TMM 3v3 and 4v4 coming soon

Hello everyone,

we almost completed all required steps to finally have queues that are bigger than 2v2. The main roadblock was having an algorithm that can handle the premade teams of various sizes, that queue up, while still producing good matches. I wrote that algorithm over the last months and we tested it successfully in June. Recently we finally merged the code into the develop branch after making sure the code quality and test coverage was up to standards.
We are now testing new code that will handle the rating initalization for the new tmm rating. Once that has been merged we can make a server release to deploy the new code. Once that is in effect, the new matchmaking code will also be used for 2v2 matching. It is possible that there will be a short delay until we have added the new queues in the database. Once that is done, the new matchmaker queues will appear in the client. A client update is not required.

I will write a separate post about how the new matchmaker code works in the near future.

Of course we will also inform you when the update is in effect, but I guess you will notice that pretty soon if you regularly play matchmaker games.

Short update: We are debating if a 3v3 queue actually makes sense at all. Mainly because there are very little 3v3 matches in general and very few good maps for it. Maybe we would rather have different 4v4 queues. We will keep you posted.

Great news!
I agree that there are very few 3v3 cards. Maybe it is worth announcing a competition for creating /modification
maps for 3 v3?

Can the 4x4 queue launch a 3x3 if people have been waiting awhile or sometimes do it randomly

@veteranashe What if I don't want to play 3v3? it's like launching a ladder if you wait a long time for 2v2

Just dropping by to say this is awesome! Can't wait to finally play a normal 4v4 using matchmaking. No map picking, no pre determined spots, just pure FA.

@veteranashe That's hard to do implementation wise. People might queue up for that queue in a party of 4. Dynamically scalling that down requires a lot of complexity in the code as well as the algorithm used for matching.

I mean, we could set up a 3v3 queue and you can join both if you want to get a game faster

This is great, thank you for the work you've done here!

@Askaholic That's what I usually do with ladder and 2v2 queue. On a totally unrelated note, I don't remember the last time I got a tmm game in my timezone, need more west coast US players

@blackyps
It makes sense to have the option to do 3v3's in TMM. People can queue for multiple things simultaneously.

Numerous players do like to play 3v3's. Also, sometimes groups of 3 friends want to queue together for 3v3's where they are the entire team (without a random 4th teammate with them).

If you need help finding good 3v3 maps, I can help with that if you'd like, and there is also the option of having the 3v3 queue mostly or entirely use map gen maps, if desired.

PS: Having multiple 4v4 TMM options does not have to be mutually exclusive with having 3v3 TMM available.

I’d suggest highlighting the point about being able to join multiple queues in the news post when its released (and possibly even the game loading tooltips)-I doubt I’m the only one who assumed you could only be in one queue at a time.

Nothing final has been decided yet, I just wanted to do some expectation management that a 3v3 queue is not 100% certain yet.

I’d suggest highlighting the point about being able to join multiple queues

We can do that. I had hoped that the "Join one or more queues when you are ready" text over the queue buttons would be sufficient that everbody knew that already.

I look forward more to 3v3 than 4v4. I was planning to multi queue 1v1 2v2 3v3, adding 4v4 only if it seems like only chance for a game.

Should maybe note that I play 2 games almost every day.

if any of my maps are needed for the 3x3 4x4 expansion, let me know...

What are you guys going to do to capture the interest of people participating in 3v3 and 4v4. Its difficult enough getting a 2v2 game, it will be even harder to get larger team games.

I'm all for TMM, i love it and prefer it to custom games. I just wish the rest of the community did too....

2v2s played doubled in size with the matchmaker and it was the least popular game mode in the 1v1-6v6 player zone when adjusted for player count.

Now it’s 4th popular I believe.

I believe 4v4 will be actually played and not abandoned as 2v2. *3v3 would be completely dead. (Only my predictions)

My prediction is that 4v4 matchmaker won't take off because people will experience lag/slowdown from slow computers and lag, especially on 20x20 maps.

It might be best to start with only 10x10 maps for the rollout and see what happens. Then put some smaller 20x20s in the pool to see if bad things happen. I would suggest starting this way because you can't "unring the bell." If people try TMM and have disappointing experiences, they might not come back. But if the rollout starts successful, you could build on that.

You can’t really mix 10x10 and 20x20 4v4 teamgames. The former will require share until death, the latter will mainly require full share.

The matchmaker can't adjust settings like share until death? You could always send a chat message at the start of every match telling players whether the game is full share or not.

New players don’t know what full share or share until death means. Randomly switching share conditions like that is awkward. You’re better off just having two queues, one with casual classic 4v4 custom game maps that are usually 10x10 and one with more competitive 4v4 maps.

More coherent and intuitive for the general player if a single queue is associated with a share condition rather than one random map size in one random queue.