
The Speed League - Season 4
Congratulations to the winner - HighlanderAttack
Well played for winning an interesting final. And double congrats having also achieved the General Achievement Medal for Most Kills.
Thanks to all who participated - I hope you enjoyed the tournament.
Speed League Season 5 will be coming very soon - details will appear in the Join a Tournament Forum - the probable start date is either 10th or 19th January.
A General Achievement Medal will be awarded to the player who achieves most kills during the league phase of the tournament.
- (Please see details under the 'General Achievement Medal' spoiler below for a full explanation of 'kills')
The Speed League is back, operating on Wednesdays and this time with 3 divisions, hundreds of games, more players and running over a 4-and-a-half-hour period and with more flexibility for players.
Players will have a choice of games to join and can play just one game per week or several. Plus, missing a week or two need not prevent players qualifying for the final in week 6.
The tournament began on Wednesday November 10. Players are still welcome to join after this date.
The League stage of the tournament will run over 5 consecutive weeks, at the same time each week. Players can play several games on any week if they wish. The scoring system has been designed to favour players who attend regularly (up to 4 of the 5 weeks). Regular players are therefore more likely to finish in the top places in their chosen division and progress to the Championship Final on week 6 (provisionally 15th December). However, the scoring system also means that players who miss one week are not disadvantaged and those who miss a couple of weeks still have a chance of qualifying with good results.
There are 3 divisions to cater for players' time zones. Each division has a 90-minute game slot. At the end of this time the division moderator is no longer responsible for creating games but players can of course complete on-going games. Players playing in the earlier divisions can also continue playing games in the later division's time slot. At the end of the last division's time slot unfilled games will be dropped by the moderator (although he may extend the time period a short while if he is available).

The European Division will start games each week at 10.30PM UK Time (GMT). Moderator: DJ Teflon.
CC Time: 2010-11-10 17:30:00
The Eastern Conference will start games each week at 7PM New York Time (EST). Moderator: HighlanderAttack.
CC Time: 2010-11-10 19:00:00
The Western Conference will start games each week at 5.30PM Los Angeles Time (PDT). Moderator: HighlanderAttack.
CC Time: 2010-11-10 20:30:00
As CC time is likely to differ from your own time zone, please click the relevant link above to check.
(Your Nationality and Location is not a restriction here - you may join the division most suitable to your Wednesday routine)
The Championship Final (week 6 - 15 December) will start at 7PM EST, Midnight GMT.
CC Time: 2010-12-15 19:00:00
If you are interested, please read all of the details carefully before posting your interest. Please indicate which division you wish to play in as first choice. Please also indicate if there is a map you wish to appear each week.
The division you select will be for the duration of the league-stage of the tournament. However, you are free to play league games with players from other divisions (each week's password will be generic to all divisions).
Players must be premium (to play speed games) and have a 97% attendance record.
Overall Structure
[spoiler]Players will each be in one of 3 divisions.
The player winning each division (see below for scoring system) will progress to the Championship Final.
The Championship Final will be a 5-player game, so, at least one second-placed player (with the best score) will also qualify. If there are 3 divisions then 2 second-placed players will qualify. If there are 2 divisions then both second-placed players will qualify and 1 third-placed player. Although players can join part-way through the league stage, they must have played in at least 3 games In order to qualify for the final.
Each division has a division moderator who will set-up matches and record attendance of players. As a contingency, there are also 2 reserve moderators to cover unanticipated absence.[/spoiler]
Joining Games, Settings and Maps
[spoiler]Settings
Maps and settings are designed to ensure games dont drag and to appeal to the general CC population.
Joining Games
- Each week, for each division, the moderator will set up a range of standard (including 1 v 1), assassin and terminator games. Assassin and Terminator games will be 3-player and 4-player games.
All games will have a generic password (which will change each week). The Division Moderator will send all players the password by PM just before the start time, and post it in the tournament thread.
Therefore a range of games will be available to join. It is individual players' responsibility to turn-up at the allotted time and join 1 or 2 games (or more if the Division Moderator allows). If games do not fill, it is individual players responsibility to find another game. It is Recommended that Players Regularly Refresh a Game Finder Window showing Speed Tournament Games Waiting for Players.
There should also be little turmoil waiting for players to join games - if a game does not fill, players can simply join an alternative game (games for varying numbers.of players will be set-up to ensure that there are no odd-players-out).
After 30 minutes of each division's time slot, players are permitted to join further games. At the division moderator's discretion they may join more games earlier than 30 minutes. Players can also send a PM request to the Division Moderator for additional games to be set-up according to their preferences. It is at the division moderator's discretion to create requested games, taking into account their feasibility of being filled and completed within the alloted time .
Settings
- All games will be automatic and sequential.
Spoils will generally either be escalating or nuclear (to avoid build-up games). Games on small maps may use other types of spoils.
There will be a relatively even distribution of sunny and foggy games.
There will be a relatively even distribution of adjacent and chained games (there may also be some unlimited reinforcements although a reduced number due to first-player advantage usually being increased with this setting).
Maps
- Each week the following popular maps will all be used:
- Classic
Doodle Earth
Luxembourg
Duck and Cover
Arms Race
Feudal War
American Civil War
World War II Poland
Each player signing-up in advance can select one map which will be every each week (the Division Moderator will determine the settings and how the map fits in to the range of games available). The map must be conjusive to games finishing relatively quickly (e.g. no Hive) and players' original choice cannot be changed. The Division Moderator retains the right to ask players to reselect their map choice. Players can also PM their Division Moderator to request further maps as stated above.
The Division Moderator can also select two geographically-relevant maps to be used each week (relevant to the geography of the division).
The Final will be on the High Seas Map
[spoiler=Example Game Choice in Week 1]Example, for, say, the Eastern European Division:
Classic, 4-player Terminator (Escalating)
Doodle, 5-player Assassin (Fog, Nukes)
Classic, 5-player Assassin (Escalating)
American Civil War, 5-Player Terminator (Escalating)
Feudal War, 5-Player Terminator (Escalating)
Luxembourg, 3-player Assassin (No spoils)
Classic, 3-player Terminator
WWII Poland, 3-Player Assassin (Flat Rate)
Duck and Cover 4-Player Terminator (Escalating)
Arms Race 1 v 1
Feudal War 1 v 1
Doodle 1 v 1
Lux 1 v 1
Cyprus [Player Choice] 1 v 1
Europe 1914 [Player Choice] 4-player
AoR 3 [Player Choice] 5-Player
Duck & Cover [Player Choice] 3-Player Term
Pelo War [Player Choice] 4-Player
Mexico [Player Choice] 1 v 1
Ancient Greece [TO Choice] 3 Player (Escalating)
WWII Eastern Front [TO Choice] 4 Player (Escalating)
Alex Empire [Consensus] 4 Player (Escalating)
Great Lakes [Consensus] 5 Player (Escalating)
As mentionned above, after 30 minutes (or earlier at the Division Moderator's discretion), further games can be requested to be set-up by PMing the Division Moderator.[/spoiler]
Point Scoring System
[spoiler]The scoring system favours players who attend regularly without penalising players who miss just one week.
The system also provides players joining the tournament part-way through with a chance of progressing if they play very well.
- Each week, players score 2 attendance points for joining a game on time or up to 15 minutes early (according to their their division's time slot). Players score 1 attendance point if they turn-up late. Attendance points are only granted where players have actively sought to join a game that will start.*
- As the tournament organiser, I retain the right to amend rules. If I feel that something needs changing then I have the right to do if it's fair to everybody and is in the benefit of the tournament.
Players can score a maximum of 8 attendance points (and thereby do not lose out if they miss just one week).
Players also score kill ratio points.
This is calculated by multiplying players' kill ratio by 2.5: 2.5 * No. Players defeated or terminated^ / Number of games played.
Player's kill ratio points and atttendance points are added together to determine their league table position.
- * If it appears that a player is tactically avoiding playing (to safeguard kill ratio points) then no attendance points will be awarded. The Division Moderator's decision in such (hopefully rare) situations is final.
^ In terminator games, players score one kill for each termination. In multi-player standard or assassin games, the winner takes all of the kills, just as they take all of the points. This definition of kills also applies in regard to the awarding of a General Achievement medal for the player with most kills.
General Achievement Medal
[spoiler]The player with most kills during the League Phase of the tournament (weeks 1 to 5) will be awarded a General Achievement Medal.
Kills are calculated in the same way as they are for the league tables.
You score a kill each time you defeat an opponent, even if you keep defeating the same opponent(s).
In terminator games, players score one kill for each termination. In multi-player standard or assassin games, the winner takes all of the kills, just as they take all of the points.[/spoiler]
League Final
[spoiler]The top 5 players at the end of the season (see above) will undertake a final the following week (week 6 - 15 December). The date will be fixed and not subject to change or negotiation once the tournament starts. If a player is unavailable on the day then the final will progress with one fewer player. If a player announces unavailability in advancethen the player with most points (not already qualifying) will progress as a replacement.
Players will be sent a PM invite 10 minutes before the Final start time and will have until 5 minutes after the start time to join.[/spoiler]
Reserves
[spoiler]Continuous sign-ups will be in place during this tournament so reserves will not be required.[/spoiler]
Important Fog of War Rule
[spoiler]
- Players must not divulge details of opponents location in fog games. Players can however refer to information provided in the game log. If fog information is divulged then the player(s) concerned may be ejected from the tournament
Partnerships / Regular opponents
[spoiler]Players must inform the tournament organiser if they have a regular partner or opponent that is also featuring in the tournament. The organizer can then ensure these players do not play together to avoid any potential claims of foul play by other players.
If reports of suspected foul play are made and the players in question have not declared that they are regular partners / opponents then they will be both be ejected from the tournament without question or the need for irrefutable evidence.[/spoiler]
Previous Seasons[spoiler]The tournament follows on from previous speed league seasons:
The Speed League - Season 1
The Speed League - Season 2
The Speed League - Season 3[/spoiler]
Note
[spoiler]




