BF3 Campaign 4 System

Introduction

Preamble

Battlefield 3 is a tactical first-person shooter set in the modern era, and is developed and distributed by EA Games.

At Global Conflict the multi-player aspects of the game are utilized to simulate a conflict between two organized corporations. Members join a side and agree to abide by the rules of that corporation and to participate in the campaign as outlined in the Campaign System that follows. The Campaign is played out using the original (vanilla) BF3, the Back to Karkand (B2K) and Armoured Kill (AK) expansion packs.

Each corporation is headed by a High Command (HC) that will be comprised of well known and respected members, selected prior to the start each new campaign. The HC is responsible for the smooth running of their army. The HC will accomplish this through the delegation of authority in a manner of their choosing. This authority will not extend to breaching the Rules of Global Conflict and in any case will not supercede the authority of the Tournament Admins or of the Executive Senate.

The guiding principle of the campaign shall be an attitude and display of gentlemanly and sportsmanlike conduct. If any rule in its interpretation or implementation should breach these generally accepted principles then this rule must be adapted to comply. If any rule is unclear in its interpretation then it must be applied with this guiding principle determining its intent and outcome.

The rules behind this campaign are based in part from borrowed elements of the board game ‘Risk’ and other rules developed by our community. The goal of the Campaign is to gain control of either 70% of the territories available on the Campaign Map, or to force the other side into surrender. The Campaign Map will be illustrated and hosted on the home page of Global-Conflict.org. As the campaign progresses the campaign map will be updated to reflect the ebb and flow of each corporation's divisions and territories.

Definitions

• Corporation: One of two factions competing for world domination on the campaign map. Sometimes referred to as "army", "empire", or "PMC", which stands for "Private Military Corporation."

• Map: a Battlefield 3 map in a specific game mode and size, e.g. "Caspian Border, Conquest Small"

• Territory: A tile on the campaign map, corresponding to one Battlefield 3 map.

• HQ: Headquarters are the supply center of a corporation. New divisions are trained at headquarters. Each corporation will have two corporate HQ's.

• Division: A game piece on the campaign map which represents the amount of military strength in a territory. Each division is represented by one round of play in game. Divisions are sometimes referred to as "armies."

• Net Worth, WCP: Net worth represents the total financial and military power of a corporation. Net Worth is measured in World Control Points. Each territory is worth 1 WCP.

• General, HC: Because each corporation is effectively a private army, their leaders are traditionally referred to as generals. The highest-ranked officers in each corporation are referred to as the high command (HC).

• TA: Tournament Administrators are a group of dedicated GC veterans who run the day-to-day functioning of the campaign. They are the "referees" who police the fairplay rules and administer all aspects of the tournament.

• Executive Senate: The Executive Senate (sometimes called "execs" or "senators") is Global Conflict's highest governing body, made up of veterans who have been active in the community for years. Whereas the TA's run the tournament itself, the Executive Senate is responsible for the overall health of the community. Its members select the TA's and generals, and have the final say in all disputes.

• SBT: Standard Battle Time is the time at which the main Saturday battle day will begin. This is currently 17:00 UTC but will be adjusted this campaign for the end of day lights saving.

Campaign Initialization

Before a campaign begins, the Executive Senate will select volunteers from the community to serve as Generals and Tournament Administrators. From here, the TA's and HC's will set a timeline for the following steps

1. Selecting territories
2. Selecting maps
3. Drafting officers
4. Drafting players
5. Initial campaign map placements

Territory Selection Process

To set the initial owners of territories on the campaign map, the TA's will meet with both HC's for the territory draft.

A coin toss will determine first pick, and each HC will alternate picking one territory at a time until all available territories are claimed.

Map Selection Process

It is up to each HC to choose a BF3 map corresponding to each territory on the campaign map.

The TA's will create an official map list for the campaign. This list must specify a game mode/size for each map, and a map may be duplicated.

Once the list is created, and after the territory draft, a map draft will be held. First pick will go to the loser of the coin toss from the territory draft, and corporations will alternate selecting maps from the list.

Campaign Map Placements

THE FOLLOWING STEPS WILL BE TAKEN BY EACH HC WITHOUT THE OTHER HC’S KNOWLEDGE

Map Placement

• After the territories and maps have been selected, the HC’s will then place their maps on their territories in private.

Once map assignments are submitted to the tournament admins, they can never be changed. However, the TA's may allow exceptions at their discretion, for example if new patches fundamentally change the balance of a map.

With each map assignment, the HC must also announce which in-game side it will defend from. The defending side may be changed at any time, but there is a five day "relocation time." Changes must be announced in the TA's & HC forums by Monday SBT before the battleday it will take effect.

If the territory is attacked within the relocation time the defender will play from the original defending side.

Division Placement

• Each corporation will receive 55 divisions to represent assets held at the start of the campaign. These divisions will be placed by the corporation's HC. Every territory must be occupied by at least one division. Additional divisions are used to reinforce territories at the discretion of each HC.

• • Along with division placements, each corporation will place its two headquarters.
  • Once placed, these headquarters can not be moved for the remainder of the campaign.
    • Should an army have no headquarters during the reinforcement phase they will be allowed to place one new headquarters on the map and immediately deploy troops from there.
    • Should an army have three (3) headquarters an capture any more, the newly captured headquarters are destroyed and permanently removed from the map as collateral damage.

Territory Battle Days

General Rules

Timing

• Territory battles begin every Saturday at SBT.
  • TA's and HC's can agree to skip a Saturday for holidays or other reasons
  • If an attack starts late because the attacker was not ready, this time is not refunded at the end
  • If the attack starts late for some other reason (e.g. server issues), the time is refunded at the end
  • If the server crashes during a round, the TA's will decide whether to
    • 1. If many tickets remain or it's very close, cancel the round and add time on at the end
      2. Otherwise, declare the army that was ahead in tickets the winner of the round
  • No new round can start 15 minutes before the end of the battleday, SBT+6 (unless additional time has been added on by the TA's)
  • The attacker must take a 30 minute break between SBT+2.5 and SBT+3.5, but can decide where it falls in that time (they're encouraged to aim for SBT+2.75). After the break, we swap servers.

• Each battleday has one attacker, who chooses which territories to assault, and one defender, who must protect territories for the whole battleday.
  • The corporation with the attack initiative tries to attack as many territories as it can
  • The defender tries to stall the attacks, limiting the damage.
  • This means attackers set the tempo. They announce when a round should be live and can take as long or as little as they need to prepare.
  • Defenders always get 30 minutes before the first map, and 10 minutes before each subsequent map, to prepare. After that, the attacker can request live at any time.
• Should the battle day end prematurely due to a lack of numbers on the defensive side, then this side will be required to forfeit one round for every thirty (30) minutes lost before the scheduled end of the battle day.
  • This forfeit will be rounded upwards.
  • Should no attacking move be declared, the defensive side may choose which divisions to forfeit.

• The corporation with the attack initiative must announce their first attack by Thursday SBT before the battleday.
  • Defenders are told the attack at SBT-30 mins, unless they use the Intelligence mission (see Black Ops rules).

• Every round will start with a 90-second countdown. To be counted as live, it must start with a TA announcing "LIVE LIVE LIVE" over all chat.
  • An attacker cannot cancel a live round partly through, but the TA's can rule a "false start" if needed

Risk Rules

• For each attack, attackers must announce the destination territory, the number of divisions being used, and the source territories
  • A corporation cannot re-attack a territory until their second attack turn following their initial attack on that territory.
  • An attack can be amassed with divisions from multiple territories. These territories must be in direct contact with the territory to be attacked, unless the para-drop rule is invoked
  • A territory can never be left empty. One division must always be left on it at all times.
• Division number limits
  • The first attack of a battleday must use at least 3 divisions
  • Every territory has a max attackers limit of 4 divisions.
  • Every territory has a max defenders limit, which is 4 divisions for most maps but can be set lower by TA's for heavily defender-biased maps.
  • It's legal to have more than 4 defenders on a territory, but if this territory is attacked and 4 rounds are lost, all other divisions will also die.
• Territory battles will be conducted as follows:
  1. The corporations will play the same side for all rounds on a map, they will not alternate sides. The defender's side will be chosen in the initial map placements.
  2. The number of winning rounds required for a successful outcome is equal to the number of opposing corporation divisions in play.
  3. Maps will be played at 175% ticket count, but the TAs reserve the right to alter the ticket count of any map as needed.

Attack Sequence

THE ATTACK TURN FORMALLY BEGINS WHEN THE PREVIOUS TURN ENDS AT THE END OF SATURDAY'S BATTLE.

Step 1: Opening Moves

This is the attacking corporation's movement of divisions to amass them for attack.

• The attacking corporation can redistribute its divisions to any adjoining occupied territory.
  • All territories must remain occupied at all times by at least one division.
  • Each individual division can only move one territory in preparation to attack.

Opening moves for the attacker are due in the TA&HC forum on Thursday SBT. The first attack announcement to the TA's is due in the HC's private forum on Thursday SBT

Step 2: Attacking

This is the phase in which the attacking corporation moves its divisions into the defending corporation's territory for the purpose of capturing it.

• The attacking corporation will state how many divisions it is attacking with.
• For each round played the loser of the round must remove one division and place it in the "refund" pool for later re-distribution.
• The attack will continue until one side has run out of divisions, or until the attacker calls for a retreat.
  • The defender is obliged to defend to the best of its ability. There is no retreat option available to the defender.
• If the attack is successful, the remaining attacking divisions are moved into the territory and ownership of the territory is transferred to the attacking corporation. If the attack is unsuccessful no change is made other than the removal of lost divisions.
• An attacking corporation may continue to move on and attack any adjoining territory from the one just conquered and occupied. This is known as the Blitzkrieg Effect (aka "Blitz").
  • If you wish to blitz you must do it immediately. You cannot attack with some divisions, go attack with different divisions and then come back and blitz.

TA's will announce the number of refunded divisions by Sunday SBT.

Step 3: Defensive Moves

This is the phase in which the attacker may reposition their forces at the end of a day

• The attacker may reposition its divisions following the conclusion of the Battle Day.
• The attacker can move its divisions to any adjoining occupied territory.
  • However, each territory must always remain occupied by at least one division.
  • Each division can move by one (1) territory.
• Due to battle fatigue, any division used in an attack cannot be moved until the next turn.
• A newly occupied territory may only be reinforced by up to 50% of the number of occupying divisions (rounding up)
  • For example: the attacking corporation conquers a territory and only has three (3) divisions remaining. The HC can re-enforce 1/2 that number (1.5 divisions) which when rounded up equals two (2) divisions. So up to two (2) divisions that were not already involved in an attack and are adjacent to the newly conquered territory, or fall within the Para-drop re-enforcement rules, can be moved there to fortify the territory against counter attack.

Defensive moves for the defender are due in the TA&HC forum on Monday SBT

• Note: the attacker who's week has just ended CANNOT move the divisions refunded in step 4. The defender will be able to once they become the attacker in their opening moves phase.

Step 4: Refunding

This is the phase in which defeated divisions are redistributed between the two corporations.

• Divisions lost by both corporations during the battle day are put into the Refund Pool. At the end of the battle day, these lost divisions will be redistributed between the two sides. Each side's refund is a function of its net worth.
• The divisions in the refund pool will be redistributed according to the following criteria:
  • The corporation with the lower net worth will receive:
    • One (1) division for a net worth between 40% and 44.99%;
    • Two (2) divisions for a net worth between 35% and 39.99%;
    • Three (3) divisions for a net worth below 34.99%.
    • (percentages are an indication of the side's WCP score in relation to the total world score
  • The remaining divisions will then be refunded based on the percentage of the WCP's held, e.g. an corporation holding 75% of the WCPs will receive 75% of the divisions in the pool.
• The rounding of point values will always go in favor of the side with lower net worth.
• Refunded divisions can only be placed at a headquarters or FOB that has been controlled by an corporation for at least one full attack turn.
  • The only exception to this is if a defender has no headquarters after the attacking phase. In this case the defender may immediately place a new headquarters on the map on any territory they own and place all reinforcements on this headquarters.

Refund placements are due in the TA & HC forum by Monday SBT.

Step 5: Purchase of Black Ops Buildings

This is the phase in which armies may spend any credits they have earned from Black Ops Tuesdays (see Black Ops rules below) to place new buildings on a territory.

• No Black Ops building may be used the turn it is purchased.

Building purchases for for both sides are due in the TA&HC forum on Monday SBT

THE ATTACK TURN IS NOW OVER. The defending corporation will now become the attacker.

Attack Maneuvers

Para-Dropping

• Once per air base per turn a para-drop manoeuvre may be utilized by the attacking corporation to allow for the attack or fortification of an isolated territory.
  • If used for attack, this move must take place during the battleday
  • If used for fortification this move must take place after the battleday (during step four (4) "Defensive Moves" )
• This manoeuvre will allow an corporation to drop a maximum of three (3) divisions behind enemy lines
• For every enemy AA the para-drop flies over one (1) of the divisions being dropped is killed
  • This is cumulative, so if a para-drop flies over 3 enemy territories, two (2) of which have AA's on them, then only one (1) of the original divisions makes it to the final territory
  • For offensive drops, AA's in the target territory count when working out the number of divisions killed by AA
• The following conditions must be met for a Para-drop to be used:
  1. The territory where the divisions reside must have an airbase
  2. The divisions which are to be used must reside within a four (4) territory radius of the territory being para-dropped over
• Para-dropping may be used to reinforce a Blitzkrieg attack
  • All normal para-drop rules still apply
• There is no retreat option for the para-drop manoeuvre.
• In the event that a para-drop manoeuvre is unfinished because of time constraints, the remaining divisions will be returned to the territory they attacked from. They will not be allowed to move in the redistribution for defense phase.

Retreating

• An corporation with the attack initiative may retreat from a territory. When a retreat is announced the attacking corporation shall either:

1. Play one more round and retreat at its conclusion regardless of the outcome.
2. Forfeit one division and retreat immediately. This forfeit refers to surrendering the division that would have played to the refund pool.

• Retreats must be announced between rounds. A conquest game can never be stopped mid-round.

• No more than half the divisions used in the attack can retreat. For example, if the attacker uses four (4) divisions, they must wait until after the second round to announce the retreat and play a third retreating round.

• If the retreating attacker wins the retreat round the defender loses a division.
  • In the event that no divisions remain on the attacked territory, the defender will be allowed to move a division into the territory to re-occupy.
  • The attacker cannot gain control of a territory on a retreat round.

• A defending corporation cannot retreat.

Headquarters and Forward Operating Bases

• New divisions may only be placed at headquarters or FOB's.

• Headquarters can be acquired or re-acquired through conquest. If a HQ is re-acquired the controlling corporation must remain in possession for one week before new divisions can be placed there.
  • The exception is if the newly captured HQ is that army's only headquarters. In this case the new divisions can be placed immediately.

• Forward Operating Bases (FOB's) can be acquired from the Black Ops Store.
  • Up to three (3) divisions may be placed on an FOB's in any one week.
    • You cannot place any divisions on a newly built FOB.

Black Ops Battledays

General Rules

• Every week, there are two Black Ops Battles
  • European Black Ops (EUBO): SBT+2 to SBT +4.5
  • North American Black Ops (NABO): SBT+8 to SBT+10.5
  • No new live round can start after 2:15 hours in, except in case of server crashes or delays -- the rules here are the same as Territory battledays.
  • Incomplete maps from EUBO are completed at NABO before a new map begins

• The corporation with the attack initiative will attack for the full length of battleday.
  • It must announce its first attack at least 30 minutes in advance to the Tournament Admins, who will announce it to the opposing army.
  • Additional attack moves will remain undeclared until the completion of the previous attack.

• Each corporation receives an identical map pool from which they can select maps to play on the battleday.
• Attackers must state which map and game mode they are playing from their map pool.
  • A map from the map pool can only be played once.
  • Once all maps in the pool have been played the pool is reset.

• Black Ops battles will be conducted as follows:

1. For each map, the defenders have 2 minutes to choose which side they'll play.
2. The armies will play each map twice, once on each side.
   • In the event of a tie the defender wins.
3. Maps will be played at 150% ticket count.
4. The TAs reserve the right to alter the ticket count should it be in the interest of fair play.

• Each Black Ops victory earns the attacker 10,000 credits, which can be spent in the Black Ops Store.

Map Victory Conditions

• To win on any map you take the score from both rounds and combine them. The army with the highest score wins.
  • The defender wins in the result of a tie.

• Conquest - Army with the greatest number of tickets combined over both rounds.
• Rush - Army with the greatest number of MComs destroyed.
• Tank Superiority - Army with the greatest number of tickets combined over both rounds.
• Close Quarters - Army with the greatest number of tickets combined over both rounds.
• Team Death Match - Army with the greatest number of tickets combined over both rounds.

Black Ops Store

• Availability and price of items in the store may vary from week to week, at the discretion of the TA's.
• Each week an up-to-date list will be posted in each corporations HC forum.
• To purchase an item a member of the corporations HC must inform the TA of the specific item they would like to purchase.
• There are two types of items available, instant effect items, and those that construct buildings on the map.
  • After the purchase of instant effect items they will automatically be enabled 24 hours prior to the following battleday (no saving them for later).
  • Buildings can only be constructed during step 5 of a battle week.
    • There can only ever be one of each type of building on a single territory.
• Announcements for Black Ops instant effect items must be announced to the TAs via a PM or a post in the official BO Store no latter than 24 hours before the start of the battle day.
• You may not purchase and / or use more than one of each type of Black Ops item from the store per week.

Black Ops Items

Air Base

Building to be constructed on the campaign map. Allows the use of para-drop ability for units in this territory.

Anti-Air

Building to be constructed on the campaign map. Any para-drop passing over this territory looses one division. Cumulative effect for para-drops passing over multiple territories with AA's.

Assassination

Instant effect. Choose one enemy territory and remove a division from that territory. The territory must have at least two (2) divisions on it for this to be used.

Forward Operating Base

Building to be constructed on the campaign map. Divisions may be deployed from this building rather than an HQ. Maximum of three (3) divisions per week.

Intelligence

Instant effect. Receive 24 hours early notification on the enemies first attack instead of 30 minutes.

Sabotage

Instant effect. Remove any enemy building (except HQ's) from the campaign map.

Theaters

A theater is a group of connected territories loosely corresponding to a continent. Controlling theaters provides a bonus, and attacking across theaters requires crossing checkpoints.

Theater Bonuses

• Capturing all territories in a theater grants a bonus to the controlling corporation, measured in world control points. Note: WCP is not the same as divisions. But they are part of the formula that determines how many divisions you get.
• The bonus for each theater is
  • Australia, 2
  • South America, 2
  • Middle East, 3
  • Africa, 4
  • North America, 5
  • Europe, 6
  • Asia, 6

• Theater bonuses do not go into effect until the following weeks reinforcement phase.
• Theater bonuses are terminated immediately after the opposing empire captures a territory located within the theater.

Victory Conditions

An corporation can achieve victory in three ways:

1. By gaining control of at least 70% of the World Control Points and remaining at or above 70% WCP through the opposing corporation's next attack turn.
2. By forcing the opposing corporation to surrender

• An corporation may surrender by announcing its decision to the Tournament Admins at any time.

• Any corporation with consistently low attendance over the span of a minimum of three weeks will risk automatic forfeit of the campaign. Execution of this forfeit will be determined on a case-by-case basis by the Tournament Admins.