| STA ET Rules |
I. Introduction
II. League Administrators (Admins)
III. Entrance Requirements
IV. Foreign Clans
V. STA-ET Member Rights and Privileges
VI. Expectations
VII. Team Captains/Contacts Expectations
VIII. Player Expectations
IX. Season Format
X. Scheduling
XI. Rescheduling
XII. Servers
XIII. Server Configuration
XIV. Ping Imbalance
XV. General Match Settings & Protocols
XVI. Rounds and Scoring
XVII. Halftime
XVIII. Post-Match, Match Reporting
XIX. Player Sportsmanship and Conduct
XX. Double-Clanning & Ringers
XXI. Voice Communications
XXII. Cheating
XXIII. Bug, Map, Class, & Game Exploits
XXIV. Disputes
XXV. Real-Time Disputes
XXVI. Wildcard Rule
XXVII. Inactivity, Clan Expulsions, and Player Bans
XXVIII. ProBowls and Bragging Rights
XXIX. Rule Amendments
I. Introduction
Stronger Than All (STA) is a system of organized leagues, all run by individual administrators. All STA leagues operate under the same basic tenets of order, logic, equality and fairness. STA does not profit in any way by clan participation. The administrators do this for their enjoyment and to benefit the league experience for all participants. They spend their free time administering the leagues for clans to participate in without any monetary compensation.
One of the main tenets of the STA leagues is to provide clans and their players with a professional, logical, systematic approach to online gaming. The Stronger Than All Enemy Territory (STA-ET) league was created for clans to come together and play Return to Castle Wolfenstein Enemy Territory competitively within such a system.
STA-ET currently consists of two divisions: 6v6 and Baserace. Other ET divisions can be created based on community feedback. Requests should be made to the STA-ET administrators.
Disclaimer
STA reserves the right to modify the following rules as necessary. Teams should check the rules on a regular basis and prior to every match to ensure they are in complete compliance. Rules are marked with an update date and log of changes to assist in this capacity. These rules are guidelines by which the league operates to ensure a fun and even playing field for all clans. At all times, these rules are subject to interpretation by STA-ET admins. While STA strives to provide the most comprehensive rules possible, not every scenario can be anticipated. Those matters are left to admin discretion based on the spirit of these rules.
II. League Administrators (Admins)
A lot of time and effort goes into administering and maintaining this league. STA-ET admins do this for their enjoyment and for the benefit the league experience for all participants. They spend their free time presenting this league without any monetary compensation.
Admins are expected and required to do the following:
1. Provide a fun, competitive, and fair atmosphere for clans.
2. Act in a professional, neutral, and unbiased manner at all times on matters associated with the league.
3. Remove themselves if a dispute arises involving or potentially impacting their clan. Other admins must resolve the issue.
4. Be available on league nights to assist teams with their matches. Admins are available on Internet Relay Chat (IRC) in #sta-wolf on gamesurge.net approximately 30-45 minutes before the default match time. Admins on duty on match nights wear an "OnDuty" tag on their nickname. Admins are also available on non-match nights on a time-available basis.
5. Monitor matches when requested by clans. At least two admins are required to monitor STA playoff finals.
6. Post any information that is required to be communicated to league members. Admins will disseminate information via the STA-ET Web site, forums, and mass email to clan captains.
In addition to IRC, admins can also be contacted in the following manner:
Virus047 (Head Admin)
Email: virus047.STA@gmail.com
AIM: Virus047
MSN: t_virus99@hotmail.com
Xfire: virus047
Homeless (Support Admin)
Email: homeless@sta-league.org
Xfire: Homeless
DynoSauR (Anti-Cheat)
Email: dynosaur@wolfplayer.us
Xfire: N/A
otherside (Anti-Cheat)
Email: rollingstonemm@yahoo.com
Xfire: 0therside
veiL "carny" (Support Admin)
Email:restrictedb0y@hotmail.com
Xfire: attaturk
MSN: restrictedb0y@hotmail.com
III. Entrance Requirements
In order for a clan to enter the STA-ET, the clan must:
1. Complete and submit the registration form on the STA-ET Web site (http://et.sta-league.org). The information required includes:
Clan name and tag.
At least one form of communication (e.g. Web site, IRC channel, ICQ, email).
Two designated clan leaders that accept the responsibilities outlined in Section VI (Team Captains/Contacts Expectations)
Valid clan leader contact information (e.g. email, MSN, AIM, ICQ).
2. Register the clan's roster. Each clan's roster must consist of at least (5) players along with each player's 8-digit pbguid (guid). Players are added by clan captains using the "Operations" tools, which can be found on the STA-ET Web site .
Once admitted into the league, clans must maintain the above minimum requirements to maintain eligibility. Clans that are unable to meet these minimum requirements will be marked as inactive until met.
STA reserves the right to refuse or remove any clan from the league at any time. Registration is closed after a predetermined number of weeks of regular play. To be eligible for playoffs, clans must participate in at least 5 of the regular 8-week season matches.
IV. Foreign Clans
Foreign clans are welcome in STA-ET as long as they adhere to league rules. All matches must be played on North American servers. Match times are still to be played at default times unless other arrangements have been made with the opposing clan and an STA-ET administrator. No exceptions. In addition, it is understood that foreign players' pings on North American servers may be rather high, and they accept this as a consequence of participating in this league. Disputes with regard to ping imbalance from a foreign clan will in general be disregarded.
V. STA-ET Member Rights and Privileges
As members of STA-ET, clans and members have the following inherent rights:
1. To be treated with respect by all members of the STA-ET community. This includes by other teams (including team captains, representatives, and individual members) and by administrators.
2. To a fair and just decision by league admins. Under any circumstances that require a ruling by an STA-ET official, clans, clan leaders, and clan members have the right to a fair and just decision. If anyone feels this right has been violated, s/he should contact a head administrator with a full and detailed account of the proceedings.
3. Right to request an impartial ruling. Under any circumstances that require a ruling by an STA-ET official, clan leaders and clan representatives have the right to request more than one administrator in the name of impartiality to rule the decision. They do not have the right to choose which administrator(s) will be called in for additional counsel, nor can they appeal the decision once judgment has been passed.
4. To challenge a match to an admin. All forms of dispute must be accompanied with appropriate proof or evidence. (See Section XXII (Disputes))
5. To request that a league admin monitor their match.
6. To have their queries, concerns, and disputes handled by league admins in a timely fashion.
VI. Expectations
One of the main tenets of STA and STA-ET is to provide teams and their players with a professional, logical, systematic approach to online gaming.
STA recognizes the wide spectrum of players that play under its banner and we understand that there can be conflicts between players of varying levels of maturity and intellectual development. It would be a grossly inappropriate and inaccurate to apply stereotypical filters to membership (such as age), so the only filters we have, as administrators, are the team leaders themselves.
With that said, the following are expectations for clan captains/contacts and players:
VII. Team Captains/Contacts Expectations
STA-ET clan leaders have certain responsibilities that must be fulfilled in order for the league to remain functional. The bulk of these responsibilities are organizational and are as follows:
1. Understanding of the Rules. It is expected that all clan leaders are fully familiar with the rules contained herein. Much like in real life, ignorance is not an excuse. In addition, clan leaders are expected to keep current on issues as provided by the STA-ET Web site. This includes news features, rule changes/updates, and schedules.
2. Timely Communications. Clan leaders are expected to respond to league communications in a timely fashion and must be registered for the STA forums. Failure to be accessible through league sanctioned communications programs is grounds for expulsion at the discretion of the admins. In addition, clan leaders are expected to maintain their contact information. Failure to do so is grounds for expulsion at the discretion of the admins.
3. Accountability for Clan Conduct. Clan leaders are responsible for the conduct of their clan. Clan leaders may be held accountable for the actions of their individual clan members. Furthermore, leaders are responsible for educating their clan members on the STA rules of conduct and any other pertinent information.
4. Roster Maintenance. Clan leaders are responsible for keeping their rosters as listed on the STA-ET Web site up-to-date. (e.g. team contact information and player names/guids).
Because of these responsibilities, team captains/contacts are also acknowledged as worthy of respect and shall always be dealt with in an appropriate, respectful manner throughout the STA-ET community.
VIII. Player Expectations
All players must play under the name and guid as listed on their teams roster on the STA-ET Web site. To obtain your pbguid, enter /pb_myguid in the ET console. Each player is responsible for his/her guid. That includes keeping your guid information up-to-date on the STA-ET Web site and not distributing your guid to others. If you share your guid you do so at your own risk. So, for example, if Person A shares his/her guid with Person B and Person B is caught hacking, Person A is also responsible for the consequences.
In the case a player has multiple guids, all guids must be listed on his/her clan's STA-ET roster. If, at any time, there is potential for a guid to be used by another player (other then the player listed on the STA roster) league admin's must be notified immediately.
It is the responsibility of players to inform their captain of any name/guid changes. Moreover, it is the responsibility of the team captain to keep his/her STA-ET clan roster up-to-date.
Clans or individuals playing at LAN centers need to have the LAN center E-mail the an STA-ET admin with the following information: LAN Center name, Location, Public IP Address range, and ALL GUIDs for their center.
All clan members should direct any communication to STA-ET admin's through their clan leader unless it is a personal issue. Administrators reserve the right to deny communication with clan members if the capacity of the contact is related to official clan operations.
IX. Season Format
STA-ET is currently run in a traditional seasonal format and consists of a 2 week preseason, an 8 week regular season, and playoffs, followed by a possible ProBowl. This structure is designed to provide competitive matches and rewards the highest ranked clans. Match types are as follows:
Preseason:
Preseason generally consists of 2 weeks and is designed to familiarize clans with potential new maps, test league settings/rules (including changes), and allow teams to become familiar with the league format and match play. All regular season rules apply to preseason matches, however, preseason matches do not affect regular season records. It is possible that the preseason may be shortened or skipped all together. Admins will notify you of any changes to this format.
Regular Season:
STA-ET divisions play 8 regular season matches scheduled weekly. Clans are to play the scheduled map/s or forfeit. Clans may add players to their rosters prior to the season lock-down, except for on match days. Rosters are locked after the fifth or sixth week of an 8-week season. Admins will notify you of when rosters are going to lock.
Playoffs:
Following the completion of the regular season, the top teams within each division will compete in a playoff format. Playoff teams are determined using the following criteria in order:
Must Have Been in STA-ET For At Least 5 Straight Weeks (with NO FORFEITS)
Win/Loss Records (Not including Forfeit Wins)
Head-to-Head Results
Points (Total Rounds Won IE: 15 Rounds Won)
Tie Breaker Match
Teams that do not make the playoffs will be scheduled for exhibition matches during that time as follows:
Week One (Beginning of Playoffs): No non playoff matches will be scheduled.
Week Two (Quarter Finals week): End-of-Season ProBowl with eligible MVP participants as well as conduct playoff matches.
Week Three (Semi Finals week): STA-ET can schedule non-playoff teams for bragging rights matches.
ProBowl:
MVPs are collected from each regular-season match and used to determine ProBowl candidates. The votes are tallied prior to the ProBowl match. The players with the most votes will be asked to compete in the ProBowl (See Section XXVI (ProBowls and Bragging Rights).
Bragging Rights:
This is a post-season opportunity for the losing teams in the semi finals to vie for 3rd place. This will also allow for clans to challenge other clans to settle any "grudges" that may have accrued during the regular season, of course, in a respectful manner (See Section XXVI (ProBowls and Bragging Rights).
X. Scheduling
Regular season matches are scheduled based on an algorithm to create arbitrary match-ups based on a round-robin format. There may be admin discretion in some circumstances (e.g. a clan joins/leaves the league during the regular season, team suspensions, and extenuating circumstances).
Each clan is assigned a home and away status. The first clan listed on the "Schedules" page is the home team and decides either where the match will be played OR which side it will play first (Axis or Allies). The away team decides upon the remaining option. Ideally clans will alternate between home and away status from week to week, but this does not always work in practice. STA-ET admins strive to maintain as close to a 50/50 home/away ration for each clan as possible.
STA-ET strives to post scheduled match-ups on the STA-ET Web site for the upcoming week no later than 4 days prior to the default match day, Wednesdays @ 21:30 EST (9:30PM).
All matches are played on the default match night/time unless the leagues administration explicitly communicates a change in the default scheduled match time for a given week or clans come to a mutual agreement with STA-ET admins to reschedule a match (See Section X (Rescheduling). Clans are expected to make contact at least 24 hours prior to game time (preferably via the STA-ET captain's forum) to coordinate their match and exchange server information.
XI. Rescheduling
Clans may reschedule a match so long as both teams agree to it and an admin consents. If no agreement is made, matches are to take place on the default day at the default time (See Section IX. (Scheduling)). The following protocols must be followed in order to reschedule a match:
Requesting Clan: A clan that wishes to reschedule their upcoming match must submit the request to the opposing clan at least 48 hours (two days) prior to the default scheduled match time. This is to allow time for the opposing clan to consider and respond to the request.
Opposing Clan: A clan that receives a request for reschedule is not obligated to accept, but, is expected, to the best of their ability, to a find a mutually acceptable day and time. The opposing clan must respond to the reschedule request at least 24 hours prior to the default match time.
Once a match is rescheduled, it may not be rescheduled again. If a match is rescheduled and a clan reaches forfeit conditions such as due to absence of members et cetera, then that clan does not get the option of rescheduling the match again and the offending clan receives a forfeit loss.
XII. Servers
Each clan will have a choice of their own server for one set. Matches must be played on servers that are located in the United States or Canada unless both teams agree to a foreign server. Servers must be hosted on a T1 line or better. Servers hosted over a cable modem or DSL connection are not acceptable. Also, all servers must be dedicated PURE RTCW servers. Listen servers are not acceptable under any circumstances. If neither clan is able to provide a server, contact an admin for assistance.
Server Crash
1. If a server crashes at any point during a match, the visiting clan has the option to restart the round on the same server or continue the round on a different server.
2. If the server crashes during the second half of a round both clans must agree on what the "set" time was from the first half (using demos, screenshots, or mutual agreement) and then play one non-SW round with the appropriate timelimit set.
NOTE: Clans are encouraged to find a mutually acceptable solution in a calm and professional manner. If none can be reached, an STA-ET official will issue a ruling.
XIII. Server Configuration
XIII. Server Configuration
The following are mandatory server requirements that must be executed prior to the start of a match. Teams are responsible for checking the STA-ET Web site on a regular basis and ensuring that their server settings comply with STA-ET standards.
1. Current STA-ET match config file, which can be downloaded from the STA-ET Web site from the "Files" section on the left navigation bar.
NOTE: Because our servers are now cookie cutter with TWLs server config, it is no longer a requirement to use STA-ETs server config. While it is encouraged, it is no longer required. So long as the latest TWL server config is up and running on your server and all other STA-ET server requirements are meet, your server will be valid by STA standards.
2. ETPro Mod is the current required mod for all league play. STA-ET and Bani work cooperatively to provide ETPro for league play, as it addresses much of the league's configuration requirements with regard to server settings and match configuration. The current acceptable versions are posted on the STA-ET Web site on the right navigation bar.
3. Friendly fire is ON. No exceptions.
4. Punkbuster must be enabled and servers should capture PBSS.
5. Correct map version for the map assigned.
Servers must NOT be upgraded to the latest release of ET, ETPro, or Punkbuster until STA-ET explicitly allows it with an announcement on the Web site or directly allowed by an admin. STA-ET will verify that there are no game-affecting bugs in new releases before implementation and give reasonable notice to teams of any changes before making them mandatory. In addition, other server modifications/versions such as the ETAdmin_mod or ET_TourneyMod are not allowed under any circumstances.
Pre-Match Server Settings Validation
Both teams should check the server's settings prior to the start of a match to verify that they are correct. If no objections are made, no team may challenge the settings during or after play. When you join a server and begin playing, you are agreeing to the settings as they stand. If an objection is made prior to the match commencing and the server settings do not match those required by the league, the settings must be fixed within 15 minutes of the start of the round or a change of venue must be made. If other accommodations cannot be made, a forfeit loss will be awarded to the transgressing clan.
If issues arise after a match has been started (e.g. ping spikes, disconnects) that were not present before match play, clans should attempt to agree on a server change and/or an admin should be contacted to make a ruling. Any rounds previously played will be counted in match outcome.
XIV. Ping Imbalance
Pings and conditions should be playable for both teams and there should not be a huge discrepancy between clans. It is expected that a hosting clan may have a "home-field advantage" to some degree. The difference between the two clan's average pings on the match server should be no greater than 50 milliseconds (ms). If the difference between the average pings is less than 50 ms, the server is acceptable for play.
While the networking in ET is certainly better than almost any game out there, and while it is more HPB-friendly, there are certain times when there may be ping issues outside of a clan's control. Things such as poor routing are problems that are unfixable by clans/players. Pings must be confirmed in-game and clans should check for packet loss and playability.
If a server is either giving high pings to everyone on the server, or if the majority of the members of a team have unplayable pings (generally above 200 ms), a change of server may be requested. If the host team refuses to provide another server, an STA-ET admin may be called in to make a ruling on the server. If the STA-ET admin deems the server unplayable, the host team must either provide another server or play on the opposing team's server.
XV. General Match Settings & Protocols
Pre-Match Communication
On the night of the match, each clan leader is expected to check in with an STA-ET admin at least 15 minutes prior to the start time. You can communicate with an admin earlier, but no later than 9:15 EST. You can contact admins via IRC on Gamesurge #sta-et or #sta-league on Quakenet, AIM, MSN Messenger, or ICQ. It is the captain's responsibility to contact the admin and verify the attendance of the match. Failure to do so will result in a warning on the first and second offense. A third offense will result in a one-week suspension.
Match Protocols
Teams have 15 minutes after the default time, or the mutually agreed-to time (See Section XI (Rescheduling)) to start the match. Failure to comply will cost the offending team a forfeit loss. Under extraordinary circumstances, such as connection problems, STA-ET admins may allow an exception. In the event of connection problems, contact an admin immediately.
Map Selection:
Teams will have from the day the match threads are posted in the captains forums until 15 minutes prior to the default match time (9:15 PM EST) to select your teams map for that week (Both teams can select the same map). The Home team for that week will play their selected map first in Round #1, the Away team will use their map for Round #2. In the event that no team scores a point during Round #1 or Round #2, the map of that round will be replayed. If there is a tie (Score: 1-1) both teams will use the map STA-ET selects for that given week. Those maps will be announced before the season begins on STA-ETs website, forums and community websites.
Meanwhile:
1. It is mandatory that the map scheduled for the given week is played in the event of a tie game. Violations result in a forfeit loss for both team for that week's match.
2. The appropriate STA-ET configuration file must be executed to ensure appropriate settings. Configs can be found off the STA-ET Web site under "Files" on the left navigation. (See Section XII (Server Configuration) for updates)
3. Matches are to be played with the correct number of players as specified below under "Team Format".
4. Only ONE designated representative from each clan (preferably a clan leader) is allowed to use mm1 (messagemode1, public talk) during a match.
Once both clans have gathered on the match server, clans are responsible to:
1. Verify server settings.
2. Check clan rosters/guids. Clans can obtain all players' guids by entering /pb_power in the console. A screenshot of the roster/guids prior to the match is required.
3. Make sure members are on the correct teams, clans are on the correct sides, and that the server is in round 1 of Stopwatch (SW) mode.
4. Lock spectators. Teams may invite their spectators to watch the match.
Match play commences once both teams have readied-up. To ready up, players may /ready (F3) or the captain may do a /readyteam. Matches must start within 15 minutes of the default or agreed upon start time.
Team Format
The default match format pins the Allies versus the Axis in a 6v6 matchup.
Matches may be played with more than the default number of players if both clans agree and the server can support it. Each clan must have at least 5 in order to play. Clans are prohibited from playing down if both clans have enough able players present. A clan purposely playing a man down is considered unsportsmanlike. Failure to play with the minimum number of players will result in the offending clan's forfeiture of the match.
Spectators
Each team is permitted (at minimum) one spectator. Clans may have more than one spectator provided: (1) the server can support the specs and (2) the spec is a member or potential recruit of a clan. Spectators are required to set their rates to 3000. If the server gets laggy spectators may be asked to drop. Spectators may also be asked to make room for STA Admins/WTV.
STA strongly advocates the use of specs, however, we respect a clan's decision to decline. Clans may request not to have specs (for either team), but must do so at least 24 hours before match time via the STA-ET captain's forums.
Timeouts and Mid-Match Issues
Each clan is granted 2 time-outs during the course of a match. To call a time-out, enter /pause in the game console. If a dispute arises mid-match, clans may call a time-out and seek out an STA-ET admin for assistance.
Demos/Screenshots
All players are required to take demos of each round and screenshots at the end of each round. They must save their demos and screenshots are for a minimum of two weeks. These demos must also be available in the event an admin requests copies. Should a player or clan fail to provide these items upon an administrator's request, a dispute may be disregarded or a ruling may be decided against that player or clan based solely on the lack of evidence to support their claims.
XVI. Rounds and Scoring
There will be (at minimum) 3 rounds of stopwatch (SW) on the same map playing in an ABBA format. A set is defined as two rounds (ABBA). Match play is defined as the following:
Set 1 > Round 1:
Team A attacks and sets the time.
Team B attacks and tries to beat the time.
Set 1 > Round 2:
Team B attacks and sets the time.
Team A attacks tries to beat the time.
HALFTIME
Set 2 > Round 3:
Team A attacks and sets the time.
Team B attacks and tries to beat the time.
Two points are awarded to the clan with the lowest time in a single round. If both clans fail to achieve the objective in a single round, one point is awarded to each clan in the event of a tied round. Thus, in a 3-round ABBA match, the most any clan can score is 4 points (including overtime).
In cases where both teams set same time (i.e. blowing the last objective in the last second)
, where there is a disagreement between OSP (console) and the
splash screen the console shall be taken as correct.
XVII. Halftime
After the first set is completed, clans may take a 10-minute break. Clan leaders should meet on IRC (preferably in #sta-et on gamesurge.net) to exchange info regarding the second round (server, password, etc.). Any delays beyond this not expressly agreed upon by both clans may result in the transgressing team's forfeiture of the match. (See Section XXII (Disputes))
XVIII. Post-Match, Match Reporting
At the conclusion of each match, BOTH clans are responsible for reporting the match's scores and MVPs (one MVP for their clan and 2 for the opposing clan). Only clan captains may submit scores and MVPs. The method of MVP selections is at the discretion of the clan's captain.
Note: Clan captains must fill out ALL of the MVP voting slots for your votes to be counted. Failing to fill out MVP selections when recording scores could make your clan ineligible for MVP candidates. It is up to the individual clan's captain/contact how s/he selects the MVPs. Some go strictly by stats, others by game performance, but it is ultimately up to the captain to decide.
MVPs are collected from each regular-season match and used to determine ProBowl candidates. The votes are tallied prior to the ProBowl match. The players with the most votes will be asked to compete in the ProBowl (See Section XXVI (ProBowls and Bragging Rights).
If there are disputes or problems with the match, they must be reported immediately to an STA-ET admin per Section XXII (Disputes). In order to keep the league functioning smoothly, match scores must be submitted the night of the match. Delays in reporting match results delay posting schedules for the next week.
XIX. Player Sportsmanship and Conduct
STA-ET strives to provide a venue for fun yet competitive play and prizes sportsmanship above all else. STA members are accountable for their sportsmanship and conduct. Clans and members that do not display proper sportsmanship toward other clans, other players, the league, or the gaming community can have bearing on their current status and their respective clan's status within the league, including expulsion from the league. Inappropriate behavior will be reported to other league authorities.
Activities that would warrant this consideration include excessive mm1 spamming and abuse/taunting/provoking (in-game) and public defilement of other clans, players, the league, or any league admin. Any abusive, racist or vulgar remarks used in mm1 during matches are grounds for expulsion by STA-ET. Screenshots and demos must be provided as proof.
This rule may apply to any electronic communication (e.g. Web sites, email, instant messenger/chat communications, voice communication) and through any medium that involves a member of STA-ET and any other member of STA-ET or its admins. This is, except in the most extreme circumstances, restricted purely to official league business. Official league business includes administrative duties and matches, and encompasses pre-match, match, and immediate post-match communications. Most other activities will fall outside the jurisdiction of STA-ET.
STA-ET forums are also held to these standards. Forums are a place to share information, opinions, and interact socially. Accusatory and inflammatory remarks will not be tolerated. Inappropriate posts will be deleted, edited, and/or locked. Further disciplinary action may be taken for frequent offenders which may ultimately affect their respective clan's status.
Clan leaders are held DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE for the actions of their clan members. If a member of their clan is found to be guilty of a violation of sportsmanship STA-ET admins will deal directly with that team's representative, who is expected to immediately meet with his/her player about the incident.
XX. Double-Clanning & Ringers
STA-ET strictly prohibits clans from using ringers/smurfs/double-clanning. This includes any person playing for an ET team for which they are not registered, signing up for more than one clan (or the same clan) in the same league, either under the same name, or a different name. It is also the act of playing for a clan for which you are not registered under a false identity.
EXAMPLE: If Clan [A] and Clan [B] are both active clans in STA-ET, members of Clan[A] cannot play in another league on Clan[B]'s roster, and visa-versa. Any crossover affecting 2 active clans in STA-ET is prohibited
regardless of whether or not the player is listed on both rosters or not.
It is acceptable for a player to multi-clan with a clan enrolled in another league as long as that clan is not also active in STA. This is to avoid the appearance of conflicts in interest and/or the possibility of such conflicts. Any attempts to subvert this rule with pseudo names or any other means by which an intentional attempt is made to hide the identity of the player is prohibited.
Consequences start with a forfeit loss for the offending clan, and that clan will be considered for immediate expulsion from STA-ET. The player caught ringing/smurfing/double-clanning will be expelled from the league and may be banned from all STA leagues. RTCW ET admins in other leagues will also be notified of the offense. Second offenses by members of the same clan will result in the clan or clans involved being removed from the league and forfeit of all matches played during that season.
STA-ET Clan rosters will be used for primary determination of whether players are ringers, smurfs, et cetera. If there is doubt beyond site roster, STA-ET will resort to checking IP addresses, guids, and any other means deemed necessary.
XXI. Voice Communications
The use of external communication programs such as the in-game voice communication (e.g. Ventrilo, Teamspeak, Roger Wilco) is acceptable and encouraged in STA-ET.
XXII. Cheating
Internet gaming is plagued by an enormous population of irresponsible and value-less individuals who do not see the harm in introducing cheats, hacks, and spam into the community's consciousness. It is expected that no clan in STA-ET cheats. Cheats include, but are not limited to:
1. Transparent texture override (a.k.a. Wall hacks).
2. Models that extend beyond reasonable bounds.
3. Any mechanism by which information that is not normally available to the player is obtained (e.g. aim proxy, RW eavesdropping, spec cheating, and observing LAN players).
4. Nuking, channel takeovers, spamming, crashing a match server, or any other form of denial of service (DoS).
5. Any setting within the game that exploits that which is is not common knowledge and would give an unfair advantage.
6. Any script that is used to change game/player settings in attempts to subvert equal and fair play (e.g. scripts that rapidly change timenudge settings).
STA-ET is, and will remain, a responsible member of the gaming community and is committed to keeping the gaming community a fair and flourishing place for gamers to play whether they play for STA-ET or otherwise. Cheating rules can and will be enforced for cheating violations in but not limited to the following gaming activities:
Sanctioned league events
League Matches
Playoff Matches
Special Matches
Non-Sanctioned League Events
Scrimmages that include league and non-league clans.
Scrimmages that include league players under their league name or an alias as can be determined by ringer rules.
Public game play.
If it is suspected that cheating has taken place or is taking place in any gaming activity as defined above, an STA-ET official should be contacted immediately with the following information:
The offending clan's and/or player's names and identifying information (e.g. guid, IP addresses, game server addresses).
The league or non-league event under which the discovery is or was made.
Forms of proof as defined in Section XXII (Disputes).
Claim packages must be submitted within 48 hours of the incident. If a clan claims that another clan has cheated and cannot supply enough evidence to substantiate the claim, then the claim will be discarded. Spurious accusations of cheating will be considered a violation of proper conduct rules and action will be taken against the accusing clan.
STA-ET Administrators are directed but not limited to all or any of the following actions, in combination or individually, if any player or players in a clan have been suspected of cheating:
1. Obtain RCON access to the game server to check server and players during a match.
2. Require both sides to immediately submit in-game screenshots, demos, server logs and other items that s/he may deem necessary.
3. Obtain direct FTP access to the game server.
4. Obtain a copy of configuration files (.cfg) being used by any player or players.
5. Require the suspected offending player or players be replaced at that time
6. Move the match to a server of their choice where the admin has access to all these tools as well. Failure to cooperate will result in forfeit of the match.
Any clan or player that has been confirmed as cheating as determined by an STA-ET administrator or other Authoritative institution, individual or group recognized by STA-ET will be subject but not limited to following league actions:
The player(s) will be removed from the league and all other STA leagues immediately and permanently.
The clan will be considered for suspension and/or expulsion from the league and all other STA leagues.
The clan will forfeit all league matches in which the offending player(s) were participants.
All pertinent facts will be made available to the community through any and all league sanctioned communications protocols.
All pertinent facts will be reported to all other leagues and gaming institutions.
The offending player(s) will be reported to all banning lists available.
STA does not tolerate cheaters of any kind. Players found guilty of cheating will be banned (See Section XXV Inactivity, Team Expulsions, and Player Bans).
XXIII. Bug, Map, Class, & Game Exploits
Map exploits are never, under any circumstance, acceptable. Map exploits include, but are not limited to:
Boosting
Boosting is defined as standing on top of another player in order to reach higher ground. The following are boosting restrictions:
Boosting more than 2 people high in a stack. One person standing on another player and a third being boosted to reach an objective is an exploit. One booster, one boostee, that's it.
Boosting into areas that are "not intended" for players is prohibited. Most ET maps are clipped in areas that are unintended for play. However, if there is questionable areas contact an STA-ET admin immediately.
Grenades and airstrikes cannot be used to exploit the invulnerability time that a player has after respawn or after being revived to intentionally be "launched" across the map or into places players cannot normally access with a boost or jump.
Class Exploits
Flamethrower Exploit: A flamethrower cannot be used to allow the flame to bounce off a solid object (wall, box, door). Doing so is an exploit that causes the flame becomes invisible to your opponent.
Other Exploits
There's a spot outside the old city where one can literally sink into the ground, and become invisible. If using a flamethrower, can shoot flames and kill people and nobody can see the person OR the flames. This is an illegal exploit.
On oasis the guns can be planted (via stacking) without entering inner city area and climbing stairs. This is an illegal exploit.
Exploiting weapon's or item bugs that create circumstances or effects that are not intended for that weapon or item.
Uncommonly known exploits are NOT allowed, and instances of these exploits should be recorded and submitted to the league for review. Any such exploit used in a match that grants one player/team an unfair advantage may be considered cheating.
Common sense clause
If you have a question towards the legality of a possible exploit contact an admin as soon as possible to avoid being hit with infractions in the future. If a person is found to have used an exploit that gained them a large advantage they will not be able to hide behind "It wasn't stated as being an exploit in the rules", "I didn't know" or "other players are doing it". Spending hours upon hours searching for the next undocumented exploit that will gain you or your clan an advantage in a match will no longer be a viable option. Players and clans will be held responsible for your actions when the exploit is found and a ruling is made on it. Punishment could vary and is completely at the admin's discretion.
XXIV. Disputes
Clans are encouraged to find mutually acceptable solutions amongst themselves via clan captains without the aid of an STA-ET admin. There are cases, however, in which an admin is needed.
In the event of a dispute, both clans must submit a claim package to the STA-ET admins for review as soon as possible. A claim package is a precise representation of a clan's claim that the opposing clan's actions warrant a forfeit loss for that team. Claim packages must include:
The rule violated by the opposing clan, as quoted from this document.
How the rule was violated by the opposing clan.
Proof that the rule was violated. Proof may be in the form of server logs, e-mails, ICQ logs, IRC logs, in-game screenshots, in-game demos, et cetera.
Once a claim packages has been received, STA-ET admins will handle all disputes in a timely, neutral, and unbiased manner. If the "accusing" clan improperly handled the dispute procedure (e.g. flaming the accused team/admins or insufficient evidence) the dispute may be thrown out at the discretion of the admin staff. All rulings are final, and failure to adhere to any aspect of a ruling is grounds for expulsion.
Disputes may end in one of the following:
Technical forfeit: Neither clan earns a win or loss
Forfeit by dispute: One of the two clans involved will earn a win by forfeit; the other will earn a corresponding loss and the transgressing clan may be expelled if the STA-ET administrators deem it appropriate due to the situation at hand.
Once a clan captain/member has contacted an admin about a dispute, interaction will ONLY be made with that admin unless otherwise notified. Decisions may not be appealed to another dispute handler.
In the case where another admin has been brought in for additional counsel, teams may not choose which administrator(s) will be called, nor can they appeal the decision once judgment has been passed.
NOTE: Any agreement that is made outside of the default STA-ET rules is not subject to STA-ET jurisdiction. Therefore, if a team makes an agreement to, for example, play an opposing team on a different day but the opposing team claims there is no proof of that agreement, then the STA-ET admin will assume the default settings were agreed upon.
If the case should arise that no STA-ET admins are available, another STA admin may be contacted. Contact information for STA admins can be found on the "Staff Contacts" link on the STA-ET Web site.
XXV. Real-Time Disputes
If a dispute arises during gameplay and must be handled immediately, the disputing clans should send one representative (preferably the clan's captain) to IRC #sta-et on gamesurge or #sta-league on quakenet. There they may contact an STA-ET admin. In the event that admins are unavailable, leave a personal message with an admin including IP, password, and brief description of the dispute.
XXVI. Wildcard Rule
Any dispute that will affect the outcome of a particular round should be addressed immediately. Play should be halted. A clan with a legitimate claim should have its players drop to specs while a league admin is contacted to resolve the issue. Admins can be located on IRC in #sta-et on gamesurge.net. Demos and screenshots must be taken and will be used to resolve the dispute and reset game clocks (if necessary). If a claimed dispute is not found to be legitimate, the disputing clan may lose that round (not necessarily the match) based on admin's discretion. Most disputes, legitimate or not, will not be honored if the disputing clan waits until the end of the match to report. Disputes are not to be used as "get out of loss free" cards.
NOTE: Valid issues do not include player drops/pinging out etc unless it is determined to be an ongoing server issue. Competition mods are built with pause functions for those situations and this already addressed in this ruleset.
XXVII. Inactivity, Clan Expulsions, and Player Bans
Inactivity
Inactive clans are not scheduled for play. A clan will be marked as inactive if any of the following conditions occur:
1. A clan requests inactive status due to team-related issues. Requests for inactivity must be made to an STA-ET admin at least 48 hours prior to the next scheduled match. If a clan elects to go inactive within 48 hours of their scheduled match then the match will still be considered a forfeit. STA-ET admins may deny a team's request for inactivity.
2. Double forfeit. A clan has forfeited matches for two consecutive play weeks. Clans who have received two forfeits in a row are subject to removal from STA-ET completely (See Clan Expulsions Blow).
Clans Expulsions
Clans may be expelled from the league if any of the following conditions occur:
1. A clan as not contacted the STA-ET admins after having been inactive for at least one week due to double-forfeit rule (see above).
2. A clan has violated rules and the STA-ET admins have agreed on ejection.
3. A clan has forfeited two straight matches are subject to removal, pending admin discussion.
STA-ET admins may agree on suspending, ejecting a clan, or banning a player(s) for reasons not outlined in this document.
Player Bans
STA does not tolerate cheating of any kind. All allegations of cheating must be accompanied by proof to STA-ET admins within 48 hours of the incident (See Section XX (Cheating). The following are consequences for cheating:
1. During an STA-ET match: The offending player will be permanently banned from STA-ET and all STA leagues, the offending clan will forfeit the match and all matches in which that player participated during that season. In addition, STA-ET will announce publicly all pertinent facts to the community regarding the league's findings. ET admins in other leagues will also be notified of the offense.
2. During a non-STA-ET match: The offending player will be permanently banned from STA-ET and all STA leagues and the offending player's STA-ET clan will forfeit all matches in which that player participated during that season.
3. During a scrim or while pubbing: The offending player will be banned from STA-ET and all STA leagues for one year. Any repeat offense during the ban or thereafter will result in a permanent ban.
NOTE: Leniency will be given to teams that report hackers and cheaters within their own clans to STA-ET admins. If a clan reports the hacker/cheater and purges him/her from their roster, STA will waive the forfeiting of matches prior to the incident.
XXVIII. ProBowls and Bragging Rights
ProBowls
ProBowls are exhibition matches for the purpose of community camaraderie as well as showing off some of the clan's most talented players. ProBowlers are selected based on weekly MVP selections that are made by clan captains when they submit their scores. Team captains are required to submit their choice of MVP for their team and 2 MVPs from the opposing team. STA-ET admins review the submissions and tally votes per individual.
MVP candidates are announced after the 8th week of regular season play. Captains for a Blue Team and a Red Team will be selected by STA-ET admins though MVP candidates are encouraged to volunteer. Once selected, captains for each team meet with league admins on IRC to select their teams. Each captain takes turns picking the rosters from the list of eligible MVP candidates. One captain chooses starting side (Axis or Allies) while the other has first pick of MVP candidates.
The ProBowl match is held during the quarter finals week of the playoffs. During the ProBowl match, all participants are required to wear there clan tags with their corresponding team color (red or blue). STA will provide servers and voice comms for the event. Teams are prohibited from practicing more than once for this event as it may present an unfair advantage for a team without the same resources/time.
Regular season rules apply in ProBowl matches and maps are generally chosen that night by the ProBowlers from a limited list as determined by STA-ET admins. Moreover, admins will have the match broadcast on WolfTV or Shoutcasted if possible.
Bragging Rights
Have a match you lost during the regular season in the final seconds? Did a peep lag out at just the worst time and the other team capped? Want to get a monkey off your back or settle a score? Here's your chance.
This is a post-season opportunity for the losing teams in the semi finals to vie for 3rd place. This will also allow for clans to challenge other clans to settle any "grudges" that may have accrued during the regular season, of course, in a respectful manner. STA tracks events and matches throughout the season and will schedule clans not challenged during this time.
The map for these grudge matches are kept secret until a few days before the match! The match cfg for these matches includes a 60 second warm-up with no /ready. There are NO pauses, NO time outs, NO breaks until a winner is determined. IN GAME GLOBAL VOICE CHATS ARE ALLOWED! NO TYPING, JUST DEFAULT VOICE! This is an exhibition matches for the purpose of community camaraderie and fun. Results do not effect a clan's record or status.
NOTE: Clans from the upcoming FINALs match are allowed to participate in these grudge matches, but may not to play each other.
XXIX. Rule Amendments
05/25/05 - Rules amended to remove Baserace-specific information.
05/22/05 - League Admin list and contact info amended. Basrace rules amended to reflect Single Map Objective mode.
05/16/05 - Rules were corrected for spelling/minor grammar/duplication and expanded to include the Baserace division.
08/28/05 - League Admin list and contact information updated.
10/11/05 - League Admin list and contact information updated.
11/22/06 - League Admin list and contact information updated.
Rules also updated to include information on the two map regular season format, preseason updates, server config updates and probowl rules information updates.
5/01/07 - League Admin list and contact information updated. Rules reset back to 6v6 standards. Updated forfeit rules.
| Last Updated on April 10, 2009 |
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