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Thread: Duel to the Death: Ladder Edition 2012

  1. #1
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    Default Duel to the Death: Ladder Edition 2012

    I've been thinking it is past time that we run another forum-based competition, so I figured that I would restart the Duel to the Death ladder challenge that we held last year, especially since there are a lot of new faces around who might be interested in trying some multiplayer ADOM.

    The challenge basically runs as follows:

    A PC will be created for a set of two players, who will take turns playing the PC in alternating rounds. The PC will start on ID:1, each player will have 1000 turns to descend at least once (but multiple descends are certainly allowed!). If they manage to descend, they pass the PC off to their opponent, who repeats the process until one of the two players die. If a player dies, and the remaining player is able to survive the same turn as the dead player, then they are declared the winner. Otherwise, whomever progressed further prior to death counts as a winner. Players are allowed, and, in fact, encouraged to try to abuse their PC in whatever ways they please in order to get the win. If you think that you can survive dual-wielding cursed fortune cookies and your opponent cannot, then you are free to equip some cursed fortune cookies. Use your imagination: creative destruction is good.

    Players will be placed on a ladder according to their records and rating, and may challenge other players to matches. Ratings will be determined using the chess ELO rating system. Players may join the ladder here, simply by adding their name to the registry. You may join after the tournament has started if you like. Play will begin this Friday, February 25th, and the ladder will close Saturday, March 30th.

    [Players from last year, please note the changes to the river rule.]

    The rules for the tournament are described below.

    Ladder Rules

    -Players may join the ladder at any point. Please do!
    -Players may then challenge any other player who is not currently involved in a match, except for the player that was just played
    -New players will receive ALO ratings of 1500.
    -Lower rated players may decline challenges from higher ranked players, but higher ranked players may not decline lower rated players.
    -Players may only play against 1 opponent at a time, but may play as many matches in total as they want
    -Once a challenge has been posted and accepted in the Challenge Thread, a character will be created for that match.
    -Matches will last approximately 1 week from character creation. The exact timing will be as follows:
    -Players will have 48 hours to play a turn. No extensions will be granted. If you do not take your turn within this period, you forfeit the match and will be placed on the inactive list until you say otherwise.
    -If both players are still alive after 1 week, the player who currently has control of the PC is required to play their turn. This is the last turn of regulation play.
    -After regulation, players will have 48 hours to complete a sudden death turn.
    -Players will be rated based on the ALO rating algorithm. Each match will result in a swing of up to 100 points of ALO.
    -Players may only enter one account into the tournament.

    DttD Matches

    -Players will be assigned a single random PC. The lower ranked player will always start first. If both players are the same rank, then the decision will be randomly be made.
    -Players will have 1000 turns to descend at least once (not including entering the ID).
    -If a player exceeds their turncount and has not descended, this is counted as a death.
    -If a player exceeds their turncount, but has descended at least once prior to the infraction, then one of the following will occur:
    -If the overplay is less than 50 turns, then the second player will only be required to play the difference between this value and 1000. If they have not descended during this period, they may use the extra turns in an attempt to descend. If a player descends as part of an overplay, their opponent is not required to descend. Please try to avoid overplays.
    -If the overplay is more than 50 turns, this is counted as a death.
    -Players may use any items in their inventory and employ any tactics to help or hinder the PC as they see fit (see exceptions below).
    -Players may not ascend to refresh the level (see exception below). Ascension will be considered a death.
    -Generally, a fairly liberal view will be taken about most game exploits. If you know of some bug or quirk that will provide you with some advantage, you may use it. Notable exceptions are:
    -Savescumming is forbidden. Obviously, we operate on the honour system here, but this should be pretty obvious. If you get a legitimate game-ending crash, inform myself and your opponent and you will probably be allowed to retry.
    -Any bug that abuses the turncount is forbidden. Turn reduction bugs, bugs that allow free actions or free benefits (eg. walking into walls for healing, circle kick) are also forbidden.
    -Most other exploits are probably okay, although I will reverse myself the right to evaluate anything particularly exceptional.
    -The River Rule: If a player encounters a river level, they may immediately recreate the level by ascending and descending. Unlike previous tournaments, you are not required to search for the stairs. However, if you choose to invoke the river rule, you must descend one level below the river level, regardless of how many times you have already descended this turn.

    Deaths

    -If a player dies, the second player will play from the previous save file. If they manage to survive and descend, they will be declared winner.
    -If both players die, then the winner will be decided by:
    -The deepest diver
    -The highest experience
    -The most turns played
    -If the game reaches sudden death mode, both players will play 1000 turns from the last regulation savegame. The winner will be determined by the same criteria as above, regardless of life/death status.

    Ending your Turn

    -At the end of your turn, you must submit a savegame file and a satisfactory report to the forum. Until both are submitted, it is still considered your turn as far as timing is concerned. Savegames should be uploaded in a zip file on a forum post.
    -Reports should include, AT MINIMUM, the following information
    -A screenshot of the current level, and the locations of any monsters found or items dropped as appropriate.
    -Piety usage and the associated effects (eg. if you inventory curse, you should note which items were cursed)
    -Report on any changes of intrinsics or corruptions
    -The effects of unIDed, but tested, wands, scrolls, or potions (you are not required to say what the wand is, but you are required to say the effect as best as you are able, eg. if you test a wand and it says "you hear a buzzing sound", you may report that)
    -Level ups and talents chosen
    -Any other information that would be impossible for the other player to infer from the save file (eg. one time level messages such as "You shudder")
    -More detailed or video reports are strongly encouraged but not required.
    -If you die, you are not required to reveal any details about the nature of your turn until after the other player has taken their turn at the same save. This includes vital information like turncount, experience, level dived to. Please keep this information on hand in the event that the other player also dies. Simply stating that you died is sufficient.
    Hoping to win with every class, doomed. Archer, Barbarian, Bard, Beastfighter, Druid, Elementalist, Farmer, Fighter, Monk, and ULE Priest down.

  2. #2
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    For returning players, I also have a question that I'd like some feedback on: Should we have people to keep their ALO scores from last year? [Last year's ALO scores are here by the way]

    My feeling is that we should. ALO is supposed to be a representation of your ability, so it makes sense not to have people be underranked or overranked when we have some proper measurement to use. There are two problems that I see with doing it this way, though. The first is that if we use ALO scores to determine the winner, as we did last year, then it gives some people a rather significant advantage. This is particularly true in the case of zsomkovacs, whose ALO was stratospheric last time due to getting some bonus points at the very peak of his win streak. I'm pretty sure it will be mathematically impossible for anyone to reach that score unless I give out a lot of bonus ALO again. If zsomkovacs in particular chooses to play, I'd probably remove the 220 bonus ALO from his score, which would put him at a respectable 1800ish points. It's not like winning actually counts for anything, but I'd still like it to be somewhat fair. On the other side of the coin, it might discourage players with very low ALO scores of last year from participating, which would be regrettable.
    Hoping to win with every class, doomed. Archer, Barbarian, Bard, Beastfighter, Druid, Elementalist, Farmer, Fighter, Monk, and ULE Priest down.

  3. #3
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    personally i would be for not using old points.

    Do not recall any limited time ladder in any game using old points sorta contradicts by definition.

    Also let say i sign up - from Feb 27 and forward. As much as i like 25-26th i won't have neither time nor internet.
    So far rolled 15 casters with RoDS and shamelessly killed them within 200 turns. For eternium glory!
    (after 15 I stopped counting...)

  4. #4
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    I've added your name but set you inactive. You can change your status whenever you're ready to play.

    As far as the keeping the points go, I was thinking of it in terms of how, say, a chess tournament works: your rating follows you between tournaments and is used to place you against appropriate players for your ability.
    Hoping to win with every class, doomed. Archer, Barbarian, Bard, Beastfighter, Druid, Elementalist, Farmer, Fighter, Monk, and ULE Priest down.

  5. #5
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    Damn it, the Seven Day Roguelike Challenge falls smack bang in the middle of this. I really won't have time to take part
    Platinum Edition ADOMer
    http://gamesofgrey.com - check out my roguelikes!

  6. #6
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    Count me in, I've wanted to take part in a forum challenge. So come the 25th do I have to actively challenge someone or will there be any random pairings?

    Either way, gonna have to get some practice in.
    Life is measured not by the breaths that you take, but by the moments which take your breath away

    Last killed by: Killer fish. Forgot about ice bridge weight limit >_<

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Grey View Post
    Damn it, the Seven Day Roguelike Challenge falls smack bang in the middle of this. I really won't have time to take part
    You're free to set yourself inactive for part of the time if you'd like.
    Hoping to win with every class, doomed. Archer, Barbarian, Bard, Beastfighter, Druid, Elementalist, Farmer, Fighter, Monk, and ULE Priest down.

  8. #8
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    Unfortunately for me, I'm for keeping the score.

    Also, if anyone is interested in some unofficial preliminary runs, I'll gladly play - haven't tried caring for my PCs since the last challenge (and I did bad there).
    Last edited by _Ln_; 02-22-2012 at 09:29 AM.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by JellySlayer View Post
    who repeats the process until one of the two players die.
    So this year we continue until the actual player dies?

    Anyway, I'd like to sign up. Where on the paper do I drop my blood?
    You steal a scroll labelled HITME. The orc hits you.

  10. #10
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    I'll count myself in, for as long as I don't have to set myself inactive due to my extraordinarily busy schedule and such, being an important person who doesn't regularly waste his time playing silly computer games.

    Can I challenge people to chess matches too?
    ADOM Guides - whatever you wanted to know about playing a certain class, but have been afraid to ask!

    Check out my youtube channel to see my ADOM videos, including a completed playthrough of the game. I try to give instructions, so if you want to see some place you haven't been before and get some hints on how to deal with it, this might help! There's also some other games featured there that you might find interesting.

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