Post
The Finals: Ranked System and Smurf Problem, Is there a solution?A deep analysis of the problems with The Finals' ranked system and the smurfing issue is needed. Players are expressing dissatisfaction with rank imbalance and the prevalence of smurfs, which harms the game's fairness and competitive environment. We need to explore ways to improve the ranked match experience and effectively penalize smurfing.
1. 🎮 Ranked System Complaints and Player Attitudes
· Recently, complaints about The Finals' ranked system have grown, with many players pointing out its flaws.
· Dissatisfaction with ranked systems is common in other PvP FPS games like Valorant, Counter-Strike 2, Rainbow Six Siege, Apex Legends, and Overwatch.
· In competitive environments, players often seek external reasons for their failures, which amplifies complaints about the ranked system.
· For example, Gold-ranked players often claim to have Diamond-level skill, blaming ELO hell or bad luck. Such self-aggrandizing attitudes tend to exaggerate complaints about the ranked system.
· Dissatisfaction with ranked systems is common in other PvP FPS games like Valorant, Counter-Strike 2, Rainbow Six Siege, Apex Legends, and Overwatch.
· In competitive environments, players often seek external reasons for their failures, which amplifies complaints about the ranked system.
· For example, Gold-ranked players often claim to have Diamond-level skill, blaming ELO hell or bad luck. Such self-aggrandizing attitudes tend to exaggerate complaints about the ranked system.
00:00 - 01:48
1. 🎮 Ranked System Complaints and Player Attitudes
· Recently, complaints about The Finals' ranked system have grown, with many players pointing out its flaws.
· Dissatisfaction with ranked systems is common in other PvP FPS games like Valorant, Counter-Strike 2, Rainbow Six Siege, Apex Legends, and Overwatch.
· In competitive environments, players often seek external reasons for their failures, which amplifies complaints about the ranked system.
· For example, Gold-ranked players often claim to have Diamond-level skill, blaming ELO hell or bad luck. Such self-aggrandizing attitudes tend to exaggerate complaints about the ranked system.
· Dissatisfaction with ranked systems is common in other PvP FPS games like Valorant, Counter-Strike 2, Rainbow Six Siege, Apex Legends, and Overwatch.
· In competitive environments, players often seek external reasons for their failures, which amplifies complaints about the ranked system.
· For example, Gold-ranked players often claim to have Diamond-level skill, blaming ELO hell or bad luck. Such self-aggrandizing attitudes tend to exaggerate complaints about the ranked system.
02:08 - 05:25
2. 🤔 Analysis of Current Ranked System Problems
· Rank Imbalance Matchmaking: Gold-ranked players are sometimes matched into Ruby-ranked lobbies with Platinum teammates. This happens because when a Platinum player is included in the team, the matchmaking range expands, allowing entry into higher-ranked lobbies.
· Low Number of Ranked Players: While The Finals' overall player count is healthy, the proportion of players engaging in ranked mode is very low. Since a single ranked match requires 24 players, a low number of ranked players inevitably leads to lower match quality.
· Solo vs. Trio Queue Problem: Solo players being matched against 3-person teams is a major complaint, but separating queues would drastically increase matchmaking times, risking the demise of the ranked mode itself.
· Limitations of the 'Final Round Only' Suggestion: While structuring ranked mode as only the final round would speed up queue times, it could undermine the game's core identity of progressing to the finals through a tournament.
· Low Number of Ranked Players: While The Finals' overall player count is healthy, the proportion of players engaging in ranked mode is very low. Since a single ranked match requires 24 players, a low number of ranked players inevitably leads to lower match quality.
· Solo vs. Trio Queue Problem: Solo players being matched against 3-person teams is a major complaint, but separating queues would drastically increase matchmaking times, risking the demise of the ranked mode itself.
· Limitations of the 'Final Round Only' Suggestion: While structuring ranked mode as only the final round would speed up queue times, it could undermine the game's core identity of progressing to the finals through a tournament.
05:26 - 07:35
3. 💡 Suggestions for Ranked System Improvement
· Simple Solution: We propose a method of proceeding with 1 Cashout round followed by the Final Round. This can reduce the number of required players from 24 to 12, shortening queue times and improving match quality.
· In the past, when the system changed from 3 Cashout rounds to 2 Cashout rounds, queue times improved and game quality was enhanced.
· Potential for Queue Separation: If matchmaking times are shortened, it would be possible to separate solo/duo queues from trio queues, reducing unfair situations where solo players fight against full-stack teams.
· This would increase ranked player participation and contribute to the activation of ranked mode.
· In the past, when the system changed from 3 Cashout rounds to 2 Cashout rounds, queue times improved and game quality was enhanced.
· Potential for Queue Separation: If matchmaking times are shortened, it would be possible to separate solo/duo queues from trio queues, reducing unfair situations where solo players fight against full-stack teams.
· This would increase ranked player participation and contribute to the activation of ranked mode.
| Category | Current System | Proposed System |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Rounds | 2 Cashouts + Final Round | 1 Cashout + Final Round |
| Players Required | 24 players | 12 players |
| Queue Time | Can be long | Faster |
| Match Quality | Potential for rank imbalance | Improved competitive quality |
| Queue Separation Potential | Difficult | Solo/Duo and Trio queue separation possible |
| Game Identity | Maintained | Maintained |
07:36 - 11:48
4. 🚫 The Smurfing Problem and the Need for Strong Penalties
· Smurfing is a serious problem that harms the game experience, and strong penalties are needed.
· The Finals' Terms of Service prohibit creating multiple accounts, account sharing, and boosting.
· Smurfing provides unfair matchmaking for low-ranked players, ruining their game experience, and disrupts competitive matches for high-ranked players.
· Embark needs to strengthen penalties for smurfing. Currently, even Embark partners and creators often use smurf accounts, and the lack of punishment encourages other players to follow suit.
· Detecting smurfs solely by individual performance metrics is difficult. Actions that contribute to team play (e.g., holding mesh, using goo grenades) are hard to measure with scores, so relying only on these metrics can encourage selfish play.
· Smurf accounts are also used for harassment and malicious behavior. They are used to target specific streamers with insults, racist, sexist, or homophobic remarks, or to disrupt games, and are exploited as a means to avoid penalties on main accounts.
· The Finals' Terms of Service prohibit creating multiple accounts, account sharing, and boosting.
· Smurfing provides unfair matchmaking for low-ranked players, ruining their game experience, and disrupts competitive matches for high-ranked players.
· Embark needs to strengthen penalties for smurfing. Currently, even Embark partners and creators often use smurf accounts, and the lack of punishment encourages other players to follow suit.
· Detecting smurfs solely by individual performance metrics is difficult. Actions that contribute to team play (e.g., holding mesh, using goo grenades) are hard to measure with scores, so relying only on these metrics can encourage selfish play.
· Smurf accounts are also used for harassment and malicious behavior. They are used to target specific streamers with insults, racist, sexist, or homophobic remarks, or to disrupt games, and are exploited as a means to avoid penalties on main accounts.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Low-Rank Player Experience | · Unfair matchmaking degrades game experience · Causes frustration due to skill gap |
| High-Rank Player Competition | · Smurf accounts lower competitiveness of high-rank matches · Skilled players avoid their true rank |
| Terms of Service Violation | · Violation of clauses prohibiting multiple account creation, account sharing, and boosting |
| Harassment and Abuse | · Targeting specific players for harassment using smurf accounts · Malicious acts such as racist, sexist, homophobic remarks · Purpose of avoiding main account penalties |
| Developer's Insufficient Penalties | · Even Embark partners and creators use smurf accounts · Lack of punishment leads to spread of smurfing behavior |