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In the wake of Natural Selection's ranked warring defeat to Monarch HQ, we investigate whether Torn now has a new top-ranked faction, what this really means, and how future changes may help us decide.
Was Torn City's number one faction dethroned in the small hours of Monday morning? This is what many people are wondering in the aftermath of an epic Ranked War between Natural Selection and Monarch HQ ended in favour of the latter.
The final result saw Monarch HQ reach the required 9,000 target over their opponents in 11 hours, 28 minutes, and 46 seconds. As you can see from the score graph, Monarch dominated for the first five hours, and at one point were just under 1,200 from victory, but an NS fightback prolonged the battle for several hours more until a huge push from Monarch began a two-hour firestorm that would eventually see them declared the winner at 02:28 am.
"They showed up with a good game plan and they fought well. We fought well too, but they bested us on this go around." - Stretch, NS leader
"Many things went into our victory, including, of course, the long-term cultivation of members with high stats, activity, and growth potential. Ensuring that we had people online and prepared in advance was likely the second most important factor. Our war tactics were good, and we adapted well when the tide turned, but we also found some areas where we need to improve, and that could have cost us the war if other events had gone just a little differently." - RGiskard, Monarch leader
The spoils of victory included no fewer than six caches, 4,545 respect, 1,500 points, and a rise in rank for Monarch HQ, with the butterflies now ranked at Bronze III. Natural Selection was compensated for their time too - although they weren't especially happy with their payout - taking two caches, 2,106 respect, and 695 points, at the expense of a ranking drop to Bronze II. But what does this mean in terms of bragging rights?
Torn's Number One
Ahead of this fight, NS was seen as Torn's No.1 faction by many, with Monarch considered pretenders to their throne. Neither side currently occupies a place in the top 5 in terms of respect - that honour is currently held by Chain Reaction - but their members' stats and achievements, and the activity both factions have shown since their respective formations have led many to conclude that Monday's ranked war represented a fight between Torn's undisputed #1 and #2.
"You have to understand, Natural Selection isn't just a powerful faction; they were out of everyone else's league almost right after they were created. There were no serious challengers. When we merged to form Monarch, we set out the goal of becoming #1 in Torn, which everyone knew meant dethroning NS, but it was like a far-off dream. Even at our high point early last December, as we were finishing taking the west, I doubt any of us would have believed we would be able to defeat NS in any head-to-head combat by February 2022." - RGiskard
So does Monarch's victory over NS mean that they are the new number one? Not necessarily, and that's according to their own leader, RGiskard. He feels that the absence of deft from NS must be taken into account when analysing the results of this war. Deft was ranked third in the list of Torn's strongest players according to Proxima's latest Battle Stats update, and RGiskard described him as a "disruptor of the highest order," having experienced his power and energy first hand during the Insurgency war.
"At the same time, one single person can only move the needle so much, as NS did not need to hospitalize people like me, shaz1, and realistassasin in order to retain control when they took it, and neither could we take back control without the rest of our members online and ready, with restored energy and medical cooldowns. Had he been there, I do not know if we would have won, but, no matter what they say, neither does anyone else." - RGiskard
RGiskard feels that Monarch cannot yet claim to be the #1 faction in Torn, and believes their battle versus NS to be the first of many in an ongoing war to determine such things. And since much can change from fight to fight that could potentially tip the balance of power, RGiskard feels it is far too early to crown Monarch as Torn's best just yet.
His NS compatriot Stretch has a different view on the matter.
"Monarch took the win so they are currently above NS, however, Silver Hand who is about to obtain Gold Tier is the #1 faction... We are super excited to fight again, had a ton of fun. Being the #1 faction has some downsides and we are happy to be the underdog again, as we have been many times in the past." - Stretch
Stretch may be taking the proverbial in his reference to Silver Hand being the number one faction, but he appears unflinchingly honest in his view that NS has been usurped as number one, and seems excited to renew hostilities with Monarch as soon as possible. I asked if said hostilities may take place outside of the ranked warring system, but Stretch gave no indication that they would.
"We are excited to test out the matching system and try to match with every faction we can. We also are looking forward to a ranked war rematch with M in the future." - Stretch
Monarch is similarly keen to match with NS again, and RGiskard revealed that they coordinated with NS in order to make this fight happen.
"We plan on continuing to coordinate future enlistments together with NS so that we can have more such wars, and they have indicated their desire to do the same. With any luck, we won't be duking it out in the Bronze rank, with the prize being.. staying in the Bronze rank." - RGiskard
The Future of Ranked Warring
Monarch HQ has beaten PT-Family and Chain Reaction so far, whereas NS defeated Chain Reaction, Subversive Alliance, and PT-Family. Despite their impressive lists of scalps, both sides currently find themselves in the Bronze tier, having only fought a handful of times each against opponents of similar statistical stature.
As Stretch acknowledged, Silver Hand is currently Torn's highest-ranked faction within the ranked warring system, with their recent victory over IBB Aquarius taking them to Gold I. Silver Hand's seven victories so far mean that this achievement is nothing to be sniffed at, but it would be disingenuous to ignore the fact that the matchmaking system has pitted them against opponents who are very much of their level - as it should do, under the current mechanics.
However, whereas Monarch HQ has faced the 1st and 4th HoF factions ranked by respect, and NS has taken on 1st, 4th, and 26th, the highest-ranked faction Silver Hand has beaten is Wolverines Gone Wild, who are 88th in the HoF. Again, this fact should not be used to diminish the hard work or the achievements of Silver Hand, but it is something that has to be mentioned in a serious discussion over who is Torn's top-ranked faction, and indeed, the forthcoming revamp of the matchmaking system.
"I don't think anyone particularly wants severely-mismatched battles against other factions, except one IBB lead, who tried to convince Monarch Research to pair with them, and who shall remain nameless and definitely won't be found within 50 meters of the Committee building..."
"On the other hand, having a clearly-defined ranking of all factions, in a measure of something more appropriate than the sum of the respect in the shell that all the current and previous occupants earned over the years, gives players real faction gameplay benchmarks to strive for that are not otherwise available at this time." - RGiskard
Having performed my own investigations into ranked warring late last month, I found a matchmaking system that worked well for the majority of factions initially, but would eventually lead to stagnation and a lack of movement within the rankings. I also discovered that Torn's top 10 would only ever gain a maximum of 6-11 matches, which, when coupled with the war recency matchmaking criteria, prohibits these sides from fighting with any regularity, thus preventing them from ever gaining a meaningful rank.
"We had an absolute blast. All the members were super excited and reiterated, this is why they play Torn. It wasn't just the war itself. It was fun planning for it, deciding what weapons to use, which players you can beat and how to beat them, voice chatting with so many from the faction as it was going on, as well as the hype leading up to the war. Win or lose, it was a fun experience." - Stretch
Players of every level deserve to feel this way, especially those who have committed a great deal of time to Torn City. Chedburn's forum posts reveal he has concluded similarly, and he has indicated that changes are on the way to remedy this situation. Both Chedburn and I have considered the opinions of the wider faction community while discussing improvements to the matchmaking system, and every possible option was explored within the context of how the changes will affect those outside of the Hall of Fame elite.
Having been privy to Chedburn's proposed solution to the presently unbalanced matchmaking situation, I believe we will soon be getting a more dynamic ranked warring system that treats everyone fairly. The top sides will enjoy enough regular matches to ensure they can fight competitively among a larger group of peers, but this will not come at the expense of creating a lopsided situation that punishes lower-statted factions with regular hammerings.
When this system is put in place, it will obviously take some time for factions to settle into their natural ranks. And perhaps when, and only when this is achieved, can we have a definitive answer as to who is Torn's number one faction.
"I know this match comes at a time when we and other HoF factions made our complaints public about Ranked Warring match selection. I believe I speak for many when I say the format of the wars itself is enjoyable and makes good use of the systems in place. The ability to set up a war at all, where both sides are incentivized to fight, even if they might not win, is something that has not existed in Torn for many years now, and I think the current mechanics allow for a proper battle that tests factions in meaningful ways." - RGiskard
The final result saw Monarch HQ reach the required 9,000 target over their opponents in 11 hours, 28 minutes, and 46 seconds. As you can see from the score graph, Monarch dominated for the first five hours, and at one point were just under 1,200 from victory, but an NS fightback prolonged the battle for several hours more until a huge push from Monarch began a two-hour firestorm that would eventually see them declared the winner at 02:28 am.
"They showed up with a good game plan and they fought well. We fought well too, but they bested us on this go around." - Stretch, NS leader
"Many things went into our victory, including, of course, the long-term cultivation of members with high stats, activity, and growth potential. Ensuring that we had people online and prepared in advance was likely the second most important factor. Our war tactics were good, and we adapted well when the tide turned, but we also found some areas where we need to improve, and that could have cost us the war if other events had gone just a little differently." - RGiskard, Monarch leader
The spoils of victory included no fewer than six caches, 4,545 respect, 1,500 points, and a rise in rank for Monarch HQ, with the butterflies now ranked at Bronze III. Natural Selection was compensated for their time too - although they weren't especially happy with their payout - taking two caches, 2,106 respect, and 695 points, at the expense of a ranking drop to Bronze II. But what does this mean in terms of bragging rights?
Torn's Number One
Ahead of this fight, NS was seen as Torn's No.1 faction by many, with Monarch considered pretenders to their throne. Neither side currently occupies a place in the top 5 in terms of respect - that honour is currently held by Chain Reaction - but their members' stats and achievements, and the activity both factions have shown since their respective formations have led many to conclude that Monday's ranked war represented a fight between Torn's undisputed #1 and #2.
"You have to understand, Natural Selection isn't just a powerful faction; they were out of everyone else's league almost right after they were created. There were no serious challengers. When we merged to form Monarch, we set out the goal of becoming #1 in Torn, which everyone knew meant dethroning NS, but it was like a far-off dream. Even at our high point early last December, as we were finishing taking the west, I doubt any of us would have believed we would be able to defeat NS in any head-to-head combat by February 2022." - RGiskard
So does Monarch's victory over NS mean that they are the new number one? Not necessarily, and that's according to their own leader, RGiskard. He feels that the absence of deft from NS must be taken into account when analysing the results of this war. Deft was ranked third in the list of Torn's strongest players according to Proxima's latest Battle Stats update, and RGiskard described him as a "disruptor of the highest order," having experienced his power and energy first hand during the Insurgency war.
"At the same time, one single person can only move the needle so much, as NS did not need to hospitalize people like me, shaz1, and realistassasin in order to retain control when they took it, and neither could we take back control without the rest of our members online and ready, with restored energy and medical cooldowns. Had he been there, I do not know if we would have won, but, no matter what they say, neither does anyone else." - RGiskard
RGiskard feels that Monarch cannot yet claim to be the #1 faction in Torn, and believes their battle versus NS to be the first of many in an ongoing war to determine such things. And since much can change from fight to fight that could potentially tip the balance of power, RGiskard feels it is far too early to crown Monarch as Torn's best just yet.
His NS compatriot Stretch has a different view on the matter.
"Monarch took the win so they are currently above NS, however, Silver Hand who is about to obtain Gold Tier is the #1 faction... We are super excited to fight again, had a ton of fun. Being the #1 faction has some downsides and we are happy to be the underdog again, as we have been many times in the past." - Stretch
Stretch may be taking the proverbial in his reference to Silver Hand being the number one faction, but he appears unflinchingly honest in his view that NS has been usurped as number one, and seems excited to renew hostilities with Monarch as soon as possible. I asked if said hostilities may take place outside of the ranked warring system, but Stretch gave no indication that they would.
"We are excited to test out the matching system and try to match with every faction we can. We also are looking forward to a ranked war rematch with M in the future." - Stretch
Monarch is similarly keen to match with NS again, and RGiskard revealed that they coordinated with NS in order to make this fight happen.
"We plan on continuing to coordinate future enlistments together with NS so that we can have more such wars, and they have indicated their desire to do the same. With any luck, we won't be duking it out in the Bronze rank, with the prize being.. staying in the Bronze rank." - RGiskard
The Future of Ranked Warring
Monarch HQ has beaten PT-Family and Chain Reaction so far, whereas NS defeated Chain Reaction, Subversive Alliance, and PT-Family. Despite their impressive lists of scalps, both sides currently find themselves in the Bronze tier, having only fought a handful of times each against opponents of similar statistical stature.
As Stretch acknowledged, Silver Hand is currently Torn's highest-ranked faction within the ranked warring system, with their recent victory over IBB Aquarius taking them to Gold I. Silver Hand's seven victories so far mean that this achievement is nothing to be sniffed at, but it would be disingenuous to ignore the fact that the matchmaking system has pitted them against opponents who are very much of their level - as it should do, under the current mechanics.
However, whereas Monarch HQ has faced the 1st and 4th HoF factions ranked by respect, and NS has taken on 1st, 4th, and 26th, the highest-ranked faction Silver Hand has beaten is Wolverines Gone Wild, who are 88th in the HoF. Again, this fact should not be used to diminish the hard work or the achievements of Silver Hand, but it is something that has to be mentioned in a serious discussion over who is Torn's top-ranked faction, and indeed, the forthcoming revamp of the matchmaking system.
"I don't think anyone particularly wants severely-mismatched battles against other factions, except one IBB lead, who tried to convince Monarch Research to pair with them, and who shall remain nameless and definitely won't be found within 50 meters of the Committee building..."
"On the other hand, having a clearly-defined ranking of all factions, in a measure of something more appropriate than the sum of the respect in the shell that all the current and previous occupants earned over the years, gives players real faction gameplay benchmarks to strive for that are not otherwise available at this time." - RGiskard
Having performed my own investigations into ranked warring late last month, I found a matchmaking system that worked well for the majority of factions initially, but would eventually lead to stagnation and a lack of movement within the rankings. I also discovered that Torn's top 10 would only ever gain a maximum of 6-11 matches, which, when coupled with the war recency matchmaking criteria, prohibits these sides from fighting with any regularity, thus preventing them from ever gaining a meaningful rank.
"We had an absolute blast. All the members were super excited and reiterated, this is why they play Torn. It wasn't just the war itself. It was fun planning for it, deciding what weapons to use, which players you can beat and how to beat them, voice chatting with so many from the faction as it was going on, as well as the hype leading up to the war. Win or lose, it was a fun experience." - Stretch
Players of every level deserve to feel this way, especially those who have committed a great deal of time to Torn City. Chedburn's forum posts reveal he has concluded similarly, and he has indicated that changes are on the way to remedy this situation. Both Chedburn and I have considered the opinions of the wider faction community while discussing improvements to the matchmaking system, and every possible option was explored within the context of how the changes will affect those outside of the Hall of Fame elite.
Having been privy to Chedburn's proposed solution to the presently unbalanced matchmaking situation, I believe we will soon be getting a more dynamic ranked warring system that treats everyone fairly. The top sides will enjoy enough regular matches to ensure they can fight competitively among a larger group of peers, but this will not come at the expense of creating a lopsided situation that punishes lower-statted factions with regular hammerings.
When this system is put in place, it will obviously take some time for factions to settle into their natural ranks. And perhaps when, and only when this is achieved, can we have a definitive answer as to who is Torn's number one faction.
"I know this match comes at a time when we and other HoF factions made our complaints public about Ranked Warring match selection. I believe I speak for many when I say the format of the wars itself is enjoyable and makes good use of the systems in place. The ability to set up a war at all, where both sides are incentivized to fight, even if they might not win, is something that has not existed in Torn for many years now, and I think the current mechanics allow for a proper battle that tests factions in meaningful ways." - RGiskard
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