PL Rotation, Valve maps, Custom maps.

[GardenGroveVW]

How are they doing?

Are they struggling ?

What could we do to make it better?

 

[Dragonhill]

nice cat Garden, thinking about using him for mesa

~D

 

[GardenGroveVW]

nice cat Garden, thinking about using him for mesa

~D

LOL! Let me know where you put him!

 

[Chef Ramsey]

PL seems fine to me until a map change. It seems it will be on a map people want to play and when the map vote comes up you see people saying not to vote for map X, extend this map etc... Then if it gets extended people leave because they have tired of it and if it changes people leave because it is not map X.

I am not sure how to fix that but it seems normal to me on a rotation map. Goldrush tends to be the popular map. Yes there is RTV but it never seems to get enough votes because people like me just enjoy PL maps so I don't care what map it is on.

To me a solution for it is to have only the one map but getting people to agree on a single map is fruitless. Also, I don't know if the feature is there, but maybe have it so admins can initiate a map vote instead of waiting for an RTV?

 

[Use_My_Teleporter]

I think it would be nice if you could initiate multiple RTVs - like even if the last one failed, or something.
I've seen servers stay empty for hours because the previous rtv failed by some mistake (a few people forgot to vote) and no one wanted to play that map.

If no one wants a map change they'd just stop rtving.

 

[DrNecroNancy]

Welp, for Valve, I know Atten's been on in idle what seems every night in efforts too keep it alive, and myself and few others. He's been posting how it's doing hehe
With rotation things, I think what happens is each map lasts for a good long time that when the map changes, it's like an opportunity for someone to decide to log off, that's just another aspect that I think about, despite the RTV stuff which also makes sense.

 

[Soupy]

Is there anyway we can determine which maps on the Rotation servers are being voted the most. Maybe that way we can exstend the times on those maps and reduce the times on the less popular maps.

 

[sittingduck]

I don't think there is any map that I dont like, I just dont like it when we lose like the KC Chiefs(for you non-football fans they're bad, 49th/50 defence). When that happens I nomraly jump ship(you most likly seen me do it). Then again I don't type much(my spelling is horable), and I have given up on getting my mic to work so when I leave I leave. But I do try to leave when I'm eather dead or starting a new match(rarely in the middle of one).

 

[sokO]

I don't play the Custom Rotation at all, couldn't tell you. The maps on do not fancy me. Valve maps is doing awesome. Payload is doing good as well.

 

[Sloppie]

badwater and goldrush maps seem to be the top maps on the pl rotation. I think alot of people leave if the bdhieghts map gets voted.

I would drop bdhieghts, and add strider. I personaly dont like the map, but I know alot of others do.

I also think we need to do more recruiting in the pl map. I see alot of the same players on there. (I've been trying to make an effort...but I think experienced recruiter would have a better chance then me).....

Thats my two cents.....

 

[Captain Kraken]

Valve maps is doing great for a rotation map, and by that, I mean on some maps it does fantastic, others slowly drain it's life away, the biggest killer being Badlands. That and Turbine tend to empty out servers faster than you can say "sandvich", on rare occasions the player count actually increases, but more often than not it becomes a morgue, the only chance of life being breathed back in are from hardcore idlers like Atten or those that actually sit in the spawnroom ready to play like myself (as a side note, long hours alone on a map does allow for some interesting fun and tactics).

Custom maps IS struggling. Convoy is a fun map, however, it is unbalanced, and is only fun in small doses, much smaller than this rotation time. Toyfort is fun, but also incredibly unbalanced due to the map's design and ease to spawn camp. Sunsettown is a good map, it usually turns to this immediatly if the rotation comes up or the vote is rocked, and I'm not complaining. This server would be rapidly improved if more custom maps made their way on in, perhaps rivaling the number on Valve's rotation, or replacing one or more of the custom maps currently available. On these ones, testing should be done on simply, how fun the map would be, can I play this for an hour or so, would I ever vote for this over another map?

Also allowing community members to nudge some of our own projects (who are certainly not as high up there like Dragonhills) into the spotlight would be nice *shoveshovewinkwink*

 

[=[Ga]= AutoDMC]

With rotation things, I think what happens is each map lasts for a good long time that when the map changes, it's like an opportunity for someone to decide to log off, that's just another aspect that I think about, despite the RTV stuff which also makes sense.

I think Dr. Nancy has hit the nail on the part of the nail designed to be hit; when I play on Valve Maps, I usually play until a map change, and then decide if I want to continue or if I want to ditch. The decision is usually based on what map is next (I.E., if the next map is Turbine, I stay, if the next map is not Turbine, I usually ditch).

It's just a natural function of rotation maps, that a large majority of players will simply take the opportunity to review their life and decide if they wish to continue on the server or look for something more exotic

I expect rotation servers to have more volitile citizens; the bar of excellence for rotation servers is different than for 24/7 servers, which is our specialty... for 24/7 servers, the question is "do we keep a large population all day." The question for rotation servers is "do we have large dead spots in the server?"

An idea for rotation servers to pass along to our development eggheads:

1) If the server population is one (1) player (say the server was empty and they just joined up), do an automatic RTV. Maybe they joined in to seed the server and it's Dustbowl, but if they've gotta hang out alone they'd rather do it on Turbine. Then you'll get at least one sticker, and PERHAPS the reason nobody had looked at Valvemaps Rotation was that they just didn't want to play Dustbowl. With no players on a server, the Dustbowl poison (in this example) will just sit on the server until it's map ticker completes.

2) If the server population has been at 0 for five minutes, automatically randomly change the map to a different map. Maybe even make it smart enough that if the current map was Badwater Basin, the autorotator will pick a non-payload map. Why this plugin? When I'm looking for a known rotation server to play on, I look at the Map column. If the map says "Dustbowl" and I don't want to play dustbowl, I won't go in to seed, even though I should know that I can log in and RTV myself into Turbine! I'll just look for another server playing a map I'm interested in. Most pubs who don't just have eGO on their favorites (like I do), will refresh the main server listings until they see a map they want to play. Autorotation will make sure that the next time they refresh, maybe a map that they're interested in will be "up".

 

[TenGHz]

I'm definitely still enjoying the current lineup.

 

[Iceman]

The only real problem I think is that it's the usual rotation problem. If it's not the map people want they bail.

Also, I think the custom map could use some fresh stuff. All 3 of the current maps have been around for a long time. So maybe some new maps there.

 

[GardenGroveVW]

TBH, and i hate to say it, but i think rotations need to go.

 

[Captain Kraken]

Well I'm not giving up on it just yet. Imma play it til my fingers bleed.

 

[Atten]

I honestly believe Valve Maps is almost as close to perfect as we can get it. If gametracker hadn't erroneously reported Valve Maps as being empty for 6 hours sunday night, I think we would have made the top 100. Even with that error, we still managed to gain rank.

I believe the only problems revolve around the voting system:
Lengthen the voting time.
Change the voting options to go down from 0 or 9.

Although Captain Kraken is right that some maps like badlands empty the server more often or not, I think we should keep all the maps we don't have in 24/7. Map preferences change. It used to be Gravel Pit and Steel being the most common maps, now its "Revenge of the Wells".

I have seen many votes that didn't go at all the way the majority of players wanted. I'm assuming this is because some players missed the voting box, or voted for the wrong map intending to change maps.

Making sure the voting actually gets the consensus as the next map will help to prevent emptying.

 

[NCA]

Custom maps could really use some more maps. Here's how I rate the maps:
Toyfort (2/10 - I'm bored with this map)
Sunsettown (8/10 - Definitely a keeper)
Convoy (5/10 - its fun to begin with, but gets boring soon)

Regarding the PL server, I agree with the poster above who suggested dropping pl_dbheights. Maybe we could drop it for a week or two and see how the server does.

I don't play on the ROTATION server at all

 

[Vandall]

I think maybe adding more maps to custom server and PL will help out. maybe also picking out the sour ones that no one really likes on valve maps as well.

 

[PhIxX]

ToyFort is less enjoyable without the low grav - in my opinion. Without the low grav, demomen and soldiers are the only ones getting height and like someone said, getting to spawn camp. Low grav lets engi's on the bed so they can counter the across the map flyers. And I'm just not a fan of Sunset Town - so I tend to just stick with BlackMesa and the PL rotation.

On the latter. The problem with DB_Heights isn't the map, from what I've seen, but the fact that it seems we're getting a lot of players that have never heard of it, and strictly came into the server for whichever maps currently on, which is either of the others. I'm not sure how to change the perception of DB_Heights and although I love, not sure if it's worth fighting for.