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Gears of War TrueSkill ranking: A wrong move for Microsoft?

Posted Oct 6, 2006 at 10:32PM EST by QJ Staff

Listed in: Xbox 360 Tags: Microsoft

If you've visited Microsoft's Gears of War forums, you probably have spotted this:

"Yes, itÂ’s a cert requirement. You may not choose who you get to play with in a ranked match and you may not keep the session together. The theory is this prevents collaborative cheating (I kill you ten times, now you me, etc.)...The players youÂ’ll meet arenÂ’t random. They are the best fit for your skill level."

To some, this sounds like something Microsoft's reprisal against Halo 2 cheaters, but we're talking about Gears of War (GoW) here, so let's get it straight. Gears of War, Microsoft says, will be played according to the prerequisite that all ranked matches must be based on skill. This means you won't be able to play tactically with any of your Xbox Live friends anymore.

Those who know better argue that Microsoft's goal is to avoid friends boosting their own rank with each other and getting achievements and so on. The TrueSkill ranking system, which matches you with other players of roughly the same ability, supposedly assures a fair game. In fact, Microsoft has now required all 360 games to come with a ranked multiplayer that picks Â“randomÂ” people to play against (a bit of a confusion here, since it picks the people closest to your skill, therefore not truly random at best). Epic supported it since games without such a feature won't ship.

It may be a dealbreaker for a lot of Xbox Live gamers, others may not give a whit, but others may simply find this upsetting. GoW is supposed to be a game that exploits teamwork, and players are always looking forward to band with their buddies to win. However, Microsoft also has a ground for implementing this rule, as it prevents cheating (level-boosting) in the game. Question is, do all players actually care about ranks? Sure, Microsoft's move is all in the best interest of the players, and we certainly appreciate it. TrueSkill ranking system has been implemented in other games such as Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter, so other players aren't bothered.

But then again, there are some gamers who are bothered by the ranking system. So, what's your opinion on this?

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WOW, me, my brother, a a few of my cousins, all recently buy xbox360's so we can all play online games toghether (we're all pretty good), we used to play Counter-Strike on Xbox, had a clan...etc

now with this stupid "True Skill" ranking bull*****, i won't be able to enjoy games online with who i choose, i won't be able to play with my family, who are the only gamers i know anyway.

great, we all just gave microsoft about 3 grand+ total, only to get ***** on.

looks like PC is the only way to be "free" and have all the options/possibilities.

# Well... — Guest 2006-10-07 02:38

Gears of War just went from a must buy to only a rental. The reason for online is to be with your friends and be able to use tactics. Looks like the hype for this game has been shot down.

# ... — Guest 2006-10-07 02:55

I don't get it. So there is no way to play against your Xbox Live frends? Is this with all X360 games, or just GoW? Sounds rediculous to me, couldn't they have come up with a better way, such as points don't count whenever you play with a friend.

# ummmmm.... — Tibora 2006-10-07 02:59

I could be wrong but Im pretty sure you can still play with your friends and such...It is just you will not be able to play any ranked matches that would actually count towards your character and gamer points.

If that is the case Im not worried one bit, its just a fricking rank I can do without it as long as I can still team with my buddies for massive genocide ^_^

# ... — Guest 2006-10-07 03:18

"Microsoft says, will be played according to the prerequisite that all ranked matches must be based on skill."

Personally, I love playing online, but really, only against my buddies. I'm not the type to just pick up a game against anyone, so that'd blow if it was every match, seems like it should still let you play for fun with any of your buddies.

# Ranked games are important... — Guest 2006-10-07 03:27

They encourage players to communicate with their team and put more effort into the way they play in general. Also, in un-ranked games, players often just leave as soon as their kill-to-death ratio suffers a decline, whereas there's usually a repercussion for doing so in ranked games. In my opinion, this 'trueskill' system is going to cripple Xbox Live for a lot of people (Myself being one). Gone are the days of Rainbow Six 3 (Xbox) and Halo 2 (when it was in it's prime) online multiplayer.

# hmm — skidz 2006-10-07 03:32

Ranked matches are lame anyway. People take it way to serious.

Play with your friends in an unranked match.

# Ranked games are important... — Guest 2006-10-07 03:32

# argh u ppl — Guest 2006-10-07 03:34

Ranked match = you cant invite your friends.

Unranked match = you invite your friends.

Fair enough. Every sports game has been like that so no need to cry kiddies.

# Ranked games are important... — Guest 2006-10-07 03:35

# Ranked games are important... — Guest 2006-10-07 03:41

# Sorry about the double posts — Guest 2006-10-07 03:49

Don't know what caused them.

# Here is an example... — Guest 2006-10-07 04:00

Ranked matches = No friends+no game plan/strategy+dumbas s teammates = Team killing and people who suck with certain weapons (sniper) but still use them

Player Matches = Friends+strateg y+a few kills = other team quitting

They *****ed up the online. Me and another group of people are just going to play ranked matches and we are going to teamkill EVERYTIME we play a ranked match just to show them how bad they *****ed up.

# ... — Guest 2006-10-07 05:18

wow your cool ...!

# this is why i play online — raytard 2006-10-07 05:25

I hat eplaying online with random people, as a booster to friends its alright, or as opponents, but having my entire team be a hodgepodge of xbox randomness means that in all fairness, im likely to be paired with 19 players, half of which havnt hit puberty, a quarter of which have something to hate me about, and 15 of them cant collow a simple plan of action. this is stupid, if i want to play legitimately with my friends in a ranked game, it is impossible.

# arrrghh — Guest 2006-10-07 05:37

YOU CAN STILL PLAY WITH YOUR FRIENDS IN REGULAR ONLINE GAMES THAT ARE NOT RANKED!!!

btw, 13, that is the worst idea I've ever heard.

# natural.. — Slipstream0 2006-10-07 05:51

Ok, on the surface I agree with their idea of not letting you play with friends due to rank boosting. BUT thats a stupid thing to do anyway, if you and your friends rank-boost, suddenly your up against some of the best, and have barly played the game, care to guess who is going to regret this more? So M$, leave it alone! it will work itself out!

# why not have both — Guest 2006-10-07 05:57

in halo 2 there is ranked matches and unranked matches. why not have both?

# #18 — Slipstream0 2006-10-07 06:20

it sounds like they will

# LISTEN! — Guest 2006-10-07 07:52

This is just like ghost recon....You CAN still play with your friends...

the only thing you CANT do, is Invite them into the ranked lobby/game.

But.....you can always start a ranked lobby, have your buddys go to Custom Match and find yoru room and join....

wah-la. just like Ghost Recon...

# @ Shini — Guest 2006-10-07 08:14

If they implement Halo 2's optimatch feature, I won't be as dissapointed. I don't want Gears of War and other games using the inexplicably poor system in GRAW - spending more time looking for a game than actually playing is not ok.

Also, the suggestion of searching for a friends game is far from practical. You do make a good point however, because if this is allowed, then why not incorperate ranked party matchmaking in the first place?

# seriously guys.... — Guest 2006-10-07 09:08

Just play unranked with friends....you have to understand that people DO cheat and it makes ranking pointless when it comes to "who can cheat the best"...

Just play with friends unranked...if you don't buy this game only because of this one thing, then you are a dumbass, chances are you wouldn't have reached top 10 ranked anyway so it's not a big deal.

# Wow you kids are dumb — Guest 2006-10-07 11:22

PLAY CUSTOMS YOU FA.GS

If you really care about your rank and winning ranked games, get a life.

They should just remove ranks and leaderboards altogether, they only promote cheating and wasting your whole life away to be in the top 10. They wouldn't have to do this if there were no ranked games would they?

# u can still play ranked together — Guest 2006-10-07 12:52

You can still play ranked games together in Ghost Recon and stay in the one room. It is a little bit of a workaround but im sure there will be a way to do it in gears of war.

# you should be able to play unranked together. — Guest 2006-10-07 18:27

If you recall from GRAW, there were options to play either ranked or unranked matches. So you should still be able to play with your friends if you select unranked.

# WOW — Guest 2006-10-07 19:25

ARE YOU PEOPLE *****ING STUPID. IT'S ONLY FOR RANKED GAMES AS IN UNRANKED GAMES WOULD STILL LET YOU PLAY WITH YOUR FRIENDS. YES FRIENDS FRIENDS FRIENDS FRIENDS FRIENDS FRIENDS FRIENDS FRIENDS FRIENDS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!

Understand the article before you post retarded *****. IDIOTS. I *****ING HATE THIS COUNTRY BECAUSE OF ALL MORONS WHO LIVE HERE.

# ps3 fans are nerds — Guest 2006-10-07 19:31

I bet those who say that game just went from best buy to rental is probably a Sony Fanboy spreading ***** just like overheating problems, three red lights of death. Give it up, PS3 failed just like your lifes did. Aight? You feeling me? You guys probably don't even have 360s so GTFO this is 360 forums oh wait, forgot that PS3 forums have nothing interesting anyways besides occasional brainwashing, rejoicing lawls and of course my favorite "360 bashathon". My fault, didn't mean to hurt you PS3bots. How muhc of a nerd can on of you been sitting in front of your 1985 computer and scanning 360 forums just so you can squeeze in a negative post about 360. SO freaking Funny. I'm gonne get a t-shirt that says "Got Life?"

# O.O — Guest 2006-10-07 20:56

I think the Trueskill system is the best way to go. I don't understand why so many of you are now crying about this, when it's been like this for about a year now. I for one think it's the best way from keeping boosters from boosting. Plus, you can still play with your buds in non-ranked games just like in GRAW, Chromehounds, Saints Row, and so on.

Good work MS. Keep up the good work.

# okay poeoples like 27 — Guest 2006-10-08 05:23

WE KNOW! we know you can play unranked with friends... but if we want to rank up by playing the game with a strategy, then we want to play with friends in ranked matches.

13 had it right... in ranked games with not friends (people you can count on) you just have noobs who will teamkill horde a weapon they can't use and just be cannon fodder.

why play unranked games and win with my friends if they aren't going to count for my skill????

# bunch of BS — Guest 2006-10-08 05:59

Ok so now the people that are cheating are already ruining our games, so what does microsoft do they take it out on everyone else instead of dealing with the cheaters they pretty much ruin it for everyone else, I really dont give a crap about a gamerscore or how you found the Golden Warthog or how you can sword jump across the match. Ya know why, because I have my own little system of weeding out all the loosers, first you start a game and then you invite all your freinds and when some jackass comes in talking about some stupid glitch you simply tell him you dont give a ***** about your glitch and he should take a hike, or better yet you can sit there until I BOOT you outta my room. There cheating problem is dealt with, So now as you can see Microsoft we know how to deal with Cheaters maybe you should be taking notes from us and quit ruining my Facking games, Oh and another thing why dont you ummm maybe try testing the games before you put them out, so I dont have to try to play a 60 dollar games that doesnt work for 3 months until you put out a patch!

# to 30 — Guest 2006-10-08 06:44

How will you play with noobs in ranked games. If they are noobs, they won't go up in rnak in the first place so stop crying plus I'm pretty sure you can still play with your friends ranked if your on the same xbox. just like Halo 2.

# >_> — Guest 2006-10-08 11:20

I dunno, the idea is kind of growing on me. Being teamed with newbs against other newbs is a nice thing to do to encourage them to keep playing, whereas signing on and getting mamed by a *****y uber-clan wouldn't do a whole lot to keep them playing.

# WOWWWW — Guest 2006-10-27 18:19

You have to be kidding me with ur intelligence , because theres such a thing as (unranked games) yea play with ur friends there. What there doing with ranked matches is smart. And there are ways to play in ranked games together. Heres an option

As soon as they create a ranked game, look for a ranked game that is similar or the same as the game your looking for and chances are you'll get in that game. There are so many more. And if you hate it so much. Dont bother getting it.

Dont talk back because i dont read view this site often.

gt- ssj3goku7

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