Ok guys, help me here

jaybird39 · Post by **jaybird39** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 4:29 am

Alrighty,

Since I started this game, I have heard the word "Stack" used several times. Usually in a negative context.

I have even been accused of "Stacking" once or twice, just when I join, I prefer to join with a squadmate.

The problem is that I have no freaking clue as to what a stack exactly is. Though I have asked in the game chat once or twice. I have never actually had the term stack explained in enough detail to make it clear to me what it is.

All I know is some sort of way that the game is not countable, or something or other. In other words it has never been really clear to me, what it actually is. I think I understnad what it is after, since the game would not count, but what is the act of stacking?

I am old, and have not been around that long. Someone help me to understand exactly what a stack is, and how do I see it, other than ELO ranking which I believe is a bunch of hogwash at times, since I see some pretty good players that actually have ELO rankings lower than me.

Patman3 · Post by **Patman3** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 4:30 am

A stack is when someone thinks that a team has more good players than the other one. The team with more good players is "stacked" with better pilots.

Terralthra · Post by **Terralthra** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 4:33 am

A stack is when a significant portion of the more skilled players join one team. The ramifications of this on Elo, game balance, etc., are a long post I'm not really in the mood for, but suffice it to say there are two main groups of players: those that would prefer to have pick-up games be balanced skillwise, so that any random person joining a random team can have an equal chance of winning, and those that would prefer, for one reason or another, not to do so, and prefer to fly with squadmates, for the better commander, or just on a team that they predict has a higher chance of winning.

Given the massive skill differential between a newb and a skilled vet, a massively stacked game approaches Allegiance masturbation. A balanced pick up game, in my opinion, is fun for both teams, while a stacked game is only really fun for the winning team (which I suppose pretty clearly states which group I fall under).

How this all relates to Elo ranking and the proposed forced-balancing system is another question entirely.

jaybird39 · Post by **jaybird39** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 4:34 am

Ok, since I am not necessarily a great pilot, how can I be accused of stacking in any sense of the word?

Terralthra · Post by **Terralthra** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 4:36 am

jaybird39 wrote:QUOTE (jaybird39 @ Oct 28 2006, 02:34 PM) Ok, since I am not necessarily a great pilot, how can I be accused of stacking in any sense of the word?

Once a significant enough stack forms, a voob or average player who joins the stacked side is seen as performing something of a rude act by some people, as they could be useful to either team, but join the team that is more predicted to win. Some people see that as merely picking the winning side and see nothing wrong with it, others see it as padding your ranking by getting your rank increased by winning without having to contribute a lot to the win yourself.

jaybird39 · Post by **jaybird39** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 4:40 am

Terralthra wrote:QUOTE (Terralthra @ Oct 27 2006, 09:36 PM) Once a significant enough stack forms, a voob or average player who joins the stacked side is seen as performing something of a rude act by some people, as they could be useful to either team, but join the team that is more predicted to win. Some people see that as merely picking the winning side and see nothing wrong with it, others see it as padding your ranking by getting your rank increased by winning without having to contribute a lot to the win yourself.

hmmm, ok. Then when I pick your team, because I can understand your thought process, and you understand mine (as warped as it is at times), I may unknowingly stack if the ELO (which is not that accurate to begin with in my opinion) is imbalanced. Hmm, that sucks

Terralthra · Post by **Terralthra** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 4:47 am

Elo isn't always a perfect indicator of which team has the stack.

My advice for now is to play on whichever team you think you can help more. If you join a team and all the work is already done...it's probably the stack. If there's work undone, it's probably not the stack. Unless the undone work is probing and nanning miners. =]

Shizoku · Post by **Shizoku** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 5:11 am

People like bitching, stacking is about the easist thing to bitch about, people are lazy, so people bitch about stacks even if the player joining a team sucks as much as you do. (No offense)

jaybird39 · Post by **jaybird39** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 5:17 am

Shizoku wrote:QUOTE (Shizoku @ Oct 27 2006, 10:11 PM) People like bitching, stacking is about the easist thing to bitch about, people are lazy, so people bitch about stacks even if the player joining a team sucks as much as you do. (No offense)

lol, laugh it up wise guy.

{sets a stink bomb off under his chair}

"Shiz Did It"

mcwarren4 · Post by **mcwarren4** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 4:35 pm

jaybird, you are probably aware that Wildcards antistacks in general. Some of our guys intentionally join the better of two teams in pickup games because they feel that by joining the worse team they will only further the problem (aka, their skill level would lower the overall skill level of the stacked team therefore lessening the stack).

I'm not sure what your skill level is at this point so really only you can be the judge. But, I would think someone calling you a stacker regardless of the team you join would be pretty silly since you are somewhat new.