Master---how did it start

Okay, right now the only way to become a master is to get up to 10th Dan and beat a master to promote. When VF5 online first first first came out, how did ranking up work. If no one was a master how did new masters come about? (And really this works for any rank)
So if anyone was there in the first few days of VF5 online, can you tell me how it played out, very interested to know.
thanks

 

I am pretty sure you can still rank up the normal manner while 10th dan, facing other 8th-10th dans.

 

Ranking online works the same as in the Quest Mode. Like Auvii said 10th Dans could get to Master Rank by either beating a Master or beating 10th Dans 5 in row (maybe it was 10, I forgot).

 

I know there is a thread on the VF5 as a whole but I remember for EVO, on these forums, there was a sticky or something that explicitly focused on the explanation of the ranks. I come across tons of people that never knew or just don't quite understand how the ranking works in VF5. Given the tier system in the named ranks is a bit more confusing, its basically the same. If there is a sticky of some sort please correct me.

Edit: Ok went and found this... http://virtuafighter.com/view.php?section=vf4&file=vf4evo_ranking_faq.html

to my knowledge the system is nearly identical up to the named ranks. Thats when the tier system comes in with percentages determining your rank. I looked on the VF5 wiki and couldn't find an equivalent guide.

 

Well it makes sense in Quest mode, b/c you are playing comp players who already have rankings, but it would just be weird to start up with everyone at level zero so to speak. thanks for the answers guys.

 

I wish i would have read the ranking charts online cause i would'nt have been running around beating up on 10th dans at 5th kyu in hope of ranking up faster.

 

Remember VF is primarily an arcade game, and in the arcades you can save your ranks. It's always been the case that everyone started from 0, and worked there way up, in all the previous VF iterations... it's just only now with the online mode that those of us outside of Japan are getting to see the system (which is also why nobody bothered documenting how ranking works in english before).