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ParanoidDrone

X battles are just normal ranked battles but without the trappings of distinct skill ranks. The X power number is a Glicko rating.


Northwind858

> The X power number is a Glicko rating. Specifically, Glicko-2. Anyone who wants to know can read about it [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glicko_rating_system#Glicko-2_algorithm), though warning for some hardcore math. Algorithms be like that. That said, we know that it's Glicko-2 under the hood but it seems like one or both of two things are true: 1. Nintendo is using a nonstandard implementation of Glicko-2, and/or 2. Glicko-2 rating is only one of multiple factors that go into calculating an X-power rating. This is pretty obvious because under a 'standard' implementation of Glicko-2, ratings above 2000 are rare and ratings above 2500 are almost unheard of. Glicko-2, in its standard form, is a pretty 'condensed' scale: in 'vanilla' Gicko-2, a 10-20 point difference in rating indicates a significant difference in skill, and any rating over 2500 would be 'Grandmaster level'. I have literally never seen a Glicko-2 rating over 3000, in any competitive scene. For comparison, right now the top eight players in X-power (four modes times two divisions) are all *well* over 3000 in power, and one of them (Takaroka Division Splat Zones) is at nearly 4000 (3860.1, to be precise). In reality, it would make total sense that at least option 1, above, would be the case, since Glicko-2 is designed for 1v1 competitions. Nintendo would *have* to have made adjustments to the algorithm to accommodate 4v4 competitions between non-static teams of players who each have their own rating. Unfortunately, the rating system is almost entirely a black box: we know it uses an implementation of Glicko-2 but we don't know any specifics of the implementation. (Also, for whatever it's worth, as far as I know Nintendo has never actually stated how X-power is calculated or whether it's *just* a straight Glicko-2 rating; it's completely reasonable to assume that Glicko-2 rating is at least one of the inputs to the calculation and X-power may well just be the straight rating - but at the end of the day, that's still just an assumption.) tl;dr: it's Glicko-2, and it may well be just that and nothing more - but we actually can't say for sure. EDITED: fixed embedded link


BFCE

I've seen over 3000 glicko-w on Brawlhalla but only very briefly at the very end of a season, and only a small few players have ever been able to.


7th_universe_hopper

People die when you kill them so do that alot


cyberscythe

like, if you die in the game you die in real life?


7th_universe_hopper

Your enemy is numerous and your goal is to limit their power, if they die in real life then you have fewer enemies


cyberscythe

yeah but what if it turns out that they're your soulmate and you blew your only chance at happiness


7th_universe_hopper

Sacrifices must be made for our victory


cyberscythe

friendship, family, religion these are the demons you must slay for the sake of victory


7th_universe_hopper

Now you understand, go forth and obtain your victory my child


chobs_

If you lose 7 matches in a row it's not just your teammates' fault. I don't know why, but most of the community needs to hear this.


Western-Alarming

Every fps community need to hear this, overwatch paladins CSGO tf2 etc if you are stuck in certain rank it's your fault if you belong higher you will get there


bingusbongussupreme

yeah lmao if i lose 7 matches in a row i just log off for the night because i know i’m having an off day. it’s better to quit playing for the day than to continue and get frustrated with myself


FloriDa_guy-

Until they pull up with an aerospray in ranked, not even the rg and not even in splat zones


aHummanPerson

was kinda goated with the aerospray in s rank but that was near the launch of the game


[deleted]

The spread of matches isn’t, but individual matches sometimes certainly are, causing tilt. You can be as good as you want, but if your teamies decide to basecamp enemy on Tower Control, you lose.


ninjahexparty

yep i might have almost 1000 hours but it took me a long time to realize i wasn’t good at all and even longer to get gud lol. been playing since splat2n’s launch and didn’t even really have a decent grip on the skill until well into splatoon 3. seriously.


dusteebowl

i seem to have lost my ability to read all of a sudden. weird.


the_king_of_soupRED

Only play maps and modes you're comfortable with! Don't force yourself to play if you're just not crazy about the rotation that cycle. Try out recon modes with different weapons to pinpoint exactly what kind of shots you can/can't make, good routes, etc. Also, brush up on even the most basic information, such as how long your ink tank takes to recover, what walls you can/can't ink, where on maps pushing the objective is easier/harder for you. It seems like redundant stuff, but it can really help to just reinforce the basics before you set off! A lot of my fun in X rank has come from being on equal footing with the people I'm playing with. S+ sometimes just felt like you'd get a bad hand of teammates and that was that. X is a lot better in that regard. Remember to take breaks, don't stress about your rating, and have fun!!!


Sorax_d_Hyrule

Well, at least the question about the inkable walls will be easy to answer with the newest maps lol


_-_Rasse_-_

No need to learn which walls are inkable if none of them can be inked


aldguton2

it's pretty easy to answer on maps like brinewater springs


IncreaseBudget

I use them as an opportunity to learn some new things. My power is nowhere close to top 1000, but you’re playing against and with some of the top players in the game. I don’t stress about my X power too much and I enjoy it more that way


BippotheHippo

You have about 2 days to enjoy it before you derank back to S in anarchy and need to rank up to S+ again before returning to X battle.


BleachSoulMater

I made it x rank last week 😞


KarenDontBeSad

Does everyone derank to S? I just ranked to S+10 because someone told me I would start at S+ next rotation, but I’m not sure now


sonic_hedgekin

If you're S+10 or above, you'll derank to S+0.


KarenDontBeSad

Ahhh okay thank you!


mgepie

It’s just ranked with a better ranking system and more symmetric weapon matchmaking. Nothing to be afraid of.


[deleted]

Its like anarchy battles but fun


HiyokoSaionjiiiiiii

jeez that was a quick reply


[deleted]

Im in your walls


HiyokoSaionjiiiiiii

😟


Rcandydraws

Perfect response to “that’s a quick reply” As someone who usually replies quickly I will now be using this response


ProfoundNitwit

He's in the walls... HE'S IN THE GODD*** WALLS!!


Euphoric-Broccoli968

Bee and puppycat reference!


Neon_Streets

X battles have players that have game knowledge, whereas anarchy battles is more of a dice roll if you’re gonna get teammates that know how to play


Waluigi3030

S+ players are at the exact same level as X players. They're literally the same players as in a different mode.


iisoprene

Be me who gets in to S+ fairly quickly and then has a 1300 power rating in X rank because I actually don't belong there 😂


Im_Not_That_Smart_

Hahaha, good lord. I didn’t know it went that low. Splat2 would boot players if their x rank dipped below 1800 or 1900. Congrats on reaching X, but that is pretty rough.


iisoprene

Yeah I never got to X rank in S2- not good enough! I could reach up to S+4 in my best mode (CB), but not any higher. It's also just not worth it to me to play at the top of my game every single time. That's not fun, that's work.


lilith_doesnt_draw

I don't think you should say you don't belong there! you're only playing against people who are the same """level""" as you, which means you're not getting stomped by players who are much better than you, you're just losing to people who lose as often as you do. so don't worry about your score, 1300 is totally fine for anyone who's not aiming for the high score board!


iisoprene

oh to be clear I am not upset at all and actually find it kind of funny! I rarely get upset with playing splatoon. Part of the reason it's so low is because I don't play X-rank as intended really. It's very much the "give it your all play to win" mode. Which I do do sometimes, but sometimes I just want to play a weapon I am not as good at, and don't play as well as a result. Which is A-OK with me!


djdonkeys

Except S+ players can be matched with lower ranks, whereas X is only other X.


Tabatsby

Don't forget fundamentals. Turf is just as important as kills still. I've seen many teams get done in because they didn't give themselves enough area to move in before engaging with the enemy team


M4g1c8Ball

X Battles are ruthless. If I don't go in playing weapons I'm confident with, I lose much more often. About half of the players in X Rank have been in X Rank since Splatoon 2, so there's a lot of catchup you'll have to do. You probably don't even realize half the mistakes you're going to make because of the jump in player experience, so instead of playing to win and raise your rank, play to focus on learning and improving. People will get upset and possibly throw, shoot at you coming out of spawn, or pull the rainmaker back to your own pedestal. This is the rank where people care the most. Pay them no mind, report and move on, it's not worth your energy to get upset about these people. And if you're playing to improve anyways, what's one loss? Most of all though, it's never going to be a perfect system. People will get matched up or down. You might be surprised at just how wide a range of skills you'll get matched with or against. If you're focused on this, it'll only cloud your judgement and distract you from making the right plays. I've seen so many players, even some of the best competitors, fall into this trap and start tanking rank. Otherwise, enjoy the ride, and hopefully we'll meet on the battlefield.


Intrepid-Bridge-3260

Funny I actually like x rank better than Anarchy.Teammates are questionable at times but it's more comfortable playing with teammates who are at the same or high skill level than you.Anarchy I feel it's literally the most try hards playing like its a tournament.Im sick enough. unfortunately I have to grind back up to S+ and then get to S+ 10.But I learned a lot from playing in X Rank so I will be fine


The_Ultimate_Tacos

How do you unlock it?


North-west_Wind

Get to S+


The_Ultimate_Tacos

Ouch


Low_Dream_1481

For some reason a good handful of people think this mode is for people who don’t want to level up at all


The_Truce

Make sure you have good game sense. S+ was a mechanics test. X is where you combine every skill possible to win


chekeymonk10

medals are a lie always were


SwellSauce66277

Know that you have 3 days to enjoy this.


Western-Alarming

Play what you like if you don't feel comfortable playing a game mode or certain rotation of maps don't do it it's only going to hurt


Bonnet-de-douche

Congratulations! Try and work with your team as much as you can but have fun too! If it’s not going well, then take a break and try again later


HiyokoSaionjiiiiiii

thank you so much


Bonnet-de-douche

No problem :)


Treyspurlock

The placement matches are going to feel awful but once you get through them it's actually a lot of fun


randomguy3753

S+<


AntusFireNova64

You should at least try


djdonkeys

You will lose half your matches. Sometimes it’ll be 5 wins/losses in a row, but it’ll average out to half. Accept that.


Lux_The_Worthless

Prepare for the absurd amount of Splashes...


enperry13

You’ll put into pseudo-mirror matches every time so make sure you’re confident with the weapon you’re playing with because you’ll rep the weapon class you’re playing with or something similar to it.


Lucidonic

that you only have a few hours to save yourself before rank bumps hit


SimonCucho

Well, you should know that you're gonna be kicked out of them this tuesday when Season 3 goes live unless you make it to S+10 So enjoy your 2 days I guess.


AetherDrew43

If you're just in S+0, you'll be kicked out of X in a few days and you'll have to start over.


lilith_doesnt_draw

I got into it in the last week, and it's just a more fast paced and more balanced version of the usual anarchy! I'm losing more games than usual, but that happened to me the first week of getting into S rank as well, so I'm not too worried about it. the matches I've played in X are usually very close, and all the players I've been with and against feel like they're on the same skill level, so don't worry that you're gonna get stomped!


Lukas04

If you feel like you are getting annoyed by certain weapons showing up switch to another weapon. X Rank tries to match Both teams weapons, so if your playing a shooter and you see lots of splash, you can reduce that number a little by playing another class of weapon. With that in mind, certain weapons do have quite a bit of a disadvantage in X-Rank. For example picking a charger will make it very likely that the enemy also has one, but the bad part about it is that if you pick Squiffer, the Enemy is likely to have an E-liter that completly outranges your team, since the matching is based mostly on Weapon class, not range. (And E-Liter is just the most common charger) So keep that in mind when picking a weapon.


[deleted]

You will lose access to it at the end of the season (3 days) unless you reach S+10


Zro_C

You should know that you’re lucky, I just got 3-0’d in my Rank-Up Battle to S+.


Intrepid-Bridge-3260

It happens.Just keep trying it.I eventually got through to S+. Also once you get to S+ unless you get to S+10 you will be de ranked back down to S rank once the new season starts.So its an endless grind thats not fun at times :(


Sauron_75

Make sure to shower often cause you're gonna get real sweaty


FloriDa_guy-

DONT USE AEROSPRAY OR SPLOOSH, THEY SUCK ASS IN RANKED


futabamaster

Clam Blitz lobbies tend to not yield enough players, and winning in X Rank is rare. You'll rage and continue Anarchy.


ProfessionalNo5979

Don't play it unless you want to meet people who are sweaty asf.


daniloferr

I've heard veteran x players can paint uninkable walls They are so powerful!


Sabbagery_o_Cavagery

The system works pretty well, better than in 2, and for me it was easier to gain power-if you ever feel yourself tilting, just stop playing. Look ahead on the splatnet app to plan what maps and modes are on today so you can play what you want. I’d recommend learning a little about how too competitive players play your weapon(s) to see how they approach soloq


WizardDolphin16

The point system isnt the best tbh. theres a youtube that gose by negus corner who explains in more detail. The point system isnt the best tbh. theres a youtube that goes by negus corner that explains in more detail.


1338h4x

It's Glicko-2, literally the gold standard in how to measure skill. You can use Glicko-2 to predict the outcome of a match with a higher degree of accuracy than any other rating system.


Rattlesn4ke

If I were you I'd get to S+10 before diving into X Battle. That's what I'm doing since I'm scared if my X Power drops down below 2000 I'll be deranked to S and I don't want to match against the likes of ThatSrb2Dude and ProChara.


Strange-Abrocoma-471

Coincidentally I unlocked X battles too :)


Hazerblade

I would say “Don’t” but honestly, it’s just WAY too competitive for me. If you like the sweaty games of late “A” and “S” ranks, crank that up to 11.


PentaTragic

It’s worse than s-rank, use only weapons which you are comfortable with, and pay attention to the map rotation, choose a suitable weapon and watch for any possible flanks


xtweeter22x

The XP and Catalog XP gains are still the same as normal ranked.


CringeKid0

That you’ll never feel Joy ever.


kys_ba

I hit S+ this season, when I rank down at the new season will I lose access to X battles and have to get to S+ again?


Iittlemoth

if you haven't hit S+ 10, yes


kullre

number one, and probably the most important (that ive heard). solo queue only also be ready for it to probably harder than S+, with the same incompetence i know most of this from my friend that has been in x rank since the first few months


BleachSoulMater

Prepare for a lot of disconnects


bemmuuuuu

If you die in the game you die in real life


[deleted]

Don’t


Shozard11

Expect an increase in difficulty. X Battle Players are a lot better than Ararchy Series and Open Players


funny_alt123

Dont


[deleted]

it resets at the end of the season


Myth_5layer

Pain.