Solving the problem of team stacking

[imported_Scarz]

Ok, if anyone has heard this idea before, dont call me on it. 'Cause I thought of it all by myself so therefore its original... even if someone did think of it before I did.

It's the same old situation. You join your favorite server and happily begin playing away and suddenly you realize that your team is getting their genitals handed to them. ::sigh:: You know instinctively its because you are on the "crap" team. You try in vain for the next five rounds to switch to the good team but even if you do manage to switch, you get switched back the moment someone gets frustrated and quits.

Yep, been there done that. All night long actually.

If you look at the player stat screen you can see why. There are 2 Generals, 2 Colonels, 3 captains, a lieutenent and numerous Sgt. Majors on the opposing team.

The highest ranking person on your team besides you is a 2nd LT.

Sound familiar? Probably does.

Heres my theory: Assign Point Values to ranks. So a private has a value of 1. A staff Sgt would have a value of 6 etc. Each team would have to fall into a certain point range of no more than say 20 points more or less than the other team. It would be a bit more complicated than this of course, but you get the genral idea. It could be set as a simple server option like Autobalance that could be turned on and off by the admin or whatever. And so, if you want to run a fair and balanced server that actually allows everyone to have fun (not just the high-ranking, spawn-raping, vehicle whoring dinks on the "good" team) turn it on.

Of course it would play hell with reserved slot/clan servers, so they could just turn the setting off. But, of course by doing this, no-one would ever play there and so they wouldn't have anyone to rape..... But, to each his own I guess.

If your still reading this, im impressed. Tell me what you think.

[Jedi_Joe]

Re: Solving the problem of team stacking

or just change team and create a squad, then you cant be team switched

[imported_Scarz]

Re: Solving the problem of team stacking

or just change team and create a squad, then you cant be team switched

Um, yeah. You can do that. But thats not the point, lol! Even when i do get on the good team and am kicking the holy dog shlt out of everybody, I still feel like it isnt fair to them that I get to be on the uber team. Of course i dont complain nearly as much while im racking up the points but....

[Yilar]

Re: Solving the problem of team stacking

I think that's a pretty good suggestion, I've seen this happen as well, no matter how much you're trying to work together, talk to eachother and have a good commander (usually they don't command, just bomb and drop stuff). Against really seasoned high ranking players on the opposing team you will lose. Which leads to me usually finding another server. I just don't enjoy being a sheep for someone slaughterfest :) Shame really as it would be nice to be able to mix as you can learn a lot from those high ranking people usually.

[FeX_IronC]

Re: Solving the problem of team stacking

In Enemy territory it was possible as Admin (not quite sure which mod it was) to mix the teams by "skill" (basically based on KDR, SPM etc and not on rank as you can have some bad performing high rank players) when they became too unbalanced....it worked quite well in combination with good server administration to avoid people changing sites after the shuffle. It would be nice to see something similar for BF2.

[O2zi3]

Re: Solving the problem of team stacking

This brings up that arguement...Is rank a good measure of skill?? I believe rank is a measure of the time played not necessaryly skill, but hey its a nice idea in theory and may help a bit

[Bloodsport]

Re: Solving the problem of team stacking

Just because someone has a high rank does not neccesitate that they are good players. I've been getting gold medals and being in the top five since I had a global score of about 20000.

Do what I do, if you're a good player, create a squad and just work as a team. This will overcome the best players in the game.

What people seem to forget is that the game is not about individual skill, but teamwork.

[Hedgie]

Re: Solving the problem of team stacking

a team of high rankers working together are still going to own a team of low rankers working together.

[Yilar]

Re: Solving the problem of team stacking

I agree with you there bloodsport, ranking do not guarantee anything, but as a general rule, the higher people get the better they play. Maybe what IronC mentioned a mixing based on a few key statistics would be better?

[LostSquirrel]

Re: Solving the problem of team stacking

what will work?
teamwork!

[BigPig_PW69]

Re: Solving the problem of team stacking

Very good idea!! I'm all for making BF2 a more even battlefield.
The whole Team/Rank stacking thing is quite a concern and very detrimental to the future of BF2. If I was new to the game and had to suffer being continually crushed by a stacked team (and probably didnt know) I would just not play anymore.

This is a lesson to us all! The very best games I have had in BF2 are ones that are evenly balanced with players/ranks. Where's the fun in continually slaughtering the other team until they leave and probably quit BF2 for good?

[ConscriptVirus]

Re: Solving the problem of team stacking

Just because someone has a high rank does not neccesitate that they are good players. I've been getting gold medals and being in the top five since I had a global score of about 20000.

Do what I do, if you're a good player, create a squad and just work as a team. This will overcome the best players in the game.

What people seem to forget is that the game is not about individual skill, but teamwork.

exactly wat i was thinking

another thing that i see some servers do is swap teams becuase there are some maps like wake where one team totally dominates another

[sassback]

Re: Solving the problem of team stacking

Just because someone has a high rank does not neccesitate that they are good players. I've been getting gold medals and being in the top five since I had a global score of about 20000.

Do what I do, if you're a good player, create a squad and just work as a team. This will overcome the best players in the game.

What people seem to forget is that the game is not about individual skill, but teamwork.

there are two sides to that coin buddy. in this case you are assuming that the low rankers have the knowledge/common sense to use teamwork. as i have played more and more i have learned my way around the maps better, i know where and where not to spawn (i.e Karkand's hotel in the beginning of the round) and i know almost every game function. none of those are a reflection of my skill (or lack of), but rather a reflection of things ive learned in the 300+ hours ive played. a high ranker will almost certainly know these things as well, or better than i do and that makes an astronomical difference against a team comprised of 'newbies' or low rankers.

team stacking is one of my biggest beefs with Bf2 (not really the game but the people who play it) along with macros of any kind. both problems can be fixed and i think the OP had a great idea in dealing with team stacking. keep in mind that the vast majority is comprised of pubbers who dont wish to join a clan for one reason or another. i have two friends who bought BF2 but rarely, if ever play because their first several games were on servers with severely stacked teams.

[lamah]

Re: Solving the problem of team stacking

i agree with bloodsports

ranks can be deceiving

i rather see a server that forces everyone (who aren't in squads) into squads
or limit the number of snipers on a team (silly rule i know, but who knows, might make the difference since too many snipers on a team typically makes it crappy)

anyway, you shouldn't try to switch to the good team when you're on a crappy team, that will just make it worse

either stick it out and teach ppl to play well with you, or leave the server :P

[Redink]

Re: Solving the problem of team stacking

a team of high rankers working together are still going to own a team of low rankers working together.

I totally agree! And yes rank doesnt mean anything but it gives quite an idea that the player knows what he is doing.
High ranks = Long play time also = skills and knowledge accuired during the time.
I don't mind being on a "crap" team, but when its absolutely "craptacular" I do not want to die for a team who won't die for me. I get tired of trying so hard only to lose because of others.
Reason why we have team stack is because, high rankers are lazy and don't want the chance of losing to another high ranker(skilled player). So they all stick on one team so and just dominate the other team. Thats how servers usually die out, is because round after round people leave because of base rape and owned.