Minor Suggestion

#1 I partially agree, which is why on the CTF I just use that to display kills and not points scored. or contributed to the tam. However, the only game style which the 'grandstanding' occurs in, is 'Team Scrum' and to have that one game without any personal scores would kind of break the flow and consistancy of the game and display.

-Z-

#2 I think its silly to change the game because of a couple noobs. Teaching people to play is only a matter of some kind of nice or not so nice remarks sent in their direction usually. I don't notice any problem really in team scrum games Bill, other than the occasional dweeb.

I find the stat system in CTF does in my mind break the consistency of TT display wise. I undersdtand -Z- has his reasons. But in watching the development of TT, I find its only a brief matter of time before people learn how to play team games correctly.

Az

#3 I go out of my way in the vain hope to be amongst the top scorers. In many more than one scrum I almost fell off my chair. I never steal from my teammate, but I'll sweat my ass to bring my team to victory. When you score 7 goals out of 10, you ought to have your name at the top.

'T'was a stroll... not'
Hugobrain

#4 I'm with Hugobrain.

#5 Been a while since we've seen that, Hugo.

My firm belief is that it is really a matter of day play vs. night play (EST for me when the wife goes to bed.). Although I try to get a couple of games in during the day, I know I'm mostly competing against spamming kids or noobs who are just gunning after me regardless of the task at hand. That's fine, we are in tanks with the ability to speak freely, after all.

Most of the nightly team scrum matches have a much different air about them. Yes, individuals are trying for the top scores and there is a certain amount of goodhearted gloating and teasing. But, getting the high score does not neccesitate a win for the team. An excellent example of this would be poor Stimpy. Frequently finding himself on the weaker team, he racks up a high score only to find that his team has lost. Being the trooper that he is, he always expresses his discontent.

When I compete in league matches, I often go into defensive mode. As Baba once stated, the defender is "the glue" that keeps the team together. While I believe I can "dance" and score with the best of them, I know that in order to win we have to defend. This inevitably leads to a particularly low individual score, but ultimately a victory and a bucketful of "congrats" and "great work" from my teammates. Much more satisfying in my mind.

So, join us at night Him. You will always be a welcomed addition.

jangles

#6 "An excellent example of this would be poor Stimpy. Frequently finding himself on the weaker team, he racks up a high score only to find that his team has lost. Being the trooper that he is, he always expresses his discontent"

The only discontent I have expressed in this regard has been in the lack of interest in making the teams even. I don't really care if my team loses ( unless it's every game! ). I care about the games being fun. If the teams are very uneven then it really isn't enjoyable ( I can't imagine even for the winning team). If the teams are closer then the games are much more exhilarating. When people play on teams to "be with their buds" and don't care about outscoring the other team 5 x 1 or more, well then I'll complain. I like competitive games. When I come and see a score of 14 to 3 i join the team with 3 points.

I'm sure there have been times when I have made statements online that made me appear to be mad at losing. I remember one time recently when someone mentioned that a certain steal was beautiful (during a crushing defeat) and I then exclaimed that it was pathetic. I thought of my remark as being funny but I realized that other gamers probably wouldn't think so. Sometimes I may not be real thoughtful.

As to the not showing score totals issue I totally disagree. The player that is out for only for himself in scrum will not score a bunch of points anyway. No need to ask for programming help.

#7 @Stimpy,

Please don't take offence to my comment. I only used you as an example because you always join the underdog - as do I, by the way - and often suffer from a team perspective. Over the last month, your play has improved drastically and I only wanted to illustrate that even tremendous individual talent didn't result in a happy ending.

I know there have been times in the past, that Tanky and I were guilty of going on self-serving tirades of multiple back-to-back wins. But, if I recall correctly, it was also during that time, that your only objective was to get me.

I believe it's quite a different type of team arrangement now. And I think you and I have ironed out our differences.

Thanks for pointing out what really irked you and hopefully we can make the game even better.

jangles

#8 Joining the loosing team to make even ....
I've done this and try to make it even. I do enjoy the underdog challenge. Seems I've also had many times where I will switch and the team wins. Switch again and this team wins. Sucks.

The worst is you are on a 15 to 3 team. You switch to help the other side. Then you get blasted with or without the ball. Can't win with just one good player unless the other team are demos ;-). Takes at least one other offensive threat to not get blasted. Trying to be the high scorer and winning is really the goal. Team play I guess can work when you get use to the players. I've seen the tripple handoffs ... This team stuff stops when you have a really good defender. They don't get fooled. I think of Foul Play and #1 Tankster who can work Defensively and offensively. Would not say they are much into team play exactly.
-PREY

#9 "it was also during that time, that your only objective was to get me."

I remeber that for one game. I often get my panties in a bunch when someone attacks me ( in regular scrum not team ) when I'm on the opposite side of the map from the scrum. That still pisses me off. I will make it a point to pester that player. I know I shouldn't but sometimes I can't help myself. Honestly I don't know if that is what happend but I do remember being angry. I must admit that in the beginning I complained constaintly about "battlemode" players in scrum. Then I myself morphed into one of those players. I think I wanted to be #1 Tankster ;*) . Over the past couple weeks I have reverted back again, realizing how nice it is to be in a game where no-one thrill kills in individual scrum. Is it my imagination or is there different etiquette from team to individual scrum? It seams team scrum there is much more "shoot all the time" attitude.

Jangles now I see you as my Think Tank Arch Enemy, a fun rivalry, as opposed to some SOB who accuses me of ___________ and wants to do battlemode scrum one on one. I have one of those going on too but I won't mention the name.

End of blabbering. Thank you.

#10 Just a note:

I always join the team with fewer players. I score more goals that way, I have more fun that way, the game is fair that way. I myself want to be a real help to my team. That is easier on a team of 2 than on a team of 8. I don't want to be part of a huge mob that just rips across the map in a swarm and demolishes the other players. I don't want to just chase after 7 other team members on the way to the goal. I want to play the hardest, best game. I really don't care if I lose. So what. Big deal. Winning with 5 to 3 odds is not winning; most unbalanced games, the losing team would have won if you divide the score by # of players. The exception is when it is 2 to 8 and the team of 2 just keeps getting killed and doesn't score at all. If the teams are even, I will enter the game on the side i suspect might be losing and, well, if it is winning I switch (hint to devs: scoreboards on join game screen?). I find that winning unfairly is much less satisfying than losing after a hard but exhilerating fight against the oppressive enemy.

The Ten Great ThinkTanks Commandments of All Tanks in the Land of Tankland:

I will strive to help my team.
I will strive to fight my best.
I will strive to have fun.
I will strive to play fairly and justly.
I will strive to respect other players.
I will strive to improve my abilities.
I will strive to keep a sense of humor.
I will strive to abide by the rules.
I will strive to make play civil and lighthearted.
I will strive to play ThinkTanks as it should be played.


Asterisk The Respectful, Fair, Happy LOSER! rofl

#11 >When I come and see a score of 14 to 3 i join the team with 3 points.

I do this as well, even if I know there will be those opposing me who have a particular knack for swarming heavy tanks (beanman, wal, :) -- actually you guys are more a pain in battlemodes, but I don't play those often anyway :) )

I have gone on a tear occasionally when singled out during team scrum by a battlemoder. Being in a heavy tank, I'm a sitting duck for these folks when I'm trying to find and follow the scrum to help out a teammate. 9 times out of 10 I'll leave (not much of an option now considering team scrum servers are fewer) or ignore them. But there are times when the game seems to consistently spawn me way way far away from the scrum and any chance of getting there in time to be helpful, so I go ahead and give the battlemoder what they want: a lot of death. And battlemoders shooting their own team members are the worst offenders, since it makes incoming players think there are more active players on a team then there actually may be. A battlemoder harassing one team member effectively drops the number on the team by two.