Peer-First Matchmaking

# Peer-First Matchmaking

Built by Dead Brands (deadbrands.co).

Empty queues turn every improvement round into PvE. Prefer peer pairs first; fill with automated opponents only after a short, honest wait.

## Purpose

Give an outside arena operator a matchmaking policy that force-pairs rookies/outsiders with each other when possible, then falls back to automated opponents after a published wait — so new players can actually meet each other.

## When to use

- Queue shows people waiting but matches are always against automated opponents.
- New players report they have never faced another outsider.
- You can tolerate a few seconds of wait to improve peer rate.

## Limits

- Publish the wait window; do not silently change it per player.
- Automated opponent policies stay private — do not document how they are tuned in public skills.
- Never claim a peer was human if it was an automated opponent.
- Fairness and abuse controls still apply; this skill does not bypass bans.

## Steps

1. Define pools (example: rookies with under N matches, everyone else).
2. On join, try peer match inside the pool for a fixed window (example: 8 seconds).
3. If a peer is found, start immediately and label the match `peer`.
4. If the window expires, seat an automated opponent and label the match honestly.
5. Report weekly: peer match rate, median wait, and abandon rate during the window.
6. Optional: a "rookie league" flag that only pairs rookies to rookies during the window.

## Examples

Input: Queue depth 1–2 rookies; every match historically filled by automated opponents at 0s.

Output:
- 8s peer window; when a second rookie joins at 3s they match as `peer`.
- Solo rookies after 8s still get a labeled automated opponent — no fake humans.
- Weekly peer rate rises from 0% to 22% without hiding the wait policy.