Season four wishlist smite

Season 4 of smite is coming January after the world championship.   Created list of balance changes I would like to see.  Included the reason behind the changes.   Won’t cover just balance, quality of life changes.   Only started to play during season 3.

Matchmaking changes

Hi-Rez released a FAQ page on matchmaking.   Highly recommend reading that page answers couple questions.  System rates players based on performance.  Balancing teams based the rating given to players.  Explained in detail on the FAQ page.  Certain factors weighted,  factoring inconsistency.

Matchmaking rating score is hidden.  The formula is unknown, forced to make assumptions. Possible player perception about the system is incorrect.  The margin of error is tiny, a vocal minority are wrong.  Smite guru offers some insight yet is inaccurate.  Biases could be at play, players overconfidence in abilities.

Making series of assumptions based on my own player experience.  Matchmaking could be rating certain players to high others to low.  The system could be working as intended just overconfident in my skills.  A bunch of questions about the system still.

Problem:  Team balancing

Current system scores teams trying to pair teams of equal value.   Using matchmaking rating system, total sum together trying to find a game. Avoiding massive player differences across the team in general. Problem here system always tries to find a game.  Lacking an upper limit or soft limit.

Ranked soft limit can be bypassed after some time.  Restrictions reduced after hitting certain time limit.

Solution

• Upper limit on differences between players.
• Resetting matchmaking system searching for an extended period of time.
• Setting soft limit for team balancing
• Reviewing the restrictions

Problem:  Average team balance

Teams total matchmaking rating is taken into account.  Balancing teams based on that average. Average could be way off players scores.  With massive differences in variables allowed.  The highly rated player could be put at a serious disadvantage.  Paired with lower rated teammates against higher average opponents.

Solution

• Balance based on player average and team average.

Problem:  Rating system favours win/loss ratio.

Does not factor in player performance, changing ratings based on that.  Weighted more towards wins and losses.  Players can be carried even with poor performance.  Players who carry should be rewarded. Just factoring in team performance does not give you clear picture.

Solution:

• Wins/losses should not be only thing weighted
• Player performance should be rewarded even with poor team performance
• Factor other variables, not just wins or losses.
• Variables like player movement against enemy movement.

General items

Hud customization

Would like some HUD customization options for a console.

Items

Would like to see more items with certain choices locked. Example change some Guardians playstyles.  Allowing for interesting choices changing how gods are played.  Restrictions could be placed on certain items. Could create Guardian only items designed give you more defence.  The game already does with magical and physical items.

Ranked

Reason to play ranked over casuals.  Longer queue times games just as unbalanced.  No real reason to play ranked at all.  Rewards should be displayed at the start.

Clan system

Some changes which make clan system more relevant.  Constant updates to the clan chest.  Make worth being inactive clan getting players together.

Removing or revamping game modes. 

Joust/clash suffer from snowball problem.  Early clear teams just snowball hard due to the distance. Conquest jungle should be tighter.

God balancing

General problem smite has certain abilities super powerful.  Turning gods into ultimate bots.  Rest of the abilities are weaker.  Would like to see ultimates reworked with abilities tuned upwards. Small minor balance changes were done over big changes to abilities.

Conquest changes

Problem:  Jungle farm

Jungle feels like second mid lane.  Spend most time in the middle over the jungle.  Jungler should be making farming choices in the jungle.  Fighting over farm instead just teaching farm.

Solution

Add more jungle camps which worth more compared general waves.  Avoid other classes taking the farm make them tougher.

Problem: Much higher lost of farm during ganks

Solution:

Longer distance between lanes

God balancing suggestions

Every god should have some sort of niche.  Don’t want to see loads of changes.  More minor changes one at a time.  Tried to explain the problem with each god and why.  Disagree with me please explain in detail why.

Ao kuang

High burst potential against a single target.   Stealth which can be used as an escape.  Ultimate features an execution mechanic plus heals him.  Acts as only hard crowd control.  Design wise safer super high burst with low-risk high reward.

Problem: Ultimate

Allows Ao Kuang to safely engage or disengage without any real risk.

Solution

Remove any of the following things off the Ultimate.

• Heal
• Damage
• Execution mechanic

Jing Wei

Combined together super safe late game hunter with two escapes.

Problem:  Passive

Allows the god to gain extra farm without risk.  No risk when comes to trading against hunters.

Solution

Adjust the passive various solutions

• Decrease the distance or add a timer.

Problem:  Persistent Gust bonus attack speed

Solution remove the bonus attack speed

Problem:  Agility immunity to basic attack movement penalties

 

Solution remove the immunity

Erlang Shen

Tiermonster owner Lordwhizzkid explained here.  Shen has major identity crisis warrior or assassin. A decision must be taken before any balance is done. Something has to be done.