Backgammon League Guidelines

Backgammon League Guidelines

Last updated: 7/17/2011

These guidelines are divided into sections:

1. Basics
2. The games
3. Glitches/bug
4. Other guidelines
5. Support/Contact
6. Banned Players/Warnings
7. The League at judgement
8. The League after judgement

1. Basics:

1. a

• Only one player per household with the same IP-number is allowed to play in the backgammon league if I as admin cant be sure it isnt a double account.

         

1. b

• I will not give + if someone couldnt play against you at the moment, I only give out a flag if there is a real good reason behind it. 
• Also when you get a flag.. it aint suppose to be kept like a safe win.. if the other player wants to play.. you will have to play it when both are online and available… If you avoid a player you have a flag against, it might be reset.

1. c

How to take screenshots
In need of proof? You can read here of a easy way to take and share an screenshot:

http://shockplayers.net/2010/10/10/how-to-take-screenshots/

2. Games

2.a

To get the games played:

If you are having difficulties to get a game against a player its always best to try to write to a player 72 hours before judgement and see when he/she will be on for to increase the chances of getting the game played.

So basically, if you have a player that you havent met when its heading towards only 48-72 hours left til judgement you can send him/her a message and try to schedule a time to play, if the player has logged in and not responded to the message you can get the right to a +. Its all depending on what has happened earlier on in the week! If you have been on a lot on the same time before it isnt 100% sure you will get a flag just because the other player arent on as much the last days.

Anyway, it can be good to have evidence for sending the message, such as a screenshot from the chat history (where you can see the date and time at shockplay), for there not to be any doubts.

If a player hasn’t logged in once the last 72 hours, and that players non-played matches can affect the gold winner, then his/her matches against the players with gold-chance might not count (depending on how the week has been of course..).

Also keep in mind that this rule doesn’t count if the player has told the other players that he/she wont be able to come online, so they have to play the match before.

So.. please, if you know in advance you might not have time the last days, let the players know or at least me as admin so I can inform the others!

If you are having issues getting a game against a player, please let me know rather sooner than later on in the week.

2. b

Ignore:

• If you have a player in your league division on ignore, there is a rule that you must drop the ignore while getting that weeks league game played. Otherwise the player that is on ignore can get granted a + flag against you!

2. c

If resigning after started playing matches on the on going league week:

 

• If you resign from the league after started playing your matches – for the first time, you will get a second chance to get back to league if you ask me the same day.
• If you resign after started playing matches for the second time, you will have to wait for 2 weeks to get back to league and have a yellow card handed out to you in the league (first warning).
• If you resign after started playing matches for THE THIRD time, you will get a red card in the league which means you are on the verge to get banned from the league for 2 months time (second and final warning).

This guideline was introduced in this post: http://shockplayers.net/2010/08/19/another-backgammon-league-guideline/  

2. d

Stuck games/walkovers:

• Games that is registered as 9-0 wins is always reset as they are a indication on that something in the system failed during play or can indicate a possible walkover been taken.

3. Glitches/bug

3. a

Glitch no1:

There is one glitch/bug (flaw in the game) in the backgammon game at shockplay, where the opponent somehow get out one of your bricks when it wasnt open to take, by not having the right dice numbers for that move…

That glitch/bug sometimes occur when the opponent takes out one of his bricks that were out of the play and when he’s about to place it in your home-board and it accidently takes out one of your bricks that were behind the line, blotted instead.

 

You can read more about it here: http://shockplayers.net/2010/08/05/the-most-weird-backgammon-league-game-ever/

 

3. b

Glitch no2:

Another glitch/bug, that doesnt happen as often is when a brick suddenly “like floats in the air” so it isnt possible to move it/or to see which moves you actually have. (like on the screenshot above)

A video of the glitch:

[This glitch havent occured since the bg update, at least havent heard anything about it!]

 

3. c

 

After the backgammon update the game still freeze from time to time. The dices can get stuck, and it also can get stuck when you double.

 

 

 

3. d

 

If a glitch/bug in the game appear/replay games:

• You should start the game over from what score it was (if the one whom got affected by the bug wants to – where the brick was taken out when it wasnt supposed to)
• If a set were about to get won by the one that got affected, he should get the set win. But as all you know, it is hard to predict upcoming moves in backgammon, so the best thing is to start over from what score it was.
• However, if you cant get along on how to proceed. Take a screenshot on how the board looked like atm so I can help you to decide on how to proceed.
• If you want my opinion/help with it, you must cancel the game so long til I can give opinion on how to proceed.. you cant come and write to me about it after a game is finished – played.. then its too late. If you cant get along from what to play no warnings will be given out for leaving the game, as it was left for a purpose.
• If a game got interupted.. like on the glitches when the dice/game freeze and it was no ones fault, a player can only get the set win if he or she had at least 80% chance to win the on going set!
• If a game got interupted by a player intentionally a wo loss will be given out together with a warning in the league!

4. Other Guidelines

4. a

The timer:

• The timer is there for a reason.. but it doesnt mean its allowed to abuse it! Use it carefully!  

 

4. b

 

The chat:

• It isnt possible to disable the chat in backgammon games.. which means its even more important to respect one and another.. if a player likes to have “a queit” game, please respect that.   
• Because of the fact that there isnt a feature to being able to shut the chat off.. there is a alternative way, if you feel that you’re opponent “spam”.. You can type: Disable chat. And then no chat is allowed except for stuff like brb, or stuff that actually is relevant to the game. If the same players still spam again and again after this there will be consequences for it! You can read more about this here; http://shockplayers.net/2010/09/01/backgammon-league-week-358/
• If a player keeps on to spam after you have written “disable chat”, please take a screenshot of it and send it to me at marru_h@hotmail.com

4. c

Other guidelines for how to behave is to as told show respect to the ones around you.. don’t in any way harass your opponent.
Think about how you behave.. something you might do another player can take offence at. Everyone is different, take that in as a good thing instead of a bad. What if we all were the same?

The League is suppose to be a fun way of gaming beside the tournaments and point games, and it is suppose to be fun to look forward to a new league week.. that isnt possible 100% if there is someone that in any way blacken the league.

When playing in a league you might repetitively meet same players over and over again.
Isnt it then all better if we try to keep it friendly?
If you have something you think is bothering you, try at first solve it with the player it concern..
It all can get solved by that, if we players have a open communication with one-and-another. Don’t be afraid to take it to a discussion. It is better to have it out there, instead of having a one-way-communication, if you know what I mean :)

5. Support and abuse

• Report abusive players directly to me so we can avoid rudeness and have a good time in league instead. Other thing that might be helpful is to report in to support aswell, through the “support and abuse” button on the frontpage. 

Contact

• Send screenshots to marru_h@hotmail.com when proof is needed – if someone walks etcetera.
• After getting all the info I need I’ll try to make a fair decision based on what I’ve got!    
  

  

  6. Banned players:

  

  Warnings, and a eventual ban:

  I will hand out a yellow card for a first warning, and a red card for a final warning.. and if those two cards/warnings isnt enough:

  • A first ban officially is for 2 months time
  • A second ban is individually set (normally for 6-9 months)
  • A third ban is for no further notice.

  The reasons for getting banned can vary from case to case.

   

  For example it isnt allowed:

  • To take walkovers in league (to leave a game when it has started).. try to make sure that you have time to play the game when you start.. then obviously something can occur during play that can need your attention.. but try for the best first to solve it with your opponent.
  • It isnt allowed to deliberately slow down games, by taking too much time between the moves.. the games can be long as it is already.
  • It isnt allowed “to steal flags”.  

  

  7. The League at judgement:

  

• 0 played games in the elite division
  If a player hasn’t played any games at all in the elite division (0 played games) they will drop down to Div 1 no matter how it looks like in the league otherwise.
  

• Same score with points and +/-

  If two players have the same score with points and +/- the player who won the game against the other will win the elite gold/advance to next div. Same goes if two players have the same score, who is to drop down.. the game between the two can decide the outcome…. :)

  When this happens I have to set +1 for the player who won the game so the system wont do wrong. If it isnt changed in elite for the “elite gold winners” a double gold will be handed out in the league, and this is something that we need to avoid.

  Example:

  

  

  Here I had to set Simon (DK)’s score to +1 in sets so a gold wouldnt be given to wickey27 too.

  http://shockplayers.net/2010/12/22/backgammon-league-week-373/

  

• Inactivity:
  • If a player have been inactive for 2 weeks, the system will automatically take that player out of the league. Then you need to sign up for league from the beginning again.

  Flags:

  The flags at judgement gives:

  +10 in set

  -10 in set

  Sometimes I change a + flag to a 5-0 win instead, as it doesnt seem to fair if a player for example would win a elite gold with better +/- because of the big advantage of getting +10 on a plus flag.

  That also concerns the – flags (can get changed to a 0-5 loss instead) but on the other hand, sometimes a – flag with -10 for a player that deliberately have turned down a league challenge is more than right as we all want that the games should get played in league instead of being decided by flags. It’s all about the reason behind why you have a – flag.

  

  Players signed up:

  Sometimes the judgements in backgammon league doesnt work out in the best way.. The judgement goes automatically.

  • It happens that players drop out of league without any reason.. If I havent noticed you dropping out, please send me a message so I can correct it.
  • Sometimes you need to wait 1 extra week to get included in the league when signed up, and the reason can simply be that there were other ones before you in queue.. but it can also be that the system didnt create a new division for that backgammon league week. (there must be at least 10 players signed up at judgement if a whole new division shall be created).
  • Sometimes I have the opportunity to put some players in div 1 (if there is freeplaces), send me a message telling me that you had signed up but didnt get included to the league.
  • Also the system sometimes miss to send out all messages to the ones that had signed up (to let them know they’re included in league)

  So, basically.. if you have signed up.. and didnt get a message.. etcetera.. have a look around the league to see if you’re included.. if not, let me know.

  I have suggested to Raketspel to improve all these flaws in the system, and hope they will get fixed.

   

  

  8. The league after judgement

  To make it more even in the div 1 groups I might move places between players to try to balance the activity in the divisions.
  If there is someone that really doesnt want to change division from where they are at the moment, let me know!

  You can read more about this here: http://shockplayers.net/2010/07/28/backgammon-league-week-353/ 

  

  Is there anything you would want me to add? let me know :)

  I have these Backgammon League Guidelines up here so you players in the league can see how I as admin think and warn, ban players in league.

  Read Shockplays legal stuff too:

  http://shockplay.com/WWW3/index.asp?page=legal&lng=EN