There are a number of scoring systems in DDR that you can use.
All with their pros and cons. I will attempt to explain each one of
them in as much detail as I can, and will breakdown the pros and
cons.
Note: For more information about dance point and machine
score systems, please visit http://aaronin.jp/taren/scoring/ddrscoreframe.html.
This is a comprehensive look at all the scoring systems for Japanese
DDR mixes.
Perfect Attack
One of the simplest
ways to score in a tech tournament. Basically scoring is by perfects
only, without regards to greats, goods, boos, misses, or ok's (freeze
arrows).
Pros:
- All arrows count the same value
-
Very simple to use
- Quick to write down
Cons:
-
Does not take greats, goods, boos, misses into consideration (Should
one player that ties in perfects with another player and get 3 misses
truely win?)
- Does not take freeze arrows in consideration
My
outlook: When I look at this, it is very simple, and though it
doesn't take the other values in it's output, it still is a fair
system. Due to the simplicity of this system, and the fact it does
not score points based on where the arrows are, it is the most widely
accepted form in the United States for tourneys.
Modifications: Some tourneys have been known to compensate for the lack of
counting freeze arrows by adding a point for each freeze arrow a
player gets. Thus:
Perfects = +1
OK's = +1
Now
freezes are being considered, and the players cannot ignore them, as
they could be a deciding factor in breaking ties. Of course you may
have people who have trouble holding freezes for some reason, which
is a disadvantage.
Dance Point System
Do you
know what Konami uses in the calculation of your grade? Well, they
differ from mix to mix, but let's take the Max/Max 2/Extreme grading
system.
Perfects = +2
Greats = +1
Goods = 0
Boos =
-4
Misses = -8
OK's = +6
NG's = 0
Note : NG = Missed
freeze arrow
Pros:
- Now takes everything in account,
players can't just be good at getting perfects, they must know how to
minimize goods, boos, and misses.
- A more comprehensive way of
showing how good a player is and who truely should win.
Cons:
-
You better have good pads that don't give random misses, because
misses severely penalize a player.
- Takes longer to write down,
you better have event mode on.
Alternative Methods : This can
be modified to make it less penalizing for a player to get a boo or
miss, and is starting to become a lot more common for tourneys that
use the dance points system.
Perfects = +2
Greats =
+1
Goods = 0
Boos = -2
Misses = -4
OK's = +3
NG's =
0
or
Perfects = +2
Greats = +1
Goods = 0
Boos
= -1
Misses = -2
OK's = +3
NG's = 0
Marvelous
Attack (DDR Extreme & Supernova only)
Some tourneys have implemented
the marvelous scoring. For those of you who don't know, in DDR
Extreme, a new timing, called marvelous, was implemented in the
nonstop and oni modes. It is considered to be a higher score than
perfect. When taken into account in a dance point system, it is
scored as +3.
Pros:
- Another form of timing, makes it
harder for players, and thus, puts another strategy into the
fray.
Cons:
- Only available in nonstop or oni modes.
My
outlook: This system baffles me in a way that some tourneys have
used this. They make players play the first two songs in the random
caprice* nonstop tourney, then make the players jump off and fail the
nonstop course so scores can be written down. The problem is knowing
how many misses should be taken into consideration when evaluating
the players. My suggestion is that if you use this, PLEASE PLAY THE
WHOLE 4 SONGS IN THE COURSE! It makes it easier that way. Problem
with that is 4 songs in a match takes a lot longer.
*Random
Caprice - The 4 songs are chosen at random, but are visible in the
song stack before the course starts, so players would know what is
coming and can choose modifiers accordingly.
Quick note : In
oni courses, the scoring system is slightly different. While
marvelous, perfects, and greats are +3, +2, and +1 respectively,
goods, boos, and misses count 0, and ok's count +3.
That last
note brings me to my final dp scoring system, the oni scoring system.
As explained, only marvelous (if playing nonstop), perfects, greats,
and ok's are considered. I haven't seen this implemented in a tourney
yet, so do it if you wish.
Machine Score (Excluding DDR Supernova)
Oh yes.
The scoring system that Konami placed on there.
Pros:
-
Easy to write down.
Cons:
- Problems galore. All steps are
not the same, with the steps at the end worth more than the
beginning. Does that sound fair at all compared to PA?
- Will make
some people think they were screwed out of a match when a person uses
a strategy to get several greats at the beginning, then perfects at
the end, or if the player gets several less greats then another but
the lower score.
My outlook: This one baffles me the most. It
is considered to be the most UNEQUAL system of scoring, since where
the steps are matters. Plus I've seen scores in which players get a
huge distinction in the amount of greats, goods, boos, misses, yet
they are very close in scores. I believe the reason it never got off
the ground in the US was the USA mix. This scoring system was based
on combos, not perfects. Need I say more? My advice, DON'T USE THIS
SYSTEM! USE PERFECT ATTACK OR DANCE POINTS!
Machine Score (DDR Supernova)
The scoring system on DDR Supernova has been completely overhauled. No longer is the steps scored unequally. Scoring is now based on this system:
Perfects = +2
Greats = +1
OK = +2
All other steps = 0
All songs have a maximum score of 10,000,000 points. I view it as a
percentage. For example, if you see a score of 9,623,823, then you can
read the score as 96.23823%, or 96.24%.
My outlook: Finally, the
scoring system is fair. Wonder why they did this. Is it because of
ITG's percentage system? Whatever the reason is, it can now be used
fairly. Do take into account that goods, boos, and misses (goods,
almosts, and boos) do not penalize you.