Conquest Minus Ladder

[SlowThinker]

The ladder works already: http://ladder.conquest-minus.org/

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History:
This post explains two possibilities how a ladder can be established

Present (December 2013):
Conscience applied the first option ("classic Wesnoth ladder") of the link above and created a website for a Conquest Minus Ladder: http://ladder.alainlauzon.com.
(Here you can see how the same ladder code works for Wesnoth Ladder: http://wesnoth.gamingladder.info/)

The purpose of this thread:

• to talk about details concening the ladder
• to get people for the ladder staff
  (Conscience is willing to run the website and adjust the code when needed.
  I (SlowThinker) am willing to help with some initial thoughts.)

[SlowThinker]

What people do we need for a staff? My thoughts:

• (php) coder? We will need to adapt the ladder code a bit (Conscience, are you willing to do it?)
• Ladder Administrator
• Referee(s) - in case any dispute appears

Maybe we should ask the staff of http://wesnoth.gamingladder.info/

So what we need for now is

a domain name or subdomain name,
New graphics at the top bar
Change the FAQ
What else?

I think the domain/subdomain can wait until the ladder works and it is sure it won't die.

Yes, new graphics at the top bar is needed, and the FAQ.

Game reporting:

• I think replays are a must: but I don't know how to add a replay (although the ladder code apparently counts with a possibility to add a replay). Maybe the replay must be stored at http://replays.wesnoth.org/ ?
  Anyway the multi-session replays were corrupted at http://replays.wesnoth.org/ (see http://forums.wesnoth.org/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=36499), and since Wesnoth devs usually remove bugs very slowly, I guess that bug remains.
  So maybe we need to add an option that the reporting player can upload his own savefile?
• I think the sportmanship rating might be removed.

[Conscience]

We need someone to think about the texts and graphics.

1. a domain name or subdomain name,

• New graphics at the top bar

• Change the FAQ

• What else?

For now it's hosted on http://ladder.alainlauzon.com/

So one or two could find a proper domain or subdomain name, then think about the texts and graphics and I will modify the website accordingly. Il can also host the website for free.

[Conscience]

Yes ST, I can take care of the PHP, HTML, javascript and CSS codes on the webiste.

[Blop]

I could serve as a referee and can also help with some thoughts, i think.

[mmmax]

I would also like to help. My coding skills are probably too rusty to be of much value, but I could referee, admin or be of any other help as needed. Thanks for the c- ladder !!! mmmax

[DarkHorse]

I shall help by getting my butt kicked over and over...

[SlowThinker]

Darkhorse, what is the problem?

[Conscience]

SlowThonker and mmmax, could you team up to change the FAQ together? Split the work in 2? And when you are done, send me the new FAQ texts and I will change it. I will do all the coding on the site.

[DarkHorse]

Is there a standard setting for number of sides and spawn distances?

[DarkHorse]

Equally, is the ladder for just New Age Pasa matches, or any conquest game?

[SlowThinker]

DarkHorse, play any Conquest Minus settings both players agree to.

[SlowThinker]

provisional faq
I see the current faq confuses some players. On friday I will create a minimalistic provisional faq soon, and send it here so that you can comment it. Later we can add more points from the original faq, but some points need to be discussed first.

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ladder philosophy, cheating
Most ladder faqs I have seen contain
"We will catch and punish any cheater!"
I am afraid some players can understand it as
"Come and cheat if you have enough courage and skills!"

Therefore I think it is better to explain that cheating is a stupid nonsense:
I propose we add next text to the faq (please comment and 'translate to english'):

The major purpose: more thrill
The primary purpose of this ladder is to get more thrill from the games:
Of course, also free (non-ladder) games grant a thrill to players:
- a thrill of making his own decisions and being fully responsible for them
- a thrill of awaiting results of random events (combats)
- a thrill of guessing what happens in hidden parts of the map
But the ladder raises the importance of the game result (any result will be included into player's rating) and so it raises the thrill too.

The minor purpose: ranking
The secodary purpose is to obtain some kind of ranking of players. Unfortunately the luck affects the games a lot and so the ranking is very inaccurate: any player would have to play hundreds of games in order that his rating corresponds his skils.
In other words: we would prefer a ranking that would reflect players' skill. But we have a ranking that reflects players' luck and skill.

Cheating?
Cheating in Wesnoth and in Conquest Minus is very easy.
Still we don't expect players would want to cheat, because any intelligent man understands the following fact: if a player is cheating then he loses all that game thrill (as explained in 'the major purpose') completely.

[DarkHorse]

here it is...

[iceiceice]

The major purpose: more thrill

I don't think that you need to explain why you play ladder, as people will play ladder for all kinds of reason, just explain the rules.

Still we don't expect players would want to cheat, because any intelligent man understands the following fact: if a player is cheating then he loses all that game thrill (as explained in 'the major purpose') completely.

I think a gender-neutral statement would be better. Also you need to explain exactly what it means to cheat -- not using default wesnoth client, using map hack, or using multiple ladder accounts, etc. It should be clearly stated that an account is subject to termination for cheating, so that there is no misunderstanding. (Or if that is not the rules you prefer, players like me would want to know this.)