now that IRC is supported in EZQuake, a basic matchmaking system can be done fairly easy:

- a central lobby/channel where everybody is sent to by the IRC module by default. should be QuakeNet's #quakeworld i suppose. also this channel should be mandatory so you can't leave it, but you can join other channels in parallel. this should be nice to keep track of everybody connected to IRC through EZQuake

- country+city identification.
in the channel listing in the EZQuake IRC module everybody should have a flag next to their nickname and city in their info traced by IP

i recommend this free database thingie: http://www.maxmind.com/app/geoip_country to locate people's country and city by IP
i recommend this free flags set as well: http://www.famfamfam.com/lab/icons/flags/

kind of like this:

- automatic status for players: available, playing (where), spectating (what), AFK/idle

- ability to organize, announce, join 2on2/4on4 pickups

this is a really thin outline.
please contribute

My idea of matchmaking is a bit different. I'd like to have some small window in Server Browser where you could see + write to some IRC channel, that'd be for some very quick match arranging, but not matchmaking.

For "The Real Matchmaking" I'd like to have something based on better ground than IRC. Everyone is welcomed in QWPickup project

/signed

for the beginning something really simple would suffice.
maybe create a special channel for it (not everyone in #quakeworld wants to play, some just idle), also maybe encourage all the players in that room to include their skill level and game mode in their nicks. then you can simply choose your opponent(s) from the list of nicks in the channel.