Team Balance/lotus Field Strategy Guide

[Mr Pain 0]

Playing with lotus members has convinced me that organized games are more fun and more successful. This post is the first of a series I’ll be making outlining critical elements of strategy – the Louts Field Strategy Guide. Readers are welcome to amend postings with their own tips in the comments section.

Naturally, I’m starting with the most important element: class balance.

Below I’ve outlined the two most likely scenarios – 24 and 32 player games – along with a tally of roughly how many players should be in each class. Every class functions differently, and compliments the others, but some are more important to success than others. Keep class priority in mind whether you’re playing a game with other lotus, or just the randoms.

You will roll into games, at times, where one of the classes has no players capable of doing their jobs, either because they are afk or they are noobs. In this case, especially if it’s one of the top classes, you will have to fill in for them, but remember to play it by the numbers first and the situation second.

24 player game (teams of 12)

2 medics

2 soldiers

2 demomen

2 heavies

2 engineers

1 spy

1 sniper

You’ll notice there’s two classes missing on the list: pryo and scout. This is because statistically, they are the least effective classes, with the fewest frags to their name. They come in handy in certain situations, but these situations are so specific, and so seldom, that they are not worth considering in a 24 player game.

You’ll notice there is only one spy, and one sniper on the list. These classes likewise come in handy only for specific situations, and must often bide their time. They can be highly effective when the time to act comes, but the rest of the time they simply account for a one-player hole in the front lines. Further, having more than one of each class saturates the battlefield, and when the opposing team adjusts their tactics, both classes become ineffectual. This is especially true of spies, who fall victim to frequent spy checks by pyros.

32 player game (teams of 16)

3 medics

3 soldiers

2 demomen

2 heavies

2 engineers

1 spy

1 sniper

1 pyro

1 scout

In a 32 player game, each class may be occupied without hurting the team’s overall performance. Just remember to keep an eye on other players, and be ready to step in if their performance is not up to par. Playing support for a team with no heavy hitters in the assault classes will leave you frustrated.

[Alucard winrar 0]

Poor scouts, in large pubs (24-32) they are made ineffective from all the random enemies who wander all over the place. In 6v6 they rock face.

[Nomar 0]

they can be effective though. noob medic killing Yay !!

also it's fun to play scout on a 32 server on dustbowl while defending they don't expect that

[kuttlewug 28]

Pretty good advice I like it. And don't be a sniper trying to charge in with your secondary weapon thinking you can take people or a mechanic charging in with his wrench

[h3gi 5]

Looks good for competitive. I remember once when I switched classes so all classes had 2, except 1 on Scout and 1 on Pyro.

But playing Pyro isn't a bad choice when you're facing mediocre-or-less skilled players. Axtinguisher makes for epic exploitations in their weaknesses if you can play Pyro right.

Then again, same goes to Spy, which I call dibs if we ever fill up 12 slots on a single team.

[Plasma Waffle 0]

I wonder what it would be like to have a 16v16 league lmao

[coda 1]

Me like. I wish people actually did this

[Mr Pain 0]

hey mana you should change the location of this topic and my other one to that little space above each forum topic, so that an actual important topic like this one doesn't get lost.

[Plasma Waffle 0]

hey mana you should change the location of this topic and my other one to that little space above each forum topic, so that an actual important topic like this one doesn't get lost.

Yeah, a separate subforum called The Lotus Field Strategy Guide (same as where the recruits applications get moved from the join forum, that kind of thing)

[Sarum 0]

I disagree with your comments about pyros. Pyro is definately a 'situational' class, just like every other class in the game. Give them some mazes with lots of paths, and a clever pyro, and they are lethal. They are quite capable of topping point charts.

And, after the changes to spies recently, most notably the refreshing of cloak with metal, I think you are underestimating their effectiveness. Even a spy perpetually cloaked as recon or metal theif is crippling to a defensive team.

I will however agree with your opinion of scouts. They do need some love. Although note that there are a few out there who have mastered the scout class, and can be deadly with them in any map in any situation.

[Mr Pain 0]

highly unlikely that's you'll see pyros topping the charts against a good team, you should try pugs, you'll notice that the pyro get's his ass handed to him every time.

you might like this http://forums.gamingterritory.com/index.ph...ic=6071&hl=

[ep!c._. 0]

Imo in a group of 12

4 medics

2(+/- 1) soldiers

2(+/- 1) demo

1 heavy

1 spy

1 sniper

1 engie

[ktspaz 0]

I agree with your sniper/spy comment. I am an avid spy player, and having to many spies ruins it for all the spies playing. Seriously I hate it when there are more than 3 spies playing, in that case I just go to a different class.

[Mangsk 0]

Always a good idea to have a few medics. Solo medicing is intense and people like to steal the med packs even though you are healing. Or your with a noob medic and they don't realize that even though you are a medic with an 80% Uber you still need to be healed.

[Melissia 7]

Or you could just go the cheap and easy way and have 8 demomen, 6 medics, and 2 engies (for teles and dispensors). Maybe replace a couple demomen with pyros for spychecking.

And yeah, too many spies running around is definitely a bad thing. I'd put it at two max, for any game level (even 16x16).

[ktspaz 0]

Gawd I hate spychecks...