Filtering bad players online.

[Ciremo]

So I was thinking, like, if I'm playing online, I would obviously want to team up with people that are at the same skill level as me. I'm not the best in the world, but it's still boring to play coop, me on expert, friend on easy on guitar hero. So in Rock Band, will there be some sort of skill rankings online so that you can see beforehand if the players you're playing with are sucking donkey balls?

I realize that you may be going all Nintendo and saying "Don't harrass the n00bs, let's all play togehter, losing is fun!" But hell no. The hardcore gamers that are good att it prfer gaming with their own kind. And there should be plenty of other sucky players to make up for the teams. ^^ And making the filtering an option would still make it possible for everyone to coerce, should they want to. (Make filtering off by default and don't print any tip, and you'll have your sheep flock :P

[Emo_Reaper]

This has been discussed before.And yea,this is a great idea. I dont think anything was confirmed,but Im sure they added some sort of ranking to it.

[ace_on_bass]

I know the 360 has you choose your gaming 'zone' from a few choices. So you can be 'hardcore' or play for 'recreation' and it finds, or is more likely to find, people within those same zones. I don't know what the PS3 has so perhaps an in-game filter is needed too.

[Bakkster_Man]

Most games on XBLive have some form of "Optimatch" where you get placed by your skill. With RB this would be sinple, just set the matchmaking algorithm to try and fit everyone within 1 difficulty level: (easy-medium, medium-hard, etc). Of course, low player counts and other factors can mess this up, but I doubt they would try to place experts with anything below hard.

[MartyMcFly]

(easy-medium, medium-hard, etc). Of course, low player counts and other factors can mess this up, but I doubt they would try to place experts with anything below hard.

Actually, they shouldn't put anyone mixed in with different difficulties, how you said easy-medium, medium-hard.

I prefer expert, but just the other day at a party a few guys said they've played GH, but can only play on Easy. They said, "Man, no more than 3 buttons for me please" In other words, there's no way they could play medium I guess. Until they practice and practice. These weren't real gamer people either.

There are slightly big gaps in between difficulties. I started out on easy way back in the day too, but (unless you play real guitar) it takes a lot to learn how to use your pinky to move up to Medium. Or if you shift your hand as well. And then there was the big gap between Medium and Hard, scrolling faster, H/O's and P/O's, and the orange button.

Then there's the drums. Which is new to probably the majority of people that are getting this game. Who knows how the switch over is on difficulties for that.

I trust, and believe, that it will determine your skill and put you in one difficulty ranking alone.

[Bakkster_Man]

Actually, they shouldn't put anyone mixed in with different difficulties, how you said easy-medium, medium-hard.

I prefer expert, but just the other day at a party a few guys said they've played GH, but can only play on Easy. They said, "Man, no more than 3 buttons for me please" In other words, there's no way they could play medium I guess. Until they practice and practice. These weren't real gamer people either.

Then there's the drums. Which is new to probably the majority of people that are getting this game. Who knows how the switch over is on difficulties for that.

I trust, and believe, that it will determine your skill and put you in one difficulty ranking alone.

Well, the problem is there may be an odd number or un-evenly distributed players. That's what keeps games from ranked exactly, usually. Say there are way more guitarists on expert and way more vocalists on hard. Some of those vocalists will play with expert players and some of the guitarists will play with hard players to fill the band. Of course, this won't change your own difficulty, just who you're playing with.

And like you said, there will definitely be different distributions of player skill on the different instruments, especially at release. Lots of expert guitarists and tons of easy drummers. To make an entirely Easy band on matchmaking the guitarist would almost always be empty. By allowing that range of players on the same song, you are able to fill out more bands with 4 players.

And, of course, there will still be times where you get the computer to fill in on certain instruments, and other times where you set up yourself with other players all on one difficulty, but matchmaking should probably be a bit more free.

[MartyMcFly]

Ahh good points. I actually wasn't even thinking Band mode, I was thinking vs. mode for some reason. Drummer vs drummer, etc. I guess that would be easy to set up by difficulty ranking.

But yes, when trying to do a Band World Tour, it will be somewhat difficulty to pair everyone up on the same difficulty.

As huge as this game will be, I don't think there should be a problem though. This isn't like other games when there's less than 50 people online at a time. With 40 of them hardcore gamers, and 10 casuals.

Rock Band is gonna be so huge, I can see there being hundreds and maybe even into the thousands of people online. Who knows :D

[Bakkster_Man]

Ahh good points. I actually wasn't even thinking Band mode, I was thinking vs. mode for some reason. Drummer vs drummer, etc. I guess that would be easy to set up by difficulty ranking.

Oh yeah, there will be that mode :) Yeah, with 1v1 there isn't really an option. Glad we're on the same page. ;)