Let me update the situation in each of the groups, based on the results I've been tracking on
http://warlite.wikia.com/wiki/Nations_Cup_2012:
Norway and Baltic States have clinched playoff berths in Group A. Norway has also clinched first place in the group. Poland 2 and Netherlands & Flanders 2 are duking it out for the final qualification spot.
Both groups B and C had two teams withdraw, so Canada, Brazil, Serbia and USA Central 1 all qualify for the round of 16. Serbia is due to play USA West.
In group D France 2 will finish third but doesn't have enough points to challenge for the best third-placed team of groups D through G, so they are out. Italy and Britain & Ireland 1 have qualified and are fighting for first place.
Similarly in group E, Britain and Ireland 2 is out of the tournament while USA East 2 and Netherlands & Flanders 1 will both qualify, but the match between those two teams has been marred by a rash of forfeits and incomplete lineups. If the games aren't being replayed I WILL AWARD USA EAST 2 AN 8-5 WIN, since Veelvraat and Oliebol were booted from their 1v1, 2v2 and 3v3 games but USA East 2 lost the other 3v3 and did not have a full lineup for the 5v5.
Almost all the games in group F have finished (wow!) and the final standings are set: Germany will be first, USA West will finish second, and France 1 is currently the best third-placed team from groups D through G with seven points, with only USA Central 2 able to catch them.
USA East 1 and Israel have clinched playoff spots in group G and are currently playing their match to decide first place. My understanding is that the 3v3 and 5v5 games are being replayed but I NEED LINKS TO THOSE GAMES! USA Central 2 can overtake France 1 and qualify at least as the best third-placed team if they beat Israel in their last remaining game, the 7v7.
WE WILL FORCE AN END TO ALL GROUP STAGE GAMES BY SEPTEMBER 30, 11:59 PM PDT (October 1, 6:59 am in GMT). A playoff bracket has been set up at
http://warlite.wikia.com/wiki/Nations_Cup_2012#Elimination_Stage and those matches can start as soon as both qualifiers are known. As captain of USA West I am currently contacting Serbia about getting our match started.
Here's the tiebreak procedure for the group standings. If two or more teams are equal on points upon completion of the group matches, the following criteria will be applied to determine the rankings:
1. Higher number of points obtained in the matches played between the teams in question;
2. Fewer number of players booted from games in progress plus players forfeited for failing to join games;
3. Higher number of points obtained in all 5v5 and 7v7 games;
4. Higher number of points obtained in all 3v3 games;
5. Higher number of points obtained in all 2v2 games;
6. Higher number of points obtained in all 1v1 games;
7. Drawing of lots.
And here's how games that haven't finished by September 30 will be adjudicated, based on the proposal at
http://warlight.net/Forum/Thread.aspx?ThreadID=4083&Offset=20 and modifications proposed later in that thread:
1. For each of the last eight turns, find the slowest player on each team for that turn. Do this also for the current turn which hasn't been played yet: any player that hasn't moved is automatically the slowest player on the team and is assigned the time elapsed since the last turn was made.
2. On each turn, compare the times those two players took to move. No penalty is applied that turn if they both moved within 24 hours. If the slower player (A) used more than 24 hours while the faster player (B) used less than 24 hours, player A's team is penalized for every hour after 24 hours that player A took to move. If both players used more than 24 hours then player A's team is penalized for every hour he took after player B moved.
3. Add up the penalties for both teams over the last eight turns plus the current unplayed turn, and take the difference to get the total penalty in hours (P) for the slower team.
4. If P > 48 hours then that team's adjudicated score = (1 - (P - 48) / 640) * (income * 2 + number of total armies). For the faster team no penalty is applied and their score = income * 2 + number of total armies. If P < 48 hours then no penalty is applied to either team - the second formula is used for both teams.
The above rules have also been posted at
http://warlite.wikia.com/wiki/Nations_Cup_2012 underneath the group standings.