Posts from The project is still in development.

Regarding the maps, please let Qwerty show them to me before publishing. In general, I have edited them several times for different online and offline tournaments.

Of course, I will! Especially since you edited most of these maps:))) and they were used in the tournament of three forums!! I want to offer exactly your versions!

Preliminary list of maps:
1. Slugfest
2. Hot Spot
3. The Other Side
4. Beltway_HL
5. North and South.
6. 3 way cross HL.

Due to the potential length of the 3-month gaming period, the following maps have been removed: Good and Evil; Teleports; 7 Lakes; Snowy Lands.

We are actively discussing and suggesting.

Qwerty, we already discussed Slugfest. No one spoke in favor of this map. Why are you promoting it? Personally, I would keep Hotspot, Beltway, and Teleports.

2 Captain
Regarding the Teleports map. One respected player wrote: "The looooongest map." Don't you remember who it was?:)))
I just want to explain how the maps were selected.
Games from the portal from 2006 to 2010 were taken. After that, I looked at the duration of the games. In the case of Teleports, many games ended in the second or third week of the second month. But the decision to suggest removing the map started to emerge after reading the quote above. We could return to Teleports... By the way, there are two versions: the original and the Dust Edition. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of the original: it is familiar to players. The advantages of the Dust Edition: Dust probably optimized the map properly.

Regarding Slugfest. The thing is that PReDS, in the case of playing against me, wants to play Slugfest; he is the Barbarian host, and I am the Knight. This is a very interesting option; I naturally know about his game on this position with Dust, where it was a draw. The whole point is the powerful ranged attack, as well as the resilience of the troops, which is based on regeneration + 60 Hellhounds and Ogre Lords (compared to 30 for enraged Swordsmen), and Paladins are much inferior to Cyclops in Hellhounds, plus when buying Scouts, the number of Goblins and Orcs increases... In short, I find PReDS's option very interesting, with at least not the worst chances for the Barbarian... That's why I left Slugfest. In addition, in the worst case, Slugfest can be used as an additional match for some place - like a shortened control game in chess.

By the way, there are also questions about modifications for Beltway. But here, I think it's better to stick to the classic version – many people have probably played this map. And I think 3-way cross should definitely be included in the editor. Also, for North-South, the rift in the upper left corner will be removed.

The games were taken from the portal from 2006 to 2010. After that, I looked at the duration of the games. Judging by the teleports, many games ended in the second or third week of the second month. But the idea of suggesting the map be removed started after reading the quote above. We can return to the teleports... There are two versions, by the way: the original and the Dust Edition. Each has its pros and cons. The original's advantage: players are familiar with it. The Dust Edition's advantage: Dust probably optimized the map properly.

Friends, let's leave Teleports in. I'm not a big expert in the second game, but I played this map against players, and usually, the game ended in the second month, either with the destruction of an army and the elimination of one of the main heroes, or by pushing the opponent to the edge of the map and subsequent surrender. But what beautiful games came out of it.

There are questions about the original version of "Teleports." The extreme position on the left, it seems, is too strong, perhaps the green one. It's precisely for a powerful, trouble-free start, which gives a stable advantage, that the yellow, red, and orange positions are weaker in terms of resources.

Therefore, post the revised version; apparently, the other positions have been strengthened with resources, or the green one has been weakened?

And I had a great match on Snowy Lands; such intense battles took place. It's a pity that the Krylya website is lost; I would have given links to the games. Everything ended in the second month.

I recently played 7 Lakes – it's a long game, the castles on the islands are interesting and not overused, but they significantly slow down the game against a human player.

I would like, since the tournament is for fun, not for fast games with a result, but for a fun game that showcases the beauty of this wonderful game. I'm sure there will be people who will read the game reports.
Everything written is IMHO.

Yes, Teleports is one of the longest maps we've played. But it didn't have the absolute longest ones, like 7 Lakes, for example. But it's also one of the most balanced. I'd put Hotspot in second place for balance.

The Teleports map can be improved by addressing one key issue: removing the landing point on the island (in the original version, it's a map glitch that allows you to land on the island without destroying the teleport).

Regarding Slugfest, you need to be very careful – play it only if both players understand what they're doing. Otherwise, you'll end up with something like: "Let's play a quick game..." and the result won't be a real rating, but...

I apologize for interrupting, even though I'm not involved in the tournament. I just wanted to say that Teleports, in my opinion, is not a long map and is quite interesting, but you need to play the edited version, Teleporters_HL. Also, Spellcasters_HL (if I'm not mistaken about the name) seems to be undeservedly forgotten, in my opinion. It's a pretty interesting and balanced map. And yes, Slugfest doesn't quite fit the format, as I see it. I apologize again.

Teleporters are restored in the map list. Version - Dust Edition (Tekeportes HL). Proposed game positions: green versus yellow (to be confirmed).
Beltway - we play the classic version. Attention: game positions: red versus yellow.
3waycross - we play the Dust Edition version. Proposed game positions: blue versus red (to be confirmed).
HotSpot - game positions: green versus blue.
The Other Side - game positions: green versus blue.
North and South - green versus yellow.
Slagfest - PReDS (Barbarian, host) versus Qwerty (Knight).

I apologize, I don't have time to give a full answer right now, but some of the things people have written here are just shocking. Teleporters on a long map? 2 months of running around!?? :confused: :eek: I'm in shock. By the second week, we run out of everything, at most by the 3rd. I would even say that 125 should be the limit (laughs). :p Servant Fest is just not serious in any variation; I would only play it for fun, with a glass of cognac: kill any hero - the opponent takes a shot, and so on until someone gets drunk :) What you're writing about, Knight vs. Barbarian, is nonsense. I'm ready to punish anyone with a Sorceress, just as I am with a Necromancer, and in general... And 7 Lakes should also be brought back for the final part! Although, what difference does it make? I think you can agree with your opponent to play a random map instead :D I agree with yasnikov - Spellcasters_HL is a good map; I just forgot about it. Hot Spot is overused and boring; there are few options for development. Beltway in its original form is a game that lasts only a week... Bring back Winterlands - it's a great map! You can run around, of course... but that's part of the fun! Guys, let's not rush things - we're playing for fun! And in general, let's meet up and discuss everything over a drink: the maps, the rules, and if necessary, we can edit the maps on the spot to balance them.

I would like to reiterate that I based my decisions on reports from the strongest players, published over the past few years. Apparently, I didn't clearly articulate the main principles for running the tournaments. 1. All matches are played at approximately the same time. 2. Both players must be available to start the game. 3. If one match is delayed, at least 2 matches in the next round will also be delayed. 4. If the delays continue, there could be a domino effect – in the following round, at least 4 matches will be delayed, which means the entire tournament will be affected. And all of this happens because 2 people decided to take their time playing on a large map. Because of this, I chose 7 very popular maps that have been tested and used by the strongest players. That's also why I rejected Good and Evil (my personal favorite map), Winterlands, 7 Lakes, and some other maps. Of course, in the final round, players can agree to play Dominion (an excellent map, but it can take an unpredictable amount of time), and they won't need a judge. Maybe someone will stay in Michurinsk until May 9th. Because, by playing in the final round, they won't delay other players. But in the other rounds, the choice of map is determined by the overall structure of the tournament. I can give you an example. There's a rapid chess tournament, with matches lasting, say, 15-25 minutes. And then two grandmasters (real, very strong, favorites in the tournament) say: "Let's play a game without a clock." Well, they can play that one game (maybe), while the rest of the tournament is played. I'm not insisting on anything, but if we're having a tournament, then we play a tournament. If we're just getting together to play Heroes, that's a completely different story; here, we don't need maps or rules. But if it's a tournament, we announce the maps in advance (as there have been very reasonable requests from highly respected people), determine the recommended positions for the game, define the rules and regulations, and choose a judge, which we still don't have. After that, before the competition begins, we create a schedule for the rounds. If my approach is not acceptable to most of the tournament participants, let's discuss other options. I sincerely hope for your understanding. Qwerty

In principle, the tournament lasts for 5 days – from April 30th to May 4th. There are only about 6 players: Horn, Dust, Querty, GreatGenius, Oxygen... A gaming week in a two-player game goes by much faster than in a three-player game.
5 days for 5 rounds. And if Beltway really ends in 1 week, what will the player do afterwards?

And a map of size L – with Teleports, Snowy Lands, and even 7 Lakes – in the hands of experienced players, such a scenario can produce something that can be used as an example of interesting reports for a long time.

From 10:00 to 22:00 – twelve hours of gameplay, three rounds, from May 1st to May 3rd. Only the first and last rounds will be shortened.

Maybe it would be better if the players agreed on a map to play on. After all, the tournament is for fans, for fun.

First, some news.
1. Fantastic news! From April 30th to the evening of May 2nd, DR28/Reanimator will join us – the best offline player of 2010, winner of numerous tournaments, a profound and thoughtful Master!!!
2. After reading the latest posts, I decided that my stay in Michurinsk will also be from April 30th to May 2nd.
3. Now I will try to write a draft of the regulations.

Regulations for the "Tournament of Stars" for second heroes online.

1. The tournament is held on version "Heroes of Might and Magic 2: Price of Loyalty" 2.1, English or Russian version.
2. The tournament is conducted in two stages: group and Olympic.
3. Group stage dates: 30.04 - 01.05.
4. Olympic stage dates: 02.05 - 03.05, with a possible extension until 04 May by mutual agreement of the players.
5. Judging Committee: Dust, Qwerty, Nagan-4.
6. Chief Judge for the group stage - Qwerty, Chief Judge for the Olympic stage - Dust.
7. Tournament structure:
7.1. Group stage.
Group I.
Dust, Horn, Qwerty, Michurinets-1.
Game schedule for the first group:
Round 1. 30.05, 15.00 - 19.00.
Dust-Michurinets-1; Horn-Qwerty.
Round 2. 01.05, 10.00 - 14.00.
Dust-Horn; Michurinets-1-Qwerty.
Round 3. 01.05, 15.00 - 19.00.
Qwerty-Dust; Michurinets-1-Horn.

Group II.
PReDS, DR28, Oxygen, Michurinets-2.
Game schedule for the second group:
Round 1. 30.05, 15.00 - 19.00.
PReDS-Michurinets-2; DR28-Oxygen.
Round 2. 01.05, 10.00 - 14.00.
PReDS-DR28; Michurinets-2-Oxygen.
Round 3. 01.05, 15.00 - 19.00.
Oxygen-PReDS; Michurinets-2-DR28.

Olympic system.
1. Qualifying round.
I 1 (first group, first place based on group stage results) - II 2.
II 1 - I 2.
I 3 - II 4.
II 3 - I 4.
2. Final matches.
The winners of the first two pairs play each other for first place, the losers for third. The winners of the last two pairs play each other for fifth place, the losers for seventh.
By mutual agreement of the players, final matches can be played as a best-of-2 (up to 2 wins).
By mutual agreement, final matches may not be played, and 2 players may split the two places (e.g., 5th-6th place).

8. Maps, positions, and races in the game.
8.1. Maps for the group stage:
Tekeportes HL (Dust Edition version). Proposed game positions: green vs yellow (to be clarified).
Baltway. Game positions: red vs yellow.
3waycross HL (Dust Edition version). Proposed game positions: blue vs red (to be clarified).
Hot Spot - game positions green vs blue.
The other Side - game positions green vs blue.
North and South - green vs yellow.
Slugfest. Not recommended for play.
Spellcasters_HL. Game positions to be clarified.
Judges are required to post the maps for preliminary study no later than 14.59 16.04.2011 (exactly 2 weeks before the start of the first round).
During the game (starting from the map banning stage), the editor may be used, but no changes may be made to the map.
8.2. In the Olympic stage, players have the right to agree on playing on any map. If an agreement is not reached, maps from the group stage set are used.
8.3. Map banning.
The player listed first in the regulations begins the map banning process.
Example:
First round, first group.
Michurinets-1: I ban Slugfest!! Qwerty: I ban Teleports. Michurinets-1: I ban HotSpot! Qwerty: I ban Spellcasters. Michurinets-1: I ban The Other Side. Qwerty: I ban North-South. Michurinets-1: I ban 3 way cross, we play Baltway!
Thus, the player who starts the banning process chooses the map. The player listed first in the pair also hosts.
The second player chooses the color (from those recommended for play). By mutual agreement, players at any stage (both group and Olympic) may ignore the recommended colors and choose any others.
8.4. Races in the game are chosen by mutual agreement of the players. If an agreement cannot be reached, players seek the help of the Judge.
9. Hints.
In the event of hints provided by one player to another, the player who gave the hint will start the map banning process second for all subsequent rounds. In the case of a repeated hint, they will start second for both map banning and choosing the position on the map. In the case of a third hint, their opponents may either host or refuse to host in all remaining games at their discretion. In the case of a fourth hint, the Judging Committee will decide the punishment by majority vote, up to blocking access to the game zone and assigning a technical defeat in all subsequent games. Unethical behavior will lead to similar punishments.
10. Disputed situations in the game.
In the event of a disputed situation in the game, the player must immediately save the game under the name 02 and only then call the Judge.

Game Rules.
Prohibitions:
1. A bought-out hero (after fleeing or buying out) is prohibited from attacking an opponent (either human or computer) during the buyout turn. Moving such a hero is permitted.
2. Joining units is prohibited, whether via diplomacy or otherwise. In the event of a request to join the army of neutrals, it must be refused, and a battle must ensue.
3. When entering the Demon Cave, battle is mandatory.
4. Recruiting spirits is prohibited.
5. Visiting abandoned ships, cemeteries, and sphinxes is prohibited.
6. Use of the Dimension Door and Town Portal spells is prohibited.
7. Digging up the ultimate artifact without uncovering the entire puzzle map is prohibited.
If any obelisk is inaccessible, it may be ignored.
8. Visiting pyramids is prohibited.
9. Picking up Armgeddon in its assembled form is prohibited (individual parts may be picked up and Armgeddon may be assembled from them).

Battle Rules:
If a player attacks an opponent and cannot win or lose (for example, one has an Iron Golem, the other a Sprite Butterfly), the attacker must flee.
Host-rushing is prohibited — an attack by the host on the second player on the first day of the week using the bought-out growth for that week.

The complete lack of response to the draft regulations is concerning. In it, I tried to take into account all the expressed points of view and divide the tournament into two parts: a game in two groups with strict rules, a schedule, and deadlines - and an Olympic part, in which there will be complete freedom in choosing maps, etc. I also divided the participants into groups. Here, I tried to follow two principles: an even distribution based on playing strength and minimizing clashes in the group round between players from the same region. In principle, it worked. I ask the participants and organizers to decide and, by tomorrow, either make proposals to change the regulations or accept them. Should silence be considered a sign of agreement?