Casual Style TF2 Server

Perhaps, but you need to keep in mind our regulars play on the servers they do because that is their map. The problem with a Payload/Rotation server is it is less fun with fewer people more than any other server. I'm out of commission for but a little while longer, but no, Payload/other gamemodes are best saved for events.

You can't jump the gun on this, the Execs will see us as idiots if we shove this up to the queue only for it to fail again.

The other servers are rising in the ranks and becoming a lot more populated more frequently.
That is enough for now, we can't lose our grounding by making a rash, hair-trigger decision because of a slight shift in the breeze.

I disagree with this idea for the foreseeable future.
I think you have a bad mentality about this. This isn't a fad, people are actively looking for these types of servers. I wouldn't think we should keep core and popular gamemodes to events, I think those should be for the more unique gamemodes that aren't something you can go to any other server and experience most of the time.

The chance for growth in TF2 is available, the best time to strike is when the iron is hot. There's always a chance of failure but I don't think you should have such a negative outlook.
 
I think you have a bad mentality about this. This isn't a fad, people are actively looking for these types of servers. I wouldn't think we should keep core and popular gamemodes to events, I think those should be for the more unique gamemodes that aren't something you can go to any other server and experience most of the time.

The chance for growth in TF2 is available, the best time to strike is when the iron is hot. There's always a chance of failure but I don't think you should have such a negative outlook.
No offense meant, but we're on these servers more than anyone else and watch the numbers. It's happened once, and I don't want to go to the Execs when we aren't sure it won't happen again and lose all credibility.
There's a fine line between negative and realistic.
 
we had a rotation payload map that most people liked and changed things up with different maps, however it 'didn't do so well' and was taken down.
Also it didn't. We sent the call out to fill it, a negligible amount of people in the callout responded and did as such. I'm with Adam on the call it 'didn't do so well.'
 
Also it didn't. We sent the call out to fill it, a negligible amount of people in the callout responded and did as such. I'm with Adam on the call it 'didn't do so well.'
Of course that all being said, TF2 as a division having 4 24/7 servers with my event server up alongside it is somewhat necessary to support the different playstyles and modes the game has to offer.

However, TF2 is one of the smaller, and older, divisions, so that is how the Execs weigh into their decisions. The TF2 LE tried their best, but there's only so much we can do at the end of the day.
 
Of course that all being said, TF2 as a division having 4 24/7 servers with my event server up alongside it is somewhat necessary to support the different playstyles and modes the game has to offer.

However, TF2 is one of the smaller, and older, divisions, so that is how the Execs weigh into their decisions. The TF2 LE tried their best, but there's only so much we can do at the end of the day.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
Not a valid response, have some valid input, my guy.
いいえ、ペストリーフォックス。「ザ・ワールド」!!! 時をとまれ! 馬鹿な、無駄 無駄 無駄 無駄 無駄 無駄 無駄 無駄 無駄 無駄!            。。。そして時が動き出す。
 
いいえ、ペストリーフォックス。「ザ・ワールド」!!! 時をとまれ! 馬鹿な、無駄 無駄 無駄 無駄 無駄 無駄 無駄 無駄 無駄 無駄!            。。。そして時が動き出す。
is that a jojo's bizzare adventure™ reference?
 
If we are going to have a new server, like Drk said, the others servers will need some fixing up. TF2 is growing again, and there are many opportunities but we need to have so pre-arrangments before we start making drastic changes.
 
If we are going to have a new server, like Drk said, the others servers will need some fixing up. TF2 is growing again, and there are many opportunities but we need to have so pre-arrangments before we start making drastic changes.
the birb has spoken
 
Been looking at this thread off and on for a bit, and I must say that I am very much proud of the civility of this discussion. Not that I wish to imply that we aren't civil people, but still, well done. Now, onto the topic at hand...

This is currently a trend. As with all trends, this will eventually calm down and lose traction. So for us to focus on this trend to "capitalize on it" won't be a good long-term strategy. While serves like Skial are indeed popular and have a lot of people on them, is that really much of a fair comparison when most of their players are of a younger demographic who go there because their favorite TF2-ber played there once? Where is our guarentee that we can get that population and KEEP it? Our current servers are doing good now, but there's always tomorrow to consider.

Now, if this is to be put into serious consideration, we'll have to be careful and think it over pretty hard on how to handle it. As it has been mentioned before, our last attempt didn't go so well, so how can we not make the same mistakes again? How can we get people to play? How can we KEEP people? Like I said, this casual thing is currently a trend and it will die down sooner or later.

So, if this is being considered, I'd like to reach out to the team and help out how I can. The TF2 division is a fantastic place, so of course I want to see it do well. That's why we need to be careful. We currently can't afford to slip up again like last time.
 
Man, things have changed a lot here since 2008! I still see some familiar names. The server struggles were a thing when I stopped being as active a few years ago. Many people think they have a silver bullet to get things on track, but the reality is that it takes a lot of dedication from a lot of people to make it happen.

Things are definitely different than when we had a 24/7 Blackmesa server and like 10 others that were often full. Games change, communities change and evolve (this one certainly has) and nothing lasts forever. Glad to see some dedicated people still fighting for this place. It isn't an easy job when everyone has a strong opinion about everything.
 
Man, things have changed a lot here since 2008! I still see some familiar names. The server struggles were a thing when I stopped being as active a few years ago. Many people think they have a silver bullet to get things on track, but the reality is that it takes a lot of dedication from a lot of people to make it happen.

Things are definitely different than when we had a 24/7 Blackmesa server and like 10 others that were often full. Games change, communities change and evolve (this one certainly has) and nothing lasts forever. Glad to see some dedicated people still fighting for this place. It isn't an easy job when everyone has a strong opinion about everything.
Well, we are glad to have you back Halo!
 
Once being apart of this community as an Advisor/DL, I can tell you that this division throughout the years (even before I was apart of this community) , has always flip flopped between servers due to not having the Playerbase for those servers. The only difference comparing now to the past (talking about during the period when valve removed the ability to queue into community servers rather than finding them through server list), is that community servers now rely more than ever for it's members to populate and fill the servers initially and build up it's population.

Payload servers are incredibly popular as the two main servers I play (Oprah's PL server and NH/End of the line) are usually always filled during the evening and sometimes even in the afternoon. As the summer approaches, I'd really recommend taking advantage of this time of period and being analytical about the servers as we move deeper into the period of time were a majority of people are more free/available during these coming months. I don't follow this community as much due to growing up but starting some sort of grassroots campaign and just finding a period of time where a majority of it's members can play and working on a server or two would be quite beneficial as when back in the glory days of the division, we managed to boost some of the servers ranks/populations when we had 7-8 servers

TF2 in it's current state for communities/clans cannot support having that many servers anymore. 3-4 is a perfect number unless you're SKIAL or something. If there's future interest in a payload server, I'd HIGHLY recommend checking Oprah's server or the new No-Heroes server (End of the line) and getting a general idea of the current state of PL servers. They usually are quite modded (to the point of having their own development teams) and are very customized. Running classic style maps can be quite challenging for growth unless it's a popular map such as the ones you guys currently have offered (Hightower/Harvest).

As someone who's been there and done that, and continues to play this game often after all these years, I do state and warn you that if you do attempt to try to run a Payload server, you have to try to be apart of the giants which means making the server a priority server as these servers draw in HUGE attendance if you have a consistent and dedicated group to work on it. A ton of the old player base who use to be eGO servers are on these PL servers. I see Dragonhill (if you know who the old fart is) still playing on my main PL server.

This division has gone through almost every time of map and game mode. It's time to just prioritize on what works and what doesn't.

Before COVID hit, the communities server I play on (No-Heroes/Top-Notch) managed to have an IRL meet up in Chicago and was an amazing experience with us all going to a LAN center (was about 43~ of us) because of the payload server community.

I wish you all best of luck in your future endeavors but just wanted to drop my two cents as this was a discussion we had multiple times over the years.

I'll go now lurking for a couple of months.

tl;dr, if you guys want any more community servers, focus on the ones you currently have or funnel all your energy into a PL server. There will be no in-between. Summer months are a great opportunity as TF2's population can hit its highest growth period and activity base outside of the holidays.
 
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Once being apart of this community as an Advisor/DL, I can tell you that this division throughout the years (even before I was apart of this community) , has always flip flopped between servers due to not having the Playerbase for those servers. The only difference comparing now to the past (talking about during the period when valve removed the ability to queue into community servers rather than finding them through server list), is that community servers now rely more than ever for it's members to populate and fill the servers initially and build up it's population.

Payload servers are incredibly popular as the two main servers I play (Oprah's PL server and NH/End of the line) are usually always filled during the evening and sometimes even in the afternoon. As the summer approaches, I'd really recommend taking advantage of this time of period and being analytical about the servers as we move deeper into the period of time were a majority of people are more free/available during these coming months. I don't follow this community as much due to growing up but starting some sort of grassroots campaign and just finding a period of time where a majority of it's members can play and working on a server or two would be quite beneficial as when back in the glory days of the division, we managed to boost some of the servers ranks/populations when we had 7-8 servers

TF2 in it's current state for communities/clans cannot support having that many servers anymore. 3-4 is a perfect number unless you're SKIAL or something. If there's future interest in a payload server, I'd HIGHLY recommend checking Oprah's server or the new No-Heroes server (End of the line) and getting a general idea of the current state of PL servers. They usually are quite modded (to the point of having their own development teams) and are very customized. Running classic style maps can be quite challenging for growth unless it's a popular map such as the ones you guys currently have offered (Hightower/Harvest).

As someone who's been there and done that, and continues to play this game often after all these years, I do state and warn you that if you do attempt to try to run a Payload server, you have to try to be apart of the giants which means making the server a priority server as these servers draw in HUGE attendance if you have a consistent and dedicated group to work on it. A ton of the old player base who use to be eGO servers are on these PL servers. I see Dragonhill (if you know who the old fart is) still playing on my main PL server.

This division has gone through almost every time of map and game mode. It's time to just prioritize on what works and what doesn't.

Before COVID hit, the communities server I play on (No-Heroes/Top-Notch) managed to have an IRL meet up in Chicago and was an amazing experience with us all going to a LAN center (was about 43~ of us) because of the payload server community.

I wish you all best of luck in your future endeavors but just wanted to drop my two cents as this was a discussion we had multiple times over the years.

I'll go now lurking for a couple of months.

tl;dr, if you guys want any more community servers, focus on the ones you currently have or funnel all your energy into a PL server. There will be no in-between. Summer months are a great opportunity as TF2's population can hit its highest growth period and activity base outside of the holidays.
Well as previously stated, we ARE intending to open a payload server. But we are just not quite ready yet. It is entirely possible that we will be able to do that soon, maybe even this year. But first we must ensure the stability of our current servers. Two of them are fairly stable - Hightower and Harvest. 2Fort just needs a bit more work, so it fills on its own consistently. Once that happens, we will quickly work on getting that payload server up.
 
I've lost track of how many times we've tried rotation servers and they've flopped.
Just from observation in the past, the higher ranked servers always have priority and it would be hard to keep the rotation server going. At least that's what always happened when there was one. I just wanted to mention as Events Advisor many moons ago i heard the same suggestion come in and i decided to bring some maps as an event once in a while. It wasn't a full on rotation server but I'd pick 2 or 3 maps and we played a few rounds. First time i did it i think i gave away a Dominos gift card i had laying around 🤣
It was a try hardy event like a blackmesa tend to be.
 
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