Pickup Games Issue

[KILROY]

K, with the last pickup game, CodFish made a post on why he was blocked from playing in Admin Complaints. It was relayed, due to him trying to join a team to play during a pickup game, but he didn't know it was a pickup game.

So, him not knowing it was a pickup game, and trying to join a team to play cause he was excited to see many in the server playing, and wanted a piece of the action, I didn't see him doing anything wrong. Anyone who saw this would have wanted and done the same thing. Now, I don't know the exact details, but it sounds like he was blocked without being approached first. If this is true, then whoever blocked him, also did the wrong thing. I would have approached him first to at least relay what was happening so he would have understood, and let him then make the decision of what he wanted to do. If he still tried to be uncooperative, then I would have relayed if he continued, there would be harsh consequences.

So that brings up the issue....How do we relay to anyone else who joins the server during these pickup games, that this is what is currently ongoing so they don't cause a problem of trying to join a team? If the people who join all get blocked, because they just want to play due to seeing many in a server playing which isn't consistently seen all the time, and them not being relayed this or not knowing why this is happening to them, will start to cause people to stop trying to join the server to play all together.

There are two servers for Anni, just like LT has two. I've noticed one server is not passworded for any and all to play, but when a pickup game(s) is wanted to be played, their is an announcement in open chat that everyone is moving to the passworded server to play the pickup game(s), and the password is announced to all that it's: password and never changed in case anyone else joins and see's people in there playing in the future and want to join to play, but they now know seeing people in their playing it's pickup games that are currently ongoing, and don't try to join a team after joining the server. They wait out the current match that is currently ongoing in obs.

A solution to this issue. I think the other server should be passworded again, and in the server title the password should be listed for joining. That way it wouldn't have to be announced in open chat in the other server, and anyone seeing something currently ongoing with players will know what is happening.

[Erowid]

It wasn't a spur of the moment pickup game, it was scheduled weeks in advance http://www.br.thelandofoz.net/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=7360

I asked him to stop joining teams, and it was in tournament mode and he shouldn't have been able to join teams anyway but still could because the match hadn't started yet.

Everyone is welcome to play in the games, just wait to be picked so we can try and balance the teams as best as possible.

[KILROY]

I know it was scheduled, but obviously he didn't, or others that might join in the future due to just seeing a bunch in the server. Keep in mind, we still have new players downloading and even now, just starting to learn the game, due to being younger. My teen nephew, who is visiting me at this moment from Colorado, just relayed to me, after showing him the game, that he and his friends just found out about Tribes and it being a free to download and play game, and are just learning how to play it, and are not used to when joining a server what might be ongoing at that time, like a pickup game. So we need to keep this in consideration when we see a player(s) doing something they are not supposed to.

Obviously there's an issue with Tournament Mode not working the way it was supposed to. We still might want to consider locking the other server with the password in the title name or information tab for joining, as an alternative which would let players know the current activity that is ongoing in the server at that time.

Thanks E for relaying to me the details, again, I wasn't there and didn't know. If I offended you, apologies. That was not my intentions.

[jINKS{OZ}]

I think we just got into it and forgot about the people who would show up late or OZ server regulars who show up and are ready for a game. I guess we need to have a rule for when people show up at the begining of a map or half way thru a PUG. I think there was another guy who had a similar issue, he got pretty mad. Dont know if tht was the same guy.

[KILROY]

Question...if a PUG is currently ongoing, and someone does join the server, can they still join a team? If so, then no rule can stop someone from doing this, and how is that person(s) supposed to know the rule. Like I said, what if it's someone new to the game and just by seeing a bunch of players in one server joins, or what if it's an old school player who happens to be bored one night, log in, and see a bunch on a server playing, which excites them to join to play a good game? Locking the other server, and using the password like it is listed right now in the Information tab is the solution to stop any consequences that happen and cause a rage issue. The server used for PUG's in LT is actually listed as just that "PU server". With this setup, causes no confusions about what it currently ongoing in the server.

[vistalize]

We can always fill as we go depending on the situation ( for example: if the other team is winning significantly we will go ahead and start adding players to the other team that are waiting in observer ) worse case scenario the man will have to wait until the next upcoming pug which doesn't take long at all. all pugs are scheduled so those who come on time get first dibs. the rest that end up falling in will have to wait till next map. and once we start doing weekly pugs he/she can then show up on time the next upcoming event. this will assure they get a spot off the bat

[perrinoia]

We should script a pickup game mode for the annihilation mod.

I've got some ideas on how to script it, but have writers block when it comes to dealing with AFK players or those who wish to remain observers.

Any ideas?

The following idea was completely unrelated, but might work for this purpose.

Completely open teams (no balance in team selection what so ever) , but you can't spawn if your team has more live players than the others.

This way, you could have 20 OZ vs 10 LM on the scoreboard, but the number of players in the field will always be balanced. In this scenario, OZ would always have at least 10 players on the bench, spamming their triggers for their chance to spawn.

On the other hand, if one team had a ringer, they could game that system by not spawning, forcing the whole match to be their ringer vs up to 2 random opponents.

So, we'll institute auto respawn instead. When any player dies, they go to the end of the virtual bench and the next teammate in line may spawn.

Would that make a better system?

[jINKS{OZ}]

Hmm,that would create a problem with continuity, if I'm using that properly, it would be complicated, unless u eliminate defense guys from the balancing, one team might have bad ass D while the other has bad ass offense. The offense would get the new player while the bad ass D team would not cause they got more kills. Obviously the D team would need him.

[perrinoia]

Sorta...

The team that dies less often rotates players less often.
Thus a team that hides behind turrets would keep the same players in play while the team getting slaughtered by turrets would rotate players, giving each of their teammates a turn.

The only differences between this and a game that is completely balanced is that the average skill of a team depends on which players are spawned. Just like how swapping players in a hockey match can change the course of a game.

On the other hand, this would alleviate issues such as players getting disconnected, reconnecting, and being locked out of the team mid game until an admin assigns their team.

However, this idea wouldn't be good if some random noob or intentional twat joined a team and completely wasted a player slot for their team.

[Erowid]

For clarification, the players were only able to join teams because the match was not yet started from the countdown timer. Once the match is started players cannot join teams via the tab menu. There is an option to set captains for picking teams, locking players into observer but I don't remember how to enter that mode.
as you can see in this picture, jerry and I are captains with the * by our names