Tournament & Ladder Utility Tutorials
This is a tutorial to explain how to use the Org's built-in Tournament and Ladder utility to host and play in community-based multiplayer tournaments and ladders. The utility itself can be accessed by clicking on the Tournaments/Ladders tab at the top of the forum, or by clicking here.
If you have any questions which are not answered by this tutorial, please feel free to post questions in this thread, or PM TinCow.
Section I: Playing in a Tournament
To join a tournament, you can browse the Tournament/Ladder system to find an open tournament that you want to join. However, that probably won't be necessary, as you'll find the tournament via a link in an advertisement someone on the Org, Steam, or elsewhere. Regardless, once you find the tournament, you'll see a screen something like this:
To join the tournament, simply click the Join Tournament button on the right. Ta Da! That was simple, wasn't it? Once that's done, you'll see your name on the list of players, like this (player is Nimda):
You can remove yourself from the tournament at any point before it begins by click the https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/image.../moderated.gif button. Once the tournament begins, the system will randomly place all players into bracket slots to begin play. The screen will look something like this at the start of the tournament:
This graphical bracket will show you who you are scheduled to fight the next battle with. In this case, Nimda's match is against Sigurd. So, Nimda and Sigurd need to get in touch and play a match according to the Tournament rules. When this has been accomplished, the person who loses the match has to report it on the Org. To report the loss, simply go to the tournament and hit the Submit Loss button. Doing so will register your loss and it will advance your opponent to the next round. In this case, Nimda has reported a loss, and thus Sigurd advances (this example is in a Single Elimination tournament, in other types of tournaments, a single loss does not necessarily eliminate a player):
That's pretty much all there is to it. Matches continue until the tournament is finished and there is a winner.
If there is a dispute as to who won a match, contact the Tournament host to resolve the matter.
Section II: Hosting a Tournament
Part A: Creating a New Tournament
In order to host a new Tournament, you must have Administrator privileges within the Tournaments module. In order to obtain these privileges, you need to contact the Tech Admins. At the the moment those people are TinCow and Husar. Once you have been given Administrator privileges, you are ready to begin. The following screenshot will be used to explain what the different options do and how to use them (right click, view image for higher resolution):
When all matches have been played, the tournament will be over and the winners will be displayed in the system. Congratulations, you've just successfully hosted a tournament!
Hit the New Tournament button (1) in the Admin control panel. This opens the New Tournament creation screen, where you will enter all of your information.
(2) Title - Enter the name for your Tournament here. You can change this information later if you want to, so it doesn't have to be perfect right now.
(3) Category - Select a category for your Tournament, such as Total War: Shogun 2, or perhaps Private Clan, or whatever else seems appropriate. If you think your Tournament belongs in a category that does not already exist, you can add on with the New Category button, which is located directly below the New Tournament button at (1). Be aware that the Org staff reserve the right to change the categories and move them for better organization as they see fit. You can change this information later if you want to, so it doesn't have to be perfect right now.
(4) Type - This decision is important, as it determines the kind of tournament you are going to run. The types of tournament available are LMS (Last Man Standing), Single Elimination, Double Elimination, Round Robin, and Double Round Robin. If you do not know what kind of tournament you want to run, click the links on those types to help you make your decision. Single Elimination is the most popular choice, and is the type used in major tournaments such as NCAA Basketball. Double Elimination is currently limited to a maximum of 8 players/teams. You can change the type of tournament later if you change your mind.
(5) Individual Players or Teams - This selection simply determines whether each entry person will be competing solo, or in a team with others. For TW multiplayer tournaments, select players if the matches will be 1v1 and select teams if the matches will be 2v2 or more. You cannot change this later.
(6) Number of Players/ Teams - Select the maximum number of players or teams that will compete in the tournament (up to 256). You do not have to get exactly that number of players or teams, and can begin the tournament with spots still open if you need to. If that happens, some players will be given 'Bye' rounds to even out the brackets. You cannot change this later.
(7) Tournament Icon URL - If you have created an icon your Tournament, enter the URL for the image here. If you would like to have the image hosted on the Org, you can upload it in the Gallery. The icon will display alongside the name of the Tournament at several places inside the module.
(8) Date - The date the tournament will start. You can change the date of tournament later if you change your mind.
(9) Description - Enter all the information you want to give about your tournament here. This includes the rules, maps, etc. Everything a prospective player would be interested in knowing. If you've created a banner for the tournament, this is the place to place the link. You can change this information later if you want to, so it doesn't have to be perfect right now.
(10) Link this Tournament to a Ladder - If you are also running a ladder on the Org, this option will allow you to give rating points on that ladder to the winners of the tournament.
When you've entered all of the information that you need to (or want to), hit the Create New Tournament button in the bottom right (11).
Part B: Managing your Tournament
(Note: The following tutorial is using the Single Elimination tournament type.)
After your tournament has been created, you will see a screen that looks like this:
If you want to make changes to the existing tournament, you can do so with the Edit button. Using that button, you can change the Title, Category, Type, Icon, Date, Description, and Ladder Linking.
Now it's time for players to start joining. This can be done one of two ways. First, players can join themselves. Any Org member who views this tournament will be able to click the Join Tournament button to add themselves to the roster. So, just publicize the Tournament and provide a link to it, and players can join without you needing to do anything. Second, you can add players to the tournament. To do this, click the Add Player button, and type in their forum name. You can add multiple people at once with this system by separating their names with a semicolon (;), just like with a PM. Do not add players to your tournament without their permission.
After players have started joining your tournament, the screen will start to look something like this:
The icons next to each player's name allow you to delete them (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/image.../moderated.gif) or swap them for another player (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/image...field_edit.gif). To swap a player, click the Swap Player(s) button. You will then be looking at a list of all the players in the tournament. Find the name of the person you want to swap OUT, and click the pencil icon next to their name (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/image...field_edit.gif). You will now see a text box with the name of the player you just clicked on. Delete that person's name in put in the exact forum name of the person you want to substitute in their place. After you submit, the new player will have been substitute for the old player.
When the tournament is full AND the start date/time has been met, the tournament will begin. If you want to start the tournament at any point before the start date/time, or if you want to start it without the maximum number of players, hit Start Tournament. If you start the tournament without a full player roster, some players will randomly be given bye rounds to ensure that the bracket remains even. After the tournament begins, it will look something like this:
Now it's time to begin playing!
As matches are completed, they need to be reported so that players can advance down the bracket. This can be done in one of two ways. First, the loser of a match can report their match using the Submit Loss button. Doing so will advance the winning player. The winning player cannot report their victory in this method, because this allows for cheating. By restricting self-reporting to losses only, players can only remove themselves from the tournament, not advance themselves. Second, the tournament administrator (you) can advance any player at any time. To do this, hit the https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/image...s/viewpost.gif button next to the name of the person you want to advance. They will move on to the next round. If you want to undo an advance, you can also regress a player by hitting the https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/image...cker_close.gif button, which will appear after they've been advanced. This system should be used if the losing player does not come and report their loss or if one player forfeits for any reason. However, be very careful to ensure that you are using this method in the proper circumstances. If two players are disputing the outcome of a match, be sure you resolve that dispute before advancing one of them over the other.
Re: Tournament Utility Tutorial
Ladder Utility Tutorials
To Find a Player on Steam:
- Go to the ranking list for the Ladder you are currently playing in.
- Click the steam icon (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/images/misc/im_steam.gif) next to a player's name to get a pop-up which will let you access their Steam profile.
To Create an Open Challenge:
- Go to the Ladder that you are currently playing in.
- Click the Find Match tab. (Right side below the main description window.)
- Click Create Challenge for Match Finder. (Far right side of the Find Match window.)
- You will now see something that looks like this:
Fill in each field with the proper information as you see fit.
Challenger: This is you, you cannot change this field.
Date: Enter the date and time you are available for the match here. This is not set in stone, you can negotiate it with the other player later and there is no penalty if it is not fought at exactly that time. This exists mainly to make scheduling with others easier. It is highly recommended that you discuss the date and time with whoever accepts your challenge over the Org Forums or on Steam. - Hit Submit. (Bottom right corner.)
- If you look at the Find Match tab, you will now see your Open Challenge listed for all players.
To Create a Direct Challenge:
- Go to the Ladder that you are currently playing in.
- Left click on the name of the player you want to challenge. You will see a pop-up box that looks like this:
- Click the Challenge Player option.
- You will now see something that looks like this:
Fill in each field with the proper information as you see fit.
Challenger: This is you, you cannot change this field.
Opponent: This is the person you challenged, you cannot change this field.
Date: Enter the date and time you are available for the match here. This is not set in stone, you can negotiate it with the other player later and there is no penalty if it is not fought at exactly that time. This exists mainly to make scheduling with others easier. It is highly recommended that you discuss the date and time with the person you challenge over the Org Forums or on Steam.
Hit Challenge Player. (Bottom right corner.) - If you look at the Upcoming Matches tab, you will now see your Direct Challenge listed as a scheduled match against the person you challenged.
To Browse and Accept Open Challenges:
- Go to the Ladder that you are currently playing in..
- Click the Find Match tab. (Right side below the main description window.)
- You will now see a list of all the currently available Open Challenges. If there are Open Challenges available, you will see something that looks like this:
- Find a match that appeals to you and click the Accept Match button on the right that corresponds to that particular match.
- After you have accepted, you will automatically be redirected to the Your Matches tab, which will show your newly scheduled match.
To Submit a Score for a Direct or Open Chellenge:
- Go to the Ladder that you are currently playing in.
- Click the Your Matches tab.
- Click the Submit Score Now button that corresponds to the match you have just fought.
- Enter the score from the match, with one point being assigned for each battle won by each player. (i.e. 2-0, 2-1, 1-2, 0-2, etc.)
- If you wish to submit a screenshot of the final score, enter the URL of the screenshot in the field available. This is not required.
- Click Submit. If you are the first player to submit the score, the utility will now say "Awaiting opponents score confirmation." BOTH PLAYERS MUST SUBMIT THE SCORE. Once the second player submits the score, the match result will automatically be entered into the system and the rankings will adjust accordingly.
- If you have fought a match but your opponent has not or will not submit the score, PM one of the Gamemasters.
(It is strongly recommended that you add a link to your replay files to the comments section of the match. To do this, upload the replay files to the Org Uploader or to any online file service (i.e. Rapidshare, Megaupload). Click the https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/image.../quote_40b.png button to open up the comments section, then paste in the URL for the replay file.) If you add replays like this, we will not have to chase you down to find them in case there is a problem.
