Top Tank Platoon

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Top Tank Platoon is a tournament created by Volcano.

Top tank logo.png

version I.n
19 APR 2010

CURRENT ALL TIME RECORD HOLDERS

The current all time Top Tank Platoon and Top Gun record holders appear here:

Top Tank Platoon High Score

Platoon name: N/A
Tank type: N/A
Wins-Losses: 0-0
Platoon score (average): 0
Year: N/A
Participant names:
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A


Top Gun High Score

User name: N/A
Gunnery score (average): N/A
Year: N/A


Iterations

Top Tank Platoon 2010

Mission

The mission of the tournament is to climb the ladder and be named the "Top Tank Platoon" by defeating opposing tank platoons in an organized friendly competition which tests both leadership, teamwork, and individual skill.

The emphasis of the tournament is to bring back the good ol' friendly days of competition when people competed for a "high score", which is very similar to the friendly and competitive atmosphere that exists between platoons of the same company on army gunnery ranges around the world.

Top Tank Platoon Determination (Primary Goal)

The competition is organized into "rounds" where two opposing tank platoons are paired up against each other. The loser of the round gets one step closer to being eliminated, or gets eliminated depending on how many losses they have suffered already. Once only two tank platoons remain, a final set of rounds is played between those two teams with "Top Tank Platoon" honors being awarded to the platoon that wins the final round in the tournament.

The final averaged Mission Score of the winning team/platoon usually does not matter, it is only kept for record purposes, however an average Mission Score may be used to determine who is in the final championship round (this depends on the iteration, where championship determination may vary, see the specific iteration of the tournament for more details).

Top Gun Determination (Secondary Goal)

In addition, and of secondary purposes, one member at the end of the final round will be named "Top Gun". The Top Gun award is determined by which participant, from either side, that ends up with the highest average User Score (aka. Gunnery Score). This honor is determined at the end of the Tournament by taking the individual User Score for each participant and averaging them together by the number of total rounds (bye rounds that the team suffered from do not count against this score). In other words, the formula is: Top Gun score = total User Score / (current tournament round number - number of bye rounds for that user's team). This means that the recipient of this honor could very well be a participant on the losing side. This "Top Gun" user score is then recorded here, for fun, as the all time winning Top Gun high score until it is surpassed.

  • The reason that the Top Gun title is awarded to a user in the final match, and not to the overall highest average User Score of the whole tournament is because teams that are eliminated would likely have higher average scores as opposed to a team who has went through the whole tournament, and as such, the average is not comparable (ie. it would be like giving a high batting average award in baseball to a hitter that only played half of a season).
  • It is important to stress the difference between the two: the "Top Tank Platoon" IS the team that reaches the top of the tournament tree and wins the final paring, it IS NOT the team who has the highest average Mission Score at the end (the average Mission Score is irrelevant and only used for records and/or it may be used to determine the two teams in the championship round). However, the "Top Gun" IS the user on one of the two final teams who has the highest average User Score at the end of the tournament.

Participation Requirements

Everyone is encouraged to participate, regardless of time zone, spoken language, or skill level; all are welcome. The only requirement of the tournament is that each team (platoon) must consist of four people: one user for each tank, no more, no less. (Of course a team may multi-crew a tank with more than one person at any point during a scenario, if they so desire)

If a team roster ever drops below four people then it is up to that team to find another participant and to make it known to the Game Master who that replacement is (so it can be changed on score sheet). Users may be absent from a particular round, but this hurts that team's chance at winning and greatly reduces that absent user's final User Score average (for determination of "Top Gun") and...

  • A team may play up to TWO rounds of the tournament without it's full compliment of four players, if the team plays a third such round then that team will be disqualified. A team may NOT grab someone up at random to fill in; if that happens then that round will be a recorded as a forfeit for that team.

Execution

Each scenario or "engagement" consists of a 6.5 x 6.5 km area where two opposing platoons (of four tanks each) engage each other. A central bonus objective is present in the middle of the map to provide a focal point and stimulus to the action.

Map and Play Area

The play area or battle space is a 6.5 x 6.5 km map of "rolling terrain" (be it woodland, desert, or snow covered landscape). The actual theme and map selection depends on the current iteration of the tournament, please see the appropriate page for more information on what the map will be for that specific tournament.

Unit Spawning (initial unit placement)

To alleviate the fact that no map selection is ever "fair", and to minimize the ability for a team (platoon) to carefully rehearse a plan to the letter, a system of random spawning is used to determine the initial placement of both the blue and red platoon. This random spawning occurs on the fly, in the Planning Phase. This initial placement is based on the cardinal directions and is set up in such a way that both platoons will always be located directly opposite each other. In other words, if the blue platoon is initially placed in the west, then the red platoon is initially placed directly to its opposite in the east. This ensures that you always have a rough idea of where the enemy is initially located.

Hasty Planning Time Constraint

The Planning Phase will last a total of 15 minutes and then the scenario will begin regardless of if either side is ready. The HOST starts a timer once all players are in the planning phase map view and starts the mission once 15 minutes has expired after that.

  • This short time limit is due to the fact that there are only four tanks in the scenario, and because of the fact that rehearsals and planning should be done prior to the event. Although initial unit placement is random, the tournament not only measures the ability of the individual, it also measures the ability of the platoon to adapt to the situation on the fly.

Dropped Users

Once the Planning Phase begins (ie. once the Host presses "start" in the Assembly Area and starts loading the Planning Phase), then everyone is considered to be "locked in". Anyone who drops from the session in either the Planning Phase or in the Execution Phase then they are out, and play must continue. If an entire team drops from the session then they will receive a loss. The only exception to this is that the session may be restarted if the opposing team agrees to go back to the Assembly Area to restart. If they do not, then the match must proceed.

  • This strict condition exists to prevent users or entire teams from "dropping" from the session just because they do not like their randomly selected starting setup, or because they are doing badly. Neither behavior will be tolerated. It is up to all participants to make sure their router and/or connection issues are worked out before they enter the Assembly Area.

Objectives (tactical)

The primary objective in the scenario is to destroy the enemy tank platoon. Scoring is based on points for the % of friendly tanks that survive, plus points for the % of enemy tanks that are destroyed, plus bonus points for control of a central objective.

  • The center objective exists as a mechanism to promote action and deter one side from simply sitting in place for 45 minutes. If one side chooses to sit in place, and the other side moves up to take the center objective, then the side that now controls the objective has the initiative and can wait for the enemy to make their move. If they do not, then chances are (depending on losses and kills) the side that owns the objective will win by points.

Central Objective Ownership

Ownership of the objective will NOT be announced to the participants during the scenario. In other words, neither side will get a message when the objective has been secured. Also, objective ownership acts as a toggle; you are NOT required to sit on the objective to maintain control it. Ownership of the objective is determined by the side that outnumbers the other on it last. In other words, once one side moves in and outnumbers the other in the center objective then that outnumbering side will have ownership of it and they can move out of it. Ownership will then change hands once the other side moves through it with superior force.

Victory Determination

The victor of the round is the side that has the highest Mission Score at the end of the scenario (individual User Score is irrelevant and is only kept to determine who will win "Top Gun" honors at the end of the tournament).

Mission Score

The Mission Score consists of the following:

+350 points maximum for % of destroyed enemy tanks
+350 points maximum for % of surviving friendly tanks
+300 points maximum for control of the center objective (OBJ Center)


1000 points total (perfect score)

  • Control of the center objective is determined by who passed through it last, or who outnumbers the other in it (if both sides are in it). However, in the event that one side destroys all the other side's tanks, the objective is automatically given to that winning side.

User Score (for Top Gun determination)

Of lesser importance, User score consists of the following:

+350 points maximum for hit % (accuracy)
+300 points maximum for at least 12 seconds average time to kill
+350 points maximum for user kills (87.5 points for each user kill)
-1000 points maximum for fratricide penalty (-500 points for each fratricide)


1000 points total (perfect score)

Draw (tie)

In the rare event where both sides have the exact same Mission Score, which should be mathematically impossible -- but you never know, the round is considered a draw and must be played again.

Time Limit

The time limit of each engagement is 45 minutes, +/- 5 minutes.

Time of Day

Each scenario takes place at a random time of day, with a random level of visibility.

Reporting the Game

After each mission, the AAR file is saved and uploaded (temporarily) to SB.com for all to evaluate. If the tournament organizer is not present in the scenario as an observer or participant then the AAR file should be emailed to him from one person on the winning side (the correct email address to send it to will be posted in the forum in the event thread). It is suggested, but not mandatory, that you also send the appropriate .htm report file so that an AAR can be written in the SBwiki.

  • Scenario results are not official until an AAR is provided and evaluated (the AAR is necessary to calculate points).

Organization (time and place to play a round)

The round parings in the tournament will be announced on SB.com. Rounds will be officially played either on Fridays at 2330 CST (after TGIF) OR on Saturdays at 1400 CST. If, on Friday, some participants are still in a TGIF game at that time, then be courteous and allow up to 30 minutes for them to finish up their game before starting.

Alternatively, the leaders of the two platoons can message each other through email, or by private message or post at SB.com and coordinate an alternate meeting time. The only requirement is that a round must be played by the Game Master's specified "end date" (which will be made known, and will usually be a time period of SIX DAYS after pairings are posted -- the Game Master must have ample time to make a new scenario and report the game results for the next Friday).

  • It must be stressed that the scheduled time of Friday, 2330 CST and Saturday, 1400 CST are the ONLY officially sanctioned times of the event, which is when most matches should be played. If a would be team thinks that it would not occasionally be able to play a match at those official times then the team should not sign up for the tournament. Also, see Forfeiting a round.

Bye Round

An odd number team in the tournament tree that does not have an opposing team will receive a bye for that round. A bye does not count towards their total number of rounds, therefore it does not effect their Top Tank Platoon and Top Gun average scores (it does not lower the score by counting that bye round in the total number of rounds played).

  • The Bye round is determined by the Tournament Tree. If a team ends up in a bracket without a an opponent (ie. because of eliminations), then that team will get a bye for that round.

Forfeit and Disqualification

Starting a Match with Less a Full Team

If the two teams do not have their four teammates present then they should not play the match until all are present, however a team can play a match without their full compliment of players if they so desire. However, if a team plays more than TWO rounds of the tournament without it's full compliment of four players, then that team will be disqualified. In other words, once this happens a third time, you are out. (NOTE: Players dropping from a game mid session does not count toward this, it is only when someone does not show up entirely).

If the match starts to the Execution Phase and the missing player(s) finally shows up, the match must continue and should not be restarted unless the opposing side agrees to restart. If a match is played without the full compliment of players then the user(s) who do not show up are given a User Score of 0 for that round.

Receiving a Forfeit Loss

If, for any reason, the match cannot be played out before the end date, then both teams forfeit the match and it is recorded as a loss for both sides with a Mission Score and User Score of 0. The exception to this is the following:

If only one team is present at the Friday 2330 CST or Saturday 1400 CST time just before the end date, and if that team has all members present, then the fully present team receives a bye round and the non-present team receives a forfeit loss (the Game Master or co-Game Master will be present to observe this).

  • This exception exists because it demonstrates to the Game Master or co-Game Master that one of the teams did try to play the match during the last available officially scheduled time. This exception also exists to keep a team that does not want to participate from bringing down the team(s) that do want to participate.

Administrative Action

These rules in their entirety are subject to change. The Game Master (the creator of the tournament) reserves the right to make adjustments to the rules as necessary to iron out imperfections, and for the sake of clarity. Some rules may have to be rewritten in the middle of the tournament if the Game Master's intent was not properly conveyed in the initial writing of the rule. This will be done at a bare minimum and only in an emergency to keep the entire tournament from possible derailment.

The most important thing to remember is that the Game Master's final decision is LAW.

Honorable Play/Disqualification

Above all this tournament is intended to be a friendly competition. If you are the type of person that must win at everything you do regardless of who you trample on your way to the top, then you should not participate in this tournament. This tournament should be viewed as an honorable duel/joust between knights rather than a cat-fight. In regards to gloating and bragging, it is always best if you let your individual User Score and Mission Score do the talking for you.

If at any time it is determined that an individual or team (platoon) is a detriment to the overall experience of the tournament (in extreme cases), then that individual or entire team may be disqualified and removed from the event. If an individual from a team is disqualified, then it is up to that team to find a fourth participant or else they will forfeit each future match they are scheduled to participate in.

Since the Game Master is not a baby sitter, in most cases zero tolerance will be exercised. If there are two individuals or two teams which are frequently complaining about each other or causing trouble then all parties may be disqualified. Disqualified people and teams can participate in future tournaments, unless they have a history of being disqualified in several prior tournaments.

--Volcano 03:29, April 19, 2010 (UTC)