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| dpl_faq [2015/05/24 02:57] – [General] langdon | dpl_faq [2026/03/25 18:48] (current) – mitalapo |
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| ==== General ==== | ==== General ==== |
| |
| * 1 - <html><a href="#q1g">What is the DPL? And what does "DPL" stand for?</a></html> | * <html><a href="#q1g">What is the DPL? And what does "DPL" stand for?</a></html> |
| * 2 - <html><a href="#q2g">How does the DPL work?</a></html> | * <html><a href="#q2g">How does the DPL work?</a></html> |
| * 3 - <html><a href="#q3g">What s the difference between a team, a division, a conference, and a league?</a></html> | * <html><a href="#q4g">How does the scoring work?</a></html> |
| * 4 - <html><a href="#q4g">How does the scoring work?</a></html> | * <html><a href="#q6g">How do the playoffs work?</a></html> |
| * 5 - <html><a href="#q5g">What happens at the end of the first 6 weeks of the season?</a></html> | * <html><a href="#q8g">How long does a season last?</a></html> |
| * 6 - <html><a href="#q6g">How do the playoffs work?</a></html> | * <html><a href="#q9g">How many seasons will there be a year?</a></html> |
| * 7 - <html><a href="#q8g">How long does a season last?</a></html> | * <html><a href="#q10g">Will the Site Council cheat?</a></html> |
| * 8 - <html><a href="#q9g">How many seasons will there be a year?</a></html> | * <html><a href="#q12g">Will additional challenges (Free Studies, Speed Challenges, etc) count?</a></html> |
| * 9 - <html><a href="#q10g">Will the Site Council cheat?</a></html> | |
| * 10 - <html><a href="#q11g">What happens if there are more or less than 24 (or 48, 72, ...) teams when the season starts?</a></html> | |
| * 11 - <html><a href="#q12g">Will additional challenges (Free Studies, Speed Challenges, etc) count?</a></html> | |
| |
| ==== Teams ==== | ==== Teams ==== |
| |
| * 1 - <html><a href="#q1t">How do I join a team?</a></html> | * <html><a href="#q5t">How long is the signup process?</a></html> |
| * 2 - <html><a href="#q2t">How do I create a team?</a></html> | * <html><a href="#ref1">How many people can I request to be on my team? </a></html> |
| * 3 - <html><a href="#q3t">I've accepted an invitation but changed my mind - how do I unaccept?</a></html> | * <html><a href="#ref2">Is there any way to guarantee I play with a specific friend? </a></html> |
| * 4 - <html><a href="#q4t">What is a Free Agent? Why would I want to be one?</a></html> | * <html><a href="#ref3">What is the "Skill Cap"? </a></html> |
| * 5 - <html><a href="#q5t">How long is the signup process?</a></html> | * <html><a href="#ref4">How is the Skill Cap calculated? </a></html> |
| * 6 - <html><a href="#q6t">Can I change my team (or change someone in my team) during the season?</a></html> | * <html><a href="#ref5">Does the "Skill Cap" apply to Mutual #1 choices? </a></html> |
| * 7 - <html><a href="#q7t">What happens if I get DQ'd and/or suspended?</a></html> | * <html><a href="#ref6">I requested someone, but we didn't end up on the same team. Why? </a></html> |
| * 8 - <html><a href="#q8t">How do I see my team standings & entries?</a></html> | * <html><a href="#ref7">What happens if none of my requests work out? </a></html> |
| * 9 - <html><a href="#q9t">Can I vote on my team's entries?</a></html> | * <html><a href="#ref8">How does the Random Fill work? </a></html> |
| * 10 - <html><a href="#q10t">How do we get a forum thread? And is it private?</a></html> | * <html><a href="#ref9">I don't know anyone to request. Can I still join? </a></html> |
| * 11 - <html><a href="#q11t">Can we change the name of our team?</a></html> | * <html><a href="#ref10">Can I change my requests after submitting them? </a></html> |
| * 12 - <html><a href="#q12t">I can't be captain any more - how do I hand the team to someone else?</a></html> | * <html><a href="#ref11">I take this very seriously. What if I don't like my team? </a></html> |
| * 13 - <html><a href="#q13t">How does my team get allocated a division/conference/league?</a></html> | * <html><a href="#ref12">I am part of a group of 3 photographers who absolutely love to play together. What can we do to make it happen? </a></html> |
| | * <html><a href="#ref13">Can a group of 4 use a similar scheme? </a></html> |
| | * <html><a href="#ref14">How are team captains assigned? </a></html> |
| | * <html><a href="#ref15">How many teams will be setup, and what will be the team size?</a></html> |
| | * <html><a href="#ref16">Can we replace a team member who is unable to contribute?</a></html> |
| | * <html><a href="#q7t">What happens if I get DQ'd and/or suspended?</a></html> |
| | * <html><a href="#q8t">How do I see my team standings & entries?</a></html> |
| | * <html><a href="#q9t">Can I vote on my team's entries?</a></html> |
| | * <html><a href="#q10t">How do we get a forum thread? And is it private?</a></html> |
| | * <html><a href="#q11t">Can we change the name of our team?</a></html> |
| | * <html><a href="#q12t">I can't be captain any more - how do I hand the team to someone else?</a></html> |
| | * <html><a href="#q13t">How does my team get allocated a division?</a></html> |
| |
| ==== Other ==== | ==== Other ==== |
| ==== General ==== | ==== General ==== |
| |
| <html><a name="q1g"></a></html>== 1 - What is the DPL? And what does "DPL" stand for? == | <html><a name="q1g"></a></html>== Q: What is the DPL? And what does "DPL" stand for? == |
| The DPL is the DPChallenge Photography League. For more information, see the [[http://www.dpchallenge.com/league/league_dpl_information.php?about_the_dpl|about page]] | A: The DPL is the DPChallenge Photography League. For more information, see the [[http://www.dpchallenge.com/league/league_dpl_information.php?about_the_dpl|about page]] |
| |
| <html><a name="q2g"></a></html>== 2 - How does the DPL work? == | <html><a name="q2g"></a></html>== Q: How does the DPL work? == |
| DPL teams, consisting of DPChallenge users and members, compete in matches against other teams. The match results are determined by team member entries into the Open and Member challenges that week. Each team will play at least 6 matches in a season, of which 6 are in the group stage and possibly more if they reach the playoffs & finals, depending on their results in the group stage. All the scores are automatically tracked and stats updated at the end of each week of the season, and there is one overall winner at the end of the season. The next season then starts a week or two later. | A: DPL teams, consisting of DPChallenge users and members, compete in matches against other teams. The match results are determined by team member entries into the Open and Member challenges that week. The season has multiple phases: |
| | - **Pre-season:** Registration and teams formation |
| | - **Regular season:**Teams compete against each other in their division |
| | - **Playoffs:** Qualified teams compete in elimination rounds |
| | All the scores are automatically tracked and stats updated at the end of each week of the season. The 4 teams qualified for the last playoff round compete for Gold / Silver / Bronze medals. |
| |
| <html><a name="q3g"></a></html>== 3 - What's the difference between a team, a division, a conference, and a league? == | <html><a name="q4g"></a></html>== Q: How does the scoring work? == |
| Let's break this down into the parts: | A: There are two parts to this: |
| * League - group of 2 conferences. | * Team Member Scores - Each week, there are two challenges that count for DPL - member (Sunday/Monday) and open (Tuesday/Wednesday)Paid members may enter either or both, while registered members may enter the Open challenge. The 4 best scores of team members are averaged together to make the Team Score for that week. A team member may only contribute one score each week to the team score. |
| * Conference - group of 1 or more divisions. | * Team Scores - Once the team score has been calculated from the team member scores, the team with the highest score wins that week's match. |
| * Division - group of 6 teams. | |
| * Team - group of between 5 and 7 DPChallenge users (Season 1) or between 7 and 10 users (Season 2). | |
| |
| The minimum number of required teams to make a season is 24 teams (or 120 users). The maximum number of teams allowed to participate in a season is infinite, but the number must be divisible by 24 (48, 72, 96, etc). | <html><a name="q6g"></a></html>== Q: How do the playoffs work? == |
| | A: The top 8 teams from all divisions advance to the playoffs. The playoff is divided into 3 rounds. |
| | - Elimination round of 8 |
| | - Elimination round of 4 |
| | - Medals round: The 2 qualifying teams compete for Gold. The runner ups compete for Bronze. |
| |
| <html><a name="q4g"></a></html>== 4 - How does the scoring work? == | <html><a name="q8g"></a></html>== Q: How long does a season last? == |
| There are two parts to this: | The DPL is broken up into seasons. A single season's schedule is as follows: |
| * Team Member Scores - Each week, there are two challenges - member (Sunday) and open (Tuesday), to which all (DPC member) team members can enter either or both. The 4 (Season 1) or 5 (Season 2) best scores from the best 4 (Season 1) or 5 (Season 2) team members are averaged together to make the Team Score for that week. | |
| * Team Scores - Once the team score has been calculated from the team member scores, the team with the highest score wins that week's match. | |
| |
| <html><a name="q5g"></a></html>== 5 - What happens at the end of the first 6 weeks of the season? == | - Week 1, 2, 3: Players registration starts.\\ |
| After the first 6 weeks, all the teams in each division will have played matches against the other teams. The team with the most wins (and highest average of Team Scores in the case of a tie) is the winner of that division, and will go into the playoffs. | - Week 4: The teams are created and the team threads become active.\\ |
| | - Week 5: The regular season season begins with the first challenge announced.\\ |
| | - Week 6, 7, 8, 9: The first three rounds are completed.\\ |
| | - Week 10: Mid-season break\\ |
| | - Week 11, 12, 13, 14, 15: The next rounds are complete. Top teams announced.\\ |
| | - Week 16, 17, 18: Playoffs round 1\\ |
| | - Week 19, 20, 21: Playoffs round 2\\ |
| | - Week 22, 23, 24: Playoffs round 3\\ |
| |
| <html><a name="q6g"></a></html>== 6 - How do the playoffs work? == | <html><a name="q9g"></a></html>== Q: How many seasons will there be a year? == |
| The winning teams from each division all qualify for the playoffs. However, the rest of the details of the playoffs have yet to be finalised. | A: Assuming a 3-4 months space between seasons, we can accommodate 1.5 season a year. |
| |
| <html><a name="q8g"></a></html>== 7 - How long does a season last? == | <html><a name="q10g"></a></html>== Q: Will the Site Council cheat? == |
| The DPL is broken up into seasons. A single season's schedule is as follows: | A: Uhh... NO! Of course not! :o) |
| |
| - Week 1: The season is announced, the free agent pool opens, and team captains can begin to create their teams.\\ | <html><a name="q12g"></a></html>== Q: Will additional challenges (Free Studies, Speed Challenges, etc) count? == |
| - Week 2: The teams are automatically placed into divisions, divisions automatically placed into conferences, and conferences automatically placed into leagues.\\ | A: No, only the first two normally scheduled Members and Open challenges (Sunday/Monday and Tuesday/Wednesday) will be counted towards the team scores each week. |
| - Week 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7: The regular season season begins with the first challenge announced.\\ | |
| - Week 9: Once the results from Week 7 are in, the playoffs will begin and last for two "challenge weeks".\\ | |
| - Week 11: Once the results of the first round of playoffs are in, the finals will begin. | |
| |
| <html><a name="q9g"></a></html>== 8 - How many seasons will there be a year? == | |
| There's a space of 1-2 weeks between seasons, to give teams time to change around and recover, so at most 3-4 seasons per year. | |
| |
| <html><a name="q10g"></a></html>== 9 - Will the Site Council cheat? == | ==== Teams ==== |
| Uhh... NO! Of course not! :o) | |
| |
| <html><a name="q11g"></a></html>== 10 - What happens if there are more or less than 24 (or 48, 72, ...) teams when the season starts? == | <html><a name="q5t"></a></html>== Q: How long is the signup period? == |
| If an exact multiple of 24 teams is not reached, then the next highest multiple will be used. For example, if 75 teams are finalised, then only the first 72 will be able to compete. The order in which teams are finalised dictates where they are in the count, so getting your team to be finalised should be done as quickly as possible in order to ensure a place. | A: The signup period is usually 3 weeks. |
| |
| <html><a name="q12g"></a></html>== 11 - Will additional challenges (Free Studies, Speed Challenges, etc) count? == | <html><a name="ref1"></a></html>== Q: How many people can I request to be on my team? == |
| No, only the normally scheduled Members and Open challenges will be counted towards the team scores each week. | A: You can request up to two people. You must rank them as your **1st Choice** and **2nd Choice**. |
| |
| | <html><a name="ref2"></a></html>== Q: Is there any way to guarantee I play with a specific friend? == |
| | A: Yes! There is exactly one scenario that is 100% guaranteed: The **Mutual #1**. |
| | If you rank a player as your #1 choice, and they rank you as their #1 choice, you will be placed together. |
| |
| ==== Teams ==== | <html><a name="ref3"></a></html>== Q: What is the "Skill Cap"? == |
| | A: The Skill Cap is a maximum performance rating allowed for a team, calculated based on the past performance history of its members. We use this to prevent stacking too many high-performing veterans on a single squad. |
| | |
| | <html><a name="ref4"></a></html>== Q: How is the Skill Cap calculated? == |
| | A: We calculate it in two steps: |
| | |
| | - **Personal Rating:** We calculate a member's average percentile score from their last 10 challenges (prior to the DPL announcement). |
| | - **Team Rating:** We calculate the average of all the Personal Ratings of the members on a specific team. |
| | |
| | <html><a name="ref5"></a></html>== Q: Does the "Skill Cap" apply to Mutual #1 choices? == |
| | A: No. **Mutual #1s** are the exception. We prioritize that specific bond above the skill calculations. |
| | |
| | <html><a name="ref6"></a></html>== Q: I requested someone, but we didn't end up on the same team. Why? == |
| | A: If you weren't a Mutual #1 pair, your request was subject to the Skill Cap. We process requests in this order: |
| | |
| | - Mixed Mutuals (e.g., You picked them #1, they picked you #2). |
| | - Mutual 2nd Choices (You both picked each other #2). |
| | - One-Way Requests (You picked them, but they didn't list you). |
| | |
| | If adding your requested partner would push the team over the allowed Skill Cap, the system skips that request to maintain fairness. |
| | |
| | <html><a name="ref7"></a></html>== Q: What happens if none of my requests work out? == |
| | A: If your preferences cannot be met due to the Skill Cap (or if the people you chose were paired with their own Mutual #1s), you will be assigned to a team via **Random Fill**. |
| | |
| | <html><a name="ref8"></a></html>== Q: How does the Random Fill work? == |
| | A: It isn't purely random chaos. The system assigns remaining members to teams specifically to keep the team under the Skill Cap. It tries to balance the league so every team has a fighting chance. |
| | |
| | <html><a name="ref9"></a></html>== Q: I don't know anyone to request. Can I still join? == |
| | A: Absolutely. You can leave your preferences blank, and the system will place you on a team where your skill level fits best to balance the scales. |
| | |
| | <html><a name="ref10"></a></html>== Q: Can I change my requests after submitting them? == |
| | A: Yes. You can edit your requests before teams are finalized. |
| | |
| | <html><a name="ref11"></a></html>== Q: I take this very seriously. What if I don't like my team? == |
| | A: We do our best to make the math work for everyone, but remember: It is a game. The Random Fill might introduce you to new photographers you haven't interacted with before. We encourage you to embrace the new squad and do your best! |
| | |
| | <html><a name="ref12"></a></html>== Q: I am part of a group of 3 photographers who absolutely love to play together. What can we do to make it happen? == |
| | A: While we strictly guarantee only pairs, you can coordinate your requests to maximize the probability of being placed together. To do this, you should form a "guaranteed core" and attach the third player to it. |
| |
| <html><a name="q1t"></a></html>== 1 - How do I join a team? == | **The Scheme:** |
| To join a team, you need to be invited by a team captain. If you're not already in the process of joining a specific team, and you've not had any invitations, then you need to join the Free Agent Pool. | * Players A and B must rank each other as **#1**. (This guarantees A & B are together). |
| | * Both player A and B use their **#2** slot for Player C. |
| | * Player C ranks Player A as **#1** and player B as **#2** (or vice versa). |
| |
| <html><a name="q2t"></a></html>== 2 - What is a Free Agent? Why would I want to be one? == | **The Outcome:** Players A and B are locked together immediately. The system will examine the other requests, and will note that adding C to the team satisfies multiple requests at once. The system will most likely add Player C to the team, unless doing so pushes the total team performance above the Skill Cap. |
| A Free Agent is someone who wants to join a team, but hasn't yet received and accepted an invitation. The Free Agents are the first port of call for teams that need more members. Even if the season has started and you don't yet have a team, staying in the Free Agent Pool means team captains can substitute you into their team, should one of their members drop out, or if they started without a full team. Substitutions might happen at any point during the season. | |
| |
| <html><a name="q3t"></a></html>== 3 - I've accepted an invitation but changed my mind - how do I unaccept? == | <html><a name="ref13"></a></html>== Q: Can a group of 4 use a similar scheme? == |
| As long as the season hasn't started yet, you can just click on the 'unaccept invite' link. However, you should contact your team captain as well, to explain why you've changed your mind. | A: Yes (details are left as an exercise to the reader). However note that as more and more high performing players are added to the scheme, it may become harder to satisfy all the requests while keeping the team below the Skill Cap. |
| |
| <html><a name="q4t"></a></html>== 4 - How do I create a team? == | <html><a name="ref14"></a></html>== Q: How are team captains assigned? == |
| Firstly, only DPC members can be captains. To create your team, go to the 'create a team' page, enter your team's name, logo, and a list of team members to invite. Once you've invited at least 4 other members (and they've accepted), then your team will be finalised. | A: Team captains will be assigned initially based on their site history taking into consideration factors such as their DPL experience, if they served as captains in the past, seniority, etc.). A team can request to pass the role to a different member. |
| |
| <html><a name="q5t"></a></html>== 5 - How long is the signup period? == | <html><a name="ref15"></a></html>== Q: How many teams will be setup, and what will be the team size? == |
| The signup period is usually 1 week, with the first 2 days for existing teams only, and closes when at the announcement of the first challenge of the season on the Sunday rollover. | A: The number of teams and the teams size will depend on the number of players registered. We are aiming at 5-7 players per team, and an even number of teams. In order to avoid leaving registered players out, the number of players per team may vary slightly (+-1). |
| |
| <html><a name="q6t"></a></html>== 6 - Can I change my team (or change someone in my team) during the season? == | <html><a name="ref16"></a></html>== Q: Can we replace a team member who is unable to contribute? == |
| In general, teams are allowed only one change in member during a complete season. If more than one is required, [[http://www.dpchallenge.com/help_contact.php|contact the SC]] and explain why the change needs to happen. | A: Direct transfers between teams are complicated, so we won’t be moving members from one team to another. However, during the mid-season break, teams may add one additional member to compensate for a non-contributing member. |
| |
| <html><a name="q7t"></a></html>== 7 - What happens if I get DQ'd and/or suspended? == | <html><a name="q7t"></a></html>== Q: What happens if I get DQ'd and/or suspended? == |
| For a DQ, your score for that entry will obviously not be counted towards your team's average. For a suspension, you will not be able to compete until the suspension is lifted. | A: For a DQ, your score for that entry will obviously not be counted towards your team's average. For a suspension, you will not be able to compete until the suspension is lifted. |
| |
| <html><a name="q8t"></a></html>== 8 - How do I see my team standings & entries? == | <html><a name="q8t"></a></html>== How do I see my team standings & entries? == |
| You can find the team standings [[http://www.dpchallenge.com/league/league_current_standings.php|here]], and the current entries at the end of the last thumbnails page for each challenge still in voting. In addition, all of this information will be kept in your team's profile page, which can be found under 'My Home' -> 'My Team' on the top menubar. | You can find the team standings [[http://www.dpchallenge.com/league/league_current_standings.php|here]], and the current entries at the end of the last thumbnails page for each challenge still in voting. In addition, all of this information will be kept in your team's profile page, which can be found under 'My Home' -> 'My Team' on the top menubar. |
| |
| <html><a name="q9t"></a></html>== 9 - Can I vote on my team's entries? == | <html><a name="q9t"></a></html>== Can I vote on my team's entries? == |
| No, they are treated like your own, ie displayed at the end of the last thumbnails page for each challenge. | No, they are treated like your own, ie displayed at the end of the last thumbnails page for each challenge. |
| |
| <html><a name="q10t"></a></html>== 10 - How do we get a forum thread? And is it private? == | <html><a name="q10t"></a></html>== How do we get a forum thread? And is it private? == |
| Your team will automatically get a forum thread created once the season starts - assuming your team is finalised - and will be hidden from all other DPC users APART FROM the Site Council, who will only read the threads for moderation purposes. | Your team will automatically get a forum thread created once the teams are finalized. Team threads are hidden from all other DPC users APART FROM the Site Admins, who will only read the threads for moderation purposes. |
| |
| <html><a name="q11t"></a></html>== 11 - Can we change the name of our team? == | <html><a name="q11t"></a></html>== Can we change the name of our team? == |
| If the season hasn't yet started, the captain can change the team's name via the team admin page. However, once the season has started, the name is fixed, unless you have a typo or an exceptional circumstance - [[http://www.dpchallenge.com/help_contact.php|contact the SC]] for either situation, and they will decide whether to make the change. | If the season hasn't yet started, the captain can change the team's name via the team admin page. However, once the season has started, the name is fixed, unless you have a typo or an exceptional circumstance - [[http://www.dpchallenge.com/help_contact.php|contact the SC]] for either situation, and they will decide whether to make the change. |
| |
| <html><a name="q12t"></a></html>== 12 - I can't be captain any more - how do I hand the team to someone else? == | <html><a name="q12t"></a></html>== I can't be captain any more - how do I hand the team to someone else? == |
| There is no mechanism for this yet, so you will have to [[http://www.dpchallenge.com/help_contact.php|contact the SC]]. They will then contact your team, and confirm that they agree with the change. | There is no mechanism for this yet, so you will have to [[http://www.dpchallenge.com/help_contact.php|contact the SC]]. They will then contact your team, and confirm that they agree with the change. |
| |
| <html><a name="q13t"></a></html>== 13 - How does my team get allocated a division/conference/league? == | <html><a name="q13t"></a></html>== How does my team get allocated a division? == |
| Teams are allocated a division (and thus a conference and league) based an overall team average score of an average of each participant's last ten challenges (fewer for those that haven't entered ten times). All finalised teams will be ranked at season start, and allocated a league, conference, and division based on this ranking, so that the top 4 teams (with 2 leagues and 2 conferences per league) will not play each other until the playoffs. | Teams are allocated a division based on the team pre-season performance. Teams are allocated evenly between the divisions. |
| |
| ==== Other ==== | ==== Other ==== |
| |
| If your question isn't covered here, please post it in the forums, and someone will answer you there and/or add it to these FAQs | If your question isn't covered here, please post it in the forums, and someone will answer you there and/or add it to these FAQs |
