Should pressing F4 be frowned upon?

YoungTrotskyYoungTrotsky Join Date: 2007-03-09 Member: 60307Members
edited September 2012 in NS2 General Discussion
<div class="IPBDescription">Seems like a legit way to end the game IMO</div>I was wondering why so many people seem to think it's completely unacceptable to go to the readyroom to end the game when it's virtually certain your team is going to slowly lose over the next 10-15 minutes. I've played on a server where the admins have even decided to ban this behaviour. It seems most people think it unfair as it "steals" a win from the other team.

Hopefully the devs will incorporate a win condition when this happens, in NS1 I think there was a server variable that admins could set where a team won if the other team was down by x number of players, i think it was usually set to 4 but this would obviously need adjusting depending on the server size.

I know some people feel that no game is necessarily lost before the final hive/CC is destroyed, I understand this mentality but I think we should be able to concede defeat and let the other team have their win and just get on with another game. Some of us have to fit in 30 minutes here and 15 minutes there and don't want to spend that whole time gradually losing ground.

What do people think, shouldn't you be able to surrender when you feel the other team has won and you would rather start the next round than spend 10 minutes going through the motions? I play starcraft and 99% of games end this way, which isn't a problem and no one expects you to just sit there and get ground into dust when you've almost certainly lost. The winning team should still feel just as good about their win.

Cheers.
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Comments

  • TweadleTweadle Join Date: 2005-02-03 Member: 39686Members, NS2 Map Tester
    There should be some way to "surrender" while continue playing the game. The reason people F4 is because they no longer want to play or feel that the round is over and the reason people don't like F4-ing is because people often disagree and want to continue playing. It would be nice to signal your disinterest/opinion in the round without breaking the balance by leaving.

    To be clear, F4ing shouldn't be removed because it serves its own purpose but there should also be a means to end the game through some kind of majority vote within the game.
  • YoungTrotskyYoungTrotsky Join Date: 2007-03-09 Member: 60307Members
    I think a 'vote to surrender' feature could be good but do you not think that by the time you're willing to cast such a vote you're often not going to be putting much effort into the game so it equates to the same thing really in terms of unbalancing the teams?
  • Laosh'RaLaosh'Ra Join Date: 2011-12-09 Member: 137232Members
    i suggested a surrender vote long ago and i'd still like to see it. problem with f4-ing is that it rarely happens for the entire team. then the game might end a bit faster but things can still drag on for quite a long time even with a heavily outnumbered team. in the meantime, the remaining people on the field will be owned even harder as they are outnumbered, while the f4'd can only sit around and watch -> waste of time for both.
    unless there is a surrender vote, the commander should be the one deciding this imo. after asking the team if anyone wants to play on that is.
    currently, marine commanders recycle IPs as a more reliable way of surrendering than f4-ing. aliens don't have such a mechanic though.
  • comp_comp_ Join Date: 2011-06-27 Member: 106656Members
    I understand the logic behind F4'ing but sometimes people really overuse it, and kinda takes the fun out of it. Many times you really are losing but that doesn't mean you can't try to force a beacon, or make something big happen out of a synchronized effort in an attempt to turn the tables, something I have seen happening in competitive games and would love to be able to do in a pub game (sure, the teamwork will never be the same, still...)
  • statikgstatikg Join Date: 2012-09-19 Member: 159978Members
    edited September 2012
    Seems to me a majority vote would be a good idea because it avoids the situation where 30-40% of the team F4 and then everyone just sits there in a dumb situation. With a vote at least those ppl who want to quit know the game isn't going to end and they might as well just keep playing.
  • KaptajnKLOKaptajnKLO Join Date: 2012-06-25 Member: 153658Members
    I got kicked from one of the newer clan servers because I F4'ed and suggested that the other players should also do so. I was on the alien team and we had lost our hive and had dropped a new one which was far from completion. We had no aliens on the field so all the alien players were just sitting there waiting for the marines to come kill the hive and I feel this is a legit reason to F4, yet I was kicked. That made me laugh.
  • PekermanPekerman Join Date: 2010-03-07 Member: 70876Members
    edited September 2012
    mmm in argentina f4 is forbidden in pubs. obviously not in scrims
  • YoungTrotskyYoungTrotsky Join Date: 2007-03-09 Member: 60307Members
    edited September 2012
    mp_autoconcede was the cvar in NS1 and was normally set to 4 so when the difference in team sizes hit 4 the bigger team won the round and everyone got returned to the readyroom. This avoided the annoying scenarios where a team was struggling on because half the team hit F4 or left the server, which seems to happen a lot atm in NS2, really hope this feature gets put in soon!
  • EgoGamerEgoGamer Join Date: 2012-06-21 Member: 153536Members, Reinforced - Onos, WC 2013 - Supporter
    edited September 2012
    F4 is fine, the problem is people have varying views on when a turnaround is possible. A blanket no F4 rule is, in my opinion, a lazy way to address this. Admins need to be intelligent and decide if a game is truly lost or if this guy thinks it's not worth playing if you aren't steamrolling everything.
  • ASnogarDASnogarD Join Date: 2003-10-24 Member: 21894Members
    The problem comes when individual players decide the game is over based on thier own perception of the match, and gives up which just makes a bad situation even worse... potentially causing a possible fight back into a complete slide to defeat.

    The other side of the coin is that there are 2 sides in the match, and its not really much fun if your enemy surrenders just as you climb into that duel mini exo, or finally the Khamm has researched spores... you want to play with your new toys, not see the ready room again.

    If the commanders could call for a vote and let the players decided it was over it would be a bit more fair, but at the same time its not much fun if your opponents surrender just when you start to get the upper hand... and players would want to surrender if they are not outright winning.

    Currently the games seem to go through phases... start of game Aliens are stronger, Skulk rushes can win a game instantly, Marines get stronger with more res and quicker upgrades, then Fades come in and swing the match in the Aliens favour, then weap 3 /shotties/jps turn it around again, then Onos may show up and change the balance, then Exos come online... back and forth.
    My point is that some may see the Fades domination as a lost game, and not be prepared to wait for the upgrades and weapons to counter Fades... a case of ah crap fades, game over man , game over.
  • IeptBarakatIeptBarakat The most difficult name to speak ingame. Join Date: 2009-07-10 Member: 68107Members, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Diamond, Reinforced - Shadow
    How about if more than half of your team leaves via f4 within 30 seconds, the round ends.

    <!--quoteo(post=1982048:date=Sep 23 2012, 10:55 AM:name=YoungTrotsky)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (YoungTrotsky @ Sep 23 2012, 10:55 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1982048"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->mp_autoconcede was the cvar in NS1 and was normally set to 4 so when the difference in team sizes hit 4 the bigger team won the round and everyone got returned to the readyroom. This avoided the annoying scenarios where a team was struggling on because half the team hit F4 or left the server, which seems to happen a lot atm in NS2, really hope this feature gets put in soon!<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Or that.
  • YoungTrotskyYoungTrotsky Join Date: 2007-03-09 Member: 60307Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1982055:date=Sep 23 2012, 04:14 PM:name=ASnogarD)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ASnogarD @ Sep 23 2012, 04:14 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1982055"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->If the commanders could call for a vote and let the players decided it was over it would be a bit more fair, but at the same time its not much fun if your opponents surrender just when you start to get the upper hand... and players would want to surrender if they are not outright winning.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    I haven't encountered this issue, people generally seem to F4 or disconnect when they've been pinned in their hive/base for a prolonged period without making any sort of progress, not just because they're failing to dominate. Do people really see much if this happening?
  • EgoGamerEgoGamer Join Date: 2012-06-21 Member: 153536Members, Reinforced - Onos, WC 2013 - Supporter
    <!--quoteo(post=1982058:date=Sep 23 2012, 04:38 PM:name=YoungTrotsky)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (YoungTrotsky @ Sep 23 2012, 04:38 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1982058"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I haven't encountered this issue, people generally seem to F4 or disconnect when they've been pinned in their hive/base for a prolonged period without making any sort of progress, not just because they're failing to dominate. Do people really see much if this happening?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    I've seen people who would rather mull around in marine base than phase in to protect a forward phasegate just because there's two Fades there. That's how easily some people give up. :)
  • YoungTrotskyYoungTrotsky Join Date: 2007-03-09 Member: 60307Members
    That's not really the same as surrendering the game, that's just people who don't or won't play the game properly.
  • TechercizerTechercizer 7th Player Join Date: 2011-06-11 Member: 103832Members
    I refuse to do it. I chastise enemy teams who do it, but I generally don't hold it against my own team if they decide to F4.
  • XariusXarius Join Date: 2003-12-21 Member: 24630Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    F4 is essentially a surrender vote, if enough players agree it will end the game for that side. Aliens have to F4, marines can recycle at least.
  • StarkwindStarkwind Join Date: 2011-07-26 Member: 112394Members
    Seen many a game wrecked when the round was on a knives edge and suddenly a player QQ's and F4's.
  • XariusXarius Join Date: 2003-12-21 Member: 24630Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    edited September 2012
    I had a game yesterday where marines lost the entire map on veil, it looked extremely grim and most players were on the verge of quitting (including myself) but since we had slowly teched up to max weapons and armour upgrades I figured it was worth an all-in kind of strategy. We grouped 9 marines and went down to sub acess, before the aliens even had time to respond their hive was down. We repeated this process at least 3 times on 3 different hives and ended up winning the game (after a short period of 2 vs 2 tech point stalemate). Needless to say, it was one of the better NS 2 moments I have experienced and it goes to show you shouldn't always concede pub games even if it looks like the game is entirely lost. (Marines have it easier than aliens in my opinion, for aliens it's much harder to come back like this currently, marines only need teamwork, A and W 3 to stand a chance, aliens need hive-bound tech and lifeforms)
  • TweadleTweadle Join Date: 2005-02-03 Member: 39686Members, NS2 Map Tester
    <!--quoteo(post=1982085:date=Sep 23 2012, 06:06 PM:name=Xarius)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Xarius @ Sep 23 2012, 06:06 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1982085"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I had a game yesterday where marines lost the entire map on veil, it looked extremely grim and most players were on the verge of quitting (including myself) but since we had slowly teched up to max weapons and armour upgrades I figured it was worth an all-in kind of strategy. We grouped 9 marines and went down to sub acess, before the aliens even had time to respond their hive was down. We repeated this process at least 3 times on 3 different hives and ended up winning the game (after a short period of 2 vs 2 tech point stalemate). Needless to say, it was one of the better NS 2 moments I have experienced and it goes to show you shouldn't always concede pub games even if it looks like the game is entirely lost. (Marines have it easier than aliens in my opinion, for aliens it's much harder to come back like this currently, marines only need teamwork, A and W 3 to stand a chance, aliens need hive-bound tech and lifeforms)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Sounds cool. A surrender function would probably do more to promote these kinds of situations to be honest. Currently, you just f4 and decide the outcome for the entire team. If you could merely start a surrender vote, it would probably promote more all-in tactics which becomes increasingly more strategically wise the closer you are to losing.
  • 1dominator11dominator1 Join Date: 2010-11-19 Member: 75011Members
    Cowards die in shame!
  • ScardyBobScardyBob ScardyBob Join Date: 2009-11-25 Member: 69528Forum Admins, Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow
    <!--quoteo(post=1982085:date=Sep 23 2012, 10:06 AM:name=Xarius)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Xarius @ Sep 23 2012, 10:06 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1982085"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I had a game yesterday where marines lost the entire map on veil, it looked extremely grim and most players were on the verge of quitting (including myself) but since we had slowly teched up to max weapons and armour upgrades I figured it was worth an all-in kind of strategy. We grouped 9 marines and went down to sub acess, before the aliens even had time to respond their hive was down. We repeated this process at least 3 times on 3 different hives and ended up winning the game (after a short period of 2 vs 2 tech point stalemate). Needless to say, it was one of the better NS 2 moments I have experienced and it goes to show you shouldn't always concede pub games even if it looks like the game is entirely lost. (Marines have it easier than aliens in my opinion, for aliens it's much harder to come back like this currently, marines only need teamwork, A and W 3 to stand a chance, aliens need hive-bound tech and lifeforms)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    1% of the time, yes the losing team can come back to win like you noticed. 99% of the time they don't and a surrender vote would be a godsend to us players who want to start a new match we can actually win. If you remove F4 people will just leave the server to quit instead. If you kick players who F4, many of us who find the practice legitimate will stop playing on your servers. A surrender vote or autoconcede function is the best solution.
  • FroztyFrozty SWEDEN Join Date: 2012-01-22 Member: 141596Members
    edited September 2012
    I hope they add CC button or something.
    2/3 players need for surrendering.
    But OFC this should only be unlocked after 20-30min gameplay.
  • IronHorseIronHorse Developer, QA Manager, Technical Support & contributor Join Date: 2010-05-08 Member: 71669Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Subnautica Playtester, Subnautica PT Lead, Pistachionauts
    <!--quoteo(post=1982109:date=Sep 23 2012, 11:38 AM:name=ScardyBob)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ScardyBob @ Sep 23 2012, 11:38 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1982109"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->1% of the time, yes the losing team can come back to win like you noticed. 99% of the time they don't and a surrender vote would be a godsend to us players who want to start a new match we can actually win. If you remove F4 people will just leave the server to quit instead. If you kick players who F4, many of us who find the practice legitimate will stop playing on your servers. A surrender vote or autoconcede function is the best solution.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Yea but dont forget the fact that if this becomes the cultural norm within the community teams will end up just F4ing every time, and that oh so satisfying push into the Hive or Marine base that everyone loves and earns will be robbed from them.

    Just let the winning team have what they earned?
    Now ofc if the enemy team just wont end it or cant and its been an hour.. ok.. thats where F4ing or voting makes sense.

    But I see most F4ing these days as a means to accelerate the end of the round (to the point of robbing the winning team of their climactic ending they've earned) so that they have a new chance of winning. Its just that simple, <i>they want to win and not lose and will quit at the first sign of losing.</i>

    But there's no way to ensure this type of proper sportsmanship.. unless i kick them.. which.. i may just end up doing because i don't want to encourage poor sportsmanship or have those types of players around anyways..
  • ScardyBobScardyBob ScardyBob Join Date: 2009-11-25 Member: 69528Forum Admins, Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow
    <!--quoteo(post=1982129:date=Sep 23 2012, 12:43 PM:name=ironhorse)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ironhorse @ Sep 23 2012, 12:43 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1982129"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Yea but dont forget the fact that if this becomes the cultural norm within the community teams will end up just F4ing every time, and that oh so satisfying push into the Hive or Marine base that everyone loves and earns will be robbed from them.

    Just let the winning team have what they earned?
    Now ofc if the enemy team just wont end it or cant and its been an hour.. ok.. thats where F4ing or voting makes sense.

    But I see most F4ing these days as a means to accelerate the end of the round (to the point of robbing the winning team of their climactic ending they've earned) so that they have a new chance of winning. Its just that simple, <i>they want to win and not lose and will quit at the first sign of losing.</i>

    But there's no way to ensure this type of proper sportsmanship.. unless i kick them.. which.. i may just end up doing because i don't want to encourage poor sportsmanship or have those types of players around anyways..<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    All the more reason there needs to be a more formal solution than F4ing. I wouldn't mind temporarily disabling F4ing for like the first 20 min of a match if there was a proper surrender vote/autoconcede function.

    Also, I guess I'm a bit different from other NS2 players because I don't really get any satisfaction from the actual ending of a match (i.e. the killing of the last hive/CS), but the previous decisions and actions that lead to that victory. Finishing off the last players or structures seem more like a tedious formality once one side is obviously the winner.
  • eh?eh? Join Date: 2012-03-03 Member: 147997Members
    Disabling F4 will just lead to those people leaving the server. No one wants to be forced to play a round they have no desire to play.

    Best case scenario if you don't let them F4 is they end up just trolling around in the round until it's over.
  • XariusXarius Join Date: 2003-12-21 Member: 24630Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    For the marines. it's ultimately the commander's call. I'm of the opinion a good commander can sense when a game is truly lost, based on the skill of his individual marines, the enemy team and what they have achieved in the game up to that point. Of course it is proper conduct if he at least consults his team before recycling the entire base :p

    For aliens F4 generally does the trick. There's no need to make an even more 'apparent' mechanism to give up as a team. Though it would be good if games automatically ended once 2/3rds of the team quits or f4s.
  • YoungTrotskyYoungTrotsky Join Date: 2007-03-09 Member: 60307Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1982129:date=Sep 23 2012, 08:43 PM:name=ironhorse)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ironhorse @ Sep 23 2012, 08:43 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1982129"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Yea but dont forget the fact that if this becomes the cultural norm within the community teams will end up just F4ing every time, and that oh so satisfying push into the Hive or Marine base that everyone loves and earns will be robbed from them.

    Just let the winning team have what they earned?
    Now ofc if the enemy team just wont end it or cant and its been an hour.. ok.. thats where F4ing or voting makes sense.

    But I see most F4ing these days as a means to accelerate the end of the round (to the point of robbing the winning team of their climactic ending they've earned) so that they have a new chance of winning. Its just that simple, <i>they want to win and not lose and will quit at the first sign of losing.</i>

    But there's no way to ensure this type of proper sportsmanship.. unless i kick them.. which.. i may just end up doing because i don't want to encourage poor sportsmanship or have those types of players around anyways..<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    I don't think it does lead to a lot of robbed victories, in my experience teams don't F4 as long as the game is progressing, even if they are losing. It's when this progression stalls and nothing really happens for 5 minutes or more and you're just trapped in base/hive and neither team is advancing any more. As long as a big push comes with momentum and the team keeps pushing into the other teams territory people seem happy to stick around to the end, I know I don't mind losing under those circumstances. A lot of you really don't give your fellow players a lot of credit, but maybe I've just been lucky with the servers I play on...
  • IronHorseIronHorse Developer, QA Manager, Technical Support & contributor Join Date: 2010-05-08 Member: 71669Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Subnautica Playtester, Subnautica PT Lead, Pistachionauts
    Yea its not an every round sort of thing.. but i definitely have seen people who f4 at the first sign of potentially losing the round, and then sit in the RR asking for a reset.
    :shrug:
    As long as that doesnt become the norm, i'm okay with whatever implementation.
  • OscarTheCouchOscarTheCouch Join Date: 2005-01-10 Member: 34647Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited September 2012
    "Look our second hive got killed, games over lets all F4"

    Thats what i always hear.

    So yes, i think it should be frowned upon.
  • NeoRussiaNeoRussia Join Date: 2012-08-04 Member: 154743Members
    edited September 2012
    if it's gg and you don't leave that's called bad manners. If I was commander and could stop a game I would do it, if I'm on my server I will use commands to force rr. No point sitting res locked because it's hard to finish a game even then in a 18 player server. Same goes for if one team has the other completely locked down in one base after a long game. If they could implement a vote surrender then this would be great, but I doubt players would be competent enough for it to get used properly.
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