Getting back into Street Fighter and playing a lot of Fortnite has got me thinking of a concept I think is a fascinating yet puzzling; the idea of the skill gap. I did write about the concept of low floors and high ceiling in video games but wanted to delve into the space that will always be between the best players and the worst. Whats more is how it can create backlash like that described in Core-A-Gaming's video from last year on the skill gap in Street Fighter V.
In every game you are going to find different tiers of players from those that look like tying their shoes is an achievement to others who play the game in a way you hardly understand. Keeping these players separated has been a goal of many studios and this is done through ranking systems. The ranking systems are not only designed to reward better players with advancement but to isolate those better players away from more casual fans that would be crushed.
A blowback from this design is its effect on the confirmation bias of a good player. If all they are seeing are other good players, even though their level of play would be consistently better then most, they will perceive that their play as average and start to believe that the skill gap does not exist. It isn't hard to find in forums some hight ranked platinum tier player complaining about how the game is getting too easy for lower tier players. Some humbling minutes with bronze level play could change their mind, but it also might be a game shattering experience for the lower level players.
Then there are games like Fortnite with incredible skill gaps between the best and the worst players, yet they are all set in the same arena. This is a point brought up by Core-A-Gaming but in another setting and that is the implementation of RNG. Even bad players can get good loot and we have all seen rounds won by a lucky rocket shot at the right time from a potato with 0 kills. This RNG decreases the possible skill gap between the lowest and highest players but comes at the cost of those player reaching towards the skill ceiling.
In the world of multiplayer games, the balance is always tricky. Too much one way and you will throw off a crowd. Whether it be a core fan base or a possible new set of players you are always risking losing some people by the level of difficulty or lack thereof. While being at the lower end of the skill gap can be frustrated, ultimately allowing it will lead to a bigger reward for time invested. There just has to be more incentive there besides basic ranks.
In every game you are going to find different tiers of players from those that look like tying their shoes is an achievement to others who play the game in a way you hardly understand. Keeping these players separated has been a goal of many studios and this is done through ranking systems. The ranking systems are not only designed to reward better players with advancement but to isolate those better players away from more casual fans that would be crushed.
A blowback from this design is its effect on the confirmation bias of a good player. If all they are seeing are other good players, even though their level of play would be consistently better then most, they will perceive that their play as average and start to believe that the skill gap does not exist. It isn't hard to find in forums some hight ranked platinum tier player complaining about how the game is getting too easy for lower tier players. Some humbling minutes with bronze level play could change their mind, but it also might be a game shattering experience for the lower level players.
Then there are games like Fortnite with incredible skill gaps between the best and the worst players, yet they are all set in the same arena. This is a point brought up by Core-A-Gaming but in another setting and that is the implementation of RNG. Even bad players can get good loot and we have all seen rounds won by a lucky rocket shot at the right time from a potato with 0 kills. This RNG decreases the possible skill gap between the lowest and highest players but comes at the cost of those player reaching towards the skill ceiling.
In the world of multiplayer games, the balance is always tricky. Too much one way and you will throw off a crowd. Whether it be a core fan base or a possible new set of players you are always risking losing some people by the level of difficulty or lack thereof. While being at the lower end of the skill gap can be frustrated, ultimately allowing it will lead to a bigger reward for time invested. There just has to be more incentive there besides basic ranks.
Comments
Post a Comment