Show # of players browsing server list

Plasma

Hey,

I wish other games did this, maybe NS2 can.

It would be great to see a figure of how many people are sitting at the NS2 server listing (bonus points for counting 'local' players in your country too), trying to get in a full server.

If I noticed say 4 people were waiting at the server, all trying to join a full server like I am, maybe then we'd all decide we should join this empty server to start a second game.

Thoughts?

subshadow

If you use the "autoconnect" feature on a full server, a nice feature to have is a small indication of how many people are waiting in the line before you.

+1

FocusedWolf

Perhaps it is possible by somehow integrating the ns2 steamgroup chatroom into the serverbrowser :P

LORFCASTER

Great idea.
This could really help the game, especially in current beta phases.

wulf 21

<!--quoteo(post=1857294:date=Jun 30 2011, 01:16 PM:name=subshadow)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (subshadow @ Jun 30 2011, 01:16 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1857294"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->If you use the "autoconnect" feature on a full server, a nice feature to have is a small indication of how many people are waiting in the line before you.

+1<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Actually I think, no game is that fair to actually put people waiting for a connection in line but rather will accept the first connection attempt after a slot becomes availible. (being random or the guy who is spamming the refresh button faster :P)

ASnogarD

BF:Bad Company 2 PC has this autoconnect with a queue system ... not at launch came in later but it was much nicer than a simple autoconnect ( as that turns into a refresh key mashing affair ).
In BFBC2 PC you click on a server to join and it tells you which number you are at and the number of players in the queue.
( server name : 4 of 6 )

Add my support for a autoconnect with a queue system.

Plasma

I don't mean autoconnect or queues, they are different.

I mean make it possible for the server list to say to the 5 people staring at the screen trying to join a full server, "HEY! Maybe you guys should just join an empty server instead of all trying to wait".

countbasie

I think "matchmaking" is the word.

basti1337

<!--quoteo(post=1857734:date=Jul 3 2011, 03:42 AM:name=Plasma)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Plasma @ Jul 3 2011, 03:42 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1857734"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I don't mean autoconnect or queues, they are different.

I mean make it possible for the server list to say to the 5 people staring at the screen trying to join a full server, "HEY! Maybe you guys should just join an empty server instead of all trying to wait".<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Maybe instead of showing the "server is full" message they should implement a queueing system. Something like a server specific joining queue with integrated chat so that players can see who else wants to connect to this server.

NurEinMensch

Not the worst ideas.

Plasma

I'd like a way to either talk to those players, or more simply, just signal that I would be open to joining an empty server with them in order to start playing a game together.

Imagine for a moment the server list UI is changed so that:

1) The # of people also staring at the server list is shown (perhaps 'local' players also, based on the country your IP is from?) so that the figure is relevant to you
2) You could 'nominate' a second server to join (that's empty perhaps), or chat, or better yet just click a button that says 'If enough local players click this button too, join an empty server together automatically'?

That way myself and others could opt in to this 'Join an empty server together' feature, and it wont actually make us join until X people have done the same or something.

TrueVeritas

I feel like this kind of stuff hasn't evolved since... well, since the first dedicated server was created. The problem you're all forgetting is that doing stuff outside of showing a server list (which Valve provides via Steamworks) costs some serious money. You would have to run a server 24/7 to enable the kinds of features you guys are talking about in this thread and it would involve tons of time in programming, which is also more money.

Plasma

I think you're over estimating how difficult this feature is and how many resources would be needed.

The simplest (and best?) implementation to show approx # of people browsing the server list, with a simple way to signal you'd be up for joining an empty server if others are too shouldn't be too resource intensive.

It would take a week or two of dev time I would suspect at most, and there are other important features to be done first, but its not that difficult or resource intensive.

Harimau

Heroes of Newerth has an in-built chat feature, and I think something like that implementation would work well for NS2 (or indeed, any non-massively online multiplayer game). It also has a number in the top right with the number of players currently online.