I found this on the TWL website and thought I'd pass it along.
Backstory
This story starts like most good stories – with a bit of writer hubris. Ok, I'll throw in a confession, too.
But just this once.
I am a camper. If that weren't bad enough, I am a spawn camper. For the uninitiated among you, a "spawn camper" is a person who waits at your spawn point for you to spawn, then frags you before you even realize you've spawned. For this article, I'll use the terms interchangeably; most consider a camper forever relegated to the ninth circle of hell, next to mutineers. You may ask why I do it, and my answer is simple: because the game engine allows it.
History
It started about 12 years ago. Doom ][ was popular, and I would often spend an entire night playing with a buddy on a map called Oldwest2, finding different places from which to kill one another. There was one spot that was nearly impossible to be killed from, a second floor dark room which I, of course, hid in while he ran around. Inevitably, I'd pop him with the double barreled shotgun, and he'd mention something about a Coleman and pitching a tent.
Fast forward 12 years, to two days ago.
I was playing Battlefield 2 on a public server, and we were on Wake Island 2007, a map already stacked against the USMC team from the outset. We had driven them off of the island, and in an effort to speed up the end of the round, I started to use artillery on the aircraft carrier. I was kicked for this behavior by an admin, who iterated that one of the server rules was "no attacking an uncapturable base." I rejoined after the customary one-minute kick, and the next map (Sharqi Peninsula) was already playing. As I joined the game, an Abrams Battle Tank was spawn-camping our uncapturable base. I asked the server admin if he was going to kick that player, too – after all, it's only fair, right? However, he didn't like the question, and five minutes later I was banned from the server for "not shutting up and playing after being warned." It's the only time I've been banned from a server for talking.
It was one of the few moments in my gaming life that I've actually sat back in shock. Here we are, in 2006, the age of acceptance and tolerance -- and I was banned for asking the admin why he didn't also kick another player for doing the exact same thing I had done?
It's All Part Of the Game
I suppose it all comes down to tactics. Some tactics are considered "cheap" or requiring "no skill," and in a community where one's "skillz" are revered by some, "no skill" tactics like camping are forbidden.
I've always hated being out-camped, and I've always hated someone killing me in a creative way I didn't expect when I camped, but I don't think I've ever kicked someone for camping, spawn or otherwise. I believe that if the game engine allows it, then it must be permissible. Note that I'm not talking about map exploits; I'm talking about game engine mechanics, like being able to blow a spawning sniper to kingdom come with a nice flick of the detonator switch on well-placed C4.
Wimps 'R' Us
Unfortunately, this tactic could get you kicked these days. I have the distinct impression our beloved gaming community has been taken over by wimps. These wimps are in the form of those players who want you to ask, "Mother may I?" before you bomb their runway. Or, perhaps even more insidiously, they want you to only use certain tactics against them. Hop like a bunny? Forget it. Use the grenade launcher from five feet away? No way. Heck, you'd better not do anything but run straight at them and see who's quicker on the draw. No sneaking, no peeking, no hiding, and certainly no camping.
Normally, the jeers of those you've just spawn-camped include "no skill noob" or something equally incomprehensible, but the part I always dislike is when the server admin kicks someone for it. A camper should never be kicked for doing what he does best, even if you believe there's no skill involved. Why do I think like this? Quite simply, a kill is a kill is a kill. If it's allowed by the game engine, and hasn't been patched out of the game, it should even be expected!
News Flash, Suzy. You can do it, too.
Artificial Rules
Any time you make artificial rules for a game, you are taking away from that game. You've probably seen it in your travels: "No camping an uncap," "No bunny hopping!" or "No commanders in vehicles!" The list goes on. These "rules" only serve to limit what players can do and set up artificial "safe" zones that take away from the enjoyment and depth of the game. Make no mistake, I hate being killed at my spawn too -- but that doesn't make the tactic any less valid.
The Solution
Spread the word. Have some fun, and do what makes you happy. There are servers out there that allow this kind of thing, and those are the servers you'll find me on. As for the ones that don't? I'll do it anyway, and if they want to kick me, that's their right.
After all, the game engine allows it.
Backstory
This story starts like most good stories – with a bit of writer hubris. Ok, I'll throw in a confession, too.
But just this once.
I am a camper. If that weren't bad enough, I am a spawn camper. For the uninitiated among you, a "spawn camper" is a person who waits at your spawn point for you to spawn, then frags you before you even realize you've spawned. For this article, I'll use the terms interchangeably; most consider a camper forever relegated to the ninth circle of hell, next to mutineers. You may ask why I do it, and my answer is simple: because the game engine allows it.
History
It started about 12 years ago. Doom ][ was popular, and I would often spend an entire night playing with a buddy on a map called Oldwest2, finding different places from which to kill one another. There was one spot that was nearly impossible to be killed from, a second floor dark room which I, of course, hid in while he ran around. Inevitably, I'd pop him with the double barreled shotgun, and he'd mention something about a Coleman and pitching a tent.
Fast forward 12 years, to two days ago.
I was playing Battlefield 2 on a public server, and we were on Wake Island 2007, a map already stacked against the USMC team from the outset. We had driven them off of the island, and in an effort to speed up the end of the round, I started to use artillery on the aircraft carrier. I was kicked for this behavior by an admin, who iterated that one of the server rules was "no attacking an uncapturable base." I rejoined after the customary one-minute kick, and the next map (Sharqi Peninsula) was already playing. As I joined the game, an Abrams Battle Tank was spawn-camping our uncapturable base. I asked the server admin if he was going to kick that player, too – after all, it's only fair, right? However, he didn't like the question, and five minutes later I was banned from the server for "not shutting up and playing after being warned." It's the only time I've been banned from a server for talking.
It was one of the few moments in my gaming life that I've actually sat back in shock. Here we are, in 2006, the age of acceptance and tolerance -- and I was banned for asking the admin why he didn't also kick another player for doing the exact same thing I had done?
It's All Part Of the Game
I suppose it all comes down to tactics. Some tactics are considered "cheap" or requiring "no skill," and in a community where one's "skillz" are revered by some, "no skill" tactics like camping are forbidden.
I've always hated being out-camped, and I've always hated someone killing me in a creative way I didn't expect when I camped, but I don't think I've ever kicked someone for camping, spawn or otherwise. I believe that if the game engine allows it, then it must be permissible. Note that I'm not talking about map exploits; I'm talking about game engine mechanics, like being able to blow a spawning sniper to kingdom come with a nice flick of the detonator switch on well-placed C4.
Wimps 'R' Us
Unfortunately, this tactic could get you kicked these days. I have the distinct impression our beloved gaming community has been taken over by wimps. These wimps are in the form of those players who want you to ask, "Mother may I?" before you bomb their runway. Or, perhaps even more insidiously, they want you to only use certain tactics against them. Hop like a bunny? Forget it. Use the grenade launcher from five feet away? No way. Heck, you'd better not do anything but run straight at them and see who's quicker on the draw. No sneaking, no peeking, no hiding, and certainly no camping.
Normally, the jeers of those you've just spawn-camped include "no skill noob" or something equally incomprehensible, but the part I always dislike is when the server admin kicks someone for it. A camper should never be kicked for doing what he does best, even if you believe there's no skill involved. Why do I think like this? Quite simply, a kill is a kill is a kill. If it's allowed by the game engine, and hasn't been patched out of the game, it should even be expected!
News Flash, Suzy. You can do it, too.
Artificial Rules
Any time you make artificial rules for a game, you are taking away from that game. You've probably seen it in your travels: "No camping an uncap," "No bunny hopping!" or "No commanders in vehicles!" The list goes on. These "rules" only serve to limit what players can do and set up artificial "safe" zones that take away from the enjoyment and depth of the game. Make no mistake, I hate being killed at my spawn too -- but that doesn't make the tactic any less valid.
The Solution
Spread the word. Have some fun, and do what makes you happy. There are servers out there that allow this kind of thing, and those are the servers you'll find me on. As for the ones that don't? I'll do it anyway, and if they want to kick me, that's their right.
After all, the game engine allows it.
