Dear Sandvich... (Not as cheesy as you might think)

[Sequel Sentry]

Today I decided to check our TF2 server rankings, and compare them to last month's. I found this:

Rankings on May 30th:

Blackmesa: ~150
Valvemaps: ~640
2fort IR: ~375
2fort Fast Respawn: ~280
Egypt: ~250

Rankings on June 29th:

Blackmesa: 45
Valvemaps: 407
2fort IR: 166
2fort Fast Respawn: 152
Egypt: 262

After noticing triple digit improvements on EVERY server but Egypt, I looked for an explanation besides the common "F2P" idea. First I looked at the days the server rankings went up. The main increases were indeed the uber update, but there were still very noticeable big increases in rank about the 19th-21st, before the final update came out. In fact, on almost every eGO server, on the day the update came out and the day after, the server rankings dropped a little. Then on the 25th, they jumped up to their current rankings and are still rising.

Now realizing that, shouldn't the rankings stay about the same? Every server is getting filled up, but is eGO doing better keeping them full? Even as I'm writing this post and it appears valvemaps crashed, the server goes from 0 players to full in a matter of 10 minutes, and I can tell it's not just cause of F2P.

So how can we use our amazing server filling skills to our advantage? What's the sandvich? Recruit them all? Good idea! We recruit. How many new players come into our servers each day? Who knows, it could be up to 100. (Unlike our rankings, no reliable stat on that one.) So if we recruit them, sandvich, we can get new awards, others can get new promotions! And for any of them wondering, we have no official recruiting advisor. So who may it be? Could it be Sasha? Nah. The new pathfinders are a way to recruit, why not join them?

Anyway Sandvich, we haven't recruited in a while, since December when we gave TF2 it's biggest month of recruiting since April 2010. Let's do it again, Christmas in July? Eh, is cold here in Russia all year long anyway. Let's get to recruiting again and make sure that our embarrassing (Frankly) numbers skyrocket to the roof. F2P is built for this to happen. Mesa is rank 45, why not aim for 25? Or 10? Or 1? Haha...a custom map as #1 ranked server, is funny to me! But, who knows.

Turbine was #1 server once before, and then it died and respawned as PL Maps. Now, slot is gone. If we earn our slot back by filling up servers and recruiting, who knows! We could get slot back again and make it whatever we feel like. Turbine? Dustbowl? Turbine and Dustbowl? Funmaps? You name it! But first, some people think can outsmart me, maybe...*sniff* maybe... I have not yet met one who outsmart recruiting! So go ahead, and do it! Make July best recruiting month in history of world! Do it for Sasha, Sandvich!

Love,
Heavy

 

[Dalsia]

I really like this idea, but it's just a matter of getting people into the servers recruiting. Someone should host a recruiting drive...

Also, it sounds like the Lord of the Rings the way that the "heavy" is speaking to "sandvich."

 

[Sequel Sentry]

I really like this idea, but it's just a matter of getting people into the servers recruiting. Someone should host a recruiting drive...

Also, it sounds like the Lord of the Rings the way that the "heavy" is speaking to "sandvich."

I've already done a LOTR quote in Minecraft discussion. One per day. But I wonder who could host those recruiting drives. *Gets glared at by Sandvich.* Ok, fine! I guess I could do it.

 

[Dalsia]

I've already done a LOTR quote in Minecraft discussion. One per day. But I wonder who could host those recruiting drives. *Gets glared at by Sandvich.* Ok, fine! I guess I could do it.

Well, I would certainly be willing to help you, and maybe the leader of the group that discovers paths (*cough* vudu *cough*) could also contribute to such an event.

 

[CubanCarlos]

Nice research! Let's try and get Egypt the attention it deserves! :3

 

[Mr.SaJoRa]

i like what i see there. the question is if we can hold that up. i personally think it was just cause of the ?ber-update. the servers were full most of the time and it even took 5-10 minutes to get in sometimes.
sadly the last 2 days it seemed like ppl are leaving again. so i guess we will have to see where we are in a month or so.

 

[Sequel Sentry]

i like what i see there. the question is if we can hold that up. i personally think it was just cause of the ?ber-update. the servers were full most of the time and it even took 5-10 minutes to get in sometimes.
sadly the last 2 days it seemed like ppl are leaving again. so i guess we will have to see where we are in a month or so.

Once again though, every other server is full so it's obviously somthing we are doing.

Updated rankings:

Blackmesa: 45
Valvemaps: 398
2fort IR: 136
2fort Fast Respawn: 147
Egypt: 263

 

[TheHulk]

2fort fast respawn is so pointless. We need turbine or PL. Two, 2fort servers has always aggravated me.

 

[Nik :D]

Once again though, every other server is full so it's obviously somthing we are doing.

Updated rankings:

Blackmesa: 45
Valvemaps: 398
2fort IR: 136
2fort Fast Respawn: 147
Egypt: 263

Egypt went down AGAIN?! D:

We need to focus on Egypt and Valvemaps now.

 

[Go team seaslug!]

2fort fast respawn is so pointless. We need turbine or PL. Two, 2fort servers has always aggravated me.

I agree. 2fort is so terrible.

It makes me want to punch babies.

Also, I don't know why egypt is so low. It is my favorite of the servers to play on. That might be a personal preference thing though.

 

[Sequel Sentry]

2fort fast respawn is so pointless. We need turbine or PL. Two, 2fort servers has always aggravated me.

Ever since we got 2fort fast respawn, all it has done is fill up. 2fort IR has always been there. There is no point taking either of them away when they both broke 150 today.

 

[OzytheNerfer]

One lunch-meat to rule them all.

I don't have a clue as to how to boost Egypt, but I think I know the cause of its decline:

Supply.

There are many, many servers out there that run Egypt. There are only 4 (AFAIK) that run Mesa, and ours is the only one that runs it 24/7.

 

[eightDash]

Also, I don't know why egypt is so low. It is my favorite of the servers to play on. That might be a personal preference thing though.

It may be my least favorite of every TF2 map I've ever played.

 

[Go team seaslug!]

It may be my least favorite of every TF2 map I've ever played.

The reason why I enjoy Egypt is because the people on the eGO server tend to have a better idea of what is going on, and therefor become better medic targets (they will actually blow up turrets with the uber instead of whipping out a melee weapon, or staying in the same position instead of pushing the opponent back). In this way, I find my bias generated less by the map itself, but instead the community.

That said, I have found, eGO server or otherwise, that most capture the flag maps tend to degrade to a petty deathmatch in so much that it is difficult to organize a team to achieving the goal, and that the tools given to us by the game do not support the capture the flag game style.

I could be wrong on this point, though. I would be happy to be proven wrong.

 

[dy1an]

Good idea, but lets not forget to recruit with quality and not quantity. Not calling any names but i've run into a few F2P e's who would rather spam trading offers with binds than actually play the game, if we have people like this we're not doing anything to help our popularity.

 

[Sequel Sentry]

Good idea, but lets not forget to recruit with quality and not quantity. Not calling any names but i've run into a few F2P e's who would rather spam trading offers with binds than actually play the game, if we have people like this we're not doing anything to help our popularity.

We can sort out people after we recruit them. Sure, don't recruit people who are constantly breaking rules and such, but if they want to join, they should be allowed to.

 

[Tasty meat]

Valve maps is an awesome place to recruit, Some serious players or non routine players go through there, since it changes maps, you dont have the server full of regular people.

 

[Sequel Sentry]

Everything but IR was hurt in the rankings today. Especially valvemaps. IR though, has almost broken the 100 mark.

 

[Dalsia]

Everything but IR was hurt in the rankings today. Especially valvemaps. IR though, has almost broken the 100 mark.

Valve Maps fell over 150 ranks, but that's because it was down literally all day. Something is wrong with the updater for the server.

 

[Naku_vamp]

Nice research! Let's try and get Egypt the attention it deserves! :3

by changing it to a 2nd blackmesa map =D