Questions about the ladder

[Dr Zaius]

In case some of you are new to ladder play let me explain how the online ladder works.

First, you need to register as a Warfare HQ member. If you're already a member of Warfare HQ and you just want to be added to the ASL ladder, you can do that by clicking on the "Update My Profile" link at the top of the Warfare HQ homepage. Once you've joined the ladder you will be added as soon as the ladder custodian receives your information and can get it posted.

Next, you need to play some games. Don't worry, there is no pressure at Warfare HQ to play any certain number of games. Play as often or as little as you like, it's really up to you. You can play games either in traditional ASL style (face to face), or you may play using VASL, or PBEM. Whatever method suits you. Of course, solitaire play does not count for the ladder!

Once you've completed your game simply go to the ASL section and select the "Report a Game" link. Complete the information on that page and hit the submit button. That will send a copy of the endgame report to both players and the ladder custodian. Again, the ladder custodian will get this info posted as soon as possible (usually within 24-72 hrs). Either player may fill out the game report, but just be sure to decide who it's going to be so the game doesn't get reported twice.

You will receive ladder points depending on the length of the scenario and who won. The winner, of course, receives a higher amount of points than the loser does. It's good to be the winner! As you accumulate ladder points you will move up the ladder and be promoted when you hit certain point levels. You may receive additional points at the discretion of the ladder custodian for tournament play and/or special projects.

If you have any additional questions or comments about the ladder post them here. The ASL ladder is brand new at Warfare HQ, so don't be shy to be the first to sign up. Let's make Warfare HQ one of the premiere Advanced Squad Leader resources on the www!

[Dr Zaius]

Let me clarify something that I have recieved some email questions about.

You DO NOT need to play your games with VASL to get credit for your games on the ladder. If you play all your games as regular boardgames (in other words face-to-face), you can still report these games for full credit. The only requirement is that both players be registered on the ladder.

Likewise, if you play at a tournament you can report these games as well as long as both players are on the ladder. The Warfare HQ ASL ladder is not for VASL players only. Anyone who plays ASL can join.

[VW]

How are points calculated for the ladder? Is there a system for awarding points based on rank or what? I don't see anything posted.

[Dr Zaius]

Points are awarded based on how many turns the scenario is (to be precise, how many turns are actually played). The other ladders on Warfare HQ are a bit more complex. They not only take into account how many turns the scenario was, but the size rating is also used, as well as the victory level (marginal victory, decisive victory, etc). ASL does not has any standard for measuring the relative size of a scenario (there are no scenario complexity ratings like West Front has), nor are there different levels of victory. You either win or lose. Because of these simplifications in the way ASL handles things, there are less variables for us to program into the ladder.

The ladder can be viewed in one of two ways. First, it can be viewed by score where the player with the highest number of points is always at the top. Second, it can be viewed by how successful the player has been, not just by total points accumulated. A new feature of the ladder is that users can now view individual player histories for each player, and players may also be awarded medals and ribbons for achieving certain goals. See the Table of Ranks page for more info on that.

We have been thinking about putting some type of point calculator on the ladder page so that players can punch in their input and see how many points they would be awarded for a given scenario. This is in the planning stages now and has not been implemented yet. I can give you a few rough examples though.

Example 1

Axis: Member1
Allied: Member2
Scenario: A Big Battle Somewhere
Turns: 7
Victory: Allied victory

Member1 receives 14 ladder points while Member2 receives 56. Their respective win/loss % are adjusted accordingly.

Example 2

Axis: Member1
Allied: Member2
Scenario: A Really Big Battle Somewhere
Turns: 18
Victory: Axis

Member1 receives 144 ladder points while Member2 receives 36.

As you can see, the ladder is skewed heavily in favor of the victor with the loser only receiving a few points. Since most ASL scenarios are <10 turns don't expect to get a huge amount of points for each victory.