Does this scenario seem familiar?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEhd5M9uHho

You really have issues with the Fedball don't you? Never seen someone cry about it so much. Adjust your tactics, sweetheart.

As far as I am aware the only maps that have static respawns are Cap and Holds. Why would anyone forma a fedball around the respawn in that type of map. Its just pointless.
The arenas such as solar wind and cracked planetoid have multiple respawn points which are more random.

So it seems that your wish came true (back in february when the game was launched)

In my mind the fedball is just a formation used to maximize teamwork and healing in battle while you await the alpha strike from the opposing wolfpack. I don't really see the issue with it on the Klingon side, or Fed side when I play.

Scattering is usually a bad idea because you leave the range of your healers and lose support capability. That being said, CSV from 1.2 to 2.0 made the fedball more fragile since scattering was a tactic to get out of the volley.

Yeah, generally on my Klingon I've found that flying in and firing repulsors can work. Or you can try and take advantage of the fedball having everyone close together:

• Photonic Shockwave inside the fedball
• Cannon Scatter Volley or Torpedo Spread on the clumped targets (granted CSV is less effective post-2.0
• Tychen's and/or gravity well in the fedball (either weakens and holds them there, or they evasive maneuvers and scatter away)
• Scramble Sensors to try and make healing harder on the feds

Baiting also works, especially if the fed team has anyone with tunnel vision. I can't recall how many times something like this has happened on a PUG team:

* damaged raptor starts flying away *
Me: "/team Don't chase him, he's baiting you"
* escort starts chasing, now he's 20k away *
* raptor turns around, and with another kling who respawned nearby takes down the escort faster than Fat Albert eats a twinkie*
Escort: /zone <insert complaining here>
Me and the Raptor Pilot: "/zone Well then don't chase next time."

Causing the team to split in half mid-battle can also work I've noticed. I see this more on my fed chars, and I don't know if it's intentional or just accidental on the part of the Klingons. But I'll find after a long battle that part of the team has drifted away focusing on one or two klingons who are tanking and/or out-healing the damage. And now you have 2 partial fedballs, and the healer is out of range of the other.

Yeah, arenas have always had random respawns. That's why usually when you respawn fed side you have to see if anyone is still alive in the old battle (or will be alive by the time you get there). Otherwise you have to reform and regroup at a new location.

Dude I love the fedball.

I just pop all my Tac buffs and lay down a stream of EWP III.

I've had over 100k dmg on one pass before....

I saw you yesterday stride (TWICE) in middle of 5 enemies, getting vaporized and then complaining about 5vs1 :p must have been one of the rare occassions, when the above didnt work i guess ?

It's not a substitute for teamwork, it *is* teamwork. Not necessarily *good* teamwork, but that's a different story

From the Klingon side it starts becoming obvious that even though a group of players is clumped together, that doesn't always mean they're working together. Assault Cruisers and Galaxy-R's can put out enough healing to keep any escort alive through the alpha strike, but that doesn't mean they're going to do it. And with everyone clumped up, it's easy to just watch the first set of beams and then focus on that target, but again, there's no guarantees the PUGgers will do the smart thing.

If there's not teamwork then the fedball doesn't really do any good.

I kind of get the impression the OP was talking about Cap and Hold though, where a team will all get together and all roll from one point to the next. That's an easy way to get kills, but it only helps win the match if the other team tries to meet you head on -- if they just spread out and take every node where the fedball *isn't* then they will slow the ball down enough as they get slaughtered in one's and twos that the fedball can't capture enough points.

The Fed Ball thats a new one. It use to be Fed cattleherd. A new tactic of spam mining the area has been added. This tactic seem to work since if you untarget a ship you may target a mine.

I think its great when the Fed ships herd up when the Feds blow up they normally dmg. each other.

Since the Klinks hunt in a wolfpack sitting there in a herd tactic is effective. untill the game changes thats how a fed vs klink battle is going to happen.

I have and someone QQ'd that I was BAD for the game.

Sadly I am a Fed in a TER, not a Klingon.

I have an explanation for my various hates in this game. Let's see if you can understand:

In my world (the real one) a fights a fight.

So someone in a pub or school or wherever has called you out!

In the Fedball scenario, you go outside and he has 11 buddies close by him. Whenever you attack him, 6 of them pile on you. DISHONORABLE!

In the cheatboat ( sci ship all holds, codenamed "pedo") scenario, you go outside and his bros hold you down while he pounds you. DISHONORABLE!!

You say that whatever works is alright, I just have a problem with the dishonor.

I will be quiet on the subject from now on, but remember your dishonor as you commit dishonorable acts and think how Trek you really are.

Starship combat is neither Fist fighting or Sexual intercourse, adjust your tactics accordingly.

S*D