Scheme rules
From Worms Knowledge Base
Rules are gameplay requirements for schemes not able to be enforced by the game engine. They are added to some schemes to make the gameplay more challenging by avoiding too cheap kills, prohibiting moves considered unskillful/unfair and to designate the way for playing the particular scheme. It is up to all players in the game to follow them to keep the spirit and integrity of the match alive.
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 (e.g. CBA, AFR, ABL/KTL for Shopper) or even the acronyms of the acronyms (e.g. CAK/KAC/ACK/CKA/AKC and so on for Shopper) suffices. Not following the rules of a scheme may result in you being labeled a "cow" and be aggressively targeted by other players in the match. Perpetual rules violations may cause you to develop an untrustworthy reputation and you may start to be kicked on sight from matches on WormNET.
The rules described here 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.
PACK
In Worms terminology, PACK represents the original set of Shopper rules, which is in use since the creation of the scheme around 1999. PACK is an abbreviation for Pile, ABL, CBA, and KTC.
Around 2000, a new rule which originated from the Roper scheme made its entrance into Shopper: AFR – Attack From Rope. 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.
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 Kill 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.
ABL - All But Last
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).
CBA - Crate Before Attack
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.
KTC - Kill The Cow
- "Cow" redirects here. For the weapon, see Mad Cows.
In case that a player violates the scheme 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.
In Worms terminology, cow usually refers to a player that doesn't abide by the scheme rules. There are many speculations about the origins of this term. One is that it is "short for coward", other see it as an acronym of "Criminal of War", another say it is because "attacking last is bullshit behavior". However it seems this term originated in the early days of clan-on-clan matches. According to Vader, the clan "(o\|/" would typically attack the weakest worm on the weakest team, a strategy which resulted in the KTL rule being born. Consequently, when a player deviated from the KTL rule, he would be labelled the "cow".
According to a comment made on 25th May 2006 by Bloopy, SunDog wrote this on Team17 forum:
"Back in the early days nobody had heard of a leader game or any other of the numerous rules that now go with ropers, so clan CoW (Chilled Out Worms) came up with the tactic of concentrating on a single worm to take the opposition down to 2 against 1. This meant attacking a worm no matter how weak he was, kinda "cowardly" I admit. I think Worro first came up with the idea of using our clan tag as an insult, but it gradually progressed from there. As we moved away from ropers and into BnG we still used the same tactic, slowly the CoW insult grew and grew into what is used today."
Other rules in shopper schemes
AFR - Attack From Rope
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 Bazooka, Grenade, homing weapons and even airstrikes and global-effect weapons like Scales of Justice must be used from the rope. With other weapons which are impossible to use from the rope, such as firearms, the player is allowed to dismount the rope first. Depending on the Extended Scheme Options, it may be possible to use certain weapons that can normally only be used while jumping from the rope. In those cases, this rule applies to those weapons too.
KTL - Kill The Leader
Kill The Leader (or ATL – Attack The Leader) only. Any team can take damage so long as the leading team (the team with the most total health) takes at least 1 hit point of damage. If the player whose turn it is is the leader, he should damage the 2nd team from the top. Used as an alternative to ABL.
WBA - Wall Before Attack
Wall Before Attack, the additional rule in Wall-X-Wall Shopper, requires the player to touch all specially-marked walls before attacking.
FBA - Fly Before Attack
Fly Before Attack, the additional rule in Fly Shopper, requires the player to fly over an obstacle in the middle of the map before attacking.
SBA - Surf Before Attack
Surf Before Attack, an additional rule in Surf Shopper, requires the player to skim across the water before attacking (usually applied if control is set to be kept after skimming).
SAA - Surf After Attack
Surf After Attack, an additional rule in Surf Shopper, requires the player to skim across the water after attacking (applied if control is set to be lost after skimming).
AFA - Attack From Air
Attack From Air, the additional rule in Attack From Air Shopper, requires the player to only use a weapon during a rope-roll.
Other schemes
Here are listed some rules (mostly) applied outside the Rope-based schemes:
S@S - Start at Start
Start at Start is a rule represented by placing a worm onto a special area on the map marked as start point at the beginning of the game, useful for schemes whose maps only have the start point and not the End/Finish point (for example: Golf or Mole Vaulting), but can also be used for races, although the Start to Finish rule is more specific for this.
STF or S2F - Start to Finish
Start to Finish is a rule specific for races in which the players not only need to Start at Start, as they need to reach the Finish/End point to end the match.
No roofing
Indicates that the scheme settings disallow you from evergetting upon the roof of the map (which isn't easy to reach anyway).
Note that this rule can be considered obsolete, once v3.8 has an Extended Scheme Option that impede players from roofing (the rule became coded).
No rope knocking
Rope knocking is disabled. Applies for Team17 and Elite schemes.
Note that this rule can be considered obsolete, once v3.8 has an Extended Scheme Option that impede players from rope knocking, even if they are in WormNET channels that allow it (the rule became coded).
AFJ - Attack From Jetpack
A rule used in Petrolia and Jetpack BnG. Players must always have the jetpack engaged when attacking or using any other weapon.
See also
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