My longest game: 2h 15min

_INTER_

Last night I played the longest NS2 match ever. 2 hours and 15 minutes. It was on The Stomping Grounds on Docking. Marines started Cafe and got Locker and Terminal early on.
During the first hour or so these bases got fully built with everything. There were obs in every corner between these bases. Sentries in Bar and in every base etc. And yet Marines could not pull through. Battles were mainly focused between Ballcourt and sometimes Maintenance and Eastwing RT. (Stability RT when a Marine sneaked past Central) Twice arcs made it to departures, but they were too exposed to Bile there. Aliens got the power in Locker and Terminal once, but Marines could recover.
Now this game took so long because Marines failed hard in communication, but made me aware how freaking crippled Exo's are, compared to Onos.
Was anyone else in this forum in that game? Especially interested in what was going on on the Alien side.

Therius

I have been in a few of these long games myself, and I think they are absolutely the worst games I've had to play. The game isn't designed to go on for that long, and the only reason it hasn't ended is that neither of the teams are capable of mustering a quantum of teamwork required to end the game. It's very frustrating to look at the state of the match, realise that one team could win a trivial victory with minimal concentrated effort, but still watch them mindlessly bang their heads against a wall.

Vetinari

_INTER_ wrote: »

Now this game took so long because Marines failed hard in communication, but made me aware how freaking crippled Exo's are, compared to Onos.

As someone who regularly plays onos I think exos are pretty powerful, and I'm glad I don't have to fight them very often. A well positioned exo is hard to take down. Two well positioned exos with support are impossible to take down. (Without heavy losses.)

_INTER_

Well Exos are good enough when well positioned and with support. But that makes them more stationary then it should be. Onos roam the whole map and can take on lone or single welder supported Exo. Then the Onos has most likey a Gorge with him...
As things are now, I think a JP is more valuable to push somewhere than an Exo.

sotanaht

I like the long games myself. Sure, it is usually indicative of a lack of teamwork or skill, but it's exactly the kind of back and forth game where there is no clear winner until it's all over. It's two hours of meaningful, if a tad frustrating gameplay, as compared to a series of 15-20 minute stomps.

Foxy

I played a similar game (not the longest ever though) on prison (crazy map). It was a great game, a fair mix of rookies and veterans, Aliens and Marines traded various Techpoints about 5/6 times, It was fantastic fun. When Aliens finally managed to wrestle a third Hive location we rushed stomp/xeno and ended it. Awesome stuff.

Vetinari

sotanaht wrote: »

I like the long games myself. Sure, it is usually indicative of a lack of teamwork or skill, but it's exactly the kind of back and forth game where there is no clear winner until it's all over. It's two hours of meaningful, if a tad frustrating gameplay, as compared to a series of 15-20 minute stomps.

It's fun if both teams are genuinely even and don't manage to get the upper hand. It's not if both fail to win for lack of teamwork.

sotanaht

F0rdPrefect wrote: »

sotanaht wrote: »

I like the long games myself. Sure, it is usually indicative of a lack of teamwork or skill, but it's exactly the kind of back and forth game where there is no clear winner until it's all over. It's two hours of meaningful, if a tad frustrating gameplay, as compared to a series of 15-20 minute stomps.

It's fun if both teams are genuinely even and don't manage to get the upper hand. It's not if both fail to win for lack of teamwork.

At that point in the game there's nothing to stop either team from base rushing and instantly winning, but only if they can do it together rapidly.

devel

Exos don't work above 1500 average elo.

IronHorse

Therius wrote: »

the only reason it hasn't ended is that neither of the teams are capable of mustering a quantum of teamwork required to end the game.

Only siths deal in absolutes.
I have had plenty of long games that weren't long because of that reason, but rather due to perfectly even teams that created a lot of back and forth... and those are my favorites.

sotanaht

IronHorse wrote: »

Therius wrote: »

the only reason it hasn't ended is that neither of the teams are capable of mustering a quantum of teamwork required to end the game.

Only siths deal in absolutes.
I have had plenty of long games that weren't long because of that reason, but rather due to perfectly even teams that created a lot of back and forth... and those are my favorites.

"Perfectly even" is just another way of saying "equally bad". Those games basically don't happen at higher skill levels. Which really is a shame

MoFo1

If it takes a server of "equally bad" players to have a balanced back and forth game, then doesn't this kind of support the notion that it's the high skill vets ruining the balance of games by not being "equally bad" ??

I will say this. It's far more frustrating to have a game be decided by one or two high skill players carrying their team, than it is to have a long game of back and forth due to lack of either teams ability to end it.

Therius

IronHorse wrote: »

Therius wrote: »

the only reason it hasn't ended is that neither of the teams are capable of mustering a quantum of teamwork required to end the game.

Only siths deal in absolutes.
I have had plenty of long games that weren't long because of that reason, but rather due to perfectly even teams that created a lot of back and forth... and those are my favorites.

Never said anything about the teams not being even, they can be equally horrible. Put two equal div1 teams in that situation and the game will be over in less than 3 minutes one way or the other.

IronHorse

@Therius
This is why people should never speak in absolutes (get it?)
Long games DO in fact happen even between two equally skilled teams, even div1 levels.

Therius

I'll concede that even good teams can fail horribly. Both teams had multiple chances to end the game, but executed badly -> frustrating game for players who can see the easy victory being snatched away by blunders time and time again, which was the original point. Like watching chess where both players just try to capture every piece on the board with no regard for staging a checkmate. What's the point? It might be fun for someone who sees capturing pieces as the ultimate goal and fun, but frustrating for someone who knows the intricacies and sees the players ignoring obvious moves in order to capture another pawn.

Nordic

Given that game is based on asymmetry, there can not ever be even teams. No team has perfect play. When games last too long, it is from a series of mistakes.

This can result in what some find to be amazing games. Wyzcrak often says something along the lines of those are the funnest games to lose.

One of my most favorite and intense games in memory was a long games where aliens lost 6 hives all within 5 minutes. I could not believe we won. We had a lot of fun, but we should have lost. Marines are a lot of mistakes.

Long games are a result of mistakes. Sometimes that results in more fun for some people.

MaxAmus

I was on aliens in this game, what won this game for marines, is the pure and utter GL spam that happened, you cant even get close to 4-5 marines with JP/ GL with 1 exo covering them,

for 40 minutes in played the field as a lerk, was winning everything, but couldnt get the ALiens to group with me to take a 3rd Tech point / hive, no matter how many times i was saying, and suggesting alot of ways to do it, half the team would go to east wing, and leave 1/2 onos and 1 gorge to goto lockers, we did get the power down in lockers quite a few times, if only the whole team was there, we would have taken it, but again,Aliens that dont group up, fail quite alot,

This game Ruined my night of NS2, as no matter what was said, only a few listened, spent an hour in the hive, trying to get something done, but nothing, ended up going fade, but at this point, all that was fighting was JP / GLs and Exos, cant fight that pain train lol.

Yojimbo

The ideal perfect game for me would last between 45 minutes to 1 hour 15, anymore and I find the stalemate tends to resorting to frustration and raised voices.

Both teams would be ideally balanced with losing a tech point only to take it back then lose it again, back and forth, back and forth. Those kind of games I can hold my head high if we lost.

Ohh how I long for those rounds.

_INTER_

MaxAmus wrote: »

This game Ruined my night of NS2, as no matter what was said, only a few listened, spent an hour in the hive, trying to get something done, but nothing, ended up going fade, but at this point, all that was fighting was JP / GLs and Exos, cant fight that pain train lol.

Same. It was getting very frustrating. One point we had two exos and a couple GL standing in front of Generator hallway. But that didn't lead to anything either as people decided, that it was perfect time to hang around in East Wing again. Ofc comm without mic. Frustrating.