Le Tour de Coneria
League Season 2: Fall 2018
Rules & Guidance
League Overview
FFR League Season Two will be a combination individual AND 4-player team competition. All players will automatically enter into the individual competition, and may group up into 4-player teams if they desire. Players are not required to join a team to participate (though you'll probably have more fun if you do!)
Races will be run on the SpeedRunsLive (SRL) platform; thus, players will have an SRL account. SRL has its own racing guidelines to be aware of.
Participants will livestream their race on Twitch or another similar streaming service, and VOD-save their races. If this is a hardship for an interested participant, please PM a League Commissioner.
The League will run for seven weeks, across 7 distinct stages. Players will recognize the basic structure and feel of the previous 2018 Spring tournament, but shiny new randomizer features have been incorporated as well! The schedule of stages follows:
- Stage 1: The Kings' Roads - (October 1 - 7)
- Monday, October 1 at 8:00 pm
- Wednesday, October 3 at 11:59 pm
- Saturday, October 6 at 12:00 noon
- Sunday, October 7 at 6:00 pm
- Stage 2: Marsh Madness - (October 8 - 14)
- Tuesday, October 9 at 1:00 am
- Thursday, October 11 at 7:00 pm
- Friday, October 12 at 10:00 pm
- Sunday, October 14 at 3:00 pm
- Stage 3: Time Trial I - (October 15 - 21)
- These are 1v1 races and will be scheduled by the runners. See below for scheduling details.
- Stage 4: You Shall Not Pass - (October 22 - 28)
- Monday, October 22 at 8:00 pm
- Wednesday, October 24 at 11:00 pm
- Saturday, October 27 at 6:00 pm
- Sunday, October 28 at 12 noon
- Stage 5: Time Trial II - (October 29 - November 4)
- These are 1v1 races and will be scheduled by the runners. See below for scheduling details.
- Stage 6: The Window Overlooking the World - (November 5 - 11)
- Monday, November 5 at 2:00 am
- Tuesday, November 6 at 8:00 pm
- Friday, November 9 at 11:59 pm
- Sunday, November 11 at 3:00 pm
- Stage 7: Le Grand Tour - (November 12 - 18)
- Monday, November 12 at 7:00 pm
- Wednesday, November 14 at 11:00 pm
- Saturday, November 17 at 12 noon
- Sunday, November 18 at 5:00 pm
Time Trials: Stage 3 and 5 Scheduling Details
The following procedure will be used to determine pairings in Weeks 3 & 5:
- The first place team in the Team Standings will be paired against the second place team; the third place team will be paired against the fourth place team; and so on.
- After teams are paired, the players with the best cumulative individual score from each team will be paired to play each other. The second-best, third-best, and fourth-best individual scorers will similarly be paired.
- If there is an odd number of teams, the team at the bottom of the Team Standings will be paired against "Independent Conerian Racers" in as equitable manner as possible. Similarly, Independent Conerian Racers will be paired against each other as equitably as possible using the Individual standings and administrative judgement.
Scoring
Scoring in Stages 1, 2, 4, 6, 7: Leaguewide Races
Stages 1, 2, 4, 6 & 7 will consist of large group races, scored on a scaled Z-Score system pioneered by our friends in the FF4:Free Enterprise Community (thank you for the idea!)
The scoring algorithm is as follows:
- Each race will be scored using the results of the League members in the race. Results by racers not in the League will be ignored for calculation purposes.
- Assign each racer a maximum possible time of 2 hours after the first place person finishes. (Most racers will finish well under this time limit.)
- Assign any forfeit a time of 5 minutes over the last place finisher's assigned time.
- Drop the bottom 10% of times from calculations. The racer "straddling the line" of the bottom 10% is excluded from calculations.
- Calculate the mean/standard deviation using the above remaining racers.
- Assign z-scores to all finishers based on racer times. This is the participant's score for the race.
- The maximum Z-Score any racer can tally in a race is +4.00. This is also the score a racer will receive for not participating in a Leaguewide stage.
To the side is an example of this scoring system in action, using the "Play-In Race" results of the 2018 Spring Tournament, raced on July 6, 2018. In this example, the bottom 10% (2 racers) are excluded from mean and standard deviation calculation, and Z-Scores are then calculated for all racers.
The formula for a Z-Score = (Racer's Time - Mean Time) / Standard Deviation
Scoring In Stages 3 & 5: Time Trial Races
These races are 1v1 contests, and will be scored according to the following simple procedure:
- The race winner will score -0.75 points.
- The race runner-up will score +0.25 points.
The Individual Competition
In Leaguewide Race Stages (1, 2, 4, 6, 7), there will be four races in each stage.
- Participants may participate in as many stage races as they like.
- A participant's single "best" (lowest) Z-Score in a stage will be that player's official score for the stage. All other results are discarded for that participant.
- The "worst" possible Z-Score a player can score in a stage is +4.00. This will also be the score assigned to a participant that does not race in a stage.
In Stages 3 & 5, players will participate in one 1v1 match for the week, and will score either -0.75 points (for a win) or +0.25 points (for a loss) for that stage.
A player's individual score will accumulate from stage to stage. The leader of the tournament after any stage is said to be wearing "The Opal Jacket" for the following Stage. The player with the lowest accumulated score after seven stages is the Tour de Coneria winner, and CROWNed Season Two Individual Champion!
The Team Competition
Teams of four participants will compete together in the Team Competition of the tournament.
In Leaguewide Stage Races (1, 2, 4, 6, 7), each team member's single "best" Z-Score will be used.
- The "best" and "worst" Z-Scores achieved by the team for in the stages will be dropped. The remaining two Z-Scores will be added together. This total will be the team's score for the stage.
In Time Trial Stage Races (3 & 5), each racer will have earned a score of either -0.75 or +0.25. All four of these scores are added together to result in a team score for the stage.
Team scores will accumulate from stage to stage. At the end of Stage 7, the team with the lowest accumulated score are the Tour de Coneria Team Competition winners!
Team Leaguewide Score Example for a Leaguewide race stage:
Stage Details
Each Leaguewide stage (1, 2, 4, 6, 7) will use the same set of 4 forced party character types for all four races in that stage. PLOT TWIST! These forced party characters will be selected by you, the players.
- As a bonus for winning, each 1st place finisher in a Leaguewide group race selects one of the forced party characters that will be used in the next stage's set of races.
- Example: "Dan" wins Stage 1, Race 1. Dan now gets to pick a forced party character type that will be used in all four of Stage 2's races. Dan should make his selection before the next race in the current stage occurs.
Winners will select the next stage's races in the following sequence:
- As former winners of FFR Tournaments and Leagues, the following four players will have the honor of selecting Stage 1's forced party characters in the following order:
- First character selection: Monoci85 - chooses RED MAGE
- Second character selection: ArteaSRL - chooses BLACK MAGE
- Third character selection: TristalMTG - chooses FIGHTER
- Fourth character selection: Edgeworth - chooses THIEF
- Stage 1's four winners will pick for Stage 2.
- First character selection: ArteaSRL - chooses FIGHTER
- Second character selection: Brottster - chooses RED MAGE
- Third character selection: splitpunched - chooses BLACK BELT
- Fourth character selection: fuchsiafantasy - chooses THIEF
- Stage 2's four winners will pick for Stage 4.
- First character selection: ArteaSRL - chooses WHITE MAGE
- Second character selection: saltyphry - chooses THIEF
- Third character selection: brottster - chooses BLACK MAGE
- Fourth character selection: Tristal - chooses FIGHTER
- Stage 4's four winners will pick for Stage 6.
- First character selection: fuchsiafantasy - chooses RED MAGE
- Second character selection: ArteaSRL - chooses FIGHTER
- Third character selection: splitpunched - chooses THIEF
- Fourth character selection: Elastoid - chooses FIGHTER
- Stage 6's four winners will pick for Stage 7.
- First character selection: ArteaSRL - chooses BLACK MAGE
- Second character selection: splitpunched - chooses THIEF
- Third character selection: Saltyphry - chooses BLACK BELT
- Fourth character selection: TristalMTG - chooses WHITE MAGE
If a winning player has already won a race in that stage, the honor of selecting the forced party character falls to the 2nd place finisher if that player hasn't won yet this stage. If they too have won a race, the process continues until a non-winning player is reached in that race. This is done so that one individual does not dominate the party composition selection for the next stage.
Stages 3 and 5 are 1v1 contests. The four forced party characters will be drafted solely by the 2 participants at the beginning of the match, according to the following sequence (happy strategizing!)
- Higher player in League play: First and Fourth choice
- Lower ranked player: Second and Third choice
Flags
For historical purposes, flags were designed using FFR v2.4.0. All seven stages share the following characteristics:
- Race goals are Defeat CHAOS
- Free Bridge
- Titan's Trove
- Improve Turn Order
- Extended Open Progression!
- Trap Tile Shuffle!
- Prices: 25% - 400%
- 400GP at Start
- EXP Scale: 2.4x+0, increased by 5% per Key Item found
- Confused Old Men :D
Stage 1: The Kings' Roads - HACfH0hFQBAAHJ!fPASoYAeAFeS
- Party composition thus far: Red Mage, Black Mage, Fighter, Thief
- NPC Shuffle
- Incentivized Locations: Ordeals, Coneria Locked
- Incentivized Items: Tail
- Enemies/Bosses: 56%-180%
- WarMECH: Vanilla
Stage 2: Marsh Madness - HACfH1hFBCAAHJ!fPASoYAeAFeS
- Party compostion thus far: Fighter, Red Mage, Black Belt, Thief
- NPC Shuffle
- Incentivized Locations: Marsh, Marsh Locked
- Incentivized Items: Tail
- Enemies/Bosses: 56%-180%
- WarMECH: Patrolling
Stage 3: Time Trial I - HACfH0hFYAAAHJ!fPASoYAeAFeS
- NPC Shuffle
- Incentivized Locations: Ice Cave, Ordeals
- Incentivized Items: Tail
- Enemies/Bosses: 56%-180%
- WarMECH: Vanilla
Stage 4: You Shall Not Pass - HACfH1hFGBAAEJ!fPAUoYAeAFeU
- Party compostion thus far: White Mage, Thief, Black Mage, Fighter
- NPC Shuffle
- Early Sarda Item OFF, Early Sages Item OFF
- Incentivized Locations: Coneria Locked, Earth Cave, Volcano
- Incentivized Items: Tail
- Enemies/Bosses: 50%-200%
- WarMECH: Patrolling
Stage 5: Time Trial II - PAC!H1hPYAAAHJ!fPAUoYAeAFeU
- NPC Shuffle + Fetch Quest Shuffle
- Incentivized Locations: Ice Cave, Ordeals
- Incentivized Items: Other Quest Items, Tail
- Enemies/Bosses: 50%-200%
- Random Trap Tile Formations
- WarMECH: Patrolling
Stage 6: The Window Overlooking the World - PAC!P3hP4EBQHJ!fPAVoYAeAFeV
- Party composition thus far: Red Mage, Fighter, Thief, Fighter
- NPC Shuffle + Fetch Quest Shuffle
- Incentivized Locations: Ice Cave, Ordeals, Sea Shrine, Sky Palace
- Incentivized Items: Other Quest Items, Tail, Masamune, Thor Hammer
- Unsafe Pirates Enabled
- Enemies/Bosses: 48%-210%
- Random Trap Tile Formations
- WarMECH: REQUIRED
Stage 7: Le Grand Tour - PAC!P3hP!HHdHJ!fPAVoYAeAFeV
- NPC Shuffle + Fetch Quest Shuffle
- Incentivized Locations: All
- Incentivized Items: All
- Unsafe Pirates Enabled
- Enemies/Bosses: 48%-210%
- Random Trap Tile Formations
- WarMECH: REQUIRED
FFR League Guidelines for Play (READ this!)
Non-League players are welcome to join group League races in Stages 1, 2, 4, 6 and 7, but they will not count for or impact League scoring in any way. Stages 3 and 5 are 1v1 races between League players (as in a tournament setting).
Custom sprites are welcomed; ROM alterations that provide gameplay advantage are not. With custom sprites, it's a good idea to consider that the action remains identifiable to viewers, broadcasters, etc.
Do be mindful of SRL's racing guidelines, as the League uses this platform to run its races.
The FFR League will include at least 20 large community races, with a lot of players in IRC simultaneously. Nevertheless, it is expected that everyone will strive to keep the races free of spoilers. In order help avoid inadvertent spoilers, the following chat guidelines are in place.
The following is Expressly Disallowed once the race begins until the last racer concludes (Penalties will be assessed):
- Any chatter other than "GG". Please, just don't do it. It opens Pandora's Box of Here Be Spoilers.
- No spoilers of any type, obviously.
- No .commenting until after the race is concluded for all players.
The following SRL commands are expressly allowed during a live race and are an exception to the above:
- .done
- .undone
- .quit
- .forfeit
- .entrants
- .results
- .time
No other commands are allowed by League players during a live League race. And neither is any other chatter than "GG".
PENALTIES for the above infractions will be as follows:
Just general chatter (including bot commands not explicitly permitted above) with no information about the seed or your playthrough of it will have a one minute penalty per character typed, imposed after the calculations for Z-score are made but before your own time is calculated relative to it. Thus, only your score will be affected but not the overall score.
Spoilers in chat? You're just straight-up disqualified from the current race and treated as a forfeit for your time. The first time. The second time? You're out of the league. Period. The end.
If a League Player commits an infraction in a race they're not currently racing in, the penalty will be applied to their most recent previously finished race result.
Dishonest play will be dealt with forcefully. Please do not cheat, or get yourself into a situation where the honesty of your play is questionable. Examples include:
- Being in a restream channel or chat during your race.
- Stream sniping opponents.
- ROM/RAM inspection.
- Dropping spoilers where other participants can see it.
- Receiving advice/info from others (including other League Team Members or chat) during your race.
Twitch has an "emote only" chat function that may be a good idea to turn on during your race to help ward against spoilers in your chat. You can toggle it with /emoteonly or /emoteonlyoff.
If you suspect another player of dishonest play, please do not publicly accuse the player. Instead, please privately message a League Commissioner with your concerns. Please only include as much factual information as possible.