We are happy to present the new season of the Voltaic benchmarks, including a brand new energy system to acquire ranks, new scenarios to look forward to and better divided difficulties.
Below we’ll explain all the changes and elaborate on why we decided to create a new season and explain our reasoning for the rank reset.
Questions & Concerns
Why a new season?
It’s been half a year since we delivered a large update for our KovaaKs benchmarks. By collecting feedback in the last 12 months we came up with plenty of conclusive changes to improve the whole benchmark experience.
Why are the ranks getting reset?
With the improvements made to the benchmark scenarios and their scoring, combined with the sizable time gap between releases, this upcoming season’s ranks intrinsically hold little relation to the previous season. It also seemed evident by popular vote held in our discord, that Voltaic community members are excited to have new incentives to push themselves and compete to reach their potential within a new and refreshed system.
What happens to the old scenarios and progress sheet?
All of the old scenarios as well as the progress sheet will still be available. These new benchmarks will replace the current integration as soon as possible.
Does the Auto Updater Tool work with KovaaKs?
Yes, however some tweaks are being made to make it more intuitive. See #tech pins to get it working on the new sheet.
All the updates for our benchmarks
Three part difficulty division & Iron Rank
When we first released our benchmarks with two separate difficulties, we expected that the benchmarks sufficiently covered all difficulty levels.
However after receiving feedback from our community (particularly on our subreddit), we found that beginners still felt excluded and outpaced at the lowest levels our previous benchmarks offered.
As a direct result of this feedback, our benchmarks are now divided in the following difficulties: Novice, Intermediate and Advanced.
Novice players can achieve the following ranks: Iron, Bronze, Silver and Gold.
Intermediate players can achieve: Platinum, Diamond, Jade and Master.
Advanced players can achieve: Grandmaster, Nova, Astra and Celestial.
Scenario names
All our scenarios now start with the VT prefix, this is done for consistency and to avoid having bloated scenario names.
Energy System
Achieving scores on our benchmarks now rewards users with energy.
How it works
- To achieve a certain rank you need to meet the energy threshold.
- Each subcategory awards energy for your highest achieved score.
- Your average total energy determines your final rank (harmonic mean).
- Pushing your score closer to the next rank awards more energy.
- The amount of energy needed for each rank follows a linear progression, starting at 100 for Iron and increasing in increments of 100 all the way up to Celestial.
Why did we switch to the Energy System?
We noticed that players were being bottlenecked by some of their weaknesses a little too much. This means that their final rank would be underrepresenting their actual ability which is counter to our benchmark’s objectives. In order to properly measure a player’s overall mouse control skill we should represent them by their strengths, their most proficient subcategories usually pertain to their main game. The new system therefore complements everyone from various FPS titles as each title favors a different subcategory.
Scenario Changes
KovaaKs
Overall changes
- Two scenarios per subcategory.
- The addition of strafe/movement, as a requirement for the complete benchmarks for advanced and intermediate players.
Vaulted scenarios
Scenarios that are no longer used for our benchmarks
- Air Angelic
- FuglaaXYZ
- Popcorn
- Original Bounce
- Ww3t
- patTS
- SmoothbotTS
Dynamic
Pasu
Single-click bots travel in straight lines at various angles on an X/Y Plane, while making unpredictable directional changes and colliding with walls. The player’s weapon has three shots and empty magazines recover per bullet.
- Back to reload to maintain a consistent scoring system.
Bounceshot
Single-click bots leap in mid-high arcs on top of a flat surface, changing depths as they traverse. The player’s weapon has three shots and empty magazines recover in their entirety upon each elimination.
- Replaces Popcorn and Bounce.
- 120 degree map, bounce-like, but with smaller target sizes and more vertical bias.
- Wall moved forward a bit to reduce target distance randomness.
Static
- Static is now divided in multiple levels:
- 1w3ts for Advanced
- 1w5ts for Intermediate
- 1w6ts for Novice
1w3ts
Small stationary bots spawn in random locations on an X/Y Plane, with each single click elimination reloading a single bullet.
- Replaces 1w4ts, only 3 targets instead of 4.
Multishot 180
Medium sized bots spawn on the inner three walls within a rectangular prism, with every single click elimination reloading the player’s three round magazine.
- Replaces both 6 Sphere and Wide Wall, larger angles and more variety in static.
- 180 degree map with various spheres spawning at different distances and angles.
Strafe Clicking
- Scenarios require you to constantly move, there is a max movement score that can be easily achieved as long as the player continues moving.
- Instructions on how to play these scenarios correctly are displayed on the right hand side of our progression sheet.
AngleStrafe
Slow moving bots travel in straight lines with either random or collision based direction changes. The player is intended to navigate the space as they shoot and their four round magazine reloads per elimination.
- Diagonal moving targets that switch directions periodically.
- 120 degree map with restricted movement to force strafes and max movement score to retain eliminations as the main objective.
BounceStrafe
Bots leap in mid-low arcs with reasonably paced and random direction changes. The player is intended to navigate the space as they shoot and their four round magazine reloads per elimination.
- Bouncing targets with varied jump height.
- 120 degree map with restricted movement to force strafes and max movement score to retain eliminations as the main objective.
Precise
Smoothbot
- Increased border size around player, small amount of acceleration to the jumps so it’s not an instant upwards motion. Minimum time that bot moves in one direction so it consistently hits top speed. Reduces randomness and adds more emphasis on precision.
PreciseOrb
One invincible spherical bot makes tall and fast leaps around the player, while changing direction at either the apex of its jump or at the end of its descent.
- Replaces PGTI.
- PGTI, but easier, target size increased, and velocity not as extreme, so it feels more like you’re tracking enemies on jump pads and headshotting them.
Reactive
VT Ground Varied
After receiving damage each of the five bots will make uniquely characteristic horizontal strafes along a flat plane, with each one expiring after twelve seconds elapse from its initial movements.
- Undesired randomness minimized due to target changing strafe profiles every 10–12 seconds. Scenario lasts for a fixed time and is less exhausting.
- Advanced bot starts with most difficult profile first.
- Spawn indicator added and delay for each spawn to allow players to reset for the next bot spawn.
VT Air Varied
After receiving damage each of the five bots will make uniquely characteristic horizontal and vertical strafes within a rectangular prism, with each one expiring after twelve seconds elapse from its initial movements.
- A sphere that strafe erratically on both vertical and horizontal angles and rotates into different strafe profiles.
- Undesired randomness minimized due to target changing strafe profiles every 10–15 seconds. Scenario lasts for a fixed time and is less exhausting.
Strafe Tracking
- Scenarios require you to constantly move, there is a max movement score that can be easily achieved as long as the player continues moving.
- Instructions on how to play these scenarios correctly are displayed on the right hand side of our progression sheet.
PillStrafe
A single bot makes fast and sporadic strafes on a flat surface and continuously respawns after it’s eliminated, all while the player navigates the space as they shoot.
- Reactive pill shaped bot with varied horizontal strafes.
- Map with bots spawning and various locations for about 1 minute and 30 seconds, restricted movement to force strafes and max movement score to retain eliminations as the main objective.
SkyStrafe
A single invincible bot makes fast and sporadic X/Y/Z strafes while the player navigates the space as they shoot.
- Reactive sphere shaped target that strafes on both horizontal and vertical angles.
Speed
- Reverted to kill based scoring as it is easier to interpret scores and decimals already cover the leaderboard ties and unfinished targets.
psalmTS
Spherical bots make slow horizontal movements, occasionally changing height levels and direction. Each bot needs to be tracked for a short period to be eliminated.
- Unchanged.
skyTS
Bots move in slow horizontal lines in a rectangular prism at various depths and need to be tracked for a short period to be eliminated. Horizontal direction changes are very slow and predictable.
- Renamed and improved version of voxTS.
- 3 targets with all the undesired random spawns removed.
Evasive
- Reverted to kill based scoring as it is easier to interpret scores and decimals already cover the leaderboard ties and unfinished targets.
evaTS
Bots move back and forth horizontally within a rectangular prism, with sizable vertical space given between each bot height. Each bot needs to be tracked for a short period to be eliminated.
- Slightly improved kinTS, with centred player model.
bounceTS
Bots leap in mid-high arcs on top of a flat surface, changing depths as they traverse. Each bot needs to be tracked for a short period to be eliminated.
- 120 degree map, bots can’t get stuck in corners.
- Wall moved forward to avoid target distance randomness.
