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.