go to msnMSN MoneyCentral
  Get 7 FREE magazine trials!!! 
  53517 Players Online

  Take me to the game
Network Promo
Age of Empires II: Frequently Asked Questions

How many rating points does each Zone player begin with?
Everyone starts off with 1600 ratings points in rated rooms, except in rated Backgammon games. In Backgammon, everyone begins with 1500 rating points.

What Age of Empires II game settings requirements do I need to select for the game to be rated?
For Age of Empires II, you'll need to read and follow the information below for your game to be rated:
  1. Make sure cheating is disabled. Games with cheating enabled will not be recorded or rated.
  2. No computer players are allowed in rated games.
  3. A game with co-op players (two players with the same player number and color) will not be rated.
  4. If any of the game settings disagree between players, the game will not be rated.
  5. If you are assigned to a team before the game begins, you need to stay on that team till the end. Players that decide to switch teams during the game will receive an incomplete at the end.
  6. In a free-for-all game (players are by themselves), players can change alliances as much as they want and still be rated.
  7. Each player's individual game time through the Ages (Feudal, Castle, and Imperial) will be recorded and posted on the Ratings page. The time will only be recorded if your game has the default settings: no death match, use only default resources, and no reveal map. If you decide not to use the default settings, the game will still be rated, but the time won't be recorded.
How are Age of Empires II rating points calculated?
The Zone Rating System has its own formula for calculating rating points for games won or lost in the Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings. You begin with 1600 rating points. Your rating points will increase when you win a game and decrease when you lose a game.

For the formula and examples on how to calculate your Age of Empires II rating points, click Age of Empires II:Calculating Rating Points.

Are games played with computer players rated?
No. Games against computer players are not rated. You must not add or exchange any players during the course of a game if you wish the game to be rated. Let's take an example where in a card game there are four players and one of the players is a computer player. If the computer player is replaced by a new player, rating points will not be awarded to any players for that game.

What is an Incomplete?
In a rated game, you can get a win, a loss, a tie, or an incomplete. The Zone understands that any player, for various reasons, may sometimes be unable to complete the game, hence the name. You can receive an incomplete in two ways:
  1. If your connection to the Zone is dropped after the first legal move is made, the game's considered Incomplete. In Age of Empires II, this means that if you quit or are dropped after rolling a die to see who goes first, your game is considered incomplete.
  2. If you ALT+TAB from a game and close the game room, the Zone will not be able to record your score, and you will get an Incomplete.
How are Incompletes calculated?
For every five incomplete games, your rating will decrease by the points you would have lost had you stayed in the games and been defeated, plus the average of those points as an additional penalty. So it's better to stay, complete a game, and lose than to leave early. Your rating points will thank you.

Here's the formula:

Incomplete penalty=     (cumulative points lost for games 1 through 5)     + (the average points lost for games 1 through 5)  
 
Can an Incomplete be removed from my record?
Yes, every time you complete 50 games (win, loss, or tie), an existing Incomplete will be removed from your rating record. You do not have to complete 50 games in a row, just a cumulative 50. No credits are given toward future Incompletes, however. In Age of Empires II, it's the completion of 20 games, instead of 50, for an incomplete to be removed from your record.

How does an incomplete affect my record? Will I ever be penalized twice when an incomplete is removed?
No, the Zone ratings system does not double penalize players. In Zone ratings, you can never be further than five incompletes away from your next penalty. Let's look at the following example. If you have 10 incomplete games, then you are 5 incomplete games away from receiving another incomplete penalty. But let's say that during that tine period, you've completed 50 games and now have 1 incomplete removed from your record; that puts you at 9 incomplete games. The next time you get an incomplete, which puts you at 10 incompletes, you won't be penalized; instead, you'll be 4 incomplete games away, instead of 5, from receiving a penalty.

What happens when players have the same number of rating points?
When players have the same number of rating points, players will be ranked by random selection. For example, player A and B both have 1700 rating points. Player A is ranked 3rd and player B is ranked 4th. Players A and B will not have the same rank.

What happens to the game and my rating when a player has not made a move for an extended period of time?
If your opponent does not make a move in the appropriate time given, then you have the option to either leave the game and take a win (your opponent will get a loss) or wait for your opponent to make a move.




Do it Today on MSN. Stay in touch with FREE Hotmail--from any PC with Internet access.

Other Links : Air Tickets, Autos, Buy Music, Chat, Downloads, E-cards, More...
 
Special  Features : All you need for the holidays, Better searches than Yahoo!, Killer shopping deals, More...

    © 2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.