This is an exclusive club for only the most talented of scrummers!

How to become a member...

Obtain a score of 27 or more in a standard, 15 minute lush server, and you're in! (easier said than done) Here's my contribution... I chose Freudian Flats... I played against all the standard bots on default settings. Took 10 tries! But I finally did it. Whew...

Last edited: Wednesday, June 09, 2004 at 2:06:32 PM

Hey Stealth,

I played once this morning and I got 21 goals. May I respectfully post my thoughts in this subject?

I found that I spent most of the game just driving across the map (Freudian Flats) with the scrum. Very rarely was there much Bot interaction. Just drive and drive and drive. Then pray for a lucky spawn. Then maybe dive a few times to see if I can get lucky. Pick off a Bot mule with a straight head-on collision that would never happen in a real game. No shootouts, no juking or dancing, no outsmarting the opponent. I don't see myself doing this more than once.

However, I do have some suggestions for you. Others have already mentioned these points. You should pick one map. You should fill it with 8 Gold Bots (the smartest ones) on a dedicated server. Then you will have lower scores (which means less emphasis on lucky spawning), and you will have to 'show your stuff' to the bots much more often. You should learn how to host and set it up with a password and let people do it. I think you would have a bit more enthusiasm for a more meaningful test like this that you don't have to do 20 times to get a good score.

I have played 8 gold bots on my own server and it is way more fun and a better test (for some real fun try playing against 12 babyboss UFOs!). Playing against people is the best, but something like this would be a uniform way to check for basic skills. What do you think Stealthy?

-Rx

@Stealth

Not really...since my last post, I managed to break 25 (26 & 27) but Bolo made a great point about not using our own private servers, which is what I used because I wanted to password protect the game so demo's, noobs and vets wouldn't interrupt the game. Every time I've tried playing on a public server as Bolo suggested, I would get a great game going...something like 18 goals with lots of time left and then a bunch of demo's would jump on and ruin it all. Argh!!!!

So, until someone sets up a password protected server with nothing but light bots, then I guess no one is going to waste their time (like I did) going for 25 plus goals. It can get very boring and annoying real fast too.

I think you have a good idea. We just need to establish the ground rules in such a way to avoid cheaters and hackers from making it a farse.

Also, as Bolo and others mentioned, you can be on this list and the 40 plus list and still not be considered one of the elites and vice versa...you can be an elite scrummer but somehow never break 25 (some players excel in the heat of battle during a real game). It's like baseball and football players who perform well at the combines (test trials) but not actually be great players in the game. While some players are awesome during the game, but awful in the combines/trials.

THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN :)

Great ideas Reag, Paisano, OM, Bolo, everyone... I went up against the bots on default settings, but I guess breaking 20 against 6 lights set on expert would be more challenging (and exciting) than scoring 27 against the default bots.

Once I learn how to host a dedicated server I'll set one up with a password and put you up against 6 gold light bots and see how well you fend! In the meantime, I'm going to take the challenge myself. Gotta walk what ya talk! Right?

At Paisano, please go a head and post that screeny :) I'd like to see that I'm not the only one who can score 27 against the default bots...

Instead of the Elite Scrummers club, maybe we can call it "The scrummers, 20 and over club"

Hi Stealth,

Great! I think this will be much better. I'm be happy to walk you through hosting anytime. My e-mail is in my profile.

-Rx

@Stealth

Cool! Can't wait to try it out! I will post the screenshot once I do it again..if ever! When I pasted it nothing showed up!!! Argh!!!!

I will try it again to see if it was a fluke. Everything has to go my way for that to happen, by the way! Every spawn, bounce, shot, etc.!

Sounds good stealth....i firmly believe that the bots are designed for BM and not for scrum. Scoring 40 or more against the bots is challenging but scrumming against bots is just luck, diving, and camping.

I might give it a shot sometime since getting over 20 is challenging.

B

Oh well, I hit my 26. It was my own server though... (I promise, it was a clean game )

Betcha 30 is do-able...

-sorry, don't know how to post images up here, any suggestions?

I made my own server last week, all gold bots, all light tanks and scored and 24 without any problem. It was pretty simple actually. 30 is do-able, but I think will involve a much higher percentage of luck to do it. I think 30 would be better for an "elite" club though. 20 seems REALLY easy and almost standard.

@LilalienD

True... 30 would be a stout number indeed. However, we need to see how difficult Stealth's testing server will be first.

Maybe 20 on that server will be insanely difficult?

So about this 40 & Over club, what are the guidelines for this thing? While the office had tno internet till a few minutes ago I was left to play some "quick games" and got 37 right off the back, then 36, then 38.... Etc. Didn't top 40 yet, but had to frequently pause and hide the TT window when people walk in and all that nonsense.

For the first few weeks that I owned the game, I did nothing but practice scrum in my own server against light bots set on expert. It was a good way for a newbie to study. Towards the end I was breaking 25 on a regular basis. I never made it to 30, but 20 is definitely too easy of a goal.

Last edited: Wednesday, June 16, 2004 at 10:29:06 PM

@atreyu

I can make all the bots lights, but can't make them all experts. How did you do it? Maybe I'm missing something.

Thanks!

Here is the control panel for creating your own server and all the options for bots. Here is the best I can do for setting up light bots.

Notice how they cannot all be made experts? Why is that? Is it my program? How do I do it? Also, what does that auto kick bots option mean anyway? Should we use it or not? I've tried both ways and don't notice any difference.

Thanks!

*Bump*

Come on, someone. Help...

You should be able to click the picture on MAL until the Expert, Smart, Dull buttons show up. Then just click the "expert" text next to each bot to make them all experts.

Hey Paisano,

The solution is... Host your own dedicated server! This can be done without too much work. There you cat set all the bot parameters, including what size, skill and even what color team you want them on. You can also set the number of bots. You can even make them baby UFOs or Big Daddy UFOs.

They instructions are right here on -z-'s site. Just go to the "Dedicated Servers" tab up top on the left of this page. The settings are accesible by editing the prefs.cs file.

Btw, the auto-kick bots feature is for when you want the bots to leav as new players join. So if you have 6 bots, and 6 people join, the bots will all be gone. Otherwise you would have 12 tanks on the field.

If you need any help you can e-mail me. Have fun!

-Rx

Last edited: Friday, June 18, 2004 at 12:47:55 AM

Thanks, guys! Great stuff! I will give all of that a try!

@Stealth

I know this isn't official or anything because you're working on an elite scrummer server right now, but I did hit 25 again with the default bots.

Didn't get 27 again, but came close. I do think 30 is possible if all goes well with spawns and bots.

For what it's worth...here is my 25...

Good Job Paisano! It's easier said than done! Huh... ;)

I just clicked on create... You should be able to edit the bots skill level by clicking the little circles. Some of them you can't edit... But then you just rotate it until you get a bot that you can edit.

I'm going to start up a new thread called the Scrummers, 25 and over club.I agree with LilalianD and Atreyu... 20 is way to easy. Membership is set at 25, 26 gets you gold status, 27 gets you platinum status, and 28 or more will get you Elite Status! Uless you guys don't like the whole status idea... Then I'll just scratch it and keep it at the Scrummer 25 and over Club...

I'll start up that thread as soon as I get a dedicated server set up with 6 light bots set on expert. You'll post a request on that thread to take the test and I'll assign you a password. You'll then be able to go online and use that password to access my server and take the test.

Here's my contribution so far, but I'm not going to give up until I reach Elite Status...

Last edited: Friday, June 18, 2004 at 2:23:19 AM

@Stealth

I noticed that there is a new elite scrummers test server running now with 6 gold bots. Is this your's?

It said something about 20 goals, so I am assuming that is the magic number for elite status now.

Is that correct? I think getting 20 goals against 6 gold bots on a dedicated server like this one would be a good test to determine elite scrummers.

Has anyone posted their score yet? I can't get in because it's always busy. I hope to soon.

No, that's not mine... Beware the hacker! I don't enter just any modes anymore... I never have time to host so I'm going to pass the responsibility on to you the people. It'll be just like the 40+ club, pretty much the honor system... If someone cheats, so they get their name on the list... They still know in their hearts that they are not worthy.

I played a few times and easly broke 20 every time... It's too easy, I think 25 is much more challanging. I'll start up a different thread called the 25+ Scrummers Club. We'll just go a head and let this one die and post our screenies on the new one.

DEEJ, aka SteAlth

Hi guys, That's my server, no hacks. I'll change the title to TRY 4 25.