Battle of the Bits

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battle of the bits

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::|CONTENTS

OHC Rules
OHC Formats
OHC Variants
Hosting an OHC
OHC Stages
FAQ

OHC is an acronym for One Hour Competition. An OHC actually lasts about 90 minutes including time for setup, the hour of composing, voting and, finally, the results. However, if a larger group plays together, some of these steps can take a while longer.

OHCs come about through chatting on IRC where most BotB communications occur. In the #BotB Channel you can query BotB_IRCbot if an OHC is currently in play by typing "!ohc". BotBrs can participate without IRC but this behaviour is strongly discouraged.

OHC Rules

* Have fun!... :D

* An OHC requires at least 3 BotBrs to play and 125 Boons. The Host deposits the boons and gets them back if 3 or more entries points.

* Every OHC has an acting Host. The BotBr OHC Host is in charge of setting up the OHC including Title, Format, Sample Pack, Theme, and/or Optional Rules.

* When a Format is declared all entries uploaded must be that Format.
(Formats and their descriptions are below)

* No outside sounds/image are allowed in entries besides those created within the Format and the Sample Pack/Rule (if one is available).

* All entries are original works. No cover songs allowed or existent image.

* All entries are anonymous - BotBrs must refrain from putting their names inside entries in case of the AUDIO/CHIP OHC and BotBrs must refrain from putting their names in the PIXEL OHC files. BotBr names are appended to the entries after the OHC is over & finalized.

* The OHC lasts one hour. All entries should be uploaded before this time expires. If a BotBr needs more time to upload their entry BotBrs can use the "Submit late" buttom, but every one (1) minute late is a point against your score. So entries uploaded after the initial hour are penalized. You loose one (1) point of score for every minute late.

* All OHC Host's Optional Rules may over ride these OHC Rules.

OHC Formats

The Host's decision on Format is based on what allows the most BotBrs to play.BotB OHC's currently support the following Formats

AUDIO/CHIP OHC
* NES/Famicom 2a03 ( Nintendo Sound Format -- 2a03 Chip -- *.NSF ).
* NES/Famicom 2a03 w/ Expansion ( 2a03, VRC6, VRC7, N106, MMC5, FME-07 and FDS Chip -- *.NSF ).
* Nintendo Gameboy ( -- *. MP3, *.OGG or *.GBS ).
* S3XMODIT (an array of Classic Trackers -- *.XM, *.IT, *.S3M, *.MOD ).
* ALLGEAR Any Software/tracker is used to mainpulate the SAMPLE PACK. Entries are *.MP3 or *.OGG.
* Remix Any Software/tracker and YOU CAN ADD extra sounds -- *.MP3 or *.OGG.
* Pandatracker ( -- *.panda ).
* SNES' Mario Paint ( zsnes + mario paint rom as a tracker ).
* Amiga ( -- *.MOD or *.AHX ).
* MIDI ( Musical Instrument Digital Interface -- *.MID ).
* Adlib ( AdLib Music Synthesizer Card (ALMSC) -- *.??? ).
* Atari POKEY Chip ( -- *.SAP ).
* Atari TIA Chip ( -- *.BIN ).
* AY-3-8910 / YM2149 ( -- *.??? )
* Channel F ( -- *.??? )
* SEGA PSG ( Sega SMS/Gamegear SN7* "Sneven" chip -- *.VGM ).
* SEGA FM ( Sega FM -- *.VGM ).
* Commodore 64 ( -- *.SID )
* Commodore VIC 20 ( -- *.VT or *.PRG ).
* WILD CARD - Anything remotely chip. ( -- *.MP3 or *.OGG ).

PIXEL OHC
* Pixel formats ( -- *.GIF, *.PNG, *.BMP, or *.ZIP, *.RAR when they are a pack and rules allows ).

Basic PIXEL OHC RULES
* Canvas size: FREE or and specific XXX width x YYY height given by the host.
* Format: FREE or In case there is any specific format given by the host.
* Colors: 2 to Unlimited or Palette of colors given by the host.
* Transparent: YES, NOT or OPTIONAL
* Animation: YES, NOT or OPTIONAL

ASCII OHC
* Text-based ( -- *.TXT)

OHC Variants

Types of OHC
Audio/chip = something you can hear.
Pixel = something you can see.
Text/html = something can read and see.

Themes
An OHC's Title typically has little to do with what is expected of the OHC entries. However, if the OHC Host declares a Theme is in play then all entries should be voted on based around that Theme. Themes can be based on any sort of thing like genres, an emotion, types of video game play, holiday humbuggery, etc.

Sample Pack
Sample Packs are source files used in the AUDIO/CHIP OHC typically packaged using .ZIP or RAR formats. Sample Packs are accesible once the OHC starts. Unless otherwise noted by the Host, outside samples are not allowed.

Rule Variations
The OHC Host may take suggestions from other BotBrs or use their own imagination to create New Rules or Rule Variations.

The OHC Host may declare Rule Variations such as "granting liberties" or "imposing limitations". Allowing synths and outside sounds would be granting liberties. Commonly imposed limitations include certain scales, number of voices, time signature, exclusion of notes/chords, etc. Both limitations and liberties could be mixed for more interesting play.

These OHC Variants are defined by the Host before the OHC can begin.

Hosting an OHC

1.- BEGAST an OHC requires a deposit of 125 boons.
2.- OHC host must be present on BotB IRC channel.
3.- Host fairly decides when voting is done and then tells BotB to tally the results.
4.- Host shares results on IRC.
5.- Host finalizes the OHC, receives hostist points and boons as bouns.
6.- Deposit of 125boons returned if 3 or more entries were submitted.

OHC Stages

OHC's have 3 stages:
1. The Countdown -- (from 1-5 minutes)
2. Competition time; composing/draw and uploading entry time -- (60 minutes)
3. Voting time -- (from 5-15 minutes it depend of the entries and the host)

1. The Countdown:
During this time a Countdown timer is set while the particular sample pack/rules for the competition is prepared by one of the players. This guarantees (hopefully) that no one can be ahead of others time-wise nor that players use a previous work done on their own time (we trust either participant or player doing the pack not to cheat on us :D) Also during this time players should ideally finish up whatever they are doing at the moment (work, food, games, and a long etc) in order to get ready to participate and set up their own tools. The Countdown timer usually is set to thirty minutes at most and once it reaches zero (0) minutes the sample pack/rules is released to the public.

2. Competition time:
During this time the Sample Pack, Theme, and/or Optional Rules is provided to the users for their tunes/drawings. It officially last sixty minutes only. If a BotBr needs more time to upload their entry BotBrs can use the "Submit late" buttom.

During this time you're allowed to chat on the IRC channel (of course) but please be aware not to hint people on your songs in order to simply "win".

3. Voting time:
Voting should not take a long while since OHC is such a small competition. Also there is no time to listen to each tune 2-4 times or even compare between them all much. Because of this decisions should be taken fast on a scale that goes from 1 (bad) to 7 (Excellent). It's usually agreed that 4 is neither excellent nor bad but just "so-so".

High scores are bound to how much a player adhered to the rules set for that particular OHC (format, theme, usage of the sample packs, and any other extra rules set) in order to get high votes besides "just" great and amazing melodies of course. A great melody can get you far, but if you didn't follow the theme nor used the sample pack enough or simply didn't follow any extra rules expect 1:s and 2:s votes from other participants and players.

Who can vote?
Players (people registered at the site who happen to submit an entry for that particular OHC) and participants (people registered at the site who didn't submit a song for the OHC but happened to be around on the IRC channel during the Voting Time)

Also, a player is not allowed to vote his|her own song on any competition. And TROLLS aren't allowed to vote in OHC.

Voter Strength:
Voter Strength is a "level" system among players and participants. This means that if an experienced user on the community gets involved a lot on competitions he|she will have a high Voter Strength and his|her votes will have more "weight" (decision power if you will) on any competition than those of a player with a lower Voter Strength. No, votes are not equal among players. If a players has a voting Strength of x20 and another player has a Voting Strength of x10 the vote of the player with the highest Voting Strength will "weight" more than the vote of a player with a lower voting Strength value. BotB's use of such mechanisms has been found contraversial to some.

This system is implemented to stop any given user from having multiple accounts and his|her own songs with high scores and at the same time from voting low scores on other players' songs. The "Voter Strength" is a simple measurement to control that a new comer (a n00b if you will) to the community vote against every other player negatively in order to make his|her track "win"

FAQ

What happend if i don't submit my track at time?
Well, if the time ends. Your able to SUBMIT LATE your track. But this means, you will get less points in the votation.

What's the difference between ALLGEARS and REMIX?
Simple, ALLGEARS means you can use any Software/Tracker to manipulate especifict pack of sound or create a song depending of the OHC Optional Rule. And REMIX means you can use any Software/Tracker and also you can add an EXTRA SOUND like a VOICE, SAMPLE, CHIPSOUND or whatever you like and don't matter if the sound is not in the Sample pack.

Can i record a voice/drums/guitar or sound for an OHC?
Just when is a REMIX OHC, that allowed to you to use any extra sound or recording or whatever you like.

Can i submit a Cover song?
No, it's not allowed to upload a cover song, you must make your own song in ONE (1) HOUR.

What's that PIXEL OHC?
Well, is a competition similar to an audio/chip ohc, but the main difference of course is that they are Picture Elements.

Can i use outside palette in PIXEL OHC?
If the rules said so, YES. But if the rules include a palette, then you can't and you have to use the palette provide by the Host.

What's that ASCII OHC?
It's a text-based ohc. So you should be able o create "art" with simple/plane text.

Can i use a ASCII Generator?
Obviously, not. Some players will "vote you down" because of that.

Can i use hotlink in HTML OHC?
No, you can't.

When is the next OHC?
We don't have any set time for the next OHC. We host OHC all the time, just stay around at IRC #botb channel to know when is the next OHC. Or find 3 peoples who want to "battle" and BEGAST an OHC.

I need to vote for all the track of the others PLAYAS in the OHC?
Yes/Not, it's not compulsory for you to vote for all the tracks. But more people votes means more points for you and the host. And also, if you vote all songs down that will give you "troll" points and after few times by doing that, you will not able to vote anymore, because you will be considerate as a "TROLL" by the botb system.

How many time i have to vote for the tracks?
Well, depend of the length of the songs and how many times you listen every track. But remember, you are not the only one voting.

Can i upload an NSF in an S3XMODIT?
Obviously you can't, if is an OHC of S3XMODIT you must upload S3M, XM, IT or MOD. The specific formats for the specific OHC. If you still don't understand check the FORMAT list.

What's the length of the song?
What ever you want!... just sometimes we have strange rules which include an specific "time length", but if this rule it's not included you can make your song with any length. Just remember, you can upload 2.5Mb MP3 as max size.

What's that WILD CARD format?
Since there are TO MANY CHIPS out there and we just can't add all, we have this special format for the occasion. So if you have something anything remotely chip like a Casio Watch, Cellphone, Old console, Old computer or whatever and you can made music with that, then you can use it as a WILD CARD.

How many times i can host OHC's?
As many as you and your boons want/can.

How many boons i need to host an OHC?
You need 125 boons and 3 players to start an ohc. If you are the host and end just with 1-2 players. The 125 boons will not be returned by the system.

What i win?
In our point view... NOTHING!... XD... well you maybe earn some experience with the time of doing many ohc's. But don't take care about this, nobody around here ( in BOTB ) cares about if you win or lose. We just want to have fun and playing with other Botbrs on Battles...

P.D: all n00bz...

C A T E G O R I E S

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