I have been reading many posts regarding the ranking system in the beta.
Currently there are two ranking systems: SR (progression that is cumulative, similar to Halo 3 Social) and CSR (based on team wins against higher ranked opponents etc).
I imagine these systems will be separated in the actual game, with different ranked playlists (CSR algorithm, which will add to SR) and playlists solely for the so-called ‘casuals’ (that only add to your SR).
CSR:
Right now there is only one playlist and it’s ranked. A lot of people are unhappy because they are being de-ranked for performing well individually but losing due to unevenly matched teams.
Of course there are unevenly matched teams; it’s a beta and there are many new players. However in the full game there ought to be a more complex system that ensures as even teams as possible taking into account people on your team quitting out etc.
I’ve read a lot of wishes for CSR to not punish individually talented players as much as the players who performed poorly and lost the game as a result.
Perhaps a more sophisticated system would be two ranks (as well as your SR), one for how well you perform individually in ranked playlists in general, and one for team losses/wins. This could be integrated into the ranked playlists with individual performance influencing one rank (which can be decreased/scaled etc) and wins/losses influencing another rank (also scaled).
It seems disheartening to perform well and be punished as a result. This way, when a talented player is let down by lacklustre team mates, there is a consolation in the fact that their individual skill rank won’t be affected by the win/loss outcome. Of course it is harder to do better with bad team mates, but your individual skill rank won’t suffer as much as a result of the loss.
This entire idea may be redundant if the MM algorithm is effective in providing for even teams in the actual game. It is difficult to tell at the moment.
SR:
On to the cumulative SR rank.
I just find this incredibly boring, it was in Halo 4 and it seems it has been kept (?). Cumulative systems were nice in Halo 3 and even Reach; the ranks were more interesting and there was a massive gap in the higher ranks which made it far more rewarding when you achieved them. There was real substance and it required perseverance.