Could, or should, there be a line of code that says something like:

Trials match, team A and team B

If team B = all three flawless emblem (or recorded victory)

and

Team A no flawless emblem (or recorded victory)

then find a different match?

Could, or should, there be a line of code that says something like:

Trials match, team A and team B

If team B = all three flawless emblem (or recorded victory)

and

Team A no flawless emblem (or recorded victory)

then find a different match?

Not for Trials. Trials is hardcore competition.

Could, or should, there be a line of code that says something like:

Trials match, team A and team B

If team B = all three flawless emblem (or recorded victory)

and

Team A no flawless emblem (or recorded victory)

then find a different match?

Are the next opponents going to have a better connection to you, or worse?

Is everybody OK with waiting longer, or not?

Remember, nobody ever actually sees the results of a match that doesn't happen, so they can't appreciate it. But when matchmaking fails, takes a long time, or produces a match that for some reason a person doesn't like-- as in your above example-- THEN they see the flaw in matchmaking.

So no one would ever perceive the change of the above as being a positive. The only people who would notice would be those affected negatively.

The whole point of Trials is that you have to play those people. There is no skill based matchmaking - it's a tournament-style event.

No.

The whole point of trials is that it is competitive. Occasionally facing better teams than you is a part of that experience.

Is everybody OK with waiting longer, or not?

I think that's the element -- I'd much rather wait 40-50 seconds or longer for a more competitive game experience, but I must be in the minority.

I didn't realize there was no attempt to match people based on skill in Trials.

Could, or should, there be a line of code that says something like:

Trials match, team A and team B

If team B = all three flawless emblem (or recorded victory)

and

Team A no flawless emblem (or recorded victory)

then find a different match?

The code should be:

If team A = (X wins && Y losses)

and

Team B != (X wins && Y losses)

then find a different match.

That should be the only parameter for a tiered tournament style matchmaking system where rewards are based on your win/loss record.

I could also see them comparing only wins, but I think that's a bit unfair as offering a special reward for flawless means many teams will quit after a single loss, and those that don't quit are likely worse, on average.

Isn't that pretty much what they changed it to in the last update to Trials?

They added "win based MM"...to what degree is unknown, but at the start of your ticket you shouldn't meet someone at the end of theirs.

Isn't that pretty much what they changed it to in the last update to Trials?

Like Morpheus said, it's sort of win-based. Ideally, a team with 5 wins should be playing another team with 5 wins. What's unclear is if number of losses are also used as part of the matching algorithm. We've played lots of Trials matches where we have zero losses and if we win, the other team finishes their card (meaning they were showing two losses at the beginning of the match).

That said, I suggest that if you've attained the Lighthouse for the week, you should be pegged at the 9-win tier until the reset, no matter what the card is showing. :)

That said, I suggest that if you've attained the Lighthouse for the week, you should be pegged at the 9-win tier until the reset, no matter what the card is showing. :)

I say that if you ever went to the lighthouse you should be pegged as 9 win tier until at least Year 5.

Isn't that pretty much what they changed it to in the last update to Trials?

Like Morpheus said, it's sort of win-based. Ideally, a team with 5 wins should be playing another team with 5 wins. What's unclear is if number of losses are also used as part of the matching algorithm. We've played lots of Trials matches where we have zero losses and if we win, the other team finishes their card (meaning they were showing two losses at the beginning of the match).

That said, I suggest that if you've attained the Lighthouse for the week, you should be pegged at the 9-win tier until the reset, no matter what the card is showing. :)

My understanding is that it gives wins a "preference" when matchmaking but it doesn't guarantee it, so if the game has trouble matching a 5 win team with another 5 win team, it will expand to 4 and 6 win teams when searching. I feel like a big part of why it has to expand the search is that relatively few teams will get to 5 wins without a loss compared to the number who get 4 or fewer wins and then lose a round. The result is lots and lots of teams resetting and the game over-stacks at the bottom tier. The only real way to prevent that is to eliminate the need for being flawless, which would then mean players would keep going no matter how many losses they had (until their third registered loss). I think this would be a good move on Bungie's part because it would reduce the frustration caused by a single game with a glitchy connection, or a cheating team, etc..

As to cordoning off the lighthouse, it really has to do with how Bungie views the reward. If they want everyone to be able to get it, then by all means cordon lighthousers off to "victors only" combat, thereby steadily draining skill from the pool of available opponents for wanna be lighthousers. Eventually every team but 1 will theoretically make it (and that poor 1 remaining team, after having played and lost 9 games in a row against the same team, will not be able to find a match at all). But I don't think that's Bungie's intention with the lighthouse. I think they want players to have to beat the best no matter what.

That said, I suggest that if you've attained the Lighthouse for the week, you should be pegged at the 9-win tier until the reset, no matter what the card is showing. :)

A couple of weeks back, I helped Kermit and Destroyo (IIRC) run a few matches to get their ten games in. Unfortunately, I had hit the Lighthouse earlier that day, and was still on the same card, and all three of the matches were against folks on their ninth win, despite the fact that Kermit and Destroyo were on fresh cards.

We fought well, but the scales were tipped a bit too far. I can't imagine being a liability all weekend just because I hit nine wins on a Friday...