OCL Rules S7 Sea Battle

Olympic Champions League (a.k.a. OCL) is a league lasting around 1-2 months in which teams compete once a week against each other. There are four different types of leagues: a Team Swordfighting league, a Sea Battle league, a Team Drinking league and a Team Rumble league. We will be running one league at a time on each of the production oceans (Midnight, Cobalt, Viridian, Sage, Hunter and Malachite.) Depending on the number of entries we will have a different number of divisions per ocean. If there are a large number of teams in a division, the total duration of the event may need to be extended.

Terminology:

 * League: There are 4 leagues
 * Team Swordfighting
 * Sea Battle
 * Team Drinking
 * Team Rumble


 * Division: Each league may contain more than one division if there are enough teams entered. Ideally each league will take no more than two months to complete.
 * Match: A scheduled pairing between two teams which consists of one or more games depending on the league.
 * Match day: A day on which matches are scheduled. Each league has one match day per week, on alternating Saturdays and Sundays.
 * Match time: The time(s) at which matches are scheduled on match days.
 * Game: One point/score, i.e. there are a different number of games in a match depending on the league.
 * Player change: Permanently removing one member or permanently adding one member. This must be done by the captain.
 * Temporary Member: A player who has been temporarily added to a team to play in a match.

League Format:
One league will run at a time, and the exact format and length which will be determined by the number of teams that enter. League matches will be scheduled for one day per week, alternating Saturday and Sunday.

Registration:
Registration will begin at least 2 weeks before the start of each league. During the registration period, we will have a page on YPPedia for the current league where teams can sign up. Registration requirements different from those specified below will be noted on the actual registration page. We reserve the right to exclude teams for whom incomplete information is provided. You may sign up with fewer than the maximum number of teammates, and you may edit your team details as you wish before the deadline, but any changes made to team members after the registration deadline (including adding one team member) will count as your one permanent swap for the season.

You will generally need to provide the following information to register. The link to the registration page will be posted in your ocean's events forum when registration is open. Any additional or alternative information required for a specific league will be noted on that league’s registration page when it opens.
 * 1) Ocean
 * 2) Team Name (defaults to "Team [Captain's name]" if none specified)
 * 3) Team Captain (pirate name)
 * 4) Team Captain's forum account name
 * 5) Other Team Mates (numbers dependent on the league entered)
 * 6) Times and their priority for Saturday
 * 7) Times and their priority for Sunday

Each Team is to submit 3 times (from the following options: 8am, 10am, noon, 2pm, 4pm) in order from most convenient to least convenient for each of the match days. Preferences do not need to be the same for Saturdays and Sundays. These times will be used to schedule matches against other teams. Times may be changed and updated up until registration closes, at which point scheduling begins and if you have not provided time preferences, we will assume that all times are equally convenient.

Scheduling:
Scheduling is done based on the following formula:
 * 1st priority time = 3 points
 * 2nd priority time = 2 points
 * 3rd priority time = 1 point

Adding up the point values for each of the 5 times, we pick the one with the highest score. In the event of a tie, we give preference to a 2nd/2nd over a 1st/3rd preference spread. After that, ties are resolved based on the following time priorities:

Time Priorities:
 * 1) Noon
 * 2) 2pm
 * 3) 10am
 * 4) 4pm
 * 5) 8am

Rescheduling:
Teams are welcome to arrange a different time to meet, either before or after the scheduled match time, and teams are all encouraged to be flexible and pleasant in accommodating reschedule requests. To make an official reschedule, both teams are required to post to the forums as to the new day/time of the match. There is a limit to how long after the scheduled match time the rescheduled match can take place. '''For all division matches except the last one, teams must post their rescheduled match scores within 1 week past the original scheduled match time. For the final division match, a semi-final or a final, teams must post their rescheduled match scores within 48 hours of the original scheduled match time. '''

Reschedule Requests:
If a team is unable to make the scheduled time and is unable to contact the other team in-game, then they should post a request in the forum thread for a reschedule, remembering to include their team name, their opponents’ team name, and a suggested reschedule time. This post needs to be made at least 48 hours before the scheduled match time. Once a reschedule has been arranged, please post in your ocean's thread so that the player moderators know the rescheduled time. Penalties for being unable to reschedule a match in time will be dealt with on a case to case basis, likely ending in one or both teams taking a forfeit.

Forfeits: No shows and missed matches
If an opposing team is not ready to start 15 minutes past the scheduled time, the present team takes a forfeit and gains full points for the match. Please post the results accordingly (see posting in the event of a no-show or forfeit)

If no post is made by either team regarding a score in the 24 hours following a match, and in the absence of a reschedule post, it will be assumed that neither team showed up and both teams will be given forfeits and full losses.

Please note that a team is allowed to compete even if they are short of team members. They may choose to do this rather than take a forfeit.

Game Updates and Rescheduling as a result of:
Any match which happens to coincide with a game update will be rescheduled if a team is unable to sport a full team due to problems related to the update. Rescheduled matches in these cases will be under the same time constraints as regular rescheduled matches.

Removal / addition of team members
Teams are allowed to remove one member from their team during the duration of the season. Teams are allowed to add one member to their team during the duration of the season (without exceeding the maximum number of team members). The removal and the addition can be done at different times if required. A player change is not considered official until it has been posted to your league thread and to the YPPedia league page. A removal or addition should be conducted by the Team Captain and takes effect immediately. The member added into the team does not need to have been used as a temporary member prior to the swap. If you start the season without a full complement of team members, you may still only add one member during the season.

Changing Captain:
In the event that a captain has gone inactive or needs to be changed for any other reason, please bring this up with the OM in charge of the league. The member added into the team does not need to have been used as a temporary member prior to the swap. If you start the season without a full complement of team members, you may still only add one member during the season.

Temporary Players:
Each team is allowed to use temporary members in their match teams. There will be a limit as to the number of temporary players allowed per game, they will be listed in each league info. Temporary Players may later on be swapped into a team as a permanent member and count as a permanent member for the remainder of the season. Even temporary players may only play for one team in any league, and there is no limit to the number of matches a temporary player can participate in for that team. Please note the temporary players that you have used, before the match starts in which you use them. When asking a temporary player to play for you, it is your responsibility to confirm that they have not played for another team in the league on any character. If they have done, you are at risk of being penalized for that match.

In semi-final and final matches, only one temporary player may be used per match, even if more are allowed in normal division matches.

Team Disqualification
If any member of your team is found to be cheating, or if you break the rules on pirates competing for more than one team, you risk having your whole team disqualified from the league. Whether or not matches are replayed as a result will be decided on a case-by-case basis, mainly depending on what stage of the league the disqualification occurs and the specific circumstances.

Posting Results:
The captain of each team is responsible for keeping their team's information and match scores up to date on the YPPedia. Please edit each section individually rather than the entire document to minimize problems with multiple people making edits.

Posting in the event of a No-Show or Forfeit
If a team fails to show for a match, or if they decide to forfeit because they feel they do not have enough team mates, you are still required to post results of the match within 24 hours of the scheduled match time.

Please use the letter 'F' in place of the '0' to indicate they did not show up.

Match Legality:
Once started, a game is considered legal and official (certain restrictions apply for good reasons). This means that any complaints as to the legality of the game with respect to the players playing should be brought up and questioned before it has begun. Once a match has begun, you are deemed to have accepted the eligibility of the players taking part. A match may be restarted if all players collectively agree. If there is any reason for the legality of the match to be questioned during or after the match, you should contact an OceanMaster using Petition or Complain as soon as possible.

Player Limitations:
On all oceans, green-named pirates are not permitted to take part, either as team members or as temporary players. This is especially important in Sea Battle leagues. On doubloon oceans each player must have the appropriate badges to play the necessary puzzles or (for sea battle) to hold the desired rank. Each player may enter only once in each league, and only one player may use an account to enter. This means that if you have more than one account, you cannot enter more than once, and only one pirate may enter from an account. Note that each ocean’s OCL is considered a separate league, so players are permitted to take part on more than one ocean.

Other League Independent Rules:

 * Disconnects once the matches have started are not grounds for a "redo" unless agreed to by both teams.
 * Teams unable to muster enough players have the option of playing with an incomplete team where the match allows it.
 * Team members do not have to be crew members.
 * If one of your team members is banned, you do not get a free swap to replace them; you may only replace them within the normal quota for team changes.
 * If one of your team members is banned and remains part of the team, any prize remains theirs despite the ban. This prize may not be claimed by other team members.
 * Team Captains are responsible for organizing their team as well as coordinating with other team captains for any necessary arrangements or scheduling. Team Captains should therefore be careful to check for PMs and to check the league forum thread regularly.
 * Rules in the specific League details overrule general rules if a conflict arises.
 * Where relevant, we suggest that you hold matches on "neutral" territory, such as a palace or an inn.
 * Teams dropping out of a division or league can have a significant effect on the final scores. We reserve the right to totally remove the scores of non-participating (or low-participation) teams from the cumulative scores if a division is adversely affected.
 * Where a rules decision is required, the OM's word is final.

Player Moderators:
We will be asking for player moderators to support the leagues on each ocean. Instructions for player moderators to volunteer will be announced along with the invitation to register to play in the league. Player moderators for a league may not be participants in the league itself, although they may be participants in the equivalent league on a different ocean, and they may be participants in a different league on the ocean. The role of the player moderators is primarily to keep an eye on the ocean’s forum thread, and to ensure that the YPPedia page for the league on that ocean is kept correct and up to date, including (but not limited to) checking that no-shows are correctly recorded, that forfeits are shown for missing match results, and bringing to the OM's attention any matters arising. In addition, the player moderators should monitor the relevant forum thread for posts relating to reschedules.

Past Seasons
OCL Archive

Sea Battle League Specific Rules and Details:

 * Team members: 6
 * Player removal: 1
 * Player addition: 1
 * Temporary players: up to 2 per division match, up to 1 in semi-final or final match (see OCL Rules for Season 7 for details))
 * Games: 1 battle in division matches and tie-breaks, best of 3 battles in semi-final and final matches
 * In this league, each match will be worth 4 points, with points distributed as follows.
 * Sink: 4-0 (4 points to the team that sinks its opponent)
 * Disengage: 3-1 (1 point to the team that disengages)
 * Grapple: 2-2
 * Simultaneous sink: 2-2
 * Time-out: 2-2  (If the match goes over one hour, regardless of how it finishes)

Rules:

 * Only four team members will participate in each sea battle per team
 * Teams are not limited to crew members
 * You may choose to use an alternate pirate for the league. The names of the team members must be sufficiently different that opponents are able to distinguish easily between them. If you wish your main pirate to receive any prizes, you will need to name both on the registration page.
 * Green-named players are not permitted on sea battle teams. It is advised that opposing teams meet at the docks before the start of each match to ensure that this rule is adhered to. In addition, you can use /vwho to check that the correct team members are on the ship at the start of the battle itself.
 * Either team can engage, but if the might rings are uneven, the weaker team should initiate the engagement to avoid black ship intervention.
 * If the PvP engage is interrupted (e.g. monkeys (don’t carry fruit, heh), brigand or barbarian engagement, black ship, incorrect player intercept), please extract yourselves from that engagement as quickly as possible and return to the island to start again. If you need a few minutes to mend damage caused, do so as quickly as possible, first informing the other team captain of what you are doing.
 * In the event of a tie, for example where seeding is required for semi-final brackets, the seeding will be decided on the basis of the earlier division match between the tied teams (i.e. the higher seed will be the team who won in the match between the tied teams). If this approach is not possible (e.g. the division match was a draw or a double forfeit, or if more than two teams are tied) play-off matches may need to be arranged.
 * In semi-final and final matches, the results are based on best of three battles, in terms of battles won and lost, rather than in terms of points. Disengages and grapples are not permitted in these matches, and a disengage or grapple will be counted as a loss for the team who disengaged or grappled.
 * Rules on semi-final and final matches (in terms of disengages, grapples, time-outs) will be specified nearer the time.
 * Once the crews are set up for OCL, no ship should be taken out to sea for any purpose other than OCL matches.
 * OCL ships are not to be used for any purpose other than OCL matches.

Details:
The OCL Sea Battle league will be set up as follows. Each team will have a specially created crew, which at least one team member will need to join. The crew will be named based on your team name, and will be in a flag with the same name. All flags within your division will be at war with each other. Apollo will have an alt in every crew, and this alt will be holding the deeds for crew-use ships; these ships will be renamed one for each division match (e.g. the fine vessel “Team A Match B”). All ships will be at the same island, and this will be the starting island for all matches.

Assuming the appropriate privileges are in place, the team member joining the crew can be made any rank they wish, and are then responsible for the recruitment and promotion of any other team members. As with any other crew, please ensure that you trust any player before you promote them to a level where they have access to your team’s ships and stock. The other team members do not need to join the crew as full members – it may depend on individual circumstances. If you only have one team member in the crew, though, you are reliant on them to be there at every match in order to handle the ship, jobbing, etc.

Each battle will be a sinking PvP with 4 team members on a longship. Please ensure that you know the team letter (e.g. Team C) that you are engaging, as there may be other matches starting at the same time as yours. You should agree a direction to chart, set sail and engage. If you wish to pre-load guns, you may do so before the match time.

The entry fee:
This new approach to the Sea Battle league requires you to provide more than has previously been asked of competitors.
 * You will be provided with a Crew and Flag
 * You are responsible for having the appropriate badges and/or subscription to run a ship in the crew.
 * For doublooners, at least one pirate will need an officer badge or higher to command the ship.
 * For subscribers, at least one pirate will need a current subscription to command the ship.
 * We recommend that you have more than one team member with the needed badges or subscription in case someone can't make a match.
 * Team members are responsible for the badge/subscription required to access required puzzles.
 * Team members are responsible for stocking their ships ready for battle and providing necessary charts.
 * We are providing the longships for the matches. However, in order to avoid people registering just to get access to “free ships” or “free sinks”, we are requiring a deposit in order to secure your registration – to complete their registration, each team must provide six locked sloops. These will be returned at the end of the league for teams that we judge have made a serious effort to participate in the league. For teams who drop out, have low participation, or use a match ship outside of official OCL matches, some or all of the sloops may be forfeit.

Registration:
There will be a separate registration page for each ocean. On the registration page, you will be asked to provide the following information:
 * 1) Team Name (defaults to "Team [Captain's name]" if none specified)
 * 2) Team Captain's forum account name (which should also be used for YPPedia editing)
 * 3) Team Captain: captain’s name (optional: main pirate)
 * 4) Team member 2: member name (optional: main pirate)
 * 5) Team member 3: member name (optional: main pirate)
 * 6) Team member 4: member name (optional: main pirate)
 * 7) Team member 5: member name (optional: main pirate)
 * 8) Team member 6: member name (optional: main pirate)
 * 9) Times and their priority for Saturdays
 * 10) Times and their priority for Sundays

Notes:
 * The optional main pirate’s name is only required if a player wishes to participate on an alternate character while receiving prizes on their main – we recognize that with the need to work in an OCL crew, alts may be necessary.
 * We reserve the right to ignore registrations with incomplete information.
 * Registrations will not be confirmed until the sloop “deposit” has been provided (dates and times for this will be provided at the end of the YPPedia registration period).
 * Once the registration deadline has passed, no changes should be made to the team members or registration information, without first contacting the OM in charge, who will advise on the request.
 * More details on registration will be provided on the registration page itself.

Prizes:
Each member of the winning team will receive a white monkey.

Additional prizes will also be awarded to participants in the league, including prizes proportional to the number of sinks you achieved! Note that teams who do not participate in the majority of their matches will not be eligible for any prizes.

Prizes will be awarded directly to each pirate, other than returned sloop deeds, which will go to the team Captain for distribution.

The ocean judged to have shown the best sportsmanship and cooperation during the league will be treated to a sinking blockade at the end of the league, with plenty of sinkable ships and treasure haul available!

A sportsmanship award will also be given to one team per ocean, and this will be decided by votes from your fellow competitors. This is to encourage friendly play and a pleasant atmosphere in the leagues.

Other information or clarifications:
In order to keep information in one place as far as possible, significant rules clarifications resulting from forum threads or elsewhere will be added here.

Clarification on alts as team members

 * You are permitted to register an alt instead of your main for this league, particularly because of the need to have pirates joining the OCL crews.
 * You are then allowed to name your main pirate in the registration information, so that your main pirate can receive any prizes earned.
 * If you have an alt join a team, the alt is the only pirate that you are permitted to use in the league. The alt is the team member, and the main is not permitted to play on the team.
 * This does not override the rule that you can only have one pirate involved in a league and that you can only contribute to one team (i.e. you can't have both your main and your alt as team members).
 * Example, if you register: "Team member 2: Yybeardtwo (Yybeard)", then Yybeardtwo is the only pirate who is eligible to take part in the matches. Yybeard will receive any prizes earned, but is not permitted to take part in matches.

Clarification on behavior after third-party engagement

 * The monkey boat (or any other non-OCL engagement) is an unintended delay to the OCL battles rather than a part of them, and should not be used for tactical advantage. Take the short time you require to repair the ship after the non-OCL engagement. However, you should port after this for at least a minute before setting out again for the OCL match. A ship being intercepted by a third-party boat is no reason for one team to get a headstart on duty station performance compared to the other team. If the other team asks you to, you should also be prepared to meet on the island again before setting sail for the battle.