Squad System - Review

[Dr Sadako]

I think, and correct me if I'm wrong, that this will all boil down to one thing:

Do we want to be extremely competitive or do we want to be the "nice guys of PCS".

IMHO here's a correction:

The squad system, as I tried to intimate in my earlier post in this thread, does not have to boil down to a 'competitive squad' and another squad.  For example, I have found it much more helpful in figuring out whether or not I'm likely to get a match 'tonight'.
[/b]

This is the best feature of the entire system I would say. Knowing if you are going to play or not. It is easy now to see also if you are needed as the extra guy in a ghost match. This makes planning easier for SLs, ghosts and zombies I think. It has for me at least. I know that when I joined back in october my first question was who gets picked for matches and how? We had 20+ players for some matches back then.

It does not have to be an elite squad, in that respect it is only as elite as the reverence you give to it. Give it none and it will not be elite. As an alternative I suggested that we could rotate players between the squads to keep this advantage.

I agree with both of you here. The zombies were picked for more competitative games as I understand it. We wanted wins.
The separation of our clan in zombies and ghosts lead to some alienation and resentment. Not gettin picked for something or getting picked last isn't fun at all. This alienation within the clan is not good at all and we need to figure out some way of keeping the squad system and not leaving anybody outside. I like the squads mainly because the above statement. You know when you will play. So how shall we solve this? Suggestions (not placed in any order) and also to have 3 squads (25/3=8 ) :

1. Squads based on match days. We all have different schedules and some days are suited better than others. Clan Base on Thursdays and Enemy Down on Wednesdays and Sundays. Problem though if everybody are available on a Sunday. I don't want to be the SL to pick the team then.

2. We appoint three new SLs every month and the previous months SLs will act as deputies. This way we will all learn to be SLs. Squads could be based on attendence to our server for example. We still need a fixed bunch of people in each squad that month. Then we use a rotating match schedule so that first squad plays the first match (independently if it is ED or CB) second squad second match ... first squad fourth match etc.

3. Then we have the issue of wanting to play in ED or CB matches. Some people maybe don't want to play CB and get raped week after week? This could also be a selection method in some way.

4. Depending on map. We usually play on only 3 or 4 maps. We could maybe create an Aztec squad, Inferno squad etc.

5. Kind of the same as 4. but depending on weapons skill. Sniping Vs. close combat. Aztec vs. office/prodigy kind of maps. We create balanced weapons squad. E.g. I don't regularly snipe I am more of a colt/aug/p90 kind of player and therefore I am placed in a position on map that requires that kind of player type, say bridgeroom on aztec.

6. If we are not having squads maybe some one of our programmers could do a selection-program that based on availability and played matches picks the team. Database programmers take one step forward.

You can surely mix some of these up and get more possibilities. Just remember that there are possibilites.

Another benefit that has nothing to do with a two tier system is that the squads (both Ghosts and Zombies) have started to play better together as a team. Over the period of the squad experiment I have seen both squads improve because you get to play with the same group of people in a match situation on a regular basis.

Yes I we all have seen this and I also think that we as a clan have raised our level of play. I have played many matches the last 2 months in both zombie and ghost matches. We have won matches against better opponents by just sticking to tactics and playing as a team. Both zombies and ghosts have improved a lot. Tacticswise all players have become better. This is obvious when playing on MH. It is much higher level of play now I think.

Also, remember the SL advantages....

I agree fully. The SLs have improved much and are more experienced. We need to train more SLs. I think this is good for our clan. OB and Sheepy for example have become more confident leaders and this have shown in their own play aswell.

We need to know if people are available or not. Independently on what system we decide to use. Sign up if you are available or not. It is only one minute of your time.

[Armitage]

most of my points are going over what has already been said. but i'm saying them any way  one of the biggest plus's is that when you put your name down you know that you stand a good chance of playing.

Most of the time I would be playing CS when a match was due anyway but before the squad system there was nothing more irritating than busting a gut to get in only to find 20 other people on irc and not getting a game . so making the squads 12 aside would be a small step backward, in not knowing if you would play or not.

As for a random reshuffle of the zombies & ghosts I can't see that this  will help. firstly can I say that the way the teams were picked was not perfect and will seem very unfair to some players that are easily good enough to make the first team but it had to start somewhere.

Due to the fact our so called best players are W4-D1-L4 on clanbase at the moment proves that we can not rest on our laurels. but there should be a way to move players from one team to another. this will only make the team stronger in encouraging players to improve themselves and that can't be a bad thing.

as for squads splitting the clan. when I play a match on Thursdays I'm playing for DMW. I don't even think zombie/ghost. but I do like to win and going back to the old system will only bring back the days on losing ever game 23-1, which I don't find fun :cry:  and as I recall we always went in to games expecting to lose. now I feel we expect to win  

[Benny]

I ain't been here that long but hey ho. I put my availability down for whatever match and that's it. I haven't registered the difference between zombies and ghosts, I just play as a nd when.

I think the best point made above, and I can't be arsed to go and quote it it :wink: , was about whether you wanna be nice or you wanna win.

I've played a couple of matches, got raped in one and did alright in the other. The one that was close was enjoyable, but no-one likes getting raped. I'm simply not good enough to play against top-nut sides at the moment and TBH I would play if asked, but I glean no enjoyment from headhot after headshot. I think that makes sense.

So, I suppose I'm saying keep the squads, the better players, play the more 'serious' squads, and dopey buggers like me who play for fun do just that.

[Stryker]

In the eyes of fairness I think smite had the best idea, form 3 squads with a nice spread of skills.... most people like the current two squads cos they get better chance of playing games, well at least zombies do.... strange, I'm still to see a ghost who loves the idea.

3 squads would mean we could easily play 3 matches per week.... plus it means there would be plenty of peeps around to play on MH even when a match is on baldric.

[Stryker]

and in continuation of my last post.....

the three squads would simply represent a preference for that squads players to play on that squads match night...  then other squad players could fill and left over spaces.

I'd rather drop the elitism alltogether cos it sucks big time.... its nothing new, every clan on the planet is struggling for that... and for most I'm sad to say it even leads to cheating.

[Armitage]

not sure if we have enough players who want to play matches to field 3 teams. and on the plus side of elitism is so it should make it easier to find sides equal in abilty, hopfully cut down on the beatings we get.

[FatBob]

i am undeceided on the ghosts and zombies thang. it is fair to say that zombies are doing well on CB and Ghosts have improved well after a dodgy start on ED over a short space of time. but it seems like although the ghosts enjoy far superior numbers of players the attendances for some of the matches has been awful esp when you think there are 8 zom's and 17 ghosts yet i've been in a ghost match that needed 3 zombies to make up the numbers!!! i dont know if this is lack of interest due to the squad system in place (don't forget we had to start somewhere) or alot of people bin washin their hair alot !!!. so after searching my feelings and consulting zen i am also thinking along the lines of stryker and smitey, 3 squads of mixed ability, 3 different match nights, replacements sign up on availability pages as backup if needed. we have 2 SL's and 2 deputys already so we would only need to recruit 2 more people into the SL deputy roles and voila we are ready to rock and roll.

its weird but when playing dMw games the winning and losing is not important to me, what is and has been for the last year and a half is the crack. when we were going down 23-1 week after week it didnt matter every now and again we would say "they had to be using aimbots etc" or "we really need to practice" but it was only every now and again, the rest of the time we played our game, had a laugh then went back to playing PCS on meathook and every1 felt much better cos PCS is our game not uber L337 fragmonkeying (exception made for you frenzy cos u rule). what i miss the most after all the ghost/zombies thang is playin CS with the people that i played with week in week out for a good year b4 we exploded into a big clan with loads of people oldie,smite,tl,frenzy,stryker(oh those classic tk's) and last but not least the man who makes this whole thing possible Doggers. but blasts from the past aside what TL says about reliving the pressure on oldie is fair and good because  its a time consuming thing arranging matches, chasing people up , admining matches etc and i think this is one possible way of taking a bit more hassle off the old fella, while setting up 3  close knit, varied, interchangeable squads that at least have a fighting chance of getting a result and as a famous man once said "why the TANGO should the A team get the best players"(ok that was me as captain of the school football B team!!) skill and experience are things that should be shared and i think having 2-3 of the better players in each team is not diluting our best team but strengthening the other 2 teams and as has been said b4 we are still all dMw. we have 25 regulars playin for us, so getting 3 teams of 5-6 players who will play one night a week cant be impossible and if it is then why did ya join !! any1 can sign up and play on MeatHook but only a few are invited into the clan and we would all do well to remember that !. here endith my 2p's worth.

[sheepy]

I
 and dopey buggers like me who play for fun do just that.

i think that we all fall under that catagory m8ty.

on a selfish note i have really enjoyed being a SL and i have found that it has improved my play ALOT, i have felt i have done a good job and i hope that i have lived up to all expectations.

3 squads may be a good idea, it may not, as it may end up being an idea to find a new organisation to start the 3rd squad up in. OR we could have 2 squads in serious competitions/ ladders [eg keep ghosts and zombies just have a reshuffle with 12 or so players in each] and keep ED on the sundays and wednesdays so that we can all play together in one competition as -=[dMw]=- in a whole and not as either denomination of squad.

[OldBloke]

Anyone else care to make a comment?

I was hoping for the views of a few more members than this so c'mon ppl.

[Armitage]

One more thing and i'll shut up :oops:
should we not see if we have enough people that want to commit to play matches every week.

maybe a list is in order

[Anonymous]

There is a list.



    If you have -=[dMw]=- at the start of your name you are on it :-)

[FatBob]

i luv u oldie
if proof is needed i went round his house last night and cut him in half and it said -=[dMw]=- on his bloody upper torso not -=[dMw]=-Oldbloke
just -=[dMw]=- (not sure about the legs rude to stare and all that)
nuff said
respect and applause is due
thanx for everything dude, u rule and long may u do so !!!!
now do like he said all you apothetic mofo's and make opinions known or forever hold your pieces.
if no more comments are received fatbob will visit you and sit on your face's and nobody want's that....do they?
smitey and jas u r banned from replying cos i know you bitches like that  8O

[FrEnZy]

...some one breathalisze that fatbob!

 :wink:

[Anonymous]

done that.

Pissed as a fart M8

[Anonymous]

Having regularly been called a member in the past I'll comment :-)

I thought Smites and FBs comments about multi teams was good and also agree that it is not fair for Oldie to run everything. Why don't we change things and get Sheepy to run everything? LOL

Seriously, Sheepy has done a good job - I don't have time or inclination to take on an SL role so "hats off" to those who put in the effort for the rest of us and thank you. I suppose it is easy to forget that a lot goes on behind the scenes and that SL is hard work - I did it once by accident and I was knackered after the match!

I think it boils down to the fact that a lot of us seem to want to spend time playing with the really good players (that is a good way to improve). I have improved a lot, from crap to bloody awful, so there is lots of scope for me remaining. To be honest I'm not sure what the right answer is just now. I imagine that we will end up in the "can't please everybody" regime which is understandable.

I was a bit frightened by sheepy's comment regarding a new organisation running a 3rd team or did I misunderstand and he meant that we would need another SL rather than another clan ;-)