Re: Game Club Revision

**Mateo** · 07-07-2006, 10:36 AM

Originally Posted by Mirfee

I wonder... did the interest in these games grow as a result of Game Club? Did the goal of reinvigorating these titles become 'too' successful? - ie to the point of making Game Club a little redundant for those titles? Do we need to look at other games to keep interest alive for Game Club?

I like the suggestion of a Raven Shield night.

That's something I was wondering as well.

If we look at the Club as spur to play classic tactical games that have little traction otherwise, then in a sense, once those games get dedicated nights, perhaps we need to reevaluate if they belong in the rotation.

Here is my impression:

Ghost Recon-has dedicated night, stands on it's own
SWAT4-has dedicated night, stands on it's own
OFP-sporadic play, but still on life support
AA-sporadic play

Is that an incorrect impression?

**Strag** · 07-07-2006, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by Mirfee

I wonder... did the interest in these games grow as a result of Game Club? Did the goal of reinvigorating these titles become 'too' successful? - ie to the point of making Game Club a little redundant for those titles? Do we need to look at other games to keep interest alive for Game Club?

Yep, I think you nailed it, Mirfee. I think the interest in these titles DID grow as a result of Game Club, which I think is a credit to the Club. I think that once a title has shown that it can sustain itself with its own regular gaming night(s), it should be removed from the Game Club rotation so that other games can be rotated in. In my opinion, this is a good way to test the interest in various games hosted at TG (even potential new ones, possibly).

**Strag** · 07-07-2006, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by Mateo

AA-sporadic play

I thought AA had been enjoying solid weekly play on Friday nights, and was going to move to Saturday nights to accomodate even more folks. For those who have been playing AA lately, did this fall through?

**Mateo** · 07-07-2006, 11:00 AM

Originally Posted by Strag

I thought AA had been enjoying solid weekly play on Friday nights, and was going to move to Saturday nights to accomodate even more folks. For those who have been playing AA lately, did this fall through?

Like I said, that was my impression. I haven't played AA in months, since Friday, I'm usually only able to game very late, and I've missed every Game Club outing due to RL. I was basing this impression on the sporadic AARs, and "OMG we had a great round last night!" posts.

**Magnum50** · 07-07-2006, 11:52 AM

Exactly... if you remember correctly, when we first started playing games on game club night, people were like "man that was great, lets have a re-visit night"... which we ended up doing with one game, then the following week the same thing happened with the next game, and so on... it was quite funny to watch. (and I warned back then this would happen, lol.)

Solution?

Well thats a hard one, because the purpose of the Game Club was to revisit the old and classic ones... what other old or classical games are there that the majority of TG type players would have?

AA was added to the mix because it was free... remember, before the game club AA was played on Sunday night.

SWAT4 was added because we needed another game in the rotation to make it 4 for a month.

Now I hate to admit it, (since I'm one of the game admins for both games, but those 2 really aren't "classics", in the term like OFP and GR.)

Whatever you guys decide on the game club, will work for me... like it was stated, what happened after playing games in the game club is a testament to a fantastic idea and execution, which we all can think Mateo for.

On a personal level, I can only game 2 nights a week (Sunday and Monday), so whatever happens I'll be on teamspeak willing to play anything I have with the group.

**Mirfee** · 07-07-2006, 12:14 PM

I think the other criterion, and the bigger of the two, is that a Game Club title had to be inexpensive. I believe $20 or less was the goal so that Club players could better afford purchasing if they didn't already own it.

I still think this is a very smart idea, but it does limit the choices among desirable games to bring into rotation.

Raven Shield is one that fits both criteria (<$20 and a 'classic' tac shooter).

Any others?

OFP should remain in rotation in my opinion... there's no dedicated night for it, and it's still well worth supporting.

**Mateo** · 07-07-2006, 12:24 PM

Originally Posted by Mirfee

Any others?

You are right about the <$20 criteria-it's important to keep a "once per week" game cheap.

Some games that come to mind:

Ravensheild (as noted)
Starcraft (as mentioned)
Joint Operations (Co-op)
Day of Defeat (worth another look?)
Red Orchestra
Team Fortess Classic (some mention of this in the forums)
Wolfenstein ET (this has a minor following already)

We could also look at HL2 mods (Sands of War, Plan of Attack, Empires), or UT2004 mods (Frag.Ops, Defense Alliance 2, UTXMP, TO:Crossifre). There are some quality options there.

We could also go in a different direction-IL2, Pacific Fighters, etc...

Thoughts?

**Strag** · 07-07-2006, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by Mateo

Red Orchestra

Heh, Red Orchestra is cheap, and we already have an empty server sitting around collecting dust.

Could be lots of fun with our solid, dedicated group.

Originally Posted by Mateo

Team Fortess Classic

This would be a lot of fun to revisit with our tactically oriented group, IMO.

Originally Posted by Mateo

We could also go in a different direction-IL2, Pacific Fighters, etc...

I'd love to try out a flight sim with this group of players. It'd certainly be fun to try!

**FriedFish** · 07-07-2006, 12:38 PM

I think I have IL2, it came free with something I bought. I don't think I ever installed it though.

**Magnum50** · 07-07-2006, 12:46 PM

IMO GR and OFP are must stay classics... as for the others, whatever is decided on.

I've often thought that SWAT4 in the rotation wasn't too productive, because Monday night was SWAT night too... people would get burned out with the same game 2 nights in a row, when it came up in rotation.

I like either Raven Shield or co-op JO, just my 2 cents.

**CingularDuality** · 07-07-2006, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by Strag

Yep, I think you nailed it, Mirfee. I think the interest in these titles DID grow as a result of Game Club, which I think is a credit to the Club. I think that once a title has shown that it can sustain itself with its own regular gaming night(s), it should be removed from the Game Club rotation so that other games can be rotated in. In my opinion, this is a good way to test the interest in various games hosted at TG (even potential new ones, possibly).

If this is the case, do we want to try some organized guerilla marketing as well? Start a few tactical threads in forums dedicated to the games we'll be playing? We could make these servers full all the time instead of just on a couple of special nights...

**Mateo** · 07-07-2006, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by CingularDuality

If this is the case, do we want to try some organized guerilla marketing as well? Start a few tactical threads in forums dedicated to the games we'll be playing? We could make these servers full all the time instead of just on a couple of special nights...

Once we decide, absolutely.

**Mirfee** · 07-07-2006, 02:38 PM

Originally Posted by Magnum50

IMO GR and OFP are must stay classics... as for the others, whatever is decided on.

My only reluctance to keeping GR *in* the rotation is that it's very well supported on Thursday nights. I'm not opposed to keeping it, but I question the value of doing so considering the possible options to fill the title list with.

This of course if we stick with a 4-game rotation.

Bear in mind, I'm fully aware that you only get to game Sun/Mon nights, Magnum, and so you don't get to play GR on the more populous Thurs night event. So I certainly sympathise with your wish to keep it in rotation in order to play once in a while.

**Trooper** · 07-08-2006, 03:38 PM

Once i get back in the game i will gladly do all i can to mix this up. Maybe not a dedicated game on each night, we join a GC TS channel and pick a game, something we all have or could easily get, go at it and play. Still keep sundays the night but maybe on fridays we make a post saying what games we are interested in and go for it.

any thoughts?