7 replies to this topic

[Tina Benoit]

Greetings MechWarriors,
This is a 'living' FAQ for the MechWarrior Online World Championships 2016 Tournament. This FAQ will be updated as necessary throughout the Tournament as any important or common questions arise.

PLAYING MATCHES OUTSIDE OF THE OFFICIAL SCHEDULE

Can we coordinate and play our matches prior to the officially scheduled date and time?
Yes. As long as both Teams agree, matches can be played at any time prior to the end of the month of their officially scheduled time slot.
The results of matches played prior to the officially scheduled date must be submitted by both Teams. These results must be submitted by the end of the month in which the match was officially scheduled in order for that match to count.
For Example: Two Teams can agree to play a match officially scheduled for Thursday September 22nd at any time prior to Friday September 30th at 11:59 PM. Teams can even agree to play their match as early as the official start of the Regional Qualifiers on June 2nd.
In the case of the example above, the results of that match must be submitted by Friday September 30th at 11:59 PM (the end of the month in which the match was officially scheduled) in order for that match to qualify!


Where can we communicate with other Teams to organize matches outside of the official schedule?
You can reach out to other Teams on the Tournament Match Organization sub-forum. We've sent out e-mails to all Teams to help make sure they visit this scheduling sub-forum if they’re interested in re-scheduling any of their matches.
If you have come to an agreement with another Team for scheduling a match outside of the official schedule, please post the re-scheduled match information in this thread.


Will matches that are played outside of the officially scheduled date be monitored by an official Referee?
We will not be refereeing or officiating matches when they are played outside of their officially scheduled times. However, PGI Tournament Officials will evaluate all match result screenshots and match details for matches that were completed outside of the official schedule before officially confirming a match as decided. If any issues arise during the official evaluation phase, both Teams will be contacted.


What happens if one Team wants to re-schedule but the other Team does not, resulting in only one Team showing up at the officially scheduled time?
If the two Teams have not come to an agreement for a re-scheduling of their officially scheduled match, the date and time of that officially scheduled match will still be in effect. If a Team does not show up for that officially scheduled match, they will be considered to have forfeited that match.


What happens if two Teams agree to a re-scheduled match taking place before the date of their officially scheduled match, but one of the Teams does not show up?
If a re-scheduled match is not played at the agreed upon time due to Team absence the original date of the officially scheduled match will still be in effect. The two Teams can then continue to discuss dates and times for a potential re-schedule of the match prior to the officially scheduled date if they wish, or they can play the match at the officially scheduled time.
To assist with strengthening commitments to agreed upon re-schedules, and to provide Teams with a single venue for recording the agreed upon times, we recommend that all Teams utilize the 'Out of Schedule Match Results' thread here.


What happens if two Teams agree to a re-scheduled match taking place after the date of their officially scheduled match, but one Team shows up at the officially scheduled time and attempts to argue that the other Team has forfeited by their absence?
Such cases will be evaluated by Tournament Officials to confirm the truth of any re-schedule agreement between the Teams in question. Teams who attempt to manipulate the re-schedule system for such a purpose as described in this question are likely to face severe penalties.
To assist with strengthening commitments to agreed upon re-schedules, and to provide Teams with a single venue for recording the agreed upon times, we recommend that all Teams utilize the 'Out of Schedule Match Results' thread here.


What happens if a Team keeps backing out of agreed upon re-schedules at the ‘last minute’?
While we understand that scheduling conflicts can arise at the last minute and force Teams to cancel a match appointment which had been previously agreed to, if a Team is suspected of abusing the re-schedule system to inconvenience or ‘troll’ their opponents, whether intentionally or due to a lack of respectful consideration, PGI Tournament Officials may evaluate the situation and determine if any penalties or actions are necessary.

[Alexander Garden]

BROADCASTING AND STREAMING MATCHES

Will matches be officially broadcast or streamed?
Yes! BanditB17 and Mdmzero0 are the official broadcasters of the World Championship Tournament 2016. They will be broadcasting several matches every week on the Piranha Games Twitch Channel.


Can we stream our own matches in the Tournament?
Players who are participating in a Tournament match are permitted to stream their play, but it is vital that players who are streaming their matches adhere strictly to the Stream Guidelines outlined below, along with the standard Tournament Rules.


Stream Guidelines
Tournament match streams must maintain a minimum delay of 5 minutes at all times. Any streams running on a delay period less than 5 minutes will make the match ineligible, and may result in the forfeit of whichever Team the streaming player was on.
Streaming of Tournament matches is also subject to adherence to the Tournament Rules.


Streaming of Officially Scheduled Matches
Spectator Slots in Officially Scheduled Matches are solely reserved for use by Tournament Broadcasters, Officials, and Referees.
Match participants are permitted to stream their play, but must adhere to the Stream Guidelines.


Streaming of Re-Scheduled Matches (matches taking place outside of the officially scheduled time)
Unlike officially scheduled matches, re-scheduled matches will not be officiated or refereed; as such, the Spectator Slots will not be occupied by Tournament Officials. Streaming of a re-scheduled match therefore works a little differently, and relies solely on agreements reached by the participating Teams.

When playing a match outside of its officially scheduled time, Teams are free to invite other Tournament Participants into their match as a Spectator under the following conditions:

• All participants from each Team must agree to the presence of the Spectator(s).
  
• All participants must be provided with sufficient notice that a Spectator is present.
  
• Any Spectator(s) must adhere to a 5 minute delay for the stream at all times.
  
• Any Spectator(s) must adhere to all relevant Tournament Rules.

When Spectators are present in the lobby of a re-scheduled match, changing of your Ready status to green can be considered a vote of approval for the presence of any Spectator in a Spectator Slot. As matches can only be launched once all participating players have affirmed their Ready status, Spectators are considered fully approved by all participants once the match has been launched.

Whichever player is in control of the Lobby must take care not to fill in a Spectator Slot at the last minute before quickly launching the match. Attempting to slot in a Spectator without full approval from all of the match participants is likely to carry severe consequences.
Match participants are permitted to stream their play, but must adhere to the Stream Guidelines.


Can we invite non-Tournament players as Spectators for our re-scheduled matches?
Log-in access to the Tournament Client is restricted solely to Tournament Participants. Teams who wish to allow the presence of a Spectator in a re-scheduled match are only able to invite other Tournament Participants. We will not grant log-in access to any player who is not an official Tournament Participant.

[Alexander Garden]

SUBMITTING MATCH RESULTS

What is the process for submitting Match Result screenshots?

• At the conclusion of every match, the Tournament Client will automatically capture a screenshot of the results.
  
• The match result screenshots will be saved to C:\Users\<windows username>\Saved Games\MWO Tournament\ScreenShots
  
• To upload the match result screenshot, log into to the Tournament site.
  
• Navigate to your profile page on the dashboard.
  
• From the dashboard menu, select the option “Schedule”.
  
• Once a match has been played it will be colored grey.
  
• To upload the screenshot select the link “Edit Match Result”.
  
• This will bring you to a new screen where you can upload the necessary match screenshot.
  
• You can navigate back to your Team Schedule when complete.
  
• When a match result has been officially confirmed, the winning Team will be visually distinguished.

Why do we have to submit screenshots of the match results? Aren’t match results stored on the server?
While match results are stored on the server, the submission of match result screenshots is a formality to ensure that both Teams have officially agreed upon the final result of the match, and that both Teams have deemed the match and its participants to complied with the Tournament Rules.


Is there a deadline for submitting match result screenshots?
Both Teams must submit screenshots of the match results by the end of the month in which the match was officially scheduled in order for that match to count.
For example: If the match was played on Thursday September 22nd, both Teams must submit their screenshots by Friday September 30th at 11:59 PM.
For example: If the match was played on Monday August 1st, both Teams must submit their screenshots by Wednesday August 31st at 11:59 PM.


What happens if a Team does not submit a screenshot?
If a Team fails to submit a screenshot, and they have not reported any issues with the match in question to Tournament Officials, that Team is subject to being marked as forfeiting the match.
If neither Team submits a screenshot, and neither Team has reported any issues with the match in question, the final determination of the match eligibility is up to the Tournament Officials.
Failure to post a screenshot as an attempt to try and force an unnecessary rematch will result in a formal evaluation of the matter by Tournament Officials, and may result in Disqualification.

[Alexander Garden]

CREATION OF MATCH LOBBIES

Who creates the Lobby for an Officially Scheduled match?
All Lobbies for Officially Scheduled matches will be created and managed by the official Referee for that match.


How do we get in touch with the Referee monitoring our officially scheduled match?
Upon the start of your official scheduled match, you are to meet with the Referee assigned to your match on the NGNG TeamSpeak server.

• Your assigned Referee will change their name on NGNG TeamSpeak according to the names of the two Teams scheduled to fight to assist with identification of the correct Referee. Example: Ref# (Team 1 name) vs (Team 2 name)
  
• Make sure to change your name on TeamSpeak to match your in-game Pilot Name.
  
• The Team Captains (or a representative from the Team, if the Captain is not available/playing the match) must form a group with their Team before the match starts.
  
• The Referee will place themselves into a Spectator Slot. They will then add the two Team Representatives into the private lobby, who will then manage the invites for their respective team members.
  
• If any additional communication is required, you will be able to talk with each other through TeamSpeak.

What is the NGNG TeamSpeak address?

Address: ngngts.com:9992
Password: mechwarrior

Who creates the Lobby for a Re-Scheduled match?
It is the responsibility of the participating Teams to coordinate the creation and management of Lobbies for matches played outside of the official schedule. Ensuring that the Lobby obeys all of the Match Structure conditions for the Tournament is the responsibility of the Lobby creator. Any match which does not follow the exact Match Structure for the Tournament will not count, and may result in penalties against the Lobby creator and their Team.
The Lobby creator does not hold any 'power' or inherent authority over the other participants. Any attempt by the Lobby creator to interfere with the start of the match or 'troll' the participants will result in penalties.


What is the Match Structure?
Game Mode: Conquest
Map: Canyon Network
Region:
a. The Americas: North America
b. Europe and Africa: Europe
c. Asia and Oceanic: Oceanic
Time of Day: Day
Match Timer: 15 minutes
View Mode: First Person Only
Tonnage Rules: Teams must obey a 2/2/2/2 Weight Class structure.


Which Team is assigned to which side in the Lobby?
Teams will be added according to their placement on the schedule.
The Team on the left will be added in the upper slot; the Team on the right will added to the lower slot.


What if a participant is running late?
Teams are expected to be ready to launch at the specified start time of their match. Any team or player on a team who is late or otherwise not ready to launch at the specified start time will be permitted a grace period no longer than 2 minutes.
Remember to have your 'Mechs prepared long before your matches begin! There will be no waiting for load-out changes.


If a Team can't field 8 players for a match, can the match still go ahead?
No. The World Championship is an 8 vs 8 Tournament. If a Team is unable to field all 8 players for an Off-Schedule Match the Teams can discuss a new date and time for another attempt. If a Team is unable to field all 8 players for an Officially Scheduled Match, that Team will forfeit the match.

[Alexander Garden]

RESTARTING A MATCH ALREADY IN PROGRESS

Protocols for Restarting an Officially Scheduled Match
A Match Restart for Officially Scheduled matches can be called for by a Team under the following circumstances:

• No more than 60 seconds has elapsed on the match clock.
  
• No damage has been done to either team.
  
• A player disconnected at the very start of the match.

Each team has 3 Match Restart Tickets to use for the duration of the Tournament.

• Calling for and initiating a Match Restart request during an officially scheduled match will consume 1 Restart Ticket.
  
• A Restart Ticket is only consumed by the Team which initiated the Restart Request.
  
• Requesting a Match Restart to the disconnection of a player at the start of a match will not consume a Restart Ticket
  
• If the Referee agrees to and confirms the Restart Request as valid, all participants must quit the match.

Protocols for Restarting an Off-Schedule Match
In the case of Off-Schedule Matches, we strongly recommend that Teams emulate the Match Restart protocols used for Official Scheduled Matches when applicable.

It is up to the participating Teams to decide if the restart will be allowed under the current circumstances of that match.
If a valid Restart Request has been initiated (such as due to a player disconnect at the start of the match), but the Teams do not agree to the Restart Request and the match plays out anyway, that match is subject to being marked as invalid if the issue is escalated to Tournament Officials. In such cases, the Teams can either discuss another match date and time among themselves, or play the match at its Officially Scheduled date and time.

Off-Schedule Matches do not use the Restart Ticket system. Restarting an Off-Schedule Match has no effect on your Restart Ticket amounts for Officially Scheduled Matches.

If a Team is suspected of abusing the Restart system to inconvenience or ‘troll’ their opponents, or manipulate the match in their favor, whether intentionally or due to a lack of respectful consideration, PGI Tournament Officials may evaluate the situation and determine if any penalties or actions are necessary.

[Alexander Garden]

TEAM WITHDRAWALS AND DISQUALIFICATIONS

What happens when a Team stops participating, or is disqualified from the Tournament?
If a Team has Withdrawn from the Tournament, or has been Disqualified, every Team that was scheduled against them will automatically receive a win in the standings for any matches they were scheduled to play, and for any past matches that may have already been played (if applicable).
For Example: Team A wins against Team B early in the Tournament. Later in the Tournament, Team A is no longer participating, either because they Withdrew or were Disqualified. With Team A's removal from the Tournament, their first victory against Team B is now marked as a Win for Team B.

If a Team fails to appear for an officially scheduled or previously agreed upon match time with no notice or communication more than 3 times during the Tournament, that Team will be Disqualified.
Teams who have either Withdrawn or been Disqualified will appear struck-through in the Team List and Schedule.

[Alexander Garden]

GAMEPLAY

Are there any restrictions on what Consumables and Modules can be used?
No. All Consumables and Modules are permitted. Each Tournament account has been provided with a sufficient amount of experience and currency to unlock and purchase any and all items they may want to use.

[Alexander Garden]

Summary of updates that have been committed to the FAQ since its original posting.

A Gameplay section has been added, currently comprised of a question regarding the use of Consumables and Modules.


A clarification has been made to the 'Creation of Match Lobbies > How do we get in touch with the Referee monitoring our officially scheduled match' section.

• Originally it was stated that Team Captains must coordinate with the Refs.
  
• This has been adjusted to specify that Teams can also use a representative from the Team to coordinate with Refs if the Captain is not available or not playing the match.

A clarification has been made to the 'Team Withdrawals and Disqualifications > What happens when a Team stops participating, or is disqualified from the Tournament' section.

• Originally it was stated that if a Team has Withdrawn or has been Disqualified, every Team that was scheduled against them will automatically receive a win in the standings for those future matches
  
• This has been adjusted to specify that every Team who was scheduled against them will automatically receive a win in the standings for any matches they were scheduled to play, and for any past matches that may have already been played (if applicable).

An additional clarification has been made to the 'Team Withdrawals and Disqualifications > What happens when a Team stops participating, or is disqualified from the Tournament' section.

• Originally it was stated that if a Team failed to participate for over 3 matches during the Tournament, that Team would be Disqualified.
  
• This has been adjusted to specify that if a Team fails to appear for an officially scheduled or previously agreed upon match time with no notice or communication more than 3 times during the Tournament, that Team will be Disqualified.