FSD DOA Tournament Suggested Rules

The HuBBs

Active Member
Overall the tournament rules for DOA have been applied across the board no matter the site or location. Do note that these are also suggestions and final decisions for a tournament are up to the Tournament Organizer's discretion.

Dead or Alive 6

  • Life Setting: Normal
  • Holds: 4-way
  • Round Time: 60 seconds
  • Rounds: First to 3.
  • Matches: First to 2 for all but finals; First to 3 for Grand Finals, Winner's Finals, and Loser's Finals.
  • Winner Lock: On. Winning player must remain their character. If Random was selected, then player must re-select that character
  • Stage Select:
    • Dangerzones: On
    • Stage: Random
      • Stages Removed from Random Filter:
        • Chamber of Potential
        • Forbidden Fortune
        • Hidden Garden
        • Chinese Festival (2nd Listing/Bottom section)

Dead or Alive 5

  • Rounds are set to a 60 second time limit
  • Life is set to Normal
  • First to 3 rounds per match
  • First to 2 matches per set, except for the Winner, Loser, and Grand Finals
  • First to 3 matches per set for Winner, Loser, and Grand Finals
  • Dangerzones are set to On
  • Random Stage select
  • Winner Lock is Enabled
    • Random Character can be chosen, but if the player wins s/he must choose the same character for the following match.
Banned Content

  • DOA5
    • Dojo stage is removed from Random Filter
  • DOA Dimensions
    • Metroid Stage is banned(DOA Dimensions)
  • DOA4
    • Experimental Playrgound stage is banned
  • DOA3.1
    • Hayate's Cartwheel (2P+K / 8P+K) is banned

Do note that this is the normal rules that most offline tournaments follow as well as most online tournaments. There have been some changes to the formula in the past. The rule set for DOA has changed many times in the past, mostly due to Evo, CGS and WCG's influence. With the fall of the Championship Gaming Series, the DOA rules have reverted back to the old standard.

Old Rules (For Historical Purposes)

  • Dead or Alive 6 rules before DOA6 World Championship ruleset
    • Matches: First to 2 except for finals; First to 3 for Winner, Loser, and Grand Finals.
    • Stage Select:
      • Dangerzones: On
      • Stage: Random
        • Stages Removed from Random Filter:
          • Forbidden Fortune (2nd stage listing)
          • Chinese Festival (2nd stage listing)
          • A.P.O. (2nd stage listing)
          • Lost Paradise (2nd stage listing)
          • Hidden Garden
          • Chamber of Potential
  • Largest Life (During the CGS era for DOA4)
  • 2/3 match points, 3/5 for loser and winner finals (a recent change, people will probably still use this rule)
  • 40 seconds (has been argued for multiple times and is was used quite often in online tournaments)
  • Tengu is banned(Tengu was banned in DOA2U and in DOA4 for WCG tournaments)
  • Nicole(Spartan) is Banned DOA4(Was banned in WCG tournaments)
  • Dangerzones are Off

F.A.Q.

What system is Dead or Alive 6 played on?

Steam is the suggested and most competitive platform due to its low latency and controller support. If Steam is unavailable, then Xbox Series X is the suggested platforms.

What system is Dead or Alive 5 Last Round played on?

PlayStation 4 is the suggested platform.

Is it okay to use a controller converter?

Although not recommended for use in most cases due to converters causing input delay to the contestant or in rare cases both contestants, converters are handled by the decision of the tournament organizer. Currently, the Titan One converter with Tournament Edition firmware installed is the recommended converter due to its reportedly no input delay feature and the ability to play any controller with any system.

Is it okay to use a wireless controller during a tournament?

When using a wireless controller it's important to make sure the controller is desynced from the machine. Unfortunately, there is no way to desync your controller yourself on the PlayStation 4. So it is also important that you clear out all previously synced controllers when you arrive at your station to sync your controller.

Why are danger zones turned on?

Danger zones have always been in the game since the first Dead or Alive. To disable them is to take out a tactical element from the game. With danger zones off an opponent who is thrown against a wall or slammed into an electric floor will suffer less damage. However, Danger zones can be allowed off if you and your opponent agree to it.

Why is Dojo banned?

Dojo, or the "Training" stage, is removed from the Random filter by default for each game that supports the random filter. Additionally, the stage has no danger zones or positional advantages unlike any other stage. It is handled similarly to the Danger Zones requirement above.

Note: Tatami, Dojo's predecessor in DOA4, was not available in the game's random stage selection.

Why is Experimental Playground (Dead or Alive 4) banned?

The physics in this stage can cause some inconsistent results. Attempting air juggles with various characters are not guaranteed.

Why is the Metroid Stage (DOA Dimensions) banned?

When Samus appears and uses a power bomb there is a moderate chance for the game to desync.

Why has the life setting been changed from Normal to Largest and back?

This was mainly because of the Championship Gaming Series (CGS). Dead or Alive 4 was a featured game on the short lived gaming competition show. One of the rules was having the life set to largest. For about 2 years all major DOA4 tournaments used largest life so would-be competitors can later try out for future seasons of the show. When CGS ended, the Life rule reverted back to Normal.

It was also debated that having the life set to Largest allowed the game to balance out due to the Hold System having its damage percentage lowered. The counter argument was that it allowed the higher-tier characters an unfair advantage over lower tier characters that needed the extra damage given by the hold system. (I.E. Hayabusa might only need two holds to win when playing on Normal and Largest, but Bayman might need two holds to win on normal and three holds on Largest).

Additionally, life setting was 240 points of health for Normal setting up until Dead or Alive 5. In Dead or Alive 5 the Normal setting was altered to 300 points of health (the old Largest setting). Dead or Alive 6 continued off of Dead or Alive 5 by keeping its Normal life setting set to 300 points of health.

Why was Tengu and Spartan banned from certain tournaments?

Tengu was banned in DOA2U because he was considered a "boss" character with many unbalanced attacks when compared to those of the rest of the cast, and for World Cyber Games (WCG) that rule was carried over. Tengu was a more balanced character in DOA4, and banning him and Spartan-456 had more to do with a tournament organizer's available time in unlocking each than the character's viability. If a Dead or Alive 4 tournament is done, these two characters presently are not banned from play.
 
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UnD34D

Active Member
I was pretty sure tournament standard was norm health 40 secs now. That's what we've been playing at and honestly, it seems the most fair to me.
 

Matt Ponton

Founder
Staff member
Administrator
Standard Donor
The reason for the time confusion is due to the 3.1 and 4 tournaments. 3.1 we use 60 seconds, for 4 the time is 40 seconds. Also keep in mind that Hubbs did mention these are suggestive.
 

UnD34D

Active Member
Not to mention, aiuR did a test to see if 40 secs or 60 secs was better just recently and most matches conclude in well under 40 seconds, but 40 seconds helps out the spacing characters such as ayane and jann lee, a lot of their game is derived from staying outside of the opponents reach, and that includes being 2 of the very minimal amount of characters who have a serious goal of trying to time out the opponent, unlike characters like Bayman, who is like-wise, very defensive, but more in the aspect of relying on his counters and OH's to do the damage for him. So 40 secs is a much more realistic "life bar" some would say, for characters like Jann Lee, Ayane, and even Hitomi and possibly Ein (according to IL/JO)
 

virtuaPAI

I am the reason why you are here!!!
Staff member
Administrator
The reason for the time confusion is due to the 3.1 and 4 tournaments. 3.1 we use 60 seconds, for 4 the time is 40 seconds. Also keep in mind that Hubbs did mention these are suggestive.

What is being said here is very important.
 

Matt Ponton

Founder
Staff member
Administrator
Standard Donor
What does Virtua Fighter and Tekken do as I'm sure certain stages/rings would benefit some characters and disadvantage others.

Personally, I'm in favor of KISS by just accepting whichever random offers you. However, if you'd like to try it out I would propose the first match being random and the loser of each match afterwards being able to select the stage.
 

Allan Paris

Well-Known Member
I like the rules for tournaments now. 60 secs normal life. Everything can be accomplished in that time limit, IMO. 40 secs I feel that I am being rushed to play, that's just me. Now, I agree with people picking the stages. The purposal Sorwah made is the samething I do for my online themed tournaments.

Also, I'd like to know if I can post up my online tournaments here at FSD? I am asking permission to do this because I know that some people are not in favor of my tournament ideas. I don't want to pollute this website with my "gimmick" ideas/tournaments.
 

Matt Ponton

Founder
Staff member
Administrator
Standard Donor
Allen, first of all "Welcome to the site!" glad you found it. Contact me via pm or AIM. We can talk about that stuff outside of this thread.
 

Zero254

Member
So Nicole got banned just for existing in a book which is outside the DOA universe.

Shouldn't the same apply to Ryu?

Not a big deal I just like her mix of moves is all. I like having an alternative version of Leon and Bayman. Just would have been nice to have her outside of her suit.

I had always wondered why she was banned. I though she had some type of glitch or something.
 

The HuBBs

Active Member
New adition for DOAD based tournaments. Metroid Stage is banned. The game has a chance to desync when samus appears and uses a power bomb.
 

Raansu

Well-Known Member
So Nicole got banned just for existing in a book which is outside the DOA universe.

Shouldn't the same apply to Ryu?

Not a big deal I just like her mix of moves is all. I like having an alternative version of Leon and Bayman. Just would have been nice to have her outside of her suit.

I had always wondered why she was banned. I though she had some type of glitch or something.

She was only banned in WCG, and in reality it was only because WCG didn't want to unlock her on every system since TN locked the save files to the HDD. The same applied to Tengu.
 

Berzerk!

Well-Known Member
Correction on Spartan, she was banned in tournaments like WCG and CGS for the fact that she is a Halo licenced character and it was a separate rights issue. You also couldn't fight on her stage because of the music, again its a separate licensing issue.

This is aside from the practical concerns of having to unlock characters (when running DOA tournaments we used to have to bring special profiles on memory cards, or our hard drives, because you want gen fu, helena etc).

I'm in favour of default settings, that's Normal life 60 seconds right? I haven't checked if its 40 or 60.
 

Raansu

Well-Known Member
No...She was banned because WCG did not want to unlock her. The same applied to Tengu. If you look back to when WCG first announced DoA4, they even had Helena banned because it took to much time to unlock her.
 

Berzerk!

Well-Known Member
I don't doubt that was the first problem for WCG - I won Australia's WCG in 2007 and we had to help them a lot with this sort of stuff. But at worlds, where they have broadcast, rights do become an issue, and they didn't have Halo that year.

A bit of both, for sure. For CGS it was definitely TV rights.
 

Dr. Teeth

Active Member
Standard Donor
Even though it appeared under the old rules section, Tengu is still banned in DOA2U right?
 
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