International Doubles

I. Ladder

The ladder will be a ranked listing of all the teams currently participating in International Doubles.

• The ladder will list the following information for each team:
  
  • The team name
  • The team status (active or inactive)
  • The PSN names of each player on the team, along with their respective countries (e.g. Feisar31 [USA])
  • The win/loss record of the team
  • The ranking score of the team
• Each team will have the status of Active or Inactive. Only active teams may challenge or be challenged by other teams. Teams that do not play a match with another team for 2 months will be automatically changed to Inactive status. Inactive teams that do not play a match for 3 months will be automatically removed from the ladder.
• Teams will be ranked on the ladder according to their ranking scores (or "ratings"). International Doubles uses an Elo rating system, like the one described on this page. Each team starts with 1500 points, and will be unranked until it has played 1 match. After each match, the ratings of the two participating teams will be updated according to this Ranking Calculator. The lowest possible rating for a team is 1000.
• All match races will be at Phantom speed with weapons on. If there is enough interest, separate Flash/Rapier ladders may be created.

II. Challenges

Eligibility:

An active team may challenge any other active team on the ladder to a match, under two conditions. Team A may challenge Team B if:

1. Team B is within 500 rating points of Team A
   AND
2. Team A has not played Team B before OR 2 months have passed since the last match between Team A and Team B.

Challenge Protocol:

• All challenges should be coordinated through the WipeoutZone PM system. All messages about the challenge should be sent/copied to all members of both teams.
• Challenges should be made at least 3 days in advance of the intended match.
• Pay attention to the countries of the members of the team you're challenging (so you don't challenge someone to a match at 3:00 in the morning in their time zone). You can use the Time Zone Converter to help you figure out a good time.
• Teams that have been challenged must give their response within 48 hours.
• Teams may decline a challenge for any reason.

The challenge process is as follows:

1. Initial Challenge
To make it easier to distinguish messages related to International Doubles, challenges should be made with the subject line:
"[ID] Team A challenges Team B". The challenge message should contain:

• The name of the challenging team (e.g. Team A)
• The PSN name of the host (one of the members of Team A)
• Proposal for the match format (8-FWD, 8-REV, 8-CUS, 12, or 16 races)
• At least two possible times for the match, including dates and stated time zone.

2. Response
ONE member of Team B should reply with the following:

• A statement indicating whether Team B accepts or declines the challenge.
  If Team B accepts:
• A confirmation of the match format (including track selections if necessary)
• A confirmation of one of the offered times, or the suggestion of at least 2 alternate times

The reply message should quote the initial challenge message underneath. Obviously, more messages may be needed for both teams to agree upon a time. Once the match time has been agreed upon, we get to ...

3. Final Confirmation
ONE member of Team A replies, confirming one of the original times or one of Team B's suggested times. If necessary, the message should list the final track selection for the match (including Team A's choices). The previous messages should be quoted below. This message should be sent/copied to the International Doubles organizer(s) as well as the members of both teams. The organizer(s) can update a list of upcoming scheduled matches.


III. Matches

Matches consist of one or two tournaments at Phantom speed with weapons on. The winner of the match will be determined by summing all the points earned by the players from each team: the team with the most points at the end of the tournament(s) wins the match. Matches may be 8, 12, or 16 races. (Each match counts the same amount towards a team's ranking--the number of races is simply a matter of preference.) The match options are:

• 8-race Forward: One tournament of all Forward tracks, raced in order from Vineta K to Sol 2.
• 8-race Reverse: One tournament of all Reverse tracks, raced in order from Vineta K to Sol 2.
• 8-race Custom: The challenged team (Team B) selects 4 tracks in its response message. Then the challenging team (Team A) selects the remaining 4 tracks in its final confirmation message, such that each track is represented by one version. (If Team B chooses Metropia Reverse, Team A cannot choose Metropia Forward.) The races are played in one tournament in the order they were listed, with Team B's tracks first and Team A's tracks second.
• 12-race: The challenged team (Team B) selects 6 tracks in its response message. Then the challenging team (Team A) selects the remaining 6 tracks in its final confirmation message; Team A may choose any track version not chosen by Team B. (If Team B chooses Metropia Reverse, Team A can choose Metropia Forward.) The races are played in one tournament in the order they were listed, with Team B's tracks first and Team A's tracks second.
• 16-race: One tournament of all Forward tracks followed by one tournament of all Reverse tracks, each raced in order from Vineta K to Sol 2.

Match Protocol:

1. Prior to the match, members of the challenged team (Team B) should ensure that they are PSN friends of the host (one player from Team A).
2. A member from each team should login to WipeoutZone on the day of the match in case the other team needs to cancel.
3. The match host (from Team A) should start a Friends-only, 4-player room at least 5 minutes before the agreed match time. If both players from the challenged team (Team B) have not joined the game within 15 minutes of the scheduled match time (or they have not communicated their cancellation to Team A), the match is forfeited by Team B.
4. When all players have joined, the host should begin with one single race to ensure that there are no connection issues for any of the players.
5. After the single race, the host should set up the tournament agreed upon beforehand. Then all players should indicate they are ready for the match to begin by "flashing" their ships--going to the ship selection screen and choosing their ship again. The host should be the first player the "flash" his or her ship; then the 2nd player listed on the lobby screen should go, and then the 3rd player, and then the last. During this time the host should make sure the tournament does not start automatically due to the timer. Once all 4 players are ready, the host may start the match.
6. For 16-race matches, a 5 minute break should be taken between the first and second tournaments. The same system of flashing ships should be used to start the second tournament.
7. At the end of the tournament(s), a player from each team should take a clear photo of the tournament results screen. These images must be sent to the International Doubles organizer(s) within 24 hours of the match. If only one team submits their images, the result of the match will be determined from those images. (* Since most if not all members of this forum are trustworthy, I don't think it would be a problem if the two teams agreed upon just one photo taker beforehand.) If no images are submitted, no result will be recorded.
8. In the case of a tie after the normal number of races, an 8-race tournament (all Forward tracks) should be held immediately to determine the match winner.
9. When the match is over, Team B's players should feel free to remove themselves as PSN friends from the host (so as not to accumulate a ton of friends).

Network Trouble:

• If a player disconnects/is disconnected during the match, the tournament should be stopped and restarted immediately, if the player is able to rejoin. The host may be switched to Team A's other player if that might help.
• If the disconnected player cannot rejoin, or if he or she becomes disconnected again, the match should be rescheduled.
  Each team should notify the International Doubles organizer(s) of any match cancellations or postponements, so that they can keep an updated list of scheduled matches.
• If the same team has disconnections during the rescheduled match, that team forfeits the match, receiving a loss. The other team is awarded a win.

Pairs:
kgb1971 + feisar31 --- Voodoo Rage
Soccermums + OLOuk
yeldar2097 + Asayyeah --- Asayyeldar
GTP_Rorschach + JJohnEames
EPSILON + Nyctalopian
TarotCardKiller + SaturnReturn
Kigo1987 + djKyoto
Wotan998 + Luxoflux
Zoth-Ommog + JJPAP ---Enthropic Decay
kaori714 + leungbok ---AG-Rapides
Greenix + andybob35 ---green sponge ninja's
Chboing + Elois-13
AnErare + Wellington86
eLhabib + Amorbis
designer_79 + Blackwiggle
subtotal + mr-rico84

Spares:


DrMannevond
Chaos80
Connavar

TRIAL SESSION SATURDAY 21st MARCH 1200GMT

PM me or post here if you can make it
so far:
JJohnEames
GTP_Rorschach
yeldar2097 (saturday)
Amorbis
anyone else?

I think it's a great idea!

Racing multiplayer is already neat, racing in "big" teams is awesome. But racing in 4 teams sounds pretty wicked :)

In light of the WC and everything surrounding it this should be ample opportunity to really train in paired multiplayer racing. And advance everyone even remotely interested into progressing their overall tactics. To me that is a nice prospect in itself.

It could also prove to be even more fantastic than 2 teams fighting in a filled out field ;) Count me in anyway!

Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is exactly the kind of thing I want to try out. Thanks for picking up on the idea. Now go run with it and I look forward to taking part :D

thanks for the feedback.

that said, i wonder if it's just a coincidence that only flying dutchmen have commented.
are we the only people on my wavelength or is the title just confusing people?

completely multinational was what i was going for but us flying dutchmen can have all the fun if nobody else wants to ;)

thank YOU saturn for inspiring the idea :)

it doesn't really have to be a tournament as such, it could just be arranged on the fly.
OR
we could have a doubles league table of some sort....

I have no idea what double dutch means!

I reckon us dutchgirls suddenly are just way into the team spirit :)

Hehe. Yeah, maybe taking the dutch part out of the title would be a wise idea. I think given that there's a flying dutchmen thread and a flying dutchmen vs. team nordic thread already, people might think we're trying to take over or something.

Apart from the taking-over-deal, which is absolutely true, people should also be prepared we are really digging the vibe and are pretty dangerous ;)

ok well if a mod sees this could they please change the title to "International Doubles" or something along those lines.
thanks :)
(that doesn't mean we aren't still trying to take over ;))

can you link connavars site?

sounds like a good idea. I'm putting this in the news.wpa newsletter.

i like the sound of this one

I'd be interested in participating. I like the idea of having two teams versus another two teams, maybe even four teams of two! It would be quite hard to stop yourself from eliminating your team mate :P.

count me in, sounds like a good idea to me as well. :P

kula shaker, good to see some positive feedback :)
what do you guys reckon is best: doing it like a league/cup OR just arranging a couple of matches on the fly?

considering there don't seem to be that many people interested (god knows why), i reckon it would be simpler to just arrange matches whenever (either with or without fixed pairs), and then if more people join in then we could sort out some kind of competition...

:)

I reckon give a couple of matches a try. Then post videos and results to get more interest, then start maybe a mini league, then if the league goes well have a mini knock out tournament....or something. It's not like I've thought about it much or anything :p

groove armada.
all we need now is some dates...

seeing as you haven't thought about it at all saturn, you could always organise proceedings, you're dead good at that sort of thing ;)

anyone got any ideas who they want to go with? or should we just test the water first and have random pairings?

Interesting idea. If someone is in for Pulse, I'm willing to host. ;)

Actually, this is awesome idea. Can I buy the license? ;););)
You thought about making a Group?

Me and Amorbis are all set to take on the world :banzai

I am interested in your great idea ! my own problem is just a matter of finding time to let me play online with you guys. I know ill be at home for 3 weeks in April ( working the day but free at night ) so i bet i ll be more often online.
Count me in for April

ok asa, good stuff :+
any idea who you want to race with?

congrats haydn, you and amorbis are the first pair off the mark. now we just need to find someone to humble you ;)

Sounds good to me, count me in. If someone need team mate just let me know... :banzai