[Balance Mechanic] Ranged Ratio Balance

[Dexxtaa]

I know that with Banner Balance and all that right now that it's pretty hard on everyone (oh no).

But I was thinking of perhaps a Ranged Ratio Balance that could be included into the current existing balancing systems.

Say, for example, you carry a bow (or crossbow), each team will have about the equal amounts of bows and crossbows.
If you were to carry a throwing weapon, the same system could be used, but for throwers. That kind of thing.

I'm not one to complain over the forums, but I just logged off (read; GTX) a server, because archers are all over the place. I kid you not there are perhaps 40 people on the NA1 server and about 30 of them are archers, and almost all of them get balanced to the same team. So once you get killing 2 guys, you end up spending the remaining 6 minutes of battle chasing people.

Anyway, would it be possible, given that WSE is now part of the mod ?

Please discuss this idea, why it would and why it wouldn't work. I'd like to have more perspective on this.

[Sawbone]

I think increasing the weight on Quivers, and making it exponential for each new quiver added would slow these bastards down. They would stop machinegunning the entire field with suppression fire since they would normally have fewer arrows... or would be slow as hell if they want to bring the same amount of munitions.

The problem with Item balance is that you can always alter your equipment set before the round: most people will not equip their Bows right off the bat, but equip them once balancing has been done and the round is about to start.

[Glyph]

I think increasing the weight on Quivers, and making it exponential for each new quiver added would slow these bastards down. They would stop machinegunning the entire field with suppression fire since they would normally have fewer arrows... or would be slow as hell if they want to bring the same amount of munitions.

The problem with Item balance is that you can always alter your equipment set before the round: most people will not equip their Bows right off the bat, but equip them once balancing has been done and the round is about to start.

`but balancing goes on after the first round right? just a lot less because most of the balance has been done right already, i've been in a game where i've been switched teams every round, and i hated it, but it would still solve this problem i guess.

[Sawbone]

`but balancing goes on after the first round right? just a lot less because most of the balance has been done right already, i've been in a game where i've been switched teams every round, and i hated it, but it would still solve this problem i guess.

Quite probably, yes - i did experience what you have described.

But I am wondering when exactly the balancing occurs right now... from what I understand it's at the end of a round (where all the headshots occurs), before the equipment screen. Meaning that the user still has the opportunity to alter his build before the round starts.

What makes me think about this: could it be balanced using Skills/WP? i.e. split the power draw evenly, or split the team according to the server's Bow or Xbow total WP.

Quick breakdown of a WP balancing: Each side could have a similar total WP... for example, these are the hypothetical active users with Archery WP on the server:

User 1: 150 archery
User 2: 100 archery
User 3: 120 archery
User 4: 80 Archery
User 5: 15 archery

Then the system could balance the same amount of total WP on each side:

TOTAL archery WP: 468, meaning 232.5 WP on each team divided randomly.

Team 1: Users 2, 3 and 5 (235 total WP)
Team 2: Users 1 and 4 (230 total WP)

Rince and repeat for Xbows.

Think that could work?

[ShinySpoons]

Sawbone has a good idea. It seems fairly impossible to balance through equipment because of how easy it is to change. But stats and the like are already used as part of autobalance. From what I remember, autobalance looks at levels and k/dr. Stuff that is already in the database. Dosen't seem like too much of a stretch to include your skill points as well.

Course, it all depends on whether or not devs are feeling lazyXD

[Spa_geh_tea]

Would this apply to all classes then, essentially split like tf2. Either side get only so many with 3 plus riding, so many with 3 plus shields.....esc, based on char stats not wpf. Then it would take the game pop and go 50/50 on the classes. It won't be perfect but definitely an improvement.

[ArchonAlarion]

It would be incredibly lame to have perfectly matched and balanced forces.

I like asymmetric forces, idk about anyone else.

[Konrax]

I like your idea dex since the auto balance does need to be addressed.

However I suggested this a few times that range characters need to have a speed penalty to prevent the current shoot and run situation in this manner:

Archers - 3 second delay on athletics after drawing your bow.
Xbows - 3 second delay on athletics after aiming the xbow.
Throwers - 3 Second delay after pulling the weapon back for a throw.

[Zerran]

+10000, played a map yesterday where my team was comprised of 2 polearm users, I think something like 1-2 shielders, and the rest were 2H, while the other team had all archers, HA, and lance cav. I think we got maybe 4 kills the whole map. The current balance system did absolutely nothing to resolve this, it would give us maybe 1 cav or 1 archer who was immediately targeted and slaughtered by the other team.

[Rumblood]

I think increasing the weight on Quivers, and making it exponential for each new quiver added would slow these bastards down. They would stop machinegunning the entire field with suppression fire since they would normally have fewer arrows... or would be slow as hell if they want to bring the same amount of munitions.

The problem with Item balance is that you can always alter your equipment set before the round: most people will not equip their Bows right off the bat, but equip them once balancing has been done and the round is about to start.

Err what? You have to choose your inventory BEFORE you spawn and you can't change it once you do. Why would you even try to code auto-balance around what people playing the game have equipped? You do it on INVENTORY. Auto-balance happens during spawn, not during game 

[Adalwulf]

I like how this has gone from a split the range on round balance to LETS NERF ARCHERS AGAIN. butthurt much?

And yes I like Saw's idea.

[Glyph]

I like how this has gone from a split the range on round balance to LETS NERF ARCHERS AGAIN. butthurt much?

And yes I like Saw's idea.

we can all deny we hate archers and stuff, but a lot of people just do. if you don't like it, to bad.

[dodnet]

I like the idea. Same should go for cav, as youre most likely boned if all cav is on the same team.

[Sawbone]

Err what? You have to choose your inventory BEFORE you spawn and you can't change it once you do. Why would you even try to code auto-balance around what people playing the game have equipped? You do it on INVENTORY. Auto-balance happens during spawn, not during game 

Not sure I am following you here; I'm also not sure exactly when auto balance happens, but from what I've seen, it's between rounds.

You spawn once equipment is selected, but balancing occurs before the equipment screen - right?

[Gisbert_of_Thuringia]

Good idea in general but why do you always forget half of the game?

The same needs to be done for cavalry. It is ridiculous that often one team has 4 horses whereas the other one has 10-15