My TAM rant :(

[BeerNut]

[rant]

Hello… My name is BeerNut and I hate TAM.

And I don’t mean “hate” in the way that I hate mosquito bites or brussel sprouts… I mean “hate” in the way that Hilter hated the jews, or how Paris Hilton hates to keep her sex life private.

While this may not come as a major shock to Ti, I have decided that since so many people, including most of you apparently, actually DO like it… I must be either missing the point of it totally, or completely retarded: Either of which is a STRONG possibility.

So please… Tell me where I am wrong, tell me the where the “fun” of this mod is, tell me why every second that I play this mod shouldn’t be a mental reminder that anal exams aren’t really that bad at all.

1. Since UT99, resource control (weapons, ammo, health, PuP’s) have been critical pieces in the “chess match” that is TDM. Removing ALL of these components fundamentally dumbs the game down to the point where it DOESN’T MAKE SENSE TO GO ANYWHERE. Has anyone else figured out why REALLY shitty TDM maps work in TAM?… Because they don’t have to flow at all. Why risk moving around a map and being attacked if you don’t have to? Sit back with your arsenal and wait for someone to pop around a corner. When everyone does this, it translates to boring gameplay.

2. Too fecking defensive. Combine the above with the fact that it is more important to stay alive then it is to frag and you have people spending the entire match “not dying”. This includes such leet tactics as shield jumping onto high platforms and running in circles to prevent camping messages. On another forum, a guy said that the best way to get good at TAM is to unbind your forward key. When everyone is doing this it translates to boring gameplay.

3. And finally… I CAN’T STAND being forced to just watch an online game. When I get fragged, I want to jump right back in and seek swift and brutal retribution… If I wanted to watch an online game get played, I’d download some unrealnorth demos and get a bag of chips. When I sit down to play, I actually WANT to play. All joking aside, I actually feel guilty fragging someone early in a TAM match with that lucky, total bullshit, full load of goo shot that everyone fires…. Knowing that I’ve just sentenced them to complete boredom for the next 5 minutes of their life

[/rant]

Okay… I feel better. If you took the time to read this, take heart in the fact that you have slightly more of a life than myself… who actually took the time to write it.

[law.of.averages]

Beer,

I think you're holding back... Tell us how you really feel.

Seriously... it does seem like we've become *too* focused on TAM. I sometimes miss the days of hunting desparately for health and shields.

I'd also like to see us play some different maps.. For those of us with ADD (Attention "Something" Disorder) The infinite Grendel/Deck/Compressed loop gets real old after awhile.

Even maps that suck can be fun once in awhile.

[Ace]

[Hug in a non ghey way]BeerNUT[/Hug in a non ghey way]

Although I can't argue your points against TAM, I'll add the elements that I do like about it and the reasons. Added cliff notes if you don't want to read much...perfect for our Ti brothers.

1) I hate the BS map control of TDM and DM

I'll be prefectly honest about it, I'm not good at it, and maybe that's why I hate it. At the same time, respect means everything to me in the game. Killing somebody when all they have is the pistol proves nothing to me. Even the biggest noob on the planet, Jeta, can kill me when I only have the pistol. Which leads me into point 2...

(cliff note: Ace too dumb to control map in TDM)

2) Leveled playing field

With TDM, I had a good idea what weapons the other guy had. After playing TAM when it first came out, I found I couldn't just brute force my way through people because they had the exact same weapons I did. I classify myself as an above average player, all of sudden people who I had no trouble with before were almost equals. Now Jeta would say it's just my age slowing down my reflexes, but the real reason my skill was inflated because of litterally the advantage I had in weapons. TAM neutralized that. Give everybody the same stuff I have and I become pretty average.

(cliff note: Ace is a equal opportunity fragger)

3) I lied, I am going to argue one point of Beer's. Waiting.

It is a change from clicking, respawing, and pwning the guy that got a luck shot on you....don't get me wrong I live for that. At the same time, I don't think it much of a wait (unless we are playing a huge map with 4 people). I have yet to see a person actively try to hide for the win. Dragn is a puss and hides uptop on Osiris all the time, but he ALWAYS does it....so it's you know where he is EVERY time. I don't notice the puss play any more then playing TDM or DM. Jump on a TDM server and you'll see a good player pull up his sheild and run like a little bitch. I don't see how that is much different. Do I play more conservative in TAM, absolutely because I dont' want to sit around, but at the same time in a TDM match (provided it's not on the pub) I'll try just as hard not to die and give the other team a kill.

(cliff note: Pussies all over in the game, they'll be in every game type)

TAM is something different and I find things that I like about it. Is it perfect not even close, but it's something different then the TDM that I've been playing for 8 years.

That's Ace's TAM thoughts. At the same time Beer, I feel for you joining us and being subjected to TAM 24x7. I'll be more then willing on practice nights to hit a TDM server with ya...just to give you some company.

[BeerNut]

Excellent... Something to work with. Thanks Ace.

Great Point: -If you don't like map control... Then I suppose TAM does make more sense. Just to clarify on that, when I say map control, I don't neccessarily mean timing all of the powerups and weapons to perfection... Sometimes I just find it fun to pick up a damage amp and wreak havok in a crowded room, or get a 100 to go on a spree.

-Level playing Field: I'm not sure that I'm following you on that one. If you mean level in that everyone starts from the same point in terms of weapons, then yes... good or bad, TAM does do that. But if you mean that the mod puts players of varying skills on the same level... I think that is very bad. Higher skilled players are supposed to do better... This is true on all levels of competition over all sports, and resultant of their dedication and ability. If you are able to remove a better player's skills, or add phantom skills to a lesser player, I would say that you are just adding randomness to a game = Bad.

-On the waiting... Yeah, I know what you mean about shield pussies.. Particularly since I can be one of the worst of them at given times. But that doesn't change the fact that you are still playing the game. If someone shields away from me, then I just re-stack myself and think of another angle of attack... But either way, I am still active in the map. That is a HUGE difference from sitting around and waiting for people to die.


I will give you the map control point though... I can totally understand that some people don't enjoy timing PuP's or may have trouble getting to a gun that they like. TAM eliminates that facet of the game.

[Hoss]

Ya TAM can get old sometimes but I had been playing TDM for so long that TAM was refreshing. I too will join Beer in some TDM on practice nights. We should shake some things up too perhaps - like staging some clan tournaments - innerclan 2v2 and 1v1. CTF once in awhile can be fun too.

[pewterdragn]

Dragn is a puss and hides uptop on Osiris all the time, but he ALWAYS does it....so it's you know where he is EVERY time.

Just for the record I win that 7+/10 times and your jealous

[Dr.Feelgood]

I can agree to what Law said...and the more people join a TAM game, the more and more I suck, and more correspondingly vulgar I get (shaddup everyone)...that said, myself and Yerrk are trying to at least get some TDM going, but most of the reason why our little pair isn't getting done is my work schedule and the fact I tire easily nowadays (People who are used to seeing my awake at 5AM, yes,..that time is over)

I for one personally propose a bit of either Onslaught or Assualt...those are some wicked fun gameypes at times.

[Yrrek]

CTF, and Assault I'll go for, but I am not a fan of Onslaught. TDM still is me fav, and the only reason I don't play on the pub more often is because of all the lamers rocketing/minigunning about. Beer, you and Hoss should do 2v2 TDM practices against Doc and I. Come join the ladders!

[Rom]

i am whit you beer and ace,im a player of tdm so lets get in a server and kill kill and again kill

[Trinity]

One of the things I really like about TAM is the limited ammo. I think it makes for less spamming and actually forces you to think more because you must conserve as well as stay alive. Staying alive is what the great TDM players are about so I don't think that part changes. And, it makes it so you don't constantly get spawn killed (a huge pet peeve of mine). I understand that's how you win a TDM or DM game but I just don't find it fun.

For me TAM is about less spam and more strategy.

[Sideous Prime]

i carry trinity's post. word for word. less spam, more hitscan. more strategy, thus you can't just hold the mouse button down and run around.

i will say that tam kinda sucks for 1v1's. i do miss the map control aspect of tdm in TAM no matter how many players are in the game. i think it adds another dimension to the map you are playing. that doesn't mean i'm good at it, but it really makes for a challenging match.

[1/2LuNaTiC]

Yeah, TAM is beginning to bug me for the same reasons. It was cool at first, but after a while I want that pure TDM style, control of weapons and items...etc. Brings a tear to my eyes...good ol' Unreal days.

I'll definently jump into CTF or Onslaught anyday just because it's different. (No Xloc of course )

[nonstop]

Interesting debate. Can't you love both? What is this black and white, wrong or right stuff? I love the greys.

Beer you make a lot of great points, map flow, control etc. I personally do really well at control and was at a point where I could time both shields and the amp all at once. I also tend to do better at tdm than tam, which leads to one of ace's points.

Tam levels things out a bit and that's kind of cool. I can own a lot of people because of map control, esp with no weap stay, power ups and map lock down. In tam everyone, yes including jeta, can at any time kick my ass. Not that they can't at tdm but with everyone having equal ammo/weaps anyone can get a kill at any time and that seems cool for those who don't play as much and/or are just here to have fun. Tam also seems more socially friendly too because of that, and because between rounds we can chat more.

I also enjoy tam becuase it's a break from tdm which I have played since freaking doom in 1992. That's 14 years of tdm and something new is more than welcome.

For a diversion I used to enjoy the ut99 mod tac ops which was tactical, (duh) and round based. This reminds me of that a bit as far as the real feel of right before a round 'com'on team, we can do this' and the pulling for someone when they are facing down 2 of the opposing team.

Now having said that, I'm definately up for some tdm again to break it up. We have definately got into a tam slump and I even suggested to pwter a while back that it was time to maybe have a tdm night on monday and a tam night on wed. or something like that. Possibly even 2 servers going, although I really like us all together, or having tdm from x-x and letting tam take over from say 9:30 est to end. Just some ideas.

Hell I'll even do ctf or something as crazy as assault if eveyone is in. At this point it's all about hanging out with good people and just having a good time so whatever, just bring it!

[law.of.averages]

One of the things I really like about TAM is the limited ammo. I think it makes for less spamming and actually forces you to think more because you must conserve as well as stay alive.

That only works for the good players. Us folks on the low end of the scale can happily spam away in the sure knowledge that we'll be dead before the ammo runs out anyways.

[Rom]

he he he