Rating in TG where are we?

[Vrayer]

I'm creating this topic because I'd like to know if implementing a rating system for TG in the game is something that's being considered.

I believe this has been discussed for quite some time now.

However, I strongly believe that even an imperfect system could bring many interesting improvements to the game. First and foremost, it would make the TG easier to balance, which, in my opinion, is crucial for an enjoyable gaming experience. Additionally, it would discourage players from not taking a game seriously and encourage them to fight until the last man.

Moreover, since most top players don't frequently play 1v1 matches, their ratings remain relatively stagnant, which doesn't accurately reflect their current skill level. Some players have been rated over 1700+ since the early stages of the game but aren't at that level anymore, while others are stuck at 1300 but are actually worth 1800+. Implementing a rating system could provide a more accurate ranking of players.

I propose using a similar formula for 1v1 matches, where the average rating of each team is considered. In this system, every player would gain or lose the same number of points, regardless of their current rating.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think it would be challenging to implement this in the lobby for the next alpha?

Thank you.

[70H4NN2S]

I would love to have the option of rated TGs together with auto balance, so the players won't waste 10+ mins just discussing the balance of the teams.
It is going to make 0ad more enjoyable in my opinion.

[alre]

I'm convinced that a better system would not prevent discussions at all.

Also I think that a TG rating system would be relatively easy to implement and potentially very useful. Actually, 1v1 rating can be improved as well at little cost.

What I don't know is who and how is managing the rating bot. what would it take to have a pr accepted? 

[70H4NN2S]

@alre i believe @Dunedan is responsible for the lobby bots, included the rating bots. I looked at the code and it should not be so hard to implement.

[Dunedan]

The code for the lobby bots, including the rating logic, is available here: https://github.com/0ad/lobby-bots

For pull requests which change such fundamentals as how ratings work, I'd like to see a solid and reasonable explanation how it improves the game experience, before accepting them.

In any case I'd be happy to see community contributions to the lobby bots and I am there to answer any questions which might arise doing so.

[alre]

@Dunedan

if I understand correctly, to test the code one would need a linux server? Is there maybe a dev/qas environment already up to meddle with somehow?

[Dunedan]

You need an ejabberd server with the proper configuration. Not sure if that'd work on other operating systems than Linux. Setting this up can be cumbersome, but we got https://github.com/0ad/lobby-infrastructure/ which makes it straight-forward to fire up a virtual machine under any operating system to get an environment to test and play around.