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(READ) New Leaderboard System Proposal

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Blamph

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Hey there everyone! I've posted about this topic a few times on the boards, and have mentioned it to friends, staff, and the likes multiple times in the past year and a half. This might turn out to be a long post, you don't have to agree with what I'll say, and there won't be a TL;DR on it, because its something I think the general community would want.

As the title says, I think it's time for a new Leaderboard System Revamp. Does this mean that the stats should be reset? In a way, yes.

So there has only ever been officially one leaderboard reset, back in June 2012 when MCSG V1 was released. The beta leaderboards were never saved, and everyone who participated understood what would happen to their previous stats because everyone was warned in game and on the forums of preeminent reset. Now, I know for a fact that I can't be the only one who was intrigued with MCSG in the very beginning when I came across the server, mostly because of the detailed leaderboards that were on site. I was new to Minecraft, but already addicted because I had the motivation and desire to claim one of the top spots. While there were no rewards for anyone who reached the top, those of us who has ever done it at any time in the past two years felt like the fact that we were able to even see our names there period was enough of a reward for us.

As time went on, it became tougher and much more time consuming to reach one of the top spots, and even top 100-250. In fact, you'd have to put in 4-6 hours a day to do so these days if you EVER want to see your name up there with those guys who might have been playing a year or so longer than you. I don't know about you guys, but that's downright harsh. It almost makes the leaderboard ranking system irrelevant, because there's hardly an incentive worthy enough to dedicate SO much time into it. Players need incentive to play a game, and these days there isn't much of one to play more than a few matches a day other than spending time with friends. Yeah, there are clans, and that's great fun if you're into being a team player, but even that doesn't have an MCG backed ranking/organized system of any sort anymore. There's little incentive given these days for the players who actually prefer to play in a solo environment, as opposed to playing with a clan.

Overall, players need an incentive to play on a server. For a lot of people, the leaderboards were and I suppose to a smaller degree, still are a way for them to compete. A new system needs to take form soon, and here's what I propose:

1. The Old Leaderboards
Generally the first question that comes up when the talks of a leaderboard reset of any sort comes along is what will happen with the old leaderboards. The answer that I've came up with is simple: Nothing.

Instead of deleting them completely, keep them in a sort of trophy case. Not an actual trophy case, but keep the old ranked players stats and the likes in a separate area on site for players to look at to see who the old top ranked players were. Those guys all get their glory, and are shown forever in the archive books, so-to-say. Not only this, but give the top 100 or so players a title on the forums, and a symbol of some sort in games in front of their names (this is done on the overcast network). Just like how Platinum donators are allowed to summon their pets in the hub through the egg. These players can choose whether to display their medal/symbol of past leaderboard achievements through an item in the hub.

Doing both of these should be enough to keep the guys who dedicated the most time to the servers happy. This WILL disappoint people who aren't included. But that's life. Said players weren't getting anything by being any lower on the leaderboards previously, and they are getting nothing now. Scratch that, they are getting something now: a refreshing and new chance to get to the rank that was once so difficult and time consuming to get to before.

2. The New System
The new system is simple. Instead of the leaderboards going on for an unset amount of time with no incentives or rewards given to those who make it into the top %, there are three leaderboards each taking in the stats of every player for a certain duration of time.

First, you have the Weekly Leaderboards. These are reset every Sunday at 12 AM. The top 10 or 25 players are each given a medal/title/symbol (whichever the uppers find more feasible), to show off in game. I don't think the top 3 players should get any different type of reward, as these are small duration leaderboards.

Next, you have the Monthly Leaderboards. These are reset at 12 AM on the 1st of each monthly. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place victors of these leaderboards will each be awarded with a custom medal/title/symbol that can follow the theme of whichever month that they achieved their impressive ranking in. The top 50-100 players of said month will also receive an M/T/S (medal/title/symbol) reward, just not quite as spiffy as those top players got! This can be built even more on, whether through the forums, or even custom items to show off in the hub, etc. I'm just trying to give out a basis for the rewards.

Lastly, you have the Yearly Leaderboards. The resets are at 12 AM on January 1st. The top 250-500 players will get an M/T/S reward, but the top 10-25 will get flashier ones. The top 1-3 will get really nice ones, and eternal glory! Yeahhhhh!

Edit: Thank you Alpha for reminding me. There would also be an "eternal" leaderboard of sorts. One that is never reset after this new system is put in. Unfortunately, with what I recall when speaking to a certain developer, if a new system was to be put in place, the leaderboards would have to be reset completely. So the old ones would have to be archived. Have an all time leaderboard is nice to just gauge the all time leaders and the likes.

3. A Room For Improvement?
Now, there is a lot of room for improvement in the reward category, as I'm not 100% sure what can actually be done. But I've spoken to many players who have all supported the system, and the fact that something needs to be done about the old one. There doesn't even need to be rewards given for the 3 part leaderboards if they aren't possible to give out. Just seeing a new system would be reward enough. Having archived months/old leaderboards would be fantastic. I'm putting no detail into a regional leaderboard setup, though it would be nice to see one again. I don't recall why they were all merged, but it's silly to have them together if the US players aren't actually playing against the EU players. It doesn't really matter though if this new system is in place, as its reward based. And the rewards might be obsolete after a while if they were given to the 3 big regions separately. That's to be debated though.

Once something like this is done, you're giving incentive to a LOT of old time players to come back and give the servers a whirl again. I know of quite a players who dedicated so much time just because they wanted to earn a top spot. And once it became unrealistic to put 6 - 8 hours a day into the game so they could hopefully get to 2k or 3k wins, they quit. When new players join these servers, I can't even imagine what they think to themselves when they see the leaderboards. I can honestly say that if no system was in place or if there were already 100 players with 2k - 3k wins, I wouldn't have ever put as much time as I did into the game, and I'd be willing to bet that a lot of the top players now wouldn't either.

I could go on still, but I'd first like to hear everyone's opinion on if they back the system I thought out, or if they don't. Any opinions are welcomed, along with fresh ideas, etc. I'd love to see the communities take on it, competitive players or not.
 
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HarborSeal

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Good idea Blamph! This idea would definitely make MCG seem more competitive, like it was when I was in the top 10 over a year ago.
 

SixZoSeven

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or if there were already 100 players with 2k - 3k wins, I wouldn't have ever put as much time as I did into the game, and I'd be willing to bet that a lot of the top players now wouldn't either.
Was an old player back when leaderboards were wiped in 2012; can confirm the validity of the above statement.
When I heard about the stat reset during beta, I prepared myself to climb the leaderboards as high as possible. In my quest, I managed to secure the #1 spot for a reasonable bit. If 1k+ win players littered the leaderboards, I would have little incentive to actively play to win.
 

Cameron

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I like it and dislike this idea.

Main points leaderboards will still be about how much you play. Imagine trying to get in the top 100 when 2000 players are spending all their spare time to get on the leaderboards.

As you can see I've spent 4 weeks on this game trying to get a decent spot on the leaderboards. Some people have almost spent a full month to get in the top 25. If I realised I wasted 4 weeks of my like for nothing I wouldn't be happy.
 

Sean

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I am not sure about a complete reset of the leaderboards but the weekly and monthly ones sound good. The only problem I have is that mcsg is supposed to be a fun game type that is not to competitive. Even though it already has turned extremely competitive I can see weekly and monthly leaderboards adding to this competitiveness. This will make users "Try Hard" a lot more and might possibly not make the game as fun for users that just play for fun. It could also cause an increase of users using hacked clients to try and claim a high ranked spot.

The positives:
  • Brings a new sense of enjoyment.
  • People with poor stats can try get a spot.
  • Users that started poor at the game but have improved have a chance at a spot.
  • Could be interesting to see some great new PvP's that otherwise would not be noticed.
The negatives.
  • Mcsg is a fun game mode and could create way to much competitiveness.
  • Could cause a lot of flame between users.
  • Some of the top players that have worked hard for there spot might not feel as recognized.
  • Could lead to an increase in the use of hacked/ modified clients.
As you can see it has both positive and negatives but it would be a cool idea in my opinion and you never know some of the negatives might not even happen. I guess it would be cool to see it implemented and give it a chance possibly like the new voting system.
 

3point

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Yeah, this would definitely get me to play MCSG more.
 

Blamph

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I like it and dislike this idea.

Main points leaderboards will still be about how much you play. Imagine trying to get in the top 100 when 2000 players are spending all their spare time to get on the leaderboards.

As you can see I've spent 4 weeks on this game trying to get a decent spot on the leaderboards. Some people have almost spent a full month to get in the top 25. If I realised I wasted 4 weeks of my like for nothing I wouldn't be happy.
The leaderboards in any game will always be about how much you play. Skill is certainly still involved to a large degree though. The issue with the current system in place is that the time needed to even compete to get to the top is absolutely absurd. It now takes more time than skill to reach it, and it shouldn't be that way.

I understand that you wasting 4 weeks would be frustrating. I'd be frustrated and annoyed also, but you'd have to take some of the good from it also. You became much more skilled through your trials, and you'd be entering the new leaderboard system with those skills earned, with the possibility that you could be the new #1.

Sean I understand your pros and negative list completely. I appreciate the opinions. I think instead of the upper staff shunning away the idea of MCSG being extremely competitive, they need to embrace it and provide the extra push for it, by supporting it completely. It's a crucial time, as no other servers have ever implemented something like this, and if they did it first, it could turn out for the better.

Also, this game mode I don't think was ever supposed to be truly casual in that sense of the term. It's a pure FFA gamemode where the objective is the be the last one standing, one life only. It's the "perfect" game mode for competitive play, and there's no way around that opinion and stigma set on it.
 
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