World of Tanks Match Making System Guide

World of Tanks Match Making System Guide by merig00

A lot of people are asking how the match-making system functions. So here is the general info based on the devs answers.

1.General Provision
The match-making system is an algorithm which distributes players into the teams before the start of battle. The way it works is really simple. You press the big red button “Battle!” and you are added to the waiting list. The mach-making system considers the info about your vehicle and assigns your a number (weight). It is based on that weight you are assigned to one or another group of players. Do not ask about the formula used to make the calculations – I don’t know it. We’ll talk below about what influences the final weight of the tank. There is a ceiling to the maximum weight of the team. It is a floating number but total weight of each of the two battlign teams under any conditions always will be equal.
The total weight limit of a team is floating because the level of the tanks in the game is always growing. The number of low level tanks gets lower. They give way to a higher level tanks, since players always improve their hangar collection by getting higher level tanks. The number of low level tanks is compensated with influx of new players. However the influx of new players is always fluctuating, so the weight ceiling for the team also varies. Do not confuse the level and model of the tank with the “weight”. It is important.

2.Weight of the tank.
Every tank has its own weight.
Weight is a number which describes median battle effectiveness of the given tank. The effectiveness of the tank is calculated based on the tank’s level. Every tank type has it’s own effectiveness coefficient. MT lvl 8 has its own coefficient, TD lvl 9 has another, etc. Artillery is calculated separately.
The match-making system is “blind” – its purpose is to form teams so that the total weight of each team is equal to the weight of the enemy team.
– The system does not consider:
1. installed additional equipment and/or expendables.
2. experience level of the crew.
3. how good the player is.
4. nation of the tank.
5. tank’s modules.

Example:
King Tiger can be balanced with 2 SU-152. It is normal.

Example 2:
One tank IS-7 can be easily balanced with 3 tanks IS-3. It is normal.

Important!!!
The match-making system does not take into account the armor penetration ability of your gun in relation to the armor of the enemy tanks.
The light tanks of low level end up in the battles with tanks of the high level because of the need for the scouts (light) in every battle regardless of the level.
It can happen that a level 5 tank can end up in a battle with level 6-10 tanks as one of the last tanks on the list, or it can end up being a top tank in the battle with tanks of levels 3-6. This is why the light tanks like A20 and BT-7 often end up in battles with high level tanks.

Ever tank has a diapason of the battle levels in which the tank can end up in. And depending on this range the tank is assigned into the battle.
In the future there might be a possibility to consider player’s skill in calculating the weight of the tank. The mechanics of making this happen is unclear and it is uncertain if this will be implemented at all.

3. Balancing Artillery.
Artillery has a special place in any team. And because of that the weight of the artillery is calculated separately from the rest of the vehicles. There is a separate formula to calculate weight of the SPG.
Also, except making sure that both teams have equal weights, the system ensures the equality of the weights for SPGs in every team.
Additionally the system tries to reach the equality in the number of the SPGs (maximum difference – 2 units).
Simply – arties live their own lives, they have their own weight and balance in the teams.
The number of SPGs in teams depends on their number in relation to a total number of tanks on the weighting list. So if there are about 100 players and 20% of them are on SPGs then the system will try to get 20% of spgs from 30 battle participants – somewhere 3 (+/- 1) SPGs for each team.
Sometimes you can see that the number of arties differs, but on one side you have 4 SU-26 and on the other 2 Hummels. It is so because the weight of the Hummel equal to the weight of 2 SU-26 (approximately)

4. Balancing platoons.
The weight of the tanks in a platoon will be equal to the weight of the same tanks not in the platoon. In other words the platoon of 3 IS-7 will be balanced by 3 IS-7 or by a number of tanks whose total weight is equal to the weight of 3 IS-7.

5. Table of tank distribution by weight.

This table displays level of tanks and levels of battles in which they can end up at.
The game has several levels of distributing tanks into battles (so far 10 levels). It is done so to maximally diversify the number and quality of vehicles in the battle.
Exceptions:
BT-7: 3-5 (a little bit better than the rest of the tank of its level)
А-32: 4-10 (in fact a scout)
Bison: 2-5 (the gun of the next level)
PzIII: 3-10 (in fact a scout)

LT1 can meet only LT1 or LT in the battle.
LT2 can meet LT1, LT2, LT3, TD2, SPG2.

In the battles of the top levels (level 10 with participation of HT10) can end up the following tanks
LT4
MT6+
HT6+
TD5+
SPG5+

In the future it is possible to add option so player could expend the range of the levels (s)he can play at by raising the ceiling level to the maximum.
So by making certain adjustment in options, SU-18 (level 2 SPG) will have a chance to end up in the battles of levels 2-10 instead of the standard 2-3.

There are no plans to change the general principle of the match-making system. However it is possible that we will see some adjustment in coefficients and introduction of additional limitations on team make up.
If additional limitations will be added, it is possible that the waiting time will increase and it will be impossible to increase the maximum size of a platoon.
The following currently is NOT provided:
– Equal number of the top tanks
– Equal weight or number of the Light tanks
– Equal weight or number of the Medium tanks
– Equal weight or number of the Heavy tanks
– Equal weight or number of the Tank destroyers
– Maximal symmetry in models (now one team might have 2 Maus, and the other 2 IS-7)
– Equal number of platoons in teams

6. Summary.
Let’s summarize in the form of a short FAQ

– Why did enemy tank had 2 IS-7 and we had 2 VK4502 and 4 KTs?
– It is so because the weight of 2х IS-7 is equal to the weight of 2х VK4502 and 4 KT.

– Why does enemy has 5 SPGs in the team, and we have only 3?
– Because your arties are higher tier.

– How does the match-making system works?
– The system forms teams based on the total weight of the teams and sends them into a battle, when they are ideally formed based on the total weight.

– What is match-making system?
– It is a mechanism which distributes players into teams before the beginning of a battle.

– What is weight of a tank?
– Weight is a number which describes median battle effectiveness of the given tank. Effectiveness of the tank is calculated based on its level and type.

– What influences the system in forming the teams?
– It is influenced by the weight of all tanks in both teams.

– What does not influence the weight of a tank? Is it possible to reduce the weight?
– The system does not take into account:
1. installed additional equipment and/or expendables.
2. experience level of the crew.
3. how good the player is.
4. nation of the tank.
5. tank’s modules.

– How does artillery get balanced?
– Artillery has a special place in any team. And because of that the weight of the artillery is calculated separately from the rest of the vehicles. There is a separate formula to calculate weight of the SPG.
Also, except making sure that both teams have equal weights, the system ensures the equality of the weights for SPGs in every team.
Additionally the system tries to reach the equality in the number of the SPGs (maximum difference – 2 units).
Simply – arties live their own lives, they have their own weight and balance in the teams.
The number of SPGs in teams depends on their number in relation to a total number of tanks on the weighting list. So if there are about 100 players and 20% of them are on SPGs then the system will try to get 20% of spgs from 30 battle participants – somewhere 3 (+/- 1) SPGs for each team.

– How does platoon weight get calculated?
– The weight of a platoon is calculated just like regular tanks. Platoon weight = weight of vehicles in the platoon.

– Why am I on BT-2 is being thrown in a game against Maus???? I can’t penetrate him!!!! It’s not faaaaaiiiirrrrr!!!!
– It is so because the system does not take into account the armor penetration of your tank.

– Why is my KV-3 sometimes end up with tanks of levels 6-10 and sometime in a battle with level 3-6?
– It can happen that a level 5 tank can end up in a battle with level 6-10 tanks as one of the last tanks on the list, or it can end up being a top tank in the battle with tanks of levels 3-6.

7. The End Game.
In conclusion here are the basic tenants of the match-making system:
1. The system does not mirrors team make up.
2. There will be never identical composition of vehicles in two teams. Never.
3. The system might make mistakes.
4. The system does not care who you are and where you are from.
5. The major criteria in forming teams – the weight of tanks in teams.
6. Platoon weight = weight of tanks in the platoon.
7. Artillery is always balanced separately.
8. The changes in the system are possible.