[Official] Conquer Club Tournament Handbook

[Night Strike]

Table of Contents
2nd Edition

Instructions and How-To:


How to Join a Tournament
How to Host a Tournament

Official Policies:


Reserves Threads
Premium Prizes
Franchise & International Tournaments
Abandoned Tournaments
Rescued Tournaments
Tournament Medals

Helpful Information:


Tournament Organizer Etiquette
Tournament Player Etiquette
Tournament Tags & Tools

[Night Strike]

How to Join a Tournament

You have honed your skills in the public games and maybe even a few games against your friends. Now you are looking for a new challenge, something to prove your true dominance. You have come looking to join (and win) a tournament!

Conquer Club tournaments are full of some of the best players on the site. Many of them play strictly in tournament games as they know their skills will be tested by the best players around. Strategy takes on an entirely new meaning in a tournament; sometimes you have to win the game outright, while other times, a second place finish will be enough to get you to the next round. It's an entirely different ballgame, and you are guaranteed to have fun.

Here is a step-by-step guide for finding the tournament of your dreams:

1. Take a moment to browse through the titles in the Create/Join a Tournament Forum. In most cases, the title of the tournament will give away a few hints as to what the tournament is about.
   
   
2. Pick one of the titles you are interested in and enter the thread. Carefully read the first post to find all the details about that tournament. Pay special attention to things such as:
   
   
   • Game Format/Settings
   • Maps
   • Whether you are required to have premium membership
   • How many players are needed
   • How many games you will play at once (it varies between tournaments)
   • How players advance to the next round
3. If the tournament looks like one you would enjoy being a part of, you now need to sign up. All this takes is a reply in the thread. Most of the time a simple "Count me in!" will be fine, but be sure to see if you need to include any other information such as map choice or settings.
   
   
4. Now that you have made your post, all that is left for you to do is patiently wait for the tournament to start. Sometimes this only takes a couple of days, but on occasion it can take up to a week or two. Just check back on the thread every so often to see if there are any updates you need to know about.
   
   
5. Once the tournament is ready to start you should get a PM from the organizer telling you what to do next. Some organizers will ask you to check for game numbers in the thread, others will send them directly to you.

That's all there is to it! Enjoy the tournaments!

If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas, as you go through it, feel free to contact any one of the Tournament Directors. That’s what they are here for…to help you have fun.

[Night Strike]

How to Host a Tournament
Updated April 9, 2010

So, you want to create, host, and run a tournament? But, you’re nervous and not quite sure how to do it? Well, you’ve come to the right place.

Running a tournament on Conquer Club is a whole lot of fun, a great way to meet new players, and provides a perfect outlet for the competitive beast in all of us. Not to mention that it’s guaranteed entertainment when you are bored at work.

This trusty set of step-by-step guidelines will provide the perfect source for “one-stop-shopping” on how to build, host, and run your own tournament from beginning to end. Until you are familiar with the process, my advice would be to print this out before you begin. That way, it will be in front of you as you go through the process.

Let’s get started.

1. If you want, you can have a theme to your tournament. This is where you can be really creative. The best resource for theme ideas, if you choose to have one, is to look at actual themes that have been used in the past. You can get some great ideas from seeing what other people have done. Or, you can come with something completely original. Or, you don’t have to have any theme at all. It’s up to you.
   
   
2. Next, you will need to give your tournament a name. It can be based on the theme (if you have one) or it can just be called “Joe’s Knucklehead Tournament.” The sky’s the limit!
   
   
3. Now you have to decide the details of the Tournament and how it will be set up. For this you will need to decide upon all settings for the games and list them in the tournament thread. The settings are:
   
   
   • Number of entrants (keep in mind, it should work out evenly all the way to the end).
   • Map
   • Game Type
   • Play Order
   • Troop Deployment
   • Spoils
   • Reinforcements
   • Special Gameplay (Fog of War and Trench)
   
   You will need to keep in mind several minimum requirements that must be observed in order for your tournament to be considered a public tournament. (Effective 04.12.10)
   
   
   • All tournaments must have at least the following amount of participants:
     
     • 1v1 and Singles Tournaments: 16 players
     • Team Tournaments: 8 teams (no more than 12 players per team; Added June 16, 2011)
   • The maximum point restriction allowed on a tournament is 2000+ points per player or team average.
   • The tournament format must cause the eventual winner to play at least 3 games.
   • The tournament must list all settings.
   • All players must be given at least 24 hours to join their games, unless the tournament uses speed games (at least 48 hours is preferred).
   • At least 50% of the spots must be for open/public sign-ups and not filled with special invitations; every player or one person from every team must post in the thread to enroll.
   • All players must be listed in the tournament thread in order to receive tournament privileges.
   • Each tournament should be designed to end within 1 year. (Added June 16, 2011)
   • Each organizer can have only 4 tournaments recruiting players at once (has NO effect on ongoing tournaments or reserves threads).
   • The Tournament Directors reserve the right to deny privileges for your tournament if the tournament is deemed to break site or tournament rules, has an unfair structure, or has pertinent settings missing from the tournament description.
   • If you wish to run a tournament based upon an actual sports league or another well-designed format, and it requires you to have less than the minimum amount of participants or games, please contact the Create/Join Director to discuss a possible exemption.
   
   
4. Now that you have all the details of the Tournament established, all you need now are some players. For this, you need to create a thread in the Create/Join a Tournament section of the forums letting everyone know that you are looking for people to sign up. Most people will respond right there in the same thread, but you might receive a few PM’s as well. Either way, keep track of it in the order in which you receive players.
   
   It’s also good to let the players know what their status is. In other words, let them know if they are in or not, or reserves, etc. You can do this by affirmatively responding to their posts with a new post of your own, or by listing entrants as they join on your original post by clicking “edit,” and then making the updates.
   
   Once you have received enough players to fill your tournament, I strongly suggest that you accept some reserves (2-5 depending on the size of your tourney) just in case someone drops out or deadbeats. Hopefully you won’t need them, but it can save you big headaches down the line.
   
   Once your tournament is full, please designate as such. You can do this by “editing” your original subject line and writing “FULL” at the end of it. Your thread will be moved after you request your privileges.
   
   Note: Your tournament needs to be filled and started within 30 days of posting it. This is to keep the Create/Join a Tournament fresh with new tournaments, and saves you the hassle of having to find new players if some of the early sign-ups forget about the tournament. Some leeway is given, but don't abuse it. If you need help finding players, contact another organizer or a Tournament Director.
   
   
5. Now that you have enough players to run a public tourney, you must get “Tournament Privileges.” Most of the time these will be given to you soon after your tournament is marked as [Full] in the thread title. If your tournament has not been added to the database as Open or has not been moved to Ongoing after a couple of days, simply fill out the below form and PM it to one of the Tournament Directors. You can also use this form to update the data for your tournament or for rescuing tournaments.
   
   ---------------------
   
   
   Tournament Title: Put the name of your Tournament here. Make sure you use proper spelling and capitalization, because what you send us will be the label for your games. You cannot use the same title as a previous tournament.
   
   Tournament Type: Pick the ONE most important option to describe your tournament: Standard, Terminator, Assassin, Doubles, Triples, Quadruples, Fog of War, Manual Initial Troops, Sports League, Large Team, Mixed (mixed game types like doubles then singles).
   
   Tournament Topic: Copy/Paste the link to your Tourney thread here. Make sure it's clickable so we can get to the thread.
   
   Tournament Organizer: Put the Tourney organizer name here (co-organizers will only receive privileges/medals on a case-by-case basis as determined by the Director if the tournament is sufficiently large in number of players and/or games played).
   
   Comments: If you have any comments or questions, put them here.
   
   This process could take up to 24 hours, so please be patient.
   
   ----------------------
   
6. Now we have to create the games. The number of games to be created will be dependent on how many people are in your tournament and how many players you wish to be at each game. For example, if you are running a 64 person tournament, you could have 4 players in 16 games. This would require you to create 16 games. Or if you are running a 20 person, head-to-head tournament, you would have 2 players in 10 games.
   
   To create the games, go to “Start a Game,” scroll to the selected tournament name, decide upon a password for each of the games, and fill out the details that you decided upon in Step #3. You can also add a descriptive Game Label that will follow your tournament title. You will have to go through this process for each game you need. Like the example above, you would need to create 16 games for a 64 person tournament, and repeat the process 16 times. Sounds like a lot, but it’s a piece of cake once you get the hang to it.
   
   Again, I strongly recommend you write down each of the game numbers and passwords you use. You will need to remember them when you send out game assignments to your tournament participants.
   
   
7. Now simply assign your participants their game numbers and individually PM them along with passwords (that you make up) to get into each game. Hopefully, they will all join in a reasonable amount of time and you can sit back and enjoy the show.
   
   Sometimes, you will get people that just don’t join the games, change their minds, disappear, or whatever. This is where the “reserves” (see Step #4) can save your butt and keep you from looking foolish. Simply PM one of the reserves and let them know that they are “in” and give them the table number and password of the person they are replacing.
   
   
8. Congratulations, the hard part is over!!!! Now, just simply keep track of all the games. I like to post each of the Game Numbers and all Tournament updates in my original post. It gives your participants a place to check the tourney status and keeps them involved. I also like to post the round-by-round winners so players can “scout” possible upcoming opponents.
   
   
9. As games end, request that the winner of each game send you either a post on the thread, or a PM letting you know of the results. This will allow you to keep track of the tournaments’ progress and set the brackets and match ups for the upcoming rounds.
   
   
10. Finally, congratulate the winner publicly. There is no greater feeling than having your victory posted for all to see. And, why not…they fought hard and earned it. They should be rewarded with a little bit of “spotlight.” Also, it will keep people interested in joining future tournaments you might host as well.
    
    
11. The staff at Conquer Club like to keep things as user-friendly as possible. One way we are able to do this is to literally move tournaments, based upon the status of each.
    
    So, once your tournament is full and under way, please type "Full" or "Ongoing" in the Subject line of your original post. This signals the CC staff to move your tournament to the Ongoing SubForum (after you request privileges). Likewise, when your tournament has concluded please type, "Completed" or "Winner: ______," in the same Subject line. This, in turn, will signal CC staff to move the tournament into the "Completed" SubForum.
    
    And don't worry about not being able to find your tourney once it's moved. We always leave a "shadow" directing you to it's new home.
    
    
12. Sometimes things arise unexpectedly that are out of our control. It happens. If this should happen while you are in the midst of hosting a tournament, no worries. You may pass the torch to someone else to continue running the tournament in your absence. Just send a PM to one of the Tournament Directors letting us know who your replacement will be. Also, have your replacement send us a PM, with the above mentioned completed form, and we will grant them Tourney Privileges so that they may continue running the tourney. You can find detailed instructions in our Rescued Tournaments Policy.

You may, if you so choose, offer a real prize of a Conquer Club membership to the winner(s). If you do this, Conquer Club will generously match 100% whatever prize you offer. You may distribute the matched membership, in 3 month or larger segments, however you wish to your winner(s) or for a future tournament. For more details, check out the Premium Prize Policy.

That’s about it. My best piece of advice is to stay organized! It will make hosting your own tournament incredibly easy and possibly save you from looking silly. And, most of all have fun.

If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas, as you go through it, feel free to contact any one of the Tournament Directors. That’s what they are here for…to help you have fun.

[Night Strike]

Play-Now Tournaments
(Formerly Reserves Threads Policy)
Announced May 8, 2008
Revised August 10, 2010

In nearly every tournament, there are players who sign up to compete but never show up when it comes time to join their game(s). Most tournaments start out with a couple reserves for just such a case, but what should the organizer do when their list has been depleted? The option to start sending PMs to players is always there, but many organizers have chosen to create a new thread specifically for recruiting reserves. In an effort to help players interested in play-now spots sift through those requests more quickly, we're now going to combine all the reserves request threads into one permanent stickied thread at the top of the Create/Join a Tournament Forum. Here's how the thread will work:

• ORGANIZERS ONLY will make one new post in the thread requesting reserves for their tournament.
• The post needs to include information on the # of reserves needed, the game settings, and a link to the main thread.
• A player wishing to join a Play-Now Tournament must go to the actual tournament thread and post only in that thread if they are interested in joining. Player-posts in the stickied thread will be deleted without notification (whether the organizer gets their interest or not).
• ONE WEEK after the organizer's post is made, it will be deleted from the thread to keep the thread from becoming cluttered. If your reserve need is filled before the one week has ended, please edit out the text of your post and it will be deleted by a Director.
• Here's an example post:
  

  Point Grabbers VII
  
  I am looking for 3 players who are interested in playing in the Point Grabbers VII tournament. The games are 1 vs 1 with flat rate spoils and chained reinforcements. If you would like to join the fun, please post in the thread linked below, or contact Optimus Prime with a PM.
  
  Point Grabbers VII

• If you still need reserves after the one week, you may make a new post.

This new method of finding reserves should make it easier on players as they do not have to sift through several threads in the forum to find the tournaments that are immediately taking players. It should also help organizers by making sure all reserve players are posted in their tournament thread and they don't have to check multiple places for reserves. Anyone is still welcome to send out PMs to gain reserves. The stickied thread will also have a permanent entry as an Open Tournament in the Tournament Database.

[Night Strike]

Premium Prize Policy
Announced May 8, 2008
Updated July 31, 2009

Each day we have new tournaments being created, started, and completed here at Conquer Club. These tournament provide a new and exciting avenue of game play for all involved, and give the players a new challenge to pursue. However, without our tournament organizers, these tournaments would not exist, and so we would like to outline exactly how these organizers can add a little extra incentive for the players in their tournaments to play hard.

The only way to provide premium for your tournament winner(s) is to buy it yourself. When you do, Conquer Club is willing to match that purchased premium for any amount an organizer may wish to apply to their tournaments. (Can only purchase the options currently available on the site, which is 1 year memberships at this time.)

Read below to find all the details of how this policy works.

==============================================================

Policy Details:

1. All questions, concerns, or problems with tournament prize donation need to be sent to the Tournament Director Overseeing the Premium Prizes. They will be monitoring the "premium bank", confirming purchases, and allotting all matched premium to tournament organizers. The tournament organizers should not contact the admins to get approval for premium rewards.
   
   
2. When the tournament is complete, the organizer uses the Gift Certificate option to purchase a premium membership for the winner(s) of the tournament. TrialPay cannot be used for the tournament premium prizes.
   
   
3. The organizer copies the purchase receipt (sent to the purchaser in an email) into a PM to send to the Director overseeing premium prizes. Once this is done, the Director will record the purchase into the Premium Prize Bank and credit the organizer with a matched premium value equal to the amount purchased.
   
   
4. The matched premium can then be awarded to other finishers in the tournament or stockpiled for future tournaments. Examples:
   
   1. A doubles team wins the tournament, so the organizer buys one player a premium membership and gives the matched premium to the teammate.
   2. After a long sports league, the winner receives a 1 year purchase membership. The matched premium is then split to award 6 months to the runner-up and 3 months to each of the semifinalists.
   3. An organizer runs a tournament and purchases premium for the winner. He then banks the matched premium to use for the tournament's sequel.
   4. There are many other possible examples, but these are a sampling.
   
   
5. Matched premium may be parceled out in portions from as small as 3 months to as much as you have in your bank. You may not give your portions of premium out in any smaller than 3-month segments. The purchased premium cannot be split. No exceptions.
   
   
6. A tournament organizer may "stockpile" their matched premium if they feel so inclined. The Tournament Directors will keep a running list of who has purchased what, and how much matched premium they have awarded and have remaining. If you ever need to know your current matched premium balance, please send a PM to one of the Tournament Directors.
   
   
7. All matched premium in a tournament organizer's bank must be used as a prize for an approved tournament related event. It cannot be given to a random family member, friend, or the organizer himself (unless they actually won their own tournament, which has happened on several ocassions).
   
   
8. Once a tournament organizer has used up all of their matched premium they must once again purchase additional memberships in order to earn more to add to their bank.
   
   
9. Organizers may purchase prizes from the Conquer Club Shop for the winners, but there is no matching option currently available for this purchase.

==============================================================

Now that you know the details of the policy, here's a checklist to follow for awarding your premium prizes.

• Include a comment in your tournament that you will be awarding a premium prize to the winner(s).
• When the tournament is completed, purchase a premium gift certificate for your winner(s).
• Send a PM to the Tournament Director overseeing premium prizes with the following information:
  
  • Tournament Link:
  • Gift Certificate Receipt:
  • Award (amount) of the matched premium to (player)
  • Add the (remaining) matched premium to your bank account?
    
    Note: You do not need a certificate receipt if you're only using matched premium that was already in the account.
• The Director will then record the transaction in your bank account and notify lackattack to credit the matched premium.
• Lackattack will notify the Director and/or the organizer/players when the premium is credited.

[Night Strike]

Franchise Tournaments
Announced February 9, 2009

Many organizers have found a winning blueprint to string together a bunch of similar successful tournaments. These tournaments are popular among the participants, but they tend to cause some issues when awarding and accumulating medals. In an effort to reduce the time it takes to distribute medals as well as to recognize organizers for the variety of tournaments they organize, we would like to introduce the Franchise Tournament Designation.

• An organizer who runs a series of similar tournaments (in name and style) has the opportunity to achieve a Franchise Designation after completing their 5th tournament. To receive a Franchise Designation, an organizer needs to contact the Tournament Director overseeing Franchises to request the designation. If the series has not been Franchised after the 10th completed tournament, the Tournament Directors will decide whether it will receive the designation or continue as normal.
• Franchised tournaments will have all medals removed for those tournaments. In its place will be a special medal description. We currently do not have a new medal specifically for Franchises, but we will request one in the future (if possible).
• Franchised tournaments will receive a special designation in the Tournament Hall of Fame. Furthermore, the Franchised name will be "retired", and the "rights" to that title will remain with the recognized organizer unless the organizer gives another member permission to use that title.
• An organizer may be recognized for more than one franchise. i.e. Natewolfman can be recognized for both Foundry Update and Back to the Basics.
• If you have questions concerning Franchised Tournaments, please PM the Tournament Director overseeing Franchises.

For a housekeeping note, when a Director moves your thread over to Completed, we will use two different tags for denoting newly completed tournaments. Threads with an * denote the organizer still needs to receive a medal, while threads with at least one ^ denote that the winner(s) still need(s) a medal. Those medals come soon after the next Hall of Fame update.


International Tournaments Policy
Announced February 9, 2009

The tournament forums have always been a place for organizers to test their creativity in a competitive format. However, they have also always been an English-only environment. Several organizers have branched out to host competitions in their native languages, but their approval have always been on a case-by-case basis. We have decided to codify some guidelines that will hopefully improve the gaming atmosphere for even more members.

• Members who wish to run an international tournament must have successfully organized a completed tournament in the main forum.
• One person cannot run more than 2 international tournaments at the same time.
• The member must be a frequenter in the international forum (therefore knows the language and probably even from that country).
• When requesting privileges for the tournament, the organizer must include an English translation of the tournament with their request in order to receive the privileges.
• The organizer is responsible for informing the Tournament Directors when the tournament finishes. They will also be required to provide an update to the tournament upon request.
• These tournaments will be under the same regulations (abandoned tournaments and privileges abuse) and rewards (Hall of Fame and medal recognition) as tournaments in the main forums.
• If you have questions concerning International Tournaments, please PM the Tournament Director overseeing International Tournaments

[Night Strike]

Abandoned Tournament Policy
Announced January 1, 2008

Over the last year, there has been an increased number of tournaments that have been started only to be abandoned mid-way through. The CC staff has received numerous complaints about this from the players who had entered these tournaments, only to be left in the lurch wondering if the tournament was still active, abandoned, on hold, etc.

Abandoning a tournament is simply unfair and discourteous to the players who make the commitment to sign up and play. As the host of a tournament, it is your responsibility to see your tournament through from beginning to end....period.

That being said, your Tournament Directors have come up with a policy that is designed to reduce the number of abandoned tournaments. It is a ladder system that gives those who host tournaments every opportunity to succeed, yet is designed to discourage those who create tournaments, only to walk away after it has begun.

The ladder system is as follows:

1st Offense: Informal Warning and a slap on the wrist

2nd Offense: Official warning and a swift kick in the "tookus"

3rd Offense: 3 month ban from starting/hosting tournaments

4th Offense: 6 month ban from hosting tournaments

5th Offense: Permanent ban from hosting tournaments

By "ban," we mean that no tournament privileges will be granted to the offending player for the specified period of time.

A permanent record will be maintained by the Tournament Directors reflecting those currently on the list, a history of all offenses, the dates warnings/bans start and end, and the names of abandoned tournaments for easy reference.

Punishment in the form of "bans" is a last resort. It is our hope that no one ever has to lose tournament privileges. But, in the interest of the tournament community at large, we feel it necessary to have a system in place to protect the large majority of our members from the thoughtlessness of a few.

If you have any questions regarding abandoned tournaments, please send a PM to the Tournament Director overseeing Abandoned Tournaments. If you wish to appeal an Abandoned Tournament warning or ban, please PM the Head Tournament Director.


Abandoned Tournament Policy — FAQ
Announced January 1, 2008

1. What exactly is considered an abandoned tournament?

show

2. What if I start a tournament and I have an emergency (ie. death in the family, illness, etc.) where I am unable to continue running my tournament?

show

3. What if I have abandoned tournaments in the past? Does this new policy apply retroactively?

show

4. Will the current list of who is "banned" and/or who is on the ladder be maintained publicly?

show

5. What if I am running multiple tournaments, I abandon one of them, and it is my 3rd offense? Will I lose privileges for the other tournaments I am running mid-way through?

show

6. What is the difference between the First Offense warning and the Second Offense warning?

show

[Night Strike]

Rescued Tournaments Policy
Announced July 31, 2009

Along with the increases in the number of ongoing tournaments comes an increase in the number of tournaments that are abandoned. It's always unfortunate when an organizer abandons a tournament, which is why we have our current Abandoned Tournament Policy. However, this policy doesn't actually protect the players who have participated in the tournaments. In an effort to help the players, we've developed a process for Rescuing Tournaments.

If a tournament has had no activity (organizer post or active game) for more than 3 weeks, the tournament can be classified as "Needing Rescued".

At this point, a new organizer can qualify to take over the tournament. To do so, the following steps must be taken:

1. A statement of intent to rescue the tournament must be sent to the Tournament Director overseeing rescued tournaments.
2. If the original organizer has been on the site within the last week, the new organizer must get permission from the original organizer to take over the tournament. Permission can be posted in the thread or forwarded to the Tournament Director overseeing rescued tournaments.
3. If the original organizer has not logged on for more than one week or has been busted/banned (1 month or longer), the new organizer does not need permission to rescue the tournament.
4. The new organizer must determine if the old thread will continue to be used or if a new one will be needed.
5. If a new thread is needed, the new organizer must include a link to the original thread as well as the text from the first post(s) of the original thread. A link to the new thread must also be posted in the old thread.
   Note: Due to the current coding, the game label will still go back to the original tournament thread. The Tournament Director should put the new link in the top of the first post of the old thread so the new thread can still be found easily.
6. The new organizer then sends a privilege request to the Tournament Director overseeing rescued tournaments. This request must include the following information:
   
   • New Organizer:
   • New Tournament Thread:
   • Tournament Title (Must exactly match the old title)
   • Original Organizer:
   • Original Thread:
7. If the same thread will be used, fill out the request in the same manner, and remember to PM a Tournament Director upon completion of the tournament to update the thread title/first post with the necessary information.
8. The tournament will now continue as normal, with the new organizer solely responsible for the tournament.
9. The new organizer will receive a Tournament Contribution Medal if the tournament had at least half its players and rounds remaining when it was taken over. No medal will be issued for tournaments that are more than halfway completed. Exceptions can be made on a limited basis.

Notes:

• If a tournament that is rescued did not have permission from the original organizer, the original organizer will be recorded for an abandoned tournament per the Abandoned Tournament Policy.
• The original thread will be moved to the Abandoned Tournament forum, but it will include a [Rescued] tag in the thread title.
• Franchised Tournaments cannot be rescued without permission from the original organizer. If granted, the new organizer may not continue the franchise by starting new tournaments without permission from the original organizer.
• The original organizer can still pass their tournament off to another organizer at any time if issues arise. The procedures here serve as an outline to easily do this.
• Canceled Tournaments (those that do not fill or start within 30 days) cannot be rescued. An organizer may start a new tournament that has the same settings and name (unless a Franchise) and even notify the players who signed up in the original thread.
• Tournaments that have already been moved to the abandoned forum cannot be rescued. A tournament will not be moved to abandoned if a player is going through the process of rescuing it.

[Night Strike]

Tournament Contribution Medals
Announced June 16, 2008

We know that everyone wants to earn all the medals now that they are available, but we also want to make sure that everyone knows what you need to do to properly earn, and thus be awarded, a Tournament Contribution medal. See below for the details on what criteria need to be met:

1. The tournament must have a clear and distinct winner. If the tournament is serving as a qualifier in part of a larger, more complex tournament, the organizer will not receive a medal until the entire tournament is complete. At which point, they will receive ONE medal for the entire process. This is to prevent organizers from inflating their medal count artificially.
   
2. If you abandon a tournament at any time, you will not receive a medal for it. No exceptions. You must see your tournament through from beginning to end in order to receive the reward.
   
3. If you rescue a tournament from abandonment, you will receive a Tournament Contribution Medal if the tournament had at least half its players and rounds remaining when it was taken over. No medal will be issued for tournaments that are more than halfway completed. Exceptions can be made on a limited basis.
   
4. There can be a MAX of 2 medals per tournament, except under extremely rare and special circumstances, which the Tournament Directors will discuss and decide upon. Take this into consideration when planning your tournaments. If you are a co-organizer, you are not guaranteed a medal just for that, you must prove you have done a significant amount of work to help the tournament move forward to completion. This would include things such as creating games, record-keeping, and sending PMs to players. The awarding of medals to co-organizers will be considered on a case-by-case basis. We recommend that tournaments be run by one person as often as possible to avoid confusion.
   
5. Franchised Tournaments will only have 1 medal for all past and future tournaments of that franchise.

Tournament Winners Medals
Announced February 24, 2009

In order to gain one of these medals, you must have won a public tournament.

1. The organizer MUST have announced the winner in some way. If someone approaches a Tournament Director claiming to have won a tournament where the organizer didn't officially declare a winner, then it does not count.
   
2. There will be as many medals for a tournament as there are winners, up to 12 players from the winning team (Modified June 16, 2011). Medals will NOT be awarded for 2nd place (or below) finishers.
   
3. A medal will still be awarded regardless of who started or finished organizing the tournament.

Both Medals

1. You can currently only earn up to 30 of each medal. Sorry to those who organize or win more tournaments than that.
   
2. Medals are distributed after a Tournament Hall of Fame update. If your tournament is marked by a * and/or ^, then it is still awaiting addition and distribution. Please be patient: you will get your medal. If you have any questions regarding medals, please PM the Tournament Director overseeing the Hall of Fame.
   
3. The Tournament Directors, upon discussion amongst themselves, have final say in who receives medals for each tournament. We do not plan on short-changing anyone, but you must do a certain level of work/participation to receive the reward.

[Night Strike]

Tournament Organizer Etiquette

Planning and running a tournament is a privilege available to all members of Conquer Club. However, it is not a privilege that should be abused, and it is not something that should be done in a half-hearted manner. By creating a tournament, you are taking upon yourself the responsibility to provide a well-run and well-organized event for many players; most of whom you have never met, but are still expecting a good time.

Running a tournament is not something that can be done overnight. It takes planning, thinking, and dedication in order to do it, and an extra dose of each of those things to do it well. At any given time there are tournament organizers who fall by the wayside, those who put in just enough effort to finish, and those who go the extra mile to make their tournaments stand out above the rest.

Here is a list of things that you can do as a Tournament Organizer to stand out among the rest:

1. Take the time to announce your tournament properly. Make the first post in your thread something that stands out and make sure that it is organized in a way that is easy to understand and follow. The first key to finding players is to make your tournament look good.
   
   
2. When you start a tournament, update your sign-ups on a regular basis. This usually means that you will need to check in at least once a day (sometimes more) and let the players know you have put them on the list of players for the tournament. Nobody likes to sit around wondering if they actually got in.
   
   
3. Learn how to alter the text in your thread title. This is helpful for letting players know as the tournament progresses if there is anything new they should look at. Tags such as [Updated on...], [Check Standings], or [Round #] let players know if something has changed.
   
   
4. When you are ready to start creating games for your tournament, please use the proper form for requesting your tournament privileges. It will not only endear you to your Tournament Directors, but it will speed up the process. You can find the form you will need in the Tournament Handbook.
   
   
5. Update your tournament thread regularly. We cannot stress this enough. Players that have signed up to play in your tournament will not like to be left wondering what is going on. Even if there are no newly completed games or any changes to make to the standings, post in your thread that there is nothing new to report. Tournament Organizers who are respected always make sure their players are up to speed on even the smallest of details.
   
   
6. Make sure to record game results on a regular basis. Even if your tournament has 400 games and only 4 or 5 have been completed, the players will want to know. Trust us on this one. Also, it is easier to stay on top of things if you do small things on a frequent basis.
   
   
7. If a player in your tournament sends you a PM or makes a post in the tournament thread with a question that pertains to the tournament, make it a point to answer that question both in the thread as well as with a PM to the player. Personal attention will get you places you never dreamed of in this profession.
   
   
8. If you get stuck, or don't quite know how to do something, ask someone who does. The players here at Conquer Club are a treasure trove of knowledge, and if you need help making your standings work or figuring something else out, just ask, you will find the answer. Not knowing how to do something is a terrible reason to abandon a tournament.
   
   
9. The Tournament Directors really are your friends. We promise. There is nothing we want more in the world than to help you run a successful tournament. Feel free to send us a PM anytime with any question, large or small. If we don't know the answer, we will help you find it, or we will point you in the direction of someone who does.
   
   
10. If your schedule becomes too busy to run your tournament effectively, see if one of your players or another organizer would be willing to become a co-organizer to free up some of your time. If you have absolutely no time, see if someone else will take up your full tournament. You must make a post that publicly announces any change in leadership. DO NOT start a tournament if you know your schedule will get very busy soon after it starts.
    
    
11. NEVER create games other than for the tournament the privileges are granted. Your privileges can not be used to create games for private tournaments, in-clan tournaments, or clan challenges. ANYONE caught abusing this will have their privileges revoked. Yes, the Tournament Directors do check on this from time to time. Don't press your luck.

Hopefully this list will help all of you in your efforts to be better Tournament Organizers. If you don't get everything right the first time around, don't worry too much, there are plenty of us here to help you out. Even extremely experienced organizers are constantly seeking to improve their skills.

Now get out there and run some good tournaments!

[Night Strike]

Tournament Player Etiquette

Just like an organizer has a responsibility to his or her tournament participants, those same participants have a responsibility to the organizer and fellow competitors. Although these may not be as important as an Organizer’s Etiquette, they can help the tournament run more smoothly as well as help everyone enjoy their participation. All of these etiquette guidelines will improve every tournament participant’s experience.

Player to Organizer Etiquette
There are several factors that you as the participant can do to help the organizer run an effective tournament.

1. Follow any given guidelines when registering for a tournament. Typically, the organizer will provide what he/she wants from you when you sign up for the tournament. They will typically include such requests as Division of play, map preference, and other settings (spoils, reinforcements, etc.). Please also include ALL team members (rather than just one at a time) and a team name if these are applicable. Both of these will save the Organizer from having to send reminder PMs for the necessary information.
   
   
2. Show up for your games. Depending on the number and variety of games, it could take the organizer a large amount of time to create each one. It is a hassle when a player does not show up for a game because a replacement must be found and/or a game remade. Most organizers allow you 48 hours to join your game(s) from the time they send the PM to you. If you are not going to be able to join in this timely manner, it is a courtesy to PM the organizer with a reason for your delay. They will then be able to decide if a replacement needs to be found or not.
   
   
3. Help provide the organizer with finished game results. Most organizers will update their tournaments every 3-4 days at a minimum. Posting your finished games in either the thread or by a PM will serve as a reminder to the organizer that the tournament is progressing. It is best to include the game number(s) with link(s) as well as the order of finish in each game.
   
   
4. Check the organizer’s results. Organizers will typically keep an up-to-date chart in one of the first few posts and/or the newest post, but they are not perfect. Do not hesitate to point out a flaw in a point calculation or order of finish. An organizer tries his/her best to be flawless, but mistakes do happen. Point them out in the thread AS WELL AS by PM in a tactful manner, even if correcting the mistake keeps you from advancing. You will gain much respect in the eyes of the organizer.
   
   
5. Be patient if the tournament seems to be moving slowly. Not all games move at the same pace, even if they start at the same time. The organizer is probably still keeping an eye on the tournament even if games are not finishing at a quick rate. If you suspect the organizer has forgotten or even abandoned a tournament, it is best to communicate via a PM with the organizer. It never looks good to bash the organizer publicly.
   
   
6. Do NOT drop a tournament just because you feel the organizer is rude. It is better to finish out a tournament rather than dropping it completely. If you as a participant feel that an organizer has been rude or ineffective either personally or managerially, bring it to the attention of a Tournament Director. The Directors are here to do more than just granting privileges and moving threads.
   
   
7. Thank the tournament organizer, either publicly or privately, after your elimination or tournament completion. Hosting a tournament is a lot of work that the organizer typically gets little credit for putting together. The winner should without a doubt provide a thank-you, especially if a Premium Prize has been awarded.
   
   
8. Being respectful to an organizer can bring a variety of rewards. Some organizers will ask an active player to be a co-organizer in a future tournament. Others will inform players about a tournament before it is posted to the public. Always be on the look out as to what a helpful attitude can bring to your tournament experience.

Player to Player Etiquette
Playing tournament games has some different aspects to it than public games. Here are some of the guidelines.

1. Do not be overly concerned about points. Most tournament players have a score between 800-1800. This means that you will probably be matched up against a cook in some of your tournaments. Do not worry about losing your points. If you are good enough, you will probably make more points in the tournament than you will lose.
   
   
2. Check your foe list. For those who have many people on the foe list, you may have to take a person or two off in order to participate in the tournament. Most organizers will not accept any delays, especially if it involves a person who has been foed. You will probably get kicked out of the tournament for delaying if you do not remove the person.
   
   
3. Join your games promptly. Many tournament players want the games to move quickly, especially to get the games started. If a participant is slow getting to your game, kindly send the game number(s) and password. ESPECIALLY do this if it is your teammate being slow. This helps out the organizer as well.
   
   
4. Do not purposefully delay your games. Promptly taking your turns is always encouraged, especially in tournaments. This keeps it moving. NEVER purposefully miss turns to receive an army bonus. This is not as problematic since the bonus armies are not received until after the attacks, but it is still very discourteous. Give advanced warning if you are going to miss a turn or two, OR if you have a babysitter. Remember, it CANNOT be a person in the same game, and you should avoid having someone from the same tournament if possible.
   
   
5. Do not get upset if players do not chat frequently. Many tournament players play in multiple tournaments and do not bother saying phrases such as “Good luck” or “Good game”. Or chat much at all. This is especially common if the same players are playing multiple games together. Do not take a lack of conversation personally.
   
   
6. DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN ANY ALLIANCES. Secret diplomacy is against Conquer Club rules anyway, but even public alliances are greatly frowned upon in tournament games. Most tournaments are set up to lead to one winner, and most players will get upset if their methodical lead suddenly becomes double-teamed.
   
   
7. Publicly congratulate the tournament winner. Once the final game is completed, post a congratulation in the tournament thread, especially if you participated in the finals. This shows that you know how to lose gracefully.

Hopefully this list will help all of you in your efforts to be better Tournament Players. We want tournaments to be fun for everyone, both organizers and players, and we think these basic rules of etiquette should help us keep it that way.

Now get out there and play in some good tournaments!

[Night Strike]

There are many tags and tools already available on Conquer Club that can be utilized to help you become a more effective organizer. These are designed to help you as an organizer stay organized, help your players find the information they need, and help the players join their games in a timely manner.

Organizing Your Thread

BigImage Tag
The [BigImg] tag is available to easily post large spreadsheets, awards, and other images. Please use this tag for large images rather than the traditional [Img] tag. You will have to host your picture or screenshot on a site such as http://www.photobucket.com or http://www.imageshack.com before being able to post it in your thread.

Code: Select all

[bigimg]Picture URL[/bigimg]

List Tag
This tag can be used to easily create an organized list of players, games, etc. in your posts. It will offset the list by a tab, and you can even use multiple list tags to nest lists inside lists. To make a list, type

Code: Select all

[list]Text[/list]

To make separate lines within the list, just start a new line. To make bullets, type [*] at the beginning of the line, and if you want a numbered or lettered list, the bullet will change to the correct number/letter if your list tag looks like

Code: Select all

[list=1][*]Text[/list]

or

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[list=A][*]Text[/list]

Player Tag
This simple tag will immediately provide a link to the player's profile rather than having to post a URL to their profile. It allows other players to easily research who they will be competing against, and can help you quickly reach a player's profile if you need to send a PM or check their points to seed in the tournament. To use these tags, type

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[player]Night Strike[/player]

and it will create Night Strike.

Spoiler Tag
These tags allow you to "hide" some text to keep your posts from getting too long. Readers can click on the boxes to show the hidden text. To use these tags, type

Code: Select all

[spoiler]Tournaments Rock![/spoiler]

to produce

show

You can add a header to the spoiler tags by typing spoiler=title.

Strike-through Tag
This tag will allow you to cross an item out within your post. It is great to show who has been eliminated in the tournament. To make it, just type

Code: Select all

[s]Text[/s]

to produce Text.

There are more tips located in the general forums, such as this Questions & Answers thread.


Getting Into Games

Game Tag
This tag provides a quick link to the game. Just include the game number between the tags, and the link will take a player to either the Join Game screen (if unfilled) or the game itself (if filled). To use these links, type

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[game]1000000[/game]

It will show up as Game 1000000. Be sure to include the password separately in the PM for players to join their games.

TO Tag
These tags allow an organizer to post an auto-join link to get people into their games faster. You can click the first part of the text to view the game, and the second part to join the game without typing a password. To use these links, type

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[to]1000000 Password[/to]

Where the number and password spots are for your specific settings. Please note that there must but a space between the number and password.

TOT Tag
An upgrade to the TO tag, this tag allows you to utilize the new Join Team links to get your participants into team games easier. For these tags, you need to use

Code: Select all

[tot]1000000 password team#[/tot]

The format is similar to the TO tag, but "team#" is replaced with just the number (1, 2, 3, or 4).

Game Invitations
You can invite your players directly into a spot in the game. After you make the game, look up the games on the Game Finder page, click on the spot in the game that you want filled, and then select the player who you want to fill that spot. The site will then send an invitation directly to the player for them to automatically join the game without having to enter a password. The spot only stays reserved for 24 hours, so you will have to resend the invitation after that.


Tournament Tools

The Tournament Stats Plugin allows organizers and players the ability to look at a tournament and quickly gather some of the available stats such as the number of games played and the number of games won by a certain player. This tool requires Firefox and Greasemonkey (Installation Instructions are posted in the Plugins & Addons Forum).

Watch This Game is another Greasemonkey script that will allow you to add a tab to your My Games page to have quick access to any game on the site. This tool is essential for speedy updates of your tournament.

Many organizers will go to http://www.random.org to set up groupings and seedings for their tournaments. There are many different options to randomize items on the site. Many use the simple List Randomizer option.

If you have any other reliable tools that you use and should be included in the Tournament Handbook, please send a PM to the Head Tournament Director.