Proposed Challenge Rules

by **LoNi_** » Wed Oct 02, 2013 8:18 pm

So... playing only retro homers is not an excuse for a challenge right?

Everybody knows I`m on Mac and don`t have the retro homers version, so.... can anyone refuse to play me because of that or vice-versa?

by **Jediluke** » Wed Oct 02, 2013 8:20 pm

by **RiTides** » Wed Oct 02, 2013 8:22 pm

Looks fine to me, but what about pilots who don't check the forums often? I think there's only a subset of us who do, and thus they wouldn't know of a challenge issued via the forum right away.

If it was really an important thing to implement, I'd think the challenge should send an email to the pilot (the one they registered for the ladder with, if that was part of it? I can't remember).

But a 2-week window should be fine, as long as you know right away when the challenge is issued. If you don't know for a week, that could cause an issue, though.

by **Jediluke** » Wed Oct 02, 2013 8:25 pm

Yes, an email notification will be implemented.

by **Drakona** » Wed Oct 02, 2013 8:27 pm

My plan is to have it show up above the DCL banner in big font -- DRAKONA HAS CHALLENGED YOU! -- and then send out an email if you don't see it within 24 hours.

by **RiTides** » Wed Oct 02, 2013 8:29 pm

by **Drakona** » Wed Oct 02, 2013 8:56 pm

Challenges are intended to take place in the standard version of the game -- and right now that's retro homers. I'm hopeful that when 58.2 comes out we'll be back to a single standard version that works on mac, and that the situation with Loni_ is temporary. In the mean time, yes, his inability to play retro homers is a valid reason to refuse challenges.

He will still have the ability to issue challenges, but you will be able to refuse them. You will need to fill out a comment that says, “Challenge Refused -- Retro Homers” or something to that effect. Don’t abuse that. If it’s a challenge for the fusion or D2 trophy* or something (where homers don’t matter), the admins are likely to intervene and let the challenge stand. If you play Loni_ a lot as it is, we’ll be pretty skeptical about that reason and may choose to let the challenge stand as well.

Of course, the best thing to do is to accept it if you can. But the differences between retro- and non-retro homers are big enough that we do feel like we need to make one standard, and retro seems to be what people play.

*I really need to get that D2 trophy out of the box. I haven't seen Blarget for a while to get graphics; I might just proceed with Drakona graphics.

by **RiTides** » Wed Oct 02, 2013 9:18 pm

I don't like that... :-/

They can just play a level without homers if it's that much of a problem... being able to refuse to play a pilot at all, who is using the main Rebirth release, seems to kind of negate the point of having to accept a challenge from anyone!

It's not a choice, it's the main released version and thus the only one that works with a mac. I can't wait for retro homers to be incorporated into 58.2 too, but until then that seems like a poor provision to me when there is no other choice for a mac user.

by **Jediluke** » Wed Oct 02, 2013 9:29 pm

I agree with Drakona. The homers and smarts and vulcan are all incredibly different in 58.1 vs 57.3 homer mod. It is the intention of this ladder to fork a version of Rebirth so that we have a consistent version that meets our competitive ideals and helps preserve the game that is close to what it was originally intended to be.

Homers that behave more like the original code instead of the incredibly broken homers in regular rebirth is one of those things. Also, there are plans to add spectator mode along with removing the ability to use dynamic lighting. The net code is going to be looked at heavily and modified if necessary as it seems to be flawed even on LAN.

No one is banning other versions from being allowed upon mutual consent but promoting and requiring a core set of rules/version of the game is something that is necessary.

LoNi_ will be able to challenge people and be challenged by people. LoNi_ currently has no problems getting lots of DCL matches but there is nothing wrong with providing an incentive for LoNi_ or any other mac user to find a way to be able to use the required homer mod version of the game until such time that a homer mod mac version becomes available. Ideally we should all be on the same version.

Also, remember...this is not the Descent Rebirth Champions Ladder. Core rebirth is flawed and a DCL specific version modifiable by the Admin is something that will help keep this ladder moving in the direction the founders envisioned for it.