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Details on XBox TrueSkill Ranking System

Posted by Zonk on from the complicated-fun dept.

rupert0 writes "A research paper on the Microsoft website gives an insight into the way that gamers will be ranked on the new-style Xbox Live. The paper outlines some existing ranking systems, as well." From the article: "The TrueSkill(TM) ranking system is a skill-based ranking system designed to overcome the limitations of existing ranking systems, and to ensure that interesting matches can be reliably arranged within a league. It uses a technique called Bayesian inference for ranking players. Rather than assuming a single fixed skill for each player, the system characterises its belief using a bell-curve belief distribution (also referred to as Gaussian) which is uniquely described by its mean (speak [mju:]) ("peak point") and standard deviation (speak [sigma])("spread")."

4 of 50 comments (clear)

  1. The bell curve by TimmyDee · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Who would have thought this to be a novel way to rank people's skills?*

    *I do realize that's not the upshot of the paper. Still, I think all this emphasis on Gaussian distributions for dividing people according to "skill" (read IQ, test scores, etc.) is a bit over done. Convenient, but overdone.

    --
    Per Square Mile, a blog about density
  2. The proof of the pudding is in the tasting by LordNimon · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I'll believe this method works if I can join a Halo 3 game as a level 1 player and not have my ass kicked. As it is today, if a new Halo 2 player joins an online game, he will be destroyed by the other players regardless of what their ranks are.

    --
    And the men who hold high places must be the ones who start
    To mold a new reality... closer to the heart
    1. Re:The proof of the pudding is in the tasting by bigman2003 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      If you don't want your ass handed to you, there are a couple of options:

      #1- buy the game on the release date, and go on Live right away. You will be on an even playing field with the other players. I've done this quite a few times, and many of the best games I've played have been on day 1. Nobody knows the 'secrets' yet. Nobody knows where to hide, or what the shortcuts are (on a racing game) it's fair, and you can learn along with everyone else.

      #2- Play the single-player mode all the way through. DO THIS! I really hate when people go on Live, and they don't even know how to work the controls of the game. Of course you get your ass kicked...you've never practiced!

      #3- Start playing in the morning. Yes, it sounds stupid, but I've noticed I do much, much better in the morning...am I better then? No...but the people who are really serious about it usually play in the evening/night.

      --
      No reason to lie.
  3. Re:Crikey by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    You are retarded.

    1) A lot of nerds enjoy video games.
    2) The 360 debuts in 14 days.
    3) Due to the impending release there is a lot of news, speculation, and hype.

    Given the above, it is prefectly reasonable for there to be a mass amount of 360 articles. The same shit happened with the DS and PSP and will happen for the PS3 and Revolution as their release dates approach.

    Don't like it? Then fuck off.