[/align]Welcome to the Dark Tournament!
In this tournament six strong players will be pushed to their limits and we will determine for once and for all who can adapt best to uncertain circumstances. In a Round Robin format the players will all play each other once on a map that they know nothing about. Scouting and acting upon new information will be essential to win.
About the maps
In the past months I have created and modified 15 maps: DARK1 – DARK15. None of these maps have been uploaded to the resource center or have been exposed to any other player - only I have tested them locally against AI. The minimaps have been replaced with a black preview and shroud and fog of war are turned on for all maps. Players will not have any information about the layout of the map, symmetry/asymmetry, high/low eco, presence of water, presence of oil or the presence of hostile/neutral/friendly actors – they will have to discover for themselves.
What I can tell about the maps:
1) In every map the players have more or less equal chances (as much as possible).
2) If a map is modded, players will be informed about all modifications before the game starts.
3) No minigames or crazy unplayable maps. In each map players will get a chance to play a normal game.
Tournament information
Six players will play all their opponents once, resulting in a total of 15 games. For each pairing we will select a random DARK-map with a RNG (Random Number Generator). When the map is played it is removed from the map pool, so no map is played twice. Each win gives 1 point and the player with most points winst the tournament.
Prizepool
$70 for the winner, $20 for the runner up and $10 for the biggest upset (= win against higher finished player). If players end up in the money with an equal amount of points (1st/2nd/upset) they will play a tiebreaker. The full prizemoney is brought to you by NoobMapMaker! (I had to let an old man fondle me to make this tournament happen.)
Upset
When all games are played we will see who had the best win against a higher ranked player. The upset score is calculated as follows: (rank# of the low ranked winner) – (rank# of the high ranked loser) = upset score.
Spectators & casting
No other spectators are allowed except tournament officials. The stream will have a delay of 3 minutes. Also we will watch the game with shroud on for approximately the first minute of the game to experience the map from the players’ perspective.
Dates
Registration: starts October 1st 2017 and ends October 31st 2017 23:59 UTC.
Announcement of Participants: 7th of November 2017.
Tournament Date: Saturday 18th of November 2017. Starting at 13:00 UTC and finishing at approximately 20:00 GMT.
DARK16
Scientists still debate the existence of this map. The most accepted theory is that it can be used as a tiebreaker. Some have even theorized that there are more DARK maps in case there are more tied scores, but those who have been studying the matter have gone stark raving mad. Suicides and drug abuse among researchers were so prevalent that the government decided to cut funds on the research program. When attempts to communicate the cuts failed, an expedition team consisting of twelve deputies was dispatched to make contact. After two days of travel in torrential rains they finally located the remote facility. What had once been a thriving center of knowledge and a feat in the world of architecture (“phenomenal use of space and lightâ€), was now no more than a bunch of scorched ruins.
The deputies entered the building through what was left of the entrance. The floor was littered with standard deviations and the pungent smell of burned human flesh filled their noses. The team scattered to search for survivors. One of the deputies, Mark O’Donnell (not of Irish descent, don’t ask, it annoys him), went to the west wing where he found a hatch that led to a basement. While descending the stairs into the darkness he grabbed his fleshlight. This provided no extra sight whatsoever, so instead he opted for his flashlight. He flicked it on and the light illuminated a small basement. He looked around and his heart froze when he saw a bed in the corner with what appeared to be a young girl on it. Chained to the bed, she sat upright with her face to the wall, completely motionless.
Now before we continue, it’s good to know that Mark wasn’t really fond of children in the first place. He didn’t plan to have any himself and when his sister got twins he actually didn’t want to go visit, but he did because he knew it was important to her.
Later, in one of the many nationally aired TV-interviews in which he appeared for being the sole survivor of the expedition, Mark would declare that the encounter with the girl had only reinforced his conviction not to be a parent. Of course at that time he could not have known that he actually would never have the chance to be a parent, because shortly after these interviews he would die a tragic death while vacationing in Panama. Villagers mistook him for a local drug lord, to whom he bore a striking resemblance, and lynched him in the streets. When the villagers lit the tire around his neck, his life flashed before his eyes, and he noticed the particular irony of the bit where his teacher warned about the dangers of drugs behind the wheel.
Mark stood still and with a shaken voice he said “H-h-hello? Miss? Are you alright?â€. The girl didn’t move and after what seemed like an eternity she said “The pain… the darkness… this is the hell we have created for ourselves…†Mark didn’t understand: “Miss, what do you mean? The darkness? Is there a... a 16th DARK map?†Immediately her head turned 187 degrees (slightly more than intended, she was still practicing to finetune this). And as her black soulless eyes gazed upon Mark she whispered “There are more…â€.
Lobby settings
Mod: : Red Alert (1v1)
Spawn : Random
Faction : Players may choose their faction, unless the faction is forced.
Explored Map : Off
Short Game : On
Fog of War : On
Crates : Off
Debug Menu : Off
Starting Cash : $5000
Tech Level : Unrestricted
Starting Units : MCV Only
Game Speed : Normal
Registration and selection of participants
Anyone can sign up for the tournament. However, a selection will be made since there are only six participants and the format requires a high skill level to play.
The first 4 participants will be selected based on their RAGL-history from S02 and S03. The highest ranked players are allowed to join. In case of a tie the more recent ranking is decisive. (e.g.: Master #5 in S03 > Master #5 in S02)
The 5th and 6th participants are wildcards. They can be RAGL or non-RAGL players who are known to be strong players. I will choose together with other officials who receive the wildcards.
A 7th and 8th participant (RAGL or non-RAGL) will be selected in case someone doesn’t show up (reserve).
Current sign-ups
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Herr NubMapMacher, 15 new maps that have never been played, they’re probably bad, uninspired or unbalanced?
The maps have been created in a period of several months and have been revised multiple times to make them as balanced as possible. Just like every other map there will be minor imbalances but those should not be decisive. In general I can say that for every map I tried to apply the ‘principles of good map making’ as discussed on the forum.
Q: Playing with shroud on and not knowing anything about the map? That adds an element of luck.
True, it does add an element of luck. But dealing with the shroud and the unexpected is part of this tournament. Both players will start under more or less the same conditions so theoretically they have the same chance of being unlucky. Also the maps have been designed in such a way that if you scout properly, you will be able to get things going and reduce the chance of being unlucky.
Q: Can you tell more about the maps?
No, I want to keep players literally in the dark as much as possible. The 15 maps are very diverse in size, shape and theme, that’s all I will say. If any modding (i.e. changes to stats in the .yaml-file of units, buildings or other actors) is done, then players will be informed before the game starts. But maybe none of the maps are modded. Or all... who knows? Be prepared for anything, expect the unexpected.
Q: If I know nothing about the map, then I will always choose [faction] because of [reasons].
For every map I’ve tried to keep in mind that people should be able to compete evenly with all factions. So I recommend playing with the faction you feel like playing with.
Q: Is Mark of Irish descent?
Grrrrrrrrrrrr!
Q: I’m not a RAGL-player & there are already 8+ sign-ups, so why should I bother to sign up?
After the registration period all players will be judged based upon skill level, so it doesn’t matter if you sign up first or last. RAGL-players have more chance to be chosen as they have displayed their skill in an official event. However, the 5th and 6th participants (and 7th and 8th reserve spots) are chosen based upon reputation. If you have proven yourself in online Multiplayer as an all round strong player, then do sign up! Also you can join the 4th season of the Red Alert Global League. If your play stands out in the recruit leagues then it increases your chance to be selected.
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