I used to play pball about 2 years ago before it became a Standalone.
I agree that the game had changed a great deal. when i used to play i was part of Clan Pro which i'm sure doesn't even exist anymore.
coming back to Pball i just figured taht the way everyone was playing was just a pure Evolution. More people playing and more need to get better. In my eyes coming back to the game the Super fast jumping seems Ridiculously effective and these players also seem quite good at shooting... Able to kill with single shots.
Although I had never thought to play this way when i first played it seems to make sense. If you can get to the other person's base or middle area faster than your opponent that puts you in a "Strategic" advantage.
I agree with the jumping but i don't agree with the "Spraying".
Unfortunatley if there are no rules in the game then we just have to, as map makers, come out with maps that are going to be popular, but cut down on the "spraying" by providing either more entry points for a base or just a new Original Concept altogether.
I also have to make a comment about Blitz.. I like that map. I am not the greatest player and I'm sure since me leaving the game and coming back with no skills that almost everyone is above me, but that map has a little bit of strategy involved and a lot of great Shooting skills. If this game isn't about good shooting skills then why would you be trying to Shoot your opponent to win?
Although strategy does play a big part int heg ame and i agree that we need to find a way for more teamplay(which from all different games and mods seems impossible) I believe that on the public server level this will never be accomplished fully so we need to map/play around this.
Although wider-open maps bog down computer performance i believe that they make for much better game play. You can't just throw a gren into a key area and take out a few people. It allows for more precisely timed grentosses and more basis on shooting skills.
Although(again) people don't seem to like xbmap i find it to be a well made map(from a map making perspective). it actually offers 3 ways into the base theoretically and offers a pretty decent amount of strategy for such an aggressive map. The spraying while getting out of your base could even be resolved by another modification of the placement of the glass obstacles.
"In conclusion, Ladies and Jellyspoons" - Eddie Izzard, There is an overall Evolution in the game and that is how it works with everything in life. More people means more people with better ideas and better skills. If the Jumping and speed players are winning then the game was unfortunately designed for them.
It's like Poker. With more people playing means that different strategies are winning.
2 years back, before Moneymaker won and helped start the online craze, There were not as many loose players and more players that played by the book. If you had it your bet.. if you didn't you could bluff and hope to get lucky. With 80Million people in the US alone playing you see the total opposite and it's winning.
Players call with nothing and luck out. Bet with anyting and luck out. The evolution of poker is AGgression and Unfortunately the Evolution of Pball seems to be this speed game with ridiculous Jumps(many maps are made for these types of jumps and if we didn't want them included we shouldn't have based the standalone off the quake2 engine).
I Have in no way meant to offend anyone or insult anyone. I consier Jitspoe To be a genius as well as an awesome and talented person and everyone else that has helped this Game i give much respect to.
this was just a rant that i had to elaborate on after Watching my video card die and just spent $130 on a Powercolor Radeon 9800Se(will be softmodding to a 9800Pro) and i just had to vent.
If i sound like an idiot it's probably becuase i'm still new to the game since my return and dont know a few of the basic concepts/ethical values/ terms/ etc.
Good night everyone and have fun playing Pball. I think that's what it was intended for
-Greatzky
aim- oOGreatzkyOo