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| Matches are the best and worst part about being on a team. The best for the sense of teamwork and camraderie, and the worst for the amount of time and discipline it takes to create a succesful match team.
There are two approaches to matches, create a team that has fun, and matches are a secondary priority, or create a team that is designed to win every match it enters. A fun team is more like a weekend softball team, playing for fun and enjoyment, a match team is more like the pros, winning is more important than having fun. |
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A team that plays for fun will approach matches as a healthy competition, and the goal is to play a more intense game, with the outcome a secondary concern. Everyone wants to win, but people are not going to be booted from the team if there's a loss.
A team designed for winning matches will have to have an extra level of discipline and dedication. A personal story: A friend of mine worked at a theme park, where they have a rowboat ride. One time a crew rowing team from a local college got on the ride, and were going to show them how it was done. They were pretty good. A few months later a group of Navy SEALs got on the ride, with the same operator. No comparison. They did a prebrief setup, took orders from the leader and started off with a barking cadence count, OARS at READY, Oars set, GO, GO, GO creating a superior, almost perfectly timed teamwork. They would have put the college team to shame in a race. My friend said the rowboat was putting out a good wake, and almost felt like a powerboat it was going so fast.A match team will need to create a roster for first pick match players and alternates. If someone is having a few bad games, then they need to be pulled from the priamry list and placed as an alternate. If someone blows a few plays in consecutive matches, they need to be benched. A match team will have a higher turnover, because of the need for quality players and some sidelined players will leave. Practices are mandatory, and if someone is commited to a match and is a no show without a very good reason, there needs to be some repurcussions. (My girlfriend came over would not be an acceptable reason.) Always have the 8 match players ready 30-45 minutes prior to the match, and at least 4 alternates. One thing to avoid with match teams, as it has destroyed some teams, don't give the first pick players special tags for game use. A personal story: There was a very good team in DF2, and when they allowed their first string match players to add a "-E" for elite at the end of their tags, the team dissolved because of egos and conflicts. As soon as I saw the -E on their tags, it signalled the beginning of the end for the team to me. The end came 2-3 months after that move. Keep your A list private in the forums, no need to post the list on a website or advertise it in the game, it makes the B team feel less involved, and every team needs multiple layers of players. Only announce the roster for match at the last possible moment. You can post screen shots after a match, and then people will see who was involved in the wins, without making players feel left out.The match team will need to approach every match with the same level of discipline and commitment. Too many match teams will take it too far, and start breaking rules in order to win. Try not to let winning become so important that players take to using cheats and unfair practices. One "unfair" move some players will do is to unplug their computer from their cable or DSL modem. It creates a short connection interruption, where the player can either jump without dying, do impossible moves if connected, or move into an area without being seen. Some teams have been caught using "dirt skins" in matches, where their uniform is the same color and shading as the ground, so that when the player goes prone, they are invisible. Most match teams will use the grey areas of the maps, and some will blatantly glitch.
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Here we may display a picture of this month's special:
Blank CDs: 20% off
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Let us know if these tips helped you, and what other topics will help you more.
Creating better gamers is our mission.
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