Posts from 2009 World Championship for Heroes IV Online.

The WC 2009 network (password: WC 2009) is full. Tomorrow, Hamachi networks will be created for all players.

The following Hamachi networks have been created for the participants of the World Championship 2009:

For players in the first 8 matches: WC 2009 1-8 (password: WC 2009)
For players in matches 9 to 16: WC 2009 9-16 (password: WC 2009)
For players in matches 17 to 24: WC 2009 17-24 (password: WC 2009)
For players in matches 25 to 32: WC 2009 25-32 (password: WC 2009)

The World Championship 2009 games have already begun:

AbuSoleira vs. Cannonball IRONMAN
Mr_Cammembert vs. MSG-2 CIRCLE

So it's time to open a thread for reports. Here it is.

All the necessary information is summarized in the first post of this thread. You can also find the tournament payout brackets there, which are always updated. Read about current and completed games there as well.

Even though I don't play Heroes 4, I'd still be interested in reading reports from such a grand event, so here's a suggestion: for convenience, add the countries of the participants to the reports. Best regards, HoM[M]ie.

Even though I don't play Heroes of Might and Magic IV, I'd still be interested in reading reports from such a grand event, so I have a suggestion: for convenience, add the countries of the participants to the reports.

Sincerely, HoM[M]ie.

As you wish.

God knows, I didn't want this, but I had to.

An open letter to the tournament organizer Oxygen, and judges LordZezuk and DJN (a copy has been sent via email).

Good day, esteemed judges and tournament organizer. The background to my request is as follows:
August 28, 2009. On the day the tournament began, I, as a host player, agreed with my opponent (Lord Nadicus).
August 29, 2009. We played for about a week. We postponed the game at the opponent's request. The opponent was very upset that he was doing much worse in the game. Judge STRANNIK contacted me and asked how our game was going.
August 30 - September 1, 2009. The opponent avoided continuing the game in every way, citing, in my opinion, disrespectful reasons (football, he was tired, because he had been playing Heroes with another player for 5 hours before me, etc.).
September 1, 2009. Since, according to the rules, the host is responsible for the game, I informed Judge STRANNIK about all of this. I don't know what he said to my opponent, but the latter specifically attacked me. It was difficult (I don't know English well and I don't know French at all) to agree on a time for tomorrow....
September 2, 2009. We played for another two weeks. We postponed the game at the opponent's request.
September 3, 2009. We continued for the third time. I managed to break through to him, captured a city (the opponent didn't even approach it), collected everything, including artifacts. Then I broke through the guard and reached the valuable artifact - the Book of Nature (next to the Tree of Knowledge). There were 4 angels and 10 crusaders of the opponent standing nearby, without heroes. I easily killed them and took the book. Then the opponent attacked me again, called me a cheater, and left the game without warning. He had no more than 0 chance in this game. I immediately reported this incident to Judge STRANNIK, fortunately, he was online. We agreed that he would find out what was wrong with the opponent and whether he would continue.
September 4-5, 2009. There is no news from the judge or the opponent.
September 6, 2009. I ask Judge STRANNIK what happened in the conversation with the opponent. Answer: he promised to play.
September 7-9, 2009. The opponent does not contact me. However, my potential opponent in the second round, Vladimir, contacted me. We agreed that I would write to him as soon as they give me a victory, possibly a technical one.
September 10, 2009. I ask Judge STRANNIK what happened to the opponent. Answer: he promised to play.
September 11-14, 2009. Neither the opponent nor Judge STRANNIK contact me, although I knocked on the latter's door every day, both "offline" and "online," and even in the "away" status, but there was no response!
September 15, 2009. Judge STRANNIK contacted me himself and requested the game saves, ignoring my questions about where the opponent was and threatening me with a technical defeat.
September 17, 2009. Judge STRANNIK is not answering again, although he has been online for more than an hour. I still don't know what happened to the opponent and why he is not contacting me. And today (tomorrow?) the first round of the Championship ends. And my opponent in the second round, Vladimir, is already waiting, which puts me in an awkward position.

At the same time, on the French website (http://www.archangelcastle.com/), reports about the opponent's and the judge's games were found:
CTPAHHuK - Lord Nadicus 11.09
mr_camembert - Lord Nadicus 12.09
Lord Nadicus - Astrorara 13.09
joseywales - Lord Nadicus 14.09
pacobac - Lord Nadicus 17.09

Thus, the following conclusions can be drawn:
1. The opponent deliberately and without valid reasons avoided playing.
2. Judge STRANNIK is aware of the reasons for the opponent's avoidance, but unreasonably concealed this from me, which suggests his bias.

In this regard, I demand:
1. That a technical defeat be awarded to my opponent for avoiding the game.
2. An official apology for ignoring my requests from an official of the tournament.
3. That STRANNIK be removed from judging and organizational duties.
4. That a new judge from Russia be selected, for example, Zybr, as a very polite and responsive person, or Lee, as someone who understands Heroes very well.

Skid Vicious 17.09.09

09/15/09. The judge, STRANIK, contacted me himself and requested the game saves. He ignored my questions about the opponent's whereabouts and threatened me with a technical defeat.

You, of course, sent the saves?

Since a vote of no confidence has been expressed regarding the judge, I will respond.
SkidVicious, you have encountered a contentious situation. According to the rules, resolving contentious situations is the responsibility of the judges. To resolve the contentious situation, save files were requested, and, according to your own words, at least one save file was available at the time of the request. You responded with a refusal and questioned the judge's competence. Immediately afterward, you were politely warned about the consequences, but the save files were never received.

Lord Nadicus sent the save file upon the first request and included the password. Therefore, there are no questions regarding him until the save file is opened; he fulfilled the judges' requests. You were given time and warnings. This did not yield any results, and therefore the warnings have been put into effect. These are the rules, and there is no turning back. You will participate in the second, equally interesting bracket of the tournament. I hope that similar situations will not be repeated.

And one more point: there will be no public discussion of the situation. If you have any questions, please contact the judging or organizing committee. We are always ready for dialogue.

Regarding the points of your request, I can answer as follows:

1. To award my opponent a technical defeat for refusing to play. – Lord Nadicus advances to the next round
2. An official apology for ignoring my requests to an official tournament representative – please: we apologize, but you are responsible for your own defeat.
3. To remove STRANNIK from judging and organizational duties – the judging panel remains unchanged; Strannik's actions are considered to be the only possible course of action.
4. To select a new judge from Russia, for example, Zybr, as a very polite and responsive person, or Lee, as someone who has an excellent understanding of Heroes – recommendations regarding the composition of the judging panel were accepted before the start of the tournament.

Sorry for interrupting, but

8. It is advisable to make regular saves (e.g., at the end of your turn) to
resolve controversial situations that may arise in the game.

“Advisable” and “mandatory” are different concepts. If a decision was made based on this, then it generally doesn't comply with the rules of this tournament.

By the way, since we're having a sort of "discussion," I also have a question. How long should we wait for a response from an opponent to an email? I'm not even the host in my game, but honestly, just sitting around doing nothing is boring. I haven't received any proposals from my opponent yet. Considering that I didn't play in the 1/32 round... in general, it's a pity to waste weeks like this:(

"Desirable" and "mandatory" are different concepts. If a decision was made based on this, then it generally doesn't comply with the rules of this tournament.

Please read more carefully. The player is not being blamed for not making saves, but for ignoring the judge's request. At the time of the request, at least one save existed. There were no claims regarding the number or frequency of saves.

When a football player ignores the referee's request, he leaves the field with a red card. This is the case in all sports. We are no exception.

By the way, since we're having some sort of "discussion," I also have a question. How long should we wait for a response from an opponent to an email? I'm not even the host in my game, but honestly, just sitting around doing nothing is boring. I haven't received any proposals from my opponent yet. Considering that I didn't play in the 1/32 round... in general, it's a pity to waste weeks like this:(

If there is no response, you need to contact the judges. As for how long to wait, let everyone's internal clock guide them :) But waiting until the very last day is clearly not an option.

oxygen_hl, regarding the first point, I just wanted to clarify:)

As for the timing, I haven't seen an answer yet. The judge is aware, but he can't play as Sylvan:D
Regarding internal deadlines, I believe that if a player registers for a tournament, they should respond to the email within a couple of days. But in my case, I haven't received a response to the email since Monday. In MSN, Strannik says that there is an opponent, but for example, today there were no reactions from him (I sent a request for authorization, and he was online at the time). It's not even about the rules; in this regard, I actually have an advantage (I shouldn't be the one searching), but I'm just tired of this constant babysitting with opponents; I don't need wins or losses, I need games...
Therefore, I repeat that I've been waiting for 3 weeks, and the prospect of "rotting" for another 2 weeks is not very encouraging...

As for the timing, I haven't seen an answer yet. The judge is aware, but he can't play as Silencer himself, can he? :D
Regarding internal deadlines, I think that if a player signs up for a tournament, they should respond to the message within a couple of days. But in my case, I haven't received a response to the email since Monday. In MSN, Stranger says that there is an opponent, but for example, today there were no reactions from him (I sent a request for authorization, and he was online at the time). It's not even about the rules; in this regard, I actually have an advantage (I don't have to do the searching), but I'm just getting tired of this constant babysitting with opponents. I don't need technical wins or losses; I just want to play...
Therefore, I repeat that I've been waiting for 3 weeks, and the prospect of "rotting" for another 2 weeks is not very encouraging either...

I understand you perfectly. Participation is the main problem with online games. There's nothing you can do if a player doesn't want to communicate; you can't change that :( We can only hope that there will be fewer such cases.

09/15/09. Judge STRANIK himself came and demanded the game saves, ignoring my questions about where the opponent was and threatening a technical defeat. It seems that STRANIK was so eager to see the saves that he threatened defeat, even lost his mind and became incoherent... :) Are judges here to fulfill the wishes of those who make requests or to judge? Regarding the recommendation to make daily saves, this is for your own benefit... If you don't do it, it's worse for you; you'll have fewer arguments in favor of your case. The judge received complaints from both sides, but since only one side has fulfilled the judge's request so far, it clearly has an advantage.

Let's get things straight first, because it feels like we are playing by different rules :) And then I will answer your specific questions.
1. I am basing my position on the rules set out in the file WC_09_Regulation_Rules_rus.pdf, posted in the first post of this thread.
2. I clearly understand that I have offended a certain community of the "powerful ones" and that I will lose regardless, even if it is obvious to everyone that I am right.

Now regarding the situation. I am somewhat surprised that for all of you (except Zybr), it seems normal that both my opponent and the judge ignored me for several days. Once again, I ask you to put yourself in my shoes: The opponent leaves the game and disappears. The judge promises twice that the opponent will play, but in the end, he also ignores me. The round ends; neither the judge nor the opponent makes contact. In a panic, I write an open letter so that at least someone hears me...

Now to the questions:

SkidVicious, you have encountered a disputed situation. According to the rules, the resolution of disputes is entrusted to the judges. To resolve the dispute, saves were requested

You misunderstood the situation. The first dispute arose when my opponent called me a cheater and left the game. I turned to the judge STRANNIK (according to the Rules, see point 1 of this message). And he, as he later told me, resolved the situation by telling me that the opponent would play and everything was fine. I decided to continue playing as if nothing had happened, since the rules (see point 1) say nothing about liability for such unmanly (though I admit this may be perfectly normal for French men) baseless accusations like "cheater" (and they should). Thus, the episode (the first dispute) was closed. A few days later, I again asked STRANNIK for confirmation as to whether everything was indeed okay and if the opponent was playing. The answer: yes, he is playing. After a few more days (totaling more than 10 days since he left the game and 5 days before the end of the tournament, i.e., fully according to the Rules, see point 1), I inform STRANNIK that the opponent is stalling the tournament deadlines and not making contact—and this is currently the ongoing (or second) disputed situation. Therefore, I truly do not understand why saves are needed here, when it was simply necessary to find the person and, regardless of the search results, report those results to me!

The other side of the issue. Since STRANNIK ignores all my requests and complaints, I no longer trust him and consequently fear sending a save with a password, because the round is still ongoing and theoretically the opponent could reappear an hour after the save is sent with a proposal to continue the game, but already knowing all my weaknesses.

Saves were requested and, by your own words, a save (at least one) existed at the time of the request. You responded with a refusal and questioned the judge's competence. Immediately following this, you were warned in a correct manner about the consequences, but no saves were received.

Lord Nadicus sent a save upon the first request and included a password. That is, there are no questions regarding him until the save is opened; he fulfilled the judges' requirements. You, however, were given time and warnings.

The player is not being blamed for not making saves, but for ignoring the judge's request. At least one save existed at the time of the request. There were no complaints regarding the number or daily frequency of saves.

1. I did not refuse to send saves! I only clarified that I have only one(!) save and I cannot send many(!) saves, as requested by judge STRANNIK based on nothing.
2. Despite this response, many(!) saves were demanded from me, which I can interpret as nothing other than being blamed for the number of saves!
3. I didn't have a shred of time. To the question of on what basis I should send saves, the answer received was: Either the saves are sent within 15 minutes or it is a technical defeat for—ATTENTION—rude behavior (the correctness of the warning's form is questionable, to say the least)!!! And this after complete ignoring of my requests for four days (this speaks to the matter of behavior)! Sorry, but in 15 minutes I technically would not have had time to send my save, even if I really wanted to.
4. Just a stupid question: if the judge has a save from my opponent, why does he need one from me? Is it truly only for the purpose of giving the judge a reason to give me a technical defeat?
5. Another stupid question: where in the rules is it written that you can receive a technical defeat for not sending saves during an unfinished round?

When a football player ignores the referees' demands, he leaves the field with a red card. That is how it is in all sports. We are no exception.

However, if a judge makes unfair demands, such a judge then receives disqualification up to suspension for the rest of the Championship, which happened at the last meeting of the DRC of the Russian Premier League, when five(!) referees were suspended from their duties at once, two of them until the end of the Championship.

If there is no reaction, you must turn to the judges. As for how long to wait—let everyone's internal clock tell them :) But waiting until the last day is clearly not an option.

The funniest thing is that I did exactly that. And what? Nothing! The judge had no reaction. Zybr, get ready, a technical defeat awaits you just as it does me.

1. Award my opponent a technical defeat for avoiding the game. — Lord Nadicus advances to the next round
2. Official apologies for ignoring my requests to an official of the tournament — please: sorry, but you are to blame for your own defeat.
3. Remove STRANNIK from judging and organizational duties — the judicial corps remains unchanged; Strannik's actions were assessed as the only possible ones.
4. Choose a new judge from Russia, for example Zybr, as a very polite and responsive person, or Lee as someone with an excellent understanding of Heroes — recommendations for the composition of the judicial corps were accepted before the start of the tournament.

1. I understand your wish (see point 2), but I will still wait for an official decision (see point 1), since another judge is present here.
2. Thank you, but it's too early to talk about a decision on defeat.
3. It is your right to keep biased judges, but in my opinion (though it seems few people here are interested in it)—this heavily discredits the organization of the tournament.
4. If current ones aren't removed, then there's no need to elect new ones :) By the way, I registered for the tournament after the list of judges had already been accepted...

The judge received complaints from both sides, but since only one side has fulfilled the judge's requirements so far, it is clearly their advantage.

So those are the news. I should have turned to you immediately. And what complaint was received from my opponent? And when—yesterday, or did STRANNIK hide this from me too? I am simply unaware of any of this and cannot even understand what the opponent could complain about (surely not that I play better? :)). By the way, how did the opponent explain that he promised judge STRANNIK he would play, but not only didn't play, but didn't even make contact? I really hope for your answers, as it seems you are the only one who knows (or the only one not hiding) something about my opponent.

You sent the saves, of course?

Naturally, no!!! Because:
1. I don't have "saves," I have only one save, but judge STRANNIK was not satisfied with this and demanded several saves, threatening a technical defeat in 15 minutes if they were absent. What is the point of sending 1 if 10 are demanded?
2. I technically could not send my save within the stated 15 minutes.
3. Most importantly: there isn't even a hint in the rules that players must send multiple saves upon any request from a judge. Especially in an ongoing round. Especially without explanation of reasons. After all, are we playing by the rules proposed by the organizers and judges?
4. The judge did not explain the reasons requiring such urgent sending of saves (reminder: there were still several days until the end of the round).
5. At that moment, I already had many suspicions regarding the bias of the judge demanding the saves.