SiMPLE | Forum

Czar_Alek

Member

Reputation: +25

Registered: 2014-09-18

Posts: 63

Team balance on USA

Hello everyone,

I know I have pestered the admins a lot recently about team balance on USA, but something really needs to be done about it. I have become really frustrated with it. Either the game is too easy or it becomes futile to even play

I know that I am one of those people who likes to commit to one team and play it out to the end, no matter what, so perhaps there is an option where it is impossible to switch teams. I know this isn't ideal for people who want to play on the same team, but I think it is a sacrifice that needs to be made. Maybe there is an option where it is only possible to switch teams once at the start?

Thanks for considering this, and I hope a solution can be implemented.

PitViper

TGE|

Reputation: +431

Location: *TheGreatEscape|USA

Registered: 2014-09-27

Posts: 2,188

Website

Re: Team balance on USA

Yes it's a dilemma... if everyone was like you there would be no issues. I experience that most every-time I play and switch teams multiple times in an attempt to balance. Stay on the team you are assigned from the beginning...what a concept.

Czar_Alek

Member

Reputation: +25

Registered: 2014-09-18

Posts: 63

Re: Team balance on USA

Yeah I wouldn't mind helping the losing team but I just don't like reversing all of my work. I usually just end up leaving if everyone ends up joining my team or if the other team is so stacked that I cannot even leave my base.

Hate it when everyone stacks allied on Bocage and then they have tanks, a Priest, and the B17 bombing anything that steps out of the base.

Or when everyone stacks Axis on Berlin and there are nades being thrown into the spawn every 1.0113 seconds and a tank lobbing shells in. Sometimes there are even xpackers in premium spawn raping position waiting for people to spawn.

ATF_SurrenderMonkey

Member

Reputation: +385

Registered: 2012-08-26

Posts: 1,973

Re: Team balance on USA

Q- If it is changed to you can only change teams once....what happens at beginning of map when people first join, then jump sides...especially like in Omaha or Market.....and the teams are off from start of map???  How can that map be ever made whole?

Russ

Jack-of-all-trades

Reputation: +136

Registered: 2015-06-26

Posts: 390

Re: Team balance on USA

I've noticed that the problem is usually not intentional team stacking, but people who aren't doing well or dying a lot deciding to leave. This typically means the losing team. And once the balance starts tipping even more players leave. Having an only change once rule would make it difficult for players that want to fix the balance. I'd be in favor of auto team balance, or that isn't desired, at least prevent people from intentionally stacking by changing teams to the team with more players.

On a side note, this is another area where bots cause problems. I've seen cases where one team might have 8 bots and the other team only 2. When naive players choose a team, they try to balance the total number. Additionally, any server side team balancing would likely take bots into account.

Winston Smith

Member

Reputation: +175

Registered: 2014-09-10

Posts: 803

Re: Team balance on USA

Good point about the bots.  I've seen players cry stacking because they count the bots when the actual player numbers are more or less even - sometimes even after !nobots. 

Another point where bots make it uneven is when they steal the bloody ships on Omaha and won't abandon ship. 

A few problems with auto balance / no being able to switch: it doesn't take into account completely useless players - not trolls that'll get kicked, just useless players. 

Also, doesn't take AFK players into account and it's hard to know if someone's AFK for a few minutes after the game starts. 

And not being able to switch means you can't switch to even up teams. 

I'd like to see an auto balance that admins can toggle on and off

PitViper

TGE|

Reputation: +431

Location: *TheGreatEscape|USA

Registered: 2014-09-27

Posts: 2,188

Website

Re: Team balance on USA

We do have that Winston...however as you have noted...it's much more complex of an issue.  Reading all the variables mentioned and regarding some not...the way its run now is not that bad.  While this stuff happens daily...I'm not convinced auto balance would be a good thing.  The TK's go way up too.

Think about a player spending 5 minutes or whatever fighting blue...then they get auto'd because of one variable or another...guess what?  Those that aren't aware..and even some who are, tend to shoot their teammates in the backs and end up getting kicked. Plus there are those like Alek's example that work hard to gain real estate on their team...and for no reason of their own get team-switched...that kinda sucks too.

Russ

Jack-of-all-trades

Reputation: +136

Registered: 2015-06-26

Posts: 390

Re: Team balance on USA

Slightly related, and it might help a little bit. Can we add whatever it is that auto kicks AFK players? I've seen this on several servers.

PitViper

TGE|

Reputation: +431

Location: *TheGreatEscape|USA

Registered: 2014-09-27

Posts: 2,188

Website

Re: Team balance on USA

I am not aware of any BFM action that will do that automatically and reliably without an admin prompting it.

Oscar Goldman

Member

Reputation: +152

Registered: 2014-10-21

Posts: 474

Re: Team balance on USA

FWIW, I will switch sides to make it even, multiple times per game, if needed. Most of the good players on the server do too.

Don't be afraid to ask.

ATF_SurrenderMonkey

Member

Reputation: +385

Registered: 2012-08-26

Posts: 1,973

Re: Team balance on USA

FWIW, I will switch sides to make it even, multiple times per game, if needed. Most of the good players on the server do too.

Don't be afraid to ask.

Be afraid....be very, very afraid...

Archer!

Player

Reputation: +55

Location: Vancouver Island

Registered: 2015-07-20

Posts: 191

Re: Team balance on USA

Fine... I'll switch teams... sheesh...

janet reno (TX)

Player

Reputation: +228

Registered: 2014-05-13

Posts: 680

Re: Team balance on USA

I'm with Oscar, I'm not a good player but I will switch teams if one side is being overrun by the other?

janet reno (TX)

Player

Reputation: +228

Registered: 2014-05-13

Posts: 680

Re: Team balance on USA

Oh, I forgot, I'm with archer too?

janet reno (TX)

Player

Reputation: +228

Registered: 2014-05-13

Posts: 680

Re: Team balance on USA

Only if you insist!

TOOKIE GOODNITE

impeached (twice)

Reputation: +319

Location: Dallas, Texas

Registered: 2012-06-27

Posts: 636

Website

Re: Team balance on USA

Team balance has been set at 3. Not by me.

Catpain_Blackadder

Member

Reputation: +90

Location: Indiana

Registered: 2015-06-28

Posts: 554

Re: Team balance on USA

Since there seems to be a consensus that team stacking is a bad thing, and it looks like it is already enforced on the USA server (I think I even saw someone kicked recently with a !kstack command), I propose the following rule be added to the Battlefield 1942 Server Rules:

Team stacking (switching teams so as to affect the team balance unfairly) is not allowed.

It's important to define our terms in rules, so I would not just say "Team stacking is not allowed."

For determining guidelines on how to enforce the rule, here are some potential circumstances I'm offering to be debated as to whether they are valid reasons to team switch:

1. My team sucks. I need to get on the good team.

2. The other team {sucks | has fewer players | has AFK players}.  They need my help.

3. Let's see how many more people we can get on one team than there are on the other.

4. My friends are on the other team.

5. I prefer to play on the {Axis | Allied} team.

6. I keep getting TKed on this team.  Get me out of here!

7. A bunch of people on this team are just goofing off.  Get me out of here!

8. Hey, I've been playing {Axis | Allied} this whole game, and now I get auto-switched!?

I intentionally wrote 2 to be acceptable and 3 to be unacceptable reasons for switching sides, but what about the rest?  Can anyone think of still other reasons?

janet reno (TX)

Player

Reputation: +228

Registered: 2014-05-13

Posts: 680

Re: Team balance on USA

The current situation is not acceptable. Can't come in and change teams to help the losing team, can't join with friends on TS, Vent and it is frustrating on maps like Battleax were the whole group of flags are taken and you are left picking off people but no opportunity to take flags and help the losing team.

PitViper

TGE|

Reputation: +431

Location: *TheGreatEscape|USA

Registered: 2014-09-27

Posts: 2,188

Website

Re: Team balance on USA

Whats the problem with TS or vent?

Oscar Goldman

Member

Reputation: +152

Registered: 2014-10-21

Posts: 474

Re: Team balance on USA

I have visions of the robot from lost in space waving its arms in a display of robotic distress.

I must not play enough. I had no indications things were so bad.

ATF_SurrenderMonkey

Member

Reputation: +385

Registered: 2012-08-26

Posts: 1,973

Re: Team balance on USA

Danger Will Robinson.....Danger!!!

Dakota

Player

Reputation: +1046

Registered: 2015-06-30

Posts: 1,717

Re: Team balance on USA

I play were the auto put me, this is war got no friends!