Kickernation.org - Manual (Version 6.0)

• Simplicity: Start a tournament faster and easier than on a plan? Test it, it works!
• Self-explanatory and user-friendly.
• Tournament-Systems: Groups, KO, DouleKO. Of course the group-tables and tournament-plans are updated automatically.
• Unlimited players-number/teams-number/tournaments-number/devices-number (in the full version). The right plan is selected by default (4, 8, 16, 32, ..., 16384, 32768, 65536, ...)
• Multi-user-system: The software is client-server based. Therefore the number of users/admins that can use the software simultaneously is unlimited.
• Optional mobile phone-SMS-messages to players. This way match-calls can be made very fast in a large number. This works only with an internet-connection.
• Collision-Management: Players/Teams are only called to matches if they really are playable.
• Device-Management: Matches are called on devices if they are available.
• Prize-money-management: In case of multiple tournaments it may be much work to find out, which player has won which amount of money. The software is able to calculate that automatically.
• Prize-money-calculator: If you don't have an idea how to distribute the total prize-money in a tournament on the first few places, this calculator can do that.
• Complete english and german language support for the whole software. One can switch anytime between the two languages. Translations into other languages are possible.
• DYP-support (Draw Your Partner = Players register to the tournament and the software creates random teams)
• Set DYP - random team-mixing can be done "good" with "bad".
• Limitation of tournaments per player to a certain number is possible. If a player tries to register to more tournaments, it will be blocked automatically.
• Template-support: You can change the style of the pages completely by designing a new template file.
• Match-calls: Call- and Recall-Management
• Group-tables and tournament-plans are viewable in each dimension.
• Admins can easily enter results, correct results even if they are already overtaken in the next round.
• Easy-to-manage interface, that shows all open matches for all tournaments and allows admins to see the most important data at once, call matches, enter results.
• Easy-to-register interface: One can register teams/players to tournaments very fast (by numbers) or more detailed (by names).
• Planning/calculating tool: One can calculate the duration of a tournament by entering his number of teams and devices.
• Duration-estimation for multiple tournaments: Once all tournaments are started, the software is able to estimate the duration of the whole event. This estimation considers for each player his SKILL-ranking and the collisions between overlapping tournaments.
• Satisfied tournament-players with minimum idle-time: In case of multiple-Tournaments the software prioritizes by default the players with the maximum idle-time. There are some possibilities more to select the desired match-order, for example --best-skill-first--, --tournament-priority-first--,...
• Automatic SKILL-rankings. The software creates skill-rankings considering every match and the skill of the oponent and some other things. This rankings are created out of all tournaments using the same game. For example a different skill-ranking is created for foosball than for dart.
• Intelligent setting of start-round by skill: In KO, DoubleKO the start-round is set by skill such that the best two teams will meet soonest in final, the best 4 teams meet soonest in semi-final, the best 8 soonest in quarter-final, and so on recursively. Also if there are free-tickets in the start-round, the best-skilled teams will get them, of course.
• DoubleKO: Intelligent transfer into the loosers bracket. Already played opponents will meet again as late as possible.
• Groups-Setting by SKILL works too, of course, quite similar.
• Start-round-setting (or groups-setting) by random is possible, too.
• Multiple folders for your different tournament-groups.
• Optionally users are able to administrate themselves without admin-help. They can register, login, create teams, register to tournaments, enter their results, ... For an admin that is the most relaxing type of tournament. If you want to use this, you will need users that have some experience and interest in internet, for example online-players that are used to write into forums, register on game-sites, playing ladders, entering results...
• Easy-made-results-list: One can easily publish a list of results/rankings for a single tournament or a whole tournaments-list.
• Players-Placement: One can easily find out the placement of a player in each tournament he played.
• Time-management support. One can create time-templates if he wants all tournaments to take place in certain time-intervals.
• PlacementPoints-Rankings with lots of statistics, perfect for tournament-series with configurable points-repartition.
• Directly searching for players possible. Thus overview gets much better on many pages. Logged in players are auto-selected for search. (tournament-plans, group-lists, group-games, rankings, ranking-game-lists, ...)
• Optionally: Users/guests aren't allowed to register or to change anything. Important for events, where the users have access to the system but the admins want to administrate all themselves.
• Playoffs are launchable for last X places too (not only for first X places), after group-games have ended.
• Tournaments with empty teams (without players, only teamnames) startable. Only for admins. May save some time not to register all users first. This is not recommendable for events with conflicting tournaments (consisting of the same users).

• 500 MB hard disk
• 500 MHz cpu
• 256 MB RAM

• Minimum Disk-Space: 0.5 GB
• Configure the internet-options and the browser.
  • allow COOKIES
  • allow JAVASKRIPT
  • allow STYLE-SHEETS/CSS
  • If using IE click on "Internet-Options" and select the security to "middle".
• Unzip the zip-file to c:\bntree (or d:\bntree or e:\bntree, ...) or in some subfolder.
• If using NT you will need to give write-permissions for the webserver(apache) in the directory: "...\bntree\battlenation\httpd\data".
• In c:\bntree there are some batch-skripts: START.bat and STOP.bat. Start the system with START.bat and be patient.
• Start the software only once per computer.
• An explorer-window appears containing the license-agreement. Click on the "AGREE"-button at the bottom of the page.
• Next page is asking you for a password. The standard-password is 'local42'.
• Next page contains the setup-page. Change the setup-password NOW to something else.
• Let the MySQL-root-password (local42) untouched for this moment. As the MySQL-server is behind a firewall the security-hole is not that big.
• You have got an username and a password on the download-site of kickernation.org. Enter both in this page as setup-username and as setup-password. If you don't have got these things, please contact kickernation.org.
• Don't forget to accept changes with the button at the bottom of the page.
• The standard-options should work as they are. You can change them later.
• Click on the link at the top to "enter the main page".
• The system recognizes if you are entering the page the first time. It creates the database with all tables, fills in some standards in the database (some root-users, a tournament-folder, etc.)
• Because of security-reasons You are made to login as root and change the root-password.
• Login: root
• Password: local42
• Click on USER->data (top-left) and change your root-password NOW.

• Make sure you have admin-skills.
• Make sure MySQL and Apache are up and running.
• Unpack the downloaded linux-file to "somedir/"
• Make apaches document-root point to "somedir/battlenation/"
• Make apache auto-load "index.php" not only "index.html"
• Apache needs write-rights in "somedir/battlenation/httpd/data/" and on all files in that directory. Type e.g. "chown -R wwwrun somedir/battlenation/httpd/data/" (only if the apache-user is "wwwrun" like on SuSE, else replace wwwrun with the right user).
• Open a browser and go to http://localhost/ or whatever the hostname is you installed the software on.
• Accept the license and enter the setup-page. Enter the MySQL settings, especially the MySQL root-password. You can also configure another MySQL-user and enter that data on the setup-page. Root-rights are not really necessary.
• For using the tools (like backupDB, restoreDB, backupDB-repeat) edit those files (in somedir/battlenation/tools/linux/) and change all mysql-users/passwords to your settings. The standard-user is root and password is 'local42'. The syntax is "backupDB mybackupfilename.gz" and "restoreDB mybackupfilename.gz" and "backupDB-repeat"(without parameters).
• CAUTION: Don't share the kickernation-database with other applications. This means the logical database assigned to kickernation, not the server. The server can be shared riskless.

Network access

• Start a browser and enter the server-adress:
• Windows-example: "http://192.168.2.1:4242/"
• Linux-example: "http://192.168.2.1/"

Quickstart - a simple tournament

• Arthur Dent
• Montgomery Burns
• Disruptor
• James Bond
• Jonathan Heart
• C.J. Parker

• Click on the "Matches". You can call matches here, enter results, etc.
• Click on "Create new match-dates".
• Mark the matches as called by clicking on "called".
• Click on "WIN" at the right team to enter a team as winner.
• Click on "Create new match-dates" again.

A more sophisticated tournament

Click on Games and create a game:
• Game-Name: Tablesoccer double
• Number of players per team: 2
Check the boxes, if you like.

(!) You don't have to define this game for each new tournament. Once the game exists, reuse this for every Tablesoccer double-tournament.

Click on USER->Register (left-top).
Enter just firstname and surname:
• surname "Dent" and
• firstname "Arthur".
The system will auto-create username and random-password for this user. In this example the username is: "Dent.A.2".

We have to create some more users. For example with the names:
• C.J. Parker (username: Parker.C.3)
• Philip Marlowe (username: Marlowe.P.4)
• Hercule Poirot (username: Poirot.H.P.5)
• Jane Marple (username: Marple.J.6)
• James Bond (username: Bond.J.7)
• Jonathan Heart (username: Heart.J.8)
• Montgomery Burns (username: Burns.M.9)

Create a new tournament, e.g. "My tourney"
Choose at the options:
• Tournament-Game: "Tablesoccer double"
• Tournament-System: "DoubleKO"
• Check the box "Do not create match-dates in future"
Don't forget to click the "Change"-button when all settings are done.

• Click at the tournament on registration - wizard.
• Select players and register them to the tournament.

Click on ADMINISTRATION->Devices and there on the link "Create X Devices":
• Name Prefix: "Table"
• First Number: 1
• Last Number: 3
The system creates 3 devices, named Table-1, Table-2 and Table-3. You can see them by clicking on "Device list".

Click on tournament-assignment. Choose the right checkboxes and click on assign.

• Choose your tournament from the list and go to the options. Scroll down and click on Start-Button.
• The tournament plan is available now.

• Click on Matches. You can call matches here, enter results, etc.
• Click on "Create new match-dates".
• Mark the matches as called by clicking on "called".
• Click on "WIN" at the right team to enter a team as winner.
• Click on "Create new match-dates" again.

MonsterDYP - every round new drawing

• Every round is created by new drawing (partners and opponents). It is possible to get the same partner/opponent twice, although the software tries to avoid that.
• The swiss MonsterDYP is a modification of simple drawing. The software tries to create matches consisting of players with similar skill (based on the current MonsterTable). Gain: The matches are getting more thrilling during the tournament.
• At the beginning of the tournament the duration should be published, e.g. from 8pm to 11:30pm (it is not entered in the software, just told to the players).
• Advantages
  • Most players have a similar number of matches at the end of the tournament.
  • The devices are used to full capacity in contrast to KO/DoubleKO.
  • Many players may come from farther away because of not risking to be eliminated after few rounds.
  • Also the worse players play the whole tournament without beeing eliminated after few rounds.
  • The better players are not risking having a bad draw-partner and beeing eliminated after few rounds.
  • Players may register later into the running tournament.
  • Players may unregister before the tournament ends.

• Register some players to the tournament (see also A more sophisticated tournament)
• Your may register also some devices to the tournament (see also A more sophisticated tournament)
• Start the tournament.
• Click on "MonsterTable" to see the current tournament-ranking. You may move the mouse there over some fields to get some short help/info about the values.
• Click on "MonsterMatches" to see the matchlist of this tournament.
• Let the value "MAX" entered at the number of matches to be created unless you have a real good reason to change that.
• Click on the button "Create new matches".
  • You may also create matches during old matches are still running. This is advisable if devices are already available.
  • It is advisable to always create new matches for all players. Otherwise the statistical spread may suffer.
  • Before tournament ends you may check the "balanced" box. Those players are preferred who have the smallest number of matches.
• The match result is entered in the appropiate boxes in the right match line. The result may be e.g. the goals shot.
• Example: Every match is counted as follows (in the table):
  • A match goes to 6, 5:5 is draw.
  • Win: 2 points (6:4 or 2:6 etc.)
  • Draw: 1 point (5:5)
  • Defeat: 0 points
• You also may enter other results like 12:3 or 10:10.
• The sorting of the table is explained at the bottom of the page ("MonsterTable" at the bottom)
• Players can be registered into the running tournament.
• Players can be unregistered off the running tournament (click on "dyp-players").
• An unregistered player remains in the list but is not called for matches anymore.
• Unregistered players may be reactived (click on "dyp-players").
• If you entered a false result:
  • Click at the match-line on "Edit/Delete"
  • Enter the right result there.
  • Check the box "by force".
  • Check the corrected result at the list of "MonsterMatches".
• To avoid tactical unregistration of players before the tournament ends the software divides the points number of unregistered players through 1 more. So it behaves like the player would have lost a last match.

Multi-tournament-registration-form

• The multi-tournament-registration-form ("HOTLINKS - Tournament registration") suits for registering players to multiple tournaments simultaneously.
• This form only works for single and double tournaments.
• Create some tournaments and edit the field "start fee" at the tournament options.
• You can set different start fees for different player-classification at the tournament-options. You can find a short description of how that works as a tooltip by moving the mouse over that word "start fee" at the tournament options.
• The player-classification is set directly in this form or at the user-details.
• You can choose at the global options page whether the following things are managed with this form or not:
  • Club member fees
  • Start fee flatrate
  • Mobile phone numbers
  • User-self-registration. Users (even if not logged in) can fill in this form themselves, if enabled. However, the data is only saved for later processing by an admin.

Rankings

• Check the tournament-game at the tournament-options.
• Click on "Games" and there on the desired game. Enable the option "calculate ranking".
• All tournaments you want to be included into a ranking should be marked as ended (at tournament-options).
• After each change above (and after each tournament that ended) you have to go to TOURNAMENTS==>Ranking and there on "Ranking update".

• Good wins against bad: good gains few points, bad looses few points. The result was expected.
• Good looses against bad: good looses many points, bad gains many points. The result was unexpected.
• User-SKILL: The ranking is apportioned by users.
• Team-SKILL: The ranking is apportioned by teams. The users within the teams don't get an own SKILL-number.

• 7.) Place: 3 points
• 5.) Place: 4 points
• 4.) Place: 5 points
• 3.) Place: 6 points
• 2.) Place: 7 points
• 1.) Place: 8 points

• 9.) Place: 3 points
• 7.) Place: 4 points
• 5.) Place: 5 points
• 4.) Place: 6 points
• 3.) Place: 7 points
• 2.) Place: 8 points
• 1.) Place: 9 points

• 17.) Place: 3 points
• 13.) Place: 4 points
• 9.) Place: 5 points
• 7.) Place: 6 points
• 5.) Place: 7 points
• 4.) Place: 8 points
• 3.) Place: 9 points
• 2.) Place: 10 points
• 1.) Place: 11 points

• The last place always gets 3 points.
• Therefore no extra participation-points are needed.
• It is always worth participating.
• In tournaments with more players one can get more points on the same placement.
• At the end the best X participations of a player can be counted (you can define that at the games-details).

Prize-money-management

• 1.) 100 Euro
• 2.) 80 Euro,
• 3.) 60 Euro
• 4.) 50 Euro
• 5.)/6.) 40 Euro
• 7.)/8.) 30 Euro
• 9.)-12.) 20 Euro

• 1.) 100 Euro
• 2.) 80 Euro,
• 3.) 60 Euro
• 4.) 50 Euro
• 5.)-8.) 40 Euro
• 9.)-16.) 30 Euro

• The entered prize-money at the tournament options is meant PER TEAM and not per player!
• Enter whole numbers only.
• Calculations always result in whole numbers, rounded down if necessary.

SMS-system

• This way match-calls can be made very fast in a large number.
• Currently only german mobile phone networks are supported.
• Requirements:
  • Internet connection
  • An SMS-account on kickernation.org (SMS-username and SMS-password). If you would like to use the SMS-system, send an email (see contact below).
  • Money. Price per SMS: 0,09 EURO (= 9 EURO-CENT)
• If you already have an SMS-account (SMS-username and SMS-password) on kickernation.org, you can charge it ONLY by bank-transfering money to:
  Christian Wollmann
  Bank account number: 3129854
  Bank sort code: 60050101
  Bank name: BW-Bank in Germany, Stuttgart.
  REASON FOR TRANSFER: Your SMS-username (of your SMS-account on kickernation.org)
• If you are not from germany: Make sure that the payee does not have any bank-fees with that transfer.
• Each transaction must be at least 50 Euro.
• Transfered money can't be transfered back.
• The complete SMS-system comes without any warranty. As everybody knows, hardware, computers, internet-connections may crash sometimes. However, we will do our very best to prevent that and to keep down time low. Make sure, that you have alternatives in case of SMS-crash.
• To avoid abuse the IP, time/date, mobile phone number and the whole SMS-text is logged in a database. Each user is responsible for any kind of damage he causes himself and for each kind of damage that is caused by usage of his account.
• Don't give your account-data (username/password) to anyone. Avoid copying your "bntree"-folder to someone. This folder contains your account-data.

Backup/Restore your database

• Change directory to ...\bntree\battlenation\tools\windows.
• Double-click on the batch-file named "backupDB" and wait until the window disappears.
• This will create a backup-file in the same directory named something like "2000-12-24-21-0-0-autobackup.gz", containing the date and time.
• This is an ungarbled gzip-compressed backup-dump of your actual kickernation.org-database.
• Rename it as you like.

• Change directory to ...\bntree\battlenation\tools\windows
• Choose a backup-file and rename it to "restore.gz".
• Double-Click on restoreDB and wait until the window disappears.

• gzip/gunzip should be installed
• Open a shell and enter the directory somedir/battlenation/tools/linux/
• Edit the files backupDB, restoreDB, backupDB-repeat and change the mysql-user/login settings, if necessary.
• Database backup: "backupDB myfilename.gz"
• Database restore: "restoreDB myfilename.gz"

Changing Passwords

• Enter the Options(setup)-page (click on "Options"). It should open automatically the first time you start.
• Enter a new setup-password and retype it below.

• After the first checks are done, enter the main-page and click on "login".
• Username: root, password: 'local42'
• After login click on USER->Data.
• Enter there a new password for root and retype it.

• Change directory to "...\bntree\servers\mysql\bin"
• Start the program "mysql.exe";
• MySQL is auto-configured to accept connections only from localhost.
• If asked, the standard-root-password is 'local42';
• To set root-password to 'new42' enter at "mysql>"-prompt:
  set password for 'root'@'localhost' = old_password('new42');
• After this you will have to change the passwords in some other places:
  • Options-Page: Click on "Options" or, if that doesn't work, enter in your browser:
    http://localhost:4242/setup.php
    Here you have to change your MySQL-password to 'new42';
  • Edit the batch-skripts in "...\bntree\battlenation\tools\windows".
    There are: backupDB.bat and restoreDB.bat
    right-mouse-click on them and EDIT
    change everywhere 'local42' to 'new42' and save them.
  • Leave backup-reapeat.bat untouched.

Coming soon.

Updates

• Start the old version of the software (START.bat).
• Make a backup of your database (see backups/restore-chapter).
• Shutdown the old version of the software (STOP.bat).
• Backup or rename the old "...\bntree"-folder to something else.
• Install the new version of the software.
• Start the new version of the software (START.bat).
• Restore your database (see backups/restore-chapter).
• Enter the options-page. Maybe there are new options to configure.
• Enter "update", click on "Check database version" and do the database-update.

Page-Design (template)

FAQ (Frequently asked questions)

• Question: "I have unzipped the software but still get error-messages after starting START.bat."
  Answer:
  1.) Make sure you are running the software under MS-Windows XP® or MS-Windows Vista®.
• Question: "I have installed the software and set up all options properly but I am not able to login with 'root/local42'."
  Answer:
  1.) Look at the internet-options of your browser and allow all COOKIES.
  2.) Delete all cookies and temporary internet-files.
  3.) Restart your computer...

Contact

Preferred language: german.
Contact for foreigners is possible in english, spanish, romanian, hungarian.

http://www.kickernation.org/

christianwollmann@gmx.de

If you find bugs in the software or manual, please send a bug-report to the email above.