It seems that over the past couple of years everyone wants to affix a number to a player’s worth in World of Warcraft, but there really has been no foolproof way to do it. We all have different expectations and standards when it comes to calculating if someone is a “pro” or “scrub.” There are a number of different player-created tools out there that have attempted to tackle that very issue, yet many have gone on to spark a fair amount of controversy amongst players for providing a narrowly focused rating system based largely on what content a player has consumed rather than what they’re actually like as a player.

We’re going to take a look at the various methods of scoring characters that are currently available to players in WoW and see which one is the best. Each tool listed here has certain strengths and weaknesses, and like all addons it’s ultimately up to the player to decide whether any or all of them are worth the install or visit to the website. But if you’re looking for such a tool moving into Cataclysm when a whole new batch of instances and raid tiers adds deeper value to tracking character and guild progression or even just want to gain a better understanding of what options are out there, this will be a good place to start.

GearScore

GearScore gives you the simple score and a detailed inspect window.

Perhaps the most well known at this point, GearScore is the de facto standard when it comes to turning someone’s gear into a number. You install the addon into WoW and simply hover over a player’s name to find out what their score is. Many players organizing raids, dungeon runs, and events utilize these numbers to either deny or accept entry.

The strength of GearScore rests in its simplicity and awareness. You’ve got one number and a simple interface within one addon. You can see the number and determine where a player stands as far as it comes to raid content or PvP. Additionally many players have the addon installed and understand what the various numbers mean. However, GearScore’s simplicity is also a major negative for it.

All you get is a score derived from the total iLvL of gear a player is wearing (with slot compensation, so belts count less than chest pieces). That’s it. The score can be manipulated by equipping higher ilvl gear or it can be tanked quickly by having a few pieces of roleplay gear on. It doesn’t account for gems, enchants, or most importantly, the experience level of the player.

GearScore is used by a large portion of the community and knowing your score is pretty important if you want to get into any modern day PUGs. However, if you’re not raiding then the numbers are a bit pointless and too many people obsess over it. It’s a pretty good addon and scoring model, but I personally could do without it.

PlayerScore

One of the top 10 characters on PlayerScore right now, notice the different types of scores and depth of statistics.

PlayerScore is a complete suite of tools for measuring and ranking characters in World of Warcraft. It differs in a lot of ways from other addons and websites in that it doesn’t aim to do one thing well (such as measure someone’s gear) but it aims to do a lot of things very well. GearScore is straightforward in that it’s for players looking to form pickup groups while PlayerScore offers the ability to see where you rank globally and on your server, guild rankings, traits, ratings, and comments. It’s not so much one number but an entire set of numbers, calculations, rankings, and even allows the community itself to chime in.

My favorite feature of PlayerScore is the ability for the community to rate a player. So if you’re in a dungeon with someone who doesn’t have a lot of gear but outputs more DPS than everyone else you can give them a high rating so that others know “hey, this guy is good even if his gear is bad” while if you see someone in amazing gear do less DPS than a tank you can rate accordingly.

Not only that, but the scores take into account gems and enchants, item levels, and offers more than just a equipment score for those who are interested in seeing where they rank for crafting, achievements, or raiding. The scoreboards offer all kinds of ways to compare a single character or a guild to a server or the world.

There just isn’t a website either, an addon is available in the game to allow you to lookup players and see comments and stats on them, leave comments/ratings/traits for players you’ve met in dungeons before, and see the scores for other players that you meet. You don’t need to use the website to use the addon or use the addon to use the website giving you flexibility of when and how you access PlayerScore.

The only thing that I dislike about PlayerScore is that some of the numbers in some of the areas are a bit off. However, considering it’s in a beta and the amount of progress that has been made, this will probably not even be an issue in the near future.

Elitist Group

The funny thing about Elitist Group is that it’s sort of the “elitist” addon used by those who prefer not to use more mainstream selections. It features detailed stats about a character, pinpointing faulty gemming/enchants, and offers the ability to comment and share with your friends and guildmates.

The really good part is that it does tell you everything you need to know about a player and if their gear is good and if anyone in the guild/friends/etc. have had a problem with them. The really bad part is that the addon is a bit clunky to use and overkill for when you’re trying to sort out players for a raid. I’ve found it as a good tool to see how your gems/enchants standup and if you’ve made a mistake anywhere though.

WoW-Heroes

WoW-Heroes is a rather old way of measuring a character but one I still kind of like using. You get a simple score and a bar showing what instances a player should try along with their gear and achievements. It’s really simple and based entirely off of iLvL, but it’s a simple and easy to use website. There isn’t much more to say about it other than that.

Conclusion

There are a lot of different methods of scoring and ranking characters out there and there isn’t one perfect solution yet. PlayerScore is my obvious favorite because of all of the options and information it gives you without being too complicated, while I also like WoW-Heroes for the simplicity of it. GearScore is used by a lot of people, but only measures gear. Elitist Group is, well, rather elitist but a really good tool to make sure you have put a wrong gem in or enchanted something wrong.

Personally, I suggest giving PlayerScore a try the next time you wonder where you or others stand within the game. Failing that, the traditional way of just seeing if someone is a good player instead of someone who can find a guild to carry them through an instance is something that I find to be an enjoyable experience. Communication plays a big role in successfully downing content, it shouldn’t feel like you’re buying a car every time you invite someone to a raid or you try to get invited yourself.

What do you think? What method do you use? Come to the Ten Ton Hammer community forums and share your opinion!