Games W3D Hub Pick-Up-Games (PUGs)

[AZ-Stalker]

Voe and I were talking about trying to organize an APB clan war type of thing with anyone interested. Some high level play with teamspeak and everything.The problem is that we don't have the playerbase to support two high-end clans facing it off properly without one overpowering the other by sheer pro-player-snatch-up. To counter that we're going to try and make a community-wide roster and put everyone in teams prior to a match depending on game experience so the team skillsets are somewhat evened out.

Anyone who applies to participate cannot expect for their entire clan to be placed on one side, it all depends on how many skilled players we have to put in game. We'll need somewhat evened out teams. We can handle this by having two very experienced W3D Hub staff members picking team members prior to the begining of a PUG (Pick-Up-Game) match on teamspeak. You don't have to have a microphone to participate (but it would greatly boost the quality of the game if you did!), but you do need to be able to listen in and follow directions if a strategy is being put in motion in game.

Anyone who wants to join up and apply to play in PUG matches can just leave a reply here. We're trying to see how many people we can scrape up to play in organized matches. Ideally on a weekend for this first test. Anyone can play as long as you cooperate, don't go against a chosen team leader's game tactic and don't team hamper or break any server rules.

We also need people interested in moderating and helping organize the thing, just keeping track of people and helping set up teams prior to a match on teamspeak.

(moderators feel free to edit and add or remove people from the roster)
POSSIBLE PLAYER ROSTER:

1. Spoiler

    

   1. Voe
   2. AZ-Stalker
   3. Zee
   4. Einstein
   5. OrangeP47
   6. Killing You
   7. Mojoman
   8. des1206
   9. Pushwall
   10. FRAYDO
   11. OWA
   12. Chaos_Knight
   13. Wallywood
   14. NoSoldier
   15. SilverShark / Totd
   16. A4R91N
   17. SirJustin90
   18. Forg0ten1
   19. Alstar
   20. ChopBam
   21. TeamWolf
   22. Silverlight

    

    

 

[Voe]

Hey guys. The origin of this idea comes from a couple of games AZ-Stalker, Zee and I have played tonight on the main server. Having a small team of closely cooperating teammates, on teamspeak and with a decent leadership reminded us of the good old APB clan wars.

As our player base is limited, with some of us coming and going, the currently existing "clans" don't really work out. We want more of these teamwork oriented games, but it's hard to pull off if we have uneven, predetermined teams which can't even mobilize forces for a single match within 2(?) years of Delta's existence. Besides, what about those players who don't belong to a clan? We're sure they'd like to participate, too.

We want to start a new initiative where those willing to do some real tournament game play can sign up quickly before an event, assign themselves into teams and go out and fight. No clans. Just us, the APB players. Our thought is to organize these events on Weekends, perhaps even as a form of replacement for one the the "Gaming Nights".

Your answers to questions in the poll should give us a better idea of how to make it happen. Do we want to set-up a team a week before the event? That gives time to prepare for the maps and work out some form of coordination between players who most likely never played with one another. On the other hand, if the turn-out a week later is low, we might not be able to start. On the other hand, having teams picked ad-hoc can ensure the teams are even and everyone is there, but at the cost of actual training and practice.

What do you think? How would you like to see it happen? Discussion is now open

Some form of VoIP is, of course, mandatory. Typing in the chat just doesn't cut it when seconds can turn the game around.

 

[Killing_You]

I'm down for this.

[OrangeP47]

While I'd love to play, I recently discovered my mic is busted. Considering it's like a 50 dollar headset and the rest of it is still good I'm not going to be replacing it any time soon despite that.

[Killing_You]

You could probably get an external mic somewhere without having to replace the whole thing. Not the best option, I know, but if you don't want to replace your headset that's what I'd recommend.

[AZ-Stalker]

I'm sure we can manage with some people just listening in, albeit that's the less than ideal version. We have quick commands in game too so should be fine. The important thing is we actually get it going and organize. Hence why, really, anyone who can listen to people on teamspeak is free to join. I'm not for cutting people out if it's just a mic issue.

[Mojoman]

I'd be up for it!

 

[Voe]

If you have other friends playing the game, let them know of this thread

[AZ-Stalker]

Let's go W3D players, fill up the roster! You have no obligation to show up at any point. It's purely to see how many of you are interested and would join in if you could. It's just like any other game night except we're picking teams before a match and coordinating better. Don't be shy!

[des1206]

I'm in

[Pushwall]

Me too. Kinda need to get another mic before this though.

[FRAYDO]

Idk what the clans are up to these days, my own included. Count me in for this.

[OrangeP47]

While I'd like to think I'm one that would offer a lot as far as tactics go, if you'd all be fine with me just listening in and following orders that's good enough I guess. Not like I'm going to argue text is better than VOIP, but I type insanely fast too so i won't be entirely useless for callouts. The only time it's ever been a problem is specifically when Pushwall needs info from me, so just don't put me on his team and we'll be good to go

Also, I'm going to the store tomorrow, if there's a crappy mic for like 5 dollars I might pick it up, but with my computer setup I need some specific types and there aren't many free ports (and the store sucks) so we'll see.

Edited April 19, 2017 by OrangeP47

[Voe]

Nice! Keep the list going!

[OWA]

Sign me up. I want to relive 2008 all over again.

Also guys, if you want to have some of the best games of APB possible; sign up for this.

It's gonna be special.

[AZ-Stalker]

Keep it up everyone, lets get it to 20 interested players at least! Testers and server regulars join up too! This translates to all of our games once it picks up!

Anyone with moderator powers please feel free to edit the roster list in the first post if for whatever reason I'm not here to add people in.

[Chaos_Knight]

I am in

[Wallywood]

This is awesome. More so with the new TSR coming out soon

[Nodlied]

Considering the mess I got into today, I'm pretty much out until the start of the summer holidays.

[des1206]

@Pushwall I am actually really interested if we can track the win/loss for these games. Number wise it probably won't be statistically significant, but still it can give a glimpse on how balance shakes out when the game is played the way it's meant to be played - large organized games with RTS like strategies. 

[Einstein]

I believe the stats system can be set and reset at our liking. Pretty flexible in that respect from what I understand.

[AZ-Stalker]

Just bumping this again. To anyone interested in playing APB or TSR games in a team versus team fashion where everyone coordinates like in the best possible regular server games (or better) please leave us a reply and sign up if you haven't already. You have no obligation to show up to any PUG match, but we can't organize correctly if we don't know you exist. Let us add you to the roster which is just a reference list to see how many players like to play cooperatively with others.

Quote

In sports, a pick-up game is a game that has been spontaneously started by a group of players. Players are generally invited to show up beforehand, but unlike exhibition games there is no sense of obligation or commitment to play. (in other words, who shows up - plays)

Don't be shy. Just push that reply button and vote in the poll above! We need your help and feedback to make this happen!

[Pushwall]

So what about people who aren't on this list when a game starts, or join midgame? How are they distributed? How do we explain all the "random" team switching to the rando's who don't visit the forums and therefore aren't seeing this?

[AZ-Stalker]

Any way to set a password on the server temporarily and edit the server name to "check XYZ for info" or something?

Anyone who drops in kinda defeats the purpose of the PUG starting with pre-fixed teams, so that should be avoided. Ideally you can only join on the next map if you're late. I've added a few teamspeak channels with descriptions and some basic rules as to how I think this should roughly play out. Open to changes of course, just figured we need something as a start.

People join a waiting room on teamspeak and team leaders pull them in accordingly or something.

Edited April 20, 2017 by AZ-Stalker

[FRAYDO]

Thirteen signups so far. I'm hype. If I don't get some PR posts out tomorrow morning and get the word out on this one, remind me to do so!

[Pushwall]

2 hours ago, AZ-Stalker said:

Any way to set a password on the server temporarily and edit the server name to "check XYZ for info" or something?

Anyone who drops in kinda defeats the purpose of the PUG starting with pre-fixed teams, so that should be avoided. Ideally you can only join on the next map if you're late. I've added a few teamspeak channels with descriptions and some basic rules as to how I think this should roughly play out. Open to changes of course, just figured we need something as a start.

I get that that's the point of a PUG but surely there are better ways to do this than to just say "no, fuck you, you don't deserve to play" to new players, people who don't read the forum, people who don't read the chat, or aren't into the game enough to strategise? Why drive that long list of players away from the game? Got another server we can use for this, so they can all play if the time they want/can play coincides with PUG time or...?

But then, splitting onto another server when there's enough room on one server for everyone anyway, when most people's decision to join a server is based on how many players are already there, is also a detriment...

Another option would be if we had a way to force players that aren't on a list to be neutral spectators during "pug mode", and give them some sort of semi-mute that prevents them from spoiling things in PM/all-chat but still allows them to use their "team chat" (yes, neutral actually has a team chat) to theorise about peoples' plans/point out awesome battles to other specs. But that's not an option right now; the most we can do is give them a real mute, which looks pretty rude and doesn't prevent PMs, and change them to the Ghost Spec character, which still has collision and doesn't "fly". (This I can fix for next patch at least.) There's also the issue that on a lot of maps (particularly the smaller maps where Molotov Hunting was never intended to happen) neutrals spawn under the map and fall to their death.

[AZ-Stalker]

Well I'm not very informed about the server-side of things so that's one thing you guys have to figure out. I just got the ball rolling. As an example, the way Renegade X does it with their PUGs is that they have a passworded server and you get a password after you hop on teamspeak and so on. But for a single server thing with random players, I'm not sure we can pull it off properly by just letting anyone jump in, they won't even know whats going on, thinking it's a regular match. Albeit we might not have much choice for the first time around. Maybe a message that repeats during the game telling people to join TS that a special match is in progress or something along those lines? I'd love to hear what everyone thinks on what's the best way to handle all of that.

@FRAYDO DesoPug might be able to help you out with getting the word out:

Spoiler

 

[NoSoldier]

@Alstar Time for a short revival of =DIE=, isn't it?

 

Sign me up

[SilverShark]

Looks like  Videomaker will have some work to do. :D

[Voe]

Greetings, Totd