harsh cypress
While co-op may be a very interesting strategy for team play, it also does come with it's downsides. As a tournament organizer, I like to see teams co-op when every player is participating significantly, but I am always disappointed to see successful co-op strategies which involve one or more players "playing battery" which means making energy for their team and doing nothing that's really engaging, fun or interesting.
While the question of how to curb these strategies remains, I want to put rules in place for the team tournaments which I organize that will encourage the kind of co-op which is fun for everyone involved.
To be clear, team tournaments will still heavily favor co-operative builds, but I want encourage the interesting builds and discourage the toxic ones.
My idea for rules would be simple definitions of the roles which players must be playing at any given time:
- Flex - has a lab, but also will micro units as needed. This player can have both units and a lab, such as a dedicated air player.
- Micro: Does not have a lab. Assists their team with the macro opening, but once leaving the base must be in control of a commander (when available) and units at all times. This player must have flawless micro.
- Macro: Has a lab. Does not micro units, but instead macros for the entire team and fills orders for units and buildings at the request of their teammates. This player must read their entire team's economy at all times and make flawless macro decisions.