ELO Configuration - GashiStudios

The heart of competitive ranking. Configure how player ratings change after each battle.

Rating System Selection

# elo.yaml
ratingSystem: POKEMON_SHOWDOWN  # or GLICKO2
startingElo: 1000
floorElo: 1000

Setting	Default	Description
`ratingSystem`	`POKEMON_SHOWDOWN`	Rating algorithm to use
`startingElo`	`1000`	Rating for new players
`floorElo`	`1000`	Minimum possible rating

Pokemon Showdown Mode (Default)

Uses the classic Elo formula with K-Factor adjustments. Same system as Pokemon Showdown and chess.

# elo.yaml
pokemonShowdown:
  newPlayerGames: 30
  newPlayerKFactor: 50
  kFactorBands:
    - maxElo: 1100
      kFactor: 40
    - maxElo: 1300
      kFactor: 32
    - maxElo: 1600
      kFactor: 24
    - maxElo: 2000
      kFactor: 16
    - maxElo: 999999
      kFactor: 12
  streakBonus:
    enabled: false
    threshold3Wins: 3
    threshold5Wins: 5

K-Factor Bands Explained

K-Factor determines how much rating changes per match. Higher K = bigger swings.

Player Type	K-Factor	Reason
New players (first 30 games)	50	Quickly find true skill level
Low rating (< 1100)	40	Easier to climb out
Mid rating (1100-1300)	32	Balanced progression
Mid-high (1300-1600)	24	More stable
High (1600-2000)	16	Stable rankings
Top (2000+)	12	Very stable, small changes

Example:

Player A (1500 ELO, K=24) beats Player B (1500 ELO, K=24)
Player A gains: 24 × (1 - 0.5) = +12 ELO

Win Streak Bonus

Players on winning streaks receive a K-Factor boost. Disabled by default.

streakBonus:
  enabled: false       # Enable to boost K-Factor on streaks
  threshold3Wins: 3    # Bonus equal to this value after 3 wins
  threshold5Wins: 5    # Bonus equal to this value after 5+ wins

Win Streak	K-Factor Bonus
3 wins	+3
5+ wins	+5

Glicko-2 Mode (Advanced)

Tracks rating and uncertainty (Rating Deviation). Better for servers where players have varying activity.

# elo.yaml
ratingSystem: GLICKO2

glicko2:
  startingRD: 150.0
  startingVolatility: 0.06
  systemConstant: 0.5
  rdDecayDays: 30
  maxRatingChange: 100

Setting	Default	Description
`startingRD`	`150.0`	Rating Deviation — uncertainty in rating
`startingVolatility`	`0.06`	Expected rating fluctuation
`systemConstant`	`0.5`	Controls volatility changes (0.3-1.2)
`rdDecayDays`	`30`	Days of inactivity before RD increases
`maxRatingChange`	`100`	Maximum rating change per match

RD vs K-Factor

System	What Changes	How
Pokemon Showdown	K-Factor (fixed bands)	Based on rating only
Glicko-2	RD (dynamic per player)	Based on certainty + activity

When to use Glicko-2:

Players have varying activity levels
You want more accurate matchmaking for returning players

When to use Pokemon Showdown:

Simpler to understand for players
More predictable rating changes

ELO Decay

Inactive players lose ELO over time to keep the leaderboard competitive. Disabled by default.

# elo.yaml
eloDecay:
  enabled: false
  thresholdDays: 14       # Days before decay starts
  minimumElo: 1000        # Won't decay below this
  decayPerDay: 2          # ELO lost per day
  checkIntervalHours: 24  # How often to check

Setting	Default	Description
`enabled`	`false`	Enable/disable ELO decay
`thresholdDays`	`14`	Grace period before decay starts
`minimumElo`	`1000`	Floor — players won’t drop below this
`decayPerDay`	`2`	ELO lost per day after threshold
`checkIntervalHours`	`24`	How often the decay check runs

Rank Tiers

Cosmetic ranks displayed in GUI and leaderboard:

# elo.yaml
rankTiers:
  - name: "POKEBALL"
    displayName: "Poké Ball"
    minElo: 0
  - name: "GREATBALL"
    displayName: "Great Ball"
    minElo: 1300
  - name: "ULTRABALL"
    displayName: "Ultra Ball"
    minElo: 1500
  - name: "MASTERBALL"
    displayName: "Master Ball"
    minElo: 1700
  - name: "BEASTBALL"
    displayName: "Beast Ball"
    minElo: 1900
  - name: "CHERISH"
    displayName: "Cherish Ball"
    minElo: 2100

📝 These are display only - they don’t affect matchmaking or rewards. Use LuckPerms Integration for rank-based permissions.

Rating System Selection

Pokemon Showdown Mode (Default)

Glicko-2 Mode (Advanced)

ELO Decay

Rank Tiers

See Also