[News] Jurassic World Alive | Matchmaking

[Jorge]

Hello fellow DPG members,

How did JWA matchmaking work in the beginning?

Matchmaking matches players together based on their trophy count, regardless of what creatures are in their team. Note: If someone is purposefully losing with an underpowered team in order to reach a lower arena, you can still be matched against them.

You may have noticed that during Season 2, some players climbed to ludicrously high scores (above 20 K trophies). This was done by being matched against a “fallback AI opponent” and gaining trophies on a win. A Fallback AI opponent is the last resort that we relied on if the user could not be matched with a human opponent.

How did Matchmaking work afterwards?

During Season 3, at and after 2,500 trophies, users that are attempting to matchmake against a human opponent must wait for a few moments in order to ensure as many human-versus-human matches as possible. Then, players have the option to be matched against an Optional AI or continue waiting. If the time runs out, you will return to the Battle menu.

When matched against an optional AI:

• Players do not gain or lose trophies based on the result of the match
• Daily Incubator gets filled up if the match is won
• Battle Incubator gets awarded if the match is won

When matched against a human opponent:

• Players gain trophies when they win, and lose trophies when they lose.
• Daily Incubator gets filled up if the match is won
• Battle Incubator gets awarded if the match is won

Conclusion of this change:

Players at the top of the leaderboard will need to wait to have other human players reach a similar score in order to be matched against them. They should no longer be able to climb up in score unless they fight against human opponents.

Note that the screen after a battle displays an up-to-date ranking on the leaderboards. As a result, even if you are playing against an Optional AI, you might see your position “change”, since other players might have raised up in rank while you were playing against an AI.

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how does Matchingmaking work as of Update 1.7?

Now that you can modify your creature’s strength, it becomes imperative that we consider each player’s creature team when attempting to match users together.

We now consider both the player’s trophies (or medals, in the case of tournaments) and the player’s Strike teams in order to generate a “matchmaking score”. This score lets us match similar players together with more fairness. The amount of trophies that you gain or lose after a match are also affected by this matchmaking score.

Please be aware that this means that if you use a creature of much higher power than the rest of your team in order to help you, (such as a level 21 unique among a team of level 13 epics), you will be matched according to your team, even if you don’t actually play with said higher power creature in the battle.

This means that starting with 1.7x, it is more favorable (for everyone) to create balanced teams rather than to have wildly varying creature power. Therefore, we recommend that you level up your strike team in a uniform fashion; and to do the same with your Stat Boosts.

Note : at 5500 trophies and above, creature strength starts to lose influence over the matchmaking algorithm. At 6000 trophies and above, creature strength no longer plays any role in adjusting the matchmaking: you’re in the end-game, buddy!

Matchmaking: Opt-In AI Tweaks
We have rebalanced the parameters for the Opt-In AI. Now players above 4500 trophies can enter a battle and, if unmatched after 30 seconds of waiting, will have the option to play against an AI. Winning this battle will award the player everything they would usually receive from a PVP battle, except that trophies remain unchange.

[TheMothEater]

Can I play against AI forever so my incubators fills but I don’t have to worry about trophies? Lol

[cucubelu]

Thank you! This is the sort of posts we love. Small, to the facts amd what is being planned. I love this type of communication between players, mods and developers. Makes us less sickened by the long waits in between updates love it

[Akerond]

Matchmaking As for now the matchmaking is ± 450 range trophy.Lots of players including myself have had lots of streak losses of 6-7 or 8 matches in a row.We could prevent that if after 3 consecutive losses the next match (4th one) will pick an opponent from the trophy range of -450 instead of the game researching the trophy range above us.So this will give us the opportunity to face a lower player and stop the streak of losses, and stop the frustration of trying to fill an incubator slot.Or after a 3rd loss automatically match us with a bot

[Valar]

So those of us who battle for incubators can just choose to fight AI and not worry about trophies or tournaments?

In that case, I’ll be lost to the world this weekend.

[wrothgar]

For the future

We plan to either include a player’s Team Strength and/or Win/Loss Scores in order to give them a more favorable experience.

Win/loss scores, not team strength, in the future for matchmaking.

Or, and i dont say this lightly or often - my family and i will find another game.

Love the rest of the changes.

[Evicton]

The only issue with this is win loss record can be manipulated by throwing fights to get favorable matchups.

Team strength done during the match making process incorporated with a win/loss record would ensure more balanced match making.

Ive read your reasons on this before and my kids play the game as well… but i still feel team strength needs to be part of the equation… not the main part win/loss record and trophies should take priority but someone thats dropped down to farm easy incs… should be matched with someone else who has done the same… new player experience is already a big enough of an uphill battle without them having to fight stacked teams.

[Pateradactyl]

once you start opening cans of worms you cant stop…

[wrothgar]

If ppl really want to throw that many games with a strong team, let them. Whats it hurt? Lots of people get free wins. They arent top of leader boards. I fail to see how this would be bad.

That said - so long as strength determining is very lenient. Dont match someone with lvl 5s with someone with lvl 20s.

But match a lvl 10 with someone with lvl 15s? Sure. I face this kind of match myself often enough.

[Pateradactyl]

what is the benefit of being matched by record? especially at higher trophies?

[wrothgar]

Should only be taken into account below last arena imo. If you are final arena, you can suck it up

Benefit is to break loss streaks.

[Oriondestiny]

I keep saying that battles should match you up highest team dino to anothers highest team dino. This way there is no manipulation and trophies are just a result of how good you play your team what ever the level team your playing.

I could play my team made up of all lower 20’s, my highest dino, 24. I would be matched up against another player who’s highest dino is 24.

I could then turn around and make a team of mid teens, my highest dino, 17. I would be matched up against another player whose highest team dino is level 17.

Every battle is fairly matched and best use of dino wins. My trophy level goes up and down based on how well I play and I get new scenery and different incubator stuff the higher I get in arena’s.

[wrothgar]

Heres the thing. If you want to match on team strength then provide a way for collectors to get incubators without stepping into the arena.

Its not just kids. Its people who primarily play to collect. They dont like the battle. But they do it for incs.

Fix that first.

[wrothgar]

See, coc did this. You had level 7s at the highest trophy ranges, never going against the level 11s. Why? A rule like this.

Its silly if not done right.

[wrothgar]

@Marktheshark , @Idgt902 and @JHVS - thoughts?

[Marktheshark]

Personally, I’m not a fan. I’ve already gone through 3 waiting cycles (that’s 18 minutes) looking for an opponent. I don’t need extra incubators, I need trophies to climb my rank.

Look, I can understand the principle behind this, let players climb based on the principle of who’s actually deserving of said rank. I think that’s the perspective it should be. But, when you’re already ranked near the top of the leaderboard, due to Ludia’s matchmaking formula there’s really not many people you can face up against. And if you do face up against someone much lower, you really gain almost nothing out of it. I’ve played against a couple players today where I’ve gained 1-3 trophies from beating them, whereas if I lost to those players I’d lose 58 trophies. Atleast Fighting AI I’m not spending an eternity waiting for a match.

Now I just waited through my 4th wait cycle (24 minutes) and still no human. But what’s the point of fighting AI? My incubator Arsenal is full & my 23 hours isn’t up for the 10 Dino kill incubator. It’s a more impeding concept than it is beneficial.

[Marktheshark]

Thanks @MNBrian for helping break the cycle

[Oriondestiny]

Another idea is to give a player the choice to battle an AI or real human. This way players who care about gaining rank can gain rank and others who just want incubators can just gain the incubators without the pressure of knowing they are up against a real human.

[anon32111043]

Where is the option to play with optional AI in battle? I don’t see it. it just takes me to a battle with an actual person. Just because I don’t want to face Paramoloch all the god dang time. Or stegodeus.

[Idgt902]

To be honest I really don’t like it. I mean what can we battle now maybe 50 ppl. What are the chances of everyone battling at the same time. Plus basically if I was that type of person I could just not battle and possibly hold on to #1 till the tourney is over