Smashboards Rankings Update #1 : Ranking Purpose, Changes and Recruitment

Greetings, @ Gunla here, Smashboards Moderator and member of the Smashboards Rankings Staff. We have once again updated our rankings system to include some more features, and some other updates like positions for Smashboards Rankings. I’m going to give a rundown of the full Rankings Update! Without further ado, let’s rock!

Rankings Basics: We are aware that there is occasionally some confusion on how exactly are rankings are calculated, and what their purpose is. This section serves to alleviate that! Our rankings system works by allotting a certain number of points to events. We do this by placing them into categories (more on that in a bit), and players will get a certain amount of points based upon their ranking in the event. We calculate the player’s average of their top 10 events in a 12 month period, and that results in their rank. Please note that this value is subject to change and is currently under experimentation; to ensure that we have the most accurate results possible for the time, we are working to see what results we can get.

Why do we do this? Smashboards wishes to have a very accurate and consistent rankings base that calculates using all the tournaments submitted through their system, and keep an up to date rankings ladder based on tournament results, with additional features like payout results.

Categories: We have tweaked categories yet again from our previous update. Here is the current standings at the moment. Please note that due to further adjustments we are making, points are not listed as they may be subject to change at any time. Without further ado, here are the current Categories:

• Unranked: Unranked events are brackets that are for side events, tournaments with no entry fee, arcadian/amateur brackets, and tournaments with less than 8 players. These do not have any point value in our rankings.
• Pools: These are brackets that are used for events of many levels. (For events that used Pools as a Round 1, 2, etc, Pools brackets are not used.) These do not have any point value in our rankings.
• Online: Tournaments conducted via online (whether it be Netplay or on the Nintendo Network) go here. These do not have any point value in our rankings.
• Local: These are the most common tournaments around. Occurring on a basis of a month or more, these usually get anywhere from 18 to possibly over a hundred players. Tournaments that occur on a weekly, or biweekly are automatically placed here. (Min: 8 players)
• Regionals: These are larger events that run less often than a local. Traditionally, these run at a frequency of at least a month between events, and bring in players from outside the region. They usually average 80 or so players, but in larger regions, they can be well over 150. (Min: 48 players)
• National: Large, infrequent events that bring in talent from around a nation. They can average from around 200 or so players, but, naturally, they can be massive. Nationals that are in a series must be at least 3 months apart; if they are not, then they are downgraded. (Min: 128 players)
• International: Massive, rare and worldwide events held around the planet. You can expect most of the top players to be present. There’s well over at least 250 players in these! Pot bonuses are mandatory. Internationals that are in a series must be at least 6 months apart; if they are not, then they are downgraded. (Min: 256 players)
• Global: Tournaments of the absolute highest prestige and caliber. These are determined and given to tournaments by Rankings Staff discretion. (Min: N/A)

Top X Brackets: As some of you guys are aware, one downside to the scaling system can be Top X brackets. Rest assured, a fix IS being worked on that will allow us a much greater degree of precision in terms of the rankings (and will also allow us to scale regionals). When the fix is ready we'll announce it but until then I ask you remain patient, as we feel the upside of the scaling system greatly defeats the downsides.

With this rundown, we hope that you will have a clearer understanding of how the Rankings System works.

Now, with all of these changes that are due to happen at any time, where can one find out what gets changed and when it goes into effect? Well, fortunately, we have a thread where one of our Rankings Administrators will be posting any changes to the Rankings (notably, expect point changes to be placed here) in this thread:
http://smashboards.com/threads/smas...10-game-placings-last-update-09-11-15.417228/

Lastly, I would like to discuss a more serious subject, regarding positions for Rankings Staff. I am very pleased to announce that we are planning on opening positions; I would also like to introduce Trusted Tournament Organizers publically. Each of these positions has a different function in the Smashboards Rankings Staff, and I'll break them down now:

Global Rankings Staff: These are members of the Rankings Staff who are assigned to work the entire division, such as the Rankings Queue, major event documentation, and so on. It is expected that they are working on the queue a couple of times each week, and making sure to assist with bigger projects like major tournaments. This position has a few perks, such as a White Rankings Banner underneath their avatar in posts, the ability to moderate brackets that they do not own, the ability to skip the queue on their own uploads (meaning a Rankings Staff does not have to approve it), and so on.

Regional Rankings Staff: These are members of the Rankings Staff who are assigned to work on events in their region, or a region they are assigned to work in. It is expected that they are working on events in their area and making sure that they are getting filled with the right info, as well as getting regionals in their area placed into our system when possible. There are a multitude of regions, mostly consisting of the ones found in the Regional Zones category. This position has some perks, such as the ability to skip the queue on their own uploads and moderate brackets that they are to work on.

Trusted Tournament Organizers: These are unofficial members of the Rankings Staff who are selected based on performance regarding events they upload; they are not specifically TOs, however. It is expected that they are working on their own events and making sure they are uploaded and filled with the right information, as well as not leaving them there for extended periods of time. Handpicked by the Administrators, they have the ability to skip the queue for their own uploads.

Now, with these explained, how can one be considered for these? Well, a Rankings Staff member may apply by contacting @Neo Zero or @Locuan, our Rankings Administrators. Trusted Tournament Organizers are selected from uploaders based on their performance and cooperation with the system and its requirements for brackets.

Got any questions, concerns or things you’d like to make note of? Feel free to head over to the Tournament Rankings board’s Feedback Thread.


Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy the new update!

Liberation

The Smashboards Rankings Staff has worked hard to bring you this update. Be sure to follow them on Twitter, and use #SBRanks when referring to the new system!
@LiberationEXE, @SBNeoZero, @Locuan.

 

That's pretty neat. Good job, glad to see the Smashboards staff working hard to make this the premier Smash eSports site it should be.

 

firs- *is shot* Nah, cool update, it's really helpful to have a system like this to organize.

 

glad to see the ranking / tournament system was able to become a little easier to access and use for more people. I personally can recall a few times where I'd want to report local tourneys that happen and I go to so I can give an accurate account. But just being really turned off by how complicated the whole extravaganza. Hopefully these updates will help with that.

 

I'm interested in this work, but do not know who to contact. I've done a lot of research toward building an ELO-style smash ranking system, but the project stalled as I began my PhD work. Said PhD is almost done, and I could get back into this in the next few months.

If the authors of the smashboards work are at all interested, a review of this work can be seen here, and some ideas/updates that were investigated just before the hiatus can be viewed here. I have even more ideas with regard to region comparison and integration, and it could serve as an interesting second system to the event-based system seen here. If it came to fruition and produced legitimate results, it could either be an alternative ranking, or the result could be averaged with these results.

Either way, I'd like to contact individuals on this project to see if there's interest.

 

why do Final Battle and DVDA#5 still have priority over SmashCon/Paragon LA

 

firs- *is shot* Nah, cool update, it's really helpful to have a system like this to organize.

Best part is you were shot before you could be first

 

It's pretty disappointing that tournaments without an entry fee are unranked. My university does not allow cash prizes at tournaments so we are unable to charge an entry fee. We have ~40 player brackets and everyone tries their hardest even though money isn't on the line.

 

Leffen down to 3rd?

 

It would be cool if it was based off of each entered players rank and you would get points off of that. Lets say that there was a 100 person tournament featuring Armada, Leffen and FatGoku. If FatGoku won he would receive MUCH more points than if Leffen or Armada won. Who "x" player loses/wins to should be taken in account. For example if Leffen won Evo 2015 instead of Armada, he would receive more points than Armada. Leffen would beat: Hungrybox, Armada and Armada and Armada would just beat Leffen. (This is assuming Leffen wins that Winner's Quarters and whoever loses the Winner's Semis will win Loser's Finals.) Another idea would be that an event will have less influence than the most recent tournament. (Evo 2015 vs. Paragon Los Angeles 2015.)
Kind of being a devil's advocate but it would be contributing to the accuracy of the rankings of Smashboards.

 

It would be cool if it was based off of each entered players rank and you would get points off of that. Lets say that there was a 100 person tournament featuring Armada, Leffen and FatGoku. If FatGoku won he would receive MUCH more points than if Leffen or Armada won. Who "x" player loses/wins to should be taken in account. For example if Leffen won Evo 2015 instead of Armada, he would receive more points than Armada. Leffen would beat: Hungrybox, Armada and Armada and Armada would just beat Leffen. (This is assuming Leffen wins that Winner's Quarters and whoever loses the Winner's Semis will win Loser's Finals.) Another idea would be that an event will have less influence than the most recent tournament. (Evo 2015 vs. Paragon Los Angeles 2015.)
Kind of being a devil's advocate but it would be contributing to the accuracy of the rankings of Smashboards.

That just seems unfair for those in the top leaderboards, and it would make it harder for them to stay amongst the top ranks. I understand where you're headed with this idea, how it would help for the better of those who aren't in the tops, but then It would kinda make the top players back off I'd assume. I think tournaments and the ranking system should stay as it is with points distribution, it's just easier to keep it as it's been. then again, I'm probably just being completely selfish with my thoughts.