Sep 06, 2008, 04:51 AM
Hello everyone,
I want to weigh in on the stats. I think the stats should be kept (i.e. kpd ratio, kills versus others, etc) but the points should be a falt rate or eliminated.
Flat rate: The points should be three points per kill no matter how many accumulated points you have versus a newbie's small amount of points. If you want to be on top then you should earn it because of your total kills and not because you killed the right person or played on stacked teams, etc.
No points: Keep the stats and just eliminate the points. I have heard several arguments made in favor of points and none of them are excellent reasons (IMHO) for keeping them.
Reasons for keeping the points
1) The points bring people to the server or keep them coming. So? Sourceop is not hurting for players. I had to purchase a direct connect pass because I was tired of waiting. Community brings much more to sourceop but points split the community.
2) People like their stats. Keep the stats, the problem is not stats but the points system. The points system alters the play of individuals.
3) The points benefit those who kill, capp, and win and therefore benefit the game play and team play. While the points do benefit the play of those who are aggressive; it particularly benefits those who finds a way to rack up kills without putting themselves in real danger. This is especially true of 2FORT. I have played entire matches on sourceop no mod no bs WITHOUT a team capping three time in three hours. I know what your next thought may be, "well the offensive players are great, etc." No, at times there are teams stacked with good players but dying to two or three noobs provides an environment for less risk taking. Even a Demo with 50k in points maybe reluctant to play against a quality soldier with 20k because the Demo's loss ratio far exceeds his benefit ratio for pursuing and killing the soldier.
4) What about individuals who come on for the stats; its just a game and they should be able to have fun. The problem is the game is called "Team" Fortress 2 and not Single Player Fortress 2. Those who come on looking for decent team play may be disappointed because not only do you have to put up with noobs learning but you also put up with great players reducing their risk ability because of the points system. The environment becomes boring for those looking for exciting team play. Also, if this is a game shouldn't those who come for winning and team play be accommodated just as much as those who focus on stats.
Examples of play altering:
1) The jbaker incident. Jbaker is a lowly engineer who realizes you get points for building stuff. Now, if jbaker build his sentries in a standard position on a good offensive team then he gets bored and his sentry gun does not get many kills. If jbaker is on a horrible them then his sg get over ran and he is killed. Jbaker is focused on points and so what does j do. Builds his gun, teleporters, and dispenser on the battlements for a demo to easily destroy all four. J then rebuilds them constantly in the same place. The team not happy with jbaker's damaging of team play tries to get him votekicked. After several attempts and forty five minutes later jbaker IS FINALLY votekicked.
2) Zhac is a great Demo primarily playing on 2FORT and has accumulated 50k in points. The point of 2FORT being to capture the intel has produced a problem for Zhac. If Zhac proceeds to attempt to cap the intel and dies then he loses points. Ten deaths costs him dearly. What does Zhac do? Forgets capping the intel and develops a strategy for sticking every place up until the end of the bridge killing people. If Zhac drops in health the he immediately rushes back into base for health. Zhac takes away from the possible team play and the POINTS have hindered his ability to accomplish the overall map objective.
These are actually examples that I have encountered and they are not uncommon. Other problems and alterations resulting from the points system is:
1) The stacking of teams as a better team will provide more caps and produce more points for all the stackers. I know many quality players who will swap TO THE GOOD TEAM because they don't want to lose points.
2) Medic play: The medic straps him/herself to a primary excellent player and ignores the rest of the team. I am guilty of this at times.
3) Heavy play: Heavys can be used offensively but many 2FORT players (mainly newbish people) will play the heavies defensively in order to rack up "easy"points.
4) Engineer play: There are just a few basic spots to put your sg in order to effectively defend. The engineer wanting the rack up points by have crap destroyed will build on the battlements. Thus effectively eliminating one valuable player from the team.
5) Dominiate player play: No joke I had a friend suggest he leave the server and rejoin because he was dominating nearly the entire opposite team. I wondered why in the heck he would want to do that. The lightbulb of the five points for each revenge went off in my head. He didn't end up leaving but obviously the temptation was there due to the points.
If people are against removing the points then make a flat rate for killing, assists, captures, etc. where the award is total accumulation as opposed to eliminating risk.
I want to weigh in on the stats. I think the stats should be kept (i.e. kpd ratio, kills versus others, etc) but the points should be a falt rate or eliminated.
Flat rate: The points should be three points per kill no matter how many accumulated points you have versus a newbie's small amount of points. If you want to be on top then you should earn it because of your total kills and not because you killed the right person or played on stacked teams, etc.
No points: Keep the stats and just eliminate the points. I have heard several arguments made in favor of points and none of them are excellent reasons (IMHO) for keeping them.
Reasons for keeping the points
1) The points bring people to the server or keep them coming. So? Sourceop is not hurting for players. I had to purchase a direct connect pass because I was tired of waiting. Community brings much more to sourceop but points split the community.
2) People like their stats. Keep the stats, the problem is not stats but the points system. The points system alters the play of individuals.
3) The points benefit those who kill, capp, and win and therefore benefit the game play and team play. While the points do benefit the play of those who are aggressive; it particularly benefits those who finds a way to rack up kills without putting themselves in real danger. This is especially true of 2FORT. I have played entire matches on sourceop no mod no bs WITHOUT a team capping three time in three hours. I know what your next thought may be, "well the offensive players are great, etc." No, at times there are teams stacked with good players but dying to two or three noobs provides an environment for less risk taking. Even a Demo with 50k in points maybe reluctant to play against a quality soldier with 20k because the Demo's loss ratio far exceeds his benefit ratio for pursuing and killing the soldier.
4) What about individuals who come on for the stats; its just a game and they should be able to have fun. The problem is the game is called "Team" Fortress 2 and not Single Player Fortress 2. Those who come on looking for decent team play may be disappointed because not only do you have to put up with noobs learning but you also put up with great players reducing their risk ability because of the points system. The environment becomes boring for those looking for exciting team play. Also, if this is a game shouldn't those who come for winning and team play be accommodated just as much as those who focus on stats.
Examples of play altering:
1) The jbaker incident. Jbaker is a lowly engineer who realizes you get points for building stuff. Now, if jbaker build his sentries in a standard position on a good offensive team then he gets bored and his sentry gun does not get many kills. If jbaker is on a horrible them then his sg get over ran and he is killed. Jbaker is focused on points and so what does j do. Builds his gun, teleporters, and dispenser on the battlements for a demo to easily destroy all four. J then rebuilds them constantly in the same place. The team not happy with jbaker's damaging of team play tries to get him votekicked. After several attempts and forty five minutes later jbaker IS FINALLY votekicked.
2) Zhac is a great Demo primarily playing on 2FORT and has accumulated 50k in points. The point of 2FORT being to capture the intel has produced a problem for Zhac. If Zhac proceeds to attempt to cap the intel and dies then he loses points. Ten deaths costs him dearly. What does Zhac do? Forgets capping the intel and develops a strategy for sticking every place up until the end of the bridge killing people. If Zhac drops in health the he immediately rushes back into base for health. Zhac takes away from the possible team play and the POINTS have hindered his ability to accomplish the overall map objective.
These are actually examples that I have encountered and they are not uncommon. Other problems and alterations resulting from the points system is:
1) The stacking of teams as a better team will provide more caps and produce more points for all the stackers. I know many quality players who will swap TO THE GOOD TEAM because they don't want to lose points.
2) Medic play: The medic straps him/herself to a primary excellent player and ignores the rest of the team. I am guilty of this at times.
3) Heavy play: Heavys can be used offensively but many 2FORT players (mainly newbish people) will play the heavies defensively in order to rack up "easy"points.
4) Engineer play: There are just a few basic spots to put your sg in order to effectively defend. The engineer wanting the rack up points by have crap destroyed will build on the battlements. Thus effectively eliminating one valuable player from the team.
5) Dominiate player play: No joke I had a friend suggest he leave the server and rejoin because he was dominating nearly the entire opposite team. I wondered why in the heck he would want to do that. The lightbulb of the five points for each revenge went off in my head. He didn't end up leaving but obviously the temptation was there due to the points.
If people are against removing the points then make a flat rate for killing, assists, captures, etc. where the award is total accumulation as opposed to eliminating risk.