Team formats and lasertag
Submitted by whateverpt on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 02:35
"I've been playing zone lately. Here some things I've been thinking about relating to the number of teams in a game
and its impact on strategy. I will compare my home system AR with Zone. I'm not attempting to say absolutes,
just discuss the impacts of different things strategy wise.
2 Teams per game
"
In every 2 team format I've ever played, a loss for the opposing team is the same as a gain for yours. Tagging
an opponent is not only worth what points you gain but what points they lose. For example if you tag your opponent
getting 10,000 he loses 5,000 that’s the same as you gaining 15,000 or him losing 15,000 at least as far as team
ranking is concerned. Taking a player out of the game by, stalking (following, manning, whatever), is a net benefit
to your team assuming this formula:
OpponentFollowedScore - OpponentScore <= YourScore - YourFollowingScore
As long as the above formula holds true, following may be a good idea. Though this only accounts for score and not
some of the more intangible benifits. Now its impossible to know what they would have scored had you not followed
them etc. but you can generally guesstimate. Teamwork is important in all types of team formats, but score is
easier to look at so we'll just do that in this article. As well as the fact that I haven't figured out a better
way to do it. You can earn lots of points for your team or for yourself(or of course do both or neither). If you
can do something which earns another player on your team points, that’s as good for the teams victory as earning the
same number of points for yourself. If you can do something which loses yourself points that is a net benefit for your
team then its a net benefit. If you do something which nets you 200 points but loses your team mate 500, you just lost your
team points. Here have a forumla:
TotalScoreBenefit = YourTeamMatesGain + YourGain - (YourTeamMatesLoss + YourLoss)
In A.C.C Settings a base hit is only worth 2 player tags(1.333 repeating to be precise, not counting however many
shots it took). So in retrospect the only reason that everyone always went for the base was because attacking during
the time it took to drop a base the opposing team would only be at your base earning those tags while you were fighting them.
3 Teams
Damn if the 3 team format as played in zone doesn't change darn near everything. First you'll note first that because
its not just one team vs the other, a lose for one of your opposing teams is not exactly the same as a gain for you.
So scoring points becomes worth a lot more the 'costing another team points. Still if you can guess who's above you,
one can go to hurt them more because they're loss is worth more to you. And while I didn't mean this when I typed it,
I'm guessing that the easiest way to add to your rank is to screw over the team directly above you as much as possible.
A second is better then a third, and that difference is probably worth more unless you think you can screw over the top ranked
team even harder.
Following a player becomes less worthwhile, because your player is likely not getting that many points, though the player you
followed is likely losing points. Of course the real problem is that during this entire process the 3rd team is reaping most of
the benefits and not using the player to follow or having a player being taken out of the game by being followed. Directly attacking
say Team 2 weakens your ability to handle team 3, unless of course team 3 is already attacking 2.
So I guess that is the crux of 3 team formats in this cut throat scenario you need to be careful not to denote to many resources
to a particular opponent or goal, because this is helping your other opponent. One can only place so many resources in taking good
positions or chasing down threats from opponents, because your dealing with 2 opponents trying to do the same.
On that note a completely useless equation.
Team1Score >= Team2Score >= Team3Scoreorteam1score - team2score >= 0team1score - team3score >= 0
In zone at least a base tag is worth 3k assuming you don't get denied. A front sensor tag is worth 200.. so its only 15
front sensor tags for a base hit or 30 backs. I can see the world firing up their ""your an idiot gun"" but hold on. During
the time your trying to get the base your getting getting tagged, and usually not getting a lot of tags. A large portion of your
team is there, not getting tags, all so you can get into the base where, while your in a much better against opponents your just
waiting on the base, where you waste at least 24 seconds (20 for the base to reset, 4 to tag it) between points. So bases can quickly
become not worth it. Notice however to not earn a base hit, you have to earn 3000 points or cost both other teams 3000."
Oh and as always...
TagDaPlanet