Welcome to the Hero Academy League!  Please read through this document in full.

HOW THE LEAGUE WORKS – HOW TO FIND MATCHES

The League lets you play as many or as few games as you like, at the pace you like.  You start with a 1200 rating, and depending on the rating of the person you beat or lose to, you gain or lose between 1 and 32 rating points.  There are three ways to find matches.  First, you can simply challenge someone based on their spot on the Leaderboard.  This is not the best bet though, as they might like to play faster or slower than your preference, or they might be full on games.  Moreover, while we do prune inactives from the leaderboard, it doesnt happen quickly.  Accordingly, the best bet is to update your info in the database to indicate you are looking for matches and indicate how often you generally move, or to look in the database and see who is looking for a match and find a person willing to move at the speed you want of the ability level you want.  Detailed instructions on how to use the matchmaking aspects of the database are set forth below.

HOW TO USE OUR RATING SYSTEM & DATABASE

You can get to the important areas of the League either through the Hero Academy icon on the left, or the League icon on the right.  If you use the Hero Academy picture on the left, “League” takes you to the forums, and ”League Results” leads you to our database, where you can access the “Leaderboards” and see everyone’s rating, record and titles (and more information if you click on a name) or log in to post a game result.  Note that your username is not case sensitive, but your password is.  BE SURE TO CHANGE THE INITIAL PASSWORD an admin sends you by PM immediately to prevent cheating.

After logging in you are presented with our match results form. We ask that you submit which teams were played, which map you played on, who went first, and how many rounds the match lasted.  This allows us to track and calculate all sorts of things, such as whether certain factions have an advantage on certain maps.  After clicking submit, your new ELO rating is calculated automatically and the leaderboard adjusts right away.  Please try not to double post your results, but if you do, shoot an admin a PM.

Our preference is that the winner reports the results of the game. The loser is allowed to post, PROVIDED the loser:  (1) waits a while to give the winner a chance to post; (2) checks to see if the winner has posted; (3) leaves a comment inside the game telling the winner you have posted the result. When posting a result as the winner of the game, we ask that you please leave a message in the in-game chat to let your opponent know the result was posted which will help everyone avoid double-posts.

Please note that if you are unable to use the database, and attempting to do so for the first time, the most likely reason is that you have not been activated yet. PM @H_ngm_n, @ArtNJ or @Drvumad and we will activate you asap.

HOW TO USE THE MATCHMAKING DATABASE

Login to the results database using the database log-in link from the “Leaderboards” section of the league.  Once you are in, click on the “Update info” link. Fill out your details and click the “Update” button.  Click on go back once you are done to return to the previous screen.  Click on the “Matchmaking” link to view the table of all players looking for games, ordered by most recent updates first.

THE FIRST TURN

You play League games just like you would play random games, with one difference.  There is an option in the settings menue that changes the number of “action points” (AP) – i.e. moves – that the first player has on the first turn.  It is mandatory to set this to 3 AP for all League games.  Our testing has revealed that this is almost 100% equal.

How do I find the round number?

Tapping on one of the players’ avatar at the top of the screen will pop up a screen that displays both the current round number and the number of items left to use for that player.

ADMIN TEAM

You can conact the admins either by PM or by posting in the “Contact an Admin” thread on the forums.  @ArtNJ, @H_ngm_n, and @DrvUMad are your primary admins.  @Dean is our webmaster, and host, and continues to put in a lot of time to improve the site and build features for us.  @z3phyr is our master coder.  They are admins as well, but have extra duties, so we try to spare them the routine stuff.

LEAGUE RULES

1.  You may have no more than 5 League games in progress until you have completed 5 games. Thereafter you can have 10 games in progress.  After completing 20 league games, there is no cap on simultaneous League games.  If you run into a problem with an absent opponent in your first five games, feel free to start another;

2.  Players are expected to try and move as often as they indicated they would in their database entry. However, there is no time limit for matches, apart from the following:
-Matches are forfeited after 7 days with no moves unless the opponent has been contacted and informed of unusual circumstances such as a vacation, work trip or finals.

-Normally forfeits on the 7 day rule are rated like all League games.  However, if a League member with 0 wins or loss forfeits because of the 7 day rule without completing at least 3 turns in the game, the game is not rated and considered a nullity.

-No win may be posted, and no challenges initiated or accepted, unless all games are current (no games with moves outstanding for more than 1 hour).

3.  Moves must generally be made in the order opponents moves are received. However, if you will make at least one move in a particular game that day, you may temporarily skip that game — for example, if it requires further study than another game.

4.  Your forum name should match your in game handle.  This is for your benefit — we have seen, time and again, that its not worth the confusion if they dont match.

5.  In the event of a dispute, contact @H_ngm_n.  He will resolve disputes where both players admit the material facts.  He will not resolve disputes that involve evaluating player honesty.  Rather, both players will be placed on probation and the game declared a nullity.

6.  Offensive language directed to another member will not be tolerated.  That said, we are not the chat police, so try and get along.

7.  The rules for new teams/maps and updates are as follows:
Teams- Any new teams will be useable in League matches one week after they are released, unless agreed upon by both players in advance. Maps- All maps added to the game will be playable immediately. Updates- All players are required to update immediately. No in progress games will be nullified due to balance changes made in updates.

8.  Players are required to ask “League game?” on turn 1.  If this is not done, and the loser claims they did not know a League game was intended, then the game will be voided.  We will not evaluate the circumstances, or credibility, and will enforce the rule without exception.  While it does not impact the application of this rule, we do ask and expect player 2 to ask if its a League game if player 1 forgets.

9.  Multiple accounts by a single individual are expressly prohibited.  If multiple League members share an internet connection (family, roommates, etc…) you are required to disclose this relationship and prohibited from playing League games with each other.  Exceptions will be made on request for players that have demonstrated that they can be trusted not to abuse the system.

10.  The Right to Rematch:  Because 3ap has been demonstrated to be equal, player 2 has no default right to demand a second game where he goes first.  However, if player 2 puts “Right to rematch enforced” in their matchmaking profile, we will enforce the rule.  Thus, if you issue a challenge without checking the matchmaking profile, you must assume that you may be required to rematch.

When the Right to Rematch applies:  note that we do recognize that the first player may become unexpectedly busy, and need to temporarily refrain from starting new games. Accordingly, the Right to Rematch is not time sensitive, EXCEPT that you may not start new games while you have a pending request for a rematch. In this event, the player challenged for the rematch should accept the challenge, but indicate something to the effect of ”I am temporarily full up on games, but will start our rematch before starting any new games” in a comment.  If the first player refuses to rematch and wishes to start other games, the result from the original game will be voided.  We ask that player two be considerate and not demand a ”rematch” after beating a new member. We do not wish to drive away new members by locking them into multiple games with players above their skill level.

Errors in starting AP:  Please report to us if you opponent makes an error in the starting AP.  We will keep a list and may penalize players with repeat violations.  For now, however, there will be no penalty — simply start a new game at the correct AP.  Player 1 should leave the original game open and explain the situation before resigning.  Please report to us if players resign games on turn 1, and we will track this as well.

11.  A player is ”stuck with” their initial hand, and a lousy hand is not a valid reason for P1 to suddenly decide to ask a League opponent for a practice game, nor a reason for P2 to decline a challenge. While we will not assume improper motivation, in a proper case where sufficient evidence of violation of this rule exists, discipline up to a potential ban may be imposed.  The matchmaking profiles are critical to whether an unsolicited challenge may be rejected after it is opened.  If P2′s matchmaking profile indicates that they are open for games of the type that P1 is proposing, then P2 does NOT have the option of rejecting a League game after opening the game and viewing the starting hand.  If your profile says your open for League games but your really not, DONT OPEN AN UNSOLICTED CHALLENGE unless your sure its not from a League member.  If your profile says you are not open for additional games, or you havent created a profile yet, you can freely open an unsolicited challenge, see what P1 is asking, and decide whether to play a League game based on whatever criteria you like, except the quality of your starting hand.

12.  Players are expected to use good sportsmanship at all times, and poor sportsmanship — even if not violating other rules — may result in discipline up to and including removal from the League.

Example:  Your opponent accidentally hits “resign”.  (A) if you were arguably winning prior to the mistake, it is totally fair to take the win; but if (B) you were *clearly* losing prior to the mistake, taking the win constitutes poor sportsmanship.  Although it does not violate any current rule, you may be disciplined for this type of conduct in the discretion of the admins.  The rule is a minimum standard — we expect and hope that members will exceed it, for example, agreeing to void the game even if the person that accidentally resigned was approximately equal.

13.  If you need to forfeit games for real life reasons, you are expected to do your opponents the courtesy of informing them if at all possible.  While we understand that real life happens, repeated instances of forfeiting games on time grounds may subject you to discipline, particularly if you do so without informing your opponents.

14.  Age Limit On Membership:  Members under 15 will be considered only on a case by case basis.  Children younger than this will typically require an adult member that agrees to take full responsibility for their conduct.  While all members are expected to behave respectfully towards other members, the League does not monitor chat in any way, and this is the sole responsibility of the parent.

Rules are subject to revision as we go.