Lower the time limit please

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ln(e)

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Currently (particularly on Dustbowl) the time limit is something extremely long, allowing for up to hundreds of rounds. It wasn't like this before; now when teams become stacked they tend to stay that way for hours (instead of for a few rounds) before the server resets the map. Lowering the time limit back to something reasonable can help to prevent these multi hour steam rolling periods.
 
We've had the times for dustbowl the same for 4 months. And its ranked 9 in the world.

Why is this now a problem ?

I know this personally i've set them.
 
I like long time limits because I hate it whenever I have to see that dreadful loading screen again.

On another note, for the es_cave map that we have, I find that the time limit for a team to get that cart across is too low. Most of the time, I see the defensive team winning. I'm not dissatisfied with the server overall, but this is probably an area that could use a slight adjustment.
 
I've seen instances in es_cave where one team, no matter weather they were on offense or defense, were able to steamroll the other team. The map is actually fairly balanced, and it really depends on which team gets to the crucial points first, and who defends them.

As far as team stacking on other maps, if you see that it's going on, then switch to the other in order to help balance things out. Obviously that's easier if you're on the winning team, but it's something that we as eGO members should try to do for the sake of keeping the server fun.
 
Garden, I think I know what he's talking about.

The server is popular. Everyone likes to come back. However, when we had issues with unbalanced or stacked teams, for some reason, we extended the time limit as opposed to lowering it, because it did cause plenty of people to leave the game and caused more people to try to bypass auto-balancing by switching to spec to get to the other team.

Although the server is now in 8th, I think it can have a higher potential with a lower time limit. That way, less people leave on whims on unbalanced or stacked team, like I see when I get on there. Sure, it's annoying to hear them whine about everything, but it would keep the game a bit more balanced and more enjoyable for everyone.

I think cave5 stays full because it is a tease map for Goldrush and also what Flippy included.

Just my opinion, not arguing. :)

P.S.: ln(e) is not an eGO member, just a dedicated pub of ours :P
 
I logged into Dustbowl yesterday and a player had a 1000 points.
 
I see Expunged push 1000 on a regular basis on 2fort, I actually ended up a game Fri night around 500 as a Sniper
 
Meh, I find the time limit fine... if the teams get stacked... I switch over to 2fort lol... I wish there was some sort of roound time limit for that map.... It is mainly one team turtles.... or both teams turtle... :) lol
 
If things are really unbalanced, and the normal course of game play isn't evening them out (usually it will do a decent job in time), you can always request an advisor scramble the teams. This isn't done lightly, but if there's an ongoing, several round imbalance making the server fun for no one (or at least fun for no one on one side), we can do that for you.
 
I think my cat just farted. . .

err

i mean what monkey said. come get us if there is a problem with dustbowl.
 
Right, with the server almost constantly full and the time limit so long, the teams tend not to shift for long periods of time. This is great when the teams are fair, but in my experience, one team is usually dominating the other which doesn't lend to fun for the losing side. While players should try to switch to support a team that's being dominated, the likeliness of people doing that is naturally low. To those who do, it's as rare that they'd make a difference.

Is there a problem with simply lowering the time limit? 18 to 30 rounds worth would still be lengthy but allow for the teams to reshuffle themselves automatically and more often.

Admins aren't always around, and I find the notion that it "isn't done lightly" understandable but unnerving; leaving something like that to them gives way to inconsistencies in judgment, and it would be disappointing to see a game degenerate into a steam roll if an admin decides the teams are fine when they are not. I will keep the note in mind though, and ask an admin in that situation if one is present.

@Tanooki: Changing servers isn't a solution to the crux of the matter.
 
Ya, for a lot of people the ctp maps are their preference.. I prefer ctf which is why I mainly stick to 2fort... if I'm in the dustbowl or any other server, I'm just waiting for 2fort to get free.
 
[quote1208804488=GardenGroveVW]
I think my cat just farted. . .

err

i mean what monkey said. come get us if there is a problem with dustbowl.
[/quote1208804488]
Cat farts are the worst. I have six of them. (Cats not farts.)

The thrust of this, I think, is that we're aware of the issue and will monitor the situation to see if we believe that shortening the time limit will lead to a more balanced experience.

Ln(e), first of all, you're on the servers so much, you should just join eGO. Cripes, man!

However, for the more salient point ... give a shout to all chat and ask if there's someone on console who can shuffle teams if things get unbalanced. We'd have to see a long streak of domination by one side with no resistance from the other to feel that a shuffle is justified, but there may be situations where it is.
 
I pretty much play Dustbowl exclusively, aside from the occasional GravelPit, and while it is common to see team scores in the 2:1 Range, it's usually not a complete rolling of the other team. I've been on both sides of the destruction , and while it's obviously not fun to be stage capped in under 2 minutes, it's also not that fun to beat a team that fast. Seriously.

Whenever it gets to that point, players usually voluntarily switch over to keep it interesting. As Monkeybits said, usually the situation works itself out. It's still nice to know a scramble is there if it ever comes to that though.
 
lol... I have been playing CAVES5 lately and getting off the standard maps for a while. I usually stick to either CAVES5 or 2FORT, but when wanting a change, I hit up on Dustbowl. Gravelpit... i just suck at :P
 
Whether or not the teams even out in the long run isn't the point; it's the idea that it constantly takes a long time for them to get there. Players who switch voluntarily are few and far between, and in most instances I've played such players could hardly make a difference due to fundamental problems with the losing team itself.

Even 2:1 is pretty bad, especially if the teams supposedly do even out eventually. Yesterday the game ended at something like 90-40; along the way there were players complaining that they've been on the losing team for hours. More often than anything else, I see players not voluntarily switching to the losing team, but players defecting from them and autobalanced players avoiding them.

Edit: And yes, steam rolling is not the norm, but the game, especially with a drawn out time limit, tends to be largely one sided.
 
I completely agree with ln(e). I play primarily on the Dustbowl server and it is not at all uncommon to see the score at something like 24-9. I've been on both sides of the "rolling" and I'd have to agree that it usually goes on for quite some time. Though I do try to switch teams when I think it will help and as much as I'd like to consider myself a one-man-army, it usually has little effect.

Besides the issue with teams becoming unbalanced, I'd like to see shorter time limits so that the individual player scores more accurately reflect skill over server dedication. It's not unusual for me to spend 2-3 hours at a time on Dustbowl. I'm therefore usually near the top of the scoreboard simply because I've been on the server for awhile. I'd be nice to see shorter time limits so that I would have to try a bit harder to get to the top of the board.

Really though, these issues are very minor and I don't think it's worth having any kind of real debate over them. I still have a blast regardless. I just think it might improve things a little if the time limits were brought down a bit. I can't remember what they are set at right now, but I know I would have no problem with seeing the loading screen every 60 minutes or so.
 
Shorter rotations would be appreciated for just getting on the servers. I've waited for an hour or so at times.... People just don't drop off that often. It was nice to see the servers get bumped up to 32 players, btw.
 
To repeat:
[blockquote]However, for the more salient point ... give a shout to all chat and ask if there's someone on console who can shuffle teams if things get unbalanced. We'd have to see a long streak of domination by one side with no resistance from the other to feel that a shuffle is justified, but there may be situations where it is.[/blockquote]
 
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