Why Tactical Gamer NS isnt as popular as it should be

blackjackel · 10-19-2004, 09:11 AM

Intro:

Well, i havent had any spare time to play on the server lately, sorry guys, but i guess posting on the forum would have to do for now, i sat around and tried to think about why tacticalgamer NS isnt as popular as it should be (i remember Wyzcrak saying something about how he was surprised about the lack of response on the server)

Well, honestly it didnt take me too long to think up of the first reason, but the second reason kinda snapped in my head on my way to class (tend to think of loads of stuff while walking)... These ideas are well thought out.

I have also come up with practical and simple solutions to each problem, i hope the admins would seriously think the ideas over and implement them if they feel the same way as me (at least maybe temporarily to test).

I must admit though, its quite hard for me to disclose these problems and solutions as i do not have a reserved slot and i have been kept from my favorite servers due to a lack of reserved slot, i must admit that i kind of like the fact that i am able to get on the server almost all the time, but i equally dislike the fact that there arent usually enough people to play NS maps (or some of the larger ones) sometimes...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Reasons:

Reason #1: Cheating death booting people almost instantaneously

Well, one of the reasons i love Tacticalgamer is that everyone has cheatingdeath, and the auto-boot feature keeps the UberNoobs out of the server, i say ubernoob because a regular noob can just go get cheating death and play, you dont need to be elite to play with CD. But this auto-boot is initially the problem...

You see, the average NS player (at least now that CO is out) just wants to get on a server and play, he dosent want any trouble, and to tell you the truth... its kinda hard for him to go to a website and click on a link and download, install, run... its a headache with no incentive.... unless you GIVE HIM one!

The regular NSplayer will connect to the server, get booted, and go to another server, why? because he was not given a chance to experience how great TacticalGamer.com is! If you give him a taste of the server, he will get hooked and will have incentive enough to go download and install cheating death!

How do you give him a taste of the server without disabling auto-boot? Simple. Simply prolong autoboot. A plugin can be coded to let the player play on the server for about 10 minutes or so (just enough time to give him a taste of how kick-arse TG is). In about 4 minutes into the game he gets messages saying "go get cheating death, an anti cheat program that is required for this server, or you will be kicked!"

5 minutes into his connection, It keeps annoying him with text displays, then fades his screen black and displays more text... 7 minutes into the game, it starts slapping him while displaying more text..

By 9 minutes it should be slaying him, and telling him to go get cheating death, restart steam, and come back. And about 9:30 it says go get cheating death! this is your last chance before you get kicked!

10 minutes, it kicks him.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reason #2: Server slots maxed at 17

Yes, for some strange reason, NSplayers compare NS to CS and love to play on big servers with 20+ slots (in some cases 30+ slots), while i cant imagine playing against 10 TG aliens (oh my god), newbies dont understand the fact that on an elite alien team you need to limit the players, and that NS is meant to be played on 8v8.

Also people think that a 16(really) slot server will lag because its a lower processor or limited by bandwidth or ram, which is why its 16 slots (definately not the case in TG). So again people need to be educated about this stuff....

The solution? Set total server slots to 20 and make it so that only 16 people can connect. This way, all the NSplayers that wont even touch the TG server link on main steam servers might actually give it a try! And when in the game maybe a AMX message will say this server is capped at 16players total! because NS was meant to be played 8v8, or something...

This would trick people into comeing to TG, and once they come they aint gona leave, i know i didnt =)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conclusion:

These two solutions together would guarantee that TacticalGamer will recieve many more hits to it server, and will increase average total players, i am so sure of this that i am willing to bet people money on this =P

And remember, the more responses to the server the more potential donators, more potential donators the more actual donators over time, the more actual donators, less stress on he who is generously providing for TG out of his own pocket, and maybe even more TG NS servers!

edit: i hope i structured and spaced the post for it to be easily readable, let me know if you dont like my structuring/spacing.

Please let me know if you agree, and i trust that TG has the quality of rules/regulations for me not to see flaming on here, i'm not trying to hurt the server or anyone, i am just trying to help out, please use constructive criticism instead of plain bashing... thanks =)

Zek · 10-19-2004, 10:34 AM

I like the idea of a prolonged CD kick, though would have to be back on the short CD timer after they're kicked the first time because otherwise people would just keep rejoining. I don't think the server size needs to be any bigger than it is though. 16 is already the upper limit of reasonable game size for NS, and any experienced player knows this. I don't think we should make a concerted effort to attract the combat nubs who only play on 30 person servers.

Mr. Krueger · 10-19-2004, 11:02 AM

Personally, I don't see a problem with how "popular" the server is right now. Sure, you can't jump on the server any time of the day and play a good game of NS, but I think getting the server to that stage would be incredibly hard to do if we wanted to keep the level of gameplay and skill up to the level we have right now. We have a pretty tight community here right now, with pretty much everyone knowing everyone else. When we do actually get enough people to play a good game of Classic, it's generally with the same people. I personally think this situation, a few games every night with regulars who know each other and constantly have fun together, is a lot more ideal than opening up the server a bit and bringing in a lot more who generally aren't as good or won't follow the rules as much.

And yes, upping the player limit will do nothing. If someone got on and couldn't join the team because "The game was ment for 8v8", they'd just leave. If I didn't know anything about the community, I'd leave too and wouldn't give them a second thought. I wouldn't stick around thinking "Oh, this must be a cool community, I'll just wait 'til I can actually play with them!".

[EDIT]
That's not to say I don't welcome newcomers to the server. New people are great, if they're willing to learn and willing to follow the rules. I just think opening up the server to the degree you want will bring the people we try to keep off this server.

**Wyzcrak** · 10-19-2004, 11:04 AM

Thank you for taking the time to contribute your thoughts, bj. Regarding point #1: The admins are already designing a solution to the confusion and immediacy of the present CD kick. You'll see change in this area soon, which will manifest itself in a plugin which I will author specifically for the needs of this server and its regulars.

In the meantime, don't forget about "say /cdopt", which allows admins (and temp admins) to make CD optional for the duration of the map on which the command is used (by one admin on each team).

Regarding player slots, we will not be exceeding 16 slots because, to support Zek's point, it becomes laboriously difficult to maintain AND ENJOY teamwork AND gameplay BALANCE (which is designed for 6v6) when you have a game larger than 8v8. Also, we will not be intentionally deceiving people into thinking we have more slots than we do.

**Wyzcrak** · 10-19-2004, 11:15 AM

Regarding my comment which was referenced in the first post, I do sometimes wonder .... well.. I guess I personally have a very low tolerance for idiots, so I have a hard time enjoying myself in most public multiplayer online gaming environments. It's why I'm such a good match for Tactical Gamer, to be sure. It's when I assume that most others so greatly share my disdain for idiots that I most wonder why this server isn't full 24/7. The truth of the matter is that most people tolerate idiots more enjoyably than I do.

This server isn't for everyone, and we (by design) don't make it the easiest server to join and stay on once the player count gets higher.

I'm with Krueger: I'm very pleased with where the server is and where the server is going. I read an observation (it might have been in the admin forums) just the other day that 8v8 has increased the new player traffic on the server. I concur with this observation, and it's fun to see new faces.

I'm a busy, professional adult, the target audience of this community, to a certain extent. When I come home and decide it's time to unwind, this is (and has been for some time, and hopefully will be for some time) a place I know I can come to enjoy games with like-minded players. Especially with the custom reservation system (a luxury not enjoyed on all Tactical Gamer servers), my membership allows me immediate and unconditional access to the fun when others before me have filled the server.

Rare are the prime time hours when I want to play and have only an empty server to do it on. That's nice. I like that.

Rampage · 10-19-2004, 11:18 AM

Well said, Wyz. I think the ideas offered are good ones, but I haven't been under the impression that anything is "broken" either. This, despite the ravings of one of the players Saturday night, insisting the server was never full and that he had been on a lot more than me (whatever, being online more than me is not in the least bit difficult).

**Wyzcrak** · 10-19-2004, 11:35 AM

Well, I realize that I play during the evening hours when the server is busiest. I must say, though, that it's all too common that we play several 8v8 games on any given evening, when I'm playing. Could we have more interest in this server? Sure! Is "lack of interest" on of my top concerns presently? No, I can't say it is. But who knows.. that could change at any time.

However, I've also been noticing more and more regularity when it comes to server population in the late afternoon and early evening hours (2-3P to 5-6P). That pattern is no different than the pattern in which our present evening robustness finds its roots. I think it's a noteably more difficult time slot for a server of this nature to target, but ideas are in the works for this challenge also. Much like PR slots and my custom reservation system help a bit, so too might a new system which I am presently designing and beginning to implement with the assistance of the admins. It's not much, but it's one more way for non-members to empower themselves to enjoy the server as often and as easily as possible. Details in the coming weeks. Like any of my Nutty Professor ideas, it'll either help ( temp admins, RSR, PR slots

), inspire the rioters ( XP Vault

), or somewhere in between ( spawn tickets ). Only time will tell.

lordflametide · 10-19-2004, 01:29 PM

I agree with Wyz and his well written evaluation of the subject on all counts ^^.

blackjackel · 10-19-2004, 01:33 PM

Your comments and suggestions are well noted. I am glad that the kick extende plugin is being developed, let me know if i can assist in the design, programming, or implementation of the plugin, i've always been a fan of half-life mod plugins!

Though i must point out, there is a plugin (metamod) which is available for download with source that does almost all of what i listed. Metamod plugins usually take less resources than amxmod plugins, albeit they are much harder to code, but the extra effort is worth it when saving server resources.

Zek · 10-19-2004, 06:36 PM

I, for one, don't play very often anymore because NS doesn't interest me that much anymore. I'm sure I'm not the only one. I usually wait until the well-populated night games to join, if at all. I'm waiting for Beta 6, hoping that the balance changes they're so terrified to tell us about will do the game some good.

**snappy** · 10-19-2004, 07:31 PM

Why TG NS isn't as popular as it should be?

Two words:

Wyzcrak smells.

**Wyzcrak** · 10-19-2004, 07:35 PM

What an absolute waste of a 13th post.

blackjackel · 10-20-2004, 10:15 AM

Unfortunately snappy is not the only one that does that, ive seen people much much worse, this one person (not to give out any names) replies to almost every single thread with one line or less (most of the time a few words max), and looks as if he is doing so to up his postcount. I've always thought there should be a rule against that...

Back when i was admin for NSArmslab i made a plugin for the forum so that only posts with more than one scentence were considered in the postcount, but they wouldnt let me put it on there since 90% of the people were spamming to up their postcount.

Most would reply to a post with: "wow" "lol rofl!" "now thats funny" "that sucks", or any other 3-word-max self expression without elaboration, pissed me off having to sort through all the spam to get to the meat of the post.

Fortunately from what i have seen Tactiacl Gamer dosent have this rampant spam problem, only with a few people. I did not want to start a new post about this, largly because and i dont want to seem like an Ashhole, i'm just replying since it was brought up, and im just sayin it like it is.

Spam posts degrade the quality of a forum, there should be a rule (or forum plugin) to fight against it. again just my 2 cents, i have lots opinions! and half of them stink!

**TheFeniX** · 10-20-2004, 11:07 AM

postcount++

On topic, I think TG is doing just find. Every time we modify cheating-death, we seem to attract the lowest common denominator of the NS community. I rather play a 5 vs 5 with nothing but regs and members, than an 8vs8 with idiot pubbies.

**Wyzcrak** · 10-20-2004, 11:08 AM

Spam wasn't brought up at all.

I was joking with snappy, since he joked with me.

Tactical Gamer does have a rule against spamming which is enforced in the other forums moreso than it is in this one (with the new website, I'm not sure where -- or if -- that rule is posted). Natural Selection has the youngest demographic of any game at Tactical Gamer. It shows in several ways. I've always wanted the NS forum to be something we can all enjoy and not be too worried about rules, differences of opinion, or spam. The worst spam I've ever seen in this forum doesn't hold a candle to the crap you'll quickly see in other communities' forums.

These forums require ten characters in any post. I'm not that feature's biggest fan, as I treat the forums like a conversation, no different than any other, online or offline. Many times offline, I'll add quite a lot of value to a conversation with a phrase or expression that simply does not take ten characters to reproduce in a similar conversation being held online. Nevertheless, I suppose the ten character requirement is good news for anyone looking for safeguards against spam in the forum.