Machine dance

Dance gaming is a sport where the player moves his body as instructed by a computer. The game shows step patterns on the computer or game console screen and the player needs to step on his game controller according to those patterns. The dance patterns are designed to fit to the music playing on the background so the player has to simultaneously follow the patterns seen on the screen and listen to the music to keep following it correctly. Dance gaming is currently an officially accepted sport and dance type and an internationally accepted street-dance style under the International Dance Organization.

For more information on dance gaming visit http://www.tanssipelit.fi/ or http://www.dancegaming.eu/

General

The game used in the competition is In The Groove. The multiplayer version and the regular PC-version are used in different stages of the competition.
The competition is played on the Impact Arcade dance pads.
The song list consists of the In The Groove PC-version songs. In the finals the songs from In The Groove Rebirth are also used.
Using any outside objects to support your balance during the competition is not allowed.
Training songs during the competition is not allowed. Training a randomly selected song before playing it in the competition might lead to disqualification.
There is room for 64 participants. Sign-up for the competition using TMS during the event on Friday before the seeding round begins.

Competition rules system

The game system used is a modified double-elimination tournament. More information on the double-elimination system at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-elimination_tournament
The In The Groove multiplayer system is used on the first half of the competition. When 8 players remain In The Groove PC-version is used instead.
On rounds played with the multiplayer system two or three songs are randomly selected on the difficulty level set by the competition organizer. A players results from the selected songs are summed up and the player with the higher score is the winner.
On rounds played with the home version both players select one song to be played. The competition organizers sets a limit for the difficulty levels allowed. The player with the higher score on a song receives a point. On a tie neither player receives a point. If the players are tied a third song is selected randomly and the player with the higher score wins.
The same song may not be selected by a player twice during the competition.
On the multiplayer rounds speed mod is set so that the speed of the song is roughly 300 bpm. Other mods used are Overhead and cel.
On the home version rounds players may select mods on their own. Mods which change the pattern or amount of arrows and mods disqualified by the game are not allowed.

Timetable

Friday: Seeding rounds 1 ja 2. Rounds 1, 2 ja 3.
Saturday: Rounds 4, 5 and 6. Finals.

Seeding round 1

The competition organizer randomly selects two songs. All players play both songs.
Each players scores are summed up and players are arranged in order according to their total score. 32 players with the best totals advance to the next round.

Seeding round 2

Players are assigned pairs so that the player with the best total score on the first seeding round plays against the player with the lowest score from those who advanced to round 2 and so on.
The competition organizer randomly selects two songs. All players play both songs.
Each players scores are summed up and compared to their pair. The player with the better total advances to the next round. (16 players remain)

Round 1

Players are assigned pairs so that the player with the best total score on the second seeding round plays against the player with the lowest score and so on.

Pairs are assigned to two groups of four pairs. The competition organizer randomly selects three songs for both groups.
Each players scores from all three songs are summed up. The player with the higher total from each pair advances on the winners side and the player with the lower total is moved to the losers side.

Round 2

Players are assigned new pairs according to the double-elimination bracket.
Pairs on the losers side play first, then the pairs from the winners side. The competition organizer randomly selects three songs for both groups.
Each players scores from all three songs are summed up. The player with the lower total in each pair on the losers side is dropped from the competition. The player with the lower total in each pair on the winners side is moved to the losers side. (12 players remain)

Round 3

Players are assigned new pairs according to the double-elimination bracket.
The four pairs on the losers side play three songs randomly selected by the tournament organizer.
The player with the lower total in each pair on the losers side is dropped from the competition. (8 players remain)

Round 4

Players are assigned new pairs according to the double-elimination bracket.
Pairs on the losers side play first, then the pairs on the winners side. One pair plays at the time.
The player with the lower total score from the seeding rounds picks a song which both players play. Then the other player selects a second song. A point is given from each song for the player with the higher score. In case of a tie the competition organizer randomly selects a third song for the players to play.
The losing player in pairs on the losers side is dropped from the competition. The losing player in pairs on the winners side is moved to the losers side. (6 players remain)

Round 5

Players are assigned new pairs according to the double-elimination bracket.
The two pairs on the losers side play. One pair plays at the time.
The player with the lower total score from the seeding rounds picks a song which both players play. Then the other player selects a second song. A point is given from each song for the player with the higher score. In case of a tie the competition organizer randomly selects a third song for the players to play.
Losing players are dropped from the competition. (4 players remain)

Round 6

Players are assigned new pairs according to the double-elimination bracket.
The pair on the losers side plays first, then the pair on the winners side. One pair plays at the time.
The player with the lower total score from the seeding rounds picks a song which both players play. Then the other player selects a second song. A point is given from each song for the player with the higher score. In case of a tie the competition organizer randomly selects a third song for the players to play.
The losing player on the losers side is dropped from the competition. The losing player on the winners side is moved to the losers side. (3 players remain)

Finals

The players on the losers side play against each other. The loser places third in the competition. The winner then plays against the sole player remaining on the winners side for the first place in the competition.
The player with the lower total score from the seeding rounds picks a song which both players play. Then the other player selects a second song. A point is given from each song for the player with the higher score. In case of a tie the competition organizer randomly selects a third song for the players to play.
If the player who came from the losers side wins the first round he doesn't yet win. Instead another round is played to determine the winner.

Signing up for the Machine Dance compo is done via TMS. If you have problems signing up, please visit infodesk.