Clan Based League (CBL)
Rules and guide
Version 2.2
By Mobius
Assist: Ide Idoom

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---------------- Summary ------------------
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This is a Rules and Guide for the CBL everyone should know before they sign up and during. This document is specifically written for Season 4 of CBL and beyond. You have any questions or comments please come to the official CBL discord.

Official CBL Discord
https://discord.gg/T7MVX2m

Official Patch Discord (CCBM)
https://discord.gg/jjxkFyA


======================= Glossary ================================
* Player - A user who plays the game and is normally associated with a team in the league or FA.
* Captain - Team leader who dictates the composition of his team by their players, classes, strategies, practice, and schedule.
* Practice - Voluntary play by 1 or more teams to face each other on their off time in preparation for a game.
* CBL - Class Based League. It is the name of the entire tournament.
* Round Robin - The tournament format that arranges brackets for all teams to fight each other once throughout the event. Known as the Season.
* Spawn - Specific locations to which teams are designated to appear in the beginning of the game on a map. These are dictated by the color red or blue in a two team deathmatch or TLMS.
* FT or FT3 - First to 3 usually counted for rounds in a TLMS game and is the win condition for any game or match in TLMS/CBL.
* Rounds - The allotted matches in a specific game in TLMS. The standard rounds for each game in the season is 3. First team to score 3 rounds wins a game in the season.
* Match - A game counted as a round during the playoffs, whereas a round is just a round in the game. A playoff game consist of a best of 3 matches with each match being decided by a first to 3 rounds. A team must win 2 out of 3 matches to win their playoff game.
* Game - A whole event of two competing teams. A game during the season consist of one match with a FT3 rounds. A game during playoffs consist of a Best of 3 Matches.
* Week - The week in which all teams must play their designated game and is numbered.
* Map - The map designated for a week or game.
* Schedule - A designated time in which teams are available for a game or what is available for the players.
* Demos - Recorded files supported by Zandronum to playback a game.
* Classes - A character a player selects for Megaman 8Bit Deathmatch's Class Base Mod.
* FA - Free Agency. A pool of players that are signing up for the CBL or are not on a team during the season.
* Team - 4 players making up a group.
* Season - The 5 weeks making up the entire event not including Playoffs and Finals.
* Playoffs - The "Semi finals" after the season is over where the teams with the best win/loss records advance to.
* Finals - The final two teams that advance from the Playoffs. Known as The Robot Masters.
* Ghosting - Viewing another player's perspective and relaying what you see to other players actively in a game. This is considered cheating. ((See: MISC Section Sub Section 1 Anti-Cheating Policy))
* VC - Voice Chat usually denoting Discord's voice chat services where CBL teams are hosted in the official discord during their week, playoff, or RM game. ((See: MISC Section Sub Section 1 Anti-Cheating Policy))
* Robot Masters - The finale or championship of the entire event where 2 of the best teams compete.
* Robot Master - The championship title to the players of a team who wins the entire CBL event.

========================= Sign ups =========================

* Sign up with the template information.
* You may Sign up additional players WHO WILL BE ATTENDING!
* You can sign up as a captain but you are not guaranteed a captain position. Players are vetted for captain position.
* For people wanting to be captains but aren't: You will be assigned to the Free Agency pool until you a picked by a captain.
* Players who sign up as players are put in Free Agency until a captain picks them during drafts.
* Those who do not have a team will remain in FA until a captain picks them up during the season (for a trade).
* Players in FA (Free Agency) cannot play if they are not on a team.
* If we have additional players in FA that can make up at least 2 more teams they will be elected a captain from FA.
* FA is closed after sign ups. Captains cannot trade players from the FA when the season is finished (after the 5th week).
* Players in the FA can change their classes AS LONG AS they are NOT in a team.
* Emergency players are permitted into the FA pool if one more more teams have difficulties substituting a player that's missing.

======================= Draft and Format ===================

CBL Season 4 conntinues Season 3's auction and draft system, but with a pre-draft auction for team spawns. Players no longer are required to sign up a whole team to compete, but instead are registered individually and placed in the FA. A draft event will occur before the start of week 1 where captains bid and compete for who they want on their team from the FA. This allows for a mixed team composition where captains wisely elect which players they truly could afford to have; however, the addition of a team spawn auction further enhances the sophistication of selection since it will occur before the player draft.

The draft will feature 3 systems and that is the Team Spawn Auction, Snake Order Draft, and the Biding. The team spawn auction will occur before the Snake Draft where all 6 captains bid for team spawns they want for the entire season in a traditional order. The Snake Draft has an arrangement of the captains in order of who gets first pick, but then cycles from the top to the bottom from the bottom to the top in rounds. A illustration shows:

Pre-Draft Team Spawn Auction
Officiator places Red/Blue Spawn
Player A through F bid
Officiator announces highest bid and purchase of going to highest bidder
Officiator places Red/Blue Spawn #2
Player A through E bid
etc,.

Snake Draft for player auction

Round 1
Player A - 1st Pick
Player B - 2nd Pick
Player C - 3rd Pick
Player D - 4th Pick
Player E - 5th Pick
Player F - 6th Pick

Round 2
Player F - 7th Pick
Player E - 8th Pick
Player D - 9th Pick
Player C - 10th Pick
Player B - 11th Pick
Player A - 12th Pick

Round 3
Player A - 13th Pick
etc.

This will continue until all teams in the league have 4 players on their rosters. The bidding system happens during the turn in which captains call out a player to be drafted on their team for their starting price, and other captains compete to out-bid for the same player. Here's a working example WITH the Snake Draft Order:

Player A - 1st Pick selects Bikdark for $3
Player C - Ups the bid for $4 wanting the same player

A moderator will then wait several seconds to determine if anyone else wants Bikdark, and if Player A does not attempt to out-bid Player C for the same player then a 3 second countdown by the moderator commences until Bikdark is sold to Player C or another bid is proclaimed. Now if Player A announces his selection Bikdark and Player C never interfered then the moderator will ask up to 3 times before a countdown is issued, and if no competing bids are announced then Bikdark will be sold to Player A as a member of his team. The Snake Draft only allows captains to make their player selection and initial bidding price; however, they can also compete for their own player if another bids against them for the same player.

The Auction draft is a fictional monetary pricing system set to place value on players from the FA based on how much the captains decide they are worth. When a captain nominates their player they do so with a fixed price based on how they perceive their importance. Captains who want the same player will bid higher until no other captain could make any competing bids to which the player is sold to the captain with the highest bid. Players are given a set number of "money" to bid with and a maximum bidding value on any player. Here's a working example:

The maximum "money"	or dollars all captains have is $30.
The minimum starting price of any player is $1.
The maximum starting bid on any player is at $15.
The MAXIMUM bid on any player after the starting price is $26.

Player B - 1st round pick for his first player is EasyDI at the starting price of $15 dollars
Player D - Wants EasyDI for $17
Player F - Wants EasyDI for $22
Player B - Bids back for EasyDI at $26 dollars
No other player has opted for the same amount
Going once
Going Twice
Sold to Player B for $26.

In this example player B spent 26 out of his 30 dollars for a single player leaving him with 4 dollars left he could use to buy cheaper talent; however, if another player opted for the same price of any bid even at the maximum price then both are oblige to duel and if more than 2 are deadlocked at the same value then it will become an 1 life LMS game. The winner obtains the player as sold. Competing bids that do NOT purchase a player do not effect their wallet or dollar amount. Captains only lose money when a transaction is completed.

The draft will be hosted on the official CBL Discord in a designated channel open to the public, but no one but the captains and moderators are able to discuss so not to interrupt the draft. A livestream of the VC event will be hosted as well.


-------------- NEW ---------------

CBL Season 4 offers a pre-round team spawn auction before the draft rounds begin using the same currency from the formal player draft. This cements an additional layer of complexity to the draft as captains are forced to examine the worth of spawn placements versus player values. The pre-round auction operates with similar rules to the player draft, except an officiator/moderator calls a team color slot (red or blue) to be wagered. The auction ends when one color has been taken completely or no additional slots are available. For clarity:

*If 2 teams have purchased Blue team slot 1 and 2 then only 1 more slot for blue is in draft and will end once this team spawn has been purchased.
*The slot number has no distinctive value. It is only numbered based on the amount of teams available divided by halve(clarity: having slot 3 out of 4 doesn't mean anything).
*Purchasing a team color denotes that -- for the duration of the season -- your team's spawn is designated to that color (Red or blue). The duration of the season means that you can only spawn at your team color until playoffs.
* The player draft will resume after the team spawn auction.


======================== Drafts ============================

* CBL will use a Snake Draft to determine captain's turn picks.
* There is a minimum of 6 captains for CBL making up 6 teams. More will be included if the FA pool reflects it.
* Each team can only consist of 4 players. A team is not complete until it has 4 players on it.
* The starting dollar money all captains have is $30.
* The minimum starting price for a selected player by a captain is $1.
* The maximum starting price for a selected player is $10.
* The maximum bid for any player is $26.
* You cannot trade players until after the player auction.
* A captain with a complete team is no longer able to bid for players.
* The auction is finished when all teams are filled with players.
* Player trades may commence only after the auction is concluded and teams are accounted for.
* When all teams are completed captains must register the classes him/her and his/her team will be using per player (Same rules as previous CBL. Each player only has 3 classes).

======================== Classes ===========================

* Teams CANNOT have duplicate classes.
* Teams are locked with their classes once all teams are registered and finalized post-Auction.
* Players do not have to sign up with a class.
* Once the season begins all players are locked in their team and classes (except players left in the FA).
* You cannot swap or trade your class.
* You cannot use any other class except the 3 you are registered with post-Auction and are locked to.
* Any team will forfeit a round if any member of their team is using a class other then the 3 they are assigned with.
* Classes are locked until either that team is eliminated or the entire event is over.
* You may pick any class you like that is NOT banned.
* Again: You cannot alter your class choices once the season starts no matter which map you play.
* You can swap between your 3 chosen classes at any point in a game/match in between rounds.

======================== Banned Classes ====================

** HERE CONTAINS A LIST OF CLASSES BANNED FOR CBL SEASON 4 **

Under no circumstances should any of the following classes allowed on any team to be used at any time throughout the entire event. ((See: MISC Section Sub Section 1))

* Pirateman
* Solarman
* Swordman

======================== Team Rules ========================

* Once Sign Ups are closed and teams are established all players are permanently affixed to their 3 classes.
* Teams are permanently slotted into the team division they belong to or purchased from the team-spawn auction (Dr Wily Red/Dr Light Blue)
* Players with their classes must STICK to those classes throughout the entire event. Same goes for Captains.
* Teams cannot have duplicates of any class in their team.
* A team consist of 4 players (1 captain, 3 players). Only 3 players of a team can play in a round of any match or game.
* Players can switch between their 3 registered classes at any time during a game. Players nor captains can swap classes between each other.
* Teams can switch between their players on a team provided they only have 3 players to play the round and 1 additional player on standby.
* Players in a team can be traded out for players in the FA or other teams as long as the team total always equals 4.
* Teams can practice with other teams at their discretion and volition.
* Your team is eliminated from the tournament and disbanded if: dissolved for any reason, doesn't make it to playoffs, or is eliminated in playoffs or finals.
* No player outside of your team is allowed to play in your team for any game/round for any reason. In case of an emergency you can trade out a player(s) for any in the remaining FA.

======================== Season Rules =====================

* Teams cannot play whoever and whenever they want. Teams must arrange and schedule their games with their opponent on agreed times. They can do so immediately only if both parties are available and consent.
* Captains: submit weekly availabilities on CBL's official discord in the #S4_Availability channel. Failure to do so will result in a 1 round penalty.
* Captains: You may trade players from your team to another team if the other captain agrees to it or from FA. You cannot have more than 4 players on a single team (Captains included).
* A winning condition for your week in the match is first to 3 rounds. There are no additional matches for your week's game beyond 1.
* You cannot fight your next week/session enemy team without beating the current one.
* A team failing to play their game within 7 days of the beginning of the week (Monday UTC -5/ EST US) will be disqualified for the week (this will count as a loss to their win/loss record).
* All trading must go through Mobius for finalization.
* Teams MUST USE appropriate Megaman themed names from any of the official games. See: MISC Section.
* Only 3 players on each team is allowed to play their game (6 players total from both teams). They may choose which ever player they like to play and in any given round/match.
* You cannot swap your game with another team. You fight your designated opponent.
* If you, and your next opposing team, are ahead of schedule you may compete within the same week of a game.
* Proof of a game must be submitted in the form of screenshots and/or demos if no one is there to officiate the match.
* You cannot fight an opponent on any other map than the designated map of the week you are to face them in.
* The season ends at the finale of week 5.
* Trading closes at the end of a season (end of week 5). Trading cannot and will not happen during and after playoffs or finals.
* A team who does not wish to forfeit and cannot find a 3rd player may elect for a 2v3. The captain from the opposite team may consent to a 2v2 at their discretion at any time, and are not oblige to courtesy at the tardiness of their opposing team.
* NEW - You cannot select any other team color but the color you've purchased or assign to at the start of the season from the Team Spawn Auction.
* NEW - Teams with the same team color must coinflip in their game only for which team will get which spawn.

======================= Playoffs =========================

* NEW - When the season concludes then designated team spawns are officially suspended.
* NEW - Teams with Home-field may select the map, but their opponents select the spawn.
* Only 4 out of 6/8 or more teams are only permitted to Play-offs
* The best 4 teams of all 5 sessions/weeks are qualified to Play-offs
* All play-off games constitute as semi-finals and are single elimination: You lose your game then you are out.
* The final two teams make it to the Finals.
* Unlike the season: A single playoff game consist of a Best of 3 matches (BOF3). Meaning a team must win at least 2 out of 3 matches to advance to the finals for their game. A match is a game session of a FT3 rounds like the season, but must win at least 2 additional matches in the same series to qualify.
* If you are eliminated from play-offs then you are eliminated from the tournament.
* Captains CANNOT trade from this point on
* FA is closed from this point on
* Play-off scheduling is lenient and does not adhere to the 7 day time limit for a single event to happen; instead, captains are given 14 days maximum or they are forced to play with whomever on their team is available.
* Play-off games are schedule events based on the availability of all the players.
* Teams can swap their players and classes like they normally do throughout the season.

===================== Robot Masters ===========================

* The 2 teams that advance from Playoffs will fight here.
* Robot Masters are the finals.
* Games are handled differently: A finals game consist of a FT3 matches. The team to win up to 3 matches is the winner of the finals and all players of the team will be officiated Robot Masters in the hall of fame. A match in this context is a game of TLMS with the standard up to 3 rounds winning stipulation.
* NEW - Team Spawns resume if the last 2 teams for this event are of opposing divisions (red and blue); otherwise, a coinflip will determine who spawns where.

==================== Trading ===========================

* You can only trade up to two players a week.
* Captains cannot trade passed the 5th week or session
* All trades must be ran through Mobius for finalization.
* Players nor captains can trade out their classes.
* Players cannot be traded pre-season.

================== Captain =============================

* You can only be a captain if you meet CBL's qualifications.
* You will be given a team as a captain if there's enough players for it (if there's only 6 teams and we have enough for 8 then we make 8 out of the remaining FA)
* A player in a team can become a captain if his captain either quits or is disqualified as a captain.
* Captains are to report their teammates availability (their schedule for the week) so ask your teammates when they'll be available to play for the week (and then give it to Mobius on Monday or Sunday).


================== MISC Section =====================

* The following form of cheating can result in a match disqualification, round forfeiture, or even complete event DQ:
 - Ghosting
 - Wallhacking/X Ray vision that is not enabled by a class
 - AIMBOT/Autonomous Mouse Tracking or shooting
 - Breaking class rules/trading/unauthorized trades/invalid players
 - DDOSING will result in Zandronum staff intervention.
 - DOXING will result in Zandronum staff intervention as well as any form of blackmail.
 - Deceptive scheduling
 - Illegal classes such as using banned classes
 - Sprite editing swap/replacement of any kind that is NOT a function of CCBM or 8BDM
 - Sound editing swap/replacement of any kind that is NOT a function of CCBM or 8BDM. The only exception: erasing music files in a wad to reduce the filesize to 0kb
 - Skinfolder shenanigans that alter the game beyond the intended scope of the wads used in the server
 - Custom client features that may facilitate the criterion of cheating as described above.

**Sub section 1 **
Anti-Cheating Policy

Class Based League DOES NOT CONDONE any form of cheating and thus institutes mechanisms to curb malicious activity.
* Teams are NOT PERMITTED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE to use any Voice Communication services in the event of your Season's game, Playoffs, or Finals. All parties must attend CBL's official discord VC and occupy any of the 3 team channels.
* Any team that is discovered to use voice chatting services outside of our approved discord will be mandated to use ours or face either Captain disqualification and termination or TOTAL TEAM DISQUALIFICATION for the entire season.
* Any number of players NOT ACTIVELY IN THE GAME and NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE COMPETING TEAMS can occupy the Voice Chat channels of a competing team for the game provided they only eavesdrop. They are not permitted to talk or distract anyone and if in violation will be punished by either removal of the league or a round punishment for their team in an upcoming game.
* DO NOT DISTURB, SABOTAGE, OR ANNOY players in the game if you are to eavesdrop. You are there to report ghosting with proof if necessary. You are there to silently observe until the game is over.
* Teams are not permitted to start until 2 or more witnesses are in either team's VC to eavesdrop.

** Sub section 2 **
Appropriate Team Names

Teams must use appropriate Megaman references for their teams themed only around Megaman, Megman x, Megaman zero, or any official Megaman/Capcom works. They are to be Safe For work with no explicit or provocative references, and if you do not have a good frame of reference of mind then this short list of approved names are eligible to be selected OR an idea on how to name your team:

Zero's Nightmare Express
Mega Powers
Mega Chargers
Rock Force Army
New Wily World
The Von Burners
The Blue Bombers
The Fabulous Firebirds
Four Kings
Road Warriors
Rhythm and Blues
Star Force
The Diamond Exchange
The Duo Legacy
UniVroom (Yes this is a Turboman/Nitroman reference too)


You may create a "clan" tag fitting your team name and place it in front of your name for you and your team until the end of the season or finals. In the instance you cannot think of a name then any of these will be assigned to your team.

Side Note: Yes.. many of these names are also Wrestling names with Megaman puns except Rock Force Army. That's a doom clan reference as a nod to RFA and so is UniVroom.

================ I want to help ======================

Want to help? Excellent. I am already short staffed. This is how you can help me an become a staff member

* Book keeping: Are you good with arranging when players are available to play? Show me and you're hired.
* Availability: Are you on when I am not? That's a good stuff. Show me other skills.
* Do you know how this tournament works? Good that's another start.
* Want to tally stats on your own and demos? Cool. Show me what you got. I might hire you.
* "I can make textures and sprite." We can use some CBL banners as great mid texture placements. Team brands and so on.
* "I can livestream." That's good. Slyfox and I are so far the only official livestreamers, but if you can draw an audience with exciting commentary (or contentious if you want that controversy) then you're hired.
* "Well I do promo work" Excellent. We could use some commercial and promotional video talents for interviews in and out of post-games.
* Think you have a outgoing personality to entertain during a livestream and also call a play-by-play? Let us know.
* "I run CBM/MM8 already" Well that's a start but I need someone a lot more attentive to this event so if you are we can work things out.
* "I hate A3" Me too
* "I'm a rule lawyer" Not very helpful but if it can help run this event better then I like you already
* Can you follow rules, help others understand rules, understand the rules, and don't mind taking on the headache of running a tournament? Come talk to me.
* "I know how to run a server" So do I but if you are on when I am not and know more then we can talk it out.
* I'll accept no more than at least 4 people. You don't have to play to be eligible, but it is preferred. You also don't have to be in A3 either.


=========================== Rules for Livestream ==========================

You can eavesdrop on a livestream hosted by anyone with the Streamer in the #livestream channel. You may make commentary, but remember you are at the discretion of the host. You are not to be:

* Rude: Talking over someone or constant interruptions. Off-Topic is prohibited unless it pertains to the "storyline" of the CBL's lore (if you wanna build tension)
* You are a guest to the streamer's mercy and they may ask you to leave or kick you for any given reason.
* Loud noises: No music, sounds, beeps, boops, background noises of any kind. Use Push to Talk. No Stereo mix sounds unless it's part of a commentary or some form of entertainment: discretion is advised. You are at the mercy of the streamer.
* Do not hog all the attention: even if you can do some terrific play-by-plays a good color commentary feeds off the energy of another.
* Heel or jerk commentary is allowed at discretion of the others and the streamer and if done correctly makes a great villain advocate.
* Inattentive: spectate the game like everyone else to prepare your commentary correctly.
* A timid mouse: if something happens that's crazy and everyone is amp then get into it. Have fun. Hype shit up. We're all here for entertainment.

Find and fine print:
All rules in the league are subject to change, and you agree to the policies written here as is or dictated otherwise upon registration.