Server skill tiering cvars
Hakujin
Join Date: 2003-05-09 Member: 16157Members, Constellation
Join Date: 2003-05-09 Member: 16157Members, Constellation
BACKGROUND
With the release of the NS2 trailer and pre-purchase I fired up steam and started up a game of NS (after a 4 year hiatus). The short version is that I got owned -- hard. The few people who still play can literally end the game 21-0 and higher. Great for them. BUT...I convinced my friend to play as well and he was so fed up with the total domination he faced that he uninstalled it in disgust.
THE POINT
In a game this complex, having an optional way for servers to enforce relative skill levels would help prevent these kinds of crib-deaths and promote healthy skill development in new players. This should translate into better in-game experiences leading to better word of mouth leading to better units sales.
HOW
As an optional set of server cvars. I am assuming that through steamworks UW can capture and maintain stats on unique players' cumulative kills, build points, repair points etc. For the purposes of this idea let's assume that there is one master player account variable called CUMULATIVE_SCORE (and let's assume that it fairly represents a combination of the player's playing time + kills + support activities).
Servers would then have two cvars: MAX_CUM_SCORE and MIN_CUM_SCORE to establish player experience ceilings and floors, respectively. These would be checked against a player'a account upon server join. If the player's CUMULATIVE_SCORE is too high or low for the server, they would recieve a message explaining that they need more practice or that the server is for less experienced players. I'd like to reinterate that these settings would be optional (e.g., 0 = not enabled).
EXAMPLES
Newbie server: MAX_CUM_SCORE = 9999
Intermediate server: MIN_CUM_SCORE = 10000, MAX_CUM_SCORE = 99999
Advanced server: MIN_CUM_SCORE = 100000, MAX_CUM_SCORE = 499999
Elite server: MIN_CUM_SCORE = 500000
With the release of the NS2 trailer and pre-purchase I fired up steam and started up a game of NS (after a 4 year hiatus). The short version is that I got owned -- hard. The few people who still play can literally end the game 21-0 and higher. Great for them. BUT...I convinced my friend to play as well and he was so fed up with the total domination he faced that he uninstalled it in disgust.
THE POINT
In a game this complex, having an optional way for servers to enforce relative skill levels would help prevent these kinds of crib-deaths and promote healthy skill development in new players. This should translate into better in-game experiences leading to better word of mouth leading to better units sales.
HOW
As an optional set of server cvars. I am assuming that through steamworks UW can capture and maintain stats on unique players' cumulative kills, build points, repair points etc. For the purposes of this idea let's assume that there is one master player account variable called CUMULATIVE_SCORE (and let's assume that it fairly represents a combination of the player's playing time + kills + support activities).
Servers would then have two cvars: MAX_CUM_SCORE and MIN_CUM_SCORE to establish player experience ceilings and floors, respectively. These would be checked against a player'a account upon server join. If the player's CUMULATIVE_SCORE is too high or low for the server, they would recieve a message explaining that they need more practice or that the server is for less experienced players. I'd like to reinterate that these settings would be optional (e.g., 0 = not enabled).
EXAMPLES
Newbie server: MAX_CUM_SCORE = 9999
Intermediate server: MIN_CUM_SCORE = 10000, MAX_CUM_SCORE = 99999
Advanced server: MIN_CUM_SCORE = 100000, MAX_CUM_SCORE = 499999
Elite server: MIN_CUM_SCORE = 500000
Comments
I must admit though, i do like the quake live system of ranking skill. Which is your rank is not based off your stats, but who you beat in duels. That type of system does not translate into NS with such a focus on teamwork. In other words, will not work in NS. Not effectively anyway..
I won't work at all. You'd have to get the Average of each Team, and that says even less about the Player's Power to turn the (hypothetic) Tide.
Global server skill tiering CANNOT work.
Where at specifically?