As stated in another of the many many threads on this subject: this
I disagree completely with this. I will state my reasons for you.
1. I like to win.
that being said, I am more than willing to take ff in a mele if the outcome is favorable. even if it isnt favorable, I dont want to penalize a teammate and possibly lose the fight because he took damage from inadvertantly hitting me because I might have gotten in the way due to my own carelessness.
2. There is no way to determine wether a player is careless, or if he is a team killer except through personal admin control and player responsibility. Some in-game mechanics have to be endured or you will break the entire way the game is played. a turtle on the the opposite team could just wade into a bunch of your team and have a higher chance of coming out alive and killing everyone because they cant risk hitting each other or they will do his work for him. effecitvely nuetering the team that has more players per engagement.
3. Having played many many many FPS games and ladders, IFF is an important part of team play. MBW already attempts to address this issue by providing you with a nice flag above your teams head. Most of the shooters I have laddered in dont even do this. In ladders AND in pubs for these games, FF already serves to penalize your team because you have hurt/killed a friendly. there is no need to give a further bonus the the opposing team for the ineptness of a team mate.
4. archery. I have been nailed in the back of the head while in a mele countless times by friendly archers and spearchuckers. they are trying to do their jobs too. I am quite certain they didnt intend to kill me and that I myself most likely moved into the path of the projectile after it was fired. Why would any archer or crossbowman ever attempt to help a team mate if he stand the risk of killing both of you instantly. I would rather take arrows in the back knowing that they are trying to help turn the tide, then have NO support at all.
5. I hit team mates by accident at least once every time I play a seige map if I am defending. if you were to penalize people for team damage, the offence would be able to scale the wall very quickly as the defenders eliminate themselves in an attempt to repel the guys from the ladders.
Team damage is neccessary
There will always be tk's with or without penalties.
without a penalty at least allows the admin to do his job, or the team to take care of it with minimal losses