It's currently at 417 servers. Every mod experiences peaks around new releases, so it's quite natural that we've got a little less players than during November right now.
I play several mods and you should be happy there are so much servers. Compared to GW (Global Warfare) FLF (Front Line Force), BG (The Battle grounds) (to name a few) these are huge numbers. Not saying that these mods are bad or anything.
Yes, I usually filter out empty/non-dedicated servers when I use the Half-Life launcher (as opposed ASE or HLSW) and last night I only came up with about 140. I would say that the game is shrinking, apart from the fact that it's <b>friggin 'uge</b> when compared to other mods. Particularly surprising is how big it's gotten when compared with older mods like Vampire Slayer.
In Finland where I live ther are about 18 ns servers and they are almost always full, at the beginning of ns (well 1.02) there would be actually room to play. I'm hopeing for Finlands majour server operators to switch servers to ns, at the current capacity even player hosten non-dedicated servers are full =/ ...
I think this is indicative of both cyclic fluctuations due to supply-and-demand--also the let-down from a whole bunch of servers that popped up "just to try it out".
I know CoFR's server is <i>always</i> full. One thing about NS players is that there are a lot of really rabid fans of the game, so I think its going to be around a long while yet (as long as they don't screw it up like CS did ...).
The problem is the Linux issues, and since those are being fixed in 1.04 we are gonna see a lot of new servers showing up, maybe even a 32 player NS server that I might have a little involvement with <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
KungFuSquirrelBasher of MuttonsJoin Date: 2002-01-26Member: 103Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
edited January 2003
Everyone who has actually played the 1.6 beta of CS (that I've seen, at least) is raving that it's absolutely phenomenal. Some of these people I've seen ripping CS apart in the past.
For first-release numbers, NS is still going VERY strong. Another few client releases will do nothing but boost the player totals. A lot of people are probably still waiting for another client release or two so that we can iron out the gameplay issues before they have to play it. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> I was like that with DoD beta 1 - played a lot right away, then very sparsely the next couple updates, but when the full 2.0 came out I re-installed it and was blown away. I think NS will get a very similar boost after 1.1 and in the next client updates beyond that.
well i cant believe its shrinking.. seems like the only people i ever see these days are newbies. At least most of them listen to people that know what their doing.
I also saw my first speed hack for ns this morning <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo-->
i wouldn't say it's shrinking, or being ruined (excluding my opinions on certian balance issues changed in 1.04).... the community is growing, i mean, there are new clans every day, just for NS, people dropping CS for NS every moment, and the ratio of n00b to "experianced" is getting worse by the hour, so what do we do now to keep the n00bs comming?
-keep the D/L low (like it is, serverside updates) -keep the updates comming (let us know that the creators are dedicated) -keep making mods for your client, then polish them up, and publish them up for the rest of us to look at.
so far, all of that is happening, so the end result of the idealistic demographic transition, is: Ns wont die, don't even think for a minute that it will.
1.03 is long overdue for upgrade. 1.04 should be out any day now, and improves the game in many, many ways.
Besides, as Nemesis Zero said, peaks tend to occur during releases.
I still find Natural Selection the most compelling mod out there. I haven't tried the new Counterstrike, but I'm not thinking there's any chance it'll drag me away from natural selection.
<!--QuoteBegin--Mastodon+Jan 21 2003, 12:02 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Mastodon @ Jan 21 2003, 12:02 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Yes, I usually filter out empty/non-dedicated servers when I use the Half-Life launcher (as opposed ASE or HLSW) and last night I only came up with about 140. I would say that the game is shrinking, apart from the fact that it's <b>friggin 'uge</b> when compared to other mods. Particularly surprising is how big it's gotten when compared with older mods like Vampire Slayer.
So I'd say NS is in great shape.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> I do the same thing (although with ASE) and I have been since NS came out. I just want to note that the number of servers <i>with players on</i> has been growing. In december there was only about 100 servers with players on. I also want to note that compared to CS, NS's growth has been phenominal. CS never had this many players till probably beta 5 or later. Although we can probably attributed part of NS's growth to the fact that every $#!%ing body plays CS now. <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
one thing that contributes to NS's awsome growth is an "in focus" link (with somewhat crappy picture of a skul) on the valve-erc.com webpage...the webpage that is linked in the woldcraft/hammer help menu, so you get all the mappers asking "what is that ugly little thing" and checking out NS
I havent played for a month or 2, now that I have taken up drinking again I am back, sorry in advance for spamming. hehe. Ok all little neophites beer is yummy drink lotz of it.
What stuns me is that the gamespy of best mod of the year is not won by NS out of hand.
I am an old hand at most of the mods in the poll, and there is just no freaking way that anything else comes even close to deserving tha accolade when you compare the ambition and success of what NS is.
AH It's ok, numbers are down on everything. It's a whole heap of people making the New Years resolution "I am going to get off my lazy **** and do something other than playing games". The good thing is 99.9% of em will be back on their lazy **** within a month.
KungFu... What did these people say? I used to be a gigantic CS fan in the beta 4-6 days, are any of these people from then? I am looking forward to 1.6 and CZ with moderate interest, but I hav ethe feeling I'll just be disappointed.
NS has started coming back after the 1.04 patch but it has still not reached the peak it had before. i'd say the changes in 1.04 were a step in the right direction but things could still be improved. don't be afraid to change things now that so many people said 1.04 is the best version so far.
unfortunately my favourite server seems to have gone. there was only one server i was able to play on because it was the only one to give me pings less than 300 and now it is gone. i'm pretty mad. this mod should be more popular than it is so there would be more servers so i could play again.
i think perhaps the issue of being blinded while shooting is the main contributer to the lack of popularity of this game. it has to do with the muzzle flash probably combined with the darkness of the levels and the stupidity of the flashlight effect in the half-life engine. i still think that NS is a better tester of aim than CS though, however TFC i still think is the best place for showing off your aim to impress the chicks.
Comments
Every mod experiences peaks around new releases, so it's quite natural that we've got a little less players than during November right now.
NS has a pretty active community as well.
So I'd say NS is in great shape.
For first-release numbers, NS is still going VERY strong. Another few client releases will do nothing but boost the player totals. A lot of people are probably still waiting for another client release or two so that we can iron out the gameplay issues before they have to play it. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> I was like that with DoD beta 1 - played a lot right away, then very sparsely the next couple updates, but when the full 2.0 came out I re-installed it and was blown away. I think NS will get a very similar boost after 1.1 and in the next client updates beyond that.
I also saw my first speed hack for ns this morning <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='sad.gif'><!--endemo-->
-keep the D/L low (like it is, serverside updates)
-keep the updates comming (let us know that the creators are dedicated)
-keep making mods for your client, then polish them up, and publish them up for the rest of us to look at.
so far, all of that is happening, so the end result of the idealistic demographic transition, is: Ns wont die, don't even think for a minute that it will.
Besides, as Nemesis Zero said, peaks tend to occur during releases.
I still find Natural Selection the most compelling mod out there. I haven't tried the new Counterstrike, but I'm not thinking there's any chance it'll drag me away from natural selection.
<a href='http://www.vu.union.edu/~torresj/images/dod=pwned2.jpg' target='_blank'>linkeh</a>
So I'd say NS is in great shape.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I do the same thing (although with ASE) and I have been since NS came out. I just want to note that the number of servers <i>with players on</i> has been growing. In december there was only about 100 servers with players on. I also want to note that compared to CS, NS's growth has been phenominal. CS never had this many players till probably beta 5 or later. Although we can probably attributed part of NS's growth to the fact that every $#!%ing body plays CS now. <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
I am an old hand at most of the mods in the poll, and there is just no freaking way that anything else comes even close to deserving tha accolade when you compare the ambition and success of what NS is.
unfortunately my favourite server seems to have gone. there was only one server i was able to play on because it was the only one to give me pings less than 300 and now it is gone. i'm pretty mad. this mod should be more popular than it is so there would be more servers so i could play again.
i think perhaps the issue of being blinded while shooting is the main contributer to the lack of popularity of this game. it has to do with the muzzle flash probably combined with the darkness of the levels and the stupidity of the flashlight effect in the half-life engine. i still think that NS is a better tester of aim than CS though, however TFC i still think is the best place for showing off your aim to impress the chicks.