The Dustbin

[kronenblatt]

Thanks for invite!

I'm interested to participate in the following two sections for Season 9:

Biblical – will be reorganised into divisions of 6 players, playing paired games, consisting of historical match-ups chosen by myself based on the Rise of Persia module, all matches 1200pts. No TT Mod armies will be used.

Themed Event – hoplite warfare, all matches 1600pts - this will possibly be the last themed event and it will be replaced as soon as High Middle Ages becomes available, hopefully in time for Season 10.

... The Themed Event is not always offered to new players in their first season because there is no separation of players into skill groups and it can be a bit difficult for a new player if they are drawn against an A-rated player...

I have no problem being butchered by A-rated players á la Ludendorf, Cunningcairn and their likes; happens all the time and is part of the learning process. But fair enough: I limit my interest of participation to Biblical then.

[hscic]

TY Pete for your effort and patience.
hscic

[Darkwater247]

Hello,

I have enjoyed playing the tinywars league and would like to join season 9 of the DL if I may.

Cheers

[TomoeGozen]

Pete,
I was looking forward to doing the themed event too .As a fairly new player too I also have no problems getting slaughtered by the guys that know what they are doing! Best way to learn.
cheer,
Dave.

[stockwellpete]

Hello,

I have enjoyed playing the tinywars league and would like to join season 9 of the DL if I may.

Cheers

Yes, OK. I will add you to the invitation list.

[stockwellpete]

Pete,
I was looking forward to doing the themed event too .As a fairly new player too I also have no problems getting slaughtered by the guys that know what they are doing! Best way to learn.
cheer,
Dave.

Well, it is your second season now so you will be able to enter the Themed Event.

[TomoeGozen]

Pete,
I was looking forward to doing the themed event too .As a fairly new player too I also have no problems getting slaughtered by the guys that know what they are doing! Best way to learn.
cheer,
Dave.

Well, it is your second season now so you will be able to enter the Themed Event.

Marvellous

Thanks Pete

[Ironclad]

Hi Pete,

I'd like the chance to play in the league again.

[angel42052]

Hello Pete,

Pls. incl. me in the league Season 9.

Thanks,

Steve

[Cunningcairn]

a comment on Pete...our great wrangler of game wonks...He has been with us a very long time...since early fog 1 days. He has always been:
RESPONSIVE and PROMPT: Pete is always available, responds in detail to every inquiry,
PROFESSIONAL: Pete takes his duties and responsibilities seriously, and treats all issues with respect
THICK SKINNED; many MANY M A N Y times he has been embroiled in the endless debates amongst all of us opinionated gamesters with all the answers, and he's taken all the abuse and continued on without taking the criticism to heart (we all hope)
CREATIVE YET CONSISTENT: he has carefully weighed all the newfangled ideas and concepts we inundate him with every season and come up with elegant solutions that have kept things manageable
COMMITTED: This might be the most important one...he seems to genuinely care about the success of our little community, and that makes all the difference.

in short...without PETE we'd be a hollow shell of what we are today, and i thank Pete for making this a grreat experience as well as a place to find some friendships. Kudos to PETE...thank you for 100s of hours of fun and excitement!

+1 x10

[stockwellpete]

Hi Pete,

I'd like the chance to play in the league again.

Hello there. Long time. I will add you to the invitation list.

[stockwellpete]

Hello Pete,

Pls. incl. me in the league Season 9.

Thanks,

Steve

OK, I have added you to the invitation list.

[stockwellpete]

Change to army selection procedure update

Some more information is available now regarding the new rule that requires players to pick a different army and allies from season to season in each section that they enter (e.g. if you have used, say, a Roman army with Jewish allies in one section, then you cannot use a Roman or Jewish army or Roman or Jewish allies in that section in the next season.)

There are just a few clarifications needed beyond this basic rule, I think, where nations have several different variations . . .

Classical Antiquity - the Diadochi group of armies count as one "nation" in our tournament, so anyone using, say, Antigonid in one season cannot use another Diadochi army in the next season (there are other pike options available, particularly Pyrrhic, and also now the two earliest Seleucid armies that have been removed from the Diadochi group and they have have a few pike units). Greeks includes Mercenary and Western; and Thracian includes Getae, Hellenistic, Triballi, Hellenistic Getae and Gallic.

Late Antiquity - Hunnic includes Western and Sabir; Dacian includes Dacian Carpi.

Early Middle Ages - Anglo-Saxon includes Continental Saxon; Arab includes Conquest, Umayyad, Abbasid, North Africa and Syria/Iraq; and Viking includes Viking (Ireland).

To give another example to spell it out very clearly - if you pick Arab Abbasid army in one season then that means you cannot use another Arab army in the next season you enter the tournament, either as your main army or as allies. Not Arab Conquest, or Umayyads or whatever. The prohibition is only for one season (unlike LOEG in FOG1 where it was for 3 seasons) so the prohibition has been applied more broadly.

[stockwellpete]

The FOG2 Digital League: rules of competition

1. The League

The league will consist of 5 core sections:

Biblical Age 3200BC - 601BC
Classical Antiquity 600BC – 1BC
Late Antiquity 0AD - 599AD
Early Middle Ages 600AD - 1039AD
High Middle Ages 1040AD – 1500 AD

In addition, another section, historically themed, will be available each season.

Each core section will be divided into divisions of 10 players, except for the Biblical section which will be divided into divisions of 6 players. If any division is not full at the start of competition then recruitment to it will remain open until all vacancies are filled.

Each player will play one match against all the other players in a division, except for the Biblical and Themed Event sections where paired games will be used for all matches.

Promotion and relegation will occur between all divisions. Players winning a division will always be promoted and players coming bottom of a division will always be relegated. Other promotions and relegations will be at the discretion of the organisers.

Players who have completed 9 tournament matches will be given a FOG2 Digital League rating.

Any eventuality not covered by these rules will be subject to adjudication by the organisers. The adjudication panel currently consists of ianiow (Ian), hidde (Anders) and stockwellpete (Pete).

2. Joining the league and selecting your armies

Players are usually required to select four different armies for each of the core sections that they wish to enter and to post them in the relevant “recruitment” threads. Players will then usually be allocated one army for each section they have entered and they will use this army for all 9 matches. Players cannot pick their 4 armies, or their allies, from nations that they used in their last season in any section, whether they were used as the main army or as the allies. The FOG2DL ratings will be used in the process of allocating these armies.

3. Participation in the league

Returning players will usually be able to enter a maximum of four section of the league. New players to the league may enter no more than three sections in their first season. It is expected that players will complete all their fixtures. Those who do not may be excluded from subsequent seasons.

Players must register one result in each section they have entered within three weeks of the start of the season, and three results within each section they have entered after five weeks (i.e. the halfway stage) of the tournament, or they may be replaced by a player from the reserve list. Players should play their matches evenly across the sections they have entered rather than concentrate on just one section at a time.

4. Matches

Either player may initiate a match by posting a challenge in the appropriate thread in the competition forum and by sending a PM to their opponent.
For matches in each of the core sections players will select "Open Battle" for the scenario type.

From Season 10 matches in Classical Antiquity and Late Antiquity will have a default size of 1600 points, while matches in Biblical, Early Middle Ages and High Middle Ages will have a default size of 1200pts. Matches in the Themed Event will have a default size corresponding to the historical period being featured in that particular season. Before the tournament starts players will be able to state their preferences for either 1200pt or 1600pt battles in each of the sections of the tournament that they have entered. Where both players in a match have stated the same preference then the match will proceed at that size. Where players have stated a different preference then the match will proceed at the default size for that particular section.

For 1200 points battles players will choose a “Medium" army and a “Medium" battlefield, while for 1600 points players will select a "Large" army and choose a “Wide" battlefield.

The Map type will always be "Pot Luck", unless otherwise specified. Players are usually free to customise their army before each battle so "Player" is the correct Force Selection option, unless otherwise specified.

If a match is set-up incorrectly for any reason then it must be re-started as soon as possible.

Players may agree to re-start a match within the first three turns if they believe the terrain is likely to produce a sterile match or a draw. The maximum number of re-starts permitted for a single match is two.

Reporting the result of a match is the responsibility of the winning player. If you are a losing player and notice that the result has not been posted after three days you should post the result yourself.

5. Winning league points

Points will be awarded for wins, marginal wins, ties, draws and marginal defeats as follows . . .

4 points - for a win where the losing player has not scored 50% or more
3 points - for a marginal win where the losing player has scored 50% or more
2 points - for a tie where both players score 60% or more, or for a draw where a player has scored at least 25%
1 point - for a marginal defeat where the losing player has scored 50% or more
0 points - for a loss, or for a draw where a player has not scored 25% or more

To win a game a player must always “rout” the opponent’s army. A "rout" occurs when an army breaks and 60% of its original troops are routed or dispersed, or if 40-59% of its original troops are routed or dispersed and the opponent has lost at least 25% less.

A draw will occur where neither army has broken by the match turn limit (24 turns), or at any point in the match by agreement between the two players.

If two or more players finish on the same number of points at the end of the season, the player with the most wins will be placed higher in the table. If two or more players have the same number of wins then the results of the matches between those two or more players will determine the final positions in the league table. Where these results still do not separate the players the players will be considered to have "tied" and will be given equal standings in the final league tables.

In the Themed Event, however, where it is necessary to separate players in the final tables at the group stage to decide who progresses to the knock-out phase, the points aggregate from the matches between the players with the same number of wins will be used to decide the final places in the group table. If this still does not separate the players then lots will be drawn to determine which player(s) proceed to the next stage of the competition.

In the knock-out rounds of the Themed Event where players win one game each, aggregate scoring will be used to decide which player progresses to the next round. Players resigning a match in the knock-out stages will automatically be knocked-out of the competition.

6. Player etiquette and withdrawal from the league

Please treat organisers and other players in the way that you would wish to be treated yourself. Please visit the Field of Glory 2 forum regularly and log in to see if there are any messages for you. Try to respond to communications as quickly as you can and once you have started a match play at a regular pace so it can be completed within a reasonable timespan. It is expected that all matches will be completed within one month of their starting date. Matches that continue for longer than one month may be adjudicated. If you are unable to play for a short period of time then please let your opponents know in advance, whenever possible.

Please do not resign a match if you are less than 15% behind your opponent. Failure to follow this rule may affect your future entry rights.

Please notify the tournament organisers if you are unable to contact an opponent to start a match after 7 days have elapsed.

After the first Time Control check has passed, if your opponent has not moved at all for 7 days without explanation then you are entitled to claim the match automatically by using the multi-player in-game facility provided.

If you wish to resign from the league, or if you will not have time to finish all of your matches, please notify the tournament organisers as soon as possible. If you have not completed three matches in a division in a core section your record will be expunged completely. If you have completed three or more matches then the points available from any unplayed matches will be awarded to your opponents.

In the Themed Event, If you have not completed one match in a qualifying group you will be replaced by a reserve if it is possible. If you have completed one or more matches then the points available from any un-played matches will be awarded to your opponents.

(v11 14/05/2021)

[stockwellpete]

Changes in the rules for Season 9 are shown in italicised text.

[stockwellpete]

The Players' Guide

We hope you will take the time to read this very short players' guide. The organisers will assume that everyone has done so and that all the points contained within it are fully understood. It is advised to read this guide in conjunction with the Rules of Competition.

Please visit the FOG2DL forum regularly and log in so that you can access any private messages that may have been sent to you by other players or the tournament organisers.

The complete rules of competition are posted on the forum here . . .

viewtopic.php?f=501&t=101085

The organisers will intervene on the basis of these rules where necessary. If you should need clarification on anything then please ask by posting your question in "The Rally Point: Discussion and Questions" thread or by sending a PM to myself (stockwellpete).


Rule 2

When choosing your four armies for the core league sections please choose armies from four different nations. If you were to choose, say, two Carthaginian armies and two Roman armies, then you would be asked to make other selections, which might lead to a delay. You may number your choices as 1, 2, 3 and 4 to indicate your preference if you want to. We cannot guarantee that a player will get their first choice army. Very occasionally a player may be asked to make a fifth selection. Please take care over your army selections and ensure that you have chosen armies that you enjoy playing with.

From Season 3 onwards the FOG2DL player ratings have been used to determine the order in which armies are allocated to players in each division. This means that if you know you are likely to be one of the higher rated players in a division then there is much less chance that you will get your first preference army.


Rule 3

It is expected that players will complete all their matches. The FOG2 Digital League tournament is an invitation event and entry rights may be restricted, or removed altogether, for those players who fail to complete their fixtures in the previous season, or who are held responsible for very slow play. So please think carefully about the number of matches you are going to be able to play in a season of 10 weeks duration. Each core league section will require you to play 9 matches (Biblical will require you to play 10) and a player reaching the final of the Themed Event may also play 10 matches. A player entering the maximum of 4 sections will have to play around 36 matches in total.

The tournament does have a time control system that is fairly strictly adhered to. The relevant rule here states, "Players must register one result in each section they have entered within three weeks of the start, and three results within each section they have entered within five weeks (i.e. the halfway stage) of the opening of the tournament, or they may be replaced by a player from the reserve list. Messages will be posted on the forum as the time control date approaches so please be sure to read them. We usually find that we have some latecomers to the tournament and we will put them on reserve lists for the various sections. Players failing the time control either at the three week stage, or at the half-way stage, run the risk of being excluded from that section of the tournament and being replaced by a player on the reserve list.


Rule 4

Most matches will use the "open battle" option and either “Large” and “Wide” (for 1600 point battles) or "Medium" and “Medium” (for 1200 point battles) settings for army and map size. From Season 10 onwards players will be asked to state a preference for either 1200 point or 1600 point matches in each section of the tournament that they have entered. Think carefully about this before the season starts as you cannot change your preference afterwards. The default size of battles is 1200 points for Biblical, Early Middle Ages and High Middle Ages; and is 1600 points for Classical Antiquity and Late Antiquity. The default size of battles for the Themed Event will depend on the historical period being featured in that particular season. Where players in a match have both chosen the same size armies then the game will be played at that size. Where players in a match have chosen different size armies then the game will be played at the default size for that particular section. Players may pick their own units so the "Player" Force Selection option is used. The "pot luck" terrain setting is mandatory for all matches in this league, unless otherwise specified. The only exception to this is when user-made scenarios are used in the Themed Event.

Note: "Pot Luck" terrain

Where the armies have different home map sets, the game will use the highest priority map set in the following list (highest to lowest): Tropical, Northern Europe, Mediterranean, Middle East, Steppe, Desert." The "Pot Luck" element determines whether the terrain is Agricultural, Hilly, Wooded or Mountainous.

Either player may initiate a match by posting a challenge in the appropriate thread in the competition forum. When challenging an opponent to a match, please remember to also send a PM (private message) to your opponent as well. This will help to avoid the situation where challenges posted on the forum are sometimes missed and matches are subsequently delayed. When setting up your challenges please ensure that they are password-protected. It is better to either use all lower case or all upper case in your passwords rather than a mixture of the two. When setting up the challenge inside the game, please use the "Comment" field to indicate who the game is for and which section and division the match is from.

Sometimes players will just issue one challenge, on other occasions a player might issue 8 or 9 challenges at the same time. Remember, if you put all your challenges up at the same time, you will undoubtedly find it necessary to periodically re-issue the challenges for the matches that have not been picked up straight away. It is entirely up to you how you proceed. All that is asked is that players try to arrange their matches fairly evenly across the sections they have entered rather than concentrate on just one section at a time. This is important with regards the Time Control system that is explained in Rule 4 and Rule 6.

There can be some tactical considerations to the issuing of challenges although not all players are concerned too much about this. For instance, what if you have a player in your division who has always beaten you? Is it better to play them at the beginning before they really get to grips with their army, or is it better to build up some confidence against someone you may have beaten before?

Charts are provided for each section that enable players to see which opponents they still have to play.

Please do not ignore a challenge from an opponent. If you are playing enough matches at the time and you get another challenge, please PM your opponent and try and agree a later suitable start date.

If a match is set-up incorrectly for any reason then it must be re-started as soon as possible.

Players may agree to re-start a match, within the first three turns of either player, if they feel the terrain is likely to lead to a sterile encounter or a draw. Players may agree to a maximum of 2 re-starts. If one player wants to keep the map then further re-starts will not occur.

Reporting the result of a match is the responsibility of the winning player. Please do this as soon as you can after the match so that the league tables can be updated quickly. Please do not keep 3 or 4 results and then post them altogether at a later time. If you have lost a match and notice that it has not been posted on the forum after a couple of days, please post it on the forum yourself and the organisers will contact your opponent to remind them of their responsibilities.

From Season 4 onwards, a marginal victory rule has been introduced whereby a player winning a match will only get 3 points, instead of 4, if the losing player has inflicted 50% or more damage on their army. The losing player will also get 1 point in such circumstances. Ties and draws (where players have inflicted 25% or more losses on their opponent) will get 2 points.


Rule 6

Most matches are completed within a reasonable time-frame but occasionally a game will take considerably longer if one player is either playing very slowly, or has stopped playing altogether.

Rule 6 states, "It is expected that all matches will be completed within one month of their starting date". So if you have a match that is coming up to being a month old and your opponent has either stopped playing, or is playing very slowly, please contact me by PM in the first instance and I will see if I can contact the player and get things moving again. If I cannot contact the player then the match will be sent for adjudication.

Rule 6 also states "Please notify the tournament organisers if you are unable to contact an opponent to start a match after 7 days have elapsed." If you have put a challenge on the forum and sent your opponent a PM but you get no response at all for 7 days then you should contact me by PM in the first instance and I will try and get the match started for you. Remember though, sometimes, it may be the case that your opponent is playing a number of matches already and does not want to start another one at this time. Provided they explain this to you and suggest an alternative start date then this is OK as far as the organisers are concerned. The tournament runs for 10 weeks and players are entitled to spread their matches out over this time.

Additionally, Rule 6 states, "If your opponent has not moved at all for 7 days without explanation then you are entitled to claim the match automatically by using the facility to do this on the multiplayer system." In these circumstances you do not need to contact the organisers. If you are going away for a week in the tournament when you are in the middle of some matches then you must notify your opponents, either in-game or by PM. If you feel uncomfortable about claiming a match under this rule then, after 7 days have passed without a turn, you may send a PM to your opponent asking him to play the next turn. If you hear nothing within 3 days then go ahead and claim the match. Please note that you cannot claim a match under this rule before the first Time Control check has taken place (i.e. in the first 3 weeks of the tournament).

Please remember that every match you play in the FOG2DL has something resting on it. There are no "dead matches". Even if you are languishing in mid-table with only a couple of matches left to play, and there is no chance of you being promoted or relegated, your matches still attract Player Rating points which will determine where you finish in the Ratings. These Ratings are produced at the end of every season . . .

viewtopic.php?f=501&t=100806

Please do not resign a match if you are less than 15% behind your opponent’s score. Failure to abide by this rule may effect your entry rights in future.

Finally, in terms of resignations from the tournament, Rule 6 stipulates, "If you wish to resign from the league, or if you will not have time to finish all of your matches, please notify the tournament organisers as soon as possible. If you have not completed three matches in a division in a core section your record will be expunged completely. If you have completed three or more matches then the points available from any un-played matches will be awarded to your opponents. In the Themed Event, If you have not completed one match in a qualifying group you will be replaced by a reserve where possible. If you have completed one or more matches then the points available from any un-played matches will be awarded to your opponents."

v7 2/1/2021

[GeneralKostas]

Hello,

I am ready for the Season 9.

[Barrold713]

Is the Higher Middle Ages Era an indication of an imminent DLC?
How do we get to 1500 AD with the current lists, he asked with bated breath...

[deeter]

I wish to join this season's league as well. Was on the A team back in FOG I days. Thanks.

Deeter

[stockwellpete]

I wish to join this season's league as well. Was on the A team back in FOG I days. Thanks.

Deeter

Yes, I have you on the list already.