(BG) Please allow grouped players to queue into solo matches as individuals

Sootica · November 16

To be clear, below is not a suggestion for grouped players to remain grouped in the match, but allowing grouped players to queued into the same match, then split them into teams as if they queued as individuals. That is, depending on the matchmaking, grouped players may face each other as enemies, so they will be in solo (and not group) builds.

The problem
Group queues takes way too long, and are non-existant during off-peak hours. We want to play with friends, if not in the same group, at least in the same match, so we have to resort to coordinated solo queuing, which often goes:
A: Queued
B: Same
(some time later)
B: Queue pop?
A: No...
B: Declined
A: Just quit queue, let me know when you can queue again.
(a few moments later)
B: Queued
A: Same
(some time later, with/without repetition of above)
A: Queue pop?
B: Yes, queue!
(Get to play 1 match, repeat above)

Above is just 2 players, if we want to queue into the same match as 3 or 4 people, unless there is voice chat or a common guild chat, the above coordination gets messy and lengthy really quickly.

Solution
Please let grouped players queue into the same bg match as individuals, the crown queues everyone. Once in, allocate everyone to teams as if they queued separately. Once the match is over, return them to the same group they formed before. There are many benefits to this:

Hugely more convenient for everyone.
We will be able to group chat, go to IC/Cyro, or even do farming/questing together while waiting for queue. The social benefits help bring/keep players.
Many of us queue for multiple queues at the same time using Better Scoreboard. If grouped players can queue for both group and solo queues (like how individual non-grouped players can currently), it will help group queue pop much faster.

Ren_TheRedFox · November 16

would be a great feature but well .... they haven't even fixed the group 4v4s yet ... don't think they'd implement that feature anytime soon ... sadly

Deimus · November 16

No thanks. You're already trying to circumvent the system by attempting to group up in solo battlegrounds. If they open the door a crack for duos then they'll just do what you're doing with 4 people or more ruining battlegrounds for solo players. The reason the solo ones are so great is that there are less heal stacking, RoA ult dumpers. If ZOS removes the solo only que then that's all battlegrounds will be in a couple of months.

The group que is there for a reason.

Sootica · November 16

Deimus wrote: »

No thanks. You're already trying to circumvent the system by attempting to group up in solo battlegrounds. If they open the door a crack for duos then they'll just do what you're doing with 4 people or more ruining battlegrounds for solo players. The reason the solo ones are so great is that there are less heal stacking, RoA ult dumpers. If ZOS removes the solo only que then that's all battlegrounds will be in a couple of months.

The group que is there for a reason.

Not suggesting grouped players to be in the team once queued into solo, but that they will be treated as solo players and be allocated to teams as if they queued solo. The suggestion is simply to allow them to be in the same match in their solo builds. For example, you and I are grouped in our solo builds and queued for a solo queue, we may face each other as enemies in seperate teams, based on the matchmaking. The only difference is that we will be in the same match without having to coordinate. Hope this makes sense

Deimus · November 17

Sootica wrote: »

Deimus wrote: »

No thanks. You're already trying to circumvent the system by attempting to group up in solo battlegrounds. If they open the door a crack for duos then they'll just do what you're doing with 4 people or more ruining battlegrounds for solo players. The reason the solo ones are so great is that there are less heal stacking, RoA ult dumpers. If ZOS removes the solo only que then that's all battlegrounds will be in a couple of months.

The group que is there for a reason.

Not suggesting grouped players to be in the team once queued into solo, but that they will be treated as solo players and be allocated to teams as if they queued solo. The suggestion is simply to allow them to be in the same match in their solo builds. For example, you and I are grouped in our solo builds and queued for a solo queue, we may face each other as enemies in seperate teams, based on the matchmaking. The only difference is that we will be in the same match without having to coordinate. Hope this makes sense

Then just que solo without being in a group? You're already in a voice comm or in game chat and the longest I've waited to get into an 8v8 solo bg is prob 5 mins so not grouping doesn't take effort mark each other with the tab key. The least exploitative way I could see this working is to allow grouped players to individually que for solo battlegrounds, but the que takes into account their group status and makes sure to place them in different solo battlegrounds. If they just place them on opposite teams it could be exploited by one person disadvantaging their team, or by two pairs of players doing what you already do. So best to leave it as is too much work and too many flaws for something that really isn't an inconvenience.

If you want to play on a team with your friend that's what the group bg mode is for. You're trying to get in the team with your friends or you wouldn't decline if it doesn't pop for them as well. If you aren't having fun fighting other groups in bgs then play one of the solo modes or stick to IC and Cyro with your pals, not trying to get around the system to Xv1 in solo battlegrounds.

tokeinskyblu · November 17

I agree with OP . This is something I would like to see implemented also.

darvaria · November 17

We don't need any form of grouping. Take a very good DPS that can queue with his "pocket healer". That will offset the group in a big way. If they both happen to get in the group, then okay. But keep solo as solo players. They already have a "group" solo queue available.

Aldoss · November 17

How is this suggestion anything different from what is already happening in the solo queue. The only ask here is that the game create a system that will break the group, put them into an equally weighted pool, and distribute them as if they queued solo, should they get matched into a solo lobby, while also being able to stay in the group queue, should that lobby get created first.

If the implication being made is that people in the solo queue that end up grouped together aren't in comms... I have bad news for you.

Additionally, comms aren't that much more of an advantage in a game that has such obvious scenarios that experienced PvPers specifically know to recognize and capitalize on. It really isn't that uncommon to get triple ulted in the solo queue.

With that all said, the suggestion is still pointless because by the very nature of the queue, the solo queue will always be larger than the group queue and will almost guarantee the group getting broken up into a solo lobby. So in that regard, you might as well do what people already do in the solo queue and join discord and queue up solo. If you get teamed (which is much more likely now with only 2 teams), carry on. If you don't, ready your finest playful trash talking liners as you duke it out.

Sootica · November 17

Aldoss wrote: »

How is this suggestion anything different from what is already happening in the solo queue. The only ask here is that the game create a system that will break the group, put them into an equally weighted pool, and distribute them as if they queued solo, should they get matched into a solo lobby, while also being able to stay in the group queue, should that lobby get created first.

Yes, what you described is the only ask here, thanks for summarising it succinctly! For those who regularly coordinate queues, this would really help, especially when there is no comms, and when more than 2 people are coordinating. With 3 or 4 people for example, one often has to sit out when queue pops for the majority.

I agree that as it stands now, solo queues will pop most of the time before a group one. But I also think that this can help increase the pool of people in the group queue, and give that a chance to grow. The vast majority of people wanting to group queue are not sweaty premades, mostly are friends with non-optimised setups. Many now queue into solo because it takes a very long time for group queues to pop (almost never pops during off-peak hours). Having the option to also queue into solo (break them up in the match of course) may eventually increase people in the group queues.

Having said this, there are still bugs with current queues, and those should be fixed first and foremost. For example, group queues still appear to be bugged sometimes. I had 3x 4v4 group queues with empty enemy teams in a row a couple of days ago. Last night, 2x 8v8 group matches didn’t start, one of them we know for sure there are correct number of people still queued for this mode and not being pulled in.