The Planets.nu leaderboard represents the current officers from the races of the Echo Cluster. Each player can develop one officer for each race. These officers battle to become Emperor. There can be only one Reigning Emperor of the Echo Cluster at any given time, so achieving this goal is extremely difficult.
NOTE: The following information applies to the first round of championship matches, the Zodiac Wars. Future Emperor Wars will take place according to the new League and Seasons rules.
Approximately every six months (of real Earth time), a Championship match will begin. The top qualifying players from each race at that time will be invited to participate in this Emperor's War. While participating in these games, officers will be awarded the temporary rank of "Supreme Commander" of their race. The winner of each Championship will become the new "Reigning Emperor of the Echo Cluster".
As each Championship match ends, the title of Emperor will pass from one player to another. Therefore, some Emperors may reign for longer or shorter amounts of time.
The ultimate achievement for any player would be to become Emperor of the Echo Cluster in every Race.
In order to become the Supreme Commander of a race and have an opportunity to compete in a championship match, you must first become the top ranking officer for that race. The top officers can be viewed on the leaderboard.
It should be noted that the ranks used at Planets.nu are based on naval officer ranks. Details of the real-world naval officer ranks can be found on Wikipedia and elsewhere.
To get promoted, you must gain Badges and Achievement points by playing games. The following ranks require Achievement points, thus:
Rank Achievement Required Midshipman 0 Ensign 5 Sub-Lieutenant 20 Lieutenant 50 Lieutenant Commander 100 Commander 300 Captain 800 Commodore 1300 Rear Admiral 2000 Vice Admiral 3000 Admiral 4000 Fleet Admiral 5000
Just having a long career in the fleet will not ensure that you become promoted; you must prove yourself worthy by demonstrating success in battle. Achievement points are required to obtain all the higher ranks. They are awarded for position at endgame; bonuses are granted for the Difficulty Modifier of the game and any victory position.
There are two types of achievement points which combine to a total for an officer: Historical Achievements, from completed games or badges, and Public Opinion, an estimate based on scores in the games they are currently playing. Public opinion can vary wildly while Historic remains relatively constant.
If a player does not log in and has been out of premium for 90 days, their historical achievement points will degrade at the rate of 3% per month. This could result in a reduction in rank.
View detailed formulae for Achievement points.
In addition to the Achievement points described above, players will be required to show a certain level of skill in the games they play. This skill is approximated by a metric, and is measured by whether one can meet specific objectives in the course of the game. These objectives, along with the badges awarded and the badges required for promotion, are shown in detail on the badges page.
In addition to the primary by-race ranked leaderboard and the Hall of Fame, players are tracked in three other categories: Blitz Ratings, Mercenaries, and Recruiters.
The Blitz environment is a special 1-on-1 speed-game format distinct from other styles of gameplay. Ratings points are gambled on each game and awarded to the winner. Blitz rankings are displayed in a single ladder-style list using an ELO system, and every player has an entry for each race.
The Mercenary leaderboard tracks players according to their average rank in all available races here at Planets.nu. Each rank promotion earned by a player grants them one-twelfth of a point. These points are awarded in races where a player has advanced beyond the rank of Midshipman.
In the event of a drop in a Championship game, the top-ranked eligible Mercenary may be invited to step in as a replacement, with preference being given to those players with the highest rank in-race who have not been its Supreme Commander. Mercenary replacements are awarded the same rights, privileges, and responsibilities of any Supreme Commander, though not the title, and they don't risk any Achievement Points.
Player attrition is the deadliest foe faced by this site. Inevitably, over time, a certain percentage of our players will leave through either disaffection or disinterest, and some of us will face real-life events that leave us without the time or ability to indulge in the game. That's just life, and it's understandable.
But we as players can help the website and the game we enjoy by recruiting replacement players from among our friends and by posting links on social media websites. In return, we are given a reward by the Planets site for every recruit we sign up, and the top recruiters are tracked in this part of the Leaderboard.
To access your personal link, just go to the Upgrade button on the top navigation bar of the web page, or click here. You will see a personalized web link which represents your own account; copy that into your post (or, if you're old-school, your email) for your friends to click.