Splatoon 2 Rank "X" is ahead: Discussion thread

[Spaceswitchmars]

So, someone today told me that if you are inactive in Rank X, you'll de-rank to S+ 9. I feel like I missed that if it's in the literature. My interest in solo ranked waxes and wanes. I don't really want to babysit my rank just to keep it at X.

 

[MotorGamer]

So, someone today told me that if you are inactive in Rank X, you'll de-rank to S+ 9. I feel like I missed that if it's in the literature. My interest in solo ranked waxes and wanes. I don't really want to babysit my rank just to keep it at X.

They said in some tweets, so if you watched the direct you didn't here it. Yeah it works like that, but you have to be doing really bad. The point of Rank X is for it to be competitve, so if you aren't a competitive player don't worry about it really.

 

[LiX]

They said in some tweets, so if you watched the direct you didn't here it. Yeah it works like that, but you have to be doing really bad. The point of Rank X is for it to be competitve, so if you aren't a competitive player don't worry about it really.

Is there any links you could provide? I'd be curious to see it.

So if you always play every month, get a score and maintain rank but then you go away for a month to do something else, you'll end up being S+ 9 without even having played the calculation games for that previous month? So short: Not playing the calculation games for a month results in instant rank down??

I kind of don't like that idea. Life can get busy. I'm no friend of "deranking for inactivity"...

 

[mercenariez]

Is there any links you could provide? I'd be curious to see it.

So if you always play every month, get a score and maintain rank but then you go away for a month to do something else, you'll end up being S+ 9 without even having played the calculation games for that previous month? So short: Not playing the calculation games for a month results in instant rank down??

I kind of don't like that idea. Life can get busy. I'm no friend of "deranking for inactivity"...

Well I wouldn’t consider an inactive S+9 player necessarily worse than an X rank player who just maintains low X due to activity. I’m sure many people would think the same.

Every once in a while you’ll be able to prove your worth again. Plus, rustiness + inactivity can mean a lowering of skill at times, so it’s not the worst thing to have.

 

[Spaceswitchmars]

Well I wouldn’t consider an inactive S+9 player necessarily worse than an X rank player who just maintains low X due to activity. I’m sure many people would think the same.

Every once in a while you’ll be able to prove your worth again. Plus, rustiness + inactivity can mean a lowering of skill at times, so it’s not the worst thing to have.

For me, when I'm not playing ranked, that doesn't mean I'm not playing the game. I just go through phases where I basically only league. If anything, that means I come back sharper than when I primarily do only ranked.

Dropping people from Rank X due to inactivity is like if I went on vacation and found someone else living in my house when I come back.

 

[LiX]

@mercenariez

Well I wouldn’t consider an inactive S+9 player necessarily worse than an X rank player who just maintains low X due to activity. I’m sure many people would think the same.

Every once in a while you’ll be able to prove your worth again. Plus, rustiness + inactivity can mean a lowering of skill at times, so it’s not the worst thing to have.

Regarding the S+9 player being not much worse than a Rank X player with a lower score, I have to say Nintendo had to draw the line somewhere. I like that they left a minor grinding aspect. People getting to S+10 will have a certain skill. Because contrary to people's belief, the ranked system is not that "easy", if you bear in mind countless disconnects being counted as loss. If you're not also a decent player, you won't get to S+10 before you get bored of constantly maintaining or even losing 5 of the numbers you grinded for.

Otherwise you make a fair point. Inactivity can make you rusty. But going away for a month doesn't suddenly make you a bad player. What if you, as Spaceswitchmars pointed out, just did other things than ranked? I would propose a mid-way: Only derank if the player hasn't gotten a score for 3 whole months. Other than that, it just seems a bad move. Life gets busy, as I said. Asking every rank X player to always play every mode he's rank X in every month seems unreasonable. Three months would be a compromise.

Will Nintendo care about my proposal? Heck no!

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@Spaceswitchmars

For me, when I'm not playing ranked, that doesn't mean I'm not playing the game. I just go through phases where I basically only league. If anything, that means I come back sharper than when I primarily do only ranked.

Dropping people from Rank X due to inactivity is like if I went on vacation and found someone else living in my house when I come back.

Agreed. I often use league as a way of training and sharpening my skills. For example, I haven't touched the modes I'm already past S+10 in for weeks, because I simply no longer enjoy the current ranking system as it is. That leaves me with only Clam Blitz now and once I hit S+10 there, I won't be touching ranked at all until the update drops. Why would I, when I can get a decent ranking system in a few weeks that's not full of dcs, newbies fighting super strong players etc.?

Although a bit harsh, I like your comparison. It's hilarious! ("I'm sorry sir, but you left your house for too long. We gave it to somebody else. Here. have this cabin instead until you rank up to deserve a house again. Oh, and be sure to pay for this awesome online service while you're at it!") : -P


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Other than that: Can anyone provide any information on if it's actually true that you will derank for inactivity? Nobody has posted a link to an official statement yet. We may be rambling for nothing, heh.

 

[Spaceswitchmars]

@mercenariez
Other than that: Can anyone provide any information on if it's actually true that you will derank for inactivity? Nobody has posted a link to an official statement yet. We may be rambling for nothing, heh.

Yesss. This is why I brought it up in the first place. Someone told me this inactivity thing but couldn’t provide the source. I’d like to at least see it in writing before I get too too annoyed.

 

[mercenariez]

I like the 3 months reset idea thing. I'm ok with it resetting every month too. But I would prefer the latter.

1) Splat Tim may have gotten to X rank in one map rotation, but is not as skilled at the upcoming map rotation. Thus, he may not be able to get back to X rank on the next rotation.

Resetting his rank every month forces Splat Tim to have to re-prove his mettle for this new rotation. If he can get back, great. If not, that is good too for the purposes of preserving a high standard of competitive play in X rank. By assuming that he deserves the rank, even though let's say, he doesn't, he drags down his teammates who do deserve the rank for several games until he ranks down. By not assuming he deserves the rank, Splat Tim will never get to drag down his teammates in X rank, thus allowing for a better play experience for the ones who do deserve X rank.

2) Just because someone claims to have maintained their skill in Solo Queue, despite a hiatus from Solo Queue (even if they are playing other modes), does not mean they have actually done so.

I am aware that for a lot of people they can come back to Solo Queue and do well, as if they didn't take a break at all.

This does not weaken my argument, because there are also a lot of players who will also not be back at their previous level. We should not just say ”some people will maintain their skill, therefore we should assume every player will and let every player keep their X rank after they achieve it once.” That is not strong reasoning.

 

[MotorGamer]

Is there any links you could provide? I'd be curious to see it.

So if you always play every month, get a score and maintain rank but then you go away for a month to do something else, you'll end up being S+ 9 without even having played the calculation games for that previous month? So short: Not playing the calculation games for a month results in instant rank down??

I kind of don't like that idea. Life can get busy. I'm no friend of "deranking for inactivity"...

Yeah if you don't play for a month is will derank you to S+ 9

 

[LiX]

Yeah if you don't play for a month is will detail you to S+ 9

Yes sir, but could you proide any proof for that thesis? I've been wondering where Nintendo stated so. I couldn't see that bit information in the chunks of official information Nintendo had leaked about rank X.

 

[MotorGamer]

https://t.co/G4cedoPkLg?amp=1

 

[LiX]

https://t.co/G4cedoPkLg?amp=1

That doesn't say anything about the question at hand. It is simply a later, official statement that confirms the information I had quoted in my update a couple weeks ago. Could you tell me what you are referring to? If you mean this part of the text:

Along with the monthly announcement of rankings, X Power will be reset to the state of “measuring.” At the time of the reset, if your X Power is below the required level, you will be demoted to S+9. Also, if your power becomes significantly lower than the required level, you will be instantly demoted without waiting for the reset.

then that does not answer the question. It states two circumstances in which you can rank down:

- be below the score it requires to remain Rank X at the end of the month
- fall below an even lower score while the month is still going on

It says nothing regarding to what happens if you never leave the measuring phase (which is what you do when you stay inactive for a month). Of course you could interpret that belonging to "being below the score it requires to remain Rank X at the end of the month". But that would make no sense, as both scenarios require you to even get a score which you can be measured by first.

 

[Spaceswitchmars]

That doesn't say anything about the question at hand. It is simply a later, official statement that confirms the information I had quoted in my update a couple weeks ago. Could you tell me what you are referring to? If you mean this part of the text:

Along with the monthly announcement of rankings, X Power will be reset to the state of “measuring.” At the time of the reset, if your X Power is below the required level, you will be demoted to S+9. Also, if your power becomes significantly lower than the required level, you will be instantly demoted without waiting for the reset.

then that does not answer the question. It states two circumstances in which you can rank down:

- be below the score it requires to remain Rank X at the end of the month
- fall below an even lower score while the month is still going on

It says nothing regarding to what happens if you never leave the measuring phase (which is what you do when you stay inactive for a month). Of course you could interpret that belonging to "being below the score it requires to remain Rank X at the end of the month". But that would make no sense, as both scenarios require you to even get a score which you can be measured by first.

Also, the measuring score has to start somewhere, and I can't imagine the starting point would be lower than the required score at the end of the month?

 

[MotorGamer]

That doesn't say anything about the question at hand. It is simply a later, official statement that confirms the information I had quoted in my update a couple weeks ago. Could you tell me what you are referring to? If you mean this part of the text:

Along with the monthly announcement of rankings, X Power will be reset to the state of “measuring.” At the time of the reset, if your X Power is below the required level, you will be demoted to S+9. Also, if your power becomes significantly lower than the required level, you will be instantly demoted without waiting for the reset.

then that does not answer the question. It states two circumstances in which you can rank down:

- be below the score it requires to remain Rank X at the end of the month
- fall below an even lower score while the month is still going on

It says nothing regarding to what happens if you never leave the measuring phase (which is what you do when you stay inactive for a month). Of course you could interpret that belonging to "being below the score it requires to remain Rank X at the end of the month". But that would make no sense, as both scenarios require you to even get a score which you can be measured by first.

Sorry, I searched it up and copied the first link. I don’t have access to twitter but you can look at the Nintendo Versus page and find a tweet

 

[mercenariez]

From my rereading of X rank’s description, it sounds like it will just reset to calculating rather than kick you out of X rank instantly every month, which I’m fine with tbh. I’m not like super strongly against that or anything. I just wanted some sort of buffer for qualification which is essentially what the Power calculation is.

Also, since it organizes matchmaking by Power, most likely during calculation you’ll be at the bottom, or against other calculating players, so it shouldn’t have too unfair of an effect on X rank worthy players.

 

[MindWanderer]

I'm not at all sure it actually "resets" to "Calculating." I've lost 7 battles in a row at the beginning of a Splatfest and still had a power rating in the 1800's. I think the game just doesn't show it so as to present the illusion of everyone starting off at even footing, when in reality it's still cumulative from your previous games.

 

[MotorGamer]

I'm not at all sure it actually "resets" to "Calculating." I've lost 7 battles in a row at the beginning of a Splatfest and still had a power rating in the 1800's. I think the game just doesn't show it so as to present the illusion of everyone starting off at even footing, when in reality it's still cumulative from your previous games.

Or maybe it has been keeping track since the start?

 

[Mar$el]

Or maybe it has been keeping track since the start?

That's exactly what he said...I think this is the case. If it weren't, why would I start my splatfest battles in the 2100's while other start in the 1800's.

 

[MotorGamer]

That's exactly what he said...I think this is the case. If it weren't, why would I start my splatfest battles in the 2100's while other start in the 1800's.

Is your Splatfest Power just your normal power?

 

[Mar$el]

Is your Splatfest Power just your normal power?

No. League, ranked, and splatfest are all separate. I don't think anyone in ranked is power level 2500 like they are in splatfest or even league. In splatfest I hover around 2200s and 2300s while in ranked I'm around 2000s and 2100s.