Hi everyone!

This time, the article will be from a different perspective than the previous ones as it will not be focused on strategy or the metagame. Instead, we will be addressing something core to the game itself. Ranked mode and the Ladder.

When we think of playing Shadowverse, most of the time we are referring to Ranked mode. For many, it is the most important game mode; the others being more of an accessory or an enabler for ranked. However, for something so integral to the game, there are a few glaring problems which I think need fixing.

Let me know what you guys think in the comments!

Problem 1: Everyone will eventually be a Master player

The points you earn are based off of the rank of your opponent; those of significantly higher rank will reward more than 100 if you win, and as low as 70 if you lose. With this type of design, even if your win rate is 50%, you will eventually climb because on average you will earn more points than you lose. This means that as long as you’re a competent player, you can climb to Master with enough games as there is no rank reset. Master rank should mark the epitome of SV skill. It should be elusive and a title given to only the top players.

Proposed solution : Remove the bonus/malus points when you win/lose against higher ranked players.

Problem 2: There are no real incentives to climb

There aren’t any real rewards for climbing in this game. No points for a world championship, no prizes, nothing. The only motivation to climb at the moment is for self actualization and for bragging rights. As a result, despite the high number of players in Masters, many of them are simply sitting at a low Master score instead of trying hard to climb. Master ladder should be highly competitive with more people trying hard to gain a competitive ranking.

Proposed solution : Cygames has already done this once before. Give rewards to the top players each season.

Problem 3: The matchmaking system is weird

When you are a top Master player, you would want to be matched up against other top players, not an AA1 player. Yet, somehow it seems like 50% of my matches are against AA players. The problem isn’t that they’re not great players, I’m sure many of them are, but that you should be matched with people around the same rank as you.

Proposed solution : Fix the matchmaking system, high rank Master players should face other high rank Master players.

Conclusion

I hope that this article conveys the frustration I feel with regards to the current ladder. As of this moment, I’m not even trying to climb; not only is the metagame not very enjoyable, but because of the aforementioned points as well. My competitive spirit for the game has been dwindling, I haven’t even been trying to fight for the top 100 spots. It simply isn’t worth the effort.

Anyways, please let me know if you like these sorts of articles in addition to your thoughts on the matter are in the comments.

Special thanks to Vanilly for editing my articles and making it more enjoyable to read by improving the English. My two previous ROB articles have already been edited, so don’t hesitate to reread them.

Ciao