New Team Gameplay

Yes, we do need training grounds for team play.
Since the team efficiency is the key, and its a new game type, practice makes a HUGE difference, and even better if you can practice with the same teammate.

However, there is a way to create this training ground by yourself.

- Choose someone to team-learn with.
Create team games with simple settings. DM. also unlimited at first. because that will open your eyes immediately to team advantage.

Then move to dm chained. (which many have played in the tourney).

Then caps..

BEFORE you move to same time teams, first get good at same time free for all.

Practice with someone in 1 v 1 same time caps.. (you can choose someone close to you in rank.) It can be a same time noob, but you should ALSO practice against same time pros like echko (less pt loss), to learn from experience - the best way to play it. (He has a game plan, and it isn't JUST being fast.)

Perhaps also practice the 3 player same time caps.. But those you can learn pretty well just from watching spart.

When you are decent at teams, and decent at same time, create same time teams on CARIBBEAN. Its lack of connections make it simple enough. Then, join the pros!!

REMEMBER TO ALWAYS THINK FOR THE TEAM'S GOOD, NOT THE INDIVIDUAL. Think 'Team Army'
Points are divided between winners even if one teammate got killed.

Now, if you are concerned that when you create your practice games, the farmers will join, you can pw protect, or better yet, just ask in the chat for team pros to not join, as you are practicing. I think the pros know who they are, and they will respect that.

 - Shortcut method - Team with an experienced team player against another team pro + team noob.
This is definitely the fastest method.

Would be helpful if someone could add the team game disclaimer to the preset chat.

I also agree with dferguson though. Joining third behind an established pairing (Ultra & Voz - Delija & Sparty) is suicide.

BETA, I am terrible at same time free-for-all yet I'm Spartakus tier at same time teams... your point is horribly invalid.

@Ultrasplot,

You first got good at 2 player same time before you learned stt.
And in a 4 player stt, its essentially a 1 v 1.

I don't see how a 60 second start delay will make it too long of a game... It would be frustrating if the third play keepers leaving time after time but I would rather wait until a good team shows then win be such a easy margin. Plus I'm not a programmer by any means but would it not be easier to implement a start delay were all players can decide if they want to play with who joined over programming the system to pair the team as equal as possible.

If teams are paired as equal as possible matches such as Ultra + BETA vs DFA will become impossible... I do not support this.

Or,
A 15 - 30 second dialog box asking the other potential teammates of the the last joiner if they are ok with the last player....

Or, when the final player wants to join, before he can join, a dialog box asks the other players who would be on his team, if they are ok with his joining.

@emjaydee it doesn't take much to add preset chats if they are already written. What does take awhile is writing them so that they are clear and concise.

Please someone volunteer to write out whatever preset chats are needed for team games and posted them here. Keep in mind that the preset chats go to the main chat and not the team chat.

Perhaps something like this Vexer:

This is a team game. You may drop your initial troops on your teammate, and fortify to and through their territories. The game ends when all but one team is defeated. Points are shared between the victors. Use the Team Chat to talk to your teammate and strategize. A region only counts if a single player holds it.

Would it be possible joining the game by teams?

I mean, if we are going to play Triads there would be a tab to join Team A, another for Team B...

This way first teammate of every team could specify the conditions to join his team. I don't see many more options (apart from password protected games)

I like the way you are thinking Muzuane. Let's try to elaborate on it.

A couple of questions
1) How are the points calculated in team games?
2) Do all team members win or lose the same amount?

I agree with MuzuaneAskari. There should be an option to choose the team other than joining by orders as of now

Right now, in the join tab. After you select Color, if this is a team game, then you can select your team (A, B, C , D). If a team is full, that letter can not be selected.

Now with Dferguson's concern, which I completely agree, when the last person join the game, the other person in the same team with the last person should have the option to leave the game if he wants.

My suggestion to implement that is when the last person join the team, a pop up shows up asking the other teammate
- Start Game (auto select within 30 seconds)
- Leave Game

This is just mean to throw in, but I'm returning the favor to Matty and Vexer for remaking my map 20+ times :
Join game screen options:
Select team: A, B, C, D
In the player queue, the letters show up before the game starts so you can see who is on which team already.
(this is where it gets a bit out there)
First to join a team can password protect his team - as an option implemented by the game creator. 

On the create game page, team options (gray if not a team game):
Team numbers: Pairs, Triads
Team Selection: Random, Join Order, Select. 
Team passwords: None, Set by first team member


Invite function then modified to include 'invite to team', with the same whose online functionality, this bypasses team passwords.

@cbt I think that the one who chooses if the team is pw protected should be the first member of the team. Otherwise the first team could join quickly and disable the chance of pw protect the teams to the rest of the players, giving chance to unwanted players to join the rest of the teams, thus reducing fairness.

But this seems pretty complex.