Ship Shuffel

[HamsterIV]

I posted this in the last forum and since we have had three pages of discussion about team stacking I want to post it again here:

Some servers devolve into one sided stomp fests. For the players on the loosing end this can't be very fun. To empower the loosing side I suggest they be presented with the option to shuffle the ships at the end of the a match. This option should only present itself if the loosing team had a score of 0 from the previous match.

Many captains I know do this on an informal basis, transferring their whole crew over to the other team when there is an empty ship due to rage quit or crash. This mechanic would make it easier for this balancing behavior to occur since there is less of a threat of loosing a valuable crew member in the transfer.

[Shinkurex]

This is definitely a good idea, but I can see it being abused... Red team notices that Blue team is stacked, so in game, they just sit there and do nothing while the stacked team kills them... 0 score forces a ship switch... That's the only concern I have with your current suggestion... I think that the ability to switch sides for the entire crew could be extremely useful, so I'm not saying to through it completely out... just the idea of when to use it

[HamsterIV]

This is definitely a good idea, but I can see it being abused... Red team notices that Blue team is stacked, so in game, they just sit there and do nothing while the stacked team kills them... 0 score forces a ship switch...

If the loosing team can't coordinate themselves to fight effectively how will they coordinate a mass lay down and die protests?

I think the potential for abuse comes more from the stacked side which can feed the other team a pity kill to keep their team together.

Also if the teams are stacked because one ship is really good, there is only a 50% chance a ship shuffle will result in a loosing ship ending up teamed with it at the end of the shuffle.

That's the only concern I have with your current suggestion... I think that the ability to switch sides for the entire crew could be extremely useful, so I'm not saying to through it completely out... just the idea of when to use it

I envision it working by at the end of the match the game checks the score for 0 on one team. If it is 0 all member of that team get a poppup message saying:
"That went rather badly, would you like to shuffle the ships?"
Only when more than 1/2 the loosing team votes yes does the shuffle occur. That way if the loss was a fluke in an otherwise even game the loosing side can elect to stay together.

Muse of course can implement it however they like, if they choose to implement it at all.

[Pickle]

I'd do it the other way.. I'd offer the *winning* team the option to swap ships, so one complete crew swaps between red/blue.

[HamsterIV]

I'd do it the other way.. I'd offer the *winning* team the option to swap ships, so one complete crew swaps between red/blue.

That would also work I guess, since it would put the new game dynamic in the hands of the more experienced players. However I worry that the new players will have a "WTF just happened moment?" when their team gets reordered without their consent. Also your way would rely on the generosity and sense of fairness of online players which, while abundant in this community, is a scarce resource on the internet.

[Pickle]

Or the winners could offer to swap with a button, and have that accepted by the losers?  a two-way interaction is the only way to avoid one or other side being suprised by the swap.

[Jazzza]

I'm for this idea but instead of allowing one team or the other to instigate it, I think anyone  (or maybe any captain) should be able to do it at any time in the lobby.

It's possible in other games (like Source games) and I never see it abused. Maybe we should trial it before going against it?

[Helmic]

Have it put up to a vote?