This thread will function as the sign-up thread and the write-up/video/results thread.
The supersheet : EVERYTHING you need to know right here (except what I've written below)
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1uQtkiqa5...U/edit#gid=328787480
Playoff link will be available at playoff time.
Prerequisites to Sign-Up
This is the 4th annual Summer Gem Hunt Tournament. It lasts the entire length of the summer and you need to be available for all of it. Dropping out hurts the tournament severely, so if you are going away for vacation for 2+ weeks, OR believe you might drop out for any other reason (work, lack of commitment, frustration) please refrain from joining!
All levels of experience and skill are welcome to sign-up simply post in the thread indicating that you want to join.
Time Frame
Sign-Ups last until the tournament begins on June 17. The cutoff time for the end of each week (and the start of the next one) is 10am EST (2 pm GMT) every Saturday, beginning June 17.
The regular season runs June 17 – August 12. During this period no one will be eliminated. The playoffs begin August 12 and run through to the week of September 9-16. Depending on how well you do, you could be eliminated at any point during this time period.
YOU WILL NEED TO PLAY ONE MATCH EVERY WEEK. If you cannot do this, please DO NOT SIGN UP. If you wish to join and are unavailable for 1-2 weeks only, please let me know and we can probably work out a loophole.
How it Works
First and foremost, maps will be random-drawn every Saturday at the cutoff time. Each map will only be picked once (until the playoffs). Be on webchat at that time for some extra excitement
Pre-Seed Round
The first week is the 'pre-seed' week. You have no opponent this week, instead you will do four solo gem hunt runs. You will need a recorder for this to confirm that you did not cheat. The recorder doesn't actually need to record the runs, just be present while you do them. Respawning for a better first spawn is NOT ALLOWED. Once you enter the level you have entered your one and only run, so make the best of it.
Your scores across all four maps will be totalled and highest total gets the best pre-seed: 1. Next highest is seed 2, and so on. Generally, the better your pre-seed, the worse your opponents will be during the regular season.
Regular Season
After the pre-seed week the tournament begins in earnest. The next seven weeks will be 1v1 matches. You will need at least one spectator during these matches and they should (if possible) screen-record and upload.
The matches will consist of 5 games on pre-drawn maps (again: Saturday at the cutoff time). This year, however, instead of counting only the winner of the match, the number of GAMES won is what matters. Winning 5-0 is better than winning 3-2, and losing 2-3 is better than losing 0-5! At the end of the regular season, your total number of wins (35 max, 7 weeks times 5 games) is what you will be ranked by.
MAKE SURE TO REPORT THE SCORES OF EVERY GAME AND MATCH.
The number of players that make the playoffs will depend on the total number of players that signup.
There is a chance that byes will occur for some players. Bye weeks will result in an automatic 5 wins.
Tiebreakers can be found on the spreadsheet.
Playoffs
Playoffs are single elimination, so if you lose you're out. Some players are likely to receive a bye on the first round of the playoffs, but once again it depends on how many people participate.
All playoff matches are best of 7 (first to win 4) except for the final, which is best of 9 (first to 5), and the first round, which is best of 5 (first to 3).
Maps will be chosen by players until the 7th (or 9th in the final) game, but each player MAY NOT CHOOSE THE SAME MAP TWICE throughout the entire playoff span.
This calls for some extra strategy, balancing your need to move on now with your need to move on later. Additionally, any map may not be played twice in one match.
Lag Rules
In the end the player who did NOT lag/crash has the final call to take the game (in the case of a crash) or continue playing (in the case of lag), or to restart the game.
That said, common sense and good sportsmanship is appreciated for huge spikes and early crashes.
Tsuf is the default server if the players cannot agree upon one.
If there are any questions, please ask! For standings/map drawings/schedule ETC use the supersheet linked above. Best of luck to all, and have fun!