Stack attack

[Plastic Jesus]

So, I've talked with a few people about this, and it seems that often when I am on the server the teams are stacked. Not just a little, but massively stacked. This is not that just cC members are on one team, as that does not always mean the team is stacked. I have been choosing random, but I end up landing on teams that are either complete crap or that are too good. Either is not fun, I don't want to be on a team that can't win or a team that can't lose, as the most fun that I have, and that I see other people having is when the teams are balanced and and the scores are closer. Most of the scramble votes are failing, and people seem to bitch a lot when an admin scrambles the teams after a serious stackjob. I would submit that as admins we should scramble the teams any time one team wins overhelmingly. The other night, I ran around as an engie wrenching people because my team was so stacked. Let people know what you think here, please be civil and try not to point fingers at team stackers (as all of us are at some point guilty of this).

[Divine Fate]

Going random is the best way to prevent stacking of teams. And if, by some chance, they become stacked, you have an excuse. Even then, you can try to unstack them yourself by changing teams and whatnot, but if all else fails, scramble the teams. People will yell, yes, but chances are maybe one stacker will get mad and everybody else will be happy because stacking is gone. Just, please, don't force scramble in the middle of a game. If teams are truly stacked, wait until that team wins the game THEN scramble them up.

Don't just think the teams are stacked though, maybe (especially during playtesting) the map might be a little unbalanced, and if that's the case then you just scrambled the teams to allow for 4 more rounds and 30 more minutes of that unbalanced map. Nice going, you really deserve to get yelled at.

[GrimGriz]

Speaking of which, when cap or someone gets some time to look for it...I know from experience on another server there's a scrambler that doesn't reset the timer or restart the game. It's probably either on the TF2maps servers or (more likely) or on a server I play on called the machine that does mainly stock maps. I think it's the latter because players can do /votescramble (or some other syntax) and it just adds them to a list like RTV rather than a vote-vote.

More importantly though - anyone with admin should have the success of the server/community over their own fun stomping people into the ground. You know if you're decent and should switch or not...quit putting yourself first.

[Plastic Jesus]

As far as PL or defense maps that are stacked there is really nothing you can do about it. There are some maps where if red team loses then I know it's a stack, as there are maps I have only won once or twice as blue team. Some defense maps are ONLY possible if the team really works together and should not be easy. Oh, and a last second or overtime capture is one of the best moments in TF2, so when there is a hard map like that and you win it at the last second, you know both sides have played well. Even losing that way you still sort of win from the amount of fun you should have had to that point.

[KEKEKE]

Captain mentioned a server mod that I have seen on another server I play on in which the team scramble is kinda like an RTV that anyone can call. You just type /scramble into chat and eventually with enough votes it'll scramble. Seems like a decent idea to me so long as it doesn't turn into a scramble fest

Outside of that, as much as I don't like it, it's part of the game. Outside of banning people who are obviously team stacking (which has been suggested) you just gotta figure that it's bound to happen.

Also, something I've seen happen is that teams are pretty well balanced, but team A has a Daedlus or Warmonger and team B doesnt. Team B complains about a stack so the Daedlus or Warmonger hops over to team B and all of the sudden team B is stacked. Point being, sometimes teams aren't as stacked as they may seem.

This isn't to say I haven't seen a lot of spectate win joining.

[RandomGuy]

We have this keke type !votescramble or votescamble i think

[GrimGriz]

What is currently on the server requires an admin to type !votescramble or /votescramble, and starts a vote where everyone has to press 1 or 2. (first pic)

The one me and kekeke are talking about any player types "scramble" and you typing it counts as a vote toward a scramble.
(second pic)

[Divine Fate]

For some reason I always get ticked when somebody joins spectator just to join the other team when the teams autobalance. Also when somebody just flat out changes teams,

[captainAngry]

Speaking of which, when cap or someone gets some time to look for it...I know from experience on another server there's a scrambler that doesn't reset the timer or restart the game. It's probably either on the TF2maps servers or (more likely) or on a server I play on called the machine that does mainly stock maps. I think it's the latter because players can do /votescramble (or some other syntax) and it just adds them to a list like RTV rather than a vote-vote.

I have looked at that votescramble pluggin and it seems like I good idea. Also, I don't belive the scramble actually resets the time. At least it didn't used to. It should keep the time the same and reset the rounds since we now have new teams. I'll double check.

Also, something I've seen happen is that teams are pretty well balanced, but team A has a Daedlus or Warmonger and team B doesnt. Team B complains about a stack so the Daedlus or Warmonger hops over to team B and all of the sudden team B is stacked. Point being, sometimes teams aren't as stacked as they may seem.

That's why it's really important that the Daedlus and Warmonger types make sure to do their best to unstack the teams and lucky for us, most of the really good players will change when teams are stacked.