Fair Play Rules

Fair Play Rules

Global Conflict General Rules

The Golden Rule of GC is that you should not do something to your enemy that you would find unfair if it was done to you. The second Golden Rule is that if you are in doubt about an action, don't do it. We are here to create an enjoyable gaming experience for everyone, and we ask you to play in that spirit.

Miscellaneous General Rules

• Do not use All Chat during a battleday.
• If you are recording your gameplay and Teamspeak sound, please put a [*R*] in front of your name. This is a courtesy so that people will know they are being recorded.
• If you have stolen an enemy vehicle, you must put it to use in a way that allows the enemy a fair chance to destroy it or steal it back.

Base Camping Rules for Ground Players:

• When both of the below conditions are met certain rules, listed below, come into effect.
  • 1. The map has an uncapable base or spawn point (UCB)
    • The UCB will be defined as the area that is hashed out on your mini map and inaccessible for you, but is accessible for your enemy.
  • 2. No other flags are owned by the army that is being base camped.
• If the conditions listed above are not met then the UCB is treated like any other flag and is subject to any and all forms of attack.

• Applied rules:
  • You are not allowed to direct any kind of fire into the enemy UCB with any kind of weapon, for any reason.
  • Draw an imaginary line half-way between the closest flag and the UCB. Players can not be attacked until they cross this line.
  • If a player attacks prior to crossing this imaginary line then that player is fair game.
  • The moment a player exits the hashed out area or fires, that player is fair game.

• The intention of the rule: This rule offers an army the opportunity to play with a fair chance of continuing the battle. TAs will exercise discretion to ensure this spirit is met. Please don't make us have to rule on a spawn camp!

Rush

• The attacker has a UCB for the first two MCOMs, and base camping rules are in effect.
• Once the first two MCOMs are destroyed the attacker no longer has a UCB, and so base camping rules cease to apply at this point.

CTF

As there is no concept of a UCB in CTF, it is difficult or impossible to define a safe area for each team. We remind players to please Play the Objective, which in this case is to capture the flag, and exercise the Golden Rules when playing this mode.

• If you are in a position to fire on players in their spawn as they spawn in, you are obligated to retreat until they have a fair chance of spawning in and entering the fight.
• sigh
• We would like the Armies to exercise their discretion when engaging enemy players near their spawn. If engagements near the base are preventing the enemy from having a fair chance to spawn in, the offending army may be asked to retreat.

Rules Of Engagement For Air Players

These rules only apply to you if you are operating any air vehicles or using these as transport.

• You are never allowed to engage ground targets in the enemy UCB, regardless of how many flags either side has.
  • The UCB will be defined as the area that is hashed out on your mini map and inaccessible for you, but is accessible for your enemy.
  • This rule applies until the player or vehicle in question reaches the halfway point to the closest flag.
  • If the player or vehicle fires at you or at teammates, you are allowed to return fire on that player or vehicle.
  • If the player or vehicle returns to their base after crossing that point, that player is allowed to be engaged.
• You are not allowed to engage enemy aircraft at their spawnpoints.
  • This rule applies even if the spawnpoint is not located in a UCB.
  • This rule applies until the aircraft in question has been in the air for 3 seconds.
  • If the aircraft fires at you or at teammates, you are allowed to engage it before 3 seconds have passed.
  • If the vehicle returns to its spawn point after takeoff, that vehicle is allowed to be engaged.
• You are not allowed to use your air vehicle to purposefully ram enemy vehicles of any type, air or ground.
  • This rule applies even if you leave your vehicle before impact.
  • A crash is considered an accident, but if you crash too often you may be grounded.
• Intention of the rule: Pilots should behave as gentlemen and fight their battles in the air.

CTF

The hashed out area is the same for both teams. A player from the opposing team can camp right next to the vehicle spawns for your team. We will need to develop spawn camping rules for CTF.

Joining the game server

• All soldiers should sign up in Army Base Camp prior to battle.
  • If players must sit out a round due to numbers, and not enough people volunteer to do so, priority will be given to soldiers who signed up in ABC prior to the battle.
• If you want to join after the battle has started, you need to ask for permission to join from your commanding officer (in teamspeak). Wait for his approval before joining, he needs to communicate with his HC.
• Officers need to ask their HC for permission for people to join in. Each HC is responsible for the number of players on their side

+2/+1 Rule

• The +2/+1 Rule concerns the number of players allowed per side to keep the game play balanced in the instance that player numbers are not equal:
  • +1 Rule: If one army is below 20 players, the other army may only have one more player on server.
  • +2 Rule: If both armies are above 20 players, then one army may have up to two more players on server than the other.
• A round cannot go live until the conditions of the +2/+1 rule are met. Additional time may be added to the end of a battleday at TA discretion to make up for delays caused by number balancing.
• Once the round is live, no additional players for either team may join without first consulting their HC and ensuring that they will not break the +2/+1 rule.
• Numbers may fluctuate due to players dropping and rejoining over the course of a match, which may result in temporary violations of the +2/+1 rule. These will be tolerated provided they are temporary. If the rule is persistently violated, the TAs will take action to bring the numbers into compliance.
• Two consecutive rounds that a team starts below 8 on a given map will surrender the map to the attacking team.

Squad Manipulation

• Army Dumping, Squad Leader Cycling, Squad cycling is forbidden
  • Army Dumping: Where an individual or squad leader allows a group of players to spawn on him/her with the intention of creating further squads to allow for further spawn points.
  • Squad Leader Cycling: Where a squad leader upon death relinquishes his squad leader position in order to allow another living squad member to take the position and allow for a renewed spawn point.
  • Squad Cycling: Where an individual switches to another squad with the singular intention of using another squads spawn point to further his immediate and desired goal.

• When one of your SL is late for battle, he is allowed to cycle to his position. However keep in mind that it may not benefit any strategic objectives.

Pre live rules

• Do not enter the enemy UCB (or starting flag on 16p maps). Your opponent needs to prepare too. At each map your Field Commanders will designate a flag where you can go head to head for some pre fun.
  • On a map where one or both sides do not have UCBs the TAs will designate a flag as the UCB for the pre live rounds.
• Your High Command will set policy for your UCB during pre-live. TAs will kick players at the request of the HCs, so make sure you check with your commanders before taking that chopper on a joy-ride.

Glitches

BF3, like any game, contains a number of exploitable glitches that can give a player an unfair advantage. Exploiting glitches is forbidden in GC. The Golden Rules apply here: if you think you can gain an advantage by doing something, first ensure you will not gain an unfair advantage on the other players. If you don't know what counts as a glitch, or have any doubts at all about something you'd like to try in game, consult your High Command.

An unfair advantage is obviously difficult to define, and requires the application of judgment on the part of the player. In general, the following categories of glitches are considered to grant unfair advantages, and are disallowed:

1. A glitch which makes you more difficult to kill than you should be
   • Ex. Placing a mortar inside a building so that you can fire out but not be hit, or using a silencer on your main weapon while firing a mortar.
2. A glitch in the map which makes you more difficult to kill than you would be in a similar position elsewhere
   • Ex. Building near A point on Karkand which has fake walls; the walls will allow grenades to pass through and not detonate explosives, making that room hard to clear.
3. A glitch which allows you to go "outside" the map mesh, or access a position from which you cannot be killed due to map bugs
   • Ex. Glitching outside the tunnel in Damavand
4. A glitch which gives you more killing power than was intended by the developers
   • Ex. Using the M26 Dart (now patched)

Just because something is not on this list does not mean it is allowed! Glitches may be introduced into the game by a patch or discovered by players, and these will be considered to be disallowed until reviewed by HCs, TAs and Executives.

Consequences

• If you break a rule or intention of the rule:
  • First time; will be seen as an incident. You will be reminded of the rule
  • Second time; Friendly kick by the Tournament Admins. You have been reminded once, now we let you know that we are serious.
  • Third time; You will get kicked, with a 2 minute ban. In that time we expect you to report to your High Command, where you will explain your actions.
  • Fourth time; The High Command, TA and Executive Senate will discuss our options, which could include imposing limits on your game play or your ability to participate in GC.

The intention of these rules is to provide an enjoyable gaming experience for everyone. Violating these rules means that you have inhibited someone else's ability to enjoy their time at GC so the HC, TA and Execs have no problem limiting your ability to enjoy GC.

Filing a Complaint

• If you believe a player has violated one of the Fair Play rules report it to your squad leader, CO or HC, which ever is the next step above you in your chain of command. They will bring it up the chain and inform the TAs.
  • DO NOT post your complaint in All Chat.
  • DO NOT post your complaint in an open forum or start a flame war.
  • DO NOT harass the player you believe violated the rules in chat, forum posts, PMs or any other method.

The HCs, TAs and Execs do listen to the members and they WILL handle your complaint. Sometimes violations are difficult to prove or players believe rules were violated when they were not and absolute rulings can take some time. Have patience.

• The TAs ruling on a violation can be refered to the Executive senate if a member believes they have been unfairly punished. The Executive senate's ruling on a violation is final.