Tournament Rules


Tournament Structure

Rage Forest 4 will now be double elimination GSL format. This is an important change from previous editions, since teams will get a second chance to compete in the tournament if they lose their opening round

Group Stage​

Monday, Mar 27 - Friday, Apr 14

The group stage is a swiss format, but can also be described as an expanded version of the GSL system, focusing on avoiding repeat matchups. The group stage as a whole is divided into two groups of 8 teams.


  • Group stage matches will be divided into approximately four stages

  • Opening Rounds - these matches will be played according to team seeding (Seed 1 vs Seed 16, Seed 2 vs Seed 15 etc)

  • Winners Circle - Teams that win their opening round matches will play other winners according to their seed

  • Elimination Round - Teams that lose their opening round matches will play each other according to their seed

  • Decider Matches - Teams that lose their opening round but win their elimination round will face each other according to their seed within their group

Here is a sample completed bracket for the Group Stage. Note that this is for illustrative purposes only.

Playoffs Stage​

Round of 8:Saturday, Apr 15 and Sunday, Apr 16

Teams that win twice in the group stage move on to the Playoffs stage, which constitutes three rounds of single elimination to crown the winner.

Teams will be seeded based on their performance in the group stage, as shown in the bracket below

Team seedings can result in a tie, in which case the following tie breaker rules apply (in order):

  • Win differential – difference between group stage wins and losses

  • Group stage team seedings

Finals Stage​


Semi Finals: Saturday, Apr 22
3rd Place Match + Grand Finals: Sunday, Apr 23

Teams that advance from the Round of 8 will compete in the Semi Finals and Finals the following weekend - Rage Forest 4 finals weekend Apr 22, Apr 23, 2023


Map

We will be playing on a modified version of the regular Black Forest map, which creates equal lake generations for both teams.

You can download the official map under Mods by searching for "Rage Forest 4 - Official Map"

Credit to Gentle for creating this map for us

Civilizations

AOE 2 Captain's Mode Preset: https://aoe2cm.net/preset/kcpCA

Note: No new DLCs or civilizations released after Draft Day (March 1, 2023) will be used in the tournament.

  • Team Captains will pick a pool of 21 civs one day before the scheduled match begins with no bans and no snipes.

  • Teams will pick civs for all five games. An important change from Rage Forest 3 is that Game 5 will be played using civs in the civ draft and will no longer be free pick

  • Higher seeded captain will decide whether they want to be host or guest according to this preset.


It is the Host captain's responsibility to submit the completed civ draft URL to the tournament administrators one day before the scheduled match begins.

The drafting of civs is very important as no civ can be repeated and players can only choose from the 19 civs that their captain picks.

This includes a high degree of teamwork and strategy development before the round begins. For example, the teams have to decide which players use which civs in which positions depending on their enemy teams and enemy civs. The best prepared teams going into the round will have a strategic advantage!

Game Rules

Slinging​

Slinging others before reaching Imperial Age is strictly forbidden. A player may receive a sling at any age.​​

  • Verified pre Imperial Age slinging will result in admin loss for that game (not the match)

  • It is up to the losing team to check the recording and report abuse before the next round has started (games being played).

  • If reported by the team that did it (accidental sling), admins will choose whether or not to continue the game, after conferring with both teams. Admin loss may be granted for that game, on a case by case basis.

Laming​

Laming enemy food sources, wild animals, minerals, and any other resources is allowed and villager fighting is encouraged. The Dark Age on BF can be one of the most chaotic experiences, and usually dictates how Feudal and Castle Age are played.​

Restarts​

  • Player restarts are not allowed under any circumstances

  • Players may request a restart if any starting resources or player controlled units are trapped/blocked/inaccessible

  • Lake Restart Rule

    Restart requests need to be initiated within 75 seconds of game time

    If the difference in trapped lakes between the two teams is 1 or more, an admin restart can be requested within the first 75 seconds of game time

  • Civ Restart Rule

    If any player(s) accidentally pick an incorrect civ from the available civs in their draft pool, there will be no restarts. However, if the player picks an incorrect civ that's not from their draft pool or "Random civ", a restart is required and the faulty civ picker's civ will be chosen by the enemy captain from their available civ draft pool

  • While it has never happened before, Administrators retain the right to restart the game under any situation

Pauses​

  • Pausing just isn't fun for anyone, and should rarely be used, in only the most extreme instances where external factors are affecting players' ability to play competitively.

  • Once paused, please work to resolve the issue either with the administrators or the other team as apropos

  • The player who paused the game is the one who should unpause, only after written confirmation from the opponent captain/team

Drops/Disconnects​

  • Ultimately, disconnects are at the discretion of the players. Please use your best efforts to restore games as soon as a disconnect occurs, however, if a full restore is not possible, it is up to the other team to decide if they want to re or claim an admin win for that game.

  • If a drop occurs at the start before the map and positions are revealed (0:00 game time or loading screen), then a restart shall be allowed.

Pre-Lobby Settings

Visibility: Public
Players: 8
Set Password: (Up to the host)
Allow Spectators: YES.
Hide civs: YES
Spectator Delay: 5 minutes. (Can be reduced if both team-captains agree upon it except for the final round)
Server: Agree on the best suitable server amongst all players playing that specific match.
Data Mod: Definitive Set.


Lobby Settings