General information for Beatmap Nominators

Are you a Beatmap Nominator (BN), or interested in becoming one? If so, you have come to the right place! This article has all of the general information you will need to know as a new Beatmap Nominator.

Important links

• Beatmap Nominator Rules: Outlines both how to undertake various actions, as well as how not to do things — you would want to avoid breaking these in any situation, so be sure to read them carefully! You can always ask a member of the Nomination Assessment Team (NAT) if you are unsure about something, and they will be happy to help.
• Code of Conduct for Mapping and Modding: As a BN, you are expected to be an exemplary figure of the community, someone others look up to and respect, so misconduct may get you reprimanded or even expelled.
• Ranking Criteria: If you are already a BN, then you should be familiar with this. Essentially, it serves to explain what aspects of mapping are and are not allowed in the Ranked section, as well as including some general guidelines that people should try to follow in most cases.
• Beatmap Veto Information: For beatmaps with subjective quality concerns that don't necessarily break the rules and guidelines of the Ranking Criteria, but which you feel which make the beatmap in question unfit for the Ranked section, the beatmap veto allows you to withhold a beatmap from Qualification.
• Mapset Verifier: A tool built by NAT member Naxess. This tool checks for a wide range of unrankable issues, and features a snapshot feature to easily compare versions of maps, which is beneficial when rechecking. This should not replace checking a beatmap yourself, but instead be used as a tool to help double-check nothing slipped by.

Beatmap Nominator abilities

Nominations and resetting nominations are the evidence of a BN's efforts when checking maps, indicating a map's progress through the ranking process. As a BN you have access to these tools and must use them wisely.

Nominate

This button allows you to nominate beatmaps. To nominate a beatmap, the mapset must have at least 5 Hype and no currently unresolved Problem or Suggestion stamps. Make sure you're satisfied with all difficulties, even other game modes, before placing this. If the beatmap was previously vetoed, you must ensure the veto is resolved before moving a mapset forward. When a beatmap has 2 nominations, it will be Qualified and enter the ranking queue.

Disqualify or reset nomination

This allows you to reset a beatmap's progress in the ranking process. If a beatmap is currently nominated or qualified, you as a nominator are given the ability to reset the beatmaps' nomination(s) by posting an issue using a Problem stamp. If a beatmap is qualified, it can only be disqualified by a full BN. These options are usually used when there is a major or unrankable issue in the beatmap which should be addressed before considering it for ranking.

Steps for disqualifying a beatmap:

• Make sure that you are on the beatmap discussion for the correct set.
• Write your disqualification reason into the text field. Make sure that the first line summarises the disqualification as this is what is displayed at the top of the discussion page.
• If the disqualification is linked to a report, also link the respective beatmap discussion post(s).
• Press the Disqualify button below the text field (the one that replaces the Problem button).

As an extension of this ability, you can also veto a beatmap, preventing a beatmap from being renominated until you give permission or the veto is dismissed by veto mediation. However, placing a veto also requires that you discuss the issue with the mapper properly and try to reach a consensus. Discussing the issue with the original Nominator would be beneficial and might grant you a new perspective on the matter, but you're not obligated to do so.

Additional Beatmap Nominator functions

In addition to being able to nominate beatmaps or reset their nominations, BNs have other functions as well.

Veto mediation

When a veto is sent to mediation, BNs and NAT members of the vetoed beatmap's mode will all be asked to submit individual votes on the issue. In the case of vetoes related to issues that are not mode-specific, all mode members will be asked to participate. The NAT will send you a message with additional information on how to vote using the BN website when a veto mediation begins. At the end of mediation, all votes submitted will be compiled to determine a final upheld or dismissed consensus.

Quality Assurance

Full BNs may do Quality Assurance by checking qualified beatmaps for issues at any time. The Quality Assurance board can be viewed on the BN website.

Content Review

Any BN can contribute to the moderation of songs and images by either submitting content for review or voting on it. The full voting process and how their votes are counted can be read on the content voting process article.

Mock Evaluations

Full BNs may be assigned at random to do mock evaluations on BN Applications alongside the NAT's real ones. They can choose to opt out of this at any time, and doing assigned evaluations is not required. Mock evaluations are primarily used as information for the NAT to evaluate future NAT candidates, though details presented in mock evaluations may be added to applicant feedback on occasion or serve as tiebreakers if the NAT cannot come to a conclusion on their own.