Lobby / Matchmaking Systems
Deprecated
Join Date: 2002-11-14 Member: 8619Members
Join Date: 2002-11-14 Member: 8619Members
<div class="IPBDescription">In which I plead "please god no"</div>So I was playing Left 4 Dead the other night and it occurred to me: the collective lobby systems of the world are terrible abominations that should be destroyed with copious amounts of fire. Between making it next to impossible for groups of friends to join an existing games to randomly failing to add people to your lobby, to planting the worst players ever with the best players, they are just about worthless for games in which teamwork matters.
How is NS 2 planning on handling server selection? I actually liked the server browser from NS1, but I know that will likely not be the primary selection method for NS2 simply because it isn't very "friendly". Honestly, my main gripes for current matchmaking systems are that they don't have a focus on playing with friends and many times joining existing games simply rotates you through servers where you're in horrible positions against an enemy that is quite stacked against you. I've always hoped for a system that tracks how many times a person has stayed for entire games and matches you partially based on that number. At least the rage quitters would be together.
This post wasn't originally intended to be an abstracted rant.
How is NS 2 planning on handling server selection? I actually liked the server browser from NS1, but I know that will likely not be the primary selection method for NS2 simply because it isn't very "friendly". Honestly, my main gripes for current matchmaking systems are that they don't have a focus on playing with friends and many times joining existing games simply rotates you through servers where you're in horrible positions against an enemy that is quite stacked against you. I've always hoped for a system that tracks how many times a person has stayed for entire games and matches you partially based on that number. At least the rage quitters would be together.
This post wasn't originally intended to be an abstracted rant.
Comments
Don´t worry, you are not alone!!
I prefer the simple server browser list that's available through most steam-games, hate lobby setups (never played L4D so don't know what it's like myself).
I think it's just the lobby / matchmaking systems that steamworks allow. I think the rest (server browser) is a built-in feature of the basic steam service.
I would imagine UWE will develop their own master server browser for managing game server listings, esp if they will display tabs based on "vanilla" and "modded" unless the built-in browser option can be customised to do this.
Yes please. Server list sortable by ping/player count with separate tabs for favourite servers and where friends are playing.
And just to throw the idea out, have some sort of chat available at the server list, much like an IRC channel, so people can talk and chill and maybe organise games. Would need moderators, of course, but I'm sure you can get a team of responsible mature individuals to do the job. Not the most groundbreaking idea but it'd be interesting to see it implemented, to say the least.
Oh right, I haven't been able to play any of the more recent valve games online so I'm not sure whether they've addressed this as yet, but one thing that always annoyed me about FPSs was trying to find servers with a certain name. Players, password protected, map - they had all that but nothing by server name. So have a search-by-name or name-filter, I guess.
I find that annoying too. Just a simple filter function which searched for the string in the server name would be sufficient.
<!--quoteo(post=1716536:date=Jul 9 2009, 12:18 PM:name=Harimau)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Harimau @ Jul 9 2009, 12:18 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1716536"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Really guys? I'm quite fond of <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=106681" target="_blank">this idea</a> myself.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
If they're going to do matchmaking I'd rather they go all out and look and skill/playstyle too. Matchmaking in general is a lot of work and if they're going to release it in a subsequent release anyway(which is pretty likely) I don't see a reason to make half of a matchmaking system.
I prefer the simple server browser list that's available through most steam-games, hate lobby setups (never played L4D so don't know what it's like myself).<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
My first reaction was that the vanilla search is great news, I'm usually annoyed when I'm looking for a regular game only to find that the gravity is set funky, or costs for research are switched, or alien flashlight has been replaced with death lasers or whatever.
My second reaction was wondering how you can determine which addons affect gameplay. I mean, would the "vanilla" list include a server with some administration mods? What about map voting if it isn't in by default? I tried to search for this in the forums but couldn't find any solid information, perhaps I am just terrible at picking keywords.
--Dep
My second reaction was wondering how you can determine which addons affect gameplay. I mean, would the "vanilla" list include a server with some administration mods? What about map voting if it isn't in by default? I tried to search for this in the forums but couldn't find any solid information, perhaps I am just terrible at picking keywords.
--Dep<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You're not terrible, I don't think this has been stated yet.
But that is good food for thought.
Perhaps add two internal server-side switches for server admins to change.
One that says "allow admin mods" IE: ones that make admin kick/ban etc. easier to manage / maintain and one that is "allow gameplay mods" that allows game modifications IE: gravity / speed / models / modes / gameplay tweaks etc. which then advertises to the master server browser "I'm a modded server" and shunts it over to the second tab.
Should be dooable but I think would need some work from UWE and communication back to the community about what commands should be "isolated" in this regards.
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=106681" target="_blank">http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/in...howtopic=106681</a>
Basically it is a hybrid of matchmaking and 3rd party server browsing. There is a traditional server browser with servers hosted by players, but if you're too lazy to sift through the list or wanna join a server with friends all at the same time, you can use the matchmaking system to find a server for you. This prevents the ole 'hitting refresh until a slot opens up' to some degree since there can be servers that go from 0/32 to 16/32 instantly, keeping them populated.
Terrible terrible system.
I hate it with a passion. Let the 360 users have it. But not the PC users.
Let there be servers!
My second reaction was wondering how you can determine which addons affect gameplay. I mean, would the "vanilla" list include a server with some administration mods? What about map voting if it isn't in by default? I tried to search for this in the forums but couldn't find any solid information, perhaps I am just terrible at picking keywords.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
TF2 has a separate column in the server browser which shows what has been modified on the server, e.g. spawntime, gravity. Perhaps some changes that are really small only need to be displayed in such a column.
No one says it's mandatory.
Are you talking about the tags column? IIRC that column is completely voluntary. I'd want to <i>know</i> what servers are modified and with what(preferably but perhaps unrealistically).
One thing that might be useful though would be if you could get some kind of "suggestions" for servers based on your skill level, i.e if you were "ranked" somehow (althoug a ranking system could be a bad idea) and you could opt for getting reccomended servers based on the ranks of players on those servers. This should absoloutly not be mandatory... but would add a nice feature for newcommers who would like to play with other non-veteran players.
ya i hate match making so much >>
NS1 Already has a lobby system. it's called the ready room :)
Also, my 2 cents: NO GAMESPY.
I never join a game through lobby... I always openbrowser in l4d.
Game says 1 game for campaign X (that I don't even have installed) in progress and that's it. old style server browser shows 19 games I can join with 1-3 people in them.
Lobby fail.
Here's what works. People search for the custom server with the maps they like (where the admins aren't ######) and they play their every chance they get...eventually they add the server to their favorites.
I hope the NS devs copy from the game Bad Company and add cursing to the marine's TAUNT message pool. Reason being, all those servers that don't allow cursing are a breeding ground for admin abuse... The [I AM] clan, a very popular server at the time, was exactly like this right up to the point where their server disappeared from the internets. Their was nothing but perpetual gagging of players for saying something as innocent as "###### this map is cool"... the result of all this abuse was the servers undoing... people stopped playing in that server and it disappeared from the server list. The <BAD> clan server is #1 right now, and your 1st amendment rights aren't infringed, i.e. you can curse. Team America ###### ya.
Here's what works. People search for the custom server with the maps they like (where the admins aren't ######) and they play their every chance they get...eventually they add the server to their favorites.
I hope the NS devs copy from the game Bad Company and add cursing to the marine's TAUNT message pool. Reason being, all those servers that don't allow cursing are a breeding ground for admin abuse... The [I AM] clan, a very popular server at the time, was exactly like this right up to the point where their server disappeared from the internets. Their was nothing but perpetual gagging of players for saying something as innocent as "###### this map is cool"... the result of all this abuse was the servers undoing... people stopped playing in that server and it disappeared from the server list. The <BAD> clan server is #1 right now, and your 1st amendment rights aren't infringed, i.e. you can curse. Team America ###### ya.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Swearing is ok in moderation.
Gagging for what you said is rather extreme I think and any admin doing that should be castrated.
However I like to play a game for fun and enjoyment and the thrill off the kill (legally) I don't play it to read in my chat logs.
[FocusedWolf]: ******* **** ****** game ******* you donkey ********
Which tbh with your suggestion / comments, is what you want the game to be.
If a game has swearing built-in, the rating that gets slaped on it goes up, the more offensive the higher the rating. While rating means little do you want to say to your mates "hey, come play NS2! You can use swear taunts!!!" the level of immaturity behind that is just beyond comprehension. I'm ok for the occasional swearing, the comment you referenced above earning a ban is lame, lame beyond the level of immaturity as mentioned before.
Gagging for what you said is rather extreme I think and any admin doing that should be castrated.
However I like to play a game for fun and enjoyment and the thrill off the kill (legally) I don't play it to read in my chat logs.
[FocusedWolf]: ******* **** ****** game ******* you donkey ********
Which tbh with your suggestion / comments, is what you want the game to be.
If a game has swearing built-in, the rating that gets slaped on it goes up, the more offensive the higher the rating. While rating means little do you want to say to your mates "hey, come play NS2! You can use swear taunts!!!" the level of immaturity behind that is just beyond comprehension. I'm ok for the occasional swearing, the comment you referenced above earning a ban is lame, lame beyond the level of immaturity as mentioned before.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Well their's not to much to worry about... The game probably already qualifies for a Mature rating with all that "evil" blood effects and unholy monster violence. Furthermore online events are not covered by ESRB so the minute someone starts cursing, it doesn't matter if the game was rated E for everyone. Also the players of NS2 will generally be either in the "Mature" category, or their parents/brothers bought the game and you get the occasional 10 year old commanding. So in the end, it mind as well be given the rating that Bad Company has, i.e. TEEN!!!
<a href="http://www.whattheyplay.com/products/battlefield-bad-company-for-xbox-360/" target="_blank">http://www.whattheyplay.com/products/battl...y-for-xbox-360/</a>
"Titles rated T (Teen) have content that may be suitable for ages 13 and older. Titles in this category may contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling, and/or infrequent use of strong language"
LOL we can have the cursing taunts and still get a Teen rating... that's amazing. In bad company it's involuntary that every time someone gets wounded or something that the guy is like "######!!! ######!!! ######!!!" but their was more extreme stuff the soldiers say... can't recall what it is right now...
Also check out this study.... swearing makes you feel good... even has a "pain-lessening effect" ... so swearing is good for you... i knew it!!! :P
<a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,531977,00.html" target="_blank">http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,531977,00.html</a>
<a href="http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/45494/title/%25%2B%23$!_makes_you_feel_better" target="_blank">http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id...you_feel_better</a>
<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE56C1B320090713" target="_blank">http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMo...E56C1B320090713</a>