There are a lot of things that go into whether a player is considered "good" or not at Splatoon. Having good aim, reliably gleaning use out of specials, game sense, and the ability to hear someone hiding in the ink are all useful. Unfortunately, it can be quite difficult to count the number of times that someone calls out a flanker without a massive overreach into the privacy of our players' private voice calls (something that I assure you will never happen).

In order to assess performance to make a meaningful ranking system, I attempted to use player's reported game stats (Weapon, Paint, Kills, Assists, Deaths, Specials) to calculate a single number: the Splatting Average, or "SplAvg". This number, while not perfect, will allow the community to compare two players' performance.

If someone had an SAT score, for example, of 1400, they are probably better at taking tests than someone with a score of 874. In the same way, while the number itself may not mean anything (neither does the SAT score) the relative value of players' scores yields some insight into the way that our top competitors perform in-game.

As far as choosing the algorithm to dictate scores, I elected to use each of the Stats measured per Minute. This normalizes the game to flatten any advantage to be gained from longer matches, or stringing them out to try and prop up your tickets.

Since the statistic is only valid when comparing several players, I elected to use a weighted sum of the players' performance per minute on four* Stats Averages per Second. What does that mean? Here let me explain:

For each match, the Stats per Minute are calculated. Then, the average of these Stats per Minute is calculated. Each of these averages are multiplied by their weights to balance out the fact that you can get 100x more paint than kills, and those weights are summed together. It could look something like this:

( 0.903 * 50 ) + ( 0.814 * 30 ) + (0.849 * 20 ) = 45.15 + 24.42 + 0.16.98 = 86.55

Players are ranked by the final score. Our player would have a score of 86.55! Well done!

The goal of the weights is to balance each of the different stats and avoid giving any one playstyle, whether it be a slayer, support, or backline, too much of an advantage in the SplAvg territory. I plan to do this by adjusting the weights of several factors, including the four combat stats, until the correlation with results is the highest.

As of 09/18/2024, the SplAvg formula has been balanced using Excel's Solver Add-in to ensure the highest correlation between SplAvg of each game and the number of points earned in that game. The next SplAvg update is scheduled for 09/01/2025. All SplAvg updates are discussed further in the CCA Visual's Patchnotes.

One of the main reasons that I am so careful about how this information is presented is the ethical concerns that come when you show people, in no uncertain terms, exactly how bad they are at one of their favorite activities. There have been several people who come forward with comments and concerns (thank you btw, I appreciate you!) about ranking players. Some of the largest concerns include:

• If my team sees that I'm not performing well, they might kick me off the team!

• Some people will get toxic over their ranking and gloat or make fun of others, which is detrimental to the community.

• I deserve a higher score, the system is unfairly baised against <pr.weapon>!

• My teammates are playing for stats and it's causing us to lose, help!

In reponse to these valid points of concern, I ask that you review these thoughts:

1. "If my team sees that I'm not performing well, they might kick me off the team!"

(Some teams are different, however this stands true for a good chunk of teams.)

If your team thought that you were becoming a liability, then they would already be thinking those sorts of things before they saw these statistics. Your stats might be used as yet another rubber band to burst your watermelon, but it only helps a team to observe and compare players in a purely objective way.

"Stats are also not everything and people contribute to their teams in more ways than Kills or Specials. Some players contribute in qualitative ways rather than quantitative." - DRF

In the case that your team decides to axe you purely because of your slightly higher death count, then you have two ways you can take that. Either you take the feedback personally, or breathe in, breathe out, and remember that there are plenty of other people who just can't wait to play with you at a level that might be more engaging, positive, and fun! Even pro players have to retire eventually.

2. "Some people will get toxic over their ranking and gloat or make fun of others, which is detrimental to the community."

These sorts of people will always exist in our world, and in our community. While it would be great if everyone was positive all of the time, or if everyone improved at the same rate, there will always exist a skill disparity in the world. Both you and I (probably) aren't the best players in the scene/world. Both you and I (probably) aren't the worst players in the scene/world. A number on a website some college student made isn't going to change that fact, nor will the absence of such a number make that reality go away. I also believe that the utility of having such a number as a tool for both improvement and roster decisions is more helpful than hurtful.

If someone is making you feel depressed/anxious/upset, regardless of how they are doing it, consider stepping away from the situation, disengaging, taking a break, or even blocking them. You can always change your mind, on anything. Including your friends.

3. "I deserve a higher score, the system is unfairly biased against <pr.weapon>!"

Some of the sister arguments for this point include "the game itself is balanced against my weapon," "my teammates won't let me play what I want," and "I disagree with your methodology."

If you think the game is balanced against a particular weapon, and you care enough about this statistic that you are motivated to make a change, I encourage you to use what you think is 'broken.' Pick up Snipewriter 5B and start fragging if you really want to go full meta. Nothing is perfect. The same instinct that tells you that the system/game is biased against should also tell you what is biased towards. Climbing the leaderboard and improving is a valid goal, but don't be too quick to blame others on your ascent.

If your teammates won't let you play what you want, I completely understand how you're feeling. As a Tenta Brella main, I don't often get given the greenlight to play what I want to. {This has aged poorly, but pretend it's still bad.} Splatoon 3 is a team game, and your performance directly affects your teammates. Some weapons are fun, but they might not be the best/most consistent choice. Competing is a balance between following the meta and enjoying the game, keep at it and you'll find a good balance. If it truly irks you, consider leading a team that focuses more on having fun than results, making sure that people expect that going in. It could be the best solution for everyone: you get to enjoy the weapons you love playing a great game, and they get to tryhard and (potentially) win more games! You can also wait for the developers to buff your weapon so it's viable, but that's an inconsistent method. RIP Undercover

Finally, to those who disagree with my methodology. I appreciate your concerns the most, and I would love to either have a conversation with you or read your feedback. Believe me when I say that I will read everything constructive sent my way, and often make changes based on other's suggestions. Reach out, I'd love to hear your concerns!

4. "My teammates are playing for stats and it's causing us to lose! Help!"

This is a very real concern. If you are in this situation, consider pointing out to the offenders how their behavior is affecting your team's performance. Losing a game due to someone picking Jr. and spamming bombs all game isn't fun for anyone, the Jr. player included. Remind them that the best way to improve in the leaderboard is to improve in the game. Hopefully they will understand your concerns, hear you where you are, and improve.

DO NOT try to copy them, as it isn't helpful for anyone and will just cause more frustration and blaming on all sides.

If you have comments or concerns about anything written here, or anywhere else, please feel free and welcome to send me a message on Discord or over email. My contact information is in the footer of each and every page, and I will also leave it here:

Discord: @haakonhk
Email: haakon@haakonhk.com