Servers?

[chili dude96]

I agree with this decision. Why not just replace strand for a rotation and keep Anzio for the time being, if the rotation server does better then put Anzio into rotation on the other server and remove the Anzio server. This is a more careful decision that is not as rushed. If, however, nobody plays rotation then the Anzio server is still there without it being removed.

+1

If we do a rotation server, it should be vote based. I like that idea so we wouldn't lose tons of population due to one map coming up. Some maps like strand and flash are love it or hate it and would kill population.

 

[Dutchoper72]

Rotation, with flash

 

[ST0RMY]

Not another Anzio

There are a few things that everyone who cares about eGO's DoD servers should consider:


1. The division needs to adapt to DoD's shrinking player base and the best decision (as decided by DoD leadership) is to possibly remove two dead or dying servers for a fresh idea... or to keep said dead or dying servers.

2. There are less eGO members on our DoD servers than in the past. I consistently see fewer members on our servers and this is resonated with the admins I ask when I encounter them. More DoD members are playing other games and therefore less members and admins are in DoD servers. Pubs are likely doing the same and further reducing the player-base.

3. Successful servers rely mostly on pubs to get and stay full. Anzio is the perfect example where despite a dedicated effort by eGO members, the server rarely fills and empties completely.

AvalancheView attachment 7284 VS View attachment 7283Anzio​

4. On Game Tracker, the majority of servers with players in them on a regular basis are rank 50 and above, the rest are empty and only occasionally have players in them.

5. DoD is a niche game that is played mostly by veteran players. This situation makes it difficult to launch a successful server since most players have their favorite maps and servers selected.

6. Any additional server the division launches will be competing with our other servers. This is one possibility why Strand was once our #2 server and now is ranked worse than Anzio. If a new server is launched it is important to pay attention to the rank of our other servers.

7. Someone's favorite map doesn't always translate into a successful server; i.e. Anzio.



Notes on Strand and Anzio:


8. Anzio has not significantly improved its position in over two years-- even with less people playing DoD. Anzio has remained the least successful server for the longest period of time.

Graph of eGO's Anzio server ranking 06/18/12 to 11/04/13​

The rank of Anzio on June 18, 2012 was 89, today it is 77. A 12 point rank increase over 1 1/2 years is an increase of about .022 points per day. Despite weekly or bi-weekly Anzio events, members joining, seeding, and members playing on the server, Anzio?s standing has made no major improvements. Changes ranging from limiting the MG and Assault classes to altering the point system and removing FF have proven completely ineffective.

Anzio takes members away from our other servers for essentially no reason. While most members state their favorite map is Anzio, it has not benefited the eGO in any significant way. The server is essentially an unlocked event server where mostly eGO members play.



9. Conversely, Strand (despite the majority of DoD members disliking the map compared to the general love of Anzio) was the division's #2 server last June at the rank of 17. Strand remained the division's #3 server until July 20, 2013 when it was surpassed by Kalt. Since July, Strand fell from rank 42 to the present rank of 107. That is an average drop of one point every two days.

Changes to the server were not widely known or even posted to inform our members. I believe changes included limiting the sniper and MG classes. However, since the said changes the server has only dropped in rank. Please note that the drop in rank is not necessarily because of these changes, it is only known they did not improve the server?s rank.


If any server has a chance at being successful I believe it is Strand. While most members dislike the map (me too), it was once our #2 server and began its decent over the last five months. It makes no sense at all to write Strand off before Anzio and before a major effort is made to fill the server. Strand was once filled and maintained by pubs and it is possible that it can regain its position as it meets the needs of a niche map and a favorite for some veteran players.


10. My personal opinion:

I think that DoD division's best bet for sustainability is to concentrate on its current successful servers, attempting to revive Strand (which was once a top-performing server), and scrapping the idea of creating a new rotation server until Strand's fate can be decided.

I believe the changes to Strand need to be closely monitored and if no improvement is made within three months Strand should be removed and replaced with the division's choice of a rotation server. Again, if the rotation server does not succeed within a set period of time (not to exceed six months) then the server should be scrapped.

The changing dynamics of DoD do not necessarily mean that the more servers the division has, the better it will do. This methodology might have worked in the past but DoD is now a dying game with limited players and fewer members dedicated solely to DoD. Any new server is drawing from the already limited player-base in DoD and the even smaller player-base of eGO members who regularly play DoD.

Regardless of the choices made, it is crucial to make deadlines for improvement and make swift changes to either improve a server's performance or eliminate the server completely. While this may not be popular with members, the two years squandered on Anzio are a perfect example of wasted man-hours, focus, divisional resources, and eGO resources.



Note: Stats from Meg's Thread and GameTracker.

 

[whoflungpoo]

If there is a rotation server I vote to have Anzio, flash, jagd, Argentan, and palermo. I also agree letting people vote for the next map would be good and 30 mins sounds like a good amount of time for each map

 

[Immortal Technique]

St0rmy your points are valid except that you said the change in the point system is ineffective.

The point system for anzio has been changed very recently (1 or 2 weeks). Its dubious at best to make any conclusions about the effectiveness of that change

 

[dbk]

We must keep our anzio. It's my favorite server.

 

[ST0RMY]

St0rmy your points are valid except that you said the change in the point system is ineffective.

The point system for anzio has been changed very recently (1 or 2 weeks). Its dubious at best to make any conclusions about the effectiveness of that change

I was going off of my memory for the changes but I was referring to the older point change affecting all servers except Anzio.

Link: http://edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=220922

In any case, changes to the point system only affect members and the few pubs who know or care about their points. Anzio (when it has players) has an overwhelming majority of eGO members with very few regulars and even fewer pubs. I think it is safe to assume the point system will have even less of an impact than the considerably more important game changes like limiting player classes.

 

[racing88]

strand

 

[Annihilator]

If we got the rotational server, there is a way for the people to vote on which map is next right? Give them 4-5 options (ONe of those being the 'Extend current map option') That way we dont have that issue of "Oh jesus 80% of us hate this map we're all leaving." it'd really be "Oh well the majority of us voted for this map and we'll stay, and te server will stay mostly populated." I think the server should just be stock maps to start off with, Avalanche, Donner, and Kalt should be apart of the vote.
However, I will be voting for Flash every time I have the option.

Also for anyone who thinks of trying the "Our rotational servers have never worked" argument; Ive been in eGO for five years, and Ive never seen a *true* rotation server. We've had one that switched between Colmar and some other map, but Im pretty sure that was just a testing phase to see which map would get picked (It was Colmar. IT lasted like a month)

The last rotation server we had was not counting the one you spoke of, was our sniper serer. In which it was a map vote rotation server. I had minimal success, but eventually died. Mainly because a few maps crashed the server, which is why semi stock maps would be the only thing we could run on rotation. Too many steam updates.

 

[Lt.Nond]

#Rotation

 

[Kingswe]

Rotation!

 

[Matz]

Tbh, if the majority in eGO love anzio and play in it regularly, why should a superficial rank matter to any of us?

 

[wewo]

Tbh, if the majority in eGO love anzio and play in it regularly, why should a superficial rank matter to any of us?

I think the proof is in the pudding. If the majority loved Anzio the rankings would reflect this. The reality is that we can no longer keep 5 servers full and trying to do so hurts all the others. Replacing strand and Anzio with a rotation server will give us four servers, which we should be able to keep full.

Also, I think ranking is more than superficial since we have sponsors who pay for advertisements. I would assume that the amount depends on traffic. Sponsors (together with donations) help pay for our servers, prizes and all the other expenses associated with eGO.

St0rmy, while most of your points are good, I do not think we need to drop both servers immediately. Nor do I think strand is salvageable, since it appeals to so few. I really believe we can maintain four servers at this time. A rotation server or an orange map server should be well populated. I certainly would populate either.

 

[filter]

I do love Anzio, but only when people are on it, with one or two people on it its horrid. the only time it is good is after an event and we all switch to it or our frag fest like tonight. strand...just strand. I cant do strand lol. but a rotation could be good but only time will tell. fyi I would play Anzio more if people were actually on it.

 

[kYuKi]

I absolutely hate orange maps. They are a disgrace to the community of DOD:S. There is nothing fun with getting nade spammed in spawns. I have tried playing on these servers only because there was nothing else to do. Sure it's popular, but I for one will not play on eGO supported servers with orange maps.

On topic, I love both anzio and strand. The only reason why strand gets dissed is because MG's and snipers always dominate on the axis side of the map. It's ridiculous and frustrating to players who aren't relatively familiar to the mechanics of DOD:S; especially new players (yes new players believe it or not) who are trying to play a historic map and not some sniper/mg-pop shooting contest from a hill/cliff onto a beach. IF it's possible I would remove the beach and have them spawn just below on the barbed wire line with the bunkers lowered. That, or give more cover for the allies to march up on the beach.

Anzio as far as I'm concerned is just low players during the daytime.

Most players play the stock rotation that other servers have. This is why those two servers are dying.

 

[Bergen]

rotation

 

[MoistTowelette]

RIP Anzio ... for you were the only DOD server I played. :crying:

I'll give the rotation server a fair shake but my heart will always belong to Anzio.

 

[Megs A Tagger]

RIP Anzio ... for you were the only DOD server I played. :crying:

I'll give the rotation server a fair shake but my heart will always belong to Anzio.

Anzio will most likely be on the rotation server, if we decide to change it into a rotation server.

 

[ShreksSwamp]

Yeah I agree with tipper, a rotation server with stock maps would be great! If one has to go I say we keep Anzio and get rid of Strand. Oh and no orange maps please the yreally bug the crap outa me.

 

[BeeF915]

Anzio will most likely be on the rotation server, if we decide to change it into a rotation server.

If we decide? I think the decision has been made.