If you truly play to improve; you would improve in the cbmm game modes - and then when sbmm game modes come around, if you have [i]actually[/i] improved like you are arguing on the side of, there wouldn't be a drastic discrepancy like there is now. As it was stated somewhere else in this thread - playing players [i]slightly[/i] better than you in incremental increases, raises your skill. Playing players drastically better than you in frequent intervals does not raise your skill. You can claim that you improve better that way - but if that was the case, then sbmm wouldn't pair you with people below your skill level to the point you couldn't 'improve' anymore. That's just simple sorting facts; not even trying to be insulting here. If every player that claimed they improve by playing top tier players, actually improved, sbmm would just pair those players together and they would still be improving their skills from the players that are inevitably just a little bit better than they are. The trade off -- they just get to go into matches knowing they will have to constantly be playing their hardest and trying to improve instead of knowing there is a good chance they can slack some and still be 'good'. As an average player, as you've said you are, you should be fighting for sbmm in the competitive game modes; not sbmm in every mode everywhere. That's not even what I'm fighting for. Trials/IB should have sbmm - and be the modes where 'high skill'/top tier/above average players are paired with those people; for players wanting to 'improve' so they can compete in those modes, they can improve in the cbmm modes like they always have (if improvement is truly their goal).

You have played about 300 hours of crucible, but are still in the bottom 20%. I challenge you to get better. Watch your map, stay close to your team, disengage fights you know you will lose. Do this, and under cbmm you will be greatly rewarded.

And somewhere in here someone mentioned the meta not instantly making someone a good player. This is both true and false. One of my friends is a pretty decent player with decent KD (since that's what matters to people) - if he doesn't use meta/countermeta, his skill doesn't matter. If he puts on meta/countermeta gear - like magic, his 'performance' increases. The meta and the countermeta definitely impacts player performance and provides a skill-cushioining of sorts. And part of my 'bottom 20%' is because I hate most of the meta weapons and play with what I like regardless if it is top tier or not.

'Greatly rewarded'. No, I won't. Rewards are not generated based on personal performance -- so, in all honesty, stats like 'KD/efficiency' ratings shouldn't even be on the end-game results page. Your performance isn't tallied by KD -- that's a personal jerkoff brag. I play Crucible for the exotic questlines that require me to; for the gear rewards that require me to; and occasionally when I get bored with pve. I do not play to "improve" so I can faceroll other players. When I do play, the mode would be vastly more enjoyable playing at a similar skill rate instead of the roaring ocean of variance it is now - but I only play Quickplay/Non-Comp modes, so I don't expect skill to factor into the matches. Now, if Bungie ever decides to go in and explictly increase the rewards that you are given in exchange for better performance (and I'm not talking just 'rolls' or 'drop chances', but literally more items and more drop chance/better rolls), then you'd have an argument for improving yourself in a non-skill-based matchmaking playlist being 'rewarding' to players with similar attitudes to me.

Ok, so I agree that you are in the class of player most benefited by sbmm. However, most players who play pvp are not like that. We play pvp to improve, and we find that rewarding. I’m not surprised we disagree. Have a good one!