Hello duelists and Devs!
I've been playing on this platform for quite a while now, and while I really enjoy the game, I've noticed some issues with the current rating system that I think could be improved. Specifically, the system seems to favor grinding over actual skill, which can make it difficult for highly skilled players to climb the ranks without putting in an excessive amount of time.
For example, in the format I primarily play, I have a 4:1 win rate over a sample of 100 hours played, which is the highest on the site. However, despite this, I'm currently ranked #11 with a rating of 1400. I often get paired with low-rated players, which means that even with a consistent win rate, my rating increases very slowly. To reach a rating closer to 1700 (where the top player is), I would need to put in significantly more hours, not necessarily because I need to improve, but because the system seems to reward volume over efficiency.
Additionally, in another format, there's a player with a 3.5:1 win rate and 200 hours played. They have 1600 points, which is far from the 2000 rating that a 3:1 win rate should theoretically reach. This suggests that even with a strong win rate, the rating system makes it challenging to achieve the rating that would accurately reflect their skill level.
I believe that the rating system could be adjusted to better reward players who consistently perform well, rather than those who simply play more games. Some possible changes could include:
Adjusting the K-Factor: Increase the impact of each win/loss for players with higher win rates, so that skilled players can climb more quickly.
Dynamic Rating Adjustments: Implement a system where ratings are adjusted based on the relative skill of opponents, with greater rewards for beating higher-rated players and smaller penalties for losing to lower-rated ones.
Cap or Normalize Points for Lower-Rated Opponents: Reduce the impact of wins against much lower-rated opponents to prevent excessive grinding from skewing ratings.
I think these changes would help ensure that the leaderboard more accurately reflects player skill, rather than just time invested. I'd love to hear others' thoughts on this and see if we can make the ranking system more balanced and fair for everyone.
Thanks for considering this!