"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?"
A group of core followers does not keep a server populated. I get that a few of you here have servers that are 5+ years old and are probably in the server history of millions of people, but the great majority of servers don't. The custom servers I used to visit have hundreds of group members and the same dozens of people rejoining every day. Let's face it, very few people want to be the first person to join a server when it starts out empty. Every server is reliant on random pubbers and new players to prevent the server from emptying out when there are fewer core players, so the times when a server had 0 players are as few as possible. I am willing to bet if Valve removed quickplay, most of the made-for-quickplay servers would empty out completely. This is about a meritocracy. Giving a bias towards default gameplay is only going to reinforce a monoculture of gameplay. If Valve/WON had this policy before, mods like CS might never have taken off, or at least delayed for a year or two. Same goes for DOTA. Even though there is a Play button in WC3, the default servers don't show up in the browser. On Sat, Dec 17, 2011 at 2:23 PM, doc <[email protected]> wrote: > 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 _______________________________________________ To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, please visit: https://list.valvesoftware.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/hlds_linux
