Always Balanced Teams

[Traciatim]

I realize the server has the option to balance teams on join. I also realize there was another post about uneven teams recently but I think my idea is much cleaner and easier to implement.

I've been playing less and less lately, for one due to all the games ruined by hackers, but mostly due to all the games ruined by uneven teams.

What I propose is that the current option to force new players to the team with the least players be renamed to 'Even teams on Join'. A new option should be created called 'Always Even Teams'.

The new option would stop people from spawning until such time as there are only the number of players playing on each team as the lowest team can possibly play with. For example is the game is 4 Vs. 8 then only 8 total players will play, 4 per team. As a player dies on the 8 person team, the next player in the respawn queue will spawn.

This would give players on larger teams the time to switch teams and not get caught up in the moment of play in low respawn time servers. It will also ensure that the excellent games that are even for 5-10 minutes and going great don't get ruined by a couple of people on one side having to leave.

[Edit was for spelling]

[BondJamesBond]

Bah, that would almost make it like survival mode.

And what would happen to climbing maps or zombie matches?

The only way to resolve these such issues is to play with mature, reasonable people. Go to a different server if you find yourself in an 8v4 situation...


I realize this is an option, but a rather inconvenient one. if someone leaves a game, then someone would have to wait in a respawn queue? It bores the game for everyone.

[a-4-year-old]

why not add in some bots until someone joins/leaves so the teams would be balanced?

[Traciatim]

Bah, that would almost make it like survival mode.

Only if your a jerk and don't switch teams. The point is to give time to switch teams when teams are uneven. If you are playing 8 v 4 do you really think it will take that long before somone dies on the 8 team. Tired of waiting? switch and improve the game for everyone.

And what would happen to climbing maps or zombie matches?

That's why it's an option genius.

Go to a different server if you find yourself in an 8v4 situation

 . . . and ruin the game farther by making it 8 v 3. . . that'll really make things better for everyone. 

The only way to resolve these such issues is to play with mature, reasonable people.

Welcome to the world of make beleive where all the gamers play fair, it rains your favorite booze, and latancies are measure in the nanoseconds. Then you wake up and realize that in order for that to happen you need mature, reasonable people. Guess what most gamers are not it would seem, considering I spend most of my games yelling about teams.

why not add in some bots until someone joins/leaves so the teams would be balanced?

Because as it statnds now you'd need someone watching it 24/7 and adding and removing bots. If it's going to get changed, why not leave out the bots since they are so stupid anyway they may as well leave the teams unbalanced. My suggestion actually solves the problems by keeping the teams even with players.

[FliesLikeABrick]

this would be really annoying... just playing in a server then being prevented from spawning until someone else joins.

does one player really matter enough that you need to essentially kick someone out while the teams would be a little bit unbalanced?

[Traciatim]

does one player really matter enough that you need to essentially kick someone out while the teams would be a little bit unbalanced?

So have it Always Balance Teams within X and X can be a slider from N >= 0. That way you can have it set to 0 where the teams have to be even, 1 where it can be -1 on either side, but will not allow two.

The scenarious I'm trying to avoid are when you have a 6v6 server, and suddenly 3 people leave from one side, suddenly the game is destroyed. The team with 3 instantly loses. At least this way the game would go on with the same ferocity 3v3 until either somone switches or joins.

It's better than forceing top killer to switch on oneven teams, but still serves the purpose of evening the teams.

[Keron Cyst]

Oh, force-change upon leave... why didn't you say that earlier? And then you go yelling at BondJamesBond saying it's an option when it is one, in Config. In that case, I'm for this! (force-change upon leave)

[Traciatim]

What are you talking about, my option was to avoid forcing players to switch, and adding an option to only allow balanced teams to play. I don't understand your option comment.

 

Date Posted: July 22, 2006, 11:38:07 AMI just played an afternoon of unbalanced teams, hackers, and general lack of morals. Somethin ghas to be done about this, the game is pretty much ruined unless you run your own server and play against bots which is utterly boring.

[a-4-year-old]

why not add in some bots until someone joins/leaves so the teams would be balanced?

Because as it statnds now you'd need someone watching it 24/7 and adding and removing bots. If it's going to get changed, why not leave out the bots since they are so stupid anyway they may as well leave the teams unbalanced. My suggestion actually solves the problems by keeping the teams even with players.

I wouldn't mind a program that would add and remove bots, the bot could be on impossible full acuracy with taunts that say "Please even the teams!"

[EnEsCe]

The next server version has an option called BotBalanceTeams, which will add a bot on the team with the least amount of players, and leave once another player joins the bots team to make it even. This will ensure the teams are always even, so less complaining. =D

EDIT: NO, I dont have an ETA.

[Traciatim]

Good, as soon as it's out I'll start posting about how the bots are far too stupid and should be added 2 for 1 in replace of players. At least the lowest player team will have enough warm bodies on the field to make it even. That's not the same as having even teams. Games where all the good polayers join one team are just as boring, since it's still a one sided slaughter.

I don't think the bots will fix anything. I stand by my original idea of a respawn queue for players on teams with more players. It forces them to either wait itr out, or switch teams to play, keeping players on both sides happy.



Date Posted: July 25, 2006, 11:04:27 AMYes, something has to be done and quickly. I'm losing my faith in my only game that I've played consistantly for years. I just played on three different servers, when "TEAMS" was called you get replies like "Whine baby" and "Stop Moaning" and "Who cares"  . . . conveniently all from the teams with more players.

The game is instantly ruined when teams go uneven.

[BondJamesBond]

Date Posted: July 25, 2006, 11:04:27 AMYes, something has to be done and quickly. I'm losing my faith in my only game that I've played consistantly for years. I just played on three different servers, when "TEAMS" was called you get replies like "Whine baby" and "Stop Moaning" and "Who cares"  . . . conveniently all from the teams with more players.

The game is instantly ruined when teams go uneven.

What is this? A diary for your daily struggle against the Soldat community?

btw, what servers do you play in anyway?

[Stalky]

Traciatim, twice in this thread you have 'double posted' - meaning you have posted again when you were the last person to have posted. Although the forum has a system to merge multiple posts into one, we still frown upon the habit and it'd be much appreciated if you used the 'Modify' button on the right hand side of your previous posts to edit new information into them, instead of posting again.

[Traciatim]

What is this? A diary for your daily struggle against the Soldat community?

Pretty much, I'm trying to show how much of a big problem it is. It's by far the single things that ruins the fun of the game, followed closely by the M79 and then the Barret.

what servers do you play in anyway?

I don't play on private servers, if that's what you mean. I play on any CTF server with a low ping. I don't really pay attention to the names. Whenever I play I load the server list, sort by ping and skip over the realistic and weapon modded servers to find one with more than 1-2 players.

Although the forum has a system to merge multiple posts into one . . .

Why bother having the system in place to segregate and timestamp different posts if it's against the rules, the rules and actions make no sense. Turn it off or change the rule then.

Date Posted: July 26, 2006, 12:09:15 PM
The point is not what servers, or how i post, or who I play with. The point is that uneven teams ruins games. Please, fix it.

[Eagles_Arrows]

And he double-posts again >_>

*feels satisfied with Enesce's post*

[-Vis-]

And he double-posts again >_>

*feels satisfied with Enesce's post*

Oh, and you're spamming. Good job there, Eagles. We can all see the double posts, and now that they're merged, there's no reason to blather on about them, thank you.

Personally, I agree that it's silly to have a rule about double posting, when they merge automatically.


Anyway, I'm not bothered about 1-man differences in games (3v4, 4v5 etc), but it does get tedious when someone unbalances the game by switching teams. I was playing in u13 INF yesterday, and I ended up switching teams about 4 times in a period of about 30 minutes, because nobody else would.

I think it's time to cut Traciatim some slack, and work out an appropriate solution to this problem.

I think that, instead of allowing players to switch teams of their own accord, they should have to request that a player from the opposing team switch with them. Of course, this would only apply when the teams are even, or when there's a 1-man difference. That way, nobody would be able to unbalance the teams of their own free will. And if more than one person presses F12, only the first one would switch.
  Sure, we'd have the problem of people saying "buhhh.. I'm getting bored of being on Bravo", but that's their own personal problem, not something that other people have to bother themselves with.

As for the main point, about when people unbalance the game by leaving, if the difference is 2 or more, maybe the people on the larger team should receive a message (similar to the vote kick/map), asking them if they want to switch. They could use F11 and F12 just the same as for voting. And if nobody presses F12, then the server could automatically switch the player with the lowest score, which I think would be fair, since they didn't want to even the teams anyway.

I'm merely throwing out suggestions here, don't start any crap with me please.

[BondJamesBond]

I play on any CTF server with a low ping. I don't really pay attention to the names.

Then I suggest you begin to do so. There are some servers populated with the "jerks" you are describing.

Look for some better servers and begin to go to them regularly - .. U13 is top notch

The point is not what servers, or how i post, or who I play with. The point is that uneven teams ruins games. Please, fix it.

It will never be fixed... No matter what system you put in. And yes, it does depend on which servers you play in, and who you play with

[Traciatim]

No matter what system you put in.

Actually, my suggested system of a respawn queue to only allow the number of players of the lowest team completely fixes the issue.

I do play on U13, all the time, in fact I'm 4th on the Spas killers list on CTF public and working my way to number 1. I've found it to be an 'idiot box'. It's one of the worst attractors of hackers, idiots, and unsportsman like players.

Actually, I think soldat in general is an attractor of unsportsman players considering I probably play on 4-5 different servers a day and all day I just get upset. I'd almost thiong it was a huge conspiracy to get me to leave, but then I see some of the comments coming up on the chat and realize that the people need training to be able to drool on themselves.

[BondJamesBond]

I've found it to be an 'idiot box'. It's one of the worst attractors of hackers, idiots, and unsportsman like players.

Yet...

I do play on U13, all the time

And if you think Soldat just attracts unsportsman players, then you can quit... No one's forcing you to play with them

Besides, U13 has an active Hacker control system... Which is impossible to bypass since it's run by humans. All you have to do is report a hacker to the U13 homepage.

[a-4-year-old]

The next server version has an option called BotBalanceTeams, which will add a bot on the team with the least amount of players, and leave once another player joins the bots team to make it even. This will ensure the teams are always even, so less complaining. =D

EDIT: NO, I dont have an ETA.

yes! I win