Dont try to mod your servers !!!

dePARA

Please dont try to mod your server, the result would be an empty server. Clientmods like pink skulks are ok, but server? Noo way.
You can have an detailed Info on the server what exactly has been changed, believe me: If people cant hit shit, its the servermod.
"Oh, there is only an custommap installed? never, i know there is more. The shotgun feels strange and it deals less damage also the movement must be modded"
I can setup an "unmodded" server where an shotgun cost 1000res and deals 10000 damage per pellet. And i know there are white unmodded servers that have variables changed.

Just do something for me:
Open the game and browse the servers.
Then count the modded servers.
Im sure you will see maybe 4 modded ones, 3 with combat"

THATS ALL

Can someone tell me whats wrong with modded servers?
I mean, you can have official hotfixes with mods, great adminsystems, upcoming official balance changes, custommaps (always playing the same 3 maps is a bit boring over time), detailed round stats, .....

People invest time to improve and create new stuff. Why should they do that if no admin install the stuff. And if admins install stuff, poeple dont play on the servers.

LWFs "Better NS2" is a good example. It brings a set of really usefull changes (many of them find the way in the game finally in the past).
How many servers running the mod? 2
In letters: TWO !!! i mean WTF, really.

Caboose

I have no idea what you are talking about, or what parts of that contain sarcasm. Are you asking for more modded servers, less, or are you accusing unmodded servers of being secretly modded?

bp2008

There are a lot more than 4 modded / yellow servers. Clear your filters, man!

There are dozens of servers running different game modes (mostly combat, and mostly empty), and the majority of the other modded servers are just adding map voting and admin tools and stuff. Those servers get plenty of players.

bp2008

I'm not really sure what you are trying to argue either, btw.

But I think there would be more servers with interesting gameplay mods if there was a demand for it. As it is, most heavily modded servers spend nearly all their time empty. I think it is mostly a matter of NS2 not having a large enough player base for mods to really flourish.

NS2 has about 1000-2000 concurrent players at any given time (http://store.steampowered.com/stats/). Assume that 5% want to play on modded servers (heck if I know the real %), that is only 5 or 6 servers worth of players. Most of those people are probably just going to join the combat server with enough players and a low ping. If no populated servers look good, they'll probably just go play normal NS2 rather than join an empty server and wait an hour for other players that may never come.

Just consider how often YOU reading this join an empty server to get it started. If you've ever done so, then you know sometimes it is a fantastic waste of 15+ minutes that you'd rather spend elsewhere.

dePARA

I saw normal servers with a large ammount of players every day. In that moment they try to run a custommap *bang* empty most of the time.
After 2-3 days the admins switch back to normal servers. Weasel and Dumbass (EU based) do that for example.
There is an reasen why people using the DAK adminmode in "normal-mode". They try to bypass the mod-flag.

So, the question is: Whats wrong with the yellow flag?

Stardog

Most people aren't bored enough with the main game yet. The Gorgeous update will also add new life to it. Only Combat can seem to flourish right now.

ZEROibis

The real issue is most players are not going to uncheck the filter moded button even if it is to get more maps. I do like that it can help separate out other play modes like combat but for everything else it hurts the modding community.

Tyrsis

The modded flag should either be removed or fixed so that _any_ change from classic mode, no matter how small, shows up as modded. People are bypassing the mod filter by directly installing the mods, which completely defeats the purpose of the flag. There were servers running some weird RFK (resource for kill) mod that was showing up as white, which is just bad for the game as it was completely imbalancing. Also there are a few servers out there that instead of implementing password protection in order to stop people from joining reserve slots, they instead kick the user which is a real atrocious way of creating reserve slots as it forces a person to load the level first before being kicked.

ScardyBob

Translating from dePARAspeak:
The modded/unmodded server browser distinction is easily evadable and the kiss of death for modded server playercount. Its hard for modders to get proper feedback when modded servers all seem to be carrying a scarlet letter.

Agiel

Mods need to be handled differently in the server browser. Instead of that loud yellow I think an icon would be better. And all installed mods should be listed in a server info window (as well as current players etc.) at the bottom of the screen.

Rio

I agree that the yellow text for modded server can be irritating. Just because a server is running an admin mod shouldn't force the server to be flagged as modded.
A better approach in my opinion would be to only show servers as modded if one of the installed mods has the type gameplay or game. Therefore an admin mod (server-side type), a hotfix mod (server-side) or custom maps (level type) won't flag the server as modded. Of course people would still be able to bypass that system and run a mod which heavily changes the gameplay and don't get flagged as modded, but it's still better than what we have at the moment.

xDragon

I think the better solution is have the ability to click on a modded server, and have it show all installed mods, with their names. You should also be able to click on those names to view the mod on workshop. Once that is implemented, they should just uncheck the filter by default (but leave modded servers in yellow / add a confirmation box the first time or 2 you connect to a modded server) But yes many hacked in mods are very bad (Vogroo RFK mod probably the worst).

Cat-Poker

Tyrsis wrote: »

The modded flag should either be removed or fixed so that _any_ change from classic mode, no matter how small, shows up as modded. People are bypassing the mod filter by directly installing the mods, which completely defeats the purpose of the flag. There were servers running some weird RFK (resource for kill) mod that was showing up as white, which is just bad for the game as it was completely imbalancing.

Voogru servers do this and I HATE them for it. I am not bashing res for kills, it would be perfectly fine if their server showed up as a modded server, but it doesn't. I was arguing with people that thought that res for kills was a part of the main game because the server that they were playing on wasn't flagged as modded. That is deceitful and very wrong in my opinion.

xDragon wrote: »

I think the better solution is have the ability to click on a modded server, and have it show all installed mods, with their names. You should also be able to click on those names to view the mod on workshop.

I would LOVE this implementation, but I don't think we will see it anytime soon.

ZEROibis

Tyrsis wrote: »

The modded flag should either be removed or fixed so that _any_ change from classic mode, no matter how small, shows up as modded. People are bypassing the mod filter by directly installing the mods, which completely defeats the purpose of the flag. There were servers running some weird RFK (resource for kill) mod that was showing up as white, which is just bad for the game as it was completely imbalancing. Also there are a few servers out there that instead of implementing password protection in order to stop people from joining reserve slots, they instead kick the user which is a real atrocious way of creating reserve slots as it forces a person to load the level first before being kicked.

Yea get pissed at the server operator that the game developers only made the game hook available after a player connects.

ZEROibis

xDragon wrote: »

I think the better solution is have the ability to click on a modded server, and have it show all installed mods, with their names. You should also be able to click on those names to view the mod on workshop. Once that is implemented, they should just uncheck the filter by default (but leave modded servers in yellow / add a confirmation box the first time or 2 you connect to a modded server) But yes many hacked in mods are very bad (Vogroo RFK mod probably the worst).

This would then create a problem with rookie servers that use an admin mod. I think we can all agree that rookie servers need admin mods just as much or possibly even more than a normal server however it is important that these servers show up green so players can find them.

Ironsoul

We need to list all mods used on a modded server for players to see.

dePARA

How about this:
If you mark a modded server, a small explanation-window pops up with an text defined by the server-admin.

The idea with the link to workshop is fine, but people wont follow these links. Imagine a server with multiple mods.
If you join my servers, you get an ingame html MOTD with all infos. Do you think people reading this? NO

FunkyFungus

server: press M to Vote !

Players: ..."how to vote ? " :P

CarNagE1

Modded servers flag is bad! it should be just an addon window that list all the mods used on the server. In game menu window should be enough to. Our community started a server and with a modded flag it never get populated