Quickplay is a good feature. It gives you a one-button TF2 experience, which I believed is aimed at the influx of new Free2Play users. Sure lots of non-traditional servers have gotten the shaft because of it but if you have group of core followers before the quickplay feature was put in - where did they go?
Game communities are hard to build, no longer can you just put up a server and have it fill itself - you gotta put some extra work into it, limit choice to provide a better experience, host some weekly events or monthly contest on your servers. On Sat, Dec 17, 2011 at 1:02 PM, Robert Paulson <[email protected]>wrote: > Valve is making a mistake by listening to the vocal minority. The > people who complain on the forums do so because they aren't happy with > the current state of affairs while everyone else that was satisfied > did not feel a need to sign up on the forums. This probably created an > illusion that gameplay that is modified in any way is highly undesired > since you only see complaints and no praise. > > I also quite certain quickplay does not prevent you from joining > servers modified in any other way besides their arbitrary limitations. > From Valve's own FAQ: "No, we are not automatically disqualifying > servers for server side mods. If the mods results in a better or worse > player experience, that will be reflected in the back-end server > score." I have been sent to modified servers by quickplay many times. > People also complain on SPUF about the lack of class limits, so you > cannot use this argument to say quickplay is solving these problems. > > Since it does not really solve any of these problems except making > game joining a few seconds faster at the cost of variety, I do not see > quickplay as a positive feature. > > On Sat, Dec 17, 2011 at 3:48 AM, ics <[email protected]> wrote: > > Quickplay was added due to so many servers running mods and something > that > > isn't TF2 core game, but modified and "ruined". Class limits, instant > spawn, > > faster spawn, fake clients, you all know which ones modify the game. > People > > wanted "default" and they got it. There was a long thread, propably > still is > > on SPUF where people expressed what they didn't like on current game > > servers. This is why quickplay was created and it's pretty good system. > Only > > thing i don't like in it is that my custom map servers have taken a big > hit > > on player counts, which is why i already changed rotations much more > Valve > > than ever just to have players to be able to play with full server and > not > > half empty. > > > > Once the average player gets bored to basic maps and gameplay, he might > want > > to try something else. That's where the custom maps, new mods and such > come > > in. The free 2 play community might not get into those that much, atleast > > not yet but later on, those that keep playing, will. Some people like > faster > > respawn times, i used to be one. Then i found out that no, that's not > good > > and the default times are just fine. It's a problem in players skill > level > > or class selections if the game doesn't advance or the other team takes > all > > points all the time. > > > > I agree that the server browser should be somehow enhanced. For example > > player should be able to press for example f3 to instantly add the > server to > > favorites, not by "hey open the server browser and press add current > server" > > and the user goes "what is server browser". > > Then i need to explain it and it takes time before it's done. I could > just > > say press f3 to do it and then the player should have server browser (or > > even option to browse favorite servers separately) open. That server > browser > > should also include some option to search for custom maps and exclude all > > the regulars. That way also the custom map servers, that are excluded > from > > the quickplay as long as wrong map is on, might have more players. > > > > Explain cookie-cutters? > > > > -ics > > > > 17.12.2011 11:28, Robert Paulson kirjoitti: > > > >> I will have to agree with Dan. I believe even the quickplay system is > >> having a negative effect on TF2. Quickplay is good for getting into a > >> game quickly, but it is featured prominently as the first button on > >> the screen so everyone clicks on it and never learns there are unique > >> servers that aren't on there. > >> > >> Most people probably never stop using it because they probably assume > >> the browser is just a manual way to pick the same servers available in > >> quickplay. I am seeing swaths of 24 slot servers with default maps and > >> respawn times filled all the time while some of my favorite servers > >> that don't fit the quickplay standard (maps, slightly faster respawn > >> times, larger slots) that used to be full at midnight now empty out 4 > >> hours earlier. Some of them are shutting down, and I find myself > >> playing less and less TF2. > >> > >> It becomes very difficult to find servers that aren't a cookie cutter > >> quickplay build because: > >> > >> 1. Players who have been weaned on quickplay probably never figure out > >> alternative settings exist. > >> 2. If they search through the browser, not only are there 4,000+ > >> servers to choose from, but these custom servers have to compete with > >> the quickplay servers that are filled with even more players already. > >> 3. More and more cookie-cutter quickplay servers are popping up > >> because they are the only ones getting filled like before. No players > >> = no donations. > >> > >> It is my humble opinion that quickplay is creating an unhealthy > >> homogeneous selection of servers and players. The average player can > >> only be entertained so much by the standard settings before they get > >> bored of them, and instead of finding a customized server that suits > >> their tastes, they quit the game without knowing about the > >> alternatives. I believe this is why the number of TF2 players have > >> dropped below CS:S and continued to decline until this recent update > >> and impending winter break. > >> > >> On Fri, Dec 16, 2011 at 10:45 PM, dan<[email protected]> wrote: > >>> > >>> On 15/12/2011 23:51, Fletcher Dunn wrote: > >>>> > >>>> We are working on something like this. The ability to "level" your > game > >>>> server account. Certain benefits would only be given to servers with > >>>> level>= N, etc. Show the level in the server browser and give > >>>> preferential > >>>> treatment, etc. Get caught breaking the rules, and you lose your > level, > >>>> etc. > >>> > >>> > >>> With respect. Even without details, this sounds like a really, really > bad > >>> idea tm. > >>> > >>> (Although I suppose if you collect 500 genius game polymaths in a > >>> building > >>> they'll soon see the solution to every problem is to create a game. You > >>> probably can't get a coke from your canteen without solving a puzzle? > :) > >>> ) > >>> > >>> You only have to read the angst in the threads that the current server > >>> reputation causes to see that. > >>> > >>> -- > >>> Dan. > >>> > >>> > >>> _______________________________________________ > >>> To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, > >>> please visit: > >>> https://list.valvesoftware.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/hlds_linux > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, > >> please visit: > >> https://list.valvesoftware.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/hlds_linux > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, > > please visit: > > https://list.valvesoftware.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/hlds_linux > > _______________________________________________ > To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, > please visit: > https://list.valvesoftware.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/hlds_linux > _______________________________________________ To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, please visit: https://list.valvesoftware.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/hlds_linux
