DISCUSSIONS on “Rules for online games in HoMM3 and formulas for calculating player rating.”

I last edited the rules about a year ago; some corrections and clarifications have accumulated, but there are no significant changes. Please read through them—if anything is poorly phrased, I will rewrite it.
I'll implement these changes first, then check what other suggestions were made over the past year, and we can discuss them.

If the results of the thread Voting for Time limit on different templates lead to changes in time per turn, I will add those corrections at the end of the spring season.

The following changes are planned compared to version 2.0 of the rules:

In section
I. General organizational issues.

Instead of:
I.2. The use of additional programs that speed up the game process is permitted, specifically:
- A program for fast exchange of troops and artifacts between two heroes in Heroes III - HMM3_Lighter,
- Battle animation accelerator - Cranim,
- Interface functional improvement mod - HoMM3 HD.

I will add:
I.2. The use of additional programs and files that speed up the game process is permitted:
- A program for fast exchange of troops and artifacts between two heroes in Heroes III - HMM3_Lighter,
- Battle animation accelerator - Cranim,
- Interface functional improvement mod - HoMM3 HD.
The player using these programs and files is responsible for all bugs that arise from their use.
The use of any other additional programs and files affecting the Gameplay is prohibited without agreement with the opponent.

There was a discussion on this matter, and there were unpleasant incidents...

Instead of:
I.6. Players are strongly recommended to make daily saves.

Now:
I.6. Players are required to make daily saves, keep them until the end of the tournament (i.e., until the results are finalized and the winner is awarded), and present them upon first request by the tournament leader/judge/member of the AC.
If saves are missing for any reason, the leader/judge/AC will rely on the saves presented by the opponent. In such a case, claims against the opponent and judges will not be accepted.

I added this point because cheaters periodically appear in the seasonal tournament (Katherine and RBW are just the tip of the iceberg), who, when claims are made, happily report that the saves were forged, they are seeing them for the first time, and they deleted their own—and where is it written that they must be kept? After such a conversation, the "player" disappears, and we cannot punish them despite 100% proof.

In section
II. Rules for online games on template 2SM4d(3) and SoD version.
in article 5.10. Hero restrictions.

Instead of
5.10.1. Sir Mullich level 3 or higher cannot attack heroes, towns, mines with a garrison, or neutral monsters.

Now
5.10.1. If Sir Mullich level 3 or higher attacks a hero, town, mine with a garrison, or neutral monsters, his first action must be to retreat/buy off. However, if he is attacked, he has the right to defend himself.

Instead of
5.10.2. Izra and Vidomine are allowed to upgrade the "Wizardry" skill to "Expert" level only as the last offered skill. In this case, there are no restrictions on further use.
5.10.3. Izra and Vidomina who obtained expert wizardry by a method other than specified in point 5.10.2 cannot attack heroes, towns, mines with a garrison, or neutral monsters.

Now
5.10.3. Izra and Vidomine are allowed to upgrade the "Wizardry" skill to "Expert" level only as the last offered skill. In this case, there are no restrictions on further use.
5.10.4. If Izra and Vidomina, who obtained expert wizardry by a method other than specified in point 5.10.3, attack a hero, town, mine with a garrison, or neutral monsters, their first action must be to retreat/buy off. However, if they are attacked, they have the right to defend themselves.

Under the existing rule, these heroes cannot be defeated, they cannot be used to check guards, and it is unclear what to do if they are attacked.

In article 5.13. Bugs:
5.13.1. It is prohibited at the Artifact Trader in Tower, Conflux, and Dungeon towns to sell Artifacts or Magic Scrolls at prices that do not correspond to their actual price.
5.13.2. Using the bug to view the opponent's hero is prohibited.

An additional point has been added:
5.13.3. Use of a hero without an army is prohibited (there must be at least one unit in the army). The entire army can be taken before dismissal.

The structure of section III. Rules for online games on other templates and SoD version will be changed.
Rules for templates without computers will be at the beginning of the section, followed by rules for templates with computers, which will change the numbering. Clarifications will be made to the rules for Jebus cross, Nostalgia, Mini-Nostalgia.

3 - > 1. Differences for Panic and Balance:
- Standard map settings: size L-U, humans - 2, computers - 0, no water, monsters - strong, difficulty 130% (rook).

Instead of:

2. Differences for Jebus cross:
- Standard map settings: size XL-U, two players, no water, monsters - strong, difficulty 160%, time limit per turn – 8 minutes.
- Restart at the request of a player whose only road leads to ГО. Taken on the day this fact is discovered.
- Restart at the request of a player who lacks a road to the central treasure zone. Taken on the day this fact is discovered.
- Restart due to slow roads. Taken if at least one opponent wishes immediately after map generation.
- Using "Angel Wings" and the spells "Fly" and "Dimension Door" when moving from one zone to another is permitted only if the guard between them has been defeated.
- In case of bugged passages between zones, passing to an adjacent zone is possible only if ГО to the center has been defeated from both zones.
- In the Necropolis town, Galtran can be chosen as the starting hero.

Now:

2. Differences for Jebus cross:
- Standard map settings: size XL-U, two players, no water, monsters - strong, difficulty 160%, time limit per turn – 10 minutes.
- In the Necropolis town, Galtran can be chosen as the starting hero.
- Restart due to slow roads. Taken if at least one opponent wishes immediately after map generation.
- To exit your zone into the central treasure zone, it is necessary to defeat ГО. Using bugged passages to the central treasure zone is prohibited until ГО has been defeated.
- Mandatory restart if a player completely lacks ГО between their starting zone and the center, i.e., there is no ГО on any passage to the center. Taken on the day this fact is discovered.
- Restart at the request of a player who lacks ГО in the passage through which the road to the central treasure zone goes. Taken on the day this fact is discovered.
- Restart at the request of a player whose only road leads to ГО. Taken on the day this fact is discovered.
- Restart at the request of a player who lacks a road to the central treasure zone. Taken on the day this fact is discovered.
- In case of bugged passages between zones, passing to an adjacent zone is possible only if ГО to the center has been defeated from both zones.
- Using "Angel Wings" and the spells "Fly" and "Dimension Door" when moving from one zone to another is permitted only if the guard between them has been defeated.

This was discussed yesterday in the tournament thread.

Instead of
6. Differences for Anarchy (SoD/TE-light only):
- Map settings - L+U, two players.
- All rules are canceled except for fair play.
- Restarts - 111, 113 and for a hero not of the first level. There are no restarts for meeting or blocking.
- EVERYTHING ELSE IS PERMITTED! That is, there are no restrictions on diplomacy, shifted guards, profile same-towns, use of scrolls, red-rushing, etc. There are also no restrictions on Necropolis and Conflux.
- Two options for choosing starting towns are possible - either standard choice or full-random, meaning a random starting town, hero, and resource. In the second option, players switch colors with every subjective restart; in objective restarts (hero level, bugs, etc.), colors do not change.

Now
3. Differences for Anarchy (SoD/TE-light only):
- Map settings - L+U, two players.
- Two options for choosing starting towns are possible:
a) standard choice, b) full-random, meaning a random starting town, hero, and resource. If the town was chosen as full-random, players switch colors after each subjective restart.
- Restarts:
a) mandatory and subjective restarts are the same as for 2SM4d(3);
b) there are no restarts for first meeting, only road to ГО, or strong block.
- The Fair Play rule and prohibitions on using bugs remain in effect.
- Prohibitions and restrictions from II.5 are canceled.

For Anarchy, the essence is the same as before; I just changed the wording to bring it closer to our standard rules.

I will add 8xm8/8xm8a to XL+U.

1. - > 4. Differences for 8mm6/8mm6a, 8xm12/8xm12a, 8xm8/8xm8а, 6LM10/6LM10a, Spider:
- Map settings: XL+U, 2 humans + 6 computers, difficulty 160%.
- Restart due to slow roads. Taken if at least one opponent wishes immediately after map generation.
- It is permitted to move from respawn to respawn without defeating shifted guards.
- If a computer's town has an upgrade of level 1, 6, or 7 in Conflux or level 4 in Necropolis, it is prohibited to upgrade your own troops of these levels or hire the upgraded version of creatures. If a Necromancer Amplifier is built, upgrading vampires is prohibited, but additional skeletons do not need to be dismissed.
- DD can be used 2 times a day with expert air magic.

P.S. I also have this question. In the amendments to the seasonal rules for template 8mm6a, there is a point about prohibiting the construction of upgraded vamps if the computer has a necromancy amplifier. Does this rule apply to the mini-nostalgia template? As I understand it, de jure I could put in upgraded vamps and buy them all up, since this is not prohibited for this template. After all, "Actions not prohibited/restricted by these rules are permitted."

Thank you; of course, for Nostalgia as well.

Instead of:
4. Differences for Nostalgia:
- Map settings: XL+U, 2 humans + 6 computers, difficulty 160%.
- Restart at the request of a player whose only road leads to ГО. Taken on the day this fact is discovered.
- Passing by shifted ГО is prohibited (this does not apply to other passages).
- Restart due to slow roads. Taken if at least one opponent wishes immediately after map generation.
- DD can be used 2 times a day with expert air magic.

Now:
5. Differences for Nostalgia:
- Map settings: XL+U, 2 humans + 6 computers, difficulty 160%.
- Restart due to slow roads. Taken if at least one opponent wishes immediately after map generation.
- Restart at the request of a player whose only road leads to ГО. Taken on the day this fact is discovered.
- Passing by shifted ГО is prohibited. It is permitted to pass by shifted guards of other passages between zones.
- If a computer's town has an upgrade of level 1, 6, or 7 in Conflux or level 4 in Necropolis, it is prohibited to upgrade your own troops of these levels or hire the upgraded version of creatures. If a Necromancer Amplifier is built, upgrading vampires is prohibited, but additional skeletons do not need to be dismissed.
- DD can be used 2 times a day with expert air magic.

Instead of:
5. Differences for Mini-Nostalgia:
- Map settings: L+U for 8 players (i.e., with 6 computers). It is also possible to play as two, in which case neutral towns will be in place of the computers.
- To avoid double-builds, town selection for computers is carried out by players alternately, one at a time. The blue player starts the selection. There should be no repetitions or matches with players' towns. Before starting the game, the host assigns the selected towns to the computers.
- It is permitted to run to adjacent respawns past shifted guards (except for ГО), as computers ignore shifted guards and furthermore, breaking through a passage to a computer is much easier than taking its town.

Now:
6. Differences for Mini-Nostalgia:
- Map settings: L+U for 8 players (i.e., with 6 computers). It is also possible to play as two, in which case neutral towns will be in place of the computers.
- To avoid double-builds, town selection for computers is carried out by players alternately, one at a time. The blue player starts the selection. There should be no repetitions or matches with players' towns. Before starting the game, the host assigns the selected towns to the computers.
- Passing by shifted ГО is prohibited. It is permitted to pass by shifted guards of other passages between zones.
- If a computer's town has an upgrade of level 1, 6, or 7 in Conflux or level 4 in Necropolis, it is prohibited to upgrade your own troops of these levels or hire the upgraded version of creatures. If a Necromancer Amplifier is built, upgrading vampires is prohibited, but additional skeletons do not need to be dismissed.