Having been in that game, I thought it was extremely anomalous. And I haven't seen anything like a trend in that direction. PA has many great players who can "make" a team (and I wish I were one of them). So you're often going to find a strong team on a PA server. And for the same reason, you're often going to find two strong teams. There's no great conspiracy.
Honestly, as much as people like to bitch about team stacking, it's impossible to avoid when just two or three of the right people constitute stacking. It can and does happen randomly. Sometimes great teams just come together, and sometimes bad teams do too. So steamrolls will happen, and sometimes you will be on the losing side.
And if there's a problem with unbalanced teams, it's due to multiple causes. Sometimes it's random (so many variables: what time of day, what server, what team has a spot, etc); sometimes it's the bandwagon effect (where folks flock to the same team as high-scoring people); sometimes certain combos of people unexpectedly "click" in certain classes together; and sometimes players want to play with who they know/like from the forums or other games. Only thing I can think of as a solution is a vote-prompted team scramble (that doesn't use a sucky method for scrambling). It's up to our generous server admins if they want to find and install such a mod; it's on their dime.
There, I've diverted their attention, now someone please invite me to the conspiracy.
HarshLanguage on
> turn on light Good start to the day. Pity it's going to be the worst one of your life. The light is now on.
A good combination of these two working together can really wreck the opposition.
I've found in certain situations (such as Gravel Pit), I really nice defensive combo is either a Heavy or Pyro teamed up with an Engineer. That unlimited ammo with the trigger constantly pulled usually means that a Sniper or very careful Solider or Demo needs to focus on taking them out then.
FYI my server now has 2 reserved admin slots. So the max players will be 22 without admins or 24 with 2 admins connected. The other option is to have the player total at 23 constantly but anytime an admin connects it would kick a player automatically. That didn't feel like a better solution with a continually lopsided team count.
I didn't see any "team stacking" last night. I did see some random act of God kick half our team off the server during the last minute of the match (which we lost).
Also, I love the stats on Job's server. Zek had the most points last week and I had like 90 hrs played on it >_>
FYI my server now has 2 reserved admin slots. So the max players will be 22 without admins or 24 with 2 admins connected. The other option is to have the player total at 23 constantly but anytime an admin connects it would kick a player automatically. That didn't feel like a better solution with a continually lopsided team count.
That's going to make it much harder to connect, as I usually leave auto-join on your server for 10 minutes and play somewhere else (shitty pubs) before getting in. Not being able to do that at 22/24 will be a major pain.
[edit] By reserved, do you mean it kicks anyone joining over #22, or does it actually decrease the "max players" on the server screen (not sure how servers are handled), so that it is 22/22 in that case. Because the second one wouldn't be so bad.
Wetsun on
XBL/Steam: Wetsun
0
AngryThe glory I had witnessedwas just a sleight of handRegistered Userregular
I didn't see any "team stacking" last night. I did see some random act of God kick half our team off the server during the last minute of the match (which we lost).
Also, I love the stats on Job's server. Zek had the most points last week and I had like 90 hrs played on it >_>
in between maps i'll usually get a glass of water or something and hit random team when i get back to the keyboard unless there's someone i want to play with (skoot or shitty lobster or someone.)
last night i get in, hit random, join the team that had less people, we end up with a 'stacked' team and dominate the map. some times that's just the way it goes. i know i've been on the team steamrolled plenty. it can get annoying, but i like to think most people try to make the game fair.
also you have to remember some people always play with each other. oliver will always play with his roommate and both of them are very good so some people might view that as stacking a team but really, there's nothing to be upset about.
I didn't see any "team stacking" last night. I did see some random act of God kick half our team off the server during the last minute of the match (which we lost).
Also, I love the stats on Job's server. Zek had the most points last week and I had like 90 hrs played on it >_>
Link to the stats?
And since the PA servers were full last night, I jumped on a pub and decided to play a class I had never played... the spy. Holy shit. Maybe its becuase this was a pub, but with the exception of 2fort, I was a nightmare for the other team. I had alot of fun playing spy, more fun than usual becuase the backstab is soooo satisfying... you have to earn it by cloaking, disguising and sneaking around, so when you finally get someones back, its outstanding.
MistaCreepy on
PS3: MistaCreepy::Steam: MistaCreepy::360: Dead and I don't feel like paying to fix it.
Just in case this hasn't been noted enough, but the auto-join feature works when you're in another game. Set yourself up to join the PA server, and join a pub to enjoy yourself, and you'll join the PA server as soon as it's up.
urahonky on
0
AngryThe glory I had witnessedwas just a sleight of handRegistered Userregular
That's going to make it much harder to connect, as I usually leave auto-join on your server for 10 minutes and play somewhere else (shitty pubs) before getting in. Not being able to do that at 22/24 will be a major pain.
[edit] By reserved, do you mean it kicks anyone joining over #22, or does it actually decrease the "max players" on the server screen (not sure how servers are handled), so that it is 22/22 in that case. Because the second one wouldn't be so bad.
The server browser should show the max players as 22. When admins are connected it will probably show 23/22 or 24/22. This setup does not kick any players. I could set it up the other way but I don't think that would be great since it auto-kicks players with the highest ping first and I know we have quite a few EU players.
Also, I love the stats on Job's server. Zek had the most points last week and I had like 90 hrs played on it >_>
The stats are cumulative totals as of the the date listed. They aren't for the current week. That would almost be 4 straight days of playtime. I'll change the heading on the motd. You can get more detailed stat info by clicking the link in my sig.
The stats are cumulative totals as of the the date listed. They aren't for the current week. That would almost be 4 straight days of playtime. I'll change the heading on the motd. You can get more detailed stat info by clicking the link in my sig.
Wow, looking at score per minute makes me sadface.
Look, it's usually pretty obvious when teams are stacked - your team spends more time alive in the enemy base than their team does, for example - but you can also usually tell when half your team has more points than the other team's top scorer. It's a pretty quick fix for one or more of those players to swap teams/go spec to switch with someone on the losing side.
Generally, if there's only 1 or 2 people on BLU outscoring RED's top scorer, it's still probably going to be a close game. If it's 6 or 7, there's really a problem.
Look, it's usually pretty obvious when teams are stacked - your team spends more time alive in the enemy base than their team does, for example - but you can also usually tell when half your team has more points than the other team's top scorer. It's a pretty quick fix for one or more of those players to swap teams/go spec to switch with someone on the losing side.
Generally, if there's only 1 or 2 people on BLU outscoring RED's top scorer, it's still probably going to be a close game. If it's 6 or 7, there's really a problem.
Yeah, it bothers me when the round ends and the top 3 players on the winning team each scored more points that round than the top players on the losing team have for all rounds.
Ouch. My score per minute is pretty bad too. I spend most of my time dead, waiting to respawn... Maybe I should stop going on suicide runs with the pyro.
And since the PA servers were full last night, I jumped on a pub and decided to play a class I had never played... the spy. Holy shit. Maybe its becuase this was a pub, but with the exception of 2fort, I was a nightmare for the other team. I had alot of fun playing spy, more fun than usual becuase the backstab is soooo satisfying... you have to earn it by cloaking, disguising and sneaking around, so when you finally get someones back, its outstanding.
The most satisfying thing I've done as a spy is get right behind the other team and make myself look like a member of their "push" onto our CP, then proceed to stab the shit out of their medics and heavies JUST as they've committed to the push.
I've helped wipe out whole teams this way. The panic, chaos and death are glorious.
j0hnz3r on
0
darunia106J-bob in gamesDeath MountainRegistered Userregular
And since the PA servers were full last night, I jumped on a pub and decided to play a class I had never played... the spy. Holy shit. Maybe its becuase this was a pub, but with the exception of 2fort, I was a nightmare for the other team. I had alot of fun playing spy, more fun than usual becuase the backstab is soooo satisfying... you have to earn it by cloaking, disguising and sneaking around, so when you finally get someones back, its outstanding.
The most satisfying thing I've done as a spy is get right behind the other team and make myself look like a member of their "push" onto our CP, then proceed to stab the shit out of their medics and heavies JUST as they've committed to the push.
I've helped wipe out whole teams this way. The panic, chaos and death are glorious.
I did that on dustbowl we were defending the last section of that map, you know the one where you have that building with the small windows right outside their spawn? As soon as the siren went off I disguised as a demo, cloaked, and ran into their spawning area. I found a dark little corner and decloaked. I look back and see an engineer and 2 snipers hanging in the building with me. Stabstabstab sapsapsap...
MistaCreepy on
PS3: MistaCreepy::Steam: MistaCreepy::360: Dead and I don't feel like paying to fix it.
Posts
Having been in that game, I thought it was extremely anomalous. And I haven't seen anything like a trend in that direction. PA has many great players who can "make" a team (and I wish I were one of them). So you're often going to find a strong team on a PA server. And for the same reason, you're often going to find two strong teams. There's no great conspiracy.
Honestly, as much as people like to bitch about team stacking, it's impossible to avoid when just two or three of the right people constitute stacking. It can and does happen randomly. Sometimes great teams just come together, and sometimes bad teams do too. So steamrolls will happen, and sometimes you will be on the losing side.
And if there's a problem with unbalanced teams, it's due to multiple causes. Sometimes it's random (so many variables: what time of day, what server, what team has a spot, etc); sometimes it's the bandwagon effect (where folks flock to the same team as high-scoring people); sometimes certain combos of people unexpectedly "click" in certain classes together; and sometimes players want to play with who they know/like from the forums or other games. Only thing I can think of as a solution is a vote-prompted team scramble (that doesn't use a sucky method for scrambling). It's up to our generous server admins if they want to find and install such a mod; it's on their dime.
There, I've diverted their attention, now someone please invite me to the conspiracy.
> turn on light
Good start to the day. Pity it's going to be the worst one of your life. The light is now on.
This.
Heavy+Medic
Demo+Pyro
Sniper+Engineer
Sniper+Sniper
Demo+Engineer
A good combination of these two working together can really wreck the opposition.
I've found in certain situations (such as Gravel Pit), I really nice defensive combo is either a Heavy or Pyro teamed up with an Engineer. That unlimited ammo with the trigger constantly pulled usually means that a Sniper or very careful Solider or Demo needs to focus on taking them out then.
I got my pyro shirt yesterday, and played the class all day to celebrate. So much fire...so much fun.
Donate or order a gameserver and help out!
Also, I love the stats on Job's server. Zek had the most points last week and I had like 90 hrs played on it >_>
That's going to make it much harder to connect, as I usually leave auto-join on your server for 10 minutes and play somewhere else (shitty pubs) before getting in. Not being able to do that at 22/24 will be a major pain.
[edit] By reserved, do you mean it kicks anyone joining over #22, or does it actually decrease the "max players" on the server screen (not sure how servers are handled), so that it is 22/22 in that case. Because the second one wouldn't be so bad.
in between maps i'll usually get a glass of water or something and hit random team when i get back to the keyboard unless there's someone i want to play with (skoot or shitty lobster or someone.)
last night i get in, hit random, join the team that had less people, we end up with a 'stacked' team and dominate the map. some times that's just the way it goes. i know i've been on the team steamrolled plenty. it can get annoying, but i like to think most people try to make the game fair.
also you have to remember some people always play with each other. oliver will always play with his roommate and both of them are very good so some people might view that as stacking a team but really, there's nothing to be upset about.
And I do the same. I always hit random team and random class. I'll switch class during the set up if needed.
Link to the stats?
And since the PA servers were full last night, I jumped on a pub and decided to play a class I had never played... the spy. Holy shit. Maybe its becuase this was a pub, but with the exception of 2fort, I was a nightmare for the other team. I had alot of fun playing spy, more fun than usual becuase the backstab is soooo satisfying... you have to earn it by cloaking, disguising and sneaking around, so when you finally get someones back, its outstanding.
you're almost as bitter a man as you are egotistical.
also, it's always fun not joining a team and watching you sit in spectator.
The server browser should show the max players as 22. When admins are connected it will probably show 23/22 or 24/22. This setup does not kick any players. I could set it up the other way but I don't think that would be great since it auto-kicks players with the highest ping first and I know we have quite a few EU players.
The stats are cumulative totals as of the the date listed. They aren't for the current week. That would almost be 4 straight days of playtime. I'll change the heading on the motd. You can get more detailed stat info by clicking the link in my sig.
Donate or order a gameserver and help out!
i hate you for doing this to me
Wow, looking at score per minute makes me sadface.
Oh we'll see... I've taken a shine to the spy now.
Generally, if there's only 1 or 2 people on BLU outscoring RED's top scorer, it's still probably going to be a close game. If it's 6 or 7, there's really a problem.
Yeah, it bothers me when the round ends and the top 3 players on the winning team each scored more points that round than the top players on the losing team have for all rounds.
Silly timezones.
The most satisfying thing I've done as a spy is get right behind the other team and make myself look like a member of their "push" onto our CP, then proceed to stab the shit out of their medics and heavies JUST as they've committed to the push.
I've helped wipe out whole teams this way. The panic, chaos and death are glorious.
Do you mind if I use that one?
I did that on dustbowl we were defending the last section of that map, you know the one where you have that building with the small windows right outside their spawn? As soon as the siren went off I disguised as a demo, cloaked, and ran into their spawning area. I found a dark little corner and decloaked. I look back and see an engineer and 2 snipers hanging in the building with me. Stabstabstab sapsapsap...
The link in Job's sig.
http://www.gametracker.com/server_info/66.55.142.242:27015/
Take your pick:
Yes, I was a bastard and undeleted your post.
You jerk, I was gonna PM you.
And thank you.
http://www.gametracker.com/server_info/63.211.110.77:27015/top_players/
I'm 15th! Woooooo!