Spawn Room Campers (and other gripes)

[synkrotron]

I know I'm in for a large amount of flak on this, but here goes...

I was in a Spawn Room the other night. It was in a facility that was being defended and was under heavy attack. I was constantly switching between Engineer (to service the MAX units), Medic (to heal those brave enough to go outside) and Infiltrator (to pick off the enemy where I could).

I did most of this from the Spawn Room. There were times when I did venture outside and I rez'd people when I thought it was safe. I'm sure I'm not the only one here that struggles with close quarter fighting. Not that I don't try it... I'm just crap and I die more times than I would like. So, if the situation arises I work behind a shield and help as much as I can that way.

Anyway, the NC did a great job of defending the facility and I would like to think I played a part in that. I enjoyed doing what I could to keep the guys who are better than me in the game. Rez'ing a MAX, for instance, saves that guy waiting for his MAX aquisition timer to count down (is that how it works? I've never played as a MAX much).

Then this guy starts shouting, using Proximity Chat, telling all the "Spawn Room campers" to get out there and push up and generally being quite abusive really. I'm sure it wasn't directed at me personally because there were a few of us hanging around. We were perhaps looking at the map or something...

I just ignored the verbal onslaught. It's not like it's the real army is it? I'm here to have a bit of fun, not to be ordered around by some random person. If he wants to talk to his platoon like that then fine, please do it on squad or platoon chat.

At the end of a defence like that I like to sit back a bit and take stock. And what's the point of diving straight out there just to get counter sniped?

Seriously, I leave all that run and gun, spray and pray Quake Arena Death Match stuff to those who enjoy doing that kind of thing.

I can't see why the Spawn Room Campers can't be left to do what they want. I've seen many peeps just standing there while a MAX is shouting "I need ammo!" So what? Is there any need to take a swipe at the guy just because he is not behaving as he should? Does he really deserve to be team killed?


Okay... I best "Redploy" now before I get one in the back

[OCNSethy]

Ahh, the eternal PS2 conflict between spawn dwellers and non-spawn dwellers. My advice is, if solo, play the game you want. If you are in a squad, then it's wise to follow orders but always have fun.

[findus]

I'm with you, here...

One problem of defending from the spawn room is that the attackers wait at the choke points for you, usually with MAXs. And they have a majority in numbers...I've seen not much of PS2, only a year and never PS1, but in my limited expirience most counterattacks out of the spawn room with the minority in numbers fails. So you grant the enemy the delight of winning and points by achieving much less for yourself or your faction.
If there is a well organized outfit around, placing spawn beacons or sunderers on te flanks, then there is a chance, but if its not well coordinated, its due to fail. Shouting a peeople to move is not a sufficient order, it only gets you killed...nothing more. And, as you say, this ought to be fun, i'm not there to prove, that i can run into the fire and die, i know that already...

The real problem, i think, is the mere possibility that spawn rooms CAN be camped...IMHO this is a bad mechanic, but this is discussed elsewhere in length already.

My policy is to look at the numbers, if we are outnumbered, stay, get some points and hope reinforcements show up, otherwise redeploy in due time and reorganise at the next base. Usually Clausewitz gets proved right and by some time the attackers loose momentum, which give an opportunity for a counterattack with better odds...

Only my two cents...

...and Merry Christmas, btw...

[Ohaunlaim]

I too enjoy a fine relaxing time inside a spawn camp every so often. I always spawn with a bag of marshmallows in my pocket just for such moments. On the other hand I have found that if I camp till the end, I usually end up camping much of the night as much of the enemy zerg is likely half way to the next base by the time I respawn post-loss. This eventually bores and frustrates me.

So I find I now usually give 3-5 rushes out of a spawn room and if I find, at the end, there was no progress made. I will respawn one base over, and start hitting the enemy in their poop-holes. (Because they are all looking at the spawns, this is generally easy pickings.)

Three things work for me cause I'm not a great CQC (close quarters combat) guy either.

1. Roll in a Sundry and park it on the opposite side of the base from the spawn room. Even if you're detected, their guys have to pull away from the spawns to deal with you (giving campers a chance to rush out).

2. Roll a tank or lighting, preferably AV and hit the sundy they are using to feed the spawn. I have also done mad, mad suicide rushes right into the midst of them causing general chaos as they all freak out and try to run to safety / kill something that they cant hide around a corner from.

3. Get into a good sniping position and pick off targets that are healing/reloading between bursts of pointless attacks against spawn shields. This is so easy because everybody is so sure the spawn campers will never make it out, so they tend to actually sit still for long enough to line up shots.

4. I don't often pull aircraft unless I know several other people are doing the same. Aircraft is the most obvious reaction to such situations so usually the enemy will have several dedicated max units and lightnings on AA duty.

[ChipMHazard]

Spawn rooms being what they are I can hardly blame you or anyone else from wanting to stay inside where the chance of unwanted bodily ventilation is quite low.
Where I can put the blame is on the level design putting them outside in the open. Of course one can never remove spawn camping, but one can limit it.

[ringring]

My rule was never to give the enemy free xp so if there's no possibility of retrieving a situation it is stupid to go outside.

The trouble is of course that some people want you to play in the way they want and they can be pretty obnoxious about it too. F*** 'em

[Hmr85]

You can't recap points from behind a Spawn shield. If your not pushing out helping the team your dead weight IMO. I am not a fan of Spawn room Heroes.

[Carbon Copied]

Spawn design and mechanics facilitate camping on both sides of the fence; it's infuriating from either direction so I really don't blame players for doing it. Whether you dress it up as spawn rooms with teleporters to/from another location or gravity tunnels they all lead to the same end result.

But hey if the devs keep shoveling the same shit often enough it's got to be working as intended and correct. Right?

[synkrotron]

Originally Posted by Hmr85

If your not pushing out helping the team your dead weight IMO.

That's absolutely fine, and I understand your sentiment. It would be nice if people would let the SRC's do their thing, and the Rambo, "over the top" WW1 style of fighting do theirs.

Originally Posted by OCNSethy

If you are in a squad, then it's wise to follow orders but always have fun.

Absolutely, and I play with a squad at times and I follow what orders are given. Yeah... I'll go cap that point and die trying when I am rolling with my Outfit

Originally Posted by findus

I'm with you, here...

...and Merry Christmas, btw...

Thanks And a merry Christmas to all too

I wonder, do the TR, NC and VS all get to go hunting Snowmen tomorrow, without shooting each other?

Originally Posted by Ohaunlaim

3. Get into a good sniping position and pick off targets that are healing/reloading between bursts of pointless attacks against spawn shields. This is so easy because everybody is so sure the spawn campers will never make it out, so they tend to actually sit still for long enough to line up shots.

Yep, same here, when the mood takes me I usually get knifed in the process but if I've taken down a few enemy snipers in the meantime I'm a happy, *ahem* camper

Originally Posted by Carbon Copied

But hey if the devs keep shoveling the same shit often enough it's got to be working as intended and correct. Right?

Of course... that's it really... I mean, some shields you can shoot through and some you can't. I've never really understood that, and perhaps they will "fix" that for the future.

In the meantime, if I'm in a Spawn Room, and I see you pop your head from behind a rock, I can only say that you should have been a bit more careful...

Thanks for the feedback here by the way. It might be because peeps are busy.

[Ghoest9]

Play the game the way you like. As long as you arent exploiting or or TKing no one has any business telling you the right way to play.


It doesnt mean anything if someone "isnt a fan" of you other than that they can be ignored.

[Baneblade]

People get mad at me too when we manage to lose a base, because I'm rolling around it in a tank doing more damage to the enemy than they are. But hey, I romp around in the pixelmud too... when I feel like it.

[Rivenshield]

Originally Posted by ChipMHazard

Where I can put the blame is on the level design putting them outside in the open.

Along with a good many cap points. I cannot understand why this hasn't been rectified.

[SixShooter]

I see nothing wrong with providing support in a spawn room if that's where the fight is centered around. Support troops are not supposed to be pushing out on the front lines, they should be supporting the assault troops.

As others have said, play your game your way and have fun regardless of how others think you should be doing it.

[ShadoViper]

Well if the spawn room design wasn't terrible it might be a different story. But play the game how you want to and what makes sense.

[snafus]

In the end no one can tell you how to play the game man. But from the perspective of an organized outfit I can tell you it is very frustrating to attempt to save a lost base and see twenty some odd people hiding within the spawn not pushing the point. Though you will die when attempting to push out of a spawn if you see friendly forces attempting to retake the point it is always good to try and assist them in the effort. But as I said no one can force you to do anything just letting you know why some may find it a little annoying is all.