Most '[[battle[battles] have a bitpack, a donloadable .zip file with sources and/or rules to be used constructing battle entries. The bitpack's purpose is to give inspiration, set guidelines, and to ensure '[[BotBr[BotBrs] start their entries from scratch. A good bitpack will also create unity among the battle's entries. At the very least, if a battle has zero '[[Bit[bits], the bitpack will be a text file '[[rules[rulesheet]. It will contain rules and/or words of inspiration from the '[[Battle Host[battle's host]. Again, the point of a bitpack is to help set the direction of the battle's entries. Some rare multi-format battles do not require a bitpack, such as major chip battles or the old '[[3xThemeChip[triple theme] battles. A good bitpack is very important, as it "sets a tone that resonates through all the entries it inspires" - '[l[http://battleofthebits.com/academy/GroupThread/5430/The+New+OHB+Policies/[puke7]. A battle host may take suggestions from other BotBrs or use their own imagination to create a set of rules for an '[[XHB]. The bitpack may declare rules that either help BotBrs by granting liberties, or hinder them by imposing limitations. '[[allgear (format)[Allowing synths and outside sounds] would be an example of granting liberties. Commonly imposed limitations include certain scales, number of voices, time signature, exclusion of notes/chords, etc. Both limitations and liberties can be mixed for more interesting play! '[#[Battle Types and Bitpacks] A sample pack is traditionally a compilation of some number of samples/sounds to be used in a '[[compo] or '[[XHB]. Recently, though, with the introduction of visual battles (yarh!) it also means some bitpacks will consist of color palettes or images. A bitpack may also contain the rules of the battle in particular, such as theme, scale usage, color usage, etc. And once a pack is uploaded to the site, it'll become part of the database of the site for all to download and use. '[[25 Samples 48 Hours] remix is the original BotB tradition. The bitpack is created by the BotB community by submitting and then voting on each bit. The bitpack is made available when the remix period begins, containing the community's favorite samples. '[[XHB[XHBs] require a set of bits and/or a specific rule created by the host. '[[Duels[Duels] don't exist yet. The hosting is still vague. . . '[[Winter Chip] is a multi-format chiptune and/or '[[chip music] battle. In the past, there has been no bitpack for these, though the official BotB rule 'All entries must be original' is displayed on the battle's homepage. Surprise Remix bitpacks typically contain themed audio samples. '[[Photomash (format)[Photomash] bitpacks will contain photos. '[#[Ripped Bits] '[[s3xmodit (format)[S3XMODIT] bitpacks tend to be a single module file with samples/instruments preloaded and ready to g0g0g0g0g0! A good '[[Hostist (class)[Host] will provide an original combination of bits for the pack. Taking a module and deleting its song data is not good hosting. '[#[See Also] '[[Battle] '[[XHB] '[[Bit]
