Should #1 Popular Target be a gold badge?

[cipsbsndj]

So I very recently played a game where I got 0 splats, but still got 3 gold somehow, and one of those golds was “#1 Popular Target,” and that got me wondering. Should #1 Popular Target be a gold badge? I’m curious on what others think.

 

[MandatoryCatalyst]

Yes because I want those sweet sweet fist bumps and more gold badges means more likelihood to get one LOL

In all seriousness I do think it justifies itself at least somewhat as a gold badge, given that it's based on how long you spend in enemies line of sight. If you're someone who's spending a lot of time in the front lines and trying to get splats, even if you aren't as successful as you'd hope, it's still worthy of noticing "Hey, you spent a lot of time in the most dangerous positions!"

But yeah mainly I just want more chances to get fist bumps I love getting the fist bumps

 

[Mx_Diva]

From what I know is that the game registers how many times you are in the opponents’ crosshairs. So yes #1 Popular Target should be a gold award. You are putting yourself out there to contribute to your team.

And if you’re not celebrating when you get #1 Popular Target then are you really a self-respecting player?

Besides, the phrase is a really fun saying, especially in the LGBTQ+ community.

 

[vitellary]

#1 popular target when playing something like a tetras or brella means you did your job 100% effectively (drawing attention as much as possible) so i think it's definitely a very good gold medal, since it rewards something that's otherwise kinda hard to quantify. there's not really any other way to measure "how long did this person make the enemy team stall during a fight" other than timing how long enemies spent looking at you

 

[Aiko.Octo]

As a mostly-tetras player I feel like it's the only one I get half the time, so yes, please don't take this from me, lol.

(Also, is this just me trying to blame something for my struggle or is getting points in Series more difficult for skirmisher-leaning weapons because there's fewer badges that your weapon is good at getting?)

 

[missingno]

The better question to ask is, "Should badges even do anything?" There's an old saying that once a metric becomes a target, it's no longer a good metric.

Well, anything other than fistbump recognition that is, fistbumps are fine.

 

[Grushi]

As a brella main, I am OFFENDED by the implications haha.
Everyone kind of explained already, I don't have much to add

 

[Dessgeega]

I remember one of the dataminers, maybe LeanYoshi, mentioning that Popular Target indicates that you were on other player's screens the most, whether you were actively being aimed at or not. Just be on camera and visible a lot and you get the badge.

I get the logic, even if the execution is a little wonky. Someone who's being looked at a lot is drawing attention from other things, like the tower or the rampaging shooter closing in on the foe.

 

[Mx_Diva]

I just had to share this.

 

[Shroomy]

yes because it shows the player is extremely active in trying to take out the other players. it shows the player is focused on making sure the enemy team doesn’t get to the objective. it shows they are having fun while at the same time being a huge contributor to their team.

i think popular target is arguably one of the best medals you can get and it’s so over looked.

 

[Linneus]

I want to mention the classic concept of "Slayer/Skirmisher" pairs that I'm sure a bunch of you are familiar with! One players tries to start fights with opponents while staying alive (the Skirmisher), another player finds active fights and finishes them off (the Slayer).

Generally, the moment an opponent looks at you, you're the Skirmisher, and you've gotta stay alive and act in a way that wins the fight, and that includes "staying alive and letting your teammates swoop in on them". Playing in this way leads to great coordination, but what if you happen to always wind up as the skirmisher? You spent an entire match going into fights with a teammate, but the opponents ALWAYS looked at you instead of them? It's nice to know the game says "Yes, you were doing your job, too!"

And as mentioned, weapons like Dualies and Brellas love to make Skirmishing their Plan A rather than feeling it out, so they gotta get what they deserve!

 

[a hot mess]

it's truly the participation trophy ever,