Civplayers.com is a league specifically designed by members of the Civilization 4 Multiplayer community for players that enjoy the Multiplayer Experience. It is a skill-based system that ranks players based solely on their immediate calculated skill value. We use the Glicko2 algorithm as the base of the player skill calculation system; this will produce a rating system that fairly compares the relative skill of players irrespective of the types of games played. When you first join you will be given 1500 skill points, as you lose or win games your skill value and your relative ranking will move up and down accordingly. How much you move up and down will depend on the relative difference in skill level between yourself and your opponents. Beating a player ranked much higher than you will gain more skill points, and conversely losing to a much lower ranked player will drop your skill more. As well our system encourages an active league and incorporates a skill fade system that will drop the skill of inactive players (no lower than 800 pts) so that they cannot stall in the skill rank list. Civplayers draws on a long and distinguished history of Multiplayer Civilization Gaming. Starting with Civ3PTW Ladder, Civ3Players Ladder, and CivPlayers Ladder, all of which used the Cases Myleague System to power the Ladder league. Civplayers is the next evolution of all the hard work that has been dedicated to the MP Community. And because we "stand on the shoulders of giants" we have been able to design and code a new league specifically designed for us in a relatively short time. But feel free to give us feedback in the suggestions section of our forums on how to make the league an even better place for all.

Account Rules

1. All Civplayers members must maintain a current and valid email address, this is the only way for the Administration to contact you and for you to receive notifications and potentially resolve any match dispute problems. Any player that is found not to have a valid email will be suspended until the problem is resolved to the Administrations satisfaction. Only one email can be used by one player, families/friends/co-workers/students that may have the same IP due to using the same network/LAN still must use different emails. Players are expected to check their league-registered email at least once every 24 hours.
2. Your League user name must be unique, if it is found to be too close to a username already in use you will be asked to change it, or your account will be removed.
3. No username will be offensive or abusive towards another league player. Including but not limited too, race, religion, sex, or political affiliation. Offending user names will be removed.
4. Your league name must match exactly, character for character, of the name that you use in the GameSpy lobby (via the games' multiplayer interface), your GameSpy ID, as well as when join Staging Rooms. Any games that you join with a name that doesn't follow this rule are not valid and will not be credited if disputed. This does not apply to names used in the Civ4fans application, as you cannot join games from C4F. Although player names in C4F need to be similar enough that Administrators and Tournament Directors can recognize you. In games that are started via Direct IP, and therefore bypass the normal GameSpy ID verification process, hosts must email the IP to players registered league email in order to verify their identity, or use some other authenticated secure means of identifying the players. Failure to do so will result in the Administrators not processing the reports for these games, in the event of a dispute.
5. In addition to the CIV GameSpy ID logins, hosts may of course password protect there games. This is highly recommended to prevent unwanted hotjoining, as games started in the lobby remain visible for the entire length of the game. And we also highly recommend that all players password protect their Civs in the game as well. Additionally you may at any time ask a player to log into the Civplayers league web page (via Account->Login, and checked by Main Menu->Who is Logged on).
6. Game winners should ensure that they report the correct names of players when they report games, and never guess at player names. Writing the names down or taking screen shots of the player list.
7. All accounts are purged for inactivity after 60 days(specific time is subject to change by the Head Admin) of the last match played. Civplayers wants to promote a dynamic and healthy league full of active players, this is totally automatic and can only be changed by joining the premium membership program which enables players to avoid becoming purged as one of the benefits.
8. Players are allowed to have only one account, this is too prevent "cooking" matches, as well as players that might try to avoid legitimate punishments under these rules by switching between separate accounts. The Administrators will be monitoring duplicate Internet protocol (TCP/IP) addresses, emails and cookies, to prevent duplicate accounts. Players that may have the same IP due to sharing the same network with family/friends/fellow students/co-workers, will have to identify themselves to the Administrators when asked, and can not play games were wins will be reported between players from the same IP. Defacto limiting them to playing team games on the same team. Games were hosts allow these players to play in "cton/ffa" or duel games are doing so at their own risk and the Administrators will not arbitrate any match disputes from games that ignore this rule. (Authorized Clan Championship Cup players will be the ONLY exception to this rule)

Sportsmanship

8. The basic premise of the league is to facilitate players finding each other, who are devoted to Civilization IV, so they may compete in a sportsman-like manner. Our philosophy is play hard, but play fairly. It is NOT winning at any cost. Respecting other players, no matter their skill or standings on the ladder, is the cornerstone of this community; treat other players, as you would want them to treat you. Especially show patience to new players that may not understand our culture or how to conduct themselves in the multiplayer world. I further encourage you to mentor new players, as they are the future of our league, just as the current veterans were once new players. Remember that you are all ambassadors for Civplayers; your actions will make the league thrive or become extinct. The Administration will take a very dim view of unsportsmen like behavior, such has abusing (verbally or otherwise) other ladder members or staff, sabotaging games, or harassing other ladder members or staff. This will result in penalties or possibly immediate expulsion from the league with out warning, depending on the severity of the case.

Formal Challenges

9. While most regular games are organized in the GameSpy powered lobby "on the fly" by players that are currently in the lobby, at some point you may want to challenge a specific player in order to move up the skill standings more quickly than you would by playing low or medium ranked players.
10. You may only formally challenge players when you are in the top 25 players. You may also only challenge players that are above you in rank. The default game settings if two players can not agree on anything else are: Duel 1v1, duel size map, any homogeneous land mass type (i.e. pangea, inland sea, donut etc), temperate climate, medium sea level, 130 turns, all other settings at the players choice.

Reporting Games

11. In a multiplayer game involving more than 2 players, winners must reports the game results (honestly and accurately), using the Report Match link on the left side menu of the league page. In a duel, the winner simply reports, in a Cton/FFA the overall winner reports the match as indicated by the game scores when the Time Victory condition is displayed, any killed players are reported below surviving players in the order that they were killed with the last killed being ranked below the lowest scoring survivor. In a team game, the Captain or designated player (in the case of a shuffle teamer) on the winning team reports the game based on the team declared the winner on the Time Victory (or other Victory) popup. As well any player or team that completes any other victory condition during the game wins the game despite not having won the time victory, they take first place and all other players/teams are ranked by there score at this point in the game. The losing players/teams are required to log into the league web page and confirm the match results promptly or officially dispute the match so that an the Report Dispute (RD) Admin can process it. The league will automatically report any matches that are not disputed after 3 days, but please act in a sportsmen-like manner and confirm the other players well deserved victories before then. So if you log in and cannot confirm a loss it means that 50% of the players/team has already confirmed it, or some party has disputed it. In the case of a dispute (which will be indicated by a red "pending inquiry!" in the League->Unconfirmed Matches area, you will be contacted by the RD Admin if required to rule on the match. Note that players that constantly make other players wait the 3 days will be penalized as well. We expect everyone to fairly use this system with the intent that it was designed for; abusing the system will not be tolerated.

Don't Quit Games

12. Players must make every reasonable effort to complete a game once it is begun. It is not considered acceptable to leave a game because you don't like your start, your prospects of winning, or because a better game becomes available. This can spoil the game experience for the others remaining in the game. It is also not acceptable to leave a game for personal non-emergency reasons. Players entering games should know they are able to dedicate several hours of playtime, or they shouldn't start the game. If you voluntarily quit a game, whatever the reason, you are expected to confirm your loss when the winner reports the game. People, who repeatedly quit games, even if they report, are subject to further penalties as well. What distinguishes Civplayers from non-league games is the lack of quitters. Maintaining this reputation is important to us. Sometimes, however, the realities of the game and the Internet cause player's computers to freeze, lag out, or crash thus involuntarily disconnecting them from a game. Because of the length of time and commitment involved in a typical game of Civilization, to be fair, and to promote good sportsmanship, we have a 1 drop/alibi policy. This means that each player (including the host) gets one penalty-free disconnect from the game. You have 10 minutes to rejoin the game without penalty. If someone leaves a game (for whatever reason), the remaining players have the right to either continue playing the game, scrap the game, concede the game, or allow a substitute. A substitute should be of comparable skill. In a team game, the two captains have to agree that a substitute is fair. In a non-team game, it requires a unanimous vote of all remaining players. If the players cannot agree to scrap, concede, or to allow a substitute, the game must continue to its conclusion without the missing player(s).

Rejoin within 10 minutes

13. When a player drops for the first time, the host (or another player, if host drops) will wait at the Diplomacy (vote) Screen for 10min, so as to not allow the dropped players' civ to be taken over by the AI. At this time the host or a designated player will monitor the lobby via the Civ4Fans Application (C4F XP/Vista beta can be found at www.civ4fans.com ) to see if the player is returning. Should the player not return within 10min the remaining players can vote whether to continue with an AI substitute (which would allow the player to rejoin the game later via "hot join"), to allow a human substitute, or to drop the civ from the game. If there is not a conclusive majority vote the host decides.

Host my grant reprieve

14. At the host's discretion, based on circumstances, and length of game, the host can grant reprieve beyond the 1 alibi rule.

Host determines fault

15. If there is a dispute concerning fault following a dropped connection, the host shall ask every player what they saw, and then announce a final determination to grant reprieve or assign the drop.

Dropped hosts can be replaced

16. If the host crashes and fails to re-appear within the specified time limit, or if the host is eliminated from the game, the remaining players should continue with a newly designated host. Anyone one of the players will pause the game and the players will decide/vote on a new host, this person will have the same powers and responsibilities as the original host for the remainder of the game.

Host and players may agree to alternate drop rules

17. While the "1 alibi" rule is the default league policy, players may choose to discuss alternatives and may agree at the start of their league game on how the winner is determined and exactly what to do if the game crashes. The host and players may agree on a different policy rather than "one alibi," as long as it is agreed to before the game begins, and all players have the choice to opt out of the game.

No changing rules once the game begins

18. In all league matches, all conditions of play should be agreed on at the start of a match by all players. Once the game begins, no rules changes including victory conditions, time limits, or game restart conditions are permitted, unless unanimously agreed to by all players.

Uncompleteable games

19. Sometimes due to connection, software, or human errors, or game bugs, a game cannot be finished. Players should reassemble in the game lobby, and either agrees to report losses based on points held at the time the game ended (if there is a clear winner), or agree to a rematch, at a future time. To end such a game prematurely, referred to as "scrapping" a game, the vote must be either unanimous or nearly unanimous (all but one player agrees). Two or three player games cannot be scrapped without unanimous consent. Before scrapping a game, players should make multiple efforts to fix the problem including re-hosting the game, using alternate saves, etc. Attempts by players to scrap games without meeting the above restrictions will be dealt with harshly by the Administration. Players that leave the game and/or the lobby before a resolution is agreed upon are considered to have "dropped" and will be penalized as such.

Conceding

20. Games can be "conceded" only by unanimous agreement of the losing team or player, which is different from scrapping, since the loser(s) must still report to the winner(s). Players who just leave or quit a game without an appropriate vote to scrap or to concede will be treated as if they have lost the game and will be required to confirm a loss, and depending on the circumstances, face longer suspensions or removal from the league.

Administrators arbitrate disputes

21. Administrators will make every attempt to come to a fair and just decision when reviewing disputes. League members agree to abide by the decision of an Admin. League members are encouraged to present their case for resolution but when a decision is made and ruled upon, the issue should be considered closed unless there are extenuating circumstances. Continued flaming or bashing in the game lobby, chat rooms, email, or forum will be considered reason for penalizing a player.

Protect your password

22. Do not ever reveal your password for the CIVPLAYERS league or your CIV Gamespy ID to anyone. No Admin will ever ask you for it. Be very suspicious of any web page that asks for your password. Validate that its web address belongs to the league.civplayers.com or www.civplayers.com. And change your password regularly. Make it different than any other gaming league or online service, which you use, and always make passwords impossible to guess. Go to the "Account" section of the league page and click on Edit Profile to change your password.

Do not rejoin within 15 days

23. To alleviate the perception that members may be quitting and rejoining the league (under the same or different user name) to avoid bad play records or avoiding reporting old losses, members will have to wait 15 days to rejoin the league. At the discretion of the League Admin Board, an individual may receive one (and only one per year) exemption/warning before the 15-day suspension takes effect. Remember, the spirit of this league is friendly competition, NOT win at all costs. However, we do allow our Premium members to reset their statistics at any time. This is not considered withdrawing and is allowed. At the discretion of the Ladder Admin Board, an individual who is not a Premium member may have their stats reset, but no more than once per year.

Administrators may penalize players

24. Every League Admin has the power to suspend a player for so many days (called putting someone in the Penalty Box). The Head Admin (or Vice Admin in his absence) can expel a member (called banning a player). Reasons for such discipline include, but are not limited to: if they are cheating or manipulating the league in anyway, have multiple accounts, their user name is offensive, their email account becomes invalid, they are being abusive to other members excessively, or they are failing to confirm losses consistently. Before banning anyone, the Head Admin will issue at least one warning in writing to the official Email Address of the player being disciplined and that warning will stipulate what conduct was found to be objectionable. The player involved will be given the opportunity to present any evidence or defense they wish. The final determination to ban a player is at the Head Admin's discretion and there is no appeal.

Modified Game Rules Prohibited

25. "Modified" game rules and/or programs or tools that enable a player to manipulate the game are not eligible for league play. Any match where such conduct is suspected will be invalid and any players suspected may be penalized for cheating.

Posting continuing games on the forums

26. In continuing games, (games saved and reloaded, such as PBEM, Pitboss or Epic) the host has a number of important responsibilities. Continuing games must be recorded in the Long Term Multiplay section in the forum at league.civplayers.com. It is the host's responsibility to maintain this thread. The thread should include the player's name, their status in the ongoing game and when the game will resume, reflecting time according to the time zones of each player. The forum thread is to ensure there is no confusion on start times and to ensure a permanent record of the game in the event there is a dispute. In addition, an email should be sent by the host to each player provided a link to the thread, and prior to the game resumption a reminder email should be sent to all players. When the game is concluded the ending host should update the thread with the final victor. In the event any player fails to appear after a minimum of 15 minutes following the agreed on start time, the game is counted as a loss to that player. The host should notify the missing player by email of his/her requirement to report a loss.

Select Civs by Rank

27. In all games the choice of Civilization and Leader (when there is a conflict) shall go to the highest ranked player (top of the league) first, the 2nd highest, next, in descending order by rank. In team play, the choice shall begin with the team with the highest ranked individual player and then the selection shall alternate by team.

Team play rules

28. Team play is defined as 2 or more players competing as part of 2 or more teams. Team play is most often 2 vs. 2, 3 vs. 3 or 4 vs. 4, 5 vs 5.....9 vs 9 (upto all 18 civs can be played) competition; however other variations (such as 6 vs. 6 vs. 6) acceptable to all players are permitted. Team play must be agreed to and teams selected BEFORE the game begins, otherwise the game is considered a Free-for-All game, even when alliances might form.
1. The winning team(s) can win either by, first, eliminating every member of the opposing team or, in the alternative, by outscoring them. The Current Score List determines team score, and the teams are dynamically arranged in order of team score, from top to bottom.
2. When a player is either eliminated from the game through conquest or leaves the game for any other reason, that players score is dropped to zero by the game and the placements are automatically arranged to reflect there new placements, in all cases the Current Score List will determine the team rankings.
3. In the unlikely event that there is a tie in score, the team with the least number of eliminated players is considered the victor, otherwise it is a tie.
4. As stated in Rule 11, the winning team Captain (or his representative) will register the team win. The losing team is required to at least have 50% of it's members confirm the win. If no one confirms the win, but no one disputes the win the system will automatically register the win 3 days later. But please act in a sportsmen-like manner and do not constantly make other teams wait 3 days for an deserved win, constantly doing this will result in a penalty.
5. While the ladder Admins do not wish to dictate how teams are chosen, we thought it would be wise to include some suggestions for a means by which teams could be selected with a minimum of conflict. In the event that teams have not been predetermined before the game begins, there are several ways teams can be chosen fairly based on the ladder rank of the players.
6. The "playground method" is where the top two ranked players are considered the team captains. The highest ranked player has the choice of picking players first, or civs first, so if the first captain picks "players" the second captain will have the first pick of "civs". The captains then alternate with their selections announcing in turn the players, first, and civs next. The other method is the "rank method" where the relative rank of every player is taken into consideration. In a 2v2 game, the teams are the highest ranked player and the lowest ranked player versus the second and third ranked players. In a 3v3 game the teams would be the highest ranked players and the lowest ranked player and the fourth ranked player versus the second, third and fifth ranked players. In a 4v4 game, the teams would be the highest ranked players and the lowest ranked player and the fourth and sixth ranked players versus the second, third, fifth and seventh ranked players.
7. A team can concede victory to their opponent(s) only if all team members who are still alive in the game unanimously agree.
8. In team games, the default "one alibi" rule is extended to apply to each and every member of the team and to be transferable among team members. Thus, a team with 4 players, for example, is allowed 4 penalty-free drops. In addition, hosts are encouraged to only assign drops when they are flagrant and unquestionable. If a host shows favoritism towards their own team when they apply the rules regarding drops, this will constitute sufficient grounds for Ladder Admins to nullify the game.

Take Disputes to a private venue

29. On the rare occasions you must resolve a disagreement with another player, PLEASE take the discussion into a private chat in the game or with C4F. Arguing in the main lobby not only draws snide remarks from other players, but also makes the ladder look very unprofessional. If you cannot agree on a course of action please file a formal complaint and let the Admin team do a proper investigation. Do not take your case to the "court of public opinion" either in our forums or back in the lobby. This will not make your case stronger and will likely result in you getting penalized as well as any other party.

Epic Game Rules

30. Purpose/Intent/Spirit: To promote the playing of large continuous diplomacy style games on the ladder while rewarding the time invested in such long games by providing a framework that will award multiple victory opportunities during the time span of the game. This does require special rules but I believe that the rewarding gaming experience that it will provide will more than compensate for the work that is invested. These rules are a guideline and can be modified by the host if agreed upon by all player BEFORE the game starts, if there is no alternate rules agreed too, these ones will be assumed by default. Here are the specific Epic Game Rules And Scoring/Reporting Requirements:
1. Games should be played by 3-18 players, the more the better.
2. Games will be played on maps that give players plenty of room to expand. i.e. 4 on Small, 5 on Standard, 7 on large, 10 on huge etc.
3. The standard NO WAR setting will be 500 BC, which is the middle of the medieval age. This allows for Civ development and the use of later strategies and tactics used later by civilizations.
4. Very important ... because of the length of these games players should not enter these games unless they are willing to dedicate the time necessary. Failure to return to games as agreed and scheduled will be considered a loss (see Continuing Game Rules).
5. Due to the extended length and dedication required for these games, the normal drop you lose rule is not in effect. An unlimited alibi rule is the standard rule for epic games. Hosts WILL make a GREAT effort to "pick up" dropped players, however if a player is constantly dropping due to a poor connection this will be identified early in the first round, and that player will be asked to depart (politely) and will not be required to report or penalized on the ladder.
6. Between rounds of the game maximum communication is required to schedule the next round. The ladder forum must be used for this purpose. At the start of the game the host will create a new thread within the Epic games area for his/her game. All posted timings will be in Eastern Standard Time (EST). It is the player's responsibility to convert to his/her time zone.
7. To reward multiple victories the benchmark will be game years. Wins will be awarded at the following years: 2000BC, 500BC, 500AD, 1000AD, 1500AD, 1800AD, 1900AD, 1950AD, 2000AD, and 2050AD. Players can agree on different benchmarking before game start.
8. This will give up to 10 possible victories in one game. If a player is completely destroyed he/she reports the final losses, and then no longer has to report again. The multiple scoring opportunities are to make epic game play more rewarding for ladder players, while providing a new experience in contrast to the 'short' elimination games.
9. The game may be won by Cultural Victory, Conquest, Domination, Space Race, or by Diplomatic Victory (UN vote). And of course a Time Victory(determined by the player score at the end of the game probably 2050 or less as agreed by the players). Some of these may be turned off if ALL the players agree at the beginning.
10. Options that should not be used are:
1. "N" City Elimination
2. Always War
3. Always Peace
4. No Tech trading
5. Permanent War or peace
11. At each Benchmark the player score (as displayed on the player list) on the start of the turn will be used to determine the ranking for the reports.
12. Note: The game should be paused momentarily at the benchmark year, for each player to record his or her scores. The host and other players should take a screen shot in case of disagreement. The host should later post the BM scores in the game thread in the ladder forums.
13. Any game settings not specified by any of the above rules are flexible and up to the players involved to agree upon before the game starts. It would be beneficial to post the game settings in your forum thread in advance.
14. It is probably impossible for the Admins to predict all situations and formulate rules to deal with them. Ergo, any and all problems that arise during Epic games that don't seem to violate any letter of the law will still be measured against the Spirit of this format as stated above. Any ladder player that is in the opinion of the majority of the Admins abusing the Spirit of the Epic games will be harshly dealt with. We hope that with the aid of this framework, Epic games will become a healthy and enjoyable pursuit among ladder players.

CTON (Always War) Specific Rules

31. This is a special type of Free-For-All game with special rules. Failure to adhere to these rules while playing this style of game will result in disqualification from the match and/or possible further action being taken against the player by the admin board. Of course, as with any other type of game, ALL players may agree to modify a rule prior to the start of the match. In the absence of such unanimous agreement, the following rules are to be in effect for all "Always War" ladder matches.
1. No Alliances: The Game settings will be set to include "always war ON" and "no tech trading ON" and "permanent alliances" will be off, in the MP setup options.
2. No Contact: There is to be no diplomatic contact between players.
3. No Private Messaging: There is to be no private messaging to any player(s) for any reason. All Players will use Text "Chat to all" (shift-Tab) or Targetted Voice Chat to All (Shift-Scrolllock).
4. No sharing of information: All chat is limited to non-game topics. Examples of banned chat include (but are not limited to) topics such as: location of opponents, opponent's quality of land, whether or not an opponent has a specific resource, informing others that an opponent is about to attack, type and amount of an opponent's units, etc. Sharing in-game information such as this is unacceptable and is grounds for immediate expulsion from the game and possible further penalty from the Ladder admin board. Examples of acceptable chat include the weather, your kids, your current rank, a story about how you won a close game last night, etc.
5. Optional Civ/Leader Selection Rule: Many players enjoy playing this format with all players selecting random civs/leaders. This can be discussed and agreed upon by the players in the setup screen. Either random civs or chosen civs is acceptable. As well as Unrestricted Leaders can be used.

Staff Rules of Conduct

32. All staff members (Administrators, HTD's and TD's) of Civplayers League will conduct their behavior to best reflect credit and honour to the league. All staff is expected to discuss any issues within the communication channels internal to the administration and not use the public forums to circumvent the professionalism of the league's management. Staff are expected to be model players and set the example for other players on the league on how to properly follow the rules and demonstrate a high level of leadership especially when involved with difficult situations. As well all Staff are expected to show loyalty to the league and there peers and not promote or join competing organizations, while still holding an office within Civplayers League.
1. If any Administrator or Head Tournament Director is accused of a non-report, misconduct or cheating, the complaint is sent to the Head Admin and the other Admins for review.
2. All Admins agree to abide by the majority vote of all Admins, hereby referred to as the "Admin Board". Admins shall abstain from any vote involving their own non-report complaints, misconduct, or cheating.
3. If an Admin while processing non-reports has a match that they personally filed, they will send the non-report to the Head Admin for processing. No Admin will process their own non-reports. The Head Admin, when having non-reports to file, as he is processing non-reports, will send those non-reports to the Vice Admin for processing.
4. Any Admin may ONLY be removed from office upon the recommendation of the Head Admin and at least a 2/3rds majority vote of the remaining Admin Board members. Any Admin shall be given a minimum of one week's notice of a vote to removal and shall be given an opportunity to present any evidence or defense they wish to the Admin Board.
5. The Vice Admin is considered the acting Head Admin in the event the Head Admin is not available. If, in any event, the Head Admin position becomes vacant, the Vice Admin will be assigned as Head Admin, by the departing Head Admin. In the event the Vice Admin position becomes vacant, a new Vice Admin will be chosen by majority vote of the Admin Board.
6. The Head Admin will under no circumstances terminate the league without a 90% affirmative vote of all voting league members. Such a vote to be posted in the Civplayers forum for no less than 21 days.