Second -F- server coming SOON! - Page 5

XCannon · 05-16-2008, 06:25 PM

My god I can't believe all the 2fort suggestions. The only map worse is Orange Box.

Although this could work for me, since so many folks seem to love pain and anguish the 2fort one will have lots of regs. Meaning it will free up the main server that way I won't have to get kicked for a reserved slot.

PANDAmonium · 05-16-2008, 06:41 PM

More CTF style maps, maybe. It's because CTF is such a different play style than CP. Turbine, 2fort, Rock2, Chaos (maybe?), Snofort etc.

The thing about these is that, when both teams are on their game, it really takes tight teamwork to make it happen (or a bit of luck if not teamwork... example, if you're keeping them occupied and one of your scout pubby teammates just happens to be going to grab the intel, it works out because your attack happened at the right time). The full 3 caps usually forces you to work as a team or get utterly rolled.

But not exclusively, because keeping to one gametype is always limiting.

**Beatnik** · 05-16-2008, 07:07 PM

CTF will definitely be better represented on the new server.

**Beatnik** · 05-16-2008, 09:42 PM

http://www.focusedgaming.com/team-fo...html#post17985

**Braidedheadman** · 05-16-2008, 11:42 PM

2Fort is the quintessential Team Fortress map. With no time limits and 3 caps, it can be a truly epic map to play on. And as has been said already, such games often require top-shelf teamwork or bust, which is what makes the maps so entertaining (at least for me). Where I experience map fatigue on other maps, I can't get enough good 2Fort games.

24/7 2Fort FTW!

bleckuhffinity · 05-17-2008, 08:00 AM

We will never, ever, ever have a 24/7 2Fort server.

PANDAmonium · 05-17-2008, 08:54 AM

Besides, plenty exist already.

I already love this server for the 5 ping I get on it. I feel like Sparda.

**jepzilla** · 05-17-2008, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tarheel

Yeah, everyone needs to keep this in mind. Some of us old-timers from The other Guys remember how things were with the two Battlefield 2 servers. Initially, as I recall the setup, #1 was 62 players (due to the supporting member script) running 64-player maps, and #2 was 48 players, running 32-player maps. For awhile, #2 would get the action early in the evening as it played better with lower population, then there would be a migration over to #1 when #2 started to fill up. During "prime time" when #1 was full, #2 would be the "overflow" server where non-SMs and pubs could go while waiting on a spot.

Then all of a sudden, it seemed everyone just got on #1 and waited for it to fill rather than go on #2 at all, and #2 sat empty most of the time until mods came out. This is what we want to avoid with the second TF2 server here. It won't really work if it's just an overflow server for the folks that can't get on #1, as you'll end up with all regulars on #1 and a handful on #2 with a ton of pubbies - or nobody on #2 at all. I don't know what the magic formula for drawing a roughly equal amount of regs to both servers is, but there definitely needs to be some differentiation to try to make that happen.

Well what happened with BF2 was the automatic reserved slot system. Before, reserved slots required manual kicks so it was often easier to join server 2 if there was room. As soon as the auto-kick was created, the population of server 2 died as there was no incentive for the regulars to populate it anymore. In 2142 there were two servers running different game modes too, but the Titan server never really took off because even those people who preferred Titan to Conquest still would join the Conquest server rather than seed the Titan. It's actually a very simple calculus: given the choice people would rather join a busy conquest server than an empty Titan server, even if they'd rather play Titan. Later we tried having a small-maps server, which similarly failed to attract any population.

More servers (and hence slots) is awesome and what is needed to grow the community, but trying to make both active by differentiating them is a good idea only in theory. It's one that we've tried before and it hasn't worked in the past. Differentiation isn't sufficient, because a good game of a less preferred map or game type is better than spending an hour seeding an empty server. One server will become a 'boutique' server which people occasionally play small games on, late in the evenings, when a group of people decide to do something different from the usual faire. It will be popular at first as it is new and shiney and people are interested in it, but as the novelty wears off the server population will trend down, towards my prediction. Ultimately that means no extra slots, no more non-subscribers being introduced to the Focused way, and less diverse gameplay because the popular server only plays half the maps.

This is why I'm going to repeat my earlier suggestion. Write a script to monitor the servers, and if one has open spaces and the other has over a certain threshold of regulars/subscribers (like, 30%), disable reserved slots. Hell, I've never worked with the hl2 engine before, but I'll do it if someone can walk me through the parts I'm unfamiliar with.

PANDAmonium · 05-17-2008, 11:11 AM

With other groups like CP, EX, etc. becoming more common, I don't think it's too hard to believe that we can have 20+ people in both servers during peak hours... But what you're saying does make sense (about the scripting).

On the other hand, I feel like making the two servers rotate different maps is worth trying (we can always change it later, yeah?)

**Bulldog** · 05-17-2008, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PANDAmonium

With other groups like CP, EX, etc. becoming more common, I don't think it's too hard to believe that we can have 20+ people in both servers during peak hours..

This happened last night. Server one was filled with what appeared to be mostly Pub players while the second server had all of the regulars. Is the second server advertised on the primary server?