TL;DR
The only actual and obvious sustainable long-term solution to fix queue times in Solo Shuffle is simple: allow full dps vs full dps comps.
- If no match can be made after e.g. 5 mins → allow the matchmaking of 3 dps vs 3 dps
- Dynamic rebalancing ought to happen, once 3 dps vs 3 dps are matched (League of Legends has separate balancing for all their game modes)
- Map items/objects that gives effects such as healing/shielding (similar to what exists in bgs already but more something akin to in Leagues solo shuffle 2v2v2v2 mode → the plants that have 3 HP and give shield+heal for each hit on the plant → plant regenerates after a fixed amount of time)
Table of Contents
- Addressing the elephant in the room - Fundamental Implementation Flaw
- Separate and Dynamic Balancing and more
- What about Healers?
- Potential big downside?
- Just have a better reward structure and more ppl will play ?!
- Other things to consider
- Conclusion
- Miscellaneous
Addressing the elephant in the room - Fundamental Implementation Flaw
WoWs Solo Shuffle long queue times have nothing to do with:
- the “state of balance” (no PvP game is balanced, thats why there are regular balance patches which doesn’t stop the never-ending amount of balance complaints)
- the amount of Addons or Addons in general
- button bloat
- the lack of Healer incentives
- the general Reward Structure etc.
Would addressing the points above improve the general experience and increase participation? Certainly.
Would they solve the underlying issue which is based on the type of game WoW is and how it works and be sustainable long-term solutions? No.
The fundamental problem is the implementation of a Solo Q system in WoW that is based on the premise of pure PvP games that are Hero-Selection based such as League of Legends (LoL) or Overwatch (OW).
The most crucial difference outside of the amounts of buttons to press, hence how much easier it is to pick up a new Hero/Role is that these games have:
- An auto-fill system that forces you into the role that is the least queued
- In games such as League, even if you’re “auto-filled” into the support role you’re not forced to play a “Support” Champion but you can still play any Champ you want, you’re only expected to go to a certain lane.
Comparing the above points with WoW
Regarding point 1. “Auto-fill”:
WoW, as an MMORPG, cannot have an “auto-fill” option. If you queue up as a DK and you’re in a 45 min q, the game cannot AUTOMATICALLY log you out to:
- Create you a character with a random class that has a heal spec
- Spec into heal
- Setup all your keybinds
- Create a bunch of macros
- Download addons useful for healers and set them up
- Join the 45 min queue match as a healer instead of your DK to get an instant q pop
Regarding point 2.:
Despite the lack of an “auto-fill” system in WoW and the non-feasability of that, WoW is still more restrictive than a game such as League because it doesn’t allow matchmaking without a healer at all. Also in WoW, to have successful matchmaking in Solo Shuffle, you need 3 Healers to queue up at the same, which also have to have similar MMR.
Again, in League the support role isn’t restrictive at all when it comes to the champs one is allowed to select, one can play any dps despite being “Support” or “filled as Support.”
WoWs SS matchmaking has way too many conditions for a game that WoW is.
Separate and Dynamic Balancing and more
Further using LoL as an example. League has and had various different game modes incl. a 3v3 mode and nowadays a Solo Shuffle mode (2v2v2v2). All their game modes have/had separate balancing when it comes to the Champions itself or items or have various map gimmicks.
In LoLs Solo Shuffle mode each map has 3 killable “Plants” with 3 HP each which regenerate after a fixed amount of time (60-90secs?). Each hit on the plant takes off 1 HP and grants the hitter a bit of shielding and healing. The “Plants” don’t fight back.
There are other map gimmicks to make the mode more engaging and fun but also more balanced.
Potential Solutions
When a match in Solo Shuffle has 3 dps vs 3 dps the following could happen dynamically (all at once or only a few of them):
- Overall dmg debuff/reduction
- Overall more durability
- Spec based rebalancing (certain abilities do less X)
- Map gimmicks such as the “Plant” example in LoL that gives healing and shielding when hit and respawns after a certain amount of time. Something in that vein.
My point is that there are certainly ways that could create some semblance of balance to a 3 dps vs 3 dps in Solo Shuffle.
What about Healers?
When healers queue up the matchmaking will queue them up into a match with another healer as it is now.
Allowing Healers vs 3 dps could also be explored but probably even harder to solve in terms of balancing. Not opposed to the idea if there are good solutions.
Potential big downside?
Could Healers not find any match at all? Maybe, because now there would be constant q pops for 3 dps vs 3 dps and the Healers couldn’t potentially be fit inbetween and there q times could increase.
Would that be that big of a deal however? As it is now, people or even after the sharp drop off in participation after the honeymoon phase of a fresh expansion release, the majority of the players have to spend more time in Q than playing the game mode, just because there aren’t enough healers (like in any PvP game, there are always more DPS players than Supports). If now the majority of players would be able to play at the cost of Healers having longer Q times, that would be an acceptable trade-off.
Potential offset to the potential problem above
Only allow 3 dps vs 3 dps after a certain amount of time has passed e.g. after 5 mins of unsuccessful matchmaking that includes Healers, open it up to allow 3 dps vs 3 dps and apply dynamic balancing.
Just have a better reward structure and more ppl will play ?!
A gameplay loop that isn’t fun but has a good reward structure is bad game design. The gameplay loop should be fun first and foremost and should have a good reward structure attached to it aftwards. Its just depressing to play something for rewards, while at the same time hating the gameplay loop (>>insert real life analogy with jobs that no one wants to do but have to because people need/want money but people would prefer a job that is enjoyable and meaningful and is wellpaid on top of it<<).
Giving healers rewards up the wazoo is only a bandaid fix to produce cannon fodder to simply get a low quality match going in the first place. The players playing the healers will feel miserable and will just play for completionism sake.
Even if balance was decent and healing wouldn’t be as horrid, most people simply prefer to play dps regardless.
I agree giving healers more incentives as a general concept since healers are more rare but its not an actual long term solution.
Other things to consider
At the start of Dragonflights release, SS Q times weren’t that long because of:
- Huge influx of players → honeymoon phase of an expansion release
- The novelty of that mode which comes along with a lot of interest, even from players that usually may not play PvP
Naturally, the player count drops off quite sharply after any expansion, and with the way SS was implemented even though WoW is an MMORPG, which is even more restrictive than games such as LoL or OW, long queue times were to be expected.
What makes things even worse
- Every game has way more dps-type players compared to support-type players → Solo Shuffle requires 3 healers at once!
- WoW is hard to pick for new and returning players or overwhelming rather → just the thought that the game exists for 20 years and the inherent content bloat be it story, transmog, mounts, currency etc.
- The amount of abilities esp. certain classes and specs have (imo every class has too many abilites) → Which leads to a gazillion keybinds
- Everything, esp. in PvP, will be exacerbated by the fact that you will need a million macros, even the most basic stuff such as " /startattack Spell " on a bunch of abilities → one does NOT NEED macros/addons but one will certainly be at a disadvantage
- Addons. Many different Addons. Then certain addons may not be supported anymore or not be patched fast enought → Addon breaks → annoying lua-errors → Prohobit addons or most of them while Blizz should implement the most important ones themselves to not be dependant on unpaid volunteers
- After all that you have to learn and understand all the abilities and their synergies (which is inherently good but not with the points mentioned above and if interested in picking up a new class/spec such as Healer to switch things up or for a new/returning player in general)
- Leveling and gearing (which I enjoy because its an MMORPG after all) → makes it impossible to have an “auto-fill” system (which I’m AGAINST anyway in an MMO), which is a solution in other hero/role-select based games to fix queue times.
- Not having rating decay disincentives people to keep playing the game
Personal anecdote
My friends and I sometimes thought about making a healer so we can play more rated PvP together. Just the thought alone about the points mentioned right above made it dreadful. One day I created a Shaman to play it as resto, levled it to max, put all keybinds into my bars, created many macros off the top of my head based on my experience and had to look up other macros that are good for healers/rsham, downloaded a few more addons. All my actionbars were full now, similar to my rogue and I hadn’t even gone through all the abilities. I was like “Yeah f that, Imma keep playing my other stuff.”
In other games I have no problem playing support semi-regularly because the transition is way easier. If I feel like playing a support or a new support, I just pick it up, go through the handful of abilities and I’m good. Might require a few games to get the gist of the character but its way less stressful. The next games I can simply go back and play my dps characters.
In WoW its not possible to simply go back and forth because one has to go through so many hoops and invest a good chunk of time.
Which is somewhat fine, since its an MMORPG but at the same time WoW is too bloated regardless imo. It could be better in that regard as well.
Conclusion
The main issue stands: Healers being a requirement in matchmaking.
Blizzard would have to invest a lot of time to create a reasonable Solo Shuffle game mode when it comes to playability in terms of queue times and a semblance of balance which is not the most important anyway, as long as there are somewhat regular balance patches (e.g. bi-monthly aka twice a month).
Miscellaneous
A friend of mine and me thought about Solo Q in WoW long before Solo Shuffle was implemented or before there was any major community discussion about a Solo Q system for PvP. One of the first things we identified as problematic, if Blizzard thought about implementing Solo Q hypothetically, was that if Blizzard were to insist on enforcing healers for matchmaking. It was very obvious to arrive at the conclusion that such an implementation would inherently be accompanied by long queue times.
We always played many different games and we thought about an Arena and RBG Solo Q system in WoW because the gatekeeping in Arena and RBGs were too much because of achievements or the class/spec one played. We also could not play together for long because none of our friends played healer. We played full dps zugzug comps in 2s/3s up to a point until we started to face better players with meta comps. We were always primarily PvP players in wow.
I also read people saying that Solo Shuffle killed regular Arenas. I think its factual to claim that Arenas were “dead” long before Solo Shuffle be it because of the aforementioned gatekeeping or the unapproachability of the game esp. to a truly new audience (see my points under What makes things even worse).
