Spectator mode

[Seventhorn]

I have noticed recently that players jump into spectator mode to view the other teams setup. Now this may not matter much at all but some of these elite platinum players were doing it and they would jump back into their team setting up strategy. Please disable this feature that allows a spectator to see each teams setup.

Thanks

[MateoTheBold!]

I agree it is annoying when it feels like people are doing this to scout sg's etc., but I'm not sure it needs to be addressed at a server wide level. If its a certain player or two that keeps doing this repeatedly, you can always PM one of the admins or file a help desk ticket and we can look into it.

There is a config settings on the server that allows you to disable spectators in their entirety, but unfortunately disabling it for the purposes described above would inadvertently remove a legitimate purpose of freely spectating as well (people speccing to observe/record demos of hackers, people going afk, etc.)

Whether or not their is a setting that allows spectate for afk purposes but removes speccing ability, I'm not sure, but that would still remove people from speccing hackers. That creates a bigger problem IMO. That being said, I'm not on the server ops side, so I can't speak to how they would interpret this issue.

[Boss Llama]

There aren't any in-between steps, as far as I'm aware - it's all or nothing.

I treat people who do that as low level exploiters. They get a warning, then a kick, then a ban.

[black_and_blue]

While I have people do this before, it does seem relatively rare...either that or they are very good at concealing it!

[Katotsu]

If we addressed this by getting rid of spectator mode, what happens when someone is autobalanced? Don't they have even more intimate knowledge of what the opposing team has? Who coordinates, how well they coodinate, etc. Disabling spectate doesn't solve the underlying problem.

[darklin0]

I see how this is a problem if like no one on the server actually communicated, but we basically have someone on mic calling out positions or other important information. I know I yell out where sentries are whenever I run into them.

[trilobite]

It's cheezy and underhanded... gaming the spectator feature.
But any bonk scout or careful spy can accomplish a quick survey of the opposing team's configuration and sentry positions.
And any players pushing on the front lines can often get a glimpse around the corner -- sometimes on the post-death cam.
Besides, while the other team's player is in spec, your team has one less opponent to deal with.

However, despite these intelligence-gathering opportunities, I hardly ever hear reports of their findings. A match will go on for five, ten minutes and nobody is reporting this crucial intelligence. Medics especially need to know this stuff. After watching players throw themselves at the other team... and dying in the process, I still get no reports on where and what. Crazy. Some teams are better than others at communicating intelligence. But that's another story...

Although gathering intelligence by going spec is just plain wrong, my thinking is that it does not give the violaters a significant advantage.

[Kujako]

If we addressed this by getting rid of spectator mode, what happens when someone is autobalanced? Don't they have even more intimate knowledge of what the opposing team has?

I address this issue by paying no attention to what my team mates are doing.

[Seventhorn]

I guess its not that big of a deal but when a team of regulars is getting railed by a skilled platinum league team it is silly to think they would be trying this but they were. I am a competitive person as many already know I will do just about anything that is legal to win a game. On the other hand I have seen competitive people do just about anything legal or illegal to win games. Bottom line is everyone needs to keep an eye out for this type of low ball tactic.

Seventhorn

[trilobite]

I guess its not that big of a deal but when a team of regulars is getting railed by a skilled platinum league team it is silly to think they would be trying this but they were. I am a competitive person as many already know I will do just about anything that is legal to win a game. On the other hand I have seen competitive people do just about anything legal or illegal to win games. Bottom line is everyone needs to keep an eye out for this type of low ball tactic.

Seventhorn

I think it IS a big deal. And I wholeheartedly support your concern. It is reasonable and appropriate.

It sounds like the matches you were experiencing were lopsided mostly as a consequence of “stacking,” and not so much by the actual cheating. Seems like the stacking members were a bunch of * who were skilled at playing together -- predators out for some joyriding and pub-stomping. The spec visits were part of the whole package of domination and humiliation. Whatever. My brother and I can go down the street to the local elementary school and pick fights with the third graders if we want that kind of experience. Or, I could traverse the hills with a big black monster truck and trample every living thing into a bloody ooze. THAT would make me lord of all the dead bloody things.

The point is that when competitive teams come and stack pub servers, they are not there for a fair fight. They have no interest in a fair fight. All they care about is completely dominating the server and humiliating everyone who is not part of their group. And they will push the physical limits of the system in order to accomplish this mission. If they were a bit smarter, perhaps they would go into banking. But instead, they raid the ville.

Thankfully, nearly everyone who plays here IS interested in fair fights. Even the stream of new players who pop in for a few matches. So, although there are pockets of jerks who come here occasionally to raise hell, players with integrity and sound ethics, like Seventhorn and many others -- we greatly outnumber them. And as long as we stick together, we will defeat them… in the long run. There is always the ban hammer. Why, the ville could even ban Thor himself. I’m pretty sure about this. Let me check real quick……….. Yes, the internet says so.

[MateoTheBold!]

I guess its not that big of a deal but when a team of regulars is getting railed by a skilled platinum league team it is silly to think they would be trying this but they were. I am a competitive person as many already know I will do just about anything that is legal to win a game. On the other hand I have seen competitive people do just about anything legal or illegal to win games. Bottom line is everyone needs to keep an eye out for this type of low ball tactic.

Seventhorn

I think it IS a big deal. And I wholeheartedly support your concern. It is reasonable and appropriate.

It sounds like the matches you were experiencing were lopsided mostly as a consequence of “stacking,” and not so much by the actual cheating. Seems like the stacking members were a bunch of * who were skilled at playing together -- predators out for some joyriding and pub-stomping. The spec visits were part of the whole package of domination and humiliation. Whatever. My brother and I can go down the street to the local elementary school and pick fights with the third graders if we want that kind of experience. Or, I could traverse the hills with a big black monster truck and trample every living thing into a bloody ooze. THAT would make me lord of all the dead bloody things.

The point is that when competitive teams come and stack pub servers, they are not there for a fair fight. They have no interest in a fair fight. All they care about is completely dominating the server and humiliating everyone who is not part of their group. And they will push the physical limits of the system in order to accomplish this mission. If they were a bit smarter, perhaps they would go into banking. But instead, they raid the ville.

Thankfully, nearly everyone who plays here IS interested in fair fights. Even the stream of new players who pop in for a few matches. So, although there are pockets of jerks who come here occasionally to raise hell, players with integrity and sound ethics, like Seventhorn and many others -- we greatly outnumber them. And as long as we stick together, we will defeat them… in the long run. There is always the ban hammer. Why, the ville could even ban Thor himself. I’m pretty sure about this. Let me check real quick……….. Yes, the internet says so.

As always, teamstacking is against server rules. Please don't hesitate to use the shoutbox, or to contact an admin from your friends list. For anyone who is unsure, here's a current list of the admins: http://www.thevilluns.org/forums/member ... group&g=45