Effective improvements to reduce "waiting"
ATF
Join Date: 2014-05-09 Member: 195944Members
Join Date: 2014-05-09 Member: 195944Members
Let us address some issues in NS2 that don't require a lot of work to do.
Quoting Max from another thread:
Let's work on these. Please join the discussion with suggestions that are non-restrictive.
A )
Waiting for server slot:
Some ideas are discussed here. The most effective would probably be to make the steam server browser work for NS2.
A-2 )
Waiting for a server to fill up:
How can this be sped up? Currently the best way is for the seeders to keep a round going until enough have joined. There's pregame++, which makes seeding a little more interesting but steals the spotlight from actual game rounds. I'd like some stats from servers that use it if it improves seeding times or is about the same as without it.
Since it's going to be near impossible to have all players who want to play join a server that's seeding, and thus speed up the seeding process, I believe making seeding more interesting is the only feasible way.
An alternative to Pregame++ could be @Metamind s Last Resistance mod. It allows to have fun starting with few players while waiting for a server to fill up.
B )
Waiting for commanders:
There are multiple approaches conceivable here, and for those, there could be a vote before every round?
1. The captains mod
2. Free choice
3. A vote for one ouf ot 5 randomly picked players from the team
4. ???
C & D )
Waiting for THE OTHER COMMANDER and game start:
Let's imagine players voted for free choice. Nobody volunteers. Most of the time this happens because players believe they are on the team with the skill disadvantage.
We should 1. Display the team skill sum (or average team skill, leaving that up to the intelligent people) on the scoreboard in realtime, meaning at any given time, the measured skill of the teams is displayed publicly. 2. Additionally, if someone goes commander, their individial skill/hourcount is displayed.
These are purely suggestive methods as opposed to restrictive methods. However, from my experience they are proven to be effective!
Stacking almost always results in waiting. The above methods will reduce stacking. Are there more ideas like this? (Summoning @NS-Soldier @SantaClaws @d0ped0g and as scripters @GhoulofGSG9 @Mendasp )
There are plenty of veterans that know stacked games aren't fun and volunteer to balance teams because they have the skill to make a difference. Currently however it is difficult to determine which team needs help the most. (dem badges..)
The suggestive way (non-restrictive) is how you keep the nicest players around (which is one thing in the NS2 community we all are happy about). There's even proof that most grumpy players/trolls can be effectively turned into people that enjoy the game by the above methods.
Thanks for helping
Quoting Max from another thread:
Maxx11_v2.0 wrote: »I'm going to focus on one particular lesser mentioned factor that can be summed up in one word, "waiting".
NS2 makes you wait for everything.
-Wait to get a slot on a server/wait for a server to fill up
-Wait for someone to get into the comm chair
-Wait for someone to get into THE OTHER comm chair
-Wait for the game to start again after a mass f4 from one of the teams complaining about stacking
-Wait for the server to fill up again after everyone left for one reason or another (like waiting for a game to start).
-etc.
Then loop to the top of the list on a new server.
The problem is that these issues are hard to fix. How to incentivise experienced players to jump in the chair but stop new ones from ruining games without accidentally blocking the chair off with restrictions? How to stop games from dragging out without forcing one team to simply give up?
One of NS2's greatest innovations and triumphs is also one of its downfalls.
Let's work on these. Please join the discussion with suggestions that are non-restrictive.
A )
Waiting for server slot:
Some ideas are discussed here. The most effective would probably be to make the steam server browser work for NS2.
A-2 )
Waiting for a server to fill up:
How can this be sped up? Currently the best way is for the seeders to keep a round going until enough have joined. There's pregame++, which makes seeding a little more interesting but steals the spotlight from actual game rounds. I'd like some stats from servers that use it if it improves seeding times or is about the same as without it.
Since it's going to be near impossible to have all players who want to play join a server that's seeding, and thus speed up the seeding process, I believe making seeding more interesting is the only feasible way.
An alternative to Pregame++ could be @Metamind s Last Resistance mod. It allows to have fun starting with few players while waiting for a server to fill up.
B )
Waiting for commanders:
There are multiple approaches conceivable here, and for those, there could be a vote before every round?
1. The captains mod
2. Free choice
3. A vote for one ouf ot 5 randomly picked players from the team
4. ???
C & D )
Waiting for THE OTHER COMMANDER and game start:
Let's imagine players voted for free choice. Nobody volunteers. Most of the time this happens because players believe they are on the team with the skill disadvantage.
We should 1. Display the team skill sum (or average team skill, leaving that up to the intelligent people) on the scoreboard in realtime, meaning at any given time, the measured skill of the teams is displayed publicly. 2. Additionally, if someone goes commander, their individial skill/hourcount is displayed.
These are purely suggestive methods as opposed to restrictive methods. However, from my experience they are proven to be effective!
Stacking almost always results in waiting. The above methods will reduce stacking. Are there more ideas like this? (Summoning @NS-Soldier @SantaClaws @d0ped0g and as scripters @GhoulofGSG9 @Mendasp )
There are plenty of veterans that know stacked games aren't fun and volunteer to balance teams because they have the skill to make a difference. Currently however it is difficult to determine which team needs help the most. (dem badges..)
The suggestive way (non-restrictive) is how you keep the nicest players around (which is one thing in the NS2 community we all are happy about). There's even proof that most grumpy players/trolls can be effectively turned into people that enjoy the game by the above methods.
Thanks for helping
Comments
One possible solution to reduce stacking:
We all know why stacking occurs. People don't like to lose, and both rookies and pros will join a team they see has the better chance. However, it's enabled by the fact you can see who is on the team before a game starts. So what if you can't see who is on a team before the game starts? A change to RR behaviour:
- While in RR you are prompted 'Aliens or Marines?' and you choose. Entering the Alien or Marine points, or joining team 1/2 allocates you accordingly as well as pressing F1/F2 for aliens/marines. But you do not leave RR once you have chosen.
- Once, say, there are six players allocated for both teams, a countdown starts in RR.
- When this completes, people are moved to the teams they chose. At this time, the team balance algorithm can kick in to re-allocate players if it's enabled (server var).
- Now teams choose comms as per normal. People cannot leave these teams until the round starts (or sometime thereafter, server var).
This way you don't see who is on a team until the 'game' starts. The 'round' starts as per usual once both teams have a comm. It won't be perfect, people can still quit the server and rejoin, but they risk losing their spot on a full server, and this is no different than people quitting and rejoining now when Force Even Teams or Shine's Shuffle passes.At least, however, you don't know the composition of each team until both teams are allocated. You can no longer see which team has the most experienced players before you start.
If people are playing with friends, they'll be in communication over mumble/ventrillo/steam anyway and agree to join the same side (or even just voice in-game), so this won't affect joining the same team as your friends.
Restrictions nurture toxicity, not to mention stackers become very creative when their actions are restricted.
That is why I have asked specifically for ideas that use suggestive methods.