Handy Auto-Join Hint

**Bommando** · 08-31-2008, 10:56 PM

Some of you may already know this, but it came as a surprise to me, so I thought I'd share.

Did you know you are able to play on another server while you wait for auto-join to kick in? For example, if Server 1 is full and I select auto-join, I am able to join Server 2 if it has open slots and play for a while until a slot becomes available on Server 1. At which point, I will automatically be disconnected from Server 2 and join Server 1 on the newly available slot.

Of course, subscribers with reserved slots need not wait, but this might be handy for those of you without a sub or who get impatient waiting for a slot to open during busy times.

Hope this comes in handy for someone

GreyMario · 08-31-2008, 10:57 PM

What we really need, though, is the ability to play a different game while we're waiting for our auto-join to kick in.

I want to waste time blowing holes in watermelons while I'm waiting to connect.

thundeer · 09-01-2008, 01:20 AM

Yup I did this a few times in the past, but the way I did it was using the steam friends. I first opened steam overlay and did the 'join friend's game', which led me to the 'server is full' dialog box, and I set up autojoin on that. Then I go into TF2's menu and join an empty server to play on while I waited. Once a spot opened I was able to join up.

HOWEVER (and I still need to test) sometimes it gets buggy and I end up disconnecting and rejoining the server every time another empty spot opens up. Once I even went back to the other server. To make sure this doesn't happen, once you join the server you want to be on, go to steam overlay and check to make sure that the dialog box isn't there. THEN, go to TF2's server menu and make sure there's no dialog box there either.

**PANDAmonium** · 09-01-2008, 08:33 PM

I use this often, but unfortunately I often choose 2 very busy servers. When a slot opens on the one I'm waiting on, I disconnect from the one, but sometimes am too slow to join. Then the one I was playing on while waiting fills up and I'm left grasping at the air. It's all very tragic.

Still, more often than not it works very well. Makes sure you don't get too bored.