After considering player feedback, both from the forums and gameplay we've been a part of, the admins have slightly modified the wording of the Team Balance rule so as to give the players a bit more discretion regarding the timing involved with team balancing.

The change is highlighted in the rules thread, where no discussion takes place. Your reading that thread is not optional. Your reading the long-winded explanation below is.

The point of this thread is to help players understand the change and to promote awareness of it, as, despite it being very simple, and despite it arguably being the status quo already, we'll still all have to train ourselves moving forward, including those players who don't check the forums often enough.

As you'll see in the rules thread, the rule now reads as follows. I've bolded key text:

Originally Posted by The Rules

Team Balancing: It is expected that the teams be kept in balance (even numbers, or with the marines getting the extra person). The rule of thumb is that the person lowest on the scoreboard will be the one to switch, but the team is welcome to choose any player it wishes based on the impact to the team at that moment. The larger team should have the switcher determined and prepared to go before the smaller team calls for balance. If the teams are not balanced within seconds of a registered player on the smaller team announcing the request for balance, the administration reserves the right to take any action it deems necessary to enforce team balance.

This approach allows the aliens to keep their team intact if the marines recognize that, for whatever reason (slotkick, etc, etc), the teams are expected to be balanced very quickly without any action from the alien team. If the marines want someone NOW, they call for teams immediately. If not, they let it wait a moment while the joiner fixes things. With this new approach, the smaller team's discretion reigns.

So, for this to work, we have to retrain ourselves, both aliens and marines. The following assumes the most common scenario: marines are down a man. But the same goes in the other direction when the scenario calls for it.

When the teams become off by ONE:

MARINES: don't call for teams unless you want them fixed immediately. This seems intuitive, but we've got to train marines to consider the urgency of the balance need as well as the likelihood that the need will be sufficiently met by any joining player(s). If it can wait a moment, for whatever reason, consider letting it wait a moment. If not, call for action.

ALIENS: always immediately determine who will switch, but don't feel obligated to switch unless the marines call for teams (yes, 2+ player difference unconditionally means immediate action).

When aliens look at the scoreboard, it's usually apparent who the best switch candidates are. I'd like to offer the following (you've heard it from me before) as a template for anyone who sees himself as a switch candidate, regardless of where he falls on the scoreboard, immediately upon the alien team noticing the imbalance:

"Does anyone want marines before I take it?"

That is selfless and consumes voicecomm as little as possible. The conversation is either over at that point or immediately thereafter, when someone responds ("Yes. Let me go instead."). If the alien team really needs to discuss it more than that, keep it short and sweet. Be ready to move if the marines call.

Just as is the case today, the default choice is last on the scoreboard, which may or not be the admin's choice if it comes to that.

If the player count difference between the two teams is GREATER THAN ONE, nothing changes: fix it as soon as possible, proactively.