Addressing the 'nowhere to play' issues

tarquinbbtarquinbb Join Date: 2012-11-03 Member: 166314Members
edited August 2013 in NS2 General Discussion
A familiar situation for me is that there are several full servers to choose from in my server browser and a lot of empty ones. This leaves me with three options:
  • 1. Join an empty server and wait (potentially for a long time)
  • 2. Choose one of the servers and join the queue (potentially for a long time)
  • 3. Quit (instantaneous)

There must be a fair few players waiting to join a game, because they tend to fill up really fast at peak time, so you could get a game going fairly quickly. However, speaking for myself I prefer playing on familiar servers which have a reputation for having vocal and slightly higher skill level than the 'average'. A feature which would nudge players into starting a server would be the option to queue for (multiple) servers, which would allow them to start a server while waiting (potentially >30 minutes) for a slot to open up in one of their favourites.

Last night I was waiting for 30 minutes in a queue for a server, only to be denied by a "server full" which meant I had to re-enter the queue again (for a further 30 minutes before being able to play). This is a regular occurrence, and usually results in me quitting and firing up TF2 instead. It's nice to have a queue feature, but it desperately needs to be improved!

The other option is to increase the time it takes to quit by 30 minutes. Then people might think twice about quitting!

Comments

  • Enhance89Enhance89 Join Date: 2009-11-04 Member: 69261Members
    Hmm, I've never experienced server problems to THAT degree.

    My server browser populates somewhere in the realm of 350 servers, and only about 10-15 have actual players at a given time. Most of those servers are KKG, and while I don't like the reserved slot system and redirects, I realize those are the only servers with players most of the time. Even such, over the last couple of days, I've only had to wait maybe a few minutes for a server slot to open and me to take it. In fact, I didn't even know there was a queue system in the server browser.
  • _Necro__Necro_ Join Date: 2011-02-15 Member: 81895Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    One word: Matchmaking

    A lobby you can join, chat and chose a team in. When everybody is ready an empty server will be searched and everyone will automatically connect.

    Bonus points for a ELO-based "auto-team-distribution" in the lobby.
  • BicsumBicsum Join Date: 2012-02-27 Member: 147596Members, Reinforced - Gold
    edited August 2013
    The queueing system doesn't actually put you in a queue, its just pings the server from time to time, and connects if theres a slot free. The steam auto connect function already does that, but way faster / reliable. This and reserved slots finally need to be adressed!

    It SUCKS to be locked out of your own server, but there is just no reserved slot system that doesn't fukc around with the players...
  • FrankerZFrankerZ Join Date: 2012-05-06 Member: 151627Members
    4th option is to get redirected forever
  • IdlerayIdleray Join Date: 2012-10-04 Member: 161464Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    I've been wailing about this issue forever. They really need to fix this with the upcoming "Organised Play System". I'm thinking of a global chat lobby.
  • BicsumBicsum Join Date: 2012-02-27 Member: 147596Members, Reinforced - Gold
    edited August 2013
    FrankerZ wrote: »
    4th option is to get redirected forever

    I'm really glad we don't have this bs in europe.

    Ironhorse mentioned in another thread that they are working on an official reserved slot system, but I don't think that this will end the redirecting problem.
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