Obscure Music Game

Discussions → All rules, duties, FAQs, etc

- temujin1234 said...
- User
- 29 Jan 2010, 20:21
All rules, duties, FAQs, etc

This thread is to gather together all the rules, FAQs, etc into one easy to find location. I have also reworded some of the rules to make them clearer, and have removed some obsolete sections.

The rules posted below are kept up to date, and supercede any other rules you may find in old posts, journals, the shoutbox or anywhere else within the group.

[quote][b][user]temujin1234[/user][/b] said: This thread is to gather together all the rules, FAQs, etc into one easy to find location. I have also reworded some of the rules to make them clearer, and have removed some obsolete sections. The rules posted below are kept up to date, and supercede any other rules you may find in old posts, journals, the shoutbox or anywhere else within the group.[/quote]
Edited by temujin1234 on 1 May 2010, 09:43

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- temujin1234 said...
- User
- 29 Jan 2010, 20:27
1. Game Rules
1. Object of the game.
The object of the game is to avoid being kicked out for listening to music the current champion knows. The member list shows all the members of the group in order, with those at the top being the most recent to join. By surviving rounds while older members ahead of you get kicked, you progress down the page with the aim of becoming the oldest member. (Apart from th group leader). Survive two rounds as oldest member and you become champion and get to be the one doing the kicking.

2. Rounds and kicking.
The game is played as a series of rounds. Each round will be carried out by either the current champion, the group leader (me) or an invited guest kicker (usually a retired former player or the leader of one of the related games). When a new round starts, I will post a thread for it in the discussion area and set a closing time for the round which will be 24 hours or more after the round started. The person doing the round can choose any single time within that 24 hours to do the round. He will open the member page for the group, and will inspect the current or last listened to artist for each player. He may kick any member from the group if
1. their last artist is one whose music he has heard before
2. The member has not listened to any music in the last 72 hours.
3. The members current or last played artist is the same as that of another member of the game.
See post 5 (Kicking Guidelines) in this thread for a detailed explanation of the kicking rules.

3. Becoming champion.
You reach first place by being the oldest surviving member of the group. (Apart from the group leader, temujin1234). If you survive in first place for one more round, you will become champion. The first time you achieve this, you will be given one round to kick other players. On subsequent occasions, you will get two rounds. Once you have carried out you round(s), you must leave the group and rejoin at the bottom of the member list. Champions duties are listed in the next post. When you become champion, the artist you were playing at the time you became champion will be added to the group connections.

4. Seasons, Points, and the leaderboard.
The game is divided into seasons, and each season consists of 30 rounds. Points will be awarded after each round, based on the following list. These will be tracked on a leaderboard throughout the season, in order to determine the seasons champion.
First place : 4 points
Second place : 3 points
Third place : 2 points
Surviving the round : 1 point
Being kicked from the round : -1 point
Carrying out champion duties : Up to 4 points (see next post)
In addition, points can be scored or lost for
Achievements in the Pre-Season Friendly and Knockout Challenge. (See the seperate rule posts for those games for full details.)
Bonus points occasionally awarded at the leader's discretion
Points deducted at the leaders discretion for violating the "Player Conduct" rules below
New members who join during the season will be given one point for each round already completed when they join. (eg, if you join in round 8, you will get 7 points)

5. Your profile.
You must have your recently played tracks set to public in order to play this game. If you are unwilling to do so, you should not join. You also need to have your "receiving messages" set to "everyone". If you join the game and your recent tracks are not shown, I will ask you to make them public once I notice this. You can do this by clicking on "settings" next to "Recently Listened Tracks" on your profile page. make sure the box next to "make private" is unchecked, then click on "Make it happen". I will ask you to change your setting within 24 hours (possibly more if you are on the other side of the world). During that time you will be immune from kicking but will not receive survival points. After you have changed your settings you will be a full participant in the game. If not, you will get kicked in the next round under the 72 hour rule (rule 3, above).

6. Player conduct.
The game is supposed to be fun, and while vigorous debate over the relative merits of different music (or any other topic) is fine, there is to be no personal abuse towards other members.
No abuse on grounds of race, religion, sexual orientation, etc is permitted. Not just towards members of the group but abusive posts in general.

Persistently breaking these rules may result in points being deducted, being kicked and losing your positon in the member list or being banned temporarily or permanently.

7. Your Last.fm account.
You may not play the game using more than one Last.fm account at the same time. Furthermore, if you have played using one account you may not take part during the same season with a second account, even if the first account is no longer playing.
You may also not enter the game using an account solely created for playing the game. Any account that in the opinion of the group leader violates this rule will be banned from the game.
If you have multiple Last.fm accounts, it is preferred that you play using your main one.

EDIT - 8 March 2010 - Your Profile section added, Player conduct renumbered.
EDIT - 14 March 2010 - Added Your Last.fm Account section.
EDIT - 28 March 2010 - Removed Non-Roman Rule.
EDIT - 29 April 2010 - Moved detailed explanation of kicking rules to a seperate post.
EDIT - 4 August 2010 - Rewritten to be more easily understood.
[quote][b][user]temujin1234[/user][/b] said: [b][u]1. Object of the game.[/u][/b] The object of the game is to avoid being kicked out for listening to music the current champion knows. The [url=http://www.last.fm/group/Obscure+Music+Game/members]member list[/url] shows all the members of the group in order, with those at the top being the most recent to join. By surviving rounds while older members ahead of you get kicked, you progress down the page with the aim of becoming the oldest member. (Apart from th group leader). Survive two rounds as oldest member and you become champion and get to be the one doing the kicking. [b][u]2. Rounds and kicking.[/u][/b] The game is played as a series of rounds. Each round will be carried out by either the current champion, the group leader (me) or an invited guest kicker (usually a retired former player or the leader of one of the related games). When a new round starts, I will post a thread for it in the discussion area and set a closing time for the round which will be 24 hours or more after the round started. The person doing the round can choose any single time within that 24 hours to do the round. He will open the member page for the group, and will inspect the current or last listened to artist for each player. He may kick any member from the group if [ulist][li]1. their last artist is one whose music he has heard before[/li][li]2. The member has not listened to any music in the last 72 hours.[/li][li]3. The members current or last played artist is the same as that of another member of the game.[/li][/ulist]See post 5 (Kicking Guidelines) in this thread for a detailed explanation of the kicking rules. [b][u]3. Becoming champion.[/u][/b] You reach first place by being the oldest surviving member of the group. (Apart from the group leader, [user]temujin1234[/user]). If you survive in first place for one more round, you will become champion. The first time you achieve this, you will be given one round to kick other players. On subsequent occasions, you will get two rounds. Once you have carried out you round(s), you must leave the group and rejoin at the bottom of the member list. Champions duties are listed in the next post. When you become champion, the artist you were playing at the time you became champion will be added to the group connections. [b][u]4. Seasons, Points, and the leaderboard.[/u][/b] The game is divided into seasons, and each season consists of 30 rounds. Points will be awarded after each round, based on the following list. These will be tracked on a leaderboard throughout the season, in order to determine the seasons champion. [ulist][li]First place : 4 points[/li][li]Second place : 3 points[/li][li]Third place : 2 points[/li][li]Surviving the round : 1 point[/li][li]Being kicked from the round : -1 point[/li][li]Carrying out champion duties : Up to 4 points (see next post)[/li][/ulist]In addition, points can be scored or lost for[ulist][li]Achievements in the Pre-Season Friendly and Knockout Challenge. (See the seperate rule posts for those games for full details.)[/li][li]Bonus points occasionally awarded at the leader's discretion[/li][li]Points deducted at the leaders discretion for violating the "Player Conduct" rules below[/li][/ulist]New members who join during the season will be given one point for each round already completed when they join. (eg, if you join in round 8, you will get 7 points) [b][u]5. Your profile.[/u][/b] You must have your recently played tracks set to public in order to play this game. If you are unwilling to do so, you should not join. You also need to have your "receiving messages" set to "everyone". If you join the game and your recent tracks are not shown, I will ask you to make them public once I notice this. You can do this by clicking on "settings" next to "Recently Listened Tracks" on your profile page. make sure the box next to "make private" is unchecked, then click on "Make it happen". I will ask you to change your setting within 24 hours (possibly more if you are on the other side of the world). During that time you will be immune from kicking but will not receive survival points. After you have changed your settings you will be a full participant in the game. If not, you will get kicked in the next round under the 72 hour rule (rule 3, above). [b][u]6. Player conduct.[/u][/b] [ulist][li]The game is supposed to be fun, and while vigorous debate over the relative merits of different music (or any other topic) is fine, there is to be no personal abuse towards other members.[/li][li]No abuse on grounds of race, religion, sexual orientation, etc is permitted. Not just towards members of the group but abusive posts in general.[/li][/ulist] Persistently breaking these rules may result in points being deducted, being kicked and losing your positon in the member list or being banned temporarily or permanently. [b][u]7. Your Last.fm account.[/u][/b] You may not play the game using more than one Last.fm account at the same time. Furthermore, if you have played using one account you may not take part during the same season with a second account, even if the first account is no longer playing. You may also not enter the game using an account solely created for playing the game. Any account that in the opinion of the group leader violates this rule will be banned from the game. If you have multiple Last.fm accounts, it is preferred that you play using your main one. EDIT - 8 March 2010 - Your Profile section added, Player conduct renumbered. EDIT - 14 March 2010 - Added Your Last.fm Account section. EDIT - 28 March 2010 - Removed Non-Roman Rule. EDIT - 29 April 2010 - Moved detailed explanation of kicking rules to a seperate post. EDIT - 4 August 2010 - Rewritten to be more easily understood.[/quote]
Edited by temujin1234 on 25 Feb 2012, 08:57

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- temujin1234 said...
- User
- 29 Jan 2010, 20:38
2. Champions duties.
If you become champion, you will be given 24 hours to carry out your round, according to the above rules. (If you have been champion more than once, you will get 48 hours to carry out two rounds). A new thread will be created for your round(s), and when you choose to carry out the round, you must post the results there.

If you are unable to complete your round before the deadline I have set, shout or PM me and ask for an extension.

There are 5 things you need to do to complete the round, and you are given "duty points" for doing these. The duties are as follows...

You must make a list of all members of the group at the time when you carry out your round. Include yourself, as you get points for surviving. The list should be in the same order as the member page of the group, with the newest member at the top.
Indicate on this list any players who are kicked, in accordance with the kicking guidelines in post 5 below. Make a note of the reason the player was kicked (usually the artist name they were listening to).
Kick the user from the group and leave a shout on their user page informing them that they have been kicked, and inviting them to rejoin. You should include a link to the groups overview page in the shout. (Ask me if you don't know how to include a link in your shout.)
PM or shout the group leader to let him know the round has been completed.
If you have two rounds, after your second round only, write down the name of the artist the oldest surviving member of the group was listening to when you did the round. You do not need to do this if you kick the first placed person in your second round. (First time champions only get one round, and do not need to worry about this last duty.)

You need to carry out all these duties to recieve all 4 duty points. Points will be deducted for each task not completed properly. Once you have completed your round (or second round, if you have two) you must leave the group and rejoin at the bottom of the members list. It is best to do so immediately after completing your duties, and rejoin straight away. If you don't, I will kick you when I do the round administration. You won't lose duty points for this, but people you kicked may have had the chance to rejoin ahead of you.

If you fail to carry out your round before the deadline passes, I will extend the deadline and carry out the round myself. You will lose all 4 duty points. If it is your first of two rounds, I will temporarily remove your kicking permission until I have carried out the round, and will reset the deadline for your second round to 24 hours from when I have finished the first round. If it is your second round (or your first if you only get one), I will kick you when I do the round for you. You will lose a survivor point for this, and any sequence of survives you were on will end.

How to do your round - step by step guide.

EDIT - 8 March 2010 - If you come across a member whose recently played tracks is private and therefore not shown, you should not kick them but make a note of this against their name when you post your round. I will then contact them and ask them to change their settings in order to continue in the game.
EDIT - 5 August 2010 - Rewritten to be more clear.
EDIT - 6 February 2011 - Added link to How to guide.
[quote][b][user]temujin1234[/user][/b] said: If you become champion, you will be given 24 hours to carry out your round, according to the above rules. (If you have been champion more than once, you will get 48 hours to carry out two rounds). A new thread will be created for your round(s), and when you choose to carry out the round, you must post the results there. If you are unable to complete your round before the deadline I have set, shout or PM me and ask for an extension. There are 5 things you need to do to complete the round, and you are given "duty points" for doing these. The duties are as follows... [ulist][li]You must make a list of all members of the group at the time when you carry out your round. Include yourself, as you get points for surviving. The list should be in the same order as the member page of the group, with the newest member at the top.[/li][li]Indicate on this list any players who are kicked, in accordance with the kicking guidelines in post 5 below. Make a note of the reason the player was kicked (usually the artist name they were listening to).[/li][li]Kick the user from the group and leave a shout on their user page informing them that they have been kicked, and inviting them to rejoin. You should include a link to the groups overview page in the shout. (Ask me if you don't know how to include a link in your shout.)[/li][li]PM or shout the group leader to let him know the round has been completed.[/li][li]If you have two rounds, after your second round only, write down the name of the artist the oldest surviving member of the group was listening to when you did the round. You do not need to do this if you kick the first placed person in your second round. (First time champions only get one round, and do not need to worry about this last duty.)[/li][/ulist] You need to carry out all these duties to recieve all 4 duty points. Points will be deducted for each task not completed properly. Once you have completed your round (or second round, if you have two) you must leave the group and rejoin at the bottom of the members list. It is best to do so immediately after completing your duties, and rejoin straight away. If you don't, I will kick you when I do the round administration. You won't lose duty points for this, but people you kicked may have had the chance to rejoin ahead of you. If you fail to carry out your round before the deadline passes, I will extend the deadline and carry out the round myself. You will lose all 4 duty points. If it is your first of two rounds, I will temporarily remove your kicking permission until I have carried out the round, and will reset the deadline for your second round to 24 hours from when I have finished the first round. If it is your second round (or your first if you only get one), I will kick you when I do the round for you. You will lose a survivor point for this, and any sequence of survives you were on will end. [url=http://www.last.fm/user/temujin1234/journal/2010/12/30/44onu1_how_to_do_your_round_in_omg]How to do your round - step by step guide[/url]. EDIT - 8 March 2010 - If you come across a member whose recently played tracks is private and therefore not shown, you should not kick them but make a note of this against their name when you post your round. I will then contact them and ask them to change their settings in order to continue in the game. EDIT - 5 August 2010 - Rewritten to be more clear. EDIT - 6 February 2011 - Added link to How to guide.[/quote]
Edited by temujin1234 on 6 Feb 2011, 00:39

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- temujin1234 said...
- User
- 1 Feb 2010, 19:51
3. Leader / Co-Leaders duties.

The leader must do the following...
Ensure the game runs smothly and in accordance with the rules.
All game administration, including creating new round threads and maintaining the scoreboard, champions list, etc.
Ensure the game rules are followed, and are applied fairly to all members.
Attract new members to the game
Encourage member participation.

There is currently no co-leader. If we ever get one his role will be to cover all the leaders duties in the event of the leader unexpectedly being absent. (The game and its' predecessor have a long history of leaders going AWOL ;-) )

End of round checklist.
Check that all duties have been completed (including verifying that 3 day rule kicks are correct), and edit top post in the thread to show champion and duty points.
Check if any bonus points have been achieved
Update scoreboard, upload it and link to it.
Connect artist for new champion.
Create thread for new champion.
Give new champion kicking permission.
If it is a first time champion make a back up copy of the member list in order
Update stats threads. (champions list, season links, etc)
Message group with links to new rounds.
Shout champion about their rounds, with link to their thread.
Update front page (Round number, leaders, etc)
[quote][b][user]temujin1234[/user][/b] said: [b]3. Leader / Co-Leaders duties.[/b] The leader must do the following... [ulist][li]Ensure the game runs smothly and in accordance with the rules.[/li][li]All game administration, including creating new round threads and maintaining the scoreboard, champions list, etc.[/li][li]Ensure the game rules are followed, and are applied fairly to all members.[li]Attract new members to the game[/li][li]Encourage member participation.[/li][/ulist] There is currently no co-leader. If we ever get one his role will be to cover all the leaders duties in the event of the leader unexpectedly being absent. (The game and its' predecessor have a long history of leaders going AWOL ;-) ) End of round checklist. [ulist][li]Check that all duties have been completed (including verifying that 3 day rule kicks are correct), and edit top post in the thread to show champion and duty points.[/li][li]Check if any bonus points have been achieved[/li][li]Update scoreboard, upload it and link to it.[/li][li]Connect artist for new champion.[/li][li]Create thread for new champion.[/li][li]Give new champion kicking permission.[/li][li]If it is a first time champion make a back up copy of the member list in order[/li][li]Update stats threads. (champions list, season links, etc)[/li][li]Message group with links to new rounds.[/li][li]Shout champion about their rounds, with link to their thread.[/li][li]Update front page (Round number, leaders, etc)[/li][/ulist] [/quote]
Edited by temujin1234 on 11 May 2010, 10:09

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- temujin1234 said...
- User
- 2 Feb 2010, 11:03
4. Frequently Asked Questions

Can I be kicked for playing music by an artist who shares their name with someone else if the kicker only knows the other artist?
Example: The Ettes. Yes. The kicker is under no obligation to visit the artist page and your library to check if the particular track you played is by his artist or another. The kicker may not even be aware another artist uses the name. This rule is unlikely to be changed due to the difficulty in checking a disputed kick, especially if the leader isn't familiar with the artists concerned. Note that if you are the person doing the kicking and you know there are multiple artists you can choose to check which one the other person is listening to and choose not to kick them if they are listening to a different artist, however this is not compulsory.

It is my round. Can I add music to my library that other people are playing and then kick them?
You should not kick a player for listening to an artist you first heard during your current round. This is not a rule (as any specific rule for this would be difficult to police) but a guideline, however not adhering to it would be violating the spirit of the game. If you open the member list and see music that you are interested in, play it but don't kick, or tag it for listening to later.

I can't see the scoreboard, or it says I need to log in. What's going on?
The scoreboard is shared using Google Documents. Once in a while it becomes unavailable for some reason known only to Google (and apparently not documented anywhere). If this happens, go away and do something else then try again later. It is also possible I put the link in wrong, if this is the case, let me know and I will fix it.

I want to appeal against being kicked. What should I do?
If you believe you were kicked for a recent track rather than your last, incorrectly kicked under the 3 day rule, or kicked for the old non-roman rule, post in the thread where you got kicked from, and I will investigate. Post as soon as possible so I can check while the times shown on your profile are still accurate. (I am unlikely to reverse a kick from a few days ago where the time is shown as "Tuesday afternoon", for example).
You should not appeal if you were kicked for an artist not in the kickers' library and you don't believe they know them. It is not possible for me to verify their knowledge, and unless they post a response saying they were mistaken, I will not reverse these kicks. Likewise, I will not reverse kicks where you claim not to have played the artist because (a) it is possible to delete a play from your library, and (b) music you start to listen to but don't finish may appear as your current track at the time of the round, even if you don't scrobble it and it doesn't appear in your library later.
In the case of a dispute over an artist collaboration, I will review the kick and make a judgement according to my interpretation of the kicking guidelines in the post below. My decision will be final in any such dispute.

If I find you were kicked in error, I will restore your survival point, and you will be given points to compensate for the places you lost on the member list according to the following scale.(position wrongly kicked from - compensation points)
2 - 8
3 - 10
4 - 12
5-6 - 10
7-10 - 8
11-15 - 6
16-20 - 4
21 and lower - 2

Note that 3rd and 4th get more compensation than 2nd because the potential champion points loss is greater. The position refers to the position you were in at the start of the round, ie the kicker is in position 1.

I want to suggest some artists to connect to the group. What should I do?
You cannot choose or suggest artists to connect. These artists are the music the champions were playing when they became champion. If you want an artist connecting, be listening to them when you become champion.

I had a power outage / Roadmenders acidentally dug up my ISPs cable / My iPod didn't scrobble my tracks in order / etc, so the track i got kicked for wasn't my last track. Can you reverse the kick?
These kicks can not be reversed. It is not reasonable to expect the kicker to take into account possible software or hardware failures at your PC, your ISP or last.fm, so if you get kicked it is a case of bad luck. In a case where last.fm scrobble submissions fail for many or all players for an extended period of time I will normally suspend the game until it is resolved.

[quote][b][user]temujin1234[/user][/b] said: [b]4. Frequently Asked Questions[/b] [b]Can I be kicked for playing music by an artist who shares their name with someone else if the kicker only knows the other artist?[/b] Example: [artist]The Ettes[/artist]. Yes. The kicker is under no obligation to visit the artist page and your library to check if the particular track you played is by his artist or another. The kicker may not even be aware another artist uses the name. This rule is unlikely to be changed due to the difficulty in checking a disputed kick, especially if the leader isn't familiar with the artists concerned. Note that if you are the person doing the kicking and you know there are multiple artists you can choose to check which one the other person is listening to and choose not to kick them if they are listening to a different artist, however this is not compulsory. [b]It is my round. Can I add music to my library that other people are playing and then kick them?[/b] You should not kick a player for listening to an artist you first heard during your current round. This is not a rule (as any specific rule for this would be difficult to police) but a guideline, however not adhering to it would be violating the spirit of the game. If you open the member list and see music that you are interested in, play it but don't kick, or tag it for listening to later. [b]I can't see the scoreboard, or it says I need to log in. What's going on?[/b] The scoreboard is shared using Google Documents. Once in a while it becomes unavailable for some reason known only to Google (and apparently not documented anywhere). If this happens, go away and do something else then try again later. It is also possible I put the link in wrong, if this is the case, let me know and I will fix it. [b]I want to appeal against being kicked. What should I do?[/b] If you believe you were kicked for a recent track rather than your last, incorrectly kicked under the 3 day rule, or kicked for the old non-roman rule, post in the thread where you got kicked from, and I will investigate. Post as soon as possible so I can check while the times shown on your profile are still accurate. (I am unlikely to reverse a kick from a few days ago where the time is shown as "Tuesday afternoon", for example). You should not appeal if you were kicked for an artist not in the kickers' library and you don't believe they know them. It is not possible for me to verify their knowledge, and unless they post a response saying they were mistaken, I will not reverse these kicks. Likewise, I will not reverse kicks where you claim not to have played the artist because (a) it is possible to delete a play from your library, and (b) music you start to listen to but don't finish may appear as your current track at the time of the round, even if you don't scrobble it and it doesn't appear in your library later. In the case of a dispute over an artist collaboration, I will review the kick and make a judgement according to my interpretation of the kicking guidelines in the post below. My decision will be final in any such dispute. If I find you were kicked in error, I will restore your survival point, and you will be given points to compensate for the places you lost on the member list according to the following scale.[quote](position wrongly kicked from - compensation points) 2 - 8 3 - 10 4 - 12 5-6 - 10 7-10 - 8 11-15 - 6 16-20 - 4 21 and lower - 2 Note that 3rd and 4th get more compensation than 2nd because the potential champion points loss is greater.[/quote] The position refers to the position you were in at the start of the round, ie the kicker is in position 1. [b]I want to suggest some artists to connect to the group. What should I do?[/b] You cannot choose or suggest artists to connect. These artists are the music the champions were playing when they became champion. If you want an artist connecting, be listening to them when you become champion. [b]I had a power outage / Roadmenders acidentally dug up my ISPs cable / My iPod didn't scrobble my tracks in order / etc, so the track i got kicked for wasn't my last track. Can you reverse the kick?[/b] These kicks can not be reversed. It is not reasonable to expect the kicker to take into account possible software or hardware failures at your PC, your ISP or last.fm, so if you get kicked it is a case of bad luck. In a case where last.fm scrobble submissions fail for many or all players for an extended period of time I will normally suspend the game until it is resolved.[/quote]
Edited by temujin1234 on 16 Sep 2012, 16:23

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- temujin1234 said...
- User
- 29 Apr 2010, 12:01
5. Kicking Guidelines.

Here are some notes regarding the kicking rules which describe what is and is not a correct kick. A couple of general points about your round first.

1. Your round must be taken in one go. You should not open the member list and kick some players, then return later and kick more. Once you have posted a round of kicks, that is it.

2. You must only look at the last track the person listened to. You should not look at their recent tracks and kick for an earlier one you know. You will lose some or all of your duty points if you violate this rule.

On to the kicking rules...

You recognise the artist of the current or last played track

1. You must have heard music by the artist at least one time during your life. You do not need to have them scrobbled to your last.fm library. You could have heard them on the radio when you were 5, at a friends house, in a film or game soundtrack, playing live or anywhere else. It is vital for the integrity of the game that you are honest about this. Don't claim to have heard a band if you haven't. If you think you recognise the artist name but aren't sure you've heard them, don't kick.

2. Hearing a bands name is not the same as hearing their music. If you recognise the name (from reading a review or seeing them listed as a similar artist, for example) but haven't heard their music, do not kick.

3. You must not "hunt" players, ie look at the member list, play music by an artist you previously didn't know then kick someone for that artist. In general, do not kick for an artist you have first heard since the thread for your current round was posted. If you have 2 rounds and want to listen to music by the people you didn't kick in the first round, you should not kick for those artists in the second round.

4. Artist collaborations.
a. In cases where one artist is clearly the main artist (for example, XXXXX featuring YYYYY (and ZZZZZ), where XXXXX is the main artist), you must know the main artist (XXXXX) in order to kick, regardless of whether you know any of the featured artists (YYYYY, ZZZZZ).
b. In all other cases, (XXXX with YYYY, XXXX and YYYY, XXXX Versus YYYY, etc), the full artist name will be considered to be the artist you must know in order to kick, and you may not kick just because you know the solo work of one or both artists only. For the purposes of the game, names that are auto-corrected or translated by last.fm (eg from Roman into Japanese or Cyrillic characters), or are listed as alternate spellings are considered the same (eg Queen & David Bowie, Queen And David Bowie, Queen + David Bowie, David Bowie & Freddie Mercury, David Bowe & Queen, BOWIE, DAVID & QUEEN, David Bowie e Queen are all the same).
c. "Supergroups" - You should not kick unless you have heard the actual supergroup, even if you know the music of some or all of the individual members.

SUMMARY - The kicker must consider only the name of the artist as scrobbled when deciding whether to kick or not.

You must not look at the title of the track being played and decide to kick because you think it should be assigned to a different artist, unless last.fm lists the other artist as an alternate spelling, or an auto-correct is in place.

5. Name Changes, Multiple Names, Band members solo work.
a. Where the same artist releases work using multiple names (eg punk band The Boys put out Christmas singles as The Yobs), it is fine to kick if you know any one of the names they use.
b. Where an artist changes their name but is essentially the same (eg from SS Decontrol to SSD), it is fine to kick either if you know one of the names they use.
c. Where the name change occurs because the artist has changed in some way (eg from Joy Division to New Order), it is not OK to kick for one if you only know the other.
d. If you know the work of an individual artist, it is not OK to kick for any other artist they have been a member of unless you also know that artist's work. The reverse also applies - If you know a bands work you must not kick for individuals members' solo work unless you actually know their solo work.

6. As stated in the FAQs, if two or more artists share a name (example Havoc) you may kick for any of the artists if you have heard one of them. There is no requirement to check which specific band the person was listening to.

The member has not listened to any music in the last 72 hours

1. Pretty straightforward, this one. The time of their last played track must be 72 hours or more before the time you do your round in order for you to kick. Note that if you are new to OMG but have played MKC or NAPG, our rule is different. This just means any music, not new additions to their library. I do check all 3 day rule kicks, and you will lose duty points if I find you have kicked someone in error under this rule.

2. If someone joins the game immediately after joining Last.fm and hasn't played any music yet, they are not to be kicked under the 3 day rule until they have been a member for 3 days. I normally welcome new members and look at their profile and will notice this and add a note in the thread for your round saying whether they should be kicked or not.

The members current or last played artist is the same as that of another member of the game

If you know the artist, you should obviously kick both players. If you do not know the artist, only the person who listened to them last should be kicked. (You will need to look both players recently played tracks to determine this.) Note that this rule applies to artists, both players don't have to be playing the same track.

Obsolete rules and differences from the other games

These things are valid reasons to kick in some of the other games but not OMG. You will lose duty points if you kick for these reasons.

1. In some of the similar games, listening to a podcast or audiobook is a kick. This is not the case in OMG. You must not kick for these unless you know them. In the case of podcasts, you must have heard something from the site they come from (for example the BBC, etc). In the case of audiobooks, the author is considered to be the artist, not the person doing the reading if it is not the author. Reading anything written by that author will be considered a valid reason to kick, you do not need to have heard them reading. If you know an author only from having read or seen an interview with them, you should not kick. The interviewer is the equivalent of the artist in this case, not the subject of the interview.

2. The non-roman rule was scrapped some time ago. You must not kick someone because the name of the artist they are listening to because the artist name is written in non-Roman characters.

Generic Artist Names
If someones last played artist is one of the following generic names, you may kick them. Only names in this list should be kicked...

[unknown]
Unknown
Traditional
Trad
Various
V.A.
Verious Artist
Unbekannter Interpret

Any other similar names you should refer to me before kicking.

Various Artists, Inconnu and Artist Unknown are names used by legitimate artists as well as being common mis-tags, and should not be kicked. (But note that Various Artists may not be counted as a tie-break artist in the Knockout Challenge, due to its high listener count which is not based on the genuine artist of that name.)

[quote][b][user]temujin1234[/user][/b] said: [b]5. Kicking Guidelines.[/b] Here are some notes regarding the kicking rules which describe what is and is not a correct kick. A couple of general points about your round first. 1. Your round must be taken in one go. You should not open the member list and kick some players, then return later and kick more. Once you have posted a round of kicks, that is it. 2. You must only look at the last track the person listened to. You should not look at their recent tracks and kick for an earlier one you know. You will lose some or all of your duty points if you violate this rule. On to the kicking rules... [b][u]You recognise the artist of the current or last played track[/u][/b] 1. You must have heard music by the artist at least one time during your life. You do not need to have them scrobbled to your last.fm library. You could have heard them on the radio when you were 5, at a friends house, in a film or game soundtrack, playing live or anywhere else. It is vital for the integrity of the game that you are honest about this. Don't claim to have heard a band if you haven't. If you think you recognise the artist name but aren't sure you've heard them, don't kick. 2. Hearing a bands name is not the same as hearing their music. If you recognise the name (from reading a review or seeing them listed as a similar artist, for example) but haven't heard their music, do not kick. 3. You must not "hunt" players, ie look at the member list, play music by an artist you previously didn't know then kick someone for that artist. In general, do not kick for an artist you have first heard since the thread for your current round was posted. If you have 2 rounds and want to listen to music by the people you didn't kick in the first round, you should not kick for those artists in the second round. 4. Artist collaborations. a. In cases where one artist is clearly the main artist (for example, XXXXX featuring YYYYY (and ZZZZZ), where XXXXX is the main artist), you must know the main artist (XXXXX) in order to kick, regardless of whether you know any of the featured artists (YYYYY, ZZZZZ). b. In all other cases, (XXXX with YYYY, XXXX and YYYY, XXXX Versus YYYY, etc), the full artist name will be considered to be the artist you must know in order to kick, and you may not kick just because you know the solo work of one or both artists only. For the purposes of the game, names that are auto-corrected or translated by last.fm (eg from Roman into Japanese or Cyrillic characters), or are listed as alternate spellings are considered the same (eg Queen & David Bowie, Queen And David Bowie, Queen + David Bowie, David Bowie & Freddie Mercury, David Bowe & Queen, BOWIE, DAVID & QUEEN, David Bowie e Queen are all the same). c. "Supergroups" - You should not kick unless you have heard the actual supergroup, even if you know the music of some or all of the individual members. [b][quote]SUMMARY - The kicker must consider only the name of the artist as scrobbled when deciding whether to kick or not. You must not look at the title of the track being played and decide to kick because you think it should be assigned to a different artist, unless last.fm lists the other artist as an alternate spelling, or an auto-correct is in place.[/quote][/b] 5. Name Changes, Multiple Names, Band members solo work. a. Where the same artist releases work using multiple names (eg punk band [artist]The Boys[/artist] put out Christmas singles as [artist]The Yobs[/artist]), it is fine to kick if you know any one of the names they use. b. Where an artist changes their name but is essentially the same (eg from [artist]SS Decontrol[/artist] to [artist]SSD[/artist]), it is fine to kick either if you know one of the names they use. c. Where the name change occurs because the artist has changed in some way (eg from [artist]Joy Division[/artist] to [artist]New Order[/artist]), it is not OK to kick for one if you only know the other. d. If you know the work of an individual artist, it is not OK to kick for any other artist they have been a member of unless you also know that artist's work. The reverse also applies - If you know a bands work you must not kick for individuals members' solo work unless you actually know their solo work. 6. As stated in the FAQs, if two or more artists share a name (example [artist]Havoc[/artist]) you may kick for any of the artists if you have heard one of them. There is no requirement to check which specific band the person was listening to. [b][u]The member has not listened to any music in the last 72 hours[/u][/b] 1. Pretty straightforward, this one. The time of their last played track must be 72 hours or more before the time you do your round in order for you to kick. Note that if you are new to OMG but have played MKC or NAPG, our rule is different. This just means any music, not new additions to their library. I do check all 3 day rule kicks, and you will lose duty points if I find you have kicked someone in error under this rule. 2. If someone joins the game immediately after joining Last.fm and hasn't played any music yet, they are not to be kicked under the 3 day rule until they have been a member for 3 days. I normally welcome new members and look at their profile and will notice this and add a note in the thread for your round saying whether they should be kicked or not. [b][u]The members current or last played artist is the same as that of another member of the game[/u][/b] If you know the artist, you should obviously kick both players. If you do not know the artist, only the person who listened to them last should be kicked. (You will need to look both players recently played tracks to determine this.) Note that this rule applies to artists, both players don't have to be playing the same track. [b][u]Obsolete rules and differences from the other games[/u][/b] These things are valid reasons to kick in some of the other games but not OMG. You will lose duty points if you kick for these reasons. 1. In some of the similar games, listening to a podcast or audiobook is a kick. This is not the case in OMG. You must not kick for these unless you know them. In the case of podcasts, you must have heard something from the site they come from (for example the BBC, etc). In the case of audiobooks, the author is considered to be the artist, not the person doing the reading if it is not the author. Reading anything written by that author will be considered a valid reason to kick, you do not need to have heard them reading. If you know an author only from having read or seen an interview with them, you should not kick. The interviewer is the equivalent of the artist in this case, not the subject of the interview. 2. The non-roman rule was scrapped some time ago. You must not kick someone because the name of the artist they are listening to because the artist name is written in non-Roman characters. [b][u]Generic Artist Names[/u][/b] If someones last played artist is one of the following generic names, you may kick them. Only names in this list should be kicked... [artist][unknown][/artist] [artist]unknown[/artist] [artist]traditional[/artist] [artist]trad[/artist] [artist]various[/artist] [artist]V.A.[/artist] [artist]Verious Artist[/artist] [artist]Unbekannter Interpret[/artist] Any other similar names you should refer to me before kicking. [artist]Various Artists[/artist], [artist]inconnu[/artist] and [artist]Artist Unknown[/artist] are names used by legitimate artists as well as being common mis-tags, and should not be kicked. (But note that Various Artists may not be counted as a tie-break artist in the Knockout Challenge, due to its high listener count which is not based on the genuine artist of that name.) [/quote]
Edited by temujin1234 on 18 Apr 2013, 15:36

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- temujin1234 said...
- User
- 29 May 2010, 08:29
6. Pre-Season Friendly Rules.

Pre Season Friendly rules...

The Pre-Season Friendly takes place during a weeks break between the end of one season and the start of the next. Participation is optional and there are no penalties for not taking part. (However, there are bonusses available which carry into the main season for those that do.)

1. At any time (and any number of times) before the end of the round, you may post a virtual kicking round in the pre-season friendly thread. Post a list of all the group members and indicate which ones you would kick and why. Post a total number of kicks at the bottom of your list. The usual kicking rules apply. For the purposes of this round, where there is no set time for any person to do a round, it will be considered to be hunting if you kick for an artist you first heard in the 24 hours before you do a round.

2. You should not flood the game with rounds (ie post the same round over and over every 5 minutes kicking the same people for the same artist in order to reduce their score.) I will disregard kicks from any rounds I feel are violating this except the first .

3. Scoring - You will receive one point for every person you kick. This score will be divided by the number of rounds you take, so your total will be the average number of kicks you make in a round. You will recieve one point for every round you survive, as long as you have carried out at least one round yourself. You will lose one point for every time you get kicked by someone else. The winner at the end of the round will be the person with most points, and they will start on the next season leaderboard with 6 points. Second will get 5 points, 3rd 4, 4th 3 and 5th 2. Anyone else who takes at least one round will get 1 point for participating. There will be bonusses available for certain achievements, which I will award at the end of the round.

4. This is a virtual kicking round, so I will be participating as a regular player. I can do rounds and be kicked just like anyone else and will have my score tracked. (If I finish in one of the top positions, the leaderboard points I win are just lost, the people below me do not move up one place and get extra points).

5. Once you have posted your round, you must not go back and edit it, (for example to add a 3-day rule kick you missed that the next person got).

EDIT - 5th December 2010 - Added points for surviving.

[quote][b][user]temujin1234[/user][/b] said: Pre Season Friendly rules... The Pre-Season Friendly takes place during a weeks break between the end of one season and the start of the next. Participation is optional and there are no penalties for not taking part. (However, there are bonusses available which carry into the main season for those that do.) 1. At any time (and any number of times) before the end of the round, you may post a virtual kicking round in the pre-season friendly thread. Post a list of all the group members and indicate which ones you would kick and why. Post a total number of kicks at the bottom of your list. The usual kicking rules apply. For the purposes of this round, where there is no set time for any person to do a round, it will be considered to be hunting if you kick for an artist you first heard in the 24 hours before you do a round. 2. You should not flood the game with rounds (ie post the same round over and over every 5 minutes kicking the same people for the same artist in order to reduce their score.) I will disregard kicks from any rounds I feel are violating this except the first . 3. Scoring - You will receive one point for every person you kick. This score will be divided by the number of rounds you take, so your total will be the average number of kicks you make in a round. You will recieve one point for every round you survive, as long as you have carried out at least one round yourself. You will lose one point for every time you get kicked by someone else. The winner at the end of the round will be the person with most points, and they will start on the next season leaderboard with 6 points. Second will get 5 points, 3rd 4, 4th 3 and 5th 2. Anyone else who takes at least one round will get 1 point for participating. There will be bonusses available for certain achievements, which I will award at the end of the round. 4. This is a virtual kicking round, so I will be participating as a regular player. I can do rounds and be kicked just like anyone else and will have my score tracked. (If I finish in one of the top positions, the leaderboard points I win are just lost, the people below me do not move up one place and get extra points). 5. Once you have posted your round, you must not go back and edit it, (for example to add a 3-day rule kick you missed that the next person got). EDIT - 5th December 2010 - Added points for surviving.[/quote]
Edited by temujin1234 on 5 Dec 2010, 10:55

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- temujin1234 said...
- User
- 29 May 2010, 08:30
7. Knockout Challenge Rules.

The Knockout Challenge involves the members of the group being split up into pairs. Their most recently played artists are then reviewed by a virtual kicker and the member with least kicks progresses to the next round. This is repeated until only 2 members are left to contest a final to determine the winner.

1. Anyone who was a member of the group between the end of the pre-season friendly and the time when I prepare the draw for the first round will be entered into the competition. (except the leader). If the number of members is a power of 2 (eg 16 or 32), they will all start in the first round. If it less, the previous seasons winner and some others will be given automatic passage to the second round. (eg, if there are 29 members, last seasons winner and the 2 remaining oldest people on the member list will start in the second round while the remaining 26 will be paired into 13 matches to provide 13 winners and make 16 players in the second round.) If there are more than 32, the newest members excluding last seasons winner will play a qualifying round (eg 35 members, the lowest 6 play 3 matches and the 3 winners join the remaining 29 in a first round of 32).

2. The rounds will be played throughout the regular season. The early rounds where a lot of players are involved will take place during a gap between regular rounds, and the quarter-finals onwards will run at the same time as the regular game.

3. For each round, I (or a guest kicker) will look at the last 10 unique artists played by each member and give virtual kicks for any I know (or 3 day rule kicks for older plays). In addition, if both players in a match have the same artist anywhere among their last 10, the one who played the artist last will get a kick. The person with least kicks will be the winner and will progress to the next round.

3a. In the event of a tie, the kicker will look at the listener count for all the artists he didn't know from the last 10 artists, and the winner will be the person with the artist with the highest listener count. If these are the same, he will check the 11th artist, and so on until the result is decided.

Clarification - The kicker is looking at the listener count for artists he doesn't know, this includes any artists that have been 3 day rule kicks.

4. In order to make it fairer for people with similar tastes to me, I will be inviting some guest kickers to take some of the rounds.

4a. A time of 48 hours will be set for the round to take place. The round may be divided between more than one guest, or myself and one or more guests. You will know when the round is posted who the kicker for your match is. The kicker does not need to do the matches in the order they were drawn, and has the choice of doing all the matches at the same time, all seperately or anything in between.

4b. If a guest kicker fails to do any match, I will take it over and do it.

5. The winner of the final will get 4 points on the current seasons leaderboard. The winners of each quarter and semi final match will get 2 points, and the winners in all matches in earlier rounds will get 1 point.

6. With the change to the tie-break, the 3 day rule reverts to the original 3 day rule from the main game.

7. Various Artists will not be eligible as a tie-break artist. If this artist is among your tracks and the match goes to a tie-break, it will be ignored and the next highest artist will be used.

Guidelines for guest kickers.

EDIT - 21-August-2010 - Tie Break changed.
EDIT - 18 September 2010 - Three day rule changed for this game only.
EDIT - 6 November 2010 - 3b added (tie break for case where 2 players have 10 3 day kicks.)
EDIT - 5 December 2010 - Three day rule replaced by 24 hour rule.
EDIT - 7 December 2010 - Tie break (3a) changed and 3 day rule (6) goes back to 3 days.
EDIT - 1 February 2011 - Rewrote 1,2,4, 4a and 4b to make them clearer.
EDIT - 21 February 2011 - Added same artist rule to rule 3.
EDIT - 19 January 2012 - Clarification added for 3a.
EDIT - 18 April 2013 - Banned Various Artists from being used for tie-breaks.

[quote][b][user]temujin1234[/user][/b] said: The Knockout Challenge involves the members of the group being split up into pairs. Their most recently played artists are then reviewed by a virtual kicker and the member with least kicks progresses to the next round. This is repeated until only 2 members are left to contest a final to determine the winner. 1. Anyone who was a member of the group between the end of the pre-season friendly and the time when I prepare the draw for the first round will be entered into the competition. (except the leader). If the number of members is a power of 2 (eg 16 or 32), they will all start in the first round. If it less, the previous seasons winner and some others will be given automatic passage to the second round. (eg, if there are 29 members, last seasons winner and the 2 remaining oldest people on the member list will start in the second round while the remaining 26 will be paired into 13 matches to provide 13 winners and make 16 players in the second round.) If there are more than 32, the newest members excluding last seasons winner will play a qualifying round (eg 35 members, the lowest 6 play 3 matches and the 3 winners join the remaining 29 in a first round of 32). 2. The rounds will be played throughout the regular season. The early rounds where a lot of players are involved will take place during a gap between regular rounds, and the quarter-finals onwards will run at the same time as the regular game. 3. For each round, I (or a guest kicker) will look at the last 10 unique artists played by each member and give virtual kicks for any I know (or 3 day rule kicks for older plays). In addition, if both players in a match have the same artist anywhere among their last 10, the one who played the artist last will get a kick. The person with least kicks will be the winner and will progress to the next round. 3a. In the event of a tie, the kicker will look at the listener count for all the artists he didn't know from the last 10 artists, and the winner will be the person with the artist with the highest listener count. If these are the same, he will check the 11th artist, and so on until the result is decided. Clarification - The kicker is looking at the listener count for artists he doesn't know, this includes any artists that have been 3 day rule kicks. 4. In order to make it fairer for people with similar tastes to me, I will be inviting some guest kickers to take some of the rounds. 4a. A time of 48 hours will be set for the round to take place. The round may be divided between more than one guest, or myself and one or more guests. You will know when the round is posted who the kicker for your match is. The kicker does not need to do the matches in the order they were drawn, and has the choice of doing all the matches at the same time, all seperately or anything in between. 4b. If a guest kicker fails to do any match, I will take it over and do it. 5. The winner of the final will get 4 points on the current seasons leaderboard. The winners of each quarter and semi final match will get 2 points, and the winners in all matches in earlier rounds will get 1 point. 6. With the change to the tie-break, the 3 day rule reverts to the original 3 day rule from the main game. 7. [artist]Various Artists[/artist] will not be eligible as a tie-break artist.[/b] If this artist is among your tracks and the match goes to a tie-break, it will be ignored and the next highest artist will be used. [url=http://www.last.fm/user/temujin1234/journal/2012/09/16/5lyysh_omg_knockout_challenge_-_updated_guidelines_for_guest_kickers.?success=1.]Guidelines for guest kickers[/url]. EDIT - 21-August-2010 - Tie Break changed. EDIT - 18 September 2010 - Three day rule changed for this game only. EDIT - 6 November 2010 - 3b added (tie break for case where 2 players have 10 3 day kicks.) EDIT - 5 December 2010 - Three day rule replaced by 24 hour rule. EDIT - 7 December 2010 - Tie break (3a) changed and 3 day rule (6) goes back to 3 days. EDIT - 1 February 2011 - Rewrote 1,2,4, 4a and 4b to make them clearer. EDIT - 21 February 2011 - Added same artist rule to rule 3. EDIT - 19 January 2012 - Clarification added for 3a. EDIT - 18 April 2013 - Banned Various Artists from being used for tie-breaks.[/quote]
Edited by temujin1234 on 18 Apr 2013, 15:34

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- temujin1234 said...
- User
- 31 Dec 2010, 10:41
8. Specific decisions on disputed kicks.

Links to specific disputes / appeals for reference.

1. Gracie Fields with Childrens' Chorus and Orchestra conducted by Ray Noble
1, 2, 3, 4

2. Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention with The L.A Philharmonic
here.

3. Classical music - Composer vs Orchestra
This was discussed over the 2 previous pages. My decision here.

4. Same artist kicks
One player listened to an artist early in the round then listened to something else and returned to that artist. In the mean time another player listened to the same artist. First player to listen to an artist during the round survives even if he listens to something else and returns to that artist AFTER another player. (here.)

[quote][b][user]temujin1234[/user][/b] said: Links to specific disputes / appeals for reference. [u]1. [artist]Gracie Fields with Childrens' Chorus and Orchestra conducted by Ray Noble[/artist][/u] [url=http://www.last.fm/group/Obscure+Music+Game/forum/130031/_/659806/5#f13988487]1[/url], [url=http://www.last.fm/group/Obscure+Music+Game/forum/130031/_/659806/5#f13989288]2[/url], [url=http://www.last.fm/group/Obscure+Music+Game/forum/130031/_/659806/5#f13989765]3[/url], [url=http://www.last.fm/group/Obscure+Music+Game/forum/130031/_/659806/5#f13991584]4[/url] [u]2. [artist]Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention with The L.A Philharmonic[/artist][/u] [url=http://www.last.fm/group/Obscure+Music+Game/forum/130031/_/663414/8#f14159419]here[/url]. [u]3. Classical music - Composer vs Orchestra[/u] This was discussed over the 2 previous pages. My decision [url=http://www.last.fm/group/Obscure+Music+Game/forum/130031/_/667484/6#f14315528]here[/url]. [u]4. Same artist kicks[/u] One player listened to an artist early in the round then listened to something else and returned to that artist. In the mean time another player listened to the same artist. First player to listen to an artist during the round survives even if he listens to something else and returns to that artist AFTER another player. ([url=http://www.last.fm/group/Obscure+Music+Game/forum/130031/_/2066700/1#f18384076]here[/url].)[/quote]

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All rules, duties, FAQs, etc

1. Game Rules

2. Champions duties.

6. Pre-Season Friendly Rules.

7. Knockout Challenge Rules.

8. Specific decisions on disputed kicks.