Here's an FAQ section to the Cup.
Q: What is the Riker Cup?
A: The Riker Cup is a friendly competition between the two major continents where BZFlag players originate; North America and Europe. It is a "best of 3" 10vs10 GU-League style funmatch where the best of the best from each region duke it out for the most valued prize of all: honor. Two captains from each team (one from the administrative team, and one regular player) will decide who plays in each of the matches. Other than a few small things, the rules are exactly the same.
Q: Are there any special rules?
A: Yes there are just a couple:
1. First off, the match will not pause for anything. If someone goes nr, an admin from either side is expected to kick the person asap, and a substitute player will be chosen by the captains and replace the missing player immediately.
2. Second and most importantly, ban penalties will be increased exponetionally. If you mess with the cup, the captains, or any of the players, you will find yourself in a world of trouble, far beyond that of the penalties listed in the rules page.
Q: What if I'm a player?
A: First off, congrats! You have one of the highest honors you can have bestowed upon you, a chance to represent your country and lead it to glory. Players are expected to show up to the matches *early* to test lag, discuss strategy, and hang out with their teammates.
Q: What if I'm a sub?
A: If you're a sub, you're playing an important role as well, so congrats! Subs should also show up early to meet their possible teammates, and check lag before they're asked to go in. It'd be really inconvenient if you found out you went in to sub, and you had packet loss, then *another* sub had to go in. Subs should also watch the team play, and look for any weaknesses in either team to help adjust strategy for the next match.
Q: What if I'm an observer?
A: Thanks for deciding to come out to watch! Observers are expected to not bother the players, they are under large amounts of stress, and it would help them greatly if they didn't have to deal with people harassing them.
Q: What if I didn't get picked to play, but really wanted to?
A: Sorry to hear that, better luck next time. The Cup will now be held twice a year, which means twice the opportunity to get on the team. Watch the players, learn what you can from them, as that will greatly increase your chances of playing next time. "The best techniques are passed on by the survivors."
Q: What about lag?
A: To solve this problem, we match once on an American server, and once on a European server. If you are expecting to play in the cup, and you have issues going to the opposing team's home turf, please let your captain know this. Players with bad lag might be asked to be subbed. If this sounds like you, try to convince your captain to let you play on your "home turf" match, so you can sit out the "away game."
Q: What happens if each team wins one game?
A: In the event of a tie up, we will match on the server of the team with the least amount of overall points. This is done so to give the "losing team" an attempt for a comeback. Example: Game1: Euros:5, Amer:1, Game2: Amer:2, Euro:1; the final match will be held on an American server. In the event that this also is a tie, the server will be decided on the spot, via a TBD "random process of selection."
Q: What happens if one of the matches is a tie?
A: If any of the matches is a tie, a 3rd match will be held regardless. The winner of the Riker Cup is the team who: "Wins the most matches out of 3." This means, if the the first match is a Euro win, the second match is a tie, and the 3rd match is an American win, the Riker Cup is a tie.
Q: I thought the Riker Cup was once a year?
A: Wrong. The Riker's is a bi-anual event held twice a year.
Q: Will there be a time outline like last time?
A: Closer to the actual day (one or two days before) I will post a minute-by-minute expectation of my plan for the evening which should make everything really clear.