"50%" (Destiny)

by CruelLEGACEY , Toronto, Tuesday, May 23, 2017, 20:36 (2831 days ago) @ marmot 1333

I was trying to show that what you value is knowing the people you play with, not the lack of matchmaking.

Your experience playing with a group of people you know is not diminished by someone else's experience playing with people assigned by matchmaking.

Your example assumes that you already know people that have the game and are all available to play at the same time. In your second case, where would you "meet people"?

I think you're forgetting to take into account the element of human nature where we tend to act with greater commitment towards things that take more time. The simple fact that using an LFG site takes more time and effort than in-game matchmaking means that people who group up through LFG sites are less likely to bail at the first sign of trouble.

That's long been the double-edged sword of matchmaking in all videogames. It trivializes the act of finding people to play with to the point that other players become disposable.

I'm not saying I'm against matchmaking in general. But I do think there is merit to the idea of a game that requires people to make a certain amount of effort or commitment to experience it. Games like that cater to a niche crowd due to their nature, but they reward those who are willing to put the effort in.

As to the whole "you can still do that even with matchmaking in play" argument, yes you can. And some will. But many will choose the faster and easier route of matchmaking, have less fun with the activity as a result, and maybe not try it again. If Destiny supported matchmaking for raids, I may never have come to DBO asking for help. I may never have made the friends here that I did. And without the experience of raising with DBOers, Destiny certainly wouldn't be one of my favourite games.