Stalling: What is Stalling in Online Games?

General

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Stalling is a tactic used in online games to deliberately delay the progress of a match, often to gain a strategic advantage or disrupt the opponent's momentum. This tactic is prevalent in various game genres, including MOBAs like Dota 2 and League of Legends, as well as FPS games like CS2 and Valorant.

How is Stalling Used in MOBAs?

Wave Clearing and Split Pushing: In Dota 2 and LoL, players may focus on clearing minion waves and split pushing to prevent the enemy team from advancing or pushing objectives. By constantly clearing waves, they can delay the enemy’s ability to siege towers or inhibitors^[1].
Defensive Play: Teams may adopt a defensive posture, often referred to as "turtling^[2]," where they stay close to their base, avoiding engagements. This strategy buys time for their late-game heroes to become stronger. In Dota 2, heroes like Tinker or Sniper can effectively stall by defending high ground with their long-range abilities.
Objective Delay: Teams might delay taking objectives like Baron Nashor or Roshan until they are fully prepared or have a numbers advantage. This tactic can deny the enemy crucial buffs and force them to fight on unfavorable terms.

How is Stalling Used in FPS Games?

Holding Positions: In CS2 and Valorant, players might hold defensively advantageous positions to run down the clock. For example, in Valorant, a team may hold bomb sites and delay defusal attempts by using abilities like Sage’s Ice Wall or Viper’s Poison Cloud to block access.
Objective Delay: In objective-based modes, players may delay planting or defusing the bomb to disrupt the enemy team’s strategies and waste their time. In CS2, a team might hold off on planting the bomb until the last possible moment, forcing the defenders to make risky moves.
Spike Stalling: In Valorant, after planting the Spike, attackers can use utility to delay defenders from defusing it. Projectile abilities like Killjoy’s Nanoswarm or Brimstone’s Incendiary can be used to buy precious seconds.

Why Do Players Stall?

Strategic Advantage: Stalling can provide a strategic advantage by buying time for team members to respawn, gather resources, or wait for crucial cooldowns.
Psychological Warfare: It can frustrate and demoralize opponents, causing them to make hasty and uncoordinated decisions.
Running Down the Clock: In timed game modes, stalling can secure a win by preventing the opponent from completing their objectives within the allotted time.

Conclusion

Stalling in online games, especially in MOBAs like Dota 2 and LoL, and FPS games like CS2 and Valorant, is a tactic used to delay the game’s progress strategically. While it can be an effective strategy, it is crucial to use it judiciously to avoid creating a negative experience for other players. Understanding how and when to employ stalling tactics can provide a significant competitive edge in these games.