Author Topic: General rules and guidelines for any tournament ran by OKgamers  (Read 5803 times)

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Offline X_A

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First - why would we run a tournament?  Not to make money, nor compete with local tournaments or venues.  We simply run events to help get the word out about OKgamers.com - to help achieve our goals; click here for those.  More on 'games and hardware' below.

Second - do these following rules always apply?  As much as possible, yes.  If anything in here is venue or game specific, realize they probably apply in their own way to the new venue, or game.  If you have questions - SIMPLY ASK THE STAFF running the event, or post on the specific thread in question.  Otherwise?  Assume that these apply ALWAYS and EVERYWHERE WE ARE.

Third - please take a few minutes each day or week to stay current, and aware of what is going on around the site.  We put all this effort into events, JUST to get the word out about the site.  We put all this effort into the site, JUST to try and improve Oklahoma's situation on gaming, hook gamers up with a place to network, and knowing what's going on...

...it's insulting for you to ask us over and over again about something posted, or worse, act like you don't even know about the site in the first place. 

These are general rules we use to help keep things orderly.  We expect anyone participating, attending, or watching a event to be aware of these rules, and held accountable as such.  When possible, this will be posted for review.  Otherwise, review these and have them understood, and followed by yourselves, and those around you.

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General:

Information on the site: is subject to change.  Do not review something 5 weeks before an event, then feel it should be the same when you arrive.  Check your information the night before, etc - so you have up to date information.  We will not be held accountable for you not staying current with the site.  See our third point above.

Read our goals: we are putting our time and efforts into this for free.  We are just as human as you are, and may make a mistake.  If you see a way for us to improve - let us know.  If your feeling something can be handled better, please post about it, or go through the best channels to have that happen; like posting on the thread of the event or coming to our monthly meetings.  Simply remember: we are away from our friends, family, and jobs - to try and do something good - improve Oklahoma, and benefit you.  Do not forget this fact; as it is in the forefront of every staff members mind as they help run events.

If you want to help with a tournament / our cause / etc, do not attempt to 'sign up' at the event.  Sure, let us know you are planning on it so we have a face to go with your name, but remember we need organized info to keep even a volunteer based system like ours running - simply read this thread, and join our staff through the process everyone else has.  Reading the current qualifications, and then submitting your info through the form linked in that thread.

If it's in the rules / stated on the thread - we mean it.  Do not show up to an event with the idea we will change, or alter a event to your suiting.  If you want something to change - POST ON THAT THREAD ahead of time; so it may be discussed, and reviewed properly.

Will we change any rules at the tourney?  Unless otherwise specified we will make no changes without a 100 percent agreed motion from all the gamers that are signed up.

What if rules aren't accurate, or need to change due to circumstance? We will use the best judgement present based off our staff, as well as input from selected individuals from the groups of players present.

Have what you need for an event - FIRST - or ahead of time.  We will not hold up a tournament for someone to go get a controller - something which you should have your own of anyway, as required usually by the event or pre-registration rules.  We reserve the right to disqualify those that are not ready to play after 2 calls.

We reserve the right on ANY game to make the tournament Single Elimination if there is not enough hardware, or too many people show up [Too many only means we don't have the hardware brought to meet the demand in the time we have - be sure you understand that].  We have timelines based on the next tournament in that spot, venue closing times to consider, etc; and will do what we must to maintain a good relationship with a venue - so we can continue having events and tournaments there.

Event pre-registration - is as lined out in the individual thread.  If there is no pre-registration, and no mention of such, please post on the thread requesting information.

...which leads us to a good golden rule:

When you have a question - ask it on the thread it PERTAINS TO, and ONLY after you've made sure it's not mentioned in that thread.  If you have a question, review the thread on the event in question thoroughly to make sure you've not missed your information.  At that point, if your sure it's not there, simply reply to that thread asking your question.  If the thread is locked for some reason, PM the person that authored the thread [pm'ing is the last resort, as you posting on the thread WILL GET faster response / a response from someone else that knows].

Do not post questions on an un-related thread, your comment will be modded, or you will look silly.

If you do not have a forum account to ask the question - simply sign up for one.  It only take a minute, and requires only a working email address.  Worst case senerio - you don't recieve a email on your forum account signup within 10 minutes or so, feel free to use the contact form - but ONLY after you've checked your email and waited at least 10 minutes.  Please remember our third point above.


Cost:

What do we do when we charge you?
The location fee keeps our place to have tournaments in business.  If there is a charge beyond the location fee, OKgamers reserves the right to take 1$ to make more flyers that promote the tournaments / events / getting the word out.  All the rest goes towards prizes unless otherwise stated. 

Why charge for some games and not others?  
A - if we are charging, it's because after being put to a vote, that is how you, the gamers have voted.
B - if we are not charging, it's because either it's been voted to 'play for fun' and not have a prize / charge to play, or it's a swing vote game / the first time we've played the game, and not had feedback from the community yet.

KEEP IN MIND - we throw these to get the word out, not make money.  So?  We don't charge unless we are asked to. 

How can I get you to charge for my game?
You can't :).  But, if you and at least 2 others post on a tournament thread asking us to put the decision to a poll / request a vote / do another vote, and we'll do so for the next time we play.  We try and be fair about serving the majority of the players, so we do what the voting says.


We make no money doing this.  This is all volunteer, in the hopes of improving Oklahoma by networking through one site for gamers.  Don't abuse staff, or give us a hard time - as we aren't getting paid to put up with it :) 


Games and Hardware:

Why do we throw tournaments for the games we do?
Because a company has asked us to help them throw a tournament for that game.  Or, because we decided to do monthly tournaments - and have those games that we play voted in.  Or, because we just did.  If your interested in us having a tournament for a game - watch for our monthly voting thread - and follow the rules / guidelines as posted there to have your game voted in.

What's a swing vote game?  Can I suggest one?
We started out all vote based, but discovered the SAME games were getting voted in, again and again.  So - we decided to take 1 of the 3 game spots, and handle it seperately - thus 'swing vote' games were born.  In March we first lined out a 5 months or so worth of games to play. After those run out, right around August or so, we'll do another 'swing vote' for games - so if you want us to have a tournament for a game we've never held a tournament for?  That'd be the time to act. 

What's the deal with 'hardware' - why should I bring anything?
If you've read the goals as linked to above, you now know we are not a company, rich or able to have massive amounts of hardware.  We have no funding or resources to just HAVE HARDWARE.  What we do is provide the structure, and promotion for a event or tournament - as a way to help get the word out about this website - OKgamers.com - as lined out in our goals.  In that process, we throw events on a BYO system - which has and will work for years to come.  We rely on the kindness of gamers in the community to help themselves.  The main flaw?  It does depends on the gamers to help themselves.  While this entire site is based off that concept, we must make it clear - we don't have the resources to just have hardware appear.  We don't plan on ever charging enough to buy hardware.  We don't plan on ever getting hardware.  We simply do what we can - which is helping network gamers towards our goals, and the goal of improving Oklahoma.  Unless Wal-mart or some random corporation drops hundreds of thousands of dollars on our cause, we'll never ever own hardware - it just doesn't make any sense.

What if I can't bring hardware?
We understand - as we often don't have the hardware to bring either.  [We don't play the game, etc]  However, if NO ONE can bring hardware, we cannot have a tournament for that game.  Nothing to play on ='s no tournament.  SO - encourage those that can bring hardware.  Thank them when they do.  Offer to help them carry their stuff out.  Whatever you can do - to help see them bring it next time - helps you as a gamer have more fun, events, and etc.

You'll find this a underlining theme:  Help us help yourself. 


Conduct:

REMEMBER WHERE YOU ARE - if we are having a event at a family location, remember KIDS are around you.  Please do not use excessive cursing, or fowl treatment of other players.  Play nice, and we keep getting to use facilities such as Funhouse, and other venues.

Trash talk / Yelling - we don't CARE what you do online, or at your house.  Your in a public venue at anything we do; act accordingly.  If you create a issue, you will be asked to leave.  If you create a serious problem, we reserve the right to ban you from any event the OKgamers.com staff throws.

Rough housing - IS NOT ALLOWED.  Period.  YOU ARE SURROUNDED BY ELECTRONICS, and people's family.  We don't care if he fragged you, looked at you, pwn'd you, etc.  Physcial threats, harm, or contact is not tolerated in any negative manner.  Don't get physical; we will eject you from the event, and ban you from any future events we are involved with.

General Conduct - NO venue is assured.  NO staff member or activity assured.  Be nice to people, or at least civil.  CLEAN UP after yourself, as much as possible.  Have fun - but remember where you are, and that your actions could be responsible for maintaining relationships, and events continuing.  Please - don't go out of your way to be a issue, we don't want to have to deal with that :)

We rely on players to also help us spot issues.  If someone cheats, or becomes a issue in ANY way - REPORT that to the staff running the tournament. 

Do not harrass, or pressure staff: 
 - We don't get paid for doing these events, so don't think we won't stop a event because of abuse.
 - If a member of the community has become a problem more than once, we reserve the right to ban them from any event we throw.
 - The staff is volunteers.  The venues often charge little to nothing for the events you are at.  Read above and make sure you clearly understand this.
 - Do NOT attempt to bribe anyone to, or personally change a bracket.  Anyone attending a tournament gets a fair chance - so brackets are created with random and seeding techniques.  YOU don't get to do something because you want to, we reserve the right to ban anyone who attempts to alter brackets.


Legal:

OKgamers.com, any volunteer staff and crew along with the employees of any venue / business / sponsor associated with an event can not be held responsible for lost or stolen items. We can not express our need for you to mark and watch all of your belongings more. We as the staff will do what we can to watch over the stuff the best we can, but you are still responsible.

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Have we had enough problems to warrant all these rules?  No, not at all.  HOWEVER - we don't want to be negligent in our responsibility to help create and foster a welcoming environment - thus we have developed these rules.

When in doubt?  Ask through the proper channels; please remember our third point above. 

We all operate under the assumption you've read this and will comply.  Showing up to an event states to us that you are prepared to behave under these simple rules.  Thank you for understanding, we look forward to having excellent events with you!



X A

« Last Edit: May 28, 2007, 02:50:26 pm by X_A »
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