MatchPlayGuide

Rules for the league.

Guidelines for Match Play

This article is not listed under "Rules" for some simple reasons. It will never be the job of the league to tell squads how to conduct their own business. However, this guideline is an effort to help show the path of what works for some, and offer some guidelines on what can work, and what doesn't work .



Squad to Squad communication:
It is important that a squad speak with one voice when dealing with match play. Most of the squads that have been around know this, and in every game of every match there is one designated person that is the voice for the squad. This avoids any confusion, and allows the squads to quickly determine when the game starts, when there is a problem, etc. More importantly, it also allows the squads to quickly resolve any dispute and get on with the game or match if a problem does arise. The only communication that really should come from the players should be things like "gg", "so-and-so invis", and "sorry killed self". Players that say more than that, or insist on saying "YOURE INVIS SO-AND SO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" only end up pissing off the other squad for no good reason. If a player is consistently invis, then the opposing squad leader should point it out, matter of factly. Needless friction between squads has often been the result of plain old bad communciation, or of 5 people yelling at the same time, when 2 could have much more easily solved the problem.

Player communication:
It is imperitive that some form of communication exist between squad members. Voice com works great (unless you are dialup). If you have to use type, developing a shorthand is helpful also. Not only is it important for play, but also for controlling the game. The squad leader, or CO should be able to instantly let the players know what is happening - if the game is started, who should come in/go out for each game, etc. And, of course, if there is a game dispute, its imperative so that the squad can talk amongst itself, leaving squad to squad communication to one voice - the squad leader, or commanding officer, so that each squad speaks with one voice - an absolute necessity in the case of a dispute or problem.
Second line of Communication: You may notice that most of the squad leaders have ICQ listed on the contact page - its vital that a second line of communication exist so that if something goes wrong, you can immediately contact the other squad and find out what's going on. Its a good idea to have a 2nd line to your players also, in case the server goes down or your voice com goes down.

Game knowledge:

Its important to understand the game, and also understand (as much as possible) the flaws in the game. There are times when a player remains invisible to you, no matter how many times they kill themselves, and there are times when another player dies, but still remains invis unless they kill themselves. Give your players a guideline as to what they should do under certain conditions, so that they are not frustrated needlessly. For example, if someone has killed you 2x invis, maybe its time to resetgames. Also let your players know when NOT to resetgames. There is nothing worse than resetting at the end of the game, and cheating your team out of the points you needed to win.

Chain of command:
Having a military style structure works well with most squads. It automatically lets players know who is the commanding officer for any match or game. If a player is misbehaving, it is important to have a commanding officer, in some fashion, so that the players can receive guidance from a senior member, or be told to leave the game, or shut up, or whatever, without having a "squad meltdown". No matter how old or experienced the players, it is inevitable that at some point they will need to be given some kind of instructions to follow, and its important that the squad be set up in a fashion that allows this to happen. Since a squad leader will not always be there, a second in command will need to be this person, or 3rd etc. (ending up, at some level, like a military chain of command anyway, whether you subscribe to the military paradigm or not).

When it goes wrong:
If a match or game becomes in dispute, the best thing to do is for the squad leader to tell his players to sit at base, tell the other squad leader that you are disputing the game, and for the two squad leaders to discuss what should be done. If the game is disputed, then another one should be played (that's in the rules). Abruptly leaving the match, or getting in a 10 way argument, or letting one player ruin the match for everyone because he can't keep his mouth shut are all invitations to disaster. Once a match is started, it should be played to completion. We have not seen one circumstance (other than a server crashing) that could have prevented a match from being completed (after a little discussion); however, even if that circumstance does arise, it is still important to have a rematch scheduled prior to leaving the match, so that all the other teams in the league don't have to wait for your results, or reschedule, etc.

When it goes really wrong:

If a dispute arises that cannot be resolved by the squad leaders (for whatever reason), the league should be contacted for assistance. Cryptic emails are not the best way to resolve the situation. Some of the following may be helpful: screen shots, detailed info of the situation, copies of emails attempting to resolve it, proposed solutions.
Avoiding problems: Some or all of the above are proactive methods which will help to avoid needless hassles between squads. Taking regular screen shots (1 per minute) is probably the single most important way to resolve a dispute regarding a game, should one occur. Promptly answering email, and sending copies to appropriate parties is the second. If you go out of your way to avoid inter-squad clashes everyone will be better off for it.