Requesting teamwork advice for low level players

You actually come up with good posts.

Yeah I agree. The whole team scrambling thing is pointless because it detracts away from teamwork because you have no assigned team. I don't really see how to balance teams using a different method :/ if you can come up with one, that'd be great, otherwise we'll make the existing team scrambler better.

(Also, I think Luke's already creating something based on Trueskill. Personally, I think it should have a team lock feature for the whole of the active campaign so people are locked into their teams).

 

Yep. I am going to completely rewrite the team change system. Currently, it randomly puts players into teams without any sort of calculation. In the new version, the algorithm will be modified to permutatively calculate the most efficient team structure based on player level, player Mu, and player Sigma.

 

Hypothetically speaking since its just a thought, but would this include donors & or MG members/admins? I like the idea, but their shouldn't be exceptions for anyone UNLESS someone is wanting to switch to even the teams if needed, perhaps make this option ONLY if a majority vote is reached...

 

There will be no lock system. The system may logically assign teams, and on a nearly empty server, that doesn't make any sense. Players should be able to switch whenever they want

 

@Stoned : Daaaaaammmmn, dude. Thanks for the links. I've never gone into the suggestion box forum before so I never saw these. Thanks a lot for the heads up!

 

"In the next version of PR, I have added a method of passing the tank using !pass. If you feel that there is someone else on the team who would fare better with the tank, you are free to pass the tank with !pass (this command is not live yet). This would start a vote amongst the infected team, in which your team can vote for a new player to control the tank.

Players are not allowed to votekick a player for being a low level. That behavior is not acceptable under any circumstance; just let one of the admins know and they will do something about it.

Nice tutorial Enjoy the servers and let us know if you need help."



Is this really a good idea? What if everyone decides to keep passing it to the same 3 popular and known players every round. It might not be fair for the other unknown high level players that want to play as a tank.

 

Players randomly spawn as the tank (anyone can spawn as a tank). Only if you want to give up control of your tank, you can use !pass. While it is true that people may vote for the most popular player, in most cases that player is also a high level, which would probably benefit your team. Those who want to play as a tank may kindly ask or wait their turn for the Director to assign them the tank.

 

So, is the !pass command practical if it's got a vote associated with it? I mean, while you're sitting there voting on who to get the tank, isn't the other team is beating the crap out of it as fast as they can? How long will the vote take? When I do !spec and !inf right afterwards (I have those bound to my numerical keypad) doesn't it get passed almost instantaneously? Of course, on the other hand, using the random approach we have now it's possible that it gets passed to another low-level player right away and continues to get the crap beaten out of it, I guess....

Hmmm. I'm intrigued for how !pass will work. I'd like to try it sometime.

 

Voting lasts for 15.0 seconds. A list of infected players is shown to the infected team. If the infected player does not vote for someone in that time, their vote is ignored. If a player attempts to !afk or switch teams when their tank health is low, they are brought back to the infected team and forcefully put in control of the tank. I am planning to add an EXP/Points penalty as well, but I'm not sure yet.

The !pass is provided for players who do not wish to be the tank or would rather pass it on to someone else. Also, when you switch teams as the tank, the tank is randomly given to 1 of 4 possible infected "mains," which means only four people out of the ten have a chance to receive it. In this modded !pass feature, anyone in your team can become the tank.

 

This thread might turn into my personal blog of shame, but here are a few additional things.

- If you have to go AFK while playing survivors in a VS match, just disconnect. If the server doesn't kick you when you get back, if you try to re-establish control, it'll look like you're coming in trying to cheat death by taking on a new survivor. That's definitely frowned on around here. So yeah, I'll be disconnecting when I gotta go take care of something rather than typing !afk while on a VS server from now on!

- I don't know the voices of the regular players as I don't get on the servers that often. So, if you're making a blanket statement to all players (e.g. don't pick you up) please prefix it with your name because I bet I'm not the only one who doesn't know who is talking. So anyway, to "Dead Already" (I think that was the name...) sorry I picked you up only to have you get knocked off the roller coaster by the tank. In the confusion of the Screaming Eagle finale, it's pretty hard to keep track of what's going on and I had no idea you were the one asking not to be picked up. It was only after I left for the night that I had a "D'oh!" moment and figured out that I screwed up.

 

I know I type a lot when it comes to these topics, but if you take the time to read this through, you may identify some things or ways to make the whole game easier / better for yourself, i.e. communication.


I think we can all take a page from your book in regards to how you are going to approach things.

Yes, on PR-VS Servers, the attitudes range from an intensity of 1 to an intensity of 100, literally. I, personally, am a true-blue PR-VS player at heart and also VI, which can get QUITE competitive. With that said, or assuming people take the game seriously, It's so easy to perceive manipulation of the system... like spotting a supposed "afk-quitter."

I think you're going to avoid unnecessary conflict to just bug out and then return if you get a call or whatever. We (leadership and regular gamers, also) know who Rage-Switchers are (those who disconnect and rejoin until getting desired team) and it's a specific rule.

When it comes to opinions, we MUST pick our battles.

When it comes to speaking on mic, we tend to forget to identify ourselves. "I'm smoked!" "I am black and white!" Those things say nothing to the team.

Also, when veteran gamers or MG Regulars say "pass the tank! Pass the tank!," it again says nothing. It only confuses and convolutes/inverts the entire situation.

It's all-too-simple, really. Granted, this is very easy for me to say because I'm on a forum right now, not in a crazy competitive finale.

However, when it comes to needs, wants, and requests (passing a tank is AT BEST a favored request, no right or entitlement,) spelling-out the process really can make someone's day go better. (Ya know, "You can type !afk to allow someone who could do a little more damage to play as Tank, then rejoin !inf once they've gotten it.)

Reinforcing a successful tank passage is also a really cool thing to do; makes someone's day; makes a "lower level player" feel like they're contributing and doing their part, and by being reminded that buying a Horde does nothing, yet buying a bile shower REALLY can open up a nice window for another team mate, they'll be all-the-more-grateful.

That positivity can be contagious and contribute to an overall higher morale. A morale victory, ya know, where you get like 10 defibs going on... refusing to give up... that can be a really really cool thing. That's, to me, the most MG-like situation. Friendly, yet fierce competition, while being good stewards to our newer gamers.

But, back to your point; by all means, ask who the heck is talking. Because using a microphone really closes a lot of gaps, and makes it "Playing A Video Game With Another Person" instead of some cold chat, it's easy to forget. I suppose the common denominator here is mindfulness. A prime example of mindfulness is making a habit of communicating about who uses up their knives; easy way to whittle a team down.

Let it be said I'm no exception to any of this, by the way, nor am I above "bad days" or moments of my own.

In the end, I hope you see, Coyote, that you're a conscious gamer and an ethical one. Just by bothering to preface and introduce your ideas, and then in turn ask for advice about how to handle something, it gives you grace. Good for you. Again, I'd love to see more of us take a page out of your book.

Lastly, of course, if you aren't sure about anything, ask one of the Administrative Team. Click "Quick Links," at the top of the forum pages and then "View Site Leaders." We're all approachable and ALL avid gamers at-heart.

 

Thanks for the detailed message, Erik. That night was definitely a "fog of war" kind of situation where I was trying desperately not to die (I was a main...AGAIN. lol) while at the same time trying to make sure enough of my teammates survived so that we could actually MAKE it to the safe room.

Here's another question. When to pick up vs. not? I'm not referring to the situation above where the individual in question explicitly asked not to be picked up, but rather since I know that certain folks (e.g. maxed levels) have nearly 0-time pickup sometimes it's better to just let them do it. I also *THINK* I've heard that the amount of health that a picked up person gets is a function of the health of the person doing the picking up. But that could also be a function of the enhancements/skills that the picking up person has.

Any good rule of thumb? If there are people on the ground all around me, I'll grab anyone I can. If it's just one person and I'm in a crowd of high levels, I'll usually run past because it's faster if I just let the high levels do it.

In this game, and on MGFTW in particular, you don't have time to think sometimes and you just have to react if you want to get ahead and win. It's kind of a trade-off. Sometimes you blow it and make the wrong snap decision and sometimes it's good.

I'm level 91 now I think. Yay me!

 

How to easily solve that...... I think you mostly know whos higher lvl than you. Well you can see if any high lvl near enough to rescue him. If Theres noone coming just pick him up no matter what he says, you saved his life.

 

You Can Revive or Pickup WHOEVER YOU WANT, WHENEVER YOU WANT

Gratz @ nearing 100. That's crucial, those upgrades you need.

I'm a bit pained you are put in a position to ask that question, to be honest.

The skills & upgrades "Fast Medic," "Team Helper," etc... are just that: choices for our gamers.

I abide by a simple quote when I hear certain people prating and prattling on & on about "Don't Pick Me Up! zomg! You're Too Low Level!"

The quote is this:

"Don't take the COOP out of COOP, or don't take the !team out of VS. How in the heck are we going to honestly have the time to notate your Personal-Special-Revive-Preferences, let alone give a care about it?"

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- Pickup whoever you want.
- Pickup whenever you want.
- Green / Poisoned? So what. Pick them up anyway. They're incapped for a reason. Who cares if they happen to fall twice more. You need the bounty. You could very well use it to heal yourself (with Pure Pray Skill) and have the Group Heal effect. You could very well do NOTHING to help them other than get bounty, but save their ass later. In a zombie-survival-horror apocalypse, how can we honor "ouchy!" attitudes that say "No! Don't pick me up! zomg I'm poisoned." lol... give the rest of the server a break.

- Again, you're entitled to play however you like.

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Votekicking someone for not passing the tank (just an example of the rule here,) or Creating A Negative Gaming Environment based on level or playing style is against the rules. I trust your judgement to diffuse those self-righteous requests in-game. Haughty, too.

Again, if it ever becomes a concern or a discomfort; approach any of the Administrative Team.

PS - Another Admin here, once said "If we all played the same way, the game would get pretty boring." Word.
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Better upgrade smoker or jockey first,It helps your team more than spit which feels like water.Tho again like erik said it's your choice how to play.
Also for god's sake-buy silenced attack.I've seen some guys with lv 150+ who haven't that skill.It's kinda useful especially for low levels with their slow speed etc.

 

Actually yeah, I did the smoker first and have been working on my jockey and boomer as well. I LOVE grabbing a guy with the smoker and then shooting off backwards as fast I can with him in tow like a crazy water skier or something. Jockeys are awesome on the last level Dead Center with survivors trying to get the cans from upstairs. Heh heh.

 

silly question here, why my boomer cant extinguish tank when on fire? did i miss something upgrade/buff?

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nevermind, i'm just forgot to equip the 'Extinguish Bile' for a Buff.

 

I really like that "extinguish bile" buff. It allows me to feel useful when it's just the high-level players against the high-level tanks at a finale.