We all know that team-play is the key to success in BF2, however EA gives you hardly any incentive to be a team player. Here's an example. On Strike at Karkland (64 player) map, as USMC, playing as squad leader I was able to direct my squad through enemy fire and successfully attack the MEC base (where the armor spawns). Afterwards, I coordinated numerous successful defences of the MEC base so as to protect our armor advantage. Ultimately this played a big role in the USMC win as it gave us an extra tank and two APCs which made the difference as we won by only about 6 tickets.
Anyways, my final score: 14. Why? Because as squad leader I was careful to stay out of the thick of the fighting so as to remain a spawn point for my squad. A couple of times this was essential as the MEC forces managed to neutralize the MEC Base flag and my squad was able to spawn on my location and successfully drive them back. As you can imagine I didn't have alot of kills. What kit did I mostly play during this round? Anti-tank so that I could help protect my squad from being annihilated by armor should we run into one. What did I kill with my limited involvement in fighting? Two APC's that were tearing my squad to pieces. How many points for these two kills? Four points!
So what's the deal? I played a great strategic game. I was a team player. I organized my squad beautifully even pointing out what kits were needed at various points of the battle. But in the end I didn't even make the top 20 in points on my team. I realize that my contributions may be hard to quantify but still, its hard to swallow especially when you do want to take pride in your performace. Ultimately stats should define how well you play the game because there are incentives built into higher stats: unlockable weapons, priority for commanders positions and even the prestige among your online buddies. Funny aside, I joined a blackhawk squad last week because they needed an engineer (what i usually play). I spent about three rounds fixing away on the back of a blackhawk. Got a ton of points but my team lost both rounds by very large margins. Not to mention it was the most boring two rounds i have ever played in BF2!! Just mindless ratcheting away with my wrench!!!
So my question to you all is what can be done to make the stat system more in line with playing the game the right way. How to reward that squad leader that directs his squad, keeps them alive, and captures and holds key strategic position. How to reward the poor soul who sits in the anti-aircraft seat and takes a real beating for the team but is able to disrupt the enemy airplanes and choppers enough so that the infantry can have a chance without being blasted from above? What about that special ops soldier who suicide bombs that tank that is raping your spawn point. How do you reward the player who takes one for the team?
Here are some of my suggestions:
1) Everybody on a team should earn a bonus if their team wins (not just the commanders)
2) Active squad leaders should get a bonus for directing their teams.
3) Players should get more points for destroying an enemy tank, apc, helicopter or airplane than for killing a regular soldier. It is so much harder to do and you take such a beating doing it. Give that anti-tank specialist for blowing up that tank...its not so easy to do!
4) Outposts should have different values assigned based on their strategic importance so that more points are given for capping or defending them.
5) Players should be required to join a squad
6) Players closer to their squad leader should get more points than those players that join squads and lone wolf it
7) Really reward the attack and defence of artillery, satelite and UAV. These play such an important part of the strategy in the game
8) Give extra points to players that follow their commander's orders! This would especially be useful when asking a squad to defend a key point. To date, as commander, I can remember only a couple of times when squads have listened to my orders of "defend this point". Give them points for successfully defending it and that may change.
I am sure there are holes in my suggestions that would lead to further abuse of the system for the sake of stat padding, however I would really like to see an improvement in the current state of team-play on servers. I am curious what other ideas people have about this...
Anyways, my final score: 14. Why? Because as squad leader I was careful to stay out of the thick of the fighting so as to remain a spawn point for my squad. A couple of times this was essential as the MEC forces managed to neutralize the MEC Base flag and my squad was able to spawn on my location and successfully drive them back. As you can imagine I didn't have alot of kills. What kit did I mostly play during this round? Anti-tank so that I could help protect my squad from being annihilated by armor should we run into one. What did I kill with my limited involvement in fighting? Two APC's that were tearing my squad to pieces. How many points for these two kills? Four points!
So what's the deal? I played a great strategic game. I was a team player. I organized my squad beautifully even pointing out what kits were needed at various points of the battle. But in the end I didn't even make the top 20 in points on my team. I realize that my contributions may be hard to quantify but still, its hard to swallow especially when you do want to take pride in your performace. Ultimately stats should define how well you play the game because there are incentives built into higher stats: unlockable weapons, priority for commanders positions and even the prestige among your online buddies. Funny aside, I joined a blackhawk squad last week because they needed an engineer (what i usually play). I spent about three rounds fixing away on the back of a blackhawk. Got a ton of points but my team lost both rounds by very large margins. Not to mention it was the most boring two rounds i have ever played in BF2!! Just mindless ratcheting away with my wrench!!!
So my question to you all is what can be done to make the stat system more in line with playing the game the right way. How to reward that squad leader that directs his squad, keeps them alive, and captures and holds key strategic position. How to reward the poor soul who sits in the anti-aircraft seat and takes a real beating for the team but is able to disrupt the enemy airplanes and choppers enough so that the infantry can have a chance without being blasted from above? What about that special ops soldier who suicide bombs that tank that is raping your spawn point. How do you reward the player who takes one for the team?
Here are some of my suggestions:
1) Everybody on a team should earn a bonus if their team wins (not just the commanders)
2) Active squad leaders should get a bonus for directing their teams.
3) Players should get more points for destroying an enemy tank, apc, helicopter or airplane than for killing a regular soldier. It is so much harder to do and you take such a beating doing it. Give that anti-tank specialist for blowing up that tank...its not so easy to do!
4) Outposts should have different values assigned based on their strategic importance so that more points are given for capping or defending them.
5) Players should be required to join a squad
6) Players closer to their squad leader should get more points than those players that join squads and lone wolf it
7) Really reward the attack and defence of artillery, satelite and UAV. These play such an important part of the strategy in the game
8) Give extra points to players that follow their commander's orders! This would especially be useful when asking a squad to defend a key point. To date, as commander, I can remember only a couple of times when squads have listened to my orders of "defend this point". Give them points for successfully defending it and that may change.
I am sure there are holes in my suggestions that would lead to further abuse of the system for the sake of stat padding, however I would really like to see an improvement in the current state of team-play on servers. I am curious what other ideas people have about this...
Last edited by superfly_cox (2005-10-03 05:15:09)