Skip to content
Matcha! Mods

FAQ

Quick answers to the most common Frontier questions. Most link out to the relevant deep-dive page.

Matchmaking & Queuing

Section titled “Matchmaking & Queuing”

How does matchmaking work?

Section titled “How does matchmaking work?”

Frontier’s queue pairs players by rating and progressively widens the search range the longer someone waits. A 1500-rated player starts matching only near 1500, but after 50 seconds at default settings, their range expands to 1000—2000. Both players’ ranges must overlap for a match.

Full breakdown: Matchmaking.

Why can’t I queue?

Section titled “Why can’t I queue?”

A few things can block you:

  • Team validation failed — your team doesn’t meet the ladder’s format clauses (banned species, illegal moves, wrong team size, etc.). Check the error message for specifics.
  • Already in a queue — you can only be in one queue at a time. Run /ranked queue leave first.
  • Ranked ban — an admin banned you. You’ll see a message with the reason and remaining duration.
  • No active season — if the server uses seasons and no season is currently active, queuing is disabled.

What happens if I disconnect during a match?

Section titled “What happens if I disconnect during a match?”

If you log out or crash mid-match, a timeout timer starts. If you don’t reconnect before it expires, the match counts as an auto-surrender and your opponent gets the win. Reconnect in time and the battle continues normally.

Can players challenge friends directly?

Section titled “Can players challenge friends directly?”

Yes. /ranked challenge <player> <ladder> sends a direct challenge that bypasses the queue. The challenged player accepts with /ranked accept or declines with /ranked deny. Same format rules, same arenas — just no wait.

Full details: Challenges.

Rating System

Section titled “Rating System”

Can I use both Glicko-2 and Showdown K-Scaling?

Section titled “Can I use both Glicko-2 and Showdown K-Scaling?”

Yes. Each ladder can run a different rating algorithm. Your singles ladder could use Glicko-2 while your doubles ladder uses Showdown K-Scaling. Configure the algorithm field in each ladder’s rating block.

See Rating System for how both algorithms work.

What’s Rating Deviation (RD)?

Section titled “What’s Rating Deviation (RD)?”

RD measures how confident the system is in a player’s rating. A low RD (near 50) means the rating is well-established. A high RD (near 350) means uncertainty — either the player is new or hasn’t played in a while.

RD increases during inactivity. When the player comes back, their rating will shift more per match until RD settles again.

What’s the anti-boost system?

Section titled “What’s the anti-boost system?”

It prevents rating farming by reducing gains from repeated matchups against the same opponent. Within a configurable time window (default: 24 hours), the first match gives full rating change, the second gives 50%, and the third onward gives only 10%. You can also block same-IP matchmaking entirely.

Configured in config.conf under antiBoost. See Main Config for all fields.

Seasons & Rewards

Section titled “Seasons & Rewards”

How do seasons work?

Section titled “How do seasons work?”

A season defines a time window with active ladders, milestone rewards (earned during the season), and season-end rewards (distributed at close based on final standings). When a season ends, ratings can reset — hard, soft, or not at all.

Full reference: Seasons.

Formats & Teams

Section titled “Formats & Teams”

How do I add a custom format?

Section titled “How do I add a custom format?”

Add a new block to config/frontier/formats.conf with a unique ID, then reference that format ID in a ladder config. At minimum, set a displayName and your desired clauses list.

my_format {
    displayName = "My Format"
    clauses = ["species_clause", "sleep_clause"]
    bannedSpecies = ["mewtwo"]
    validateLegality = true
}

Full reference: Formats.

How do random battles work?

Section titled “How do random battles work?”

A format with randomTeams = true generates teams automatically from Pokemon Showdown’s competitive data sets, filtered for Cobblemon’s implemented species. Players queue with no team — they get a randomly generated one when the match starts. No teambuilding required.

Full details: Random Battles.

Spectating & Replays

Section titled “Spectating & Replays”

Where are match replays stored?

Section titled “Where are match replays stored?”

By default, config/frontier/replays/. You can change the directory in config.conf under the replay block. Replays record every move, switch, and turn.

See Replays for more.

Arenas & Admin

Section titled “Arenas & Admin”

How do I create an arena?

Section titled “How do I create an arena?”

Use the built-in wizard:

  1. /ranked admin arena create <id> — start the builder.
  2. Stand at player 1’s spawn, run /ranked admin arena setpos1.
  3. Stand at player 2’s spawn, run /ranked admin arena setpos2.
  4. Stand at the spectator spot, run /ranked admin arena setspectator.
  5. /ranked admin arena done — save it.

Full reference: Arenas.