Seventh Tri-Annual Dueling Bracket *SIGN UP HERE*

[BaldEagl]

Once again it's time to sign up for BaldEagl's SEVENTH TRI-ANNUAL ACES HIGH ONE-ON-ONE DUELING BRACKET CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT.  Actually you've never had the opportunity to sign up for the seventh tournament until now but I'm sure you get the idea.

Sign up here by stating so clearly and posting your in-game name even if it's the same as your BBs name.  You have two weeks to sign up.  The opening bracket will be posted on Sunday, May 29 and each Sunday thereafter until the tournament is concluded.  You have until noon CST/CDT Sunday, May 29 to join the event.  Late entries will not be considered.  Even if you don't want to join please spread the word in the arenas.  Many don't read the BBs and may not know about this event.

Since the fourth of July holiday falls during this tournament we may take a week off during that time.  We'll see how the participants remaining at that time feel about it.  At least I'll be flexible for those with vacations scheduled so don't let the holiday stop you from joining.

As always I encourage players of all skill levels to get involved.  Since initial match-ups and plane selections are by random draw you never know who or what you're going to get.  The tournament is fun and can be a good learning experience if you want to improve your ACM.  Most players will willingly put some time in with you before or after the duels if you ask and I notice that the TA and DA get a bit busier as the tournament approaches so there's some real opportunities to get some practice time in.  Feel free to post here if you're looking for practice partners.  I'm sure you'll get takers.  Nothing gets the adrenaline pumping like the flight out to the duel except maybe the duel itself.  It's also a great way to meet other players in the community.

I will periodically post an updated roster in this thread.  Please check in to make sure I haven't made a mistake in your in-game or BBs name or your status in the tournament.

Once sign-up is completed I will start a new thread in the General Discussion forums titled “Seventh Tri-Annual Dueling Bracket & Results”.  That's where you'll find your match-ups and post results of your duels.

We had a rough end to our second year with our last tournament being decided by a technical disqualification.  I hope that the drama surrounding that situation doesn't keep anyone from participating in this or future tournamanets.  In the end we crowned our fifth different champion in six tournaments (Krupinski) with JB11 being the only multiple time winner (and consecutive wins no less).  Our other winners are moot, TonyJoey and batfinkv.  Congrats to all our previous winners.

As we begin our third year of tournamanets I spent a couple of hours this morning going through a rules re-write.  Highlights of the changes include:

- Organized the rules under major headings to make understanding and interpretation easier (and to help hold down Sunbat's legal fees  ).
- Changed the final round from best of five to best of seven and wordsmithed the later round plane selection rules to accomodate this.
- Added a rule that duels must be fought from the cockpit view.
- Clarified rules regarding dumping ammo.
- Simplified some rules regarding forfeitures and added a rule about advancing multiple times by forfeit.
- Added/clarified rules regarding film requirements in the later rounds.
- Shortened the timeframes for submissions and determinations in dispute resolution from 36 to 24 hours (sorry review committee).

Don't let the rules intimidate you.  It's all about fair play.  Please read and understand the rules (located in the next post).

Finally I need four volunteers; three regular and one alternate as review committee members.  Some tournaments have been bears for the committee, others not.  Just like the tournament itself, you never know what you're going to get.  Be aware that you must be available to review films within a 24 hour window so both the thread and you're PM's will require daily monitoring at the close of each round.  I'll select four members from all volunteers.

Before we get to the rules here's the links to all of the prior tournament threads working backwards from the latest:

http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,305537.0.html
http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,297463.0.html
http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,290088.0.html
http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,282937.0.html
http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,275270.0.html
http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,269285.0.html

Oh, and one more thing; as always, I'm IN!

Good luck to all.

And here's a blank sample bracket:

[AWwrgwy]

I'll give this one a shot.

IN

In game: wrongway
BBS: AWwrgwy

[BaldEagl]

TOURNAMENT RULES

· Setting up the Bracket

- Brackets will be determined by random draw of names produced by a random number generator in MS Excel.
- If the number of players exceeds a full round I will work them into the bracket although they will have to fly one more round than other players.  They will be chosen randomly and disbursed evenly through pre-selected slots in the bracket to achieve balance at the nearest bracket root(s).
- If a player changes their in-game or BBs name during the tournament they must either post that change in the bracket and results thread or PM me with the change.
- The initial bracket will be posted on Sunday, May 29 and each Sunday thereafter until a winner has been determined.

· General Tournament Rules

- Duels must be arranged between the players by PM, IM, e-mail or other means to take place by noon CST/CDT Sunday following each bracket update (6 days).
- Duels will be best of three until the quarterfinal round.  The quarterfinal and semifinal rounds will be best of five with the final round to determine a champion being best of seven.
- First duel plane selection will be assigned using a random number generator to select from all available fighter and fighter/attack aircraft (except the Me163 and Me262).  This will be done individually for each set of duelers.
- During the elimination rounds the loser of each duel selects the aircraft for the next duel.  This allows the loser to pick his/her best aircraft to get back into contention and if it goes three rounds each player will have had one plane selection.  From the quarterfinals forward the player who is behind in the series chooses the next duel aircraft.  This means they could choose as many as three times consecutively in the quarterfinal or semifinal rounds or four times consecutively in the final round to try to get back into contention (they lose the first and second duels then win the third making it 1-2 and get to choose for the third time for instance).  If the series becomes tied at any point then the loser of the last duel chooses.
- All duels will take place in the DA canyon area.
- All duelists will fly in F1 view mode (in-cockpit).
- All duels will be 25% fuel load out with player’s choice of gun package and convergence.  Firing off ammo prior to engagement is allowed (it’s impractical to review everyone’s films for violations in the early rounds).
- All merges will be guns cold (no firing until you have passed your opponent's 3/9 line).
- All merges will be co-alt at 10K until within icon range at which point a merge break can begin.  In addition all players shall observe a 10K ceiling and floor (within reason) at all times prior to the merge.
- Anything goes after the initial merge.
- Once one player has been shot down and the other receives a kill message the duel ends.  There is no need to land.

· Posting Results

- The losing player will post in this thread after the duel series in the following format:

   Plane - Winner
   Plane - Winner
   Plane - Winner (if needed)

- The loser posting is a means to verify that the results are uncontested.  If the loser hasn't posted by the deadline then the winner may post the results but they will be deemed contested and films will be required to verify the win.
- This information must be posted by no later than 12:00 noon CST/CDT (as appropriate) Sunday following the posting of the updated bracket so that I can get the brackets updated and re-posted on Sunday afternoon/evening.

· Special Circumstances Affecting the Outcome of a Duel

- In the case of a draw (both run out of fuel for instance) that duel will be re-fought using the same aircraft.
- In the case of a collision:
   If only one player collides (only one gets the collision message) the duel continues.
   If both players collide (both get the collision message) the duel immediately ends and will be re-started in the same planes.
- Ditching or bailing constitutes forfeiture of the duel.
- The intent is for players to remain in close proximity to one another (2-3K max).  That said if at any time the players lose icon range on one another the duel ends immediately and will be re-started using the same planes.  This should allow a dueler to simply turn away from a runner to nullify the duel.
- If an uninvited third party interrupts the duel the duel is immediately ended and will be re-started using the same plane.  The dueling participants may move to another mutually agreed upon set of fields in the DA in this instance.
- If a player experiences technical and/or equipment issues the duel will continue.  After the duel that player will be allowed fifteen minutes to correct such issues and re-log to complete any remaining duels in the series.  If he does not or is unable to re-log within 15 minutes he will lose any remaining duels by default.
- If a player disco’s the duel will be re-fought in the same planes as soon as the discoing player re-logs.  If he does not or is unable to re-log within 15 minutes he will lose the duel series by default.  A second disco by the same player in a duel series will result in forfeiture of the remaining duels in that series.

· Forfeitures

- If a player does not show within 15 minutes of the arranged time they forfeit the series.  In that case the winner by default must post a message confirming the arranged duel time or otherwise verify that a duel had been arranged.
- If a duel cannot be arranged between two players each player will have a chance to post the circumstances in the Bracket and Results thread prior to the posting deadline.  If only one player posts and it is clear that they are making an attempt to arrange their duel then that player will advance, provided their post was at least 48 hours prior to the round closing deadline. If both players post and it is clear that the issue lies with only one player then the player not at fault will advance.  If it is unclear which player is at fault, if neither player posts, or if a single player posts inside the 48 hour window then a random draw will determine which player advances.  In the case of neither player posting, no player will be allowed to advance more than one round via forfeit.  

· Filming

- Both players will film all duels from take-off in case of a dispute.  These films must be saved until at least noon on the Tuesday following the duel or until 48 hours after the end of any granted extension in case of a dispute.  If a dispute arises then the films must be saved until such dispute is settled.
- From the quarterfinal round forward results must be verifiable therefore films must be posted by the winning player for all duels from that round forward.  This also allows for film study by those hoping to improve their skills.  Failure of the winning player to post films in these rounds will result in the win being awarded to that player’s opponent who must then post their films.  Failure of the opponent to post films within 24 hours of such a determination will result in the original winner being reinstated.  
- Films may be posted in any round if both participants agree.

· Disputes

- Each player has the opportunity to review films of their duels for potential rules violations.  If a player suspects a rules violation they can petition the review committee via PM.  Both regular and alternate committee members, the tournament administrator and the opposing player must be copied on the petition (the review committee members, alternates and administrator are listed in the roster).  This petition must be filed by the regular deadlines.  The player must include a posting of their own films with the petition along with a description of what they believe the rules violation to be.  An initial determination will be made within 24 hours of the petition.  If the review committee finds sufficient evidence to further their investigation a committee spokesperson will contact the opposing player for their films of the duels.  These films must be submitted within 24 hours of the committee's request or the duel(s) in question will be forfeit by that player.  The review committee will then make a final determination no later than 24 hours after receiving those films.  The review committee may overturn posted results.  If a clean determination of a winner cannot be made the review committee will determine an appropriate course of action which could include a rematch, a random draw or the expulsion of one or both players from the tournament.  These stated actions are not intended to limit the actions that the review committee might recommend.  The review committee's determination will be final.  In any case a final determination will be posted by no later than noon Wednesday.  For the advancing player and their opponent the normal noon Sunday deadline will still apply.  Because this could delay both the winner's and his/her next opponent's ability to arrange their next duel it is in the best interest of everyone that the players reach an agreeable conclusion to their duels on their own.

· Rules Violations

- Violations of the official tournament rules as stated could constitute grounds for expulsion from the tournament.
- Any player caught breaking the rules twice in any tournament will be automatically ejected from the tournament.

[kilo2]

BBS Kilo2
Ingame KoolAid

[PFactorDave]

I'd like to give it a go this time around

BBS:  PFactorDave
Game:  PFactorD

[Krupinski]

Why not..

ingame: Krupcake

Most likely gonna change my name back to Krupnski soon.

[Debrody]

Edit: nevermind i possibly wont be on during the summer 

[--)SF----]

Im in!

SF

[JOACH1M]

Depending on the day it starts i might be there

[TOMCAT21]

I'm in..

[kilz]

BBS kilz

ingame LTARkilz


i am willing to do review again BE 

[NatCigg]

in

NatCigg

[mthrockmor]

Mthrockmor
Boo

[STXAce8]

Ingame: Ace8
BBS: STXAce8

[Devil 505]

In Game: Devil5O5 (capital O, not a 0)
BBs: Devil 505 (with a 0)