smash.watch

Understanding the Chart

The scatter plot is the core visualization in Smash Watch. This guide explains how to read and interpret it.

What You're Looking At

The scatter plot shows two key metrics for each player:

  • Y-axis (Vertical): Weighted Win Rate (0-100%)
    • Not just raw wins - accounts for bracket difficulty and opponent quality
    • Higher = player wins more consistently
  • X-axis (Horizontal): Opponent Strength
    • Measures the average skill level of opponents faced
    • Higher = player competes against tougher competition

Each dot represents one player in your filtered dataset.

Reading the Positions

Understanding where a player appears on the chart tells you a lot about their competitive profile:

PositionWhat It Means
Top-leftHigh win rate, weaker opponents - dominating local scene
Top-rightHigh win rate, strong opponents - elite player
Bottom-leftLow win rate, weaker opponents - developing player
Bottom-rightLow win rate, strong opponents - punching up, facing tough competition

Examples

Player at (0.2 strength, 75% win rate):

  • Winning 3 out of 4 sets against local/regional players
  • Likely a strong local hero or rising talent

Player at (0.7 strength, 80% win rate):

  • Winning 4 out of 5 sets against top-level competition
  • Elite player, possibly PR'd nationally

Player at (0.5 strength, 40% win rate):

  • Losing more than winning against established regional players
  • May be new to competitive play or punching above their weight class

Interactive Features

Hover Tooltips

Hover over any dot to see:

  • Gamer tag - Player's tag
  • Win rate - Exact percentage
  • Opp strength - Precise value (3 decimals)

Scroll to Table

Below the chart, you'll find a full data table with sortable columns showing all players in the visualization.

Chart Scaling

The chart automatically scales to fit your data:

  • X-axis starts at 0 and extends to the maximum opponent strength in the dataset
  • Y-axis always shows 0-100% for consistency

Note: If a few players have extremely high opponent strength, the chart may appear "squished." Use the Hide outliers toggle to zoom in on the main cluster.

What Makes a "Good" Position?

There's no single "best" position - it depends on context:

  • High win rate + moderate strength: Strong regional player
  • Moderate win rate + high strength: Competing at a high level, room to grow
  • High win rate + high strength: Top-tier player

The ideal position moves up and to the right as players improve and face stronger competition.

Next Steps

Getting Started

This guide will help you get started with Smash Watch and view your first visualization.

Understanding Metrics

Smash Watch uses two primary metrics to evaluate player performance. This guide explains how they're calculated and what they mean.