"Pick up Game" / Gather
Tquila
Join Date: 2010-02-26 Member: 70738Members, NS2 Playtester
Join Date: 2010-02-26 Member: 70738Members, NS2 Playtester
<div class="IPBDescription">Guess it's big enough to warrent it's own thread</div>Hey all,
I saw a few posts in the twitter thread regarding this, and I think it's a subject that has some concepts worth discussing. So instead of having random posts in the twitter, I thought a new through would be appropriate. First let me quote the (few) significant posts in the twitter thread:
<!--QuoteBegin-syknik+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (syknik)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->For the pick-up game, you should have a few options if you want to get one going.
Make it so that someone needs to be the server host.
If someone has a private server, they can put that they will be the server host, they enter the ip and password and when there are 12 people it auto-connects them to that server. (Details about the server should be visible, location, ping to server, slots)
Secondly, you need to be able to choose the map.
Make it so that there NEEDS to be atleast 2 commanders and they need to be on opposite teams. Just toss in a check box, that if you're willing to be a commander you click it and if a PUG is looking for a commander, he's added to the pug (over a regular player).
I also wouldn't mind a feature which you can choose which type of skill level of pug you'd like to join. ex: Beginner, Good, Top Tier. That way if people who are especially good want to only pug with people who know the game very well and want a challenge, they can select Top Tier, beginners also could play with other beginners and that way rather than just getting demolished, they can play the game with other people who are trying to learn the game.
Also, I feel as though people who are willing to be a commander in the game, their record should be kept, their lose/win ratio as a commander. (That way people can get a feeling of their skill level) Or maybe even just 'min/hours' played as commander.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-swalk+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (swalk)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Now go make it advanced Marc!
So you can sign up as a group, to make sure you get into the same team and match (2-6 players).
Make sure that you can sign up a specific server(with a password, the game automaticly gives password to the other clients?).
The basic system above, would just be filling up public servers, and not really making pickup games.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I think the idea is great, but the concept <i>gathers</i> and the philosophy behind them needs to be held intact. The idea from gathers (from CS and NS1 etc etc) is to establish an environment where people can face a more competative, organised field of play. The people who usually play gathers are:
<i>1) People with a team, but with no current schedule/plays to be played. So they join a gather to get some more organised play, when they can't with their own team.
2) Parts of a team joining up in a gather, much like 1.
3) People without a team, who wants to see competative aspects, or are tired of pubs.</i>
So what does a gather offer? Beside the competative nature. One of the key things that you get from a gather is a guarentee that some basic ground rules has been met. This includes:
<i>1) All players must show for a match.
1.a) Players must stay and play through an entire match.
2) All players must be on a decent behaviour
3) Often players are required to have a microphone
4) Sanctions can be issued if a player breaks the rules.</i>
Especially <i>4</i> is important, because if the ingame gather system does not allow for sanctioning of players (temporary bans etc), then the integrity of the gather will be lost. That means people will just migrate to ENSL or equal anyway. Another aspect (which is also mensioned above) is skill level. Taking a look at one of the more advanced gather systems in Counter Strike called <a href="http://playzeek.com" target="_blank">Play Zeek</a> they have a very extensive skill system. Considering the time constraints and the issues meassuring skill, there's probably limits as to how good it can be, but there need to be some measures in place so that a team consisting of an entire clan will not face a "pub-gather".
It should also be possible to report someone for very unfortunate behaviour, so that a player can be sanctioned retro-respectively. Much like the HoN community has Report a Player. All this would require a substantial mod-effort from the community though, but I think that would be the least of our problems as we have a great community.
Beside these things, there's obviously the notes that <b>syknik</b> added.
<i>TL;DR> I think we need to have measurements to keep the in-game gathers organised and professional. If people begin to join and leave as they want, then the system will forfeit and people will find another place that offers the same services.</i>
I saw a few posts in the twitter thread regarding this, and I think it's a subject that has some concepts worth discussing. So instead of having random posts in the twitter, I thought a new through would be appropriate. First let me quote the (few) significant posts in the twitter thread:
<!--QuoteBegin-syknik+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (syknik)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->For the pick-up game, you should have a few options if you want to get one going.
Make it so that someone needs to be the server host.
If someone has a private server, they can put that they will be the server host, they enter the ip and password and when there are 12 people it auto-connects them to that server. (Details about the server should be visible, location, ping to server, slots)
Secondly, you need to be able to choose the map.
Make it so that there NEEDS to be atleast 2 commanders and they need to be on opposite teams. Just toss in a check box, that if you're willing to be a commander you click it and if a PUG is looking for a commander, he's added to the pug (over a regular player).
I also wouldn't mind a feature which you can choose which type of skill level of pug you'd like to join. ex: Beginner, Good, Top Tier. That way if people who are especially good want to only pug with people who know the game very well and want a challenge, they can select Top Tier, beginners also could play with other beginners and that way rather than just getting demolished, they can play the game with other people who are trying to learn the game.
Also, I feel as though people who are willing to be a commander in the game, their record should be kept, their lose/win ratio as a commander. (That way people can get a feeling of their skill level) Or maybe even just 'min/hours' played as commander.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-swalk+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (swalk)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Now go make it advanced Marc!
So you can sign up as a group, to make sure you get into the same team and match (2-6 players).
Make sure that you can sign up a specific server(with a password, the game automaticly gives password to the other clients?).
The basic system above, would just be filling up public servers, and not really making pickup games.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I think the idea is great, but the concept <i>gathers</i> and the philosophy behind them needs to be held intact. The idea from gathers (from CS and NS1 etc etc) is to establish an environment where people can face a more competative, organised field of play. The people who usually play gathers are:
<i>1) People with a team, but with no current schedule/plays to be played. So they join a gather to get some more organised play, when they can't with their own team.
2) Parts of a team joining up in a gather, much like 1.
3) People without a team, who wants to see competative aspects, or are tired of pubs.</i>
So what does a gather offer? Beside the competative nature. One of the key things that you get from a gather is a guarentee that some basic ground rules has been met. This includes:
<i>1) All players must show for a match.
1.a) Players must stay and play through an entire match.
2) All players must be on a decent behaviour
3) Often players are required to have a microphone
4) Sanctions can be issued if a player breaks the rules.</i>
Especially <i>4</i> is important, because if the ingame gather system does not allow for sanctioning of players (temporary bans etc), then the integrity of the gather will be lost. That means people will just migrate to ENSL or equal anyway. Another aspect (which is also mensioned above) is skill level. Taking a look at one of the more advanced gather systems in Counter Strike called <a href="http://playzeek.com" target="_blank">Play Zeek</a> they have a very extensive skill system. Considering the time constraints and the issues meassuring skill, there's probably limits as to how good it can be, but there need to be some measures in place so that a team consisting of an entire clan will not face a "pub-gather".
It should also be possible to report someone for very unfortunate behaviour, so that a player can be sanctioned retro-respectively. Much like the HoN community has Report a Player. All this would require a substantial mod-effort from the community though, but I think that would be the least of our problems as we have a great community.
Beside these things, there's obviously the notes that <b>syknik</b> added.
<i>TL;DR> I think we need to have measurements to keep the in-game gathers organised and professional. If people begin to join and leave as they want, then the system will forfeit and people will find another place that offers the same services.</i>
Comments
For the server, the best I think would be that people can register server for the gather system, and that these server would be used only for gathers. The gather system should have rights on the server so it can change map, change the password, reset it, etc. Round restart can be done by vote/ready commands.
Something else i'm sure some people would enjoy. Being able to check out who's part of a PUG. Could work like this:
- Click on "View Pick-Up Games"
- New window: <List of PUG names still looking for players>
- *Click on pug name, then on a "View Info" button*
- Shows list of players, desired map and server information (latency, slots, ping).
- If you want to join and there's room, you can press a "Join Pug" button.
- Succeed :P