Etiquette
From Worms Knowledge Base
Game etiquette
Over the years Worms has grown its own unique community, with its own rules and codes of behavior. These are of course not written in stone but they are pretty well agreed upon. Keep in mind that these might change over time without this article changing (written June 2007).
Also in this article, game rules for various schemes.
Contents
Nice things to say
Wish your opponent good luck
It is common practice to wish your opponents good luck at the start of the game. Although not doing so isn't considered by many to be offensive, it is common practice. Usually a simple acronym GL & HF, which stands for Good Luck and Have Fun will do.
Say good game at the end
At the end of the game, or at the death of a player's team the other players often congratulate them on their performance in the game with the acronym GG, meaning Good Game. This is considered to be the polite thing to do, especially towards the host. Not doing so at all often leaves people with the idea that the player in question is too taken in with his own defeat that he can't be bothered with the niceties of the game. Don't do this, it's considered rude and people might take offense.
An acronym somewhat less commonly used is that of BG, which means Bad Game. This isn't all that nice a thing to say either, but at least it's an honest opinion.
Another use of the GG acronym is at the start of a player's turn. This might mean he's planning on taking an opponent's team out. In reverse; at the end of a turn this might mean he expects to be taken out himself before his own next turn.
Other stuff
- "n" - "Nice". Prefixed with 'v' to mean "Very nice."
- "bl" - Bad luck
- "nt" - Nice try
Leaving the game
Don't quit during the game
People don't appreciate it if players leave a game. These people are often called quitters. If a player gets the reputation of a quitter he might not be allowed to join a game at all. It's best not to leave a game at all once you are in. They don't last hours so just make sure you've got enough time to finish, and if you don't it's good to ask the host if he would still want you to play.
Especially team games are ruined if a player suddenly decides to leave. Just don't join them if you don't have enough time because you will ruin the entire game by leaving. If you do find yourself in a situation where you have to leave unexpectedly. Inform the other players of the situations to avoid people thinking of you as a quitter.
Don't leave your keyboard without notification
It is very annoying if people have to wait for a player who has left their keyboard. Because this game is [turn based] they can't do anything while you are getting your beverage of choice. Tell people when you leave the keyboard and expect not to be back before your turn.
Worms Armageddon has an away function which can be activated by typing /away or /afk in the chat box. This will automatically skip your turns until you are back. If you are playing WA you should use this function.
Ask clarity
Let people know if you have little to no experience in a game
If you have little experience in a game, it is best to say so. This way the players can then help you to understand the game/scheme better. This will prevent any conflicts in the game.
Ask for the rules
Games on W:A have a set number of rules, which can be read at the Schemes page on this wiki. However, if you want to get started before reading through these pages or they're hosting a scheme that's not described here, it's always a good idea to ask for the rules. Asking them in advance shows you're willing to learn the rules and avoids breaking rules with all ensuing flaming.
The host decides
Usually the host will state any rules for the game (e.g. All But Last), and they will be the set rules in the game. These rules are usually final, and not up for discussion. If there is any conflicts in the game (i.e. a player breaks a rule) then it is up to the host to decide what happens, whether it is a warning, skip a go and so on. Players should abide and if any disagreement speak to the host.
Etiquette for hosts
Don't mess with the schemes
Schemes have a history on Worms. Chances are, the people that join your games have been playing the scheme you're hosting for years. Of course, sometimes, schemes do change over time and if you make your own scheme, notify the others in your game of the most important changes, so there won't be any unpleasant surprises for them.
Don't ever quit the game
As the host, you are providing the game to the other players. If you quit the game, then everyone drops out, and play ceases. It is not recommended to quit when hosting, unless you have to (and it is best to say so in the chat box before you do)
Predefine player limit
When hosting a game, hosts can say in the game title '4_max' or something similar, or in the host lobby, the host can say '4 players maximum'. The host can then choose 4 players (including him/herself) to play, typically the first four players or the first four to state a correct rule. Hosts should not discriminate if they are from a different country (i.e. Mexico or Brasil)
Scheme rules
Not only should you know these rules before playing the respective schemes, but some hosts may require that you enumerate them (sometimes in a private message) to prove that you know them. In this case, enumerating the acronyms suffices (e.g. CBA, AFR, ABL/KTL and Pile for Shopper).
Pile
In Worms gameplay terminology, a "pile" is a group of worms close together, usually from different teams. If two worms can be harmed by firing a single shot of a weapon, they are considered to be in a pile.
When applied together with rules such as All But Last or Attack The Leader, it means that a player's immunity granted by these rules doesn't apply if his worms are in a pile with worms of an attackable player.
PACK
In Worms terminology, PACK is a set of Shopper rules. PACK is an abbreviation for:
- Pile
- ABL (All But Last)
- CBA (Crate Before Attack)
- KTC (Kill The Cow)
Around 2000, a new rule which originated from the roper scheme made its entrance into shopper: the combination of AFR and the PACK rules then became known as the proPACK rules. Around 2003, the AFR rule got so integrated into shopper, that the difference between PACK and proPACK was forgotten and AFR became a standard shopper rule.
CBA
CBA, meaning Crate Before Attack, is a common rule in schemes like Shopper. The rule obliges all players to collect a crate before attacking with a weapon (rope knocking not included). If the crate is destroyed or is somehow inaccessible, the player must skip his turn.
AFR
AFR, meaning Attack From Rope, is a common rule in schemes like Shopper. This rule obliges all players to use weapons from the ninja rope, if this is possible. Thus, weapons like the bazooka, grenades, homing weapons and even airstrikes and global-effect weapons like the Scales of Justice must be used from the rope. With other weapons which are impossible to use from the rope, like firearms, the player must dismount the rope first.
KTC
KTC, meaning Kill The Cow, is a common rule in schemes like Shopper. In case that a player doesn't abide the game rules, and refuses to take the penalty (usually skipping one turn), the players can decide to start attacking the cheating player (Cow), ignoring all other rules, until his team is eliminated or the player quits.
Cow
In Worms terminology, Cow usually refers to a player that doesn't abide the scheme rules. This term originated in the early days of clan-on-clan matches. The clan "(o\|/" would typically attack the weakest worm on the weakest team, a strategy which resulted in the ATL rule being born. Consequently, when a player deviated from the ATL rule they would be labelled the "cow".
ABL
ABL, meaning All But Last, is a common rule in schemes like Shopper. When there are three or more players, this rule forbids anyone to attack the team with the least total health. The team with least health will always appear last in the team list at the bottom of the screen (which can be fixed by pressing Shift+Del).
ATL / KTL
Attack The Leader (or Kill The Leader) only. Any team can take damage so long as the leading team takes at least 1 hit point of damage. If the player whose turn it is is the leader, they should damage the 2nd team from the top. Used as an alternative to ABL.
WBA
The additional rule in Wall-X-Wall Shoppers - your worm must touch all specially-marked walls before attacking.
Other schemes
The above-described rules apply to the most commonly-played schemes on WormNET. Other schemes may have other rules which are specific to that scheme. Please consult the scheme's page (found on the Schemes list) for details about specific schemes.
