How do you know your skill level in Smash?

[xxMiles]

(Okay, think this is the right board for this.)

Basically, if you lose a lot against above average players, but can beat people who aren't as good, are you just average?

Is there a way to tell if you're below average, average, or above average?

 

[GrosMinou]

Tournament placing is a good way to tell.

I used to compare with others by playing friendlies, but discovered really fast that people aren't trying as much in friendlies.

 

[xxMiles]

Tournament placing is a good way to tell.

I used to compare with others by playing friendlies, but discovered really fast that people aren't trying as much in friendlies.

So matches with players that are above average isn't a good way to tell as well? :o

 

[GrosMinou]

Well, how do you know if they are above average? I usually base myself on our local weekly result to tell if someone is good or not. I know that I'm above average, I usually finish around last...

 

[xxMiles]

Well, how do you know if they are above average? I usually base myself on our local weekly result to tell if someone is good or not. I know that I'm above average, I usually finish around last...

Judging on how badly they beat me and stuff. They seem to have more of a grasp on the fundamentals than I do, stuff like that. What are the weekly result things?

 

[GrosMinou]

Someone here in Québec runs a Weekly tournament, I usually use those result to see if someone is good or not.

 

[Tryst]

What's the power say about your powerlevel?

no? Okay...

Basically just what was said above. Also if you watch turnament play and think "What the heck is goin on?" then you probably aren't too high up. (That's where I'm at. )

 

[9bit]

Well, how do you know if they are above average?

Judging on how badly they beat me and stuff.

Oh I like this.

So, you are saying you determined the skill level of other people as "above average" based on how badly they beat you. But those are the people you have used to determine that your own skill level is "just average":

Basically, if you lose a lot against above average players, but can beat people who aren't as good, are you just average?

This is some sweet recursion!

Seriously though, you actually have brought up a point. For most people that play Smash, determining some sort of absolute skill level isn't possible. It's all relative to the people you normally play with. If you don't play a huge variety of people across the whole country you can't really determine anything for sure. You could be above average amongst your friends but just average in your larger local scene, and way below average on a state or national level. It's all relative.

 

[Elyssa Xey Hexen]

(Okay, think this is the right board for this.)

Basically, if you lose a lot against above average players, but can beat people who aren't as good, are you just average?

Is there a way to tell if you're below average, average, or above average?

You need to play quote an awful lot of people from different regions and frequently against the same people to really get a good grasp on that. Otherwise, you will always be isolated to whatever sample size you get around you. For example, where I stay for school, I am the best brawl player. However, this is only because my scope is like 4-5 people. Once you include the occasional tournament that ran brawl, I placed better than anyone who was relatively new, but worse than those who were seasoned.

However, its hard to tell at tournaments as well since some people might show up which are just a clear cut above the rest of those available. It would be sort of like if you saw M2K pop up at a small best buy tourney playing people who have very little experience. M2K is the best there, but you really have no idea to know how much better he was until you see him play other people, then see how those people play.

Again, you really will find it difficult to gauge your prowess against say the entirety of everyone who plays smash. However, you can still get an idea of how well you do compared to those you play with often. Once you start to expand to playing other people it gets easier to see.