Rules

 

Our primary purpose in this tournament is to provide a forum for competition based on the basic principles of fair play, cooperation, and sportsmanship. We stress the word "sportsmanship" and take any and all non-sportsmanship actions seriously.   We are here to provide a friendly atmosphere for all to enjoy playing.   Furthermore, you are welcome to e-mail anyone on the staff at any time if you have questions, disputes, or just want to shoot the shit.  I personally guarantee a response to all my e-mail.   Anything not listed on the page is forbidden unless agreed to by both clans.

This page contains a list of rules that we felt were required to achieve this goal. 

Note:  The Ragnarok staff may choose not to enforce these rules if they feel that the outcome of the game would not have been affected.   The staff may interpret the rules in the spirit of sportsmanship as they please.   Furthermore, a team's intent is important in deciding any rules discrepancies.

-batstone

25 Things not to do in a game.

1) Don't ever stand still or kill the same opponent in the same spot twice - you're obviously a camper
2) Don't wait for weapons/pickups to respawn - you camper
3) Don't use the BFG well - you no-skillz BFG lamer newbie
4) Don't use the Railgun well - you no-skillz zbot cheater
5) Don't use the Quad well - you no-skillz Quad whore camper
6) Don't use the Grenade Launcher well - you no-skillz pill popper who can't aim for toffee
7) Don't use the Hyperblaster well - you evil lpb lagblaster cheater
8) Don't use the Chaingun well - like hyperblaster but not quite so bad ;)
9) Don't use the same weapon all the time if you're good - you will be flamed for a) cheating b) being a lamer c) being a camper d) not using another weapon e) any or all of the above
10) Don't use the power screen - only no-skillz lamers use this to protect themselves
11) Don't kill with the grapple - you no-skillz cheap hooker
12) Don't rocket jump - only cheating kangaroos do this
13) Don't play with Weapstay on/Team damage off - only skill-less newbies need to do this to frag better players
14) Don't telefrag - a cheaper kill is hard to find
15) Don't be an LPB, and play well - it's obviously just the connection
16) Don't be an LPB, and play badly - what a lamer MUHAHAHAHHA
17) Don't be an LPB at all - your rate is too high, and you lag other players
18) Don't shoot a stationary player - they're obviously typing, just respawned or lagged (but never about to railgun you)
19) Don't complain about unfair teams - life's like that
20) Don't crouch to avoid fire - you newbie dump taker
21) Don't jump to avoid fire - you no-skillz kangaroo hopper (I mean, its soooo uncool and unrealistic)
22) Don't fire at corners/through doors just in case - if you kill someone you're obviously a zbot cheater who knew they were coming
23) Don't use a tactic that always works coz the enemy are dumb - you're obviously cheating
24) In fact, don't play well at all - you're either an a) an lpb, b) a cheat c) lucky d) any or all of the above
25) In fact, don't play Q2 at all, Q1 is much faster, more fun and a real skillz game (coz of air movement, the rocket launcher sucks in Q2 blah blah blah...)

 

batstone Table of Contents LM_Farbauti_CS
Article H - Code of Honor 

Section 1 - Cheating.  Not much should need to be said here.  You know if you're cheating.   Don't do it.

[1.1] Client side cheats - the use of any type of proxy / bot (ping, aiming..etc..etc.. you get the point), model hacks, map hacks, or any type of edit giving an unfair advantage. 

[1.2] Network cheats - IP/Port flooding (players and servers) and the like. 

[1.3] Impersonators/Ringers - A person other than actual roster players playing under a roster player's nick will be considered cheating.   Note: Rosters may be updated at any time but may not go into effect for at least 48 hours.

Consequences
First offense will result in an automatic forfeiture by the cheating player's clan and that player will be immediately removed from this tournament.  Second offense by the same clan will result in banishment of the entire clan.
 

Section 2 - Unsportsman-like conduct.  I cannot stress this enough.  Breaking this rule is a serious offense.  If you aren't going to say something nice, then don't say anything at all.
It is the responsibility of the clan leader to keep his players under control.  Since this is often subjective, if you feel the other team is being unsportsmanlike, you must tell them at the time of the occurrence.
It is recommended that everyone record their matches as a precaution and proof of any conduct discrepancies.

[2.1] Matches - Flooding the screen, swearing, repeated insults to anyone on the server, etc. 

[2.2] Overall - Circulating rumors, whining , bitching, or in general just being a pain in the arse.  Clans and their members are expected to behave in a mature and responsible manner during the tournament. 

[2.3] Server - You are welcome to complain nicely all you want about the server PRIOR to the match.  However, once the match starts and after the match, you may not complain about pings or lagging at any time.

Consequences
Proof of an offense will put a clan on probation for the remainder of the tournament.   A second offense will result in suspending a clan and they will receive a loss for the time they are on suspension.  For a third offense, a clan will be removed from the tournament.
 

Section 3 - Commitment. (rules & thoughts)  We are working hard to make this the best tournament ever, so we would like you to be committed to this also.

[3.1] In for the Duration - Consider your clan's ability to commit to a 14 week tournament. 

[3.2] Availability - Clans will play one scheduled match per week.  Clans will be allowed to join up to the 5th week of the tournament, but will play 2 times a week to catch up in games.

[3.3] Facing Adversity - Be prepared to continue the season even when faced with demoralizing losses.  Quitters will forever be without respect. 

[3.4] Pre Match - Foot dragging on setting up matches, unresponsiveness to communications, a rigid lack of willingness to cooperate with other clans in setting up of matches, displaying a bad attitude. 

[3.5] No Show - If your clan does not show up with any players 15 minutes after the scheduled time, your team will forfeit the match.   If you are short players at 15 minutes after the scheduled time, the game will start.  However, you may add players after the match starts to even the teams.

Consequences
Of course we cannot force anyone to play out the tournament, nor can we force anyone to stick with it when they are regularly being defeated. But we would like to remind you that tournament drop-outs and match forfeits ruin tournament enjoyment for all. We understand that unanticipated events can interfere with your ability to complete a tournament or play in a match, but barring these events, good sportsmanship requires commitment to completion.  Bailing early can effect your ability to participate in future Loki's Minions Events and more than 2 forfeits during the season will result in that clan being removed from play for the remainder of the tournament. 
 

Article S - Tournament Structure 

Section 1 - The Season. 

[1.1] Duration - The regular season will last for 11 weeks. 

[1.2] Matches - Each clan will play 1 match a week, following the rules as detailed in Article R - Rules of Play section, for the season duration. This represents 10 official matches with one week of rest.   It is mathematically possible, especially if teams drop from the tournament, that there will be an uneven amount of games to play.  If this occurs, then the team with the worst record may be asked to sit out an extra week.
 

Section 2 - Victory. 

[2.1] Match - Victory in a match will be determined by the total number of captures in the match. 

[2.2] Tie - In the event of a tie, the victor will be decided by the total number of points. 

[2.3] Cap Limit - If a team goes ahead by 15 captures, the losing team's leader may request to end the game at that time.  Player's stats will still be figured for a 25 minute game.

 

Section 3 - All Star Match

[3.1] All Star Bout - After the season ends, there will be a one week break during which all teams submit 10 players not on their team for the All Star Match.  The top players submitted from these will be posted and voted on and the top 12 players will compete in the All Star Game.

[3.2] Effect on Tourney - These informal bouts were put in place to provide a bit of a break in the routine of the tournament and to provide us (The Ragnarok staff) a breather to regroup and plan. None of these games will effect any clans standings in the tournament, they are just for fun. :c) 

Section 4 - Playoffs. 

[4.1] Participants - The top 16 teams will qualify for the A division playoffs.  The remainder of the teams will qualify for the B division playoffs.  This will be determined by overall record and tiebreaker points.  If there are less than 20 teams registered, the top 8 teams will qualify for the playoffs.

[4.2] Tiebreaker - Every team will receive one point for every win of the teams they beat.  For instance if Team A beats team B in week one, and team B's record is 7-3 at the end of the season, Team A gets 7 tiebreaker points for that match.  Teams will not be eliminated from the playoffs based on equal records.   If teams have equal records, there will be wildcard playoffs to determine who gets the last spot(s) in the playoffs.

[4.3] Basic Structure - The #1 ranked team will play against the #16 ranked team, 2 vs. 15, etc.  The first week of playoffs will be one game.   The Final 4, and Championship match will be 2 out of  3 games.

[4.4] Home/Away Status - The higher ranked team will have the home team status.  For the 2 of 3 series games, the status will alternate for the higher ranked team as home - away - home.

[4.5] The Ragnarok '99 Title - The clan left standing at the end of these 3 weeks will be awarded the title of Ragnarok '99 Champion. 
 

Article R - Rules of Play 

Section 1 - Preparation. 

[1.1] Team matches will be decided by a random pick set up by the Ragnarok staff.  Teams will be decided two weeks in advance.  No two teams will play each other more than once in the regular season.  Two weeks is a lot of time to set up the matches, so please check your pings and schedules early to avoid discrepancies.  Information must be posted by Monday of match week.

[1.2] Home/Away - Each team will play 5 "home" games and 5 "away" games decided by a random pick.  The clan leaders will set up a match date and time to play at.  Both clans should take initiative on their end and work together to establish a mutually beneficial schedule for both sides.  If possible, games should be played between 7:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. Monday through Friday, and 12:00 p.m. to 12:a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, CST.  If both clans agree, other times may be played.

[1.3] Server - The "Home" clan is responsible for securing the server.  A server must be provided where the Away team can connect to with playable pings.  If the Away team can provide a server with lower pings that is equitable, this server will be used.
Example:
Home Team Server: Home Pings: 50, 75, 100, 130 Away Pings 350, 450, 200, 375
Away Team Server: Home Pings: 100, 125, 150, 180 Away Pings 150, 250, 50, 175
This game should be played on the Away Team Server.

Note:  The home team is supposed to have "the home court advantage", so keep this in mind. 

We have a list of servers that have been made available for use for clans that do not have the benefit of an LMCTF server or for some reason are unable to use theirs. 

[1.4] Maps - The home team will choose 3 maps, and the away team will choose one of these to play on.

[1.5] Color - The "Away" clan gets to decide which color they play on that map.  This is really just a courtesy because all of the legal maps are fairly symmetrical. :c) 
 
When a time, server, and map are decided upon, the home team should post this in the schedule section.  It is the responsibility of the home team to take the initiative in preparing the match.  If the away team is not contacted, that team may contact the home team to make arrangements.

Section 2 - Equipment/Connections. 

[2.1] Servers - All matches will be played on Quake2 LM CTF TE servers.  Servers must be on a cable modem, T1, or a T3 line.  These servers must have the latest Quake2 and LM CTF TE updates.  Servers must be on a dedicated machine. 

European teams - If the home team is European, they can have their choice of a North American server and play a 25 minute game, or there will be 2 matches, 20 minutes each.   One game will be played on a European server, and the other game will be played on a North American server.  The Euro team will choose the Euro server, and the NA server will be chosen by the NA team.  The NA team may request another Euro server if they can find a better one as described in 1.3 above.  The Euro team may also do this for the NA server.  You can check our servers page for servers.  The players for the two matches do NOT have to be the same.  This is because some players may ping different to overseas servers.  The number of players also does not have to be the same. Rule 3.1 below must be applied for both games. The map must be the same in both games.
In the case of 2 20 minute matches, the stats will be multiplied by 5/8 to correspond to the regular 25 minute matches. 

Settings must be as follows: 

          timelimit = 25 minutes 
          fraglimit = 0 
          skinset = 0 (unless another set is agreed upon by both clans) 
          cheats = 0 (did you expect something different?) 
          dmflags = 17492 
          ctfflags = 16 
          runes = 15

 

[2.2] Check settings - Both teams should check server settings before the match starts.  If the server settings are incorrect, a clan cannot claim AFTER the match is over that the settings were wrong and want a replay.

[2.2] Connections - Open division will allow any ping and any connection.  The modem division will allow up to a 56k modem and a consistent minimum ping of 175.    No ISDN, Cable, T1, or T3 connections in the modem division.

[2.3] Hardware - All types of computers and video cards are allowed.

[2.4] BFG - Yes, the BFG is allowed.  It is part of the game, and some people like it.  However, if both teams agree it may be taken out.

Section 3 - The Games. 

[3.1] Players - Each clan must have a minimum of 4 members up to a maximum of 8 members for each game.  If possible, this should be decided before the match.  The team with the least amount of players (except less than 4) will determine the number of players for each team. 
Examples:
Team A has 7 players, team B has 4, the match is 4 on 4. 
Team A has 6 players, team B has 2, the match is 4 on 2.

[3.2] Maps - All matches will be played on one of the lmctf01-lmctf20 maps in the maps section.  The reason being, these are very symmetrical maps and these are widely known maps so most clans will at least be familiar with most maps.  

[3.3] Match Drops - When a player drops from a match for whatever reason, their score will be proven by the log file, a screen shot, or demo, and added into the clan total for that game. 

[3.4] Substitutions - If at any time a player becomes disconnected during a match, a player may be substituted.  Substitutions are absolutely not allowed for players still connected.  If the original player returns to the game, he may continue the game immediately.  If he does not continue the game immediately, he is now a sub and may not enter the match unless a player becomes disconnected as stated above.

[3.5] Server crashes - If the server crashes, a screenshot, logfile, or demo of the latest score and caps will be used and "added" to the replay game.   The time of the replay game will be 25 minutes unless agreed to by both clans.

[3.6] Spectators - Spectators will not be allowed unless agreed to by both clans. "The Ragnarok staff" may observe any match.

[3.6] BFC - BFC or any real time chat programs are not allowed unless agreed to by both clans.

[3.7] Referees - A Ragnarok referee may be requested for any match.
 
[3.8]
Clan Drops - If a clan drops out of the tournament:

- Your match will be rescheduled if there is a team available and there is at least 1 full week before the Sunday of the match week.

- If there is no clan available or there is less than 1 week before the Sunday of the match week, you will receive a forfeit win.

[3.9]  Breaking the rules - It is possible that a clan "forgets" the rules.  If there are any discrepancies, please check the rules page, and state clearly at the time it happens that you believe the clan is breaking the rules.

[3.10] Replays - If the Ragnarok staff decides on a replay, it is considered a fresh match.  The map must be the same, however the server, and players may change as long as the rules still hold for these.  This is because servers and players may not be available at a different date.

Section 4 - After the match. 

[4.1] Both the winning team and the losing team will e-mail the Ragnarok a screen shot of the final match score showing their players' scores.  Please convert to JPG if possible and specify the division and week number.   This is to record the match winner and stats.

[4.2] Both the winning and losing teams may submit a screen shot, demo, offensive, and/or defensive players to be posted in the highlights of the week section.  Please write a sentence or two describing your submission.

[4.3] - Clan of the Week - I will be selecting a clan to be posted in the highlights page.  This is a Clan that I feel represent above and beyond what sportsmanship is about. This is what the Ragnarok is supposed to represent, and it is a pleasure having clans like this around.