Post by +Mozzy on Oct 17, 2016 21:43:46 GMT
Next Level HS Internal Team Warring League Explained
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
• I) What is "warring"?
• II) What are war seasons and how long do they last? What are teams and how do I make/join one?
• III) War formats, challenging + ratios, and how wars are begun.
• IV) Substitution and Cheating
• V) Closing Thoughts and Advice
New to warring? Then look no further! This comprehensive guide was made to introduce the concept of online TCG warring to people who are interested in participating, but don't know anything about it, or what to do in certain situations.
NOTE: This is a pretty long read, but it is highly recommended everyone familiarizes with everything in this topic, as individuals will be held accountable for their actions, even if this topic was not read.
I) What is "warring"?
Warring can essentially be considered a combination of ladder and tournaments; players gather together to form teams, in which they compete against other teams to climb an Elo ladder for a war season.
II) What are war seasons and how long do they last? What are teams and how do I make/join one?
War seasons are akin to the ranked ladder in a sense that for a certain period of time, ratings are calculated based on performance in games (i.e increases per wins, decreases per losses). However, instead of lasting 1 month, a single war season will take place from the start to end of corresponding HCT Seasons. An example of this could be the Spring HCTs. The Spring War Season will begin at the same time, and accordingly end once the HCTs have finished for Spring, and so forth for the remaining seasons.
Teams are a group of players that come together in order to participate in warring. At the moment, the current maximum number of players for a team is 7; however, this number may increase in the future, should there be a surplus of players interested in participating. Players who are interested in forming a team MUST be active on Discord and
; inactive leading will not be tolerated. If you wish to start a team, then post a topic here Team Registration & Recruitment; however, do note that it is highly recommended to have at least 2-3 people who are already willing to join your team before you do so.
Players who wish to join a team can do so by posting in existing teams threads, or in the FA thread here. Official Free Agent Thread It is advised that when posting in one of these areas, you put information that would make you desired by the team, such as relevant tournament accomplishments, ladder finishes, notable victories, etc.
Lastly, players are restricted to a single team for warring. Playing on multiple teams is NOT allowed; the 1st instance will result in a temporary ban (length up to War Staff discretion), whereas any further violations will result in a permanent war ban.
III) War formats, challenging + ratios, and how wars are begun
A. War Formats
There are several different formats, or game modes, in which wars can be conducted here at Next Level HS. The following war formats are: Hearts (Single), Hearts (Double), Crossfire (Single), Double Crossfire, and Seeding. If both leaders do not specify or care which format they're interested in, then the default will be 4v4 Single Hearts. However, it is strongly recommended that leaders choose carefully when selecting game modes, and not neglect such a crucial choice. Wars CANNOT change formats once they have begun; however, they can be changed before both teams have announced their final rosters.
1. Single Hearts (also known as Bleeding Hearts), is the default war format if both leaders do not specify which type of war they're interested in. Hearts in this format represent a pool of lives that the team shares; therfore, games lost by individual players will result in -1 life for the entire team. Each team will receive lives equal to the number of players on their side. Players are free to challenge any participants on the opposing team with no restriction, assuming the team has hearts remaining. The following Single Hearts sample provides a visual guide of the format.
(4 hearts -> Since there are 4 players on each team, both teams begin with 4 lives each)
Team A: ♥♥♥♥
Player 1
Player 2
Player 3
Player 4
Player 1 loses to Player X in a BO5; as a result, his team loses 1 heart, and Team A is now at a total of 3 Hearts.
Games are completed in this manner until all hearts are depleted from a team, at which point, the opposing team wins the war.
....
2. Double Hearts (also known as just Hearts), is a format that is similar to Single Hearts with the sole exception that the number of lives per team is doubled. Similarly, there is no restriction on the amount of times any players can challenge each other. Lost matches in this format will still result in a net loss of 1 heart for the losing player's team. To calculate the number of Hearts for a single team in this format, simply add up the TOTAL number of players in the entire war.
Team A: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
player 1
player 2
player 3
player 4
Vs
Team B: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
player 5
player 6
player 7
player 8
There are a total number of 8 players participating in this war. Therefore, each team begins with 8 Hearts. Matches will be conducted until a single team is eliminated, at which point, the other team wins.
.....
3. Single Crossfire (usually known as Singles), is a unique "last man standing" type of format, in which players are each given 1 life, as opposed to a pool of shared lives, such as in Hearts. Individuals are free to challenge whomever they like, so long as they have a life. Players who are defeated will subsequently be unable to continue warring for the remainder of the war. Players who have been eliminated cannot be substituted out, nor can they replace another player by substituting in. In this format, players will always receive 1 life only, irrespective of the number of participants.
Team A
player A: ♥
player B: ♥
player C: ♥
player D: ♥
Vs
Team B
player E: ♥
player F: ♥
player G: ♥
player H: ♥
Player B, C, and E have all lost matches, and as a result cannot continue playing in this war; however, the remaining players are free to play amongst each other. Any wars played by individuals who have already been defeated will not be counted.
...
4. Double Crossfire (commonly known as HPX), is uniform to Singles, with the sole exception that all players (regardless of total number) begin with 2 lives, as opposed to 1. Once again, players who have lost all lives cannot engage in war matches, no exceptions.
...
5. Seeding is a substantially different from the other formats, as players are assigned war opponents, in contrast to the rest which allow free choice in opponents. Players will be matched up with another player of the same seed number on the opposite team. Seeds are determined by NLC points, What are NLC Points? and if none exist, will be determined randomly. A match win earns 1 point for the winning player's team; first team to reach 3 points wins the war. Wars in this format can only be conducted with an odd number of players with a minimum of 5, i.e 5v5, 7v7, etc. War mods must be notified if this format is agreed upon and will handle pairings.
B. Challenging and Ratios
In order to begin a war, two leaders must agree to a format, then post confirmation of their agreement in war registration Official War Threads. Be advised that only leaders are able to begin wars, and that wars will not be approved to begin unless this is complete.
As teams will have NA and EU rosters, a team must have a minimum of 4 players on a single server (2 players on NA and 2 on EU will NOT work) to be able to register for a war. Additionally, teams must have an equal amount of players on their desired server in order to war. For example, Team A has 5 NA players and 2 EU players, whereas Team B has 4 NA players and 3 EU players. Team A and Team B can only conduct a 4v4 war (seeding is not allowed in this case) with their NA rosters, as both teams' EU rosters lack the required minimum to play.
C. Beginning a War
Once consent is given and the registration topic is made, the team leader who did not post the war topic will then post their war roster. The topic host leader will then edit the topic adding the opposing team's roster, in addition to his own (when ready). Please do not spend too much time in this stage, as inactive registrations will be deleted.
Team A has challenged Team B to 5v5 Double Hearts. Team A posts the topic, so Team B then posts his roster: (Full Battle Tags Must be Posted)
*Reply to Thread*...
Team B Roster:
• Player1 #0001
• Player2 #0002
• Player3 #0003
• Player4 #0004
• Player5 #0005
Team A then updates the topic with this information, while also adding his roster. As the war topic is complete, both teams are now able to begin challenging each other for war duels. Note that when PMing people for war duels, you should clearly indicate that the match is specifically for the war; similarly, if you happen to encounter a war opponent on ladder, it will not count as a war match.
War matches will all be done in a 4 deck, 1 ban BO5 conquest format. This will apply to all war formats.
...
IV) Substitution and Cheating
A. Substitution
In any war, leaders are allowed to substitute players out for whatever reason, and add another player on the team in his stead. In crossfire, players with 0 lives remaining cannot be substituted out, nor can they be substituted in. Leaders are not allowed to make substitutes in Seeding format under any circumstance. 3 substitutes is the maximum number that can be made in a war, but more can be made if both leaders agree to allow it. To do a substitute, the leader should post his/her intention to do so in the war thread:
"Subbing out Player 1 for Player 2"
Note that they necessarily do not have to be exactly like the above, so long as your intention is clear.
B. Cheating
Cheating includes, but is not limited to attempting to using or modifying different decks in between war matches to counter your opponent, falsifying match results, and intentionally lying to War Moderators about war-related incidents. The 1st punishment for cheating is a permanent war ban (unless an exception is made, up to war staff discretion). Attempting to evade a war ban will result in a 1 month account ban; any further attempts to evade will result in an IP ban.
V) Closing Thoughts and Advice
If you've made it this far, congratulations! All this information might seem like so much and it honestly might turn you off, but it is well worth the effort. It's actually not even a lot, it just seems like it because this guide is extremely in-depth. If you read everything up till here, you've got all the knowledge you need to confidently take on warring like a master. Some general advice that might help everyone:
- War seasons occur at the same time as HCTs and end accordingly. Be sure to strategically plan your wars, as Elo is reset at the end of the season, so use this knowledge to maximize efficiency.
- Certain war formats are better against certain teams. Others are particularly effective against teams with 1 or 2 good players; as a result, it is at a team's best interest to decide carefully.
- Use substitutes to your advantage. If a player is inactive or not performing well, you have the power to replace him/her for a more effective person. NOTE: In double crossfire, there is no life looping. Subbing a player out, then another one in, then that same player in someone else's place will NOT give him more lives.
Good luck and I hope to see everyone participate in wars!
Team Play-Offs and Championship:
The Champions of a Season will all earn NLC points and Gold Status on the site and discord channels.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
• I) What is "warring"?
• II) What are war seasons and how long do they last? What are teams and how do I make/join one?
• III) War formats, challenging + ratios, and how wars are begun.
• IV) Substitution and Cheating
• V) Closing Thoughts and Advice
New to warring? Then look no further! This comprehensive guide was made to introduce the concept of online TCG warring to people who are interested in participating, but don't know anything about it, or what to do in certain situations.
NOTE: This is a pretty long read, but it is highly recommended everyone familiarizes with everything in this topic, as individuals will be held accountable for their actions, even if this topic was not read.
I) What is "warring"?
Warring can essentially be considered a combination of ladder and tournaments; players gather together to form teams, in which they compete against other teams to climb an Elo ladder for a war season.
II) What are war seasons and how long do they last? What are teams and how do I make/join one?
War seasons are akin to the ranked ladder in a sense that for a certain period of time, ratings are calculated based on performance in games (i.e increases per wins, decreases per losses). However, instead of lasting 1 month, a single war season will take place from the start to end of corresponding HCT Seasons. An example of this could be the Spring HCTs. The Spring War Season will begin at the same time, and accordingly end once the HCTs have finished for Spring, and so forth for the remaining seasons.
Teams are a group of players that come together in order to participate in warring. At the moment, the current maximum number of players for a team is 7; however, this number may increase in the future, should there be a surplus of players interested in participating. Players who are interested in forming a team MUST be active on Discord and
; inactive leading will not be tolerated. If you wish to start a team, then post a topic here Team Registration & Recruitment; however, do note that it is highly recommended to have at least 2-3 people who are already willing to join your team before you do so. Players who wish to join a team can do so by posting in existing teams threads, or in the FA thread here. Official Free Agent Thread It is advised that when posting in one of these areas, you put information that would make you desired by the team, such as relevant tournament accomplishments, ladder finishes, notable victories, etc.
Lastly, players are restricted to a single team for warring. Playing on multiple teams is NOT allowed; the 1st instance will result in a temporary ban (length up to War Staff discretion), whereas any further violations will result in a permanent war ban.
III) War formats, challenging + ratios, and how wars are begun
A. War Formats
There are several different formats, or game modes, in which wars can be conducted here at Next Level HS. The following war formats are: Hearts (Single), Hearts (Double), Crossfire (Single), Double Crossfire, and Seeding. If both leaders do not specify or care which format they're interested in, then the default will be 4v4 Single Hearts. However, it is strongly recommended that leaders choose carefully when selecting game modes, and not neglect such a crucial choice. Wars CANNOT change formats once they have begun; however, they can be changed before both teams have announced their final rosters.
1. Single Hearts (also known as Bleeding Hearts), is the default war format if both leaders do not specify which type of war they're interested in. Hearts in this format represent a pool of lives that the team shares; therfore, games lost by individual players will result in -1 life for the entire team. Each team will receive lives equal to the number of players on their side. Players are free to challenge any participants on the opposing team with no restriction, assuming the team has hearts remaining. The following Single Hearts sample provides a visual guide of the format.
(4 hearts -> Since there are 4 players on each team, both teams begin with 4 lives each)
Team A: ♥♥♥♥
Player 1
Player 2
Player 3
Player 4
Player 1 loses to Player X in a BO5; as a result, his team loses 1 heart, and Team A is now at a total of 3 Hearts.
Games are completed in this manner until all hearts are depleted from a team, at which point, the opposing team wins the war.
....
2. Double Hearts (also known as just Hearts), is a format that is similar to Single Hearts with the sole exception that the number of lives per team is doubled. Similarly, there is no restriction on the amount of times any players can challenge each other. Lost matches in this format will still result in a net loss of 1 heart for the losing player's team. To calculate the number of Hearts for a single team in this format, simply add up the TOTAL number of players in the entire war.
Team A: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
player 1
player 2
player 3
player 4
Vs
Team B: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
player 5
player 6
player 7
player 8
There are a total number of 8 players participating in this war. Therefore, each team begins with 8 Hearts. Matches will be conducted until a single team is eliminated, at which point, the other team wins.
.....
3. Single Crossfire (usually known as Singles), is a unique "last man standing" type of format, in which players are each given 1 life, as opposed to a pool of shared lives, such as in Hearts. Individuals are free to challenge whomever they like, so long as they have a life. Players who are defeated will subsequently be unable to continue warring for the remainder of the war. Players who have been eliminated cannot be substituted out, nor can they replace another player by substituting in. In this format, players will always receive 1 life only, irrespective of the number of participants.
Team A
player A: ♥
player D: ♥
Vs
Team B
player F: ♥
player G: ♥
player H: ♥
Player B, C, and E have all lost matches, and as a result cannot continue playing in this war; however, the remaining players are free to play amongst each other. Any wars played by individuals who have already been defeated will not be counted.
...
4. Double Crossfire (commonly known as HPX), is uniform to Singles, with the sole exception that all players (regardless of total number) begin with 2 lives, as opposed to 1. Once again, players who have lost all lives cannot engage in war matches, no exceptions.
...
5. Seeding is a substantially different from the other formats, as players are assigned war opponents, in contrast to the rest which allow free choice in opponents. Players will be matched up with another player of the same seed number on the opposite team. Seeds are determined by NLC points, What are NLC Points? and if none exist, will be determined randomly. A match win earns 1 point for the winning player's team; first team to reach 3 points wins the war. Wars in this format can only be conducted with an odd number of players with a minimum of 5, i.e 5v5, 7v7, etc. War mods must be notified if this format is agreed upon and will handle pairings.
B. Challenging and Ratios
In order to begin a war, two leaders must agree to a format, then post confirmation of their agreement in war registration Official War Threads. Be advised that only leaders are able to begin wars, and that wars will not be approved to begin unless this is complete.
As teams will have NA and EU rosters, a team must have a minimum of 4 players on a single server (2 players on NA and 2 on EU will NOT work) to be able to register for a war. Additionally, teams must have an equal amount of players on their desired server in order to war. For example, Team A has 5 NA players and 2 EU players, whereas Team B has 4 NA players and 3 EU players. Team A and Team B can only conduct a 4v4 war (seeding is not allowed in this case) with their NA rosters, as both teams' EU rosters lack the required minimum to play.
C. Beginning a War
Once consent is given and the registration topic is made, the team leader who did not post the war topic will then post their war roster. The topic host leader will then edit the topic adding the opposing team's roster, in addition to his own (when ready). Please do not spend too much time in this stage, as inactive registrations will be deleted.
Team A has challenged Team B to 5v5 Double Hearts. Team A posts the topic, so Team B then posts his roster: (Full Battle Tags Must be Posted)
*Reply to Thread*...
Team B Roster:
• Player1 #0001
• Player2 #0002
• Player3 #0003
• Player4 #0004
• Player5 #0005
Team A then updates the topic with this information, while also adding his roster. As the war topic is complete, both teams are now able to begin challenging each other for war duels. Note that when PMing people for war duels, you should clearly indicate that the match is specifically for the war; similarly, if you happen to encounter a war opponent on ladder, it will not count as a war match.
War matches will all be done in a 4 deck, 1 ban BO5 conquest format. This will apply to all war formats.
...
IV) Substitution and Cheating
A. Substitution
In any war, leaders are allowed to substitute players out for whatever reason, and add another player on the team in his stead. In crossfire, players with 0 lives remaining cannot be substituted out, nor can they be substituted in. Leaders are not allowed to make substitutes in Seeding format under any circumstance. 3 substitutes is the maximum number that can be made in a war, but more can be made if both leaders agree to allow it. To do a substitute, the leader should post his/her intention to do so in the war thread:
"Subbing out Player 1 for Player 2"
Note that they necessarily do not have to be exactly like the above, so long as your intention is clear.
B. Cheating
Cheating includes, but is not limited to attempting to using or modifying different decks in between war matches to counter your opponent, falsifying match results, and intentionally lying to War Moderators about war-related incidents. The 1st punishment for cheating is a permanent war ban (unless an exception is made, up to war staff discretion). Attempting to evade a war ban will result in a 1 month account ban; any further attempts to evade will result in an IP ban.
V) Closing Thoughts and Advice
If you've made it this far, congratulations! All this information might seem like so much and it honestly might turn you off, but it is well worth the effort. It's actually not even a lot, it just seems like it because this guide is extremely in-depth. If you read everything up till here, you've got all the knowledge you need to confidently take on warring like a master. Some general advice that might help everyone:
- War seasons occur at the same time as HCTs and end accordingly. Be sure to strategically plan your wars, as Elo is reset at the end of the season, so use this knowledge to maximize efficiency.
- Certain war formats are better against certain teams. Others are particularly effective against teams with 1 or 2 good players; as a result, it is at a team's best interest to decide carefully.
- Use substitutes to your advantage. If a player is inactive or not performing well, you have the power to replace him/her for a more effective person. NOTE: In double crossfire, there is no life looping. Subbing a player out, then another one in, then that same player in someone else's place will NOT give him more lives.
Good luck and I hope to see everyone participate in wars!
Team Play-Offs and Championship:
The Champions of a Season will all earn NLC points and Gold Status on the site and discord channels.
