Cue the confetti canon! We’ve got some news: the days of waiting indefinitely for another player to respond to your challenge are over.
Have you found yourself challenging another player and waiting for ages for a reply? Well, that’s a thing of the past! Our matchmaking system addresses this and other issues, providing a more enjoyable experience for all players.
Our starting point
The matchmaking system was built upon early ideas for fixing the limitations of dotmoovs random challenge. The main issues were that we often recommended players who are not always available to play and people who don’t play the same sport. As a result, peer-2-peer challenges stayed pending forever. We also didn’t consider one’s ranking position when matching them with another player.
The solution: a new matchmaking system
To get the redesign process going, we first looked at how the most successful online competitive games do their matchmaking. Generally, players have an Elo rank* that is calculated based on past games. Then, when the user decides to play a game, they’re placed in a “pool” with other waiting-to-play people. Depending on the system’s criteria, the players in that “pool” are randomly matched, ensuring the pairing is close in rank.
Dotmoovs’ matchmaking system follows a similar structure with a few adjustments. First, those that want to play with a random player have to play the same sport as the other individual and have chosen the same challenge (for instance, in dance, they must select the same choreography). Contemplating rank-based matching in our solution, we keep an eye out for players who are ready to play, thus taking note of the rank position of all players in the “waiting-to-play pool”.
Players won’t know who they’re against until they complete the challenge. Will it be your best friend, your biggest rival, or someone completely unexpected? It’s like a game of roulette but with actual skill involved. The anticipation of discovering the opponent’s identity will keep them on the edge of their seat and make them give it all they’ve got to (hopefully) come out on top.
How the new system improves the gaming experience
First, it matches players close in rank, creating a more balanced and exciting gameplay by keeping players challenged and motivated to improve their skills to move up in the leaderboard. Secondly, its pool-based system ensures everyone can play and reduces the pending challenge waiting time. Finally, players start and finish the challenge because they are matched with other ready-to-play players.
Dotmoovs’ matchmaking feature provides a fairer and more enjoyable experience for all players, with quicker challenge times and more accurate matching. So what are you waiting for? Give it a try and see the difference for yourself!
*The Elo rating system focuses on the players’ relative skill instead of a one-time score, meaning that one’s performance is inferred from their wins and losses against their opponent’s ratings. Simply put, your ranking position depends on your performance, your competition, and both your track records.
