Frequently Asked Questions

Forfeiting allows a participant to concede a DB8 debate before its natural conclusion. When you forfeit, you immediately lose the debate and your opponent is declared the winner.

• Immediate effect: The DB8 ends instantly when you forfeit
• Cannot be undone: Once you forfeit, the decision is final
• Prize distribution: The winner receives 70% of the prize pool, loser receives 30%
• Shows on record: The forfeit is recorded and visible in the DB8 history

Forfeit rules depend on whether you're the first or second responder in the current round:

This is a special option available only to second responders that allows them to submit their final response and forfeit simultaneously.

• Ensures fairness: Both participants get equal number of responses
• Graceful exit: Allows you to make your final point before conceding
• Respects the debate: Shows you value the exchange even while forfeiting
• Available only to second responders: Appears as a red button on the response page

The system tracks three types of forfeits for transparency:

• Simple Forfeit: User chose to forfeit without submitting a response Displays as: "Winner: [Name] - [Forfeiter] chose to forfeit"
• Respond and Forfeit: Second responder submitted their response AND forfeited Displays as: "Winner: [Name] - [Forfeiter] chose to respond and forfeit"
• Deadline Forfeit: Automatic forfeit due to missed response deadline Displays as: "Winner: [Name] - [Forfeiter] forfeited due to missed deadline"

When a forfeit occurs, the following actions are taken immediately:

1. The DB8 status changes to "forfeited"
2. The non-forfeiting participant is declared the winner
3. No further responses or votes can be submitted
4. The prize pool is distributed (70% to winner, 30% to loser)
5. The forfeit reason is recorded and displayed publicly
6. All participants receive notifications of the outcome

Forfeiting is a strategic decision that should be considered carefully:

• Time constraints: If you cannot commit to completing all rounds
• Respectful concession: When your opponent has clearly made superior arguments
• Changed circumstances: If the debate topic becomes inappropriate or harmful
• Avoid deadline forfeit: Better to forfeit gracefully than miss deadlines
• Remember: Forfeiting affects your debate record and reputation

Prize pools are collections of Pebs (platform currency) that community members can contribute to make debates more exciting and rewarding.

• Community-driven: Any user can pledge Pebs to active debates
• Increases engagement: Larger prize pools attract more viewers and voters
• Fair distribution: Both winner and loser receive portions of the prize pool
• Optional feature: Debates can proceed with or without prize pools

When a debate concludes, the prize pool is fairly distributed between both participants:

• Winner receives 70% of the total prize pool
• Loser receives 30% of the total prize pool
• No platform fees: 100% of pledged Pebs go to the participants
• Automatic distribution: Pebs are added to user balances immediately when the debate concludes

Community members can pledge to active debates with the following restrictions:

• Community members only: Any logged-in user with sufficient Peb balance
• Active debates only: Pledging is only available while the debate is ongoing
• Participants excluded: Debate participants cannot pledge to their own debates
• Fair play: This prevents participants from artificially inflating prize pools

In rare cases where a debate cannot be properly concluded, prize pools are handled fairly:

• Forfeit scenarios: Winner gets 70%, forfeiter gets 30% (standard distribution)
• Inconclusive debates: Full refund to all pledgers if no winner can be determined
• Technical issues: Platform administrators may intervene to ensure fair resolution
• Dispute resolution: Contact support if you believe there was an error in prize distribution

DB8 outcomes are determined through a community voting system where users vote on each round of the debate using Fire (🔥) and Poop (💩) buttons.

• Fire (🔥) = +1 point - Vote for the participant you think performed better
• Poop (💩) = -1 point - Vote against a participant's performance
• Each user can only vote once per round for one participant
• Users can change their votes during active voting periods

• One Vote Per Round: You can only cast one vote per round (Fire OR Poop for one participant only)
• Vote Changes Allowed: You can change your vote during the active voting period
• Participant Restriction: Debate participants cannot vote on their own rounds
• Deadline Enforcement: Voting automatically closes when the round deadline expires
• Anonymous Voting: Vote counts are hidden during active voting to prevent bias

Round winners are determined by comparing the total vote scores for each participant:

• The participant with the higher total score wins the round
• If both participants have equal scores, the round is declared a tie
• Tied rounds show "Round Tie" instead of a winner star
• Vote counts and winners are only revealed after voting closes

The overall debate winner is determined by counting round wins across all completed rounds:

• The participant who wins the majority of rounds wins the debate
• Tied rounds do not count toward either participant's win total
• Tie-breaker rule: If round wins are equal, the original poster wins (challengers must win a majority)
• Debates are marked as complete when all rounds finish or deadlines expire

Voting deadlines are automatically enforced through the platform's scheduling system:

• Automatic enforcement: The system runs deadline checks every minute
• Real-time countdown: Users see live countdown timers showing time remaining
• No late votes: Once a deadline passes, no new votes can be cast
• Immediate results: Winners are calculated and displayed automatically when voting closes

Vote counts are hidden during active voting to prevent bias and ensure fair outcomes:

• Prevents bandwagon effects: Users vote based on content quality, not popularity
• Reduces bias: No early leading indicators influence later voters
• Encourages authentic voting: Users make independent judgments
• Fair competition: Both participants have equal opportunity regardless of early vote patterns