Base camping
by Eric Lavigne · in General Game Discussion · 03/12/2005 (7:56 pm) · 11 replies
The way I see it, there are 5 choices for helping your team in a CTF game (it is possible to do more than one at a time). The most basic element of CTF strategy is to recognize which of these are most important, which of them are already being handled by your team mates, and taking on the most important of the jobs which are not being adequately taken care of by your team mates.
1)protecting flag
2)chasing flag
3)controlling own base
4)controlling opponent's base (AKA "base camping")
5)controlling other regions
1)protecting flag
This includes running around (and possible hiding) while holding a flag or protecting someone else who is doing this. It also includes sitting on top of a flag that is in its post and fighting anyone who tries to take it. Tends to be boring most of the time (waiting for an attacker to show up). Most new players seem to focus on this role.
2)chasing flag
Trying to kill the person who has the flag. Trying to grab a flag from its post. Picking up a flag that someone dropped. Searching for the person who has the flag. This might also include harrassing defenders in hopes of creating an oppening for you team mate who is also flag chasing. I believe most players consider this to be the most exciting role.
3)controlling own base
Repairing your base's turrets. Hunting down intruders. Tends to overlap with 1, protecting flag. Players who focus on controlling their own bases usually switch to flag protection for short periods of time as necessary. This is the easiest of the roles, and the only role that bots perform better than most players.
4)controlling opponent's base
This includes destroying defenses, such as turrets, or just harrassing the defenders. This is useful even if the base does not currently contain a flag for several reasons.
a)Base is kept weak so it can be more easily attacked later.
b)Chance of grabbing the flag when it returns
c)Often keeps several opposing players busy as they chase you around their base.
5)controlling other regions
Claiming the white turrets. Random killing of opposing players. This tends to be the lowest priority on most maps.
While I will do whichever of these I think my team needs most at the moment, I find 4 to be the most interesting, especially if the base has turrets and players spawn in their own base. Just staying alive, while being hunted by several defenders, with defeated opponents respawning right next to me, is very challenging.
Drex.kill has said repeatedly that I am a base camping fag, and I have seen him say the same thing to many other players. Putting aside the obvious conclusion that he is just rude, what do other ZAP players think about base camping? Is it a valuable part of CTF strategy? Is it cheap and annoying? Is it the way of the bottom feeder?
Edit: typo
1)protecting flag
2)chasing flag
3)controlling own base
4)controlling opponent's base (AKA "base camping")
5)controlling other regions
1)protecting flag
This includes running around (and possible hiding) while holding a flag or protecting someone else who is doing this. It also includes sitting on top of a flag that is in its post and fighting anyone who tries to take it. Tends to be boring most of the time (waiting for an attacker to show up). Most new players seem to focus on this role.
2)chasing flag
Trying to kill the person who has the flag. Trying to grab a flag from its post. Picking up a flag that someone dropped. Searching for the person who has the flag. This might also include harrassing defenders in hopes of creating an oppening for you team mate who is also flag chasing. I believe most players consider this to be the most exciting role.
3)controlling own base
Repairing your base's turrets. Hunting down intruders. Tends to overlap with 1, protecting flag. Players who focus on controlling their own bases usually switch to flag protection for short periods of time as necessary. This is the easiest of the roles, and the only role that bots perform better than most players.
4)controlling opponent's base
This includes destroying defenses, such as turrets, or just harrassing the defenders. This is useful even if the base does not currently contain a flag for several reasons.
a)Base is kept weak so it can be more easily attacked later.
b)Chance of grabbing the flag when it returns
c)Often keeps several opposing players busy as they chase you around their base.
5)controlling other regions
Claiming the white turrets. Random killing of opposing players. This tends to be the lowest priority on most maps.
While I will do whichever of these I think my team needs most at the moment, I find 4 to be the most interesting, especially if the base has turrets and players spawn in their own base. Just staying alive, while being hunted by several defenders, with defeated opponents respawning right next to me, is very challenging.
Drex.kill has said repeatedly that I am a base camping fag, and I have seen him say the same thing to many other players. Putting aside the obvious conclusion that he is just rude, what do other ZAP players think about base camping? Is it a valuable part of CTF strategy? Is it cheap and annoying? Is it the way of the bottom feeder?
Edit: typo
About the author
#2
The "cheap" part of base camping is that you get a chance to grab the flag within seconds after it gets returned to base. Of course, that isn't so easy if your opponents go to the trouble of defending their base.
Spawn campers, in my opinion, are not trying to help their teams at all. They ignore the CTF game going on around them to focus on killing people who will only reappear seconds later anyway. Base campers, who focus on turrets and flag (while often killing for their own defense) are extremely valuable to their team because they keep the base weak and grab flags often. When I base camp, I spend more time running away than shooting. Shooting uses energy which is a big issue while base camping. A base camper is often outnumbered and has a long trip if he dies.
03/14/2005 (8:05 pm)
You are referring to spawn camping, not base camping. Spawn camping is hanging out by the spawn point to kill people. Apparently some registered players like doing that to improve their efficiency ratings. Base camping is focused more on the turrets and the flag. The fact that spawn points are often (but not always) in the base actually makes base camping harder because opponents reappear within seconds at full energy and health.The "cheap" part of base camping is that you get a chance to grab the flag within seconds after it gets returned to base. Of course, that isn't so easy if your opponents go to the trouble of defending their base.
Spawn campers, in my opinion, are not trying to help their teams at all. They ignore the CTF game going on around them to focus on killing people who will only reappear seconds later anyway. Base campers, who focus on turrets and flag (while often killing for their own defense) are extremely valuable to their team because they keep the base weak and grab flags often. When I base camp, I spend more time running away than shooting. Shooting uses energy which is a big issue while base camping. A base camper is often outnumbered and has a long trip if he dies.
#3
03/15/2005 (7:56 am)
I think it's a totally legit strategy. Yesterday I was playing a game, and decided to actually defend when people were attacking the base... it took a while, but finally I got all the defenses back up and beat them back down. I think the main problem is that in a pub game most people just go offense and don't stick around to defend/repair the base.
#4
>just go offense and don't stick around to defend/repair the base.
That is my impression also. I tend to compare it with soccer games in real life. A team of experienced players will tend to spread out across the field, each taking care of an important position. In most 6th grade teams, though, there will be a large pack of players chasing the ball (plus one guy hanging out in the goal and a couple of guys who don't seem to remember that they're playing soccer). There are plenty of players developing tactical skills, but strategically zap still reminds me of a 6th grade soccer game.
(The name calling only makes this impression more solid, especially when the term fag means that you aren't part of the ball chasing pack)
03/15/2005 (1:44 pm)
>I think the main problem is that in a pub game most people >just go offense and don't stick around to defend/repair the base.
That is my impression also. I tend to compare it with soccer games in real life. A team of experienced players will tend to spread out across the field, each taking care of an important position. In most 6th grade teams, though, there will be a large pack of players chasing the ball (plus one guy hanging out in the goal and a couple of guys who don't seem to remember that they're playing soccer). There are plenty of players developing tactical skills, but strategically zap still reminds me of a 6th grade soccer game.
(The name calling only makes this impression more solid, especially when the term fag means that you aren't part of the ball chasing pack)
#5
If you are annoyed by base campers, ask yourself, "Why have I not been repairing my walls and turrets? Why have I not been hunting down the campers and filling their sensitive orifices with bouncer bullets? Why have I not cunningly placed numerous landmines around my flag?"
03/23/2005 (1:16 pm)
In war, any strategy that causes victory is a good strategy. Spawn camping doesn't do much to help your team, but base camping does. Therefore, it is a good strategy.If you are annoyed by base campers, ask yourself, "Why have I not been repairing my walls and turrets? Why have I not been hunting down the campers and filling their sensitive orifices with bouncer bullets? Why have I not cunningly placed numerous landmines around my flag?"
#6
>If you are annoyed by base campers, ask yourself, "Why have I not been repairing my walls and turrets?
I have to get things done and all that energon I spent repairing that junk gets destroyed in seconds by base campers.
>Why have I not been hunting down the campers and filling their sensitive orifices with bouncer bullets?
Bouncer bullets suck. I enjoy killing campers - several at once - but I DO have other goals to accomplish.
>Why have I not cunningly placed numerous landmines around my flag?"
Mines suck.
Is base camping a valid strategy? In a competitive game, yes. How often are zap games genuinely competitive? Less often than they're hugely one-sided, from my personal experience. Also, if the CTF game is 6-0, wouldn't the game be more fun if you gave the weaker team a chance to recover a little? Maybe make it a little more competitive? Just my opinions...take them or leave them.
03/23/2005 (7:10 pm)
When is base camping annoying? When I'm outnumbered or my team sucks...which seems to be fairly often.>If you are annoyed by base campers, ask yourself, "Why have I not been repairing my walls and turrets?
I have to get things done and all that energon I spent repairing that junk gets destroyed in seconds by base campers.
>Why have I not been hunting down the campers and filling their sensitive orifices with bouncer bullets?
Bouncer bullets suck. I enjoy killing campers - several at once - but I DO have other goals to accomplish.
>Why have I not cunningly placed numerous landmines around my flag?"
Mines suck.
Is base camping a valid strategy? In a competitive game, yes. How often are zap games genuinely competitive? Less often than they're hugely one-sided, from my personal experience. Also, if the CTF game is 6-0, wouldn't the game be more fun if you gave the weaker team a chance to recover a little? Maybe make it a little more competitive? Just my opinions...take them or leave them.
#7
>you gave the weaker team a chance to recover a little?
Yes, next time I'm winning I'll try to go easy on the other team :p
Or better yet, switch teams and try to win, which is much more fun.
Lopsided teams is an important issue, but it doesn't seem relevant to base camping. It sounds like you are annoyed by lopsided teams and blaming it on base camping.
03/26/2005 (4:46 pm)
>Also, if the CTF game is 6-0, wouldn't the game be more fun if >you gave the weaker team a chance to recover a little?
Yes, next time I'm winning I'll try to go easy on the other team :p
Or better yet, switch teams and try to win, which is much more fun.
Lopsided teams is an important issue, but it doesn't seem relevant to base camping. It sounds like you are annoyed by lopsided teams and blaming it on base camping.
#8
When you're on the short-handed team, it's impossible to repair your base - ESPECIALLY with base camping. Also, let's say I've got the flag in an uneven CTF game and someone is base camping me. If I manage to stay alive while two or more people are hunting me, pull off the miraculous feat of killing the other team's flag carrier, AND get all the way back to my base, it won't even matter because someone was sitting there to steal my flag the instant it reappeared. Base camping with uneven teams makes "stalemate" the only form of victory available to the weak team.
03/29/2005 (3:56 pm)
>Lopsided teams is an important issue, but it doesn't seem relevant to base camping. It sounds like >you are annoyed by lopsided teams and blaming it on base camping.When you're on the short-handed team, it's impossible to repair your base - ESPECIALLY with base camping. Also, let's say I've got the flag in an uneven CTF game and someone is base camping me. If I manage to stay alive while two or more people are hunting me, pull off the miraculous feat of killing the other team's flag carrier, AND get all the way back to my base, it won't even matter because someone was sitting there to steal my flag the instant it reappeared. Base camping with uneven teams makes "stalemate" the only form of victory available to the weak team.
#9
03/29/2005 (6:32 pm)
Even without base camping, you are unlikely to make it back to your base before someone on the other team (responding to the flag returned message) gets there first. CTF (and retrieve) will always suck, with or without base camping, if there aren't at least two (non-AFK) players per team. If you do have two, one of them should be playing defense (probably the same one that carries the flag).
#10
04/11/2005 (7:39 pm)
I think base-camping is a completely legitimate strategy when playing Zap. I also think that other "cheap" things like spawn-camping are fair too... They are within the bounds of the game and its not cheating in any way. People will always complain about things like this because they don't remember to shield everytime they revive or enter a portal, or because the person that is "base-camping" is better than they are and they're mad they can't kill them quickly. The next time someone is base-camping, go sit in their base, it's probably undefended.
#11
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In sports like boxing, you can't hit a man when he's on the ground. There are touchbacks in football. In sports drafts, the weakest teams get the first picks. All these rules could be eliminated, but they make the games much more competitive and entertaining. Of course base camping and spawn camping aren't "illegal," but I have no problem ranking them in the category of "unsportsman like conduct." This is especially true if the team being camped has fewer players. It is hard enough to compete when your team is down - it is almost impossible when you have to waste all your energon just to get to the real competition.
04/12/2005 (5:31 pm)
>I think base-camping is a completely legitimate strategy when playing Zap. I also think that other "cheap" things like spawn-camping are fair too... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In sports like boxing, you can't hit a man when he's on the ground. There are touchbacks in football. In sports drafts, the weakest teams get the first picks. All these rules could be eliminated, but they make the games much more competitive and entertaining. Of course base camping and spawn camping aren't "illegal," but I have no problem ranking them in the category of "unsportsman like conduct." This is especially true if the team being camped has fewer players. It is hard enough to compete when your team is down - it is almost impossible when you have to waste all your energon just to get to the real competition.
Andrew Youatt