Questions about the ranking system in competitive mode

[Stibb]

Hello! I've recently started playing competitive mode in hopes to rank up to Elite, because it looks cool. The grind was easy enough up to Diamond (the final step), but now I find myself what feels like hard stuck in Diamond, because whenever I get close to the 10 points needed, I lose 4-5 points in one single game, and keep having to grind back up.

This has me question how the ranking system works. Because, if I win a game, I get 1 or 2 points, or the very odd 3 if I win against high ranked players. However, if I don't win, I lose between 3 and 5 points, which seems to depend on the elo of the opposition. Which is very rough on the motivation tbh. I can win 4 games in a row, get up to 8/10 points towards Elite, and then I lose one single game due to getting a shit map/last pick/unlucky dice, and I drop back down to 3 points. The losing part I don't mind, it's a part of the game. What gets to me is how unfair it feels to lose so many of the hard earned points, if that makes sense. It feels very much out of my control.

This has me wonder how the matchup system works. I often find myself playing against players with lower elo than myself, which makes me win small or lose very big. My very last game before posting this was the final straw, in where I won against two players around 100 elo, and I gained a total of 0 points. Yes, 0 points for a win. Had I lost that game however, I'm sure I would've lost at least 5.

So, is there a way to better understand how the ranking/elo system works? Is there a button or setting I could press to allow myself to only play against higher ranked players, or is this the way it's intended and I just have to get lucky enough with the matchups/boards?

Thanks for reading my venting. Anyone else having the same experience?
Cheers,
Stibb

[Stibb]

Alrighty, a quick update. I of course hit another 5 point loss at some point yesterday, but managed to win the next 5 straight games and get back up to 8/10 points. Then I get matched with another new bronze player on a rather shit random map, where I'm third pick and get left with literal scraps, and not a single roll going my way. No chance at all, I get blasted. I of course lose 5 points again and am back down to 3 points for what feels like the 10th time. I actually give up now. This matchup system makes absolutely no sense. The fact that I have to have to win 6 games for every 1 loss in order to have a chance to rank up is pretty mental, when the game in its essence is RNG. Had it been pure skill, sure, I'd understand that. But it's not. Especially not with these random maps and numbers. Pardon my French, but what a shitshow.

I can't be the only one experiencing this, and hopefully it gets revised somehow for the next season.

[Stroom]

Catan is a game with high amount of randomness. Getting a high ranking is by design really hard.

The fact that you are a t a place where your ranking doesn't change, means that the ranking basically represents your current skill level. In order to climb higher, you are supposed to get better... not to complain that it is hard.

You have played only 200 games so far. That's rookie numbers.

[Stibb]

Yeah, you missed the point entirely.

[BusterVA]

I came here to start a thread on this very matter.

I also noticed that a win often means a gain of 3 points. A loss often a loss of 4 or even 5 points. In order to advance you really need to win multiple consecutive games. The ELO of the players does not seem to matter. Case in point:

I played a match recently and someone I was luckier than ever. My ELO of around 120 at the time vs two players that had more than 300 ELO. I won by a landslide. For the arena points I went up by **3**. I beat 2 very highly ranked players and I only went up by 3! The next game I ended up playing against two players of equal to me ELO. I lost. My points went down by 5!!

Alternatively, I recently beat two players who I ranked well above. My ELO was around 200 at this point, and there were both closer to 100. I won, and my points went up by 5! So... when I beat good players I get less credit, and more credit when I beat less skilled players?

What am I missing? Something just does not make sense here. I thought maybe it has to do more with where they rank in the arena, but I find if I am playing all diamond players, or a couple elite and or whatever, it does not seem to make a difference. It is as if the point win/loss is entirely random.???

Can anyone explain how this works??

[BusterVA]

Catan is a game with high amount of randomness. Getting a high ranking is by design really hard.

The fact that you are a t a place where your ranking doesn't change, means that the ranking basically represents your current skill level. In order to climb higher, you are supposed to get better... not to complain that it is hard.

You have played only 200 games so far. That's rookie numbers.

It is almost as if you did not read a single word in the original question. Your response is irrelevant to what is being asked and completely missed the point.