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Team Killer (Multiplayer game)

The term Team Killer is used to describe a player who kills a teammate in a computer or console multiplayer game[1][2]. It is the computer gaming equivalent of friendly fire. Team Killing can occur deliberately or accidentally. The term can also be abbreviated to its initials[3][4].

• Team Killer - TK or TKer plural TKs or TKers ("you're a TKer")
• Team Kill - also TK plural TKs ("sorry for the TK")
• Team Killing - TKing ("stop TKing me!")
• Team Killed - TKed or TK'd ("you TKed me!")

Alternatively, the term Player Killer may be used and its abbreviation PK. However, Team Killer is syntactically correct since a Player Killer could kill a player on the opposing team but it would not be a Team Kill.

"Many shooters, for instance, have been plagued by team killers, players who do not play the “official” game but rather see it as their goal to eliminate their team mates. For players looking for a competitive game based on skill, such behaviour is clearly destructive." | understanding cooperation in multiplayer games by Jonas Heide Smith PhD

Types of Team Killing

Accidental Team Killing

Examples of reason why this may happen

• Inexperience - Player fires a bazooka at an enemy close to his/her teammates, not realising the bazooka has a large area of effect
• Lack of Communication - Player plants a mine in a doorway but neglects to inform his/her teammates
• Lack of Awareness - Player walks infront of a teammate just as they open fire on a distant enemy
• Game bugs - In Tribes: Vengeance, if a player planted a mine but swapped teams any resulting kill would be attributed as a Team Kill
• High Latency - A delay in the game server responding to the player can result in weapon firing later than expected thus risking hitting a friendly player instead of its intended target

If a player infrequently Team Kills, benefit of the doubt might be given. The ingame text chat or voice chat features of some online first person shooter games allow players to apologise. Some games, such as Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, will automatically send a vocal message to a player advising them to "Watch where you're shooting!" in the event of the player causing damage to a teammate. The same game also records Team Kills per map and names the most prolific Team Killer of that map at the end of the game.

Where accidental Team Killing occurs more frequently, for any reason, other players may incorrectly conclude that the Team Killer is doing it deliberately. Otherwise, an accident prone Team Killer might also be considered a liability.

Deliberate malicious Team Killing[5]

Examples of why this happens include

• Boredom - seeking entertainment by playing the game outside of generally accepted rules of play
• Frustration caused by inexperience - the steep learning curve of some multiplayer games can make friendlies appear an easier target
• To derive pleasure from others misfortune - see Schadenfreude
• Retaliation against another Team Killer - whether the original Team Kill was deliberate or accidental, players may choose to retaliate directly
• To advantage the opposing team - see Fifth column
• To obtain equipment from the victim - where games offer limited equipment, particulary desirable items (such as Sniper rifles) may be highly sought after

Deliberate non-malicious Team Killing

Some examples

• To assist teammates who may be trapped by game bugs or game mechanics
• To gain tactical advantage by sending a player to respawn

Where games do not feature a player suicide or forced respawn option, it can be advantageous to deliberately kill a team mate in certain circumstances. It may also be possible to Team Kill oneself by using a grenade and being close enough to receive fatal damage when it detonates. However, many games like Tribes, Quake and Unreal Tournament feature suicide/forced respawn option making deliberate Team Killing usually unnecessary.

Impact of Team Killing

Why Team Killing can be a problem

Games where the player has only one life, such as America's Army and Counterstrike, Team Killing has a detrimental effect as the victim cannot participate or aid his teammates until the next map/round/game. The ratio of Team Members to Opposing team members is reduced in favour of the Opposing team.

In games where the player has multiple lives and can respawn, the effect of a team kill may give the opposing team a tactical or numerical advantage at critical moments during the game. The effect of this disruption may increase when respawn is delayed as in Enemy Territory: Quake Wars or the respawn point is either far from the objective or vulnerable to enemy attack in games such as Tribes.

A single Team killing can quickly escalate into chaos by disproportionate retaliatory action. That event might cause the game to degenerate into votes to kick and counter votes to kick, Team Kill and counter Team Kill. Meanwhile, the game is not being played as was intended.

How games handle Team Killing

Some games, such as America's Army, feature an automated team kill response. Where team damage/kill occurs visual or audible warnings to inform the player that they are damaging a friendly player. They can also include automated removal of the the Team Killing player in the event of a sufficient quantity of infractions.

Voting methods provide the opportunity of other players to decide if a Team Killer should be removed. Some game servers may be monitored by administrators who have the power to remove players from the server.

Abuse of Team Kill game features

Where games attribute the kill to the player who did the final fatal damage, a team killer may non-fatally damage a Team Mate so as to severly hamper the victim in battles with the opposing team.

Physically trapping a teammate by blocking a doorway, so they might either be unable to escape enemy action or one of their own grenades.

Deliberately moving infront of a team mate who is firing a weapon at the enemy or chasing after a grenade thrown by a team mate, causing the Team Mate to score an unintended Team Kill.

How to avoid Team Killing

A thorough awareness and understanding of the game by learning the instructions, rules, correct operation of equipment and weapons, environment, typical team mate behaviour (learnt by experience) and communication can all reduce the risk (if not entirely) of a player scoring an accidental Team Kill.

When a Team Kill occurs, a prompt apology may help de-escalate the situation. And by admitting you were in error before the victim takes retaliatory action may prevent it.