Noob Bashing Community

[Gunseng]

It appears there's still a small community of noob bashers.

I see games every so often where players change up the teams while x'ed in or pressure players to x in and start. Sure it only works on noobs but I feel it may be discouraging new players. I also see players tell noobs their rating is all bs or they got their ratings from AI bashing.

So I'm proposing a list of "noob bashers" (with replays of course) or at least a small help guide for new players to encourage better sportsmanship and better overall gameplay. This way they know what too look out for in games, not to be pressured and reminded that it should be a fun game but how different some peoples' definition of fun can be.

[uberge3k]

"Noob bashing" is only a "problem" in custom games.

By definition, in a custom game, there is no way for anyone to make anyone do anything. If someone doesn't like the teams, they can simply leave. There is no magical way for the "stackers" to force someone to toggle the ready button. Each players' rating is visible in game; if you can see that it's clearly imbalanced, you will have no one to blame but yourself if you don't like the results in game.

By clicking ready, you are signaling that "I agree to play the game with these teams on this map with these mods and these options". If you aren't actually ready, or the host makes a change you don't like, you are free to untick the ready button and/or leave. If you aren't, then why are you ticking the ready option?

[Gunseng]

Well first off I'm not the one with the problem or causing the problems. But I do see games every so often where people take advantage of those who don't know. I actually feel so bad that we have a small community that actively does this so I actually message the "noob" team after the game to make sure they understand what happened.

So,

Stackers aren't really the problem because the community in general is experienced enough to understand the game options. It's the noobs that don't understand what kind of quick bs move some people pull to stack the teams WITHOUT you noticing that are the problem. I just want a way for them to be notified of some of these tricks that people do try to pull off just for a small boost in rating. I'd rather not have something discourage new players from joining in on this community.

[ToejamS]

Yeah, its just a sad thing that people find bashing noobs fun but there is nothing to be done about it. What will happen, the supply of noobs that dont know about stacked games runs out. If you think the game is stacked, leave and host your own game. Vote with your feet.

[Gunseng]

Well I'm just worried the supply of noobs is running out because they don't want to play anymore, and there is always something you can do about it. A small section in a nooby guide about what game options to check before every game would help. As well as a few sentences on how people switch up the teams before they click launch.

[arandomuser]

well some people just see 'noob bashing' as a way to pickup free points with very little work involved
i do agree noob bashing happens in most games. its the behaviour of the noob bashers that i think is the problem
some of the comments ive seen are more what i expect 12 year old cod users to come out with
as for stacking, ive seen a team, but just before the match starts i got told to move to the other team by being another 'noob' player then the 2 experienced guys jumped onto the other team = match instantly started then its 4 highly skilled players vs 2 complete noobs was nothing but a white wash while they stomp our team while pouring abuse / taunts over the chat system
a guide would likely be a godsend to new users especially if they need it
even if some users set up a ' guide match' perhaps agasint the AI so they can see and interact with there own tactics fully knowing the experienced user will be doing most of the fighting and guiding. noobs dont know all the little tricks and stuff
and replays only go so far to helping, it helps if you have someone to guide you ( not hold your hand, but who can look at what your doing and offer CONSTRUCTIVE advice other than 'wtf are you doing this for' 'get this unit off its ass and do something' etc etc ). saying ' well this engineer could be building X or these units should be defending Y is alot more polite and helpfull for someone trying to get into this game. spectating is a step up from replays, but often no1 acually talks to the spectators or they simply get booted out, obviously no1 wants to sit and help noobs all day, but if there are groups of people willing to take noobs under there wing, they will feel more part of a community and more likely to stay around and game, as opposed to leave after finding that people are just taking advantage of them.

[VoiceofReason]

@ arandomuser,

It is a very rough community, and I believe it will forever be just as noobusive. It would be nearly impossible to enforce a complete behaviour/play etiquette to an entire community that has mostly been the same for 3 to 5 years.
Imho, the best way to counter this "problem" of such a noobusive community is FIRST, make the new players aware that they ARE Newbs.
Secondly when you play a game you are skilled at, or have some decent skill level - would you not prefer to play with & against players of the same level, or of better skill level?
Coming into my own in FA was also difficult, I suspect it was for everyone. More time was spent losing, than rather trying to actually "get" better.
This game takes work, much like a sport - as such, you can be okay, or good without coaching based on your natural talents(or w/e), however if you are coached in the "basics" you will soon be able to find your own way out of nubismville and start to apply those natural talents you've been dyeing to show off!
That being said, you're right - Not everyone wants to sit around teaching new players all day <> BUT SOME DONT MIND <>
Actually, if I even see a player asking the "right set of questions" in a chat, I'll take them aside and ask them if the "want" to be a good player, & "NEED" to win. I drill them for at least 5 minutes with such questions, and suggesting it will take a certain amount of dedication & WORK to gain any notable skill level in FaF - Aside from the drilling, I ask they download Skype and speak fluent English so I can efficiently coach; It'd be almost impossible to give enough information referenced to a specific action before you are already 3 steps past that wrong decision.

Anyways. All over the map, sorry - But I wanted to state that more or less, lets make the new players AWARE of what this community is, and how a fair majority can be very unfriendly when in games (either playing with, or against) new players. After all, me Thinks MAV almost has heart-attacks from new players stressing him out, & I myself - may die before 25 from raging at new players in 3v3 and 4v4 matches. So, who are we to be fair to, new players that just showed up, or the guy that's been playing supcom for years and has a heart attack because of seeing things we haven't seen since.... 2007!

I'll help anyone learn the basic as long as they have a strong desire to be better than they are, but lets try and be fair to all tiers of the community.

[uberge3k]

The problem, unfortunately, is that most new players don't want to learn. Whenever I see someone asking questions in chat or having a problem in game, I offer to help them improve via focused training. I've had a total of three people take me up on it, out of hundreds.

The sport analogy is spot on, but, not everyone wishes to invest the effort required to improve. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as it's up to each individual how they would like to enjoy the game.

There is the problem of some people's continued abusive, abrasive, and egotistical behavior, especially when it comes to new players, as you mentioned. This is slowly being changed; one such repeat offender was recently banned, and I'm sure more will follow if they don't take the hint. FAF is a community where everyone is welcomed and should be able to have a good time and enjoy themselves, and people who actively degrade other's experiences in such a manner will not be tolerated.

I'd also like to ask that if you encounter someone who's flaming or being abusive in game or in chat, please PM one of the moderators in FAF chat or here on the forums, and we will take care of it. Most of the people who do such things already have a long rap sheet and have been warned on multiple occasions; reporting future infractions insures that they can't get away with it.

[arandomuser]

while i do agree this is a kind of sport and getting better does take ALOT of work to improve
however the effort required to keep going can be a very daunting task, getting better requires work everybody knows this, however its the attitude of users towards the noobs that in my opinion the issue. my younger brother who is autistic ended up in tears after the abuse he recived here, simply due to reciving abuse from teamates and opponents. this is extreemly off-putting for new users. and as people saying they would rather face opponents of equal teirs, this works but some people just seem to care about 'points' and what easier way to get points, than to completly cream a noob or two, knowing full well you have the time to pour insults over the in-game chat system.
while no1 expects the noobs to take on the pro's in this game, the attitude of users doesnt endere users to stick around and get better, and even asking my brother if we can come in together...he just doesnt want to know anymore. hes still scared of the large abuse he suffered with last time he was here, hes not a complete noob, we play via lan games from time to time. change would be welcomed, as would advertised 'noob training' games made by higher members who are ok to train some noobs ( perhaps with a conferance skype call ) vs a few AI bots

[uberge3k]

however its the attitude of users towards the noobs that in my opinion the issue. my younger brother who is autistic ended up in tears after the abuse he recived here, simply due to reciving abuse from teamates and opponents

This is exactly what we're trying to change. I cannot adequately put into words how badly I feel when I hear stories like this - it's the precise antithesis of what we're trying to accomplish with FAF!

Please, please, please - whenever you or someone you know encounters a situation like this, report it to a moderator. We will take care of it, but we can't do that if we don't know that it's going on in the first place.