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Foreword
This code of rules is written to govern the playing of Vietcong matches of the
Australian VietCong Clan League. We have attempted to make these rules as
consistent and sensible as possible to ensure a stable and efficient environment
for league matches. In general, rule specifics have been created from behavior
commonly experienced in non-league, or "public", VietCong sessions. Practical
examples have been included where possible to show the spirit behind a given
rule.
We recognize that many clans participate in non-league competition matches, and
we are happy to make our rules available as widely as possible. To promote a
consistent approach to VietCong matches, we encourage use of these rules outside
of the AVCCL but recognize that different tournaments may be seeking a different
gaming experience. All matches using the AVCCL code of rules should be announced
prior to a match start so that participating players can review the rules and
understand their responsibilities when competing.
It is important to remember that VietCong is just a game. These rules are not
intended to stifle the enjoyment of the game, nor to take something that is
designed to be fun and turn it into an over-governed bureaucracy. Just as we
never like to see players taking in-game grievances into other parts of their
life, we also don't want the AVCCL to drive clans away from each other through
punitive disputes. That type of behavior will only turn people away from the
game, and result in less competition. We must all keep in mind that VietCong has
been played for a long time, the AVCCL is relatively new. Its popularity will
continue to grow only as long as its players, clans, referees and administrative
officers respect the discipline of its code of rules. Play should always follow
the spirit of the competition, which should be guided by the principles of fun
and fair play for everyone involved.
Prior to using these rules, care must be taken to ensure players have a sound
knowledge of the multiplayer VietCong environment. The rules are not designed as
a learning aid for the game, nor to detail the specific modes of play in use.
Terms already described in the VietCong manuals, such as Flag, CTF, A/S etc,
should be clearly recognized and understood before attempting to use these rules
in a competition. We take no responsibility for misinterpretations of these
terms and will refer to Pterodon's definitions if disputes arise over usage.
These rules will be updated and reviewed from time to time, or as necessary
where a given rule is proven to be inadequate. Amendments to the rules will be
published in a separate section, as well as being included in bold italic font
along with relevant footnotes.
1. Organizational Structure
1.1) The AVCCL is made up of a League Administration, Clans, Clan Leaders, Clan
Representatives, an Administrative and Disciplinary Panel (AADP), Referees and
Players.
1.2) The League Administration is the group of people responsible for the
day-to-day running of the AVCCL, including web site maintenance, drafting
fixtures, forum regulation, nominating Referees, marketing etc. They are
ultimately responsible for all decisions made within or regarding the League.
1.3) Clans are the competing teams within the League. To join the League, a Clan
must register with the League Administration through the AVCCL web site. Each
Clan participating in the AVCCL must provide details of a Clan Leader and a Clan
Representative, and, optionally, a Co-Clan Leader.
1.4) Clan Leaders are the nominated heads of each competing Clan. Each Clan
Leader is the official spokesperson for their Clan in any matters dealing with
its involvement in the AVCCL, including being notified of match passwords,
raising or responding to complaints and speaking for their Clan in disciplinary
hearings. They are also responsible for the conduct of players in their Clan
during matches. Clan Leaders must register as such with the AVCCL, whereupon
their details will be displayed on the AVCCL web site. Where possible, the AVCCL
also encourages a Co-Clan Leader to register, who can speak for the Clan if the
primary Leader is unavailable. It is the responsibility of each Clan Leader and
Co-Clan Leader to ensure they submit valid email details to the AVCCL, and to
ensure they remain up-to-date. Email is the primary form of communication for
match Server passwords, alerts, map changes, time changes, penalty notices etc,
so it is vital the AVCCL is able to contact each Clan Leader using a valid email
address. There can only be one Clan Leader and one Co-Clan Leader registered for
each Clan at any given time.
1.5) Clan Representatives are the nominated players from each Clan who are
involved in the AVCCL Administrative and Disciplinary Panel. Each Clan
Representative must register with the AVCCL, whereupon their details will be
displayed on the AVCCL web site and they will be granted access to the Clan
Representatives forum on the AVCCL web site. The sole purpose of a Clan
Representative is to be involved in AADP discussions. They do not speak for
their Clan, but rather make up the impartial collective voice of the Clans
competing in the League at any time the AADP is called on to provide a ruling.
There can only be one Clan Representative from each Clan at any given time.
1.6) The Administrative and Disciplinary Panel (AADP) is the body responsible
for hearing complaints, disputes, disciplinary matters and other various issues
which require the collective voice of all Clans. The AADP has been set up to
ensure the AVCCL is impartial in ruling in issues, and to encourage Clans to
take responsibility for the direction the League is heading. For any given
issue, the AADP comprises each Clan Representative not directly involved in the
issue, plus one League Administrator. It is also responsible for introducing and
voting on changes to the AVCCL rules, the configuration of matches, scoring and
all related miscellanea for each Season. The specific role and conduct of the
AADP for given circumstances is described in the relevant sections of these
rules. AADP discussions are held in the Clan Representative forum in the AVCCL
web site, which is a private forum only open to AADP members. Where necessary,
rulings from the AADP will be made public in the general AVCCL forums.
1.7) Referees are the official AVCCL observers during League matches. Referees
are appointed by the League Administration. For any given match, the selected
Referee will not belong to either competing Clan. The specific role and conduct
of Referees for given circumstances is described in the relevant sections of
these rules.
1.8) Players are all competing Clan members who participate in League matches.
They are not required to register separately with the AVCCL, but must wear their
"Clan Tag" during League matches. Players may not compete for more than one Clan
during any given Season. Where a Player belongs to more than one Clan outside of
the League, they must nominate the Clan for which they will be competing at the
start of a Season. If a Player does not do this, they will only be allowed to
compete in League matches for the first Clan they represent during a Season.
1.9) The AD&P is made up of each Clan Representative, and all the league
administrators. The AD&P is responsible for hearing disciplinary matters and
disputes between Clans. It is also responsible for introducing and voting on
changes to the AVCCL rules, and the configuration of matches, scoring and all
related miscellanea for each Season. During a disciplinary or dispute hearing,
Clan Representatives or League Administration representatives from the Clans
involved in the case are excluded from participating in the AD&P decision making
process.
1.10) While these rules do not cover situations outside the AVCCL, we recommend
all competing Players maintain the AVCCL code of conduct even when playing in
"public" servers. If a Player misbehaves on a "public" server and is banned, the
AVCCL will make no attempt on behalf of that Player to "unban" him, even if the
Server is later used as a League Match server and the Player is unable to join
the match. If Players respect each other, within and outside the League, we hope
this situation will never occur.
2. Season and Technical Setup
2.1) Before the start of each Season, match fixtures will be posted on the AVCCL
web site. The fixture will include the details of competing Clans, the match
Server to be used and the time the match is scheduled to commence. The Clan that
is listed first for a given fixture will always play the US side in the first
half of the match. For example, for a fixture that is listed as "ClanAlpha vs
ClanBeta - Keypoint - 08/11/04 20:30", ClanAlpha will play the US side in the
first half. All times listed in the fixture are in AEST (or AEDST where
applicable).
2.2) Season 2 will be played over 11 weeks. Each competing clan will play 1
match per week, with one bye week during the Season. Matches will be played on
Tuesday and Wednesday night each week, Clans should check the fixture for their
play-day in a given week. The scheduled commencement time for each match is
20:30 AEST. Players will be competing for Ladder Points. Teams will be ranked in
the League Ladder by the number of Ladder Points they have acquired. For CTF
matches, scoring will be based on the combined total number of Flags a team has
captured over the entire match. The team with the most Flags is awarded a win,
and earns 2 Ladder points. In the case of the scores being tied, both teams are
awarded a draw, and earn 1 Ladder point each. A loss will not earn any Ladder
points for a team.
2.3) Once the maps to be played have been decided on, the will be listed here.
2.4) It is the responsibility of each player to ensure they have the correct
maps downloaded and installed prior to a match. All maps that are not included
with the VietCong game (e.g. Frontier) are available for download from the
Auscong web site (http://www.auscong.com). Failure to have a map installed
properly cannot be used as a reason for delaying a match. The list of maps may
change during the season for various reasons. Alerts will be sent to all Clan
Leaders via email at least 36 hours prior to a match that will use a new map.
Notices will also be posted on the AVCCL web site, and in the AVCCL forums. If a
notification cannot be posted at least 36 hours prior to a match, competing
Clans will have the option of postponing the match for 24 hours, or continuing
at the scheduled time (i.e. if all competing Players already have the map).
2.5) At the end of the Season, the top two ranked teams in the League Ladder
will play in the Final match. For the season Final, the match will be played as
per the regular season CTF rules. However, if the scores are tied at the end of
the match, a further half-time period will be taken, then the match will
continue by contesting a TDM mode game consisting of two 15 minute halves. The
team who played the US side in the second half of the CTF portion of the match
will play VC in the first half of the TDM portion, with sides being reversed for
the second half. Scoring for the TDM mode will be based on the combined total
number of Kills a team has accumulated over the two halves of the match. Where
there is still a draw, there will be another half-time period, and then a Sudden
Death version of DM mode will be played, in a final period of 10 minutes. The
first Clan to kill a player from the opposing Clan in this portion of the match
will be declared the overall winner. The kill must be a player of the opposing
Clan, therefore team kills and suicides will not be counted. Players may choose
either US or VC sides for this period, it is not designed to be a Team
DeathMatch. In the unlikely instance that no kills are made during the 10 minute
period, both Clans will be recognised as evenly matched and declared
dual-winners of the season competition.
2.6) From time to time, Pterodon releases updates, or patches, for VietCong.
AVCCL matches are currently run on Servers patched to v1.60. If a new patch is
released, a notice will be posted on the AVCCL forums regarding the update
schedule. It is the responsibility of each player to ensure they are running the
current patch as specified in these rules.
2.7) HRADBA is the anti-cheat protection facility used by the AVCCL. AVCCL
matches are currently run on Servers using HRADBA v206. If an update for HRADBA
is released, a notice will be posted on the AVCCL forums regarding the update
schedule for match Servers.
3. Match Preliminaries
3.1) Where possible, Referees will have Adminstrator rights for servers on which
they host League matches. If this is not the case, relevant areas of the rules
in sections 3, 4, 5 and 6 will not take place. Specifically, this involves
communication via the Admin Chat channel, kicking, banning or disciplining
Players during matches and starting match halves by restarting maps. Where any
of these situations would normally occur, alternative arrangements will be made,
which will be consistent with, and work towards the same end, as the stated
rules.
3.2) At least 24 hours prior to each round, the Server and Referee to be used
will be told to the clan leader(s) involved in the match. The Clan Leaders of
each team will be sent an email by a League Administrator informing them of the
password to be used for the Server hosting their fixture. It is the
responsibility of each Clan Leader to ensure the password is distributed to each
player in his clan who will be participating in the fixture. The password shall
not be distributed to any non-Clan player. Clans may post the password in their
own private forums, provided only Clan members have access. At the Referee's
discretion, a team may be disqualified for a given fixture where a Server
password is found to be:
a) publicly displayed on a participating clan's web site or news forum and it
can be shown a Clan member published it, or
b) published in a forum or otherwise discussed in a public environment where it
is obvious which clan has released the password.
3.3) It is not permitted for a Clan to claim lack of knowledge of a Server
password as a reason for players being absent from a match.
3.4) Where a Referee has a genuine belief a Server password has been compromised
prior to a match commencing he must inform each participating Clan Leader via
email. The Referee must then wait until each Clan Leader is present in the
Server at the scheduled match time, at which point he must change the Server
password. At his discretion, the Referee may then kick all players except the
Clan Leaders and inform them of the new Server password via the Global Chat
channel. Alternatively, the Referee may ask each Clan Leader to confirm the
identity of the players currently in the server before revealing the new Server
password via the Global Chat channel, thereby avoiding the need to kick valid
players. The Referee will report the incident to the AVCCL Administrators for
review.
3.5) Each match will be made up of two (2) teams, of eight (8) players each.
Clan Leaders or Representatives are encouraged to publish a list in the AVCCL
forums of participating players for a given fixture prior to the commencement of
the match.
3.6) If a Clan finds it does not have at least 8 available players at the
scheduled commencement time for a match, they may, without influence or coercion
by the opposing team, choose to:
a) wait for a maximum of 10 minutes for players to arrive, after which play must
begin provided at least 4 players are present on each team, or
b) allow the match to start on time, and proceed with respect to the fact that
if players become available during the match they may join at any time.
3.7) Note that these options do not apply if a Clan has negotiated with an
opposing Clan to play a match with more than 8 players per team, but at match
time either Clan can only field 8 players, in which case the match must begin
immediately at the scheduled commencement time with 8 players per side. The rule
only comes into play where a Clan cannot field a minimum of 8 players,
regardless of negotiated player counts.
3.8) Where both competing Clans are unable to field at least 8 players for a
match, play must take place with as many players as are available, provided each
team has a minimum of 4 per players. If neither team can field at least 4
players, the match will be considered a draw. If only one team is unable to
field at least 4 players, that team immediately forfeits the match.
3.9) For any given fixture, competing Clans may negotiate a change in the player
counts to be used, provided the count is never less than 8 per side. These
negotiations may take any form, but are solely discussions between each Clan,
they are not governed or moderated by the AVCCL, even if the negotiation takes
place in the AVCCL forums. Disputes arising from the negotiation process will
not be heard by the League Administrators or the AADP. We encourage Clans to
initiate the negotiation process as early as possible to give enough time for
Players to be found. Negotiations should be concluded well before a match is due
to commence, they must not take place in the actual match server. Regardless of
what is negotiated, if either team turns up with less than the number that was
agreed with the other clan, both teams must play using the number of players
that the team with less players has.
3.10) If a dispute arises at match time over the number of players to be used
for the match, both clans must revert to the standard player counts. The AVCCL
is strongly opposed to use of this rule as a "mind game" to be played on
opposing teams. Where the AVCCL becomes aware of a Clan maliciously negotiating
player count changes, then reneging at match time and forcing opposing Players
to "miss out" on a match, it will take disciplinary action against the Clan
involved.
3.11) If a Referee does not turn up for the start of a match, the match will be
rescheduled at a later date. Players should regularly check the AVCCL forums for
details if this occurs.
3.12) Each match Server will be configured and ready at least 5 minutes prior to
the scheduled commencement time of a match. This means, the Referee will set the
assigned password on the Server, kick any players on the Server who are not in
either of the competing Clans, and configure the server using the match
settings. The match Server settings are:
3.13) HRADBA: Enabled (this is the default on all Match Servers)
Respawn Timer: Default
set srvctf 0
Blue Booby-Trap (All): On
set srvbluebt 1
Vietnam Mode: On
set srvvm 1
Auto-Balance: Off
set srvab 0
Friendly Fire: On
set srvff 1
Enemy Camera: Off
set srvec 0
Black Death: On
set srvbd 1
High-Ping kick: Off
set srvakping 0
Idle kick: Off
set srvakidle 0
Teamkill kick: Off
set srvaktk 0
Map time (for each half): 30 minutes
mlchangeendrule 0 time 30
Spectator Limit: 2 (reserved for Referee, and one open slot for a League
Administrator during half-time breaks)
set srvspectators 2 0
Restart Map voting: On
set voterestart 1
Change Map voting: Off
set votechangemap 0
3.14) Class limits for each team are:
Soldier: Infinite
Machinegunner: Infinite (practically)
set srvclmac -1
Sniper: 1
set srvclsni 1
Medic: Infinite (practically)
set srvclmed -1
Engineer: 1
set srvcleng 1
Radioman: 1
set srvclrad 1
4. Match Play
4.1) CTF matches will be played over two 30 minute halves. The Referee will
announce the start of the first half of the match via the Admin Chat channel at
which point he will restart the map and play should begin. Alternatively, a vote
may be initiated to restart the map, to which all competing Players must vote
Yes. In this case, Play should begin once the vote has succeeded and the map has
restarted. The Referee will begin recording a replay of the half as soon as the
map has restarted.
4.2) At the end of the first half of a match, a half-time break will be taken.
By default, this will be 5 minutes, but may be extended up to 15 minutes if both
competing Clan Leaders agree. Clan Leaders must ensure they notify the Referee
via the Global Chat channel of any change to the half-time period. After the
specified period, or the maximum 15 minutes, whichever comes first, the Referee
will start the second half regardless of the wishes of both competing Clans.
During the half-time period, the Referee will notify players via the Admin Chat
channel, if he is able, when there are 3 minutes, 2 minutes and 1 minute
remaining before the second half begins. Where possible, the Referee will
announce the start of the second half via the Admin Chat channel by saying
"Second Half begins on Restart..." at which point he will restart the map and
play should begin. Alternatively, a vote may be initiated to restart the map, to
which all competing Players must vote Yes. In this case, Play should begin once
the vote has succeeded and the map has restarted. The Referee will begin
recording a replay of the half as soon as the map has restarted.
4.3) A player, or players, may be substituted during a match at any time. A
substitute player shall not enter a Server during a match until the player they
are substituting for has left the Server. The Clan Leader is responsible for
coordinating the substitution process to ensure that the maximum player count
for their team is not exceeded at any stage.
4.4) A Clan Leader must notify the Referee via the Global Chat channel before a
substitute player joins the Server, even if a substitution is being made because
a player has been kicked for a bad connection. Where a Clan Leader does not
inform the Referee of the substitution, the Referee may, at his discretion,
immediately kick a substitute player who enters the Server. This should only be
enforced if it is not obvious that a substitution has taken place, or the
Referee feels that an advantage has been gained by silently substituting a
player. For example, Clan Alpha are about to steal a Flag, and all the base
defenders for Clan Beta are dead with a 30 second respawn. Clan Alpha know they
have the base clear, with at least 30 seconds before any defenders arrive, so
they send in their Flag runner to steal the Flag. Clan Beta may silently drop a
player, and immediately try to bring in a substitute who will appear in the Clan
Beta spawn area, with spawn invulnerability, ready to defend the flag. This
would be classed as advantageous substitution by the Referee. If the Referee
does kick a substitute player for this reason, the Clan Leader may immediately
notify the Referee of the substitution, at which point the player may reconnect.
Where a player has been kicked from the Server for any reason other than silent
substitution, a substitution cannot be made and the Clan of the kicked player
must continue the match with a man down.
4.5) Apart from the Referee, Spectators are not permitted during a match. The
Referee will immediately kick any player who enters a match Server as a
Spectator. The only exception to this rule is if a Referee must be replaced
during a match, in which case the new Referee may join the Server as a Spectator
before the retiring Referee leaves.
4.6) If a team exceeds the specified number of players for a match at any time
during play, a 1 Flag penalty will apply per 2 minutes the player count is
exceeded. Where a Referee feels an extraordinary advantage has been gained by
exceeding the player count, he may penalize the offending team by kicking the
team’s top scoring players until the required player count has been reached. If
a Referee feels a team has deliberately exceeded the required number of players
in order to defend a lead, he may immediately disqualify the offending team. For
example, if Clan Alpha has 10 flags and Clan Beta has 3, and there are only 12
minutes left in the match, Clan Alpha may try to stack their team with defenders
by exceeding the player count. Technically, even the 1 flag per 2 minute penalty
would still see Clan Alpha win the match. In this instance, the Referee would
disqualify Clan Alpha.
4.7) Clans should never leave a match, even if they feel they are experiencing
severe lag, or suspect an opposing team of cheating. If an entire Clan leaves a
Server during a match for any reason, except technical difficulties out of the
control of the Clan (e.g. netsplit), the Referee will award 1 flag per 30
seconds of absence. The match will continue to run in order to give the absent
Clan the opportunity to rejoin the match. Where a Clan feels it cannot possibly
win a match because of conditions out of its control, it should continue playing
to the best of its ability and submit a complaint to the League after the match
has concluded. For the sake of evidence only, the Clan should make an alert in
the Team Chat channel that it feels something is amiss, which can be reviewed
later in the match replay.
4.8) During a match, the Referee is the representative of the entire League. As
such, players should always treat him with respect. Players must never argue
with a Referee's decisions or instructions during a match. If a Clan feels it
has a reason to complain about a Referee's conduct it must only do so after the
match by following the approved process in these rules.
5. Conduct
5.1) Players in a match may talk to each other using the Global Chat channel.
The AVCCL recognizes that some of the most enjoyable aspects of VietCong are the
interactions between players. Friendly taunts, laughing at comical misadventure
etc are all permitted, as well as any general banter that players may wish to
engage in. However, players must always show respect to each other, and must
never engage in abusive behavior, through constant swearing, personal attacks,
sexual innuendo or making disparaging, offensive remarks. During a match,
chatting on the Global Chat channel will be moderated by the Referee. It is his
sole judgment which will be used to determine if chatting is getting out of
hand, or causing players to feel uncomfortable. Players who are being abused
should alert the Referee during the match and allow him to act. Players should
never respond to abuse with their own abusive behavior. The Referee need not
wait to be alerted to abuse by a player, but may identify it himself. Where a
Referee feels a player is being offensive he will issue a warning to that player
using the Admin Chat channel. If the player persists, the Referee will issue a
second warning. If the behavior is not immediately rectified, the Referee may,
at his discretion, immediately kick/ban the offender for 1 hour. The player may
not be reintroduced into the game, nor can the player be substituted. The
Referee will report the incident to the AVCCL Administrators for review. Where
the review process finds the behavior to be of an extreme nature, the
Administrators may, at their discretion:
a) issue a formal warning to the player, via their Clan Leader - 3 such warnings
will result in immediate suspension from the League for the remainder of the
season,
b) suspend the player for a number of matches to be determined on the facts of
the case, or
c) disqualify the player's Clan from the match in which the offensive behavior
occurred, in which case that team's Ladder points and Flags for the match will
be revoked, but they will not be passed to the opposing team.
5.2) Since players may "mute" all Global Chat on an individual basis, the AVCCL
does not consider abusive text to be match-altering behavior in itself.
Therefore, except in the case of disqualification, no Flags or other scoring
penalties will apply to offending teams, nor will players who have been abused
be awarded scores or receive special bonuses.
5.3) It is important to remember that Referees have no way of determining if a
player is truly offended by certain behavior or not. If a player alerts the
Referee to abuse during a match, he must take the complaint seriously. If a
player receives an in-game warning as a result, even if he feels the warning to
be unjust, or a tactic employed by the opposing team, it is advised that he
immediately stop chatting via the Global Chat channel. That is the only way to
ensure no further complaints can be made against him.
5.4) Players may not impersonate other players for any reason. Impersonation is
classified as stealing another player’s online name, and attempting to join a
match-prepared Server with that name. Where a member of a clan is found to have
attempted to impersonate another player, either on their own team or another
team in the League, the offending Clan will be penalized with an immediate loss
of the round in which the impersonation occurred. This applies even if the
impersonation has in no way affected the outcome of a match. Where the
impersonating player can be identified, they will be banned from competing in
matches for the remainder of the season. It is the responsibility of each Clan
Leader to confirm the identity of each player in their team at match time, and
to alert the Referee if they believe a player on their team is being
impersonated. Where a Clan Leader reports a player on their own team as being
impersonated at match time, the Referee will kick/ban the suspected player for 1
hour, and report the incident to the AVCCL Administrators for review. Where a
Clan Leader reports a player on an opposing team at match time, the Referee will
use his best judgment in determining the identity of the player. This will
include asking the opposing Clan Leader for confirmation of the player’s
identity. In this instance, where the Referee is unable to confirm a case of
impersonation, the player will be allowed to play the match. If the Referee
feels confident that impersonation is taking place, he will briefly explain his
reasoning in the Global Chat channel of the Server, and kick/ban the player for
1 hour. In either case, the Referee will report the incident to the AVCCL
Administrators for review. 6. Post Match
6.1) Once a match has been completed, the official stage of play is over. We
encourage players to mingle online after a match, at least for a few minutes.
Teams thanking each other for the game is similar to a "virtual handshake" and
fosters good relations between Clans. In some cases, there are funny moments
from a match to have a joke about. It is also sensible to discuss any in-game
disputes before going to the effort of making a formal complaint to the League
Administrators. Often a simple, quick conversation between Clan Leaders can
resolve any differences before they are formalized. However, players should
never abuse each other while attempting to resolve disputes themselves. If an
impasse is reached, Clans should submit the dispute to the League Administrators
where it will be reviewed by the AD&P.
6.2) After a match, the Referee will perform the following duties:
a) submit the match results to the AVCCL web server,
b) post the match replays, screen shots and mpresults files to the AVCCL web
server, and
c) report any incidents during the match in the appropriate AVCCL forum. 7. Cheating
7.1) The AVCCL defines cheating as any use of third-party programs that
interfere in the intended behavior of VietCong. This is not limited to programs
that give an unfair advantage to a Clan during a match, but includes any
modification of the intended design-time behavior of the game. These programs
can be used to alter everything from in-game graphics to Server response times.
Recent examples of well-documented cheats include:
i) wallhacks (being able to shoot through walls)
ii) aimbots (bullets that aim for an opponents head regardless of firing
position)
iii) DirectX texture hacks (DirectX hooks that modify in-game textures, such as
making walls/trees transparent or making player skins bright red
iv) medpack-of-immortality (a "super medpack" that instantly heals an injured
player to 100% health as soon as he is shot)
vi) speed hack (a player increases the tick rate of Windows, enabling
faster-than-usual event polling, which results in players moving at unrealistic
speeds in-game)
vii) paladin packet sniffer (a packet sniffer/analyser that slightly modifies
player position reports as they are sent to a server, except when firing, making
a payer virtually "unhittable" except when they are firing)
viii) HUD (enabling HUD-style cross hairs, health indicators and radar, even
where Server configuration has disabled them)
ix) infinite bounce / infinite breath (players can jump an infinite amount of
times / remain submerged an infinite amout of time)
x) use of a "dot" program, which superimposes a cross hair style dot in the
centre of the screen
7.2) Glitching is the use of exploitable errors in maps or environments to gain
an unfair advantage over other players. This includes, but is not limited to:
i) entering areas of the map that are intended to be unreachable (e.g. walking
"through" the Helicopter in Stream, and jumping until "disappearing" into the
Helicopter textures),
ii) climbing cliffs or trees until a player "disappears" off the top of a map
(e.g. the VC cliff on the map Bridge), and
iii) lying prone in order to slide down into an area that has no exit (e.g. the
central ravine in the map Bridge)
7.3) The AVCCL relies on HRADBA to detect and eliminate cheating and glitching.
While updates are released to counter common cheats and glitches, HRADBA is not
a perfect system and the AVCCL recognizes that some cheating may go undetected.
If a Clan feels an opposing Clan is cheating during a match they must not report
it in the Global Chat channel. Rather, they must wait until the match is
finished and then report it to the League Administrators. Because of the
possibility of excessive lag making players appear to be cheating, it is
recommended that Clans view the replay for a match before making an allegation
of cheating to the League Administrators.
7.4) If a player is found to be cheating, the League will immediately initiate
disciplinary action against that player, possibly suspending him from competing
in any further matches for the Season. Additionally, where the matter is
referred to the AADP and it feels that the cheating was of an extraordinary
nature, additional penalties may apply, including penalizing the player's Clan
by removing one player from their maximum player count for the rest of the
season, meaning all further matches for the Clan will be played with a man down.
7.5) If a Clan feels an opposing Clan is exploiting a glitch during a match they
should report it in the Global Chat channel so that the Referee can respond. The
Referee will cycle through viewing each player in the game to determine if
glitching is occurring. The Referee may also detect glitch exploitation without
first being notified by a Clan. Where the Referee can see a player exploiting a
glitch, and where the Referee is in a position to use Administrator rights on
the server, he will notify that player via the Global Chat channel that the
position he is in is considered a glitch. The player must move from his position
into a regular part of the map. If a player fails to move, the Referee will
issue a second notification. If the player refuses to move, the Referee may, at
his discretion:
a) kick the offending player,
b) kick/ban the offending player for 1 hour, or
c) award an arbitrary number of penalty flags to the opposing team.
7.6) In some cases, the Referee may not have time to issue the customary
notifications to a player exploiting a glitch before it has caused an opposing
team to lose an opportunity to score a Flag, or has prevented an opposing team
from retrieving their own stolen Flag. For example, Player X uses a map glitch
to disappear off the top of the map and hides there with an SVD Dragunov. Player
Y, from the opposing team, steals Player X's Flag and starts running back to his
base. Because of his line of sight, Player X waits until Player Y is in view,
which is very close to Player Y's base, then kills him. In this case, the
Referee can clearly determine that the use of the map glitch directly impacted
on Player Y's ability to score a Flag, and will award a number of penalty flags
he sees fit.
7.7) It is the responsibility of each Clan Leader to ensure their players are
aware of glitches. Most regular players of VietCong will have some knowledge of
the more common glitches, but situations may arise where a Referee considers a
player's position in a map to be a glitch, but the player disagrees. In this
instance, the player must adhere to the instructions given by the Referee. The
player must not argue or refuse to move into a regular part of the map. Once a
match is complete, the player may choose, through his Clan Leader, to submit a
complaint to the League Administrators for review. Where the review process
declares the Referee to be at fault in identifying a glitch, the League will
take whatever corrective action it feels necessary to restore the balance of the
match. This may include, but is not limited to:
a) awarding an arbitrary number of Flags to the player's team,
b) removing penalty Flags that may have been awarded to the opposing team, or
c) scheduling the two relevant Clans in a rematch.
The League Administrators will try to inform the clans of any obvious glitches
in the map to be played, although it is impossible for us to identify all
glitches in any particular map, and as such, you must be aware that there will
possibly be more glitches. 8. Disputes, Complaints & Disciplinary Issues
8.1) Following a match, a Clan may choose to make a complaint or complaints
about any part of the match. Complaints must be made by a Clan Leader and must
be made by emailing the League Administrators at webmaster@auscong.com. The
complaint will be handled by the AADP, which will take place in the Clan
Representatives section of the AVCCL forums. The details of the complaint must
include:
i) the fixture details of the match concerned
ii) the names of the players concerned
iii) the name of the Referee in the match
iv) a description of the complaint
v) links to accompanying evidence, such as:
i) screen shots
ii) time indexes of relevant portions in the official match replay
iii) console logs
8.2) Complaints or disputes must not be pursued in the public AVCCL forums, and
League officials will not respond to any such posts in the public forums. A Clan
forfeits its right to make a formal complaint if it raises the issue in the
public forums.
8.3) Referees must also post any disciplinary reports for review in the Referees
section of the AVCCL forum. Disciplinary posts must also include reference to
the specific rule that has been breached.
8.4) Complaints and Referee reports must be lodged within 48 hours of a match.
Anything lodged after that time will be ignored. Where an issue must be dealt
with by the AADP, a League Administrator will begin a new thread in the Clan
Representatives forum. Once a thread has been started in the forums, the AADP
will begin the review process. All Clan Representatives in the AADP must
participate in the review, except those directly related to the case who are
excluded from taking part in the process but may view the thread.
8.5) The review process is as follows:
i) a League Administrator on the AD&P Panel will make the first response in a
new thread indicating that the AADP has received the complaint or report and is
now reviewing it; no other AADP member or Clan Leader may post a new complaint,
and any such posts will be deleted by a League Administrator
ii) the League Administrator will then send an email to the Clan Leaders of each
Clan involved in the case advising them that a review process is underway
involving their Clan
iii) the Clan Leaders have 48 hours to respond, which must take place via an
email to webmaster@auscong.com
iv) during the 48 hour response period, any participating AADP member may post
asking for further details or clarification on any point
v) at the end of the response period, the League Administrator will make a post
asking AADP members to post their findings on the case, along with
recommendations for action, which must follow the guidelines in these rules -
the League Administrators must also make a post with their own recommendations
vi) the option to add recommendations will expire after 48 hours, at the end of
which the League Administrator will collate the results and issue a verdict
vii) the thread on the case in the Clan Representatives forum will then be
locked for editing, but may still be viewed
viii) the League Administrator will send an email to the Clan Leaders of the
Clans involved in the case, informing them of the verdict and any actions that
will be taken
8.6) A Clan may appeal a verdict by sending an email to webmaster@auscong.com,
which must contain enough information so it is clear the email is an appeal,
rather than a fresh complaint. The email should contain reasoning behind the
appeal. A League Administrator different to the one involved in the original
review may respond at any time to the appeal and may issue a summary finding,
along with any actions to be taken. Where an initial verdict is overturned, or
modified in any way, the Administrator will issue an email to all Clan Leaders
involved in the case, as well as posting in the Clan Representatives forum
indicating his reasoning behind the decision. 9. Changes to the League
9.1) All proposed changes to the League may be officially discussed by the AADP.
This ensures that all Clans have equal representation in the League. It is
recommended that new ideas are posted in the forum and that the AADP run a poll
on the post to determine if the change will take place. Changes are always
subject to technical availability. For example, even if a vote shows that 80% of
Clans want to move matches to different days of the week, if it is the only day
that match Servers are available, the currently specified days will continue to
be used regardless. |
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