@Database tourney.guide @Author Ralf Schwate @Node MAIN "tourney.guide" CONTENTS: 0. @{"Introduction" link TOUR0} 1. @{"Rules of play" link TOUR1} General Deck Size Banned Cards Limited Cards Special Rules 2. @{"Notes for Players" link TOUR2} House Rules Conduct 3. @{"Notes for Tournament Directors/Organizers" link TOUR3} Rules Disputes 4. @{"The Decipher Swiss System" lin TOUR4} Rounds & Scoring Procedure Simple-Swiss (Optional) Swiss-Elimination (Optional) 5. @{"Where To Get Information" link TOUR5} @endnode @Node TOURRULE "STCCG.Guide/Tournament Rules" 4/30/96 ************************************************** Star Trek TNG : CCG Tournament Rules v.2 ************************************************** 0. @{"Introduction" link TOUR0} 1. @{"Rules of play" link TOUR1} General Deck Size Banned Cards Limited Cards Special Rules 2. @{"Notes for Players" link TOUR2} House Rules Conduct 3. @{"Notes for Tournament Directors/Organizers" link TOUR3} Rules Disputes 4. @{"The Decipher Swiss System" lin TOUR4} Rounds & Scoring Procedure Simple-Swiss (Optional) Swiss-Elimination (Optional) 5. @{"Where To Get Information" link TOUR5} @Endnode @Node TOUR0 "STCCG.Guide/Tournament Rules/Introduction" INTRODUCTION: First off, let me apologize for the lack of Tournament Rules Updates in the last year. We at Decipher have been trying to keep up with all the comments, suggestions, and questions on the game, and we were working hard to get @{"Alternate Universe" link "STCCG:au.guide/AU"} (TM) out and answer all the questions we got about our games. Several new employees have been hired to help out with the work load. As some of you may know by now, there are no plans for a national Tournament Support System for ST:CCG. This and the delay of Alternate Universe have been major factors delaying this document. However, we understand the need for a new set of Official Tournament Rules, no matter how brief, and we hope to be able to make periodic adjustments to these rules when it is appropriate. We've been able to take several ideas from our Star Wars Tournament Rules, which were well thought out and hotly debated, and incorporate them in these rules. If you have any suggestions for these rules, please send them to Q@decipher.com with "Tournament Rule Suggestions" in the subject heading. ************************************************** OUR PHILOSOPHY ON TOURNAMENT RULES In the wide variety of suggestions we have received, many are contradictory! There is a temptation to ban or limit several cards. With the exception of a few cards, in our view, most such limitations are not needed, especially when the player consensus about them is not strong. The tournament rules presented here contain only limitations upon which there seem to be player consensus. Our general philosophy on handling cards that prove to be too powerful, unbalancing, or otherwise simply "disliked" by players is to create new cards which remedy and re-balance the situation. This is a natural solution because it turns a problem into an advantage. In tournaments, however, players can't wait for new cards. To ensure fun and balanced games, any problem cards must be listed in a tournament rules document, such as this one. This is the first such document since the release of @{"Alternate Universe" link "STCCG:au.guide/AU"}. We realize that the delays in producing that set have led to similar delays in producing a new set of tournament rules. Because of our philosophy of "fixing" problem cards in new expansions, these rules will become obsolete when the next expansion arrives, and a new set of rules will be created to accomodate the new universe of cards. Thus, this document will be updated regularly, and you should check to get the latest version a couple of months after each expansion is released. We welcome suggestions and the Rules Committee will seriously consider all. ************************************************** CONTENTS: 1. @{"Rules of play" link TOUR1} General Deck Size Banned Cards Limited Cards Special Rules 2. @{"Notes for Players" link TOUR2} House Rules Conduct 3. @{"Notes for Tournament Directors/Organizers" link TOUR3} Rules Disputes 4. @{"The Decipher Swiss System" link TOUR4} Rounds & Scoring Procedure Simple-Swiss (Optional) Swiss-Elimination (Optional) 5. @{"Where To Get Information" link TOUR5} ************************************************** @endnode @Node TOUR1 "STCCG.Guide/Tournament Rules/Rules of Play" 1. RULES OF PLAY: GENERAL: All answers to rules @{"FAQ" link "STCCG:faq.guide/WHOLEFAQ"}'s published two weeks or before the date of the tournament are in effect (except for those superceded by the specific tournament rules below). The tournament director should have up-to-date copies of the rules @{"FAQ" link "STCCG:faq.guide/WHOLEFAQ"}'s and this document, as should players when planning their decks. DECK SIZE: Standard: 60 Advanced: 80 If announced in advance, any size decks (besides 60 or 80) may be used. BANNED CARDS: @{"Raise the Stakes" link "STCCG:event.guide/RAISESTAKE"} LIMITED CARDS: None! SPECIAL RULES: a) Improperly seeded cards are removed from play when discovered, rather than "discarded" as the rules currently say. b) Each player may seed no more than one Artifact at each mission location (except for the Artifact placed on board a Cryosatellite). c) The combination of @{"Alien Probe" link "STCCG:event.guide/ALPROBE"} plus @{"Telepathic Alien Kidnappers" link "STCCG:event.guide/TAK"} is not allowed. A player cannot have both in play at the same time. Players are allowed to discard one in order to play the other. d) Artifacts which are "discarded" after use are instead removed from play. ************************************************** @endnode @Node TOUR2 "STCCG.Guide/Tournament Rules/Notes for Players" 2. NOTES FOR PLAYERS: HOUSE RULES Many players play in groups and naturally develop "house rules" they come to like. This is good for casual games, since it allows you to "tune" the game the way your particular tastes prefer. But house rules differ widely, so there is a danger in becoming used to them. When you play outside your group, they may not apply. We also realize that several people have developed their own inter- pretations or house rules for situtations when they have not been able to contact us with an "official" ruling. Many basic aspects of the game, such as timing and the handling of dilemmas, are not well-known. Decipher takes full responsibility for this, as we realize that we haven't always been timely and efficient in getting such information out. However, we do suggest that tournament directors be familiar with all @{"FAQ" link "STCCG:faq.guide/WHOLEFAQ"}'s and be ready to interpret the rules as quoted in them. Obviously, playing with house rules in a tournament is frowned upon, due to our priority of maintaining a consistent basic game for all players everywhere. If you have house rules that you feel are a "must" to use in the tournament, or that you want to experiment with in a tournament format, you may do so, but only if players are notified sufficiently in advance of the tournament. Although Decipher does not officially sanction tournaments, there will be restrictions on what kind of house rules will be acceptable for a tournament to be "official" and receive sponsoring (see below). CONDUCT: Players are expected to conduct themselves in a manner becoming to all participants. In the case of any rules dispute, the tournament director, or one of his or her assistants, may be called upon to give a ruling on the situation. Players are allowed to debate their point, using official sources (such as @{"FAQ" link "STCCG:faq.guide/WHOLEFAQ"}'s), but the tournament director's ruling is con- sidered final, and all players are expected to accept that ruling. ************************************************** @endnode @Node TOUR3 "STCCG.Guide/Tournament Rules/Notes for Tournament Directors" 3. NOTES FOR TOURNAMENT DIRECTORS/ORGANIZERS ANNOUNCE THE RULES WELL IN ADVANCE Let players know when you publicize the tournament that it will be played using the current tournament rules (or any house rules, if applicable). Have a copy of the latest tournament rules to hand out to those who ask. Before play begins, review the tournament rules with players to make sure everyone is familiar with them. ANSWERING QUESTIONS AND DISPUTES Players will have many questions throughout the course of the tournament. Directors should be familiar with all the ST:CCG rules @{"FAQ" link "STCCG:faq.guide/WHOLEFAQ"}'s, and should have them available at the tournament to answer questions. See @{"Section 5" link TOUR5} for details on obtaining these documents. It is also suggested that there be an Assistant Tournament Director who can assist the Tournament Director in all aspects of the Tournament. The Tournament Director can ask for the Assistant Tournament's Director for advice when resolving rules disputes. He may also ask the involved players to voice their opinions and reasons for debate on the issue, but these players should realize that the Tournament Director's decision is final and they should be willing to accept his ruling. ************************************************** @Endnode @Node TOUR4 "STCCG.Guide/Tournament Rules/Decipher's Swiss System" 4. THE DECIPHER SWISS SYSTEM ROUNDS & SCORING: The advantage of the Swiss system is that players are never completely eliminated. Even if you lose early, you can still place high in the rankings. You can even win if there are enough rounds! In addition, this system can be less intimidating for beg inners and yet it determines rankings just as accurately. The minimum number of rounds allowed in a tournament is four. The following chart is a suggested guide to go on: Participants Rounds (minimum) 8 and under 4 9-16 5 17-32 6 ...and so on. For the mathematically inclined, the suggested minimum number of rounds is (log (base2) X) + 1 (round up) Where X = the number of participants. Scoring: Winning by achieving 100 points -- 2 points Winning by running out of cards (or your opponent running out of cards) while you are ahead -- 1 point Time limit win (see below) -- 1 point Bye (see below) -- 2 points Loss -- 0 points. The time limit will be a minimum of one hour per round. You should announce to players when there are ten minutes remaining in the round. If the players are not finished when the time is up, the player with the most points in each game shall be awarded the (1-point) victory. You should also keep track of the margin of victory or loss in each game. For instance, if a player wins 100 to 35, he would have a +65 margin. His opponent would have a -65. If a player won a game called on account of the time limit or running out cards by a score of 80 to 55, he would have a differential of +25 (and his opponent would have a differential of -25). These numbers will be used in tiebreakers (see below). The most points a player can achieve in a game is 100. Even if a player exceeds that total, assume that he or she only had 100 with regards to the margin of victory. PROCEDURE: 1) Get a box of blank index cards. 2) Write each player's name on the top of separate cards and number the cards in the upper left-hand corner. Those numbers become each player's number. Also, on each card, you should have one line available for each round the player will play in, and four columns: one for a player's opponent in the round, one for his points in that round (0, 1 or 2), one for the margin of victory or loss, and one for a running total, which will be needed to pair players off (see step #6). 3) In the first round, pair off players randomly. If there is an odd number of players, the player who sits out will receive a 2-point bye (with a point differential of zero). 4) Write the number of each player's opponent in the space provided for that round. 5) After the game, write the results (score and margin) on the same line as the opponent's number and compute that player's running total. 6) After each round is completed, rank the players according to their scores, using the point differential as a tiebreaker. For instance, a player with a score of 4(+80) would rank higher than a player with a score of 4(+55). If two or more players have the exact same score and exact same differential, their order doesn't matter. Stack the players' cards in order by ranking, with the highest-ranked players on top. 7) Take the top two index cards (representing the top two players) from that pile and match them up against each other. Do the same for the third and fourth cards, the fifth and sixth cards, etc. Again, if there is an odd number of players, the last player (in this case, the lowest ranked one) will receive a 2-point bye (with a point differential of zero). Repeat steps 4) through 7) for every round of the tournament. The winner is the person with the most points at the end. In the event of a tie, add up the margins of victory or loss for each player and the highest total in that category is the winner. Example: If one player had margins of +20, +80, -25, and +50, his total would be +125. If another player had +40, -80, +35, and +75, his total would be +70. The first player would be ranked higher than the second. If there is still a tie, the players involved will have to play a tiebreaker game(s). SIMPLE-SWISS (OPTIONAL): In its simplest form, Swiss System events can also pair participants randomly. In each round, you will pair players randomly, as you do in the first round of the standard Swiss System, regardless of their point values, making sure that you do not pair together players who have already played each other. This has the advantage of being easier on the Tournament Director. Also, it allows for a better "spread" and allows a player who loses early a better chance of coming back and placing high in the standings. On the down side, there is no guarantee that top-ranked players will play each other. A superior player may play the entire tournament against inferior foes. SWISS-ELIMINATION (OPTIONAL): If there are a large number of players and time is tight, rather than using the Swiss System throughout, you may find it better to use the combination Swiss System-elimination tournament format. Follow the Swiss System as set above for a specified number of rounds (this may be less than the suggested minimum number of rounds). Then, take any number of top players who number a power of two (4, 8, 16, 32, etc) and pair them off in an elimination tournament. You should not include more than one-third the total number of participants in the tournament. Rank the players (as you would for a new round) and then pair them off according to their rankings and play a single-elimination tournament. Points accumulated in previous rounds are discarded. The pairings will follow the "Wimbledon-style" format, used in most major sports championships. The player with the highest ranking faces the player with the lowest, the second highest faces the second lowest, and so on. The brackets are seeded so that, barring an upset, this will always be the case in future rounds. For instance, if you had eight players, the first round's pairings would a. #1 vs #8 b. #4 vs #5 c. #3 vs #6 d. #2 vs #7 In the second round, the winners of game a and game b would face each other, as would the winners of game c and game d. The winners of those two games would then play for the championship. With 16 players, you would arrange the matches like this: a. #1 vs. #16 b. #8 vs. #9 c. #5 vs. #12 d. #4 vs. #13 e. #3 vs. #14 f. #6 vs. #11 g. #7 vs. #10 h. #2 vs. #15 Note that, if there were no upsets, the second round would played just like the first round in an eight-person tournament. ************************************************** @Endnode @Node TOUR5 "STCCG.Guide/Tournament Rules/Information" 5. WHERE TO GET INFORMATION For documents (such as this tournament document and @{"FAQ" link "STCCG:faq.guide/WHOLEFAQ"}'s), you have several choices: ftp: ftp.decipher.com WWW: http://www.decipher.com You can also receive this document by using our EmailBack system. Send mail to EmailBack@decipher.com with the subject CATALOG to receive a listing of the files we have available. For information regarding these rules, or any other ST:CCG rules questions, send mail to Q@decipher.com Decipher does not officially sanction tournaments, but we do sponsor them by supplying prizes. If you want to receive sponsoring for your event, contact Matt Mariani, MattM@decipher.com Finally, if you don't have access to email, you can contact us at (804) 623-3600 or you can send mail to: Decipher, Inc. PO Box 56 Norfolk, VA 23501 Make sure to call or write well in advance of your tournament so that we will be able to answer your questions or supply you with prizes in time for your event. @endnode