FAQ
What is the ladder?The ladder is a system that keeps track of how users perform in the game Multiwinia by Introversion Software. You can only make this website keep track of you when you play on special Dedwinia servers that have ranking enabled. Dedwinia is also a community-initiated project, that enables people to run servers without having to be in the game. It was created by bert_the_turtle and aside from the linked servers to the Ladder, it is an entirely separate project.
How does it work?
When you play on a Dedwinia server that has ranking enabled, the server will record your game in full. After the game has been finished, the recording is sent to the Ladder website where it is interpreted and put into the database.
How does the server know it's me?
Every copy of Multiwinia has its own public key that is sent to the server when you connect. This isn't the authkey you received when you bought the game, but a much shorter one that is safe to transfer over the internet.
That's only a number! How does it know my name?
You will have to register to make it know your name. All maches are saved to the Ladder, even if it doesn't know who you are. When you register on the site, you will receive a key in the activation email. You have to use this so-called 'link ticket' on a Dedwinia server to verify it's really you. When, for example, your ticket is '123a456b' and your registered name is 'Multiwinian', you type this in the lobby chat or in-game: /register 123a456b Multiwinian. At the end of the game, your account will be verified. A link ticket can only be used once - if you bought the game multiple times (e.g. for different platforms) you can create a new activation key on the 'My Keys' page for each of your keys.
I played a lot of matches on Dedwinia servers but I didn't register. Are my matches lost now?
Not at all! Unregistered accounts are given scores but are not ranked on the Leaderboard. If you look at some match pages, you might see accounts with 'usernames' like #123456. Those are people that played on Dedwinia servers, but didn't (yet) register. When those people register their key (see the previous question) their Ladder account on a Dedwinia server, their name is automatically changed to the correct one. Upon the next score recalculation, these accounts will become ranked on the Leaderboard.
I registered my key, but my stats are all messed up!
After your key is linked, the stats will be incorrect due to the technical nature of the system. This includes the custom boards, and your position on them. However, don't worry! Upon the next score recalculation, your stats will be corrected.
How do I know which servers are recording my games?
Click on the Servers option in the menu to see the names of the servers that run Dedwinia. Usually there is a hint in the server name. 'Dedwinia', 'Dedicated', 'Ladder' and 'ded' are most commonly used.
I'm a demo player, are my scores tracked on the Ladder?
Matches you play are saved, but they will not affect scores or ranks. If you enjoy Multiwinia so much that you want to show off your skills, you should buy the game. Really, the game is not expensive at all and such a great indie developer as Introversion needs the support!
How do the scores work?
The Ladder uses a heavily modified version of the Glicko rating system. It tries to take into account how strong the opponents in every match are compared to you. Playing stronger opponents will earn you more points. Player 'strengths' are updated once a week - every period in which player strengths are taken as equal for every match played is called a Rating Period (note the sidebar). The more time passes between your played matches, the less accurate your strength will be regarded, which is taken into account in the score calculation with the so-called Rating Deviation. The lower your RD, the less you will move around on the Leaderboard with every played match. The algorithms responsible for all of this are executed once a day to update ranks. People sharing a score are sorted based on win ratio, loss ratio and tie ratio in order of priority.
If you want to find out more about the Glicko rating system, you can find more information over here. A detailed explanation of the Multiwinia-specific traits of our rating system can be found here (duel system) and here (RPs and RDs).
What are unranked matches?
Matches by default affect player scores and ranks. These are called ranked matches. Matches can be unranked for several reasons: the players all agreed on it by saying /unranked before the start of the game in the lobby, there are CPU players, or there are Demo users in the game. These last two reasons trigger an unranked match because any outcome versus these opponents is not deemed representative. If people disconnect mid-game, they are not counted as CPU players but will be recognized as themselves; a 'ragequit' does not result in an unranked match. Unranked matches do not affect scores, ranks or match counts (games played, games won, etc.) but will be taken into account for the statistics graphs for players and servers, and will still count for the server match counts.
What's this challenge feature?
You can challenge other players to a match. Doing so will open up a private discussion for the people involved, so that you can easily discuss a time, game mode, etc. A challenge can be deleted (by the person who issued it) at any time.
What does the 'spectate' page show me?
The spectate page shows you any relevant data for all of the Official Ladder Servers (Artemis, Hephaestus and Dionysus) and the Offical Unranked Server (Prometheus). The page can show you as much as the Ladder can show you for any match that has been played, except the scores.
Are there Leaderboards per game mode, or for e.g. duels only?
Yes, these 'custom' boards are available by simply selecting the appropriate option from the drop-down menu on the Leaderboard page. You can view everyone's stats per board on the profile pages, also selectable with a drop-down box. If you visit a profile from a custom board, the profile page will automatically show you the appropriate stats.
How do these replays work?
It is possible to rewatch games that have been indexed on the Ladder using the Replay feature. Simply request a match reply using the appropriate form, or using the 'Request this replay' link on the Match Details page, and a server will pop up in the server browser for you to connect to. More details are explained on the Replays page itself.
What's this about a tournament?
Please refer to the Tournament page for more information about the Anniversary Tournament.
I would like to report something/someone!
Any inappropriate comments can be reported for the mods to take care of, but persistent annoying behaviour can be reported by mail: abuse@multiwinia-ladder.net. Questions, suggestions or remarks about the servers can be filed to servers@multiwinia-ladder.net. Correspondation that doesn't belong in either category (like bug reports) can be sent to staff@multiwinia-ladder.net.
I have a question that isn't answered in here, what should I do?
There is a topic on the official Multiwinia forums regarding the Ladder. If you have any questions you want to ask, please ask them over there - it's preferred over sending questions by e-mail. You can also join us on IRC if you want to: simply join #multiwinia on irc.uplinkcorp.net and ask away - Jelco is around most of the time, and if not there are usually others who can help you.
How is all of this paid for?
The entire ladder is a community project: we do these things because we enjoy doing them, we don't need any bigger reward than the occasional stroking of our egos. The only thing that needs to be paid is the dedicated server on which this website runs. We don't require donations to keep it running, but if you have some gold to spare and think this Ladder is a worthy target, we would happily receive your donation - all the small bits help. You can donate via PayPal by clicking on the donate button, or if you want to sent some money to a Dutch bank account, you can request the details by sending an e-mail to staff@multiwinia-ladder.net. Thanks!
Credits
| Multiwinia Ladder | |
| Programming | Jelco |
| Testing | bert_the_turtle |
| cheesemoo0 | |
| ewanm | |
| martin | |
| NeoThermic | |
| RabidZombie | |
| Sulix | |
| xander | |
| xyzyxx | |
| Special thanks | bert_the_turtle |
| Icepick | |
| John Knottenbelt | |
| MaximusBrood | |
| NeoThermic | |
| Sky template | |
| Design | Jelco |
| MaximusBrood | |
| Programming | Jelco |
| Special thanks | NeoThermic |
| RabidZombie | |
Lastly, thanks to all the artists whose music has helped me through the countless hours I've spent on this. Thousands of lines of code have been written during my sleep-depriving nightly sessions with countless albums playing in the background to keep me awake. :)
The Ladder is a big project, and has had some tremendous help from Introversion themselves, but at its core it's still a community project: made by but most importantly for community members. That's why there were many people involved in this project who are far too numerous to all name here. For every proposed change, the people supporting Introversion have been consulted and their opinions have changed the features in the ladder to what they are now. This Ladder in itself is my gift to the community, something you have helped create yourselves, and something you deserve to be proud of as much as myself.
-- Jelco