The ELO system rates players based on the strength of their opponents. Beating a highly-rated player gains more points than beating a lower-rated one — and losing to a weaker player costs more points than losing to a stronger one.
How it works: Unlike traditional ELO where players are matched intentionally, encounters in DAoC happen organically in open world RvR. The system still uses the rating difference between two players to determine how many points change hands — beating someone with a much higher rating rewards more points, while losing to a lower-rated player costs more. The further the result deviates from what the ratings would suggest, the bigger the swing.
K-Factor: This controls how much each fight can change your rating. New players start with a high K-Factor of 32 — meaning their first fights have a bigger impact, allowing the system to find their true skill level quickly. After 30 fights, the K-Factor drops to 16, making ratings more stable and harder to shift with a single result.