777 replies to this topic

[Gift of the Magi]

I'm a bit new here, and I admit I am not the best player in the game. I'd be surprised if I qualified in the 50% range. However I have to admit my biggest frustration isn't my level of skill, but how many times I join a game and my team always goes for the same location...and sits.

And sits. and sits. and sits.

Too often, I have moved in with a group of mechs and noticed that at the moment we engaged the enemy, the entire team has run back to cover just as the shooting starts. Which leaves me in the open fighting off a lance with my poor S-Hawk or Hunchy. Too often I notice that a flank is open and try to encourage people to move toward it...and be ignore while they chase a Light. Too often I sit in an area blocked by mechs taking pot-shots through a narrow gap while half the team sits around behind them unable to get past.

Lately I have tried to change this by following any rogue element that breaks away from the pack, even if it seems at first a bit dangerous. Sometimes I get rewarded with this by catching some flanking units off-guard...and sometimes we get crushed.

I'm not sure how to motivate people into action. In this game, tactical aggression is key: take the initiative, control the battlefield, get the enemy reacting instead of thinking. It does not mean not using cover or charging out like a fool...but it does mean keep pushing toward them. If the front does not work, hit both sides. Take the majority of the field away from them. Spread out a bit and refuse them focus fire. Every time I have had a team that did that, we win.

[rolling thunder]

I'm hoping that one day i'll get a chance to use the Artillery strike on the mass of opponents Mechs. But all to often I've gone round an object or over the top & they are all looking at me {probably grinning?} & open fire together. The one time I got it right someone in my team had used the Arti strike so it wasn't ready... doh!

[Gift of the Magi]

Or when you pop around a corner and see a lance of mechs...and the guy in front of you starts backing up instead of taking the cover in front of him or allowing the 6-8 teammates to get around and help him, thus blocking everyone, getting himself killed and weakening the team.

[Hammer 13]

I am the 'poor fool' usually. All I have is Hunchbacks and I find myself leading the charge because I refuse to stand still waiting to die. I usually rush to some point I like and have LRM cover, and wait about 60 secs(probably more like 10 sec's). If I am still the lead man I try to give some direction "Follow me" or "Move up and cover" and then it's go time. I don't mind dying if I see the rain of LRM's falling on the mechs surrounding my hull. Thats always cool. Then I start flipping thru my teams cockpits to see who is looking in a direction that will allow me to direct the team if I can.

Anytime, and every time, I see an assault mech actually moving up to the front I pick a side and support. The 2-3 times, yes only 2 or 3 times, I did this we won. And on one such occasion me that that Direwolf were the only 2 standing at the end. That game was EPIC!

The only reason I don't buy another HB is so I can get something bigger. If I have to lead, I need bigger guns and alot more armor.

And routinely use air strikes after I peek and find the whole unit around the corner!

Edited by ORION OMA, 05 February 2015 - 09:28 AM.

[Void Angel]

Artillery strikes are generally more effective, but you can use airstrikes to hit the enemy without warning if you drop the smoke where they can't see. =) It's almost impossible to see the plane coming in time to get out of the way.

As a Hunchback pilot myself, I would discourage you from leading a push yourself; you just can't soak up enough damage, no matter how you twist. Instead, try to encourage your team to move up, saying things like, "I need an Assault to support up here," or "they're split up; hit the ones in B4 and we can take them." If they still insist on flockasheeping, it's best to be patient and either pick an assault to back up (tell them this) or act as a flank picket to kill light scouts and give warning to the group if the enemy tries to flank.

I'd also actually recommend that you buy a third hunchback if you don't have any, even if you're saving up. Having three will allow you to get your Elite skills fully bought, which in turn will double the Basic bonuses - not to mention the extra module slot can be important. Doubled masteries alone make any chassis almost a new 'mech.

[purplewasabi]

Most of us still keeps an eye on chat and actually reacts to it, so I'd say keep communicating. It just depends on how lucky you are. Some games I will type out loads of info but no action was taken, and I die in a great ball of fire alone. Sometimes I get lucky, found some like-minded individuals and I get a beautiful game.

Edited by purplewasabi, 05 February 2015 - 04:03 PM.

[Gift of the Magi]

ORION OMA, on 05 February 2015 - 09:26 AM, said:

I am the 'poor fool' usually. All I have is Hunchbacks and I find myself leading the charge because I refuse to stand still waiting to die. I usually rush to some point I like and have LRM cover, and wait about 60 secs(probably more like 10 sec's). If I am still the lead man I try to give some direction "Follow me" or "Move up and cover" and then it's go time. I don't mind dying if I see the rain of LRM's falling on the mechs surrounding my hull. Thats always cool. Then I start flipping thru my teams cockpits to see who is looking in a direction that will allow me to direct the team if I can.

Anytime, and every time, I see an assault mech actually moving up to the front I pick a side and support. The 2-3 times, yes only 2 or 3 times, I did this we won. And on one such occasion me that that Direwolf were the only 2 standing at the end. That game was EPIC!

The only reason I don't buy another HB is so I can get something bigger. If I have to lead, I need bigger guns and alot more armor.

And routinely use air strikes after I peek and find the whole unit around the corner!

Thanks to the recent sales, I now have four Hunchies (4G, 4P, 4J and 4SP) and I find them a lot of fun. In a match recently, I was running Flash Bang (my 4P) around and suddenly everyone falls back from a push. I hold ground and take cover, let the rush go past me, and then start blasting into back armor. Unfortunately the rush was too good and I find myself facing a Dire Wolf, a Centurion and a Jagermech. So **** it, It get stuck in and go point blank.

I lost, but I took the Centurion and Jager to hell with me along with half the Dire Wolf. It was awesome.

Yes the Hunchback are not all that tough but don't under-estimate their firepower nor get timid with them. They are brutal little gremlins that can core out a heavy given the chance. If my line had not fallen back and instead moved left and right, we could have won with a crossfire, but I was proud of my little purple guy.

[Hammer 13]

I have mastered the 4G, 4P and 4J. I was going to move up to an ORION but felt like I was walking in quicksand and couln't stand it.

I do really good some days, and just bad others. I follow the "Victory thru aggression" concept and totally agree with pressing the enemy where they are, not waiting for them to come to where I am.

The 4P(9ML's), is the least fun to drive but I always score better than either of the others. I don't know what it is that I like about my 4G (3MLAC20) better, I never do as well in it, but I just do. The 4J is my 'fall back'. When the other 2 are just getting me killed I stand in back and chunk rockets with the rest of the sheeple. Even then I am flanking and tagging. I even consider my teams angle to targets and try not to lock anything they can't hit. Priority to those they can, or my biggest personal threat, then everything else from biggest to smallest. I rack up some c-bills in those games, but I'd still rather see the laser burning thru thier hulls or cockpit rock back as the AC20 round pounds them!

If I had jj's, that would change everything. I consider myself a 'flanking' specialist at times. But you need some speed for that, and enough punch when you get there. It gets me killed alot, but it's fun. Most of the time.

[Nastyogre]

VoidAngel, I consider your post on timidity to be the single most important post for every player of MWO to read. Do I agree with every point? eehh, no. So close it doesn't matter. I push PUGs with your ideas and when the PUGs listen, we win, most of the time.

Preach on my brother.

[Ursh]

Part of the timidity has to do with guys wanting to clean up on trashed mechs at the end of the match. They call it "tactical" play, but the reality is that someone has to engage the enemy in battle, and most mechs aren't fast enough to achieve perfect ambush positions in every single match, unless the entire enemy team consists of fools, in which case it's going to be an easy roll regardless.

It's one thing to charge stupidly, but sometimes you can't be bothered to wait around all day while the sheep are busy hiding behind each other in some stupid location. Go out guns blazing, because being the last guy to die in a 12-1 roll carries no badge of honor.

[YueFei]

Ursh, on 08 February 2015 - 01:46 PM, said:

Part of the timidity has to do with guys wanting to clean up on trashed mechs at the end of the match.

To be honest, I don't think that's the motivation for most of the players who are timid. Maybe for some of them, but not all of them. I don't think timid players are generally being selfish, they're just scared to get themselves killed and let the team down.

It's not that they are literally scared of dying, it's only a game after all. What they fear is failure.

Like, a kid told to go play wide receiver but he runs his routes half-heartedly because he's scared to get the ball thrown his way... he lacks the confidence to make the play.

The way to shake that fear of failure is for veteran players to tutor new players on how to engage the enemy without being suicidally reckless. How to peek, how to shield, how to position both to support teammates and to be supported by teammates. That kind of thing.

Just learning how to be able to shield properly improves a newbie's survival rate and game experience 200%. Instead of turning a corner and face-tanking everything and getting gibbed in 5 seconds, a new player can turn a corner, and by shielding he can survive 4 or 5 times as much abuse without dying.

Some games I screw up and don't react fast enough and die from taking 90 damage to the CT. That sucks. Other games I do it properly and I've soaked up well over 300 damage and I'm still alive. In fact it might be 300 damage I took, but because of damage transfer getting reduced, the enemy probably threw 500+ damage worth of firepower at me, but I just soaked it with a dead side torso.

[Void Angel]

I agree, YueFei - though it bears mentioning that you will find advocates of toxic, counterproductive tactics like hanging back to clean up, using your teammates as decoys/fodder, etc. Still, while such players exist, they are in the minority - most players are simply playing the game they way the game trains them to play it. The game conditions people toward long-range combat and damage avoidance, while simultaneously pushing them away from close-range combat and accepting damage in order to win. Until and unless that situation is rectified, the only hope we have to affect the problem is education. =)

As for the people deliberately trying to exploit their teammates, I think that more role-based rewards would help, as would an overall increase in c-bill income. If players are engaging in toxic behaviors to get c-bills, the way that c-bills are handed out should be considered as a driving factor. Right now, rewards are just too slow, and still too dependent on kill-related activity. Play rewards are supposed to encourage you to keep playing, but I don't play for the c-bills: I can't, because if I watch the c-bills, I get frustrated and impatient; then I consider buying c-bills with MC - then I look at the prices and just turn off the game in disgust. If players were given more c-bills to play with - and rewarded more for doing things other than killing - they might be more inclined to try new builds and playstyles - rather than crippling their own team in order to reap rewards at others' expense.

[YueFei]

Void Angel, on 08 February 2015 - 08:19 PM, said:

I agree, YueFei - though it bears mentioning that you will find advocates of toxic, counterproductive tactics like hanging back to clean up, using your teammates as decoys/fodder, etc. Still, while such players exist, they are in the minority - most players are simply playing the game they way the game trains them to play it. The game conditions people toward long-range combat and damage avoidance, while simultaneously pushing them away from close-range combat and accepting damage in order to win. Until and unless that situation is rectified, the only hope we have to affect the problem is education. =)

Yeah, I don't know how to change the behavior of truly toxic / selfish players. All the efforts of your guide are much more likely to positively influence the well-meaning player. You're right, the unforgiving nature of the game makes newer players very risk-averse. Your guide tries to teach these players that it's OK to take a hit sometimes, as long as you're taking that hit with a goal in mind. Like you said, "Damage is like Water".

Maybe you could add a section in your guide for personal-survival tips? Or maybe you could put a link to another forum post that covers that topic. I think players are more likely to be bold if they learn some techniques that increase their odds of surviving enemy fire (other than the technique of clinging to a rock ).

Quote

As for the people deliberately trying to exploit their teammates, I think that more role-based rewards would help, as would an overall increase in c-bill income. If players are engaging in toxic behaviors to get c-bills, the way that c-bills are handed out should be considered as a driving factor. Right now, rewards are just too slow, and still too dependent on kill-related activity. Play rewards are supposed to encourage you to keep playing, but I don't play for the c-bills: I can't, because if I watch the c-bills, I get frustrated and impatient; then I consider buying c-bills with MC - then I look at the prices and just turn off the game in disgust. If players were given more c-bills to play with - and rewarded more for doing things other than killing - they might be more inclined to try new builds and playstyles - rather than crippling their own team in order to reap rewards at others' expense.

Yeah, the game could definitely reward roles better. It seems that the potential is there, since the game now has funny rewards like "flanking" (which you can get by hitting an enemy and not getting hit in return, even if you did it from the front and he was looking right at you, LOL).

I'm thinking a reward for Light mechs distracting the enemy should reward more, the game can track when the enemy fires at the Light mech. Reward the Light mech for:
1.) The enemy shots that the pilot dodges.
2.) Damage landed by friendlies upon the enemies that are shooting at the Light mech.

It could also reward the tanking role in a similar two-fold way:
1.) Reward the player who is tanking for the damage reduction through damage transfer from dead arm-stumps and dead side-torsos / legs. E.g.: you twist right and get hit in the dead left torso, which transfers 40% of the damage to your CT. The game rewards you for the 60% of the damage that you denied.
2.) Reward the player who is tanking for the damage that his friendly teammates inflict upon the enemy while he is taking enemy fire.

Basically, there are activities which help contribute to the team's victory, but are very self-less acts that put the player in danger and don't reward him or her for it. By recognizing and rewarding this behavior, it can be fostered and encouraged.

[Tim East]

YueFei, on 09 February 2015 - 12:27 AM, said:

Yeah, I don't know how to change the behavior of truly toxic / selfish players. All the efforts of your guide are much more likely to positively influence the well-meaning player. You're right, the unforgiving nature of the game makes newer players very risk-averse. Your guide tries to teach these players that it's OK to take a hit sometimes, as long as you're taking that hit with a goal in mind. Like you said, "Damage is like Water".

Maybe you could add a section in your guide for personal-survival tips? Or maybe you could put a link to another forum post that covers that topic. I think players are more likely to be bold if they learn some techniques that increase their odds of surviving enemy fire (other than the technique of clinging to a rock ).



Yeah, the game could definitely reward roles better. It seems that the potential is there, since the game now has funny rewards like "flanking" (which you can get by hitting an enemy and not getting hit in return, even if you did it from the front and he was looking right at you, LOL).

I'm thinking a reward for Light mechs distracting the enemy should reward more, the game can track when the enemy fires at the Light mech. Reward the Light mech for:
1.) The enemy shots that the pilot dodges.
2.) Damage landed by friendlies upon the enemies that are shooting at the Light mech.

It could also reward the tanking role in a similar two-fold way:
1.) Reward the player who is tanking for the damage reduction through damage transfer from dead arm-stumps and dead side-torsos / legs. E.g.: you twist right and get hit in the dead left torso, which transfers 40% of the damage to your CT. The game rewards you for the 60% of the damage that you denied.
2.) Reward the player who is tanking for the damage that his friendly teammates inflict upon the enemy while he is taking enemy fire.

Basically, there are activities which help contribute to the team's victory, but are very self-less acts that put the player in danger and don't reward him or her for it. By recognizing and rewarding this behavior, it can be fostered and encouraged.

I actually had a suggestion for this back when rewards first came out that if an enemy had targeted you and taken damage in the back armor, you should get a tanking reward of some sort. Kind of a flanking counterpart thing.

[Gift of the Magi]

In the last 25 games, my team have only won 4. In each and every loss, the team had grouped up in a location close to their start point and sat there. They only started to move once casualties reduced the team to about 3-4 mechs. In many cases, I rarely found locks on the mini-map and discovered mechs firing on enemies WITHOUT any locks being made, despite the fact that I could lock the mech being FARTHER AWAY.

And in one case, after locking a mech and firing on it, the team mech engaging it turned and fired ON ME, and texted to me "Quit trying to kill-steal, noob".

I think the game does encourage long-range engagements and players don't want to get exposed and risk being taken out, but I also think we are still dealing with Deathmatch Syndrome.

Deathmatch Syndrome is a common affliction amongst video game players, especially younger ones, who prefer FPS games. It starts with the mindset created in deathmatch games, when you are all by yourself against others and ranking or success is graded by
-1.) How many kills or killshots you get.
-2.) If you were the last man alive.
Such games completely discourage any kind of team-play, and even many Team Deathmatches put more emphasis on personal performance than team victory. I remember playing such games and having players brag about getting 30+ kills even after their team lost, while shrugging at the team that won because "don't matter". They also become upset at 'kill-stealing' to the point of turning on their own team in frustration and not communicating if they see opponents, because they want all the kills to themselves.

This game tracks your Kill/Death ratio, your Match/Win ratio and other personal attributes...which of course feeds this disease. Add in that the team needs locks to help figure out where enemies are or to use their weapons properly, and you have a mindset of players completely against what makes a team work. Unfortunately this disease is hard to cure without actually being with that player and talking to them, and it is infectious as hell.

[Void Angel]

Gift of the Magi, on 09 February 2015 - 11:01 AM, said:

And in one case, after locking a mech and firing on it, the team mech engaging it turned and fired ON ME, and texted to me "Quit trying to kill-steal, noob".

I have good news, and I have bad news; actually, it's the same news - you're in Elo Hell for that chassis. I've never had some jackass try to smoke me for "stealing" his kill while he hid behind a rock corner-sniping. Frankly, that kind of willfully stupid person is likely going to get bored with MWO and rage quit. At most he'll become one of the people who used to drop back in after a major patch and complain that the game "still sucks," because this or that pet hobby horse thingy wasn't changed/added - despite admitting to not having played the game in months. Like Dave Barry, I swear I am not making that up. On the other hand, you actually want to have good matches as a team - as a result, you're not going to stay in that Elo range. So, if you keep on playing and improving, you'll get to the point where most of the trolls and feral children are down below you playing against themselves. =)

As for the Deathmatch mentality, I think you're correct in the way that the game's scoring system rewards players primarily for kill-related activities. However, I'm not sure of how much this disparity of reward is contributing to the kind of behaviors you've seen from other FPS games in MWO. Typically games such as Unreal Tournament, Quake Deathmatch, and even Counterstrike didn't have Elo systems - they were distributed amongst a host of individually-run servers. With a game like MWO, that kind of counterproductive backstabbing will shunt the goombahs into lower Elo ranges where they get to play mostly with other goombahs. Llike most parasites, they wither and die when they have to play with people like themselves - or maybe they're happy little clams down there; I dunno, I don't play with them.

In both cases, my point is that there is hope! If you just work on playing the game and getting better, you won't have to play with those people any more. As part of doing that, I recommend that you join a guild unit if you don't have one; the BWC is hiring (shameless plug!) as are many other mercenary and loyalist units - even logging onto NGNGs public teamspeak servers will let you get into a group with voice chat coordination and possibly expert advice.

As for advice, from what you're telling me, I gather that you're using LRMs in your matches. It's good/necessary for you to know how those weapon systems work, but I'd encourage you to hold off on using them for a while. They're highly dependent on your team and extensively affected by terrain, so it'll make things difficult if you're playing with them at your apparent Elo, and your ability to earn c-bills will likely be better with a dedicated brawler or long-range setup. Also remember that your Elo varies by weight class, so you may be able to pursue different tactical styles with different 'mechs. =)

YueFei, on 09 February 2015 - 12:27 AM, said:

Maybe you could add a section in your guide for personal-survival tips? Or maybe you could put a link to another forum post that covers that topic. I think players are more likely to be bold if they learn some techniques that increase their odds of surviving enemy fire (other than the technique of clinging to a rock ).

An intriguing idea - it'd have to be a separate guide, I think. This one is pretty verbose as it is.

[Kahadras]

Quote

I think the game does encourage long-range engagements and players don't want to get exposed and risk being taken out

I think the game does encourage a bit of a 'not me' attitude. People are happy to watch other players leading the charge or distract the enemy Dire Wolf but don't want to do it themselves as it could lead to an early death and a missed oppertunity to hoover up some kills in the late game. This 'not me' attitude quickly disappears when the match shifts decisively in favor of one team. Players who have been hiding behind a hill and sniping quickly stampead out to grab those extra kills and assists.

[Gift of the Magi]

Void Angel, on 09 February 2015 - 03:21 PM, said:

I have good news, and I have bad news; actually, it's the same news - you're in Elo Hell for that chassis. I've never had some jackass try to smoke me for "stealing" his kill while he hid behind a rock corner-sniping. Frankly, that kind of willfully stupid person is likely going to get bored with MWO and rage quit. At most he'll become one of the people who used to drop back in after a major patch and complain that the game "still sucks," because this or that pet hobby horse thingy wasn't changed/added - despite admitting to not having played the game in months. Like Dave Barry, I swear I am not making that up. On the other hand, you actually want to have good matches as a team - as a result, you're not going to stay in that Elo range. So, if you keep on playing and improving, you'll get to the point where most of the trolls and feral children are down below you playing against themselves. =)

As for the Deathmatch mentality, I think you're correct in the way that the game's scoring system rewards players primarily for kill-related activities. However, I'm not sure of how much this disparity of reward is contributing to the kind of behaviors you've seen from other FPS games in MWO. Typically games such as Unreal Tournament, Quake Deathmatch, and even Counterstrike didn't have Elo systems - they were distributed amongst a host of individually-run servers. With a game like MWO, that kind of counterproductive backstabbing will shunt the goombahs into lower Elo ranges where they get to play mostly with other goombahs. Llike most parasites, they wither and die when they have to play with people like themselves - or maybe they're happy little clams down there; I dunno, I don't play with them.

In both cases, my point is that there is hope! If you just work on playing the game and getting better, you won't have to play with those people any more. As part of doing that, I recommend that you join a guild unit if you don't have one; the BWC is hiring (shameless plug!) as are many other mercenary and loyalist units - even logging onto NGNGs public teamspeak servers will let you get into a group with voice chat coordination and possibly expert advice.

As for advice, from what you're telling me, I gather that you're using LRMs in your matches. It's good/necessary for you to know how those weapon systems work, but I'd encourage you to hold off on using them for a while. They're highly dependent on your team and extensively affected by terrain, so it'll make things difficult if you're playing with them at your apparent Elo, and your ability to earn c-bills will likely be better with a dedicated brawler or long-range setup. Also remember that your Elo varies by weight class, so you may be able to pursue different tactical styles with different 'mechs. =)



An intriguing idea - it'd have to be a separate guide, I think. This one is pretty verbose as it is.

Ok first off...what is 'Elo'? Sorry, but over the years, acronyms get a bit hazy.

Second, to clarify, the mech pilot that shot at me only did one volley and he was dueling with the guy openly in the middle of a a lake. I saw him taking a lot of damage and there was an enemy Warhawk coming so I decided to help him with supporting fire. Once the first mech dropped, he shot me, texted and them died to the Warhawk.

Third...lately I have been working on mastering a Hunchback 4P, the all laser one. I do like mechs with at least one LRM rack for long range harassment and getting those mechs behind low cover, but I tend to prefer lasers over all. I like weapons that don't worry about ammo and that I can punch other mechs in the face til they pop or cry. I am starting to try out ballistics, but I want to get enough C-Bills to afford upgrades to my S-Hawks first.

And your theory has merit. I have run into people that just stopped caring about team wins and losses already here but it's not a large bunch. I am trying to improve my skills and learn when to be and NOT to be aggressive, but I admit I'm not the greatest player here. I have considered joining a unit, but I'm not sure I'm good enough for that yet. I will look into it, if anything to help train my old reflexes into something decent. I do enjoy working with and as a team.

Edited by Gift of the Magi, 09 February 2015 - 09:36 PM.

[Void Angel]

Oh, it definitely encourages people to not want to take risks - but it's important to distinguish between a conscious decision to let other people take the hits, and an unconscious reflex of shrinking away from damage. Some people definitely will use their teammates as cannon fodder, but you should never attribute to malice what can be explained by stupidity. Flockasheeping happens organically: it's not a conscious decision to screw the team in most cases; rather, it comes from ways the game literally conditions players.

It's the Hillbilly Moonshiner school of tactics: see, two moonshiner families have gotten up a feud. Things have gotten out of hand, but nobody wants to get shot over it yet. So, they all scatter out to their favorite hiding rocks and start sampling the product whilst exchanging desultory gunfire. After a while, the amount of liquid courage imbibed will intersect with the level of boredom and/or an advantage to one team or the other - that's when folks get frolicksome, leave their hiding rocks and actually go after the enemy team.

Most folks don't want to screw over their team for personal gain; they just recognize that they need the team to support them in order to survive, but they've been conditioned (by the game) to hesitate under fire - and they know everyone else has been, too. So that combination of hesitation and conditioning combine to push players away from many of the behaviors that would improve both their game and their playing experience.

[Void Angel]

Heh. In no particular order:

Most units will train you, or at least help you out if you want to learn; my own encompasses the entire gamut from competitive teams all the way down to casuals - and I've occupied that entire range of playing commitment. Even if you're not prepared to pick out a unit yet, the NGNG teamspeak is open to the public, and you can go there and hunt up other players to group with. Just check out their teamspeak, or Comstar, and find the LFG channel. I'm told you can often find players there to hook up with on an ad hock basis.

If you are enjoying the Huncbacks (and my 4P is one of my best Medium chassis,) you should consider the 4G for learning ballistics. The Shadowhawks are excellent, too, but the AC/20 quirks on the 4G make it a joy to smack people with.

That pilot is still an idiot jerk who needs to remember that this is a team game; throwing a tantrum over "kill stealing" - particularly to include throwing things at his playmates - is something that he can only get away with because internet. In real life, he'd get his bottom smacked and have to go sit in time-out.

Elo is the Elo rating system; it is named for Arpad Elo, the chess master who proposed it as a matchmaking system for competitive chess tournaments - and it is not an acronym! =) Pet peeve, don't mind me.