WMAT

Introduction

Welcome to the World Martial Arts Tournament! All questions you may have about the event should be addressed below. For anything else, please contact Serori or Mister Satan.

What is the WMAT?

The World Martial Arts Tournament is a fighting tournament introduced in 2012 by Serori's player. Based on the Dragon Ball Z event of the same name, the World Martial Arts Tournament has been expanded to accept any fighting style imaginable, from gunkata to giant robots. Multiversal competitors of all affiliations and interests compete to earn monetary prizes in a non-lethal setting on Earth-4555, the home Earth of the Dragonball Z-3 cast. Combat is decided by the combat system, with the tournament's competitor pool divided into three PL ranges. The tournament is presided over by TP character Mister Satan.

Key Personnel

The tournament was conceived by Serori, who remains the key organizer of the event (and portrays Mister Satan while doing it, too!). Brackets are overseen by additional volunteers. In 2013, Beli Klum joined the team, and in 2014, Hrimfaxi will be contributing toward bracket management, too. Yuri Stinson's enthusiasm for commentary and showmanship has landed him the official Master of Ceremonies role. In 2014, the Master of Ceremonies title was awarded to Mizuki, who will step into the spotlight in 2015.

It is important to note that the entire event remains a player-run initiative and is neither controlled nor organized by staff (despite Serori currently serving on staff). Staff supports the WMAT, and appreciates your continuing efforts to minimize their impact on the event.

Special Thanks

To Homura Akemi, for contributing wiki expertise, and to Psyber, Tony Stark, and Beli Klum, who all work to keep Serori sane throughout the tournament's run. Thank you also to Dremarian and the rest of MCM's staff for their trust and support.

My gratitude goes out to every player who has participated in the tournament since its inception. Thanks to your good sportsmanship and cooperation, the tournament has run smoothly for two years, and I sincerely believe we can do it again in 2014 2015. Everything you do to contribute to the tournament's success means the world to me -- seriously. You have no idea how grateful I am!

OOC Code of Conduct

Please keep the following rules and conditions in mind as you participate, and you'll help guarantee a fun experience for all competitors. (You'll also help me retain my sanity; always a plus.)

General Guidelines

• You DO NOT need to play a traditional 'martial artist' character in order to participate in this tournament. Anything and anyone from magical girl to giant robot is welcome as a contender.

• Please take all tourney-related chatter to the dedicated channels. It's okay to jump on +j and your faction channels from time to time, but you should not be drowning out other conversations. Please note that commentators may have special channels dedicated to their commentary broadcasts, either temp channels (such as 1x) or as custom radio frequencies.
  • @chan/on o-tp (OOC Chatter)
  • +radio/init WMAT=900.1 (IC Chatter)
  • See Radio Frequencies for a full list of arena-specific radio channels.

• Abstractum users are encouraged to utilize the tournament as a way of developing your individual Abstractum. Please work with Abby when scheduling your matches to make sure he can support you. Abby's GMing work within nodes and other scenes will take precedence over WMAT matches, and round deadlines will not be stretched just to accommodate Abstractum activity. There will be no resonance funbux, unlike the 2013 WMAT.

Combatant Guidelines

The following applies only to players who are interested in competing in the tournament.

• Please resolve your tournament fights through use of csys.
  • Please Note: If you and your competitor are capable of deciding a fight using other means, I won't stop you, but if the fight drags on with no winner in sight, you'll need to determine the victor by either switching to csys, or by using +flip (credit to Priscilla for that idea).

• THE BRACKETS - The tournament remains split into three separate PL brackets as a means of keeping the competition fair for all involved:
  • Bracket A - PLs 28-30
  • Bracket B - PLs 31-33
  • Bracket C - PLs 34-36

• SELECTING YOUR BRACKET - A few guidelines should be kept in mind when selecting your competitive bracket:
  • Select the bracket that matches your fighting PL. If your 'street clothes' PL is 28 but you regularly don armor to fight at PL 32, you should fight in Bracket B.
  • You may compete within a bracket if your PL is too low. For example, a PL 31 character is welcome to register into Bracket C. Registrations of this nature will be limited, and must have some justification beyond "because."
  • You may scale back your PL and compete in a lower-PL bracket. IC reasons for 'holding back' may include your desire to compete against someone specific, or the desire to be challenged under certain terms. Maybe you're just exercising restraint to suit the tournament's non-lethal setting. Maybe you're respecting your opponent's skill by providing a fair fight. Your equipment could be modified to non-lethal settings. Really, any excuse you can envision will probably work, even the old 'weighted clothing' trick!

• Opponents will face off at equal PLs. If you have a maximum available PL of 33 and face a PL 32 opponent, you will be required to scale down to PL 32. Exceptions exist only in the following circumstances:
  • PL flares lasting entire fights may be used to boost your PL to match your opponent's. For example, Serori's PL 32 can increase to PL 33 for an entire match thanks to her Super Saiyan transformation. This would enable her to fight a PL 33 opponent on equal footing; her opponent would not need to scale down.
  • Temporary PL flares lasting one or two rounds may be used, provided your opponent grants consent. This should not be used more than once per fight as it may lead to an unfair advantage.
  • Participants registering into a higher bracket for deliberate and approved reasons will not affect the combat PLs of their opponents. Please note that allowing this is not intended to create drama, and is only permitted for players who can handle the fact that their butts will be kicked. For example, if Slime makes his heroic return, his opponent will not be required to fight him at PL 5. If a PL 31 character opts to fight in Bracket C, their PL 34 opponent will not have to scale back, either.

• TOURNAMENT POWER RESTRICTIONS - All +powers are welcome to be utilized in the tournament, except for those which may result in extreme levels of destruction or otherwise endanger the host world and its people. If you're a weapons expert, use your weapons -- yes, even your guns! PLAY YOUR CHARACTER. Some additional rules apply:
  • Signature Moves may only be employed whenever OOC consent is granted by your opponent. The same goes for Dramatic Attacks.
  • TP powers are not permitted.
  • All terms outlined in the combat rules apply. Please see the wiki news file on combat for details. Taking any action in exception to these rules may only be done with logged consent from your opponent.
  • Lethal +powers or attacks are not permitted. Please respect that the tournament is not a killing ground. Killing moves or excessive destruction will result in disqualification. DO NOT turn your fight into an absolute bloodbath (unless desired by all involved) -- it's okay to get violent, but keep in mind that this event is supposed to be fun!

• When you sign up for this tournament, you agree to participate from start to finish. 'Finish' may be your defeat or your withdrawal. PLEASE stay communicative! Provide an IC reason for your character's withdrawal if you can no longer participate in the tournament -- it's very helpful to us as organizers.

Combatant Registration Rules and Limitations

New rules have been set in place as of the 2014 competition. We are now limiting the competitor pool in order to make the tournament more fair for everyone involved.

• You may now only register up to three characters, limiting one character per bracket. Yes, hidden alts count toward this, too -- please be honest.
  • Please Note: I may go soft on this if you provide exceptional justification for needing to further obscure your hidden alt's player identity. I understand how important it can be to protect yourself. Reach out to me directly if you think you have good reason for bypassing this restriction.

• NPCs may be registered into the tournament, but they count toward your limits. For example, a PL 34 character with a PL 34 NPC can't put both into Bracket C, but a PL 34 character with a PL 32 NPC could be entered into Bracket C, and his NPC into Bracket B.

• THE UNAFF EXCEPTION - Unaffiliated characters are partially exempt from the bracket restriction, as the tournament provides roleplay and exposure opportunities that may otherwise be difficult to come by. For example, if both your main character and unaffiliated alt are PL 32, you may register both characters into bracket B. Unaffiliated characters count toward your three character limit.

• ALT INTERACTION - In the rare event you end up placed against yourself, please resolve the fight using whatever means you decide are acceptable. You can flip a coin, write an IC cutscene, use undescribed +attacks to smack yourself around, or actually go through a fully-roleplayed battle. In the event that you decide the victor arbitrarily, please submit a brief summary of the fight to be included in the tournament records.

• Characters will not enter the tournament late who were not signed up from the beginning, unless as part of a specially-requested "exhibition match" which doesn't impact the tournament's overall results.

Combatant Code of Conduct

The following rules apply to all tournament competitors. The spirit of the competition is expected to be upheld even when you are not in the midst of a tournament fight. Respect for your opponent is key to creating a successful and entertaining tournament for everyone involved.

• DON'T BE A JERK - Remain considerate of your opponent and their enjoyment of the fight. Not everyone likes to have their bones broken or organs smushed. Creating a hostile atmosphere that goes beyond the competitive level may be difficult for your opponent to find pleasant. Please make sure your intentions are communicated, understood, and accepted. IC brashness is welcome -- not everyone plays a nice guy -- but please be gracious enough to dial it back if asked. Conversely, if you and your opponent are cool with hospitalizing one another, go to town.

• Don't take too long between poses. WMAT matches are supposed to be fast-paced. Please try to pose within 20 minutes of your opponent's attack roll. If you can't abide the time limit for whatever reason, please work with your opponent and commentator to make sure everyone understands what's happening and why. If you need extra time, it's okay -- just remain communicative, and everyone comes out happy.

• Factional disputes are also off the table for the tournament's duration, at least in the context of the tournament's location and events. The tournament occurs inside Union territory, but is treated as a neutral ground for the duration. Competitors and commentators who insist on making the tournament a factional dispute may find themselves barred from tournament participation. It's okay to acknowledge your ties, but do not make it your focus.

• Please Note: Participating "to learn about your enemy" is okay. Participating "to kick some Union/Confederate ass" may not be okay if poorly and obnoxiously portrayed. Bragging about one faction's tournament success is also not okay if taken outside faction channels, though it's an understandable byproduct of this kind of competition.

• Planet Earth-4555, home of the WMAT grounds, is home to a friendly populace who seldom shows hostility to anybody. Everyone is here to enjoy the tournament. Please consider your characters treated well throughout the tournament, no matter their factional ties.

How to Compete

The bulk of the competition falls on your shoulders to actually carry out. Although the bracket organizers will be sending out reminders and keeping your results logged and the brackets in order, scheduling and completing your fight falls to you and your opponent. Do not hesitate to reach out if you need help!

• SCHEDULING YOUR MATCH - It's critical to this tournament's success that you schedule a match with your opponent in as timely a manner as possible. Please complete your fight before the specific and repeatedly-announced round deadline. Failure to do so will result in disqualification. Extensions will only be granted when considered reasonable, and rarely at the eleventh hour. Remain communicative as to your needs.

• LOGGING YOUR MATCH - Please use SceneSys to log all fights. Commentators, please pose your commentary to the log AND to your current radio frequency.

• At the conclusion of your match, please @mail your bracket organizer to indicate who's won the match. Only one person needs to do this -- either one of the competitors, or the commentator, or a volunteer from the audience.

• There will be up to two days off between rounds to allow for OOC tournament management and for character recovery.

• THE SLAP FIGHT - It's not the best solution; however, if you and your opponent absolutely run out of time and both sides agree, you're welcome to skip the roleplay aspect of combat and just throw coded +attacks at each other until somebody gets KO'd. Standard etiquette applies as far as attack power escalation is concerned, and you should still document consent for ubers and epics.

• THE THREE-WAY FIGHT - It's possible for three-way fights to take place, particularly later in the competition. Whether or not this occurs must be discussed with Mister Satan prior to going forward, and these matches must be conducted as follows:
  • Determine pose order! Someone in the audience picks a number between 1 and 100, all three participants make a different guess. Closest goes first, second closest goes second, third goes third. This turn order must be respected every single round.
  • All three participants +pull 165 and +reset.
  • All three participants attack the other two every round, with identical attack levels. The THIRD PERSON is the one who escalates attack levels from 1 to 2, 2 to 3 and 3 to 5.
  • The ideal attack level spread should be 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 5, 3, however if time is an issue the lower level attacks can be upscaled a little bit. This DOES mean that the THIRD PERSON will actually be going 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 5, 3, 3.
  • Try to change the order in which you attack people every round if you can, to maximize RNG.
  • Try not to overuse combos, but they still don't require consent.

• Is Real Life preventing you from completing your match on time? Please @mail Mister Satan (alias 'champion') the moment you become aware of any scheduling issues. Round extensions are granted to all participants and all brackets, and therefore can only be given out for special circumstances.

The 'Bye' and Odd Brackets

NOTE: AS OF JULY 21, 2015, WE HAVE SWITCHED TO A 'QUALIFIERS' FORMAT FOR THE TOURNAMENT. PLEASE SEE THE RELEVANT SECTION FOR DETAILS. THE DESCRIPTION FOR BYES IS BEING RETAINED IN THE EVENT OF A RETURN TO THE OLD FORMAT IN 2016.

It's almost guaranteed that we'll end up with an odd number of participants at some point during the tournament (e.g. 17 competitors instead of a nice easy 16). We address this through a "Bye Lottery" system. NEW IN 2015 -- We're allowing 3-way fights to resolve uneven brackets. Please see below.

• All combatants of a particular round are entered into the Bye Lottery, unless they specify they do not want any "free passes."

• The Bye Lottery is awarded by random draw.

• If you win the Bye Lottery, you will advance to the next round uncontested.

• You (the player) may only win the Bye Lottery once per tournament. This applies to all alts and NPCs.

• Any voluntarily skipped Byes do not count toward this limit.

• Skipped Byes will be awarded to a different character by random draw.

• In the event that all characters in an uneven round are ineligible to win the Bye Lottery, the Bye limit of "one per player" will be lifted, and a second Bye awarded.

• Byes may not be "held" for a later uneven round.

• NEW IN 2015 -- Winners of the 'Bye' may instead pursue a 3-way contest against the paired combatants of their choice. OOC consent must be obtained from all three participants if a round is to be resolved using these means. This is by far the more exciting option to resolve the issue of an uneven round, but no one is being forced to take this option. I leave it entirely up to you.
  • Please don't pressure other combatants into taking the 3-way fight option.

Qualifiers and How They Work

As of July 21, 2015, the WMAT is converting to a new bracket format which has the advantage of eliminating odd brackets and the need for the bye lottery. Why have we made this change? Well, for one thing, it makes the tournament a lot easier to execute! For another big reason, it gives characters more fights, and more chances to advance through the tourney. It makes for a very exciting opening few rounds, that's for sure.

• Champion Advancement - Last year's first place champion is not required to participate in the qualifier rounds. Champions advance automatically to the opening round of single elimination combat.

• Qualifiers Round 1 - The first set of qualifiers will reduce the competitor pool to a desirable number. The 'desirable number' is determined based on the number of combatants, and how many combatants we want to see participating in the first round of the main contest.
  • Qualifiers are resolved in a 'round robin' contest. Each member of a qualifying group must fight every other member one time.
  • The character with the most wins will advance to the main round. If the numbers work out, the top two contenders will advance.
  • Tie-breakers will be resolved in the second set of qualifiers.
  • Example: 43 contenders have registered for Bracket B, including this year's champion. This leaves 42 contenders competing to qualify. The group is divided into 14 qualifying groups of 3 contenders each. The top two winners of each group advance to the main round. The main bracket is therefore populated by 29 combatants -- 28 from the qualifiers, and the champion.

• Qualifiers Round 2 - The second set of qualifiers is used to either round out the main bracket, or to resolve tie-breakers from the first round of qualifiers. The second qualifiers will be 'shuffled' so that the fights remain diverse and exciting for both combatants and observers. 'Losers' from the first qualifiers populate the qualifying groups in the second round.
  • These qualifiers are also resolved in a 'round robin' contest.
  • Only the characters with the most wins will advance to the main bracket. Tie-breakers will ideally not be needed.
  • Example: Of the 42 contenders in the above example, 14 remain as 'losers' who advance to the second qualifying round. We know that 29 characters have already advanced to the first round of the main contest, so we only need 3 more characters in order to populate a round of 32. That means the remaining 14 will be divided into three qualifying groups -- two of 5, and one of 4. The characters with the most wins in these groups each advance to the main contest, filling out the round of 32.

Confused? Here's an actual example to help illustrate the format: Sample Bracket

Non-Combat Tournament Roles and Rules

Okay, so your character isn't a fighter by any definition. Don't worry about it -- there's plenty you can do!

• Commentate a match! Last year's bevy of volunteer commentators were incredible. It's a fun way to be involved in the tournament without having to actually fight. Simply open an rchannel, hook the match on +j, and highlight the action that ensues! Commentators also get to flip the coin to decide who goes first in a fight, if there's no OOC decision that makes it clear.
  • Please Note: If you volunteer to commentate a match, please remain through the entire fight. Also, while you're free to get colorful with your commentary, make sure any character bias isn't too played up, and that your "style" of commentary is approved of by your competitors (like if you're a "sarcastic jerk" kind of commentator). Your role as a commentator is to sell, sell, sell, so please take time to acknowledge the efforts of both competitors.

• HOW TO COMMENTATE - This is pretty easy. You will be ICly on hand to provide play-by-play highlights and commentary throughout a fight's duration. You can be as creative in this as you like, so long as you cover what's happening in the fight, treating your opponents with fairness and respect (as mentioned above).
  • Create your commentary channel either through a supplemental rchannel (+help +rchannel) or by creating a dedicated radio slot (+help +radio). More frequent commentators should use a dedicated frequency, while temporary or first-time commentators may find a supplemental channel preferable.
  • Hook the fight on +j. Let people know who's fighting, if there are any stakes, and on what channel your commentary is taking place! Invite people to tune in, or to attend the match in person.
  • Please pose your commentary AND broadcast to your commentary channel. This will enable Scenesys to log your commentary and still get your commentary out to people who aren't present at the fight.
  • Have fun!! Seriously -- as long as you're commentating using a style that's okay with your combatants, please, go wild.

• Provide medical assistance! Healing roleplay helps get all fighters back on their feet. Although it's a role that's only given focus at the end of fights or between fights, your band-aids are needed! There's a room in the tourney grounds just for this kinda thing -- look for Papaya Hospital.

• Attend the fights and support your friends! Audience commentary is as welcome as official commentary. Having people present ICly really creates a great atmosphere (provided your poses are kept brief), and the OOC chatter is always welcome, too.
  • Please Note: Audience members should remain respectful of the ongoing match. If someone asks you to tone down your post volume, please cut back. Also, if you're there to cheer on someone specific, great -- just don't neglect the other guy's accomplishments! Please try to show some IC acknowledgment and praise for both competitors. It goes a long way toward selling the match, and rewards the efforts made by everyone involved!

• Interview combatants and write IC newsposts!

FAQ

Frequent questions that aren't necessarily a matter of policy will be answered here.

• Q: Can I register under an alias?
• A: This'll be covered in-depth in the registration post. Short answer? Yes.

• Q: Is there a time limit on matches?
• A: No, but I expect you not to take too long between poses. Try to pose within 20 minutes of your opponent's attack roll. If you need more time, make sure your opponent, commentator, and anyone else at the fight is fully in the loop. This has been added to the OOC Code of Conduct.

• Q: Do prizes require upgrade apps?
• A: No. The cash can be spent on app-worthy upgrades, but the prizes themselves do not require upgrade apps. Certain special prizes may be an exception; this'll be noted for your benefit.

• Q: Can I register characters that aren't approved yet?
• A: Yes, but they must be approved before registration closes.

• Q: How do I register?
• A: See Board 15. Registrations are being taken via Google Form.

• Q: Will Serori ever make Psyber his banana bread?
• A: Someday.

IC Code of Conduct

The following IC rules apply to all contenders and spectators participating in the WMAT event.

• Killing your opponent is not permitted. Deaths will result in instant disqualification. This may not apply if a death is not permanent or very harmful to your opponent.

• Fights end whenever your opponent is either knocked unconscious or yields the ground. Ring Outs are no longer a valid means of ending a fight as many tournament arenas have undefined boundaries.

• Fights will end in a draw if both combatants are knocked unconscious. If this occurs in the final round, the win will be given to whichever combatant is capable of standing up first and declaring: "I'm the Champion!"

• All weapons and augmentative devices may be used.

• All fights must be fought one on one. No outside help allowed! (OOC Note: Pokemon, key pairings, and Abstractum are likely not restricted by this rule. Please see Mister Satan if you have questions.)

• Do not endanger the lives of your spectators. Do not threaten Earth's continued healthy existence.

• Spectators must remain in the stands while a fight is ongoing. Fighting within the stands will not be permitted. Any attempts to enter the actual fighting grounds will result in immediate ejection. Competitors may receive a re-match opportunity if violators of this rule are sufficiently disruptive. Combatants found using this loophole to their advantage will be disqualified from the tournament.

The Arenas

The World Martial Arts Tournament features seven separate arenas, from the traditional to the extreme.

• Tournament Stadium (#1373) - Constructed generations ago inside the grounds of the Martial Arts Temple, the World Tournament Stadium is the original home of the World Martial Arts Tournament. Huge stands, capable of supporting thousands of guests, surround a simple stone fighting arena on three sides. The design of the arena itself has gone largely unchanged since it was first built, although recent renovative work made in advance of this year's tournament has resulted in a larger fighting grid and more comfortable seating. An enormous viewing screen stands at one end of the arena. A potent sound system guarantees that nothing the announcer says will go unheard. At the opposite end of the arena stands a low thatch-roofed building in which combatants await their turn to fight. The building is patrolled by helpful monks in orange robes, ready to assist in the proceedings.

• Devil's Hand (#1310) - Once, the Devil's Hand was a range of five sharp mountain spires that resembled a grasping clawed hand rising from fog-enshrouded plains; now, only two spires remain in what looks like a permanent stony Victory Sign! The eternal fog now only rises on occasion. Somewhere in the foothills, the ruins of Demon Castle still exist. They seem to howl whenever the winds are high. As no demarcated battlefield exists, combatants are welcome to make full use of the Devil's Hands varied offerings. Some fights may even occur inside the Devil's Castle itself -- even if some say the place is still haunted...

• Diablo Desert (#2087) - Rolling dunes and punishing heat distinguish the seemingly endless Diablo Desert as an especially foreboding location for a fight. Located atop Mount Paozu, the desert is infamous for its savage natives -- bandits, mostly -- and its bizarre giant mushroom 'trees' which pop up from the yellow sand in all directions. It's under the cool shade of a large mushroom cluster that crews have constructed a viewing area for tournament attendees. There, combatants and guests alike can be treated to cool drinks and a great view of any fight, thanks to large screens and mobile camera crews. A fence is erected around the viewing area's perimeter to keep out critters and unticketed thugs, and the shade has been expanded by several large awnings anchored in the trunks of the gray mushroom trees.

• Gizard Wasteland (#1902) - The Gizard Wasteland is a rocky canyon, dry and dusty. Although lush places can be found among the orange spires of stone, the majority of this battleground is as barren as it gets. Among the natives here is a species of flighted dinosaur (usually blue or red), sand eagles, dark condors, and the occasional fire dinosaur -- small, but possessing a nasty breath weapon that local bandits sometimes use for cooking food.

• Northern Mountains (#1827) - The Northern Mountains are home to verdant alpine forests and cold, windy peaks. Aerial combatants would do well here, although those with a preference for less urban terrain will also find the Northern Mountains accommodating. Deep lakes of clear blue water, rushing mountain streams, and gloriously flowered meadows are easily spotted from the vantage of the anti-grav viewing platforms hovering around. Camera crews track the action from helicopters, though some are also cleverly camouflaged among the trees so as to provide the best experience for anyone watching the action.

• Spinach Wastes (#1821) - Also referred to as the Northern Wilderness, the Spinach Wastes are an endless collection of rolling emerald hills, stony plateaus, and rich farmlands. Rivers flow throughout, many joining together to form deep, sparkling lakes. Most famous for its flocks of ostrich chickens, this land is rustic and quiet -- and the locals like it that way!

• Yunzabit Heights (#1803) - Cold, desolate, and assailed by high winds, the Yunzabit Heights make a formidable arena for any combatant who does not have some means for enduring the brutal conditions. The sky is always dark and covered by clouds. The rocky steppes have been stripped of all but a thin layer of sturdy, scrubby grass, and there isn't any sign that anybody has ever tried to call this place home -- save for a few wrecked structures, clearly no longer occupied. These buildings may serve as excellent grounds for close quarters combat! No stands are established here, and no viewing screens: of all the battlefields, this one is the loneliest.

Brackets and Results

• WMAT 2012

• WMAT 2013

• WMAT 2014

• WMAT 2015

Prizes

Cash prizes are awarded to first, second, and third place contenders. Consolation prizes are awarded to non-winning contenders who are voted into various categories.

• WMAT 2012

• WMAT 2013

• WMAT 2014

• WMAT 2015