting the player base, making it harder to find games. Then, people stop playing because they can’t find a game. Then, it makes it even harder on those still playing. It’s a vicious cycle.
Also, why have unranked, social playlists if I am only going to join a game with my relatives and play against people who are as good as me, leading to no fun.
The solution? Have unranked, social playlists TRULY be unranked. Just match people up based on connection. None of this same size party, same skill bologna. This is how COD has been doing it. I am only illuminating the popularity of those games, which can’t be denied. I am not comparing one to the other. If people want a cut throat game every time, they can play ranked. Unranked should be a haven to have some fun.
That leads me to another point that I’ve touched on: Limit the playlists. Go look at how many playlists Halo: Reach has. There are simply too many. I know people like lots of different playlists from team doubles to grifball, but it also fragments the player base. How about a rotating door of some playlists? The only standard playlists should be FFA, Team Slayer, Team Objective, Big Team, and perhaps a few others.
Thank you for your time.