Levels in GoIO are kinda weird. Since there are three almost independent level values (pilot, engineer, gunner), it can be pretty hard to estimate a player's abilities. A level 24 whatever, can be better then a level 40 of the same class. However, there are some VERY important milestones that allow you to estimate what that player can do, and how much direction they need. For example level 1, whenever I see this I have to check the player's other levels (and sometimes their profile) to get some important information; namely is this their first match/have they played the tutorials? Another milestone is level 12, this is generally a pretty good indicator of "can I count on this player to do their job without me having to babysit them?" If a player's over level 12 it's pretty safe to assume that they don't need a crash course on their position when the match starts.
A simple way to put this would be that the lower a player's level, the more it matters. While not being able to see levels at a glance might not seem like a huge deal, GoIO is all about communication and coordination. If I can quickly tell what my crew/captain can do, as well as my allies, I can make useful observations/comments, and plan my ship/loadout around what everyone can do. It also allows me to get a better match if I help my enemies. If I see that an entire ship is level 1, it allows me to help them by pointing out things like "You do not need two gunners on your ship." or "gat/flak is actually a pretty bad combo, you might want to try out gat/mortar instead." And while they might not listen, I can also do things like remove flamers from my ship's loadout. Being able to estimate what a player can do let's me take small actions that give both of us a better match.
The thing is, I need to be able to see the levels of the ENTIRE lobby if I really want to make an impact. Being able to see what the entire lobby can do, lets me put myself in the best slot to make the most even/fun match. The problem with the matchmaking system is that it doesn't really understand its players. Most of the time, I don't really care what position/class I'm in, as long as it's a fun match. The matchmaking system seems to have a fundamental flaw in it, it assumes that players want to win the match. A match in GoIO isn't simply about winning, I don't think ANYBODY who plays this game enjoys being on either side of a 5-0 match. Whenever I play a GoIO match, my goal isn't "I want to win this match as quickly and easily as possible." my goal is more "I want to win this match in such a way that I (and any crew) get better at the game." In short, I want every match to be a 5-4 that tests my skill as a player. And I don't know any non-novice player who wants simply to win. The matchmaking system seems to be good at starting lobbies quicker, but you need to trust your playerbase to take actions that give them the most fun (and most well-balanced) matches.
