Championship Event - Where the "Random" Match Sorting Really "Shines"

[Jacob Plicque]

Originally Posted by Bongle

One easy solution to the tiering problem: Rather than split the teams into 3 tiers based on a sorted order, just randomize your input list so that the three groups will be approximately equal in quality. You would still have the problem of never playing with anyone in your tier as an ally, but at least you wouldn't have the big helping of rookies and hurting of veterans.

So rather than

1 4 7
2 5 8
3 6 9

You might have lists like

1 6 5
3 9 4
7 2 8

On average, they will even out to have the same number of powerhouse teams.

The whole tiering thing seems to be a wierd solution to a problem that didn't really exist anyway. Now instead of a few teams sometimes legitametely complaining that they got a bad deal in the pairings, you've got a whole group (the veteran teams) who get a bad deal, and they can prove it.

I suggest a modification to your idea which sorts the teams the same way as the divisions at the championships.
Current method
V M R
1 504 1207
2 505 1208
3 506 1209
A V team can never play another V team in the random pairings
Division Method
A B C
1 2 3
4 5 6 Low Pool
7 8 9
501 502 503
504 505 506 Mid Pool
507 508 509
1201 1202 1203
1204 1205 1206 High Pool
1207 1208 1209
This distributes the allegedly strong lower number teams (< 400) into three groups. Now a veteran team will still be paired with a midrank and a rookie in its division but it has the possibility of playing against 67% of the veteran teams