> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://size.club/docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://size.club/docs/playing-a-trial/the-bots-and-field-rating.md).
# The bots and Field Rating
You are the only human in your Trial. The other nine seats are bots: simulated traders running at measured skill levels on the same live markets you see.
Nine simulated traders. Same live markets. Known skill mix. That is the measuring stick.
## How to think about bots
Imagine a competitive match where:
* You are the only real player.
* Nine AI opponents play the same map on the same patch.
* Everyone sees the same prices at the same time.
* The game asks whether you outperformed opponents of a known skill tier.
That is a Trial. Bots are how the platform knows whether you traded well.
## Do bots cheat?
No. Bots trade under the same market data and the same scoring rules you do. No secret prices. No bonus points.
Some bots in the field are intentionally weaker than others. The platform mixes skill levels so the field feels like a real ladder.
## What is Field Rating?
Field Rating is a single number that tells you how hard your field is.
| End of the scale | Rating | Meaning |
| --------------------- | ------ | -------------------- |
| Easiest fields we run | 1125 | Softer bot lineup |
| Hardest fields we run | 1775 | Strongest bot lineup |
Your Trial shows your field's rating on the briefing screen, with a marker on that scale.
Higher Field Rating means bots trade better on average. You need a sharper run to finish first. Lower means a softer field. Still hard. More forgiving.
## What is Glicko?
Each bot carries a skill rating built from a Glicko-style system (a cousin of chess ELO).
Skip the math. Keep the intuition:
* Every bot has a skill number based on how it has performed in past simulations.
* Stronger bots have higher ratings.
* Your score compares your trading to what a bot at that rating would have done in your markets.
During the fifteen minutes, your live score ranks you against the nine bots in the room, and the bot ratings set how hard average play is in that seat.
## Same markets, same clock
Every entrant, human and bot, trades the live market. Prices are real. Timing is real.
Everyone competes in the same fifteen-minute window. No old tapes for bots while you get live data.
## Multi-market fairness
You choose what to trade. Bots are scored against your book.
* Hiding in a dead market while bots fight elsewhere does not win.
* You can switch markets mid-Trial. The benchmark follows you.
## How bots relate to winning
Survive five eliminations. Finish #1 among the final five.
Bots eliminate each other too. Sometimes a weak bot saves you by being last at an elimination. Sometimes a strong bot knocks out another strong bot early. Focus on your rank.
## Common questions
Are bots other players?
No. Only you are human in that Trial.
Can I get an easy field every time?
Field Rating varies. Over many runs the system calibrates difficulty. You still have to trade.
Does a harder field give better rewards?
Yes. Field difficulty is matched to the Key tier: the bigger the Life a tier pays, the harder its fields, because owning that account demands the skill to beat them. Right now every field draws from the same pool because only the Alpha Key is live. As higher tiers ship, their fields get harder and their prizes get bigger.
Should I skip Trials when Field Rating looks high?
No. A high rating is not a warning, it is the standard. Every field we run is beatable, the prize is the same, and beating a hard field is the clearest proof you are ready for bigger tiers. If you want a feel for the field first, Practice is unlimited.
## Related
* [How scoring works](/docs/playing-a-trial/how-scoring-works.md)
* [How to win](/docs/playing-a-trial/how-to-win.md)
* [Trials overview](/docs/playing-a-trial/size-trials.md)
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