PLEASE let us block specific players from Casual ToT games

SilverBride · May 21

I enjoy a game or two of ToT every once in awhile, but only Casual. I gave up on Ranked Competitive a very long time ago due to how flawed the ranking system seems to me.

Sometimes I am matched with players I run into every now and then which is all fine, but there is one player I am matched with a lot, and at different times of the day so it's hard to avoid them. I will not play them because they choose Alessia every single time for every single game I've played with them. They often play Hermaeus Mora with them which makes for an awful experience. I usually concede because I will not play that deck, especially with this player. But if I try to queue again I just keep getting them.

Why can't we block certain players from Casual games? There is no leaderboard for this mode and nothing to gain except not having to play an awful match. At the very least make it so we don't get matched with the same player back to back multiple times in a row, which is what just happened to me when I tried to queue again 10 minutes after the previous game I left with this player. Surely we aren't the only ones queuing right now.

Please consider this.

Altera0x · May 22

SilverBride wrote: »

I enjoy a game or two of ToT every once in awhile, but only Casual. I gave up on Ranked Competitive a very long time ago due to how flawed the ranking system seems to me.

Flawed ranking system is still better than no ranking system. I personally avoid Casual mode, because in my experience it's full of top Ranked players roflstomping noobs like me.
You'd be better off playing Ranked and ignoring the rank itself.

SilverBride wrote: »

they choose Alessia every single time for every single game I've played with them. They usually play Hermaeus Mora with them which makes for an awful experience.

How are they even playing that? Alessia is completely invalidated by even a slightest presence of aggro, nevermind Mora. Just a baffling selection.

SilverBride wrote: »

Why can't we block certain players from Casual games?

Casual is already a playground for wintrading (ZOS seems to be trying to crack down on that in U50), having bans would mean you can just ban everyone else who plays ToT, invite your friend to queue and have “competitive” matches with them.

Major_Mangle · May 22

Instead of asking to block players (which isn´t a realistic feature really), it would be a better feature to have a banning phase simultaneously as the picking phase (similar to how MOBA´s like DOTA or LoL have). That way each player can ban a deck or two (whatever numbers is appropriate) before continuing with the picking phase. That way you add another layer of strategy to each game, which isn´t a bad thing.

SilverBride · May 22

Altera0x wrote: »

SilverBride wrote: »

Why can't we block certain players from Casual games?

Casual is already a playground for wintrading (ZOS seems to be trying to crack down on that in U50), having bans would mean you can just ban everyone else who plays ToT, invite your friend to queue and have “competitive” matches with them.

I'm not trying to ban everyone. There are several players I face on a somewhat regular basis, many of whom usually beat me, and it's never been a problem. I just see this one player so much, and at all times of the day and night, and once I've been matched with them I very often get matched several times in a row, and they always play these same decks. It just makes for an unpleasant experience.

I don't know anything about wintrading nor do I care, which is why I play casual. And if I want to challenge a friend I will play them directly. I just want a stress free game for fun.

SilverBride · May 22

Major_Mangle wrote: »

Instead of asking to block players (which isn´t a realistic feature really), it would be a better feature to have a banning phase simultaneously as the picking phase (similar to how MOBA´s like DOTA or LoL have). That way each player can ban a deck or two (whatever numbers is appropriate) before continuing with the picking phase. That way you add another layer of strategy to each game, which isn´t a bad thing.

I actually suggested that once and it didn't get much support.

https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/687405/we-need-to-be-able-to-block-certain-patrons-from-casual-games#latest

SilverBride · May 22

The very least they can do is to not match the same players back to back multiple times in a row.

Personofsecrets · May 26

@ZOS_JessicaFolsom , One of my ToT guildmates reported playing against the same player something like 19 times in a row in casual yesterday. I don't know if they mind merely playing against the same player, but in this case it was against the number 1 ranked player (who spams casual because there is no reason to play ranked once at a certain point level). A few guildmates report playing against them over and over which is frustrating for those guildmates.

ESO_player123 · May 27

Personofsecrets wrote: »

@ZOS_JessicaFolsom , One of my ToT guildmates reported playing against the same player something like 19 times in a row in casual yesterday. I don't know if they mind merely playing against the same player, but in this case it was against the number 1 ranked player (who spams casual because there is no reason to play ranked once at a certain point level). A few guildmates report playing against them over and over which is frustrating for those guildmates.

Whenever I see number 1 ranked player in Casual, I surrender, switch to another toon, and go to ranked where I will never be matched with them. Works like a charm.

SilverBride · May 27

Personofsecrets wrote: »

@ZOS_JessicaFolsom , One of my ToT guildmates reported playing against the same player something like 19 times in a row in casual yesterday. I don't know if they mind merely playing against the same player, but in this case it was against the number 1 ranked player (who spams casual because there is no reason to play ranked once at a certain point level). A few guildmates report playing against them over and over which is frustrating for those guildmates.

I had never looked at the leaderboard until I read this post. My experience is almost identical to your guildmate's experience.

MidnightDuel · May 27

Did it ever occur to anyone that the reason players keep getting matched is that no one else is queuing for the card game?

Personally, I never understood why there was a "casual" mode for playing Tales of Tribute with other players in the first place. I achieved Rubedite level once and refused to play other players ever again. Collecting Captain Kaleen as a houseguest left a bad taste in my mouth for playing against NPCs and the card game in general. IMO no reward is worth suffering through Tales of Tribute. I'm much happier doing anything else in ESO and forgetting that I wasted so much time playing stupid ToT matches.

ESO_player123 · May 27

MidnightDuel wrote: »

Did it ever occur to anyone that the reason players keep getting matched is that no one else is queuing for the card game?

Personally, I never understood why there was a "casual" mode for playing Tales of Tribute with other players in the first place. I achieved Rubedite level once and refused to play other players ever again. Collecting Captain Kaleen as a houseguest left a bad taste in my mouth for playing against NPCs and the card game in general. IMO no reward is worth suffering through Tales of Tribute. I'm much happier doing anything else in ESO and forgetting that I wasted so much time playing stupid ToT matches.

Probably for every player there is a part of ESO that they very much dislike (for me it's PvP). Those who like ToT (however few we might be) would like it to be improved. While the number of players is not big, the queue pops fast enough to show that people are stull playing.

SilverBride · May 27

MidnightDuel wrote: »

Did it ever occur to anyone that the reason players keep getting matched is that no one else is queuing for the card game?

This has occurred to me but there is no way for us to know unless they show us what number we are in the queue. But different players are being matched with the same one player multiple times in a row. This only happens to me with one specific player.

MidnightDuel · May 27

ESO_player123 wrote: »

Probably for every player there is a part of ESO that they very much dislike (for me it's PvP).

Tales of Tribute Matches, whether ranked or casual, are technically PvP, since one player is playing against another. It's just not the type of combat associated with Cyrodiil, Battlegrounds, Imperial City, or duels.

ESO_player123 · May 27

MidnightDuel wrote: »

ESO_player123 wrote: »

Probably for every player there is a part of ESO that they very much dislike (for me it's PvP).

Tales of Tribute Matches, whether ranked or casual, are technically PvP, since one player is playing against another. It's just not the type of combat associated with Cyrodiil, Battlegrounds, Imperial City, or duels.

While PvP literally means Player vs Player, we both know that when people say PvP in ESO they mean Cyro, Battlegrounds and Imperial City (and so did I when I expressed my dislike for PvP). For reference, I play only PvP ToT matches since I find playing against NPCs very boring.

MidnightDuel · May 27

ESO_player123 wrote: »

For reference, I play only PvP ToT matches since I find playing against NPCs very boring.

You do you.

At least NPCs don't take an eternity to make a move in Tales of Tribute. Instead, NPCs deploy the same tactics over and over again, ensuring that the match goes on for far longer than is necessary.

I chose not to play that part of the game and am critical of allotting valuable development time and resources to try and "fix" something that is clearly working as-intended and only appears to be a problem because player involvement is so scant.

Altera0x · May 28

SilverBride wrote: »

unless they show us what number we are in the queue.

Casual mode doesn't have a queue really. It makes no attempt to match players with similar skills or w/e. The moment second player joins the “queue”, they are matched with the first. So if you're seeing long “queue” times in Casual it literally means there's no one else there to play with.
Ranked has some matchmaking, so there is a proper queue, but there's a fallback to “match with someone outside your rank” if you spend too much time in the queue, 2:17 in my experience. So if you stuck there for longer, it also means no other players.

tsaescishoeshiner · June 1

No game with queues should ever allow players to block others from being matched with them, particularly for reasons like you don't want to play against the patrons they pick. It messes up queue systems, allows people to make a habit of targeting players and playstyles, encourages enemy-making, and deflects from the main issue of needing to just deal with your random opponent (unless they're doing something reportable).

I would just play Ranked only times when you see that player—then you can dodge them for a bit. Or if you're not after the quest, maybe find people to play with?

Seraphayel · June 1

Major_Mangle wrote: »

Instead of asking to block players (which isn´t a realistic feature really), it would be a better feature to have a banning phase simultaneously as the picking phase (similar to how MOBA´s like DOTA or LoL have). That way each player can ban a deck or two (whatever numbers is appropriate) before continuing with the picking phase. That way you add another layer of strategy to each game, which isn´t a bad thing.

This. I so much want to ban decks, I’d even prefer that over picking them. I hate hate hate matches where Crow / Alessia is picked (Almalexia also is annoying af).

I still play these matches obviously as I only play ranked, but it would increase my enjoyment a lot if I could at least ban one deck per match (it always would be Crow).

Personofsecrets · June 2

I would ban Mora every game since it very obviously was made is to assist players who don't know how to play in winning random game out of nowhere.