What's The Best Way To Introduce Ns To 32+ People?
Marik_Steele
To rule in hell... Join Date: 2002-11-20 Member: 9466Members
To rule in hell... Join Date: 2002-11-20 Member: 9466Members
<div class="IPBDescription">describe how to make NS *the* LAN game</div> Good evening, ladies and gents. I just got back from my first medium-to-large scale (75+ people) LAN party, where the one and only game installed on the machines was UT2004. The provided computers and network were set up fine, the place was well packed with people, the music and free food was good, and the tournament/scoring was well-run. But I found one thing severely lacking:
It wasn't NS. Even worse, it was deathmatch only <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
I left early (it'll keep going for several more hours) but before walking out the door I made it a point to talk with the people organizing the whole thing. When I said it wasn't my favorite game, their answer surprised me. UT2004 had been given to them for free by Epic -- and the same goes for Valve giving them Half-Life! The next time they set up such an event they may choose HL for its HLTV stuff, and they want a team-based game so they can ignore scoring/prizes and just let people have fun.
We all know what this means. If you guys don't help me help <i>them</i>, they're just going to put on one of those *other* team-based HL mods.
So I'm asking all of you: how does one introduce Natural-Selection (CO or classic mode) to a room of about 75 people who are well-accustomed to FPS and RTS, but not both?<ul><li>What should go on quick-start handouts distributed at the door?</li><li>What gameplay/settings/map(s) should be chosen?</li><li>What PowerPoint slideshow, animated graphic, or similar self-teach-by-reading thing can be shown on the 30ftx30ft projector screen visible from all over the room?</li><li>What list of instructions should I give for them to quickly set up HLTV or spectator mode on the *other* such projector screen?</li></ul>Overall, what can I give the organizers of this thing to make their job easier so that they are confident people will be able to walk in and have fun?
It wasn't NS. Even worse, it was deathmatch only <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
I left early (it'll keep going for several more hours) but before walking out the door I made it a point to talk with the people organizing the whole thing. When I said it wasn't my favorite game, their answer surprised me. UT2004 had been given to them for free by Epic -- and the same goes for Valve giving them Half-Life! The next time they set up such an event they may choose HL for its HLTV stuff, and they want a team-based game so they can ignore scoring/prizes and just let people have fun.
We all know what this means. If you guys don't help me help <i>them</i>, they're just going to put on one of those *other* team-based HL mods.
So I'm asking all of you: how does one introduce Natural-Selection (CO or classic mode) to a room of about 75 people who are well-accustomed to FPS and RTS, but not both?<ul><li>What should go on quick-start handouts distributed at the door?</li><li>What gameplay/settings/map(s) should be chosen?</li><li>What PowerPoint slideshow, animated graphic, or similar self-teach-by-reading thing can be shown on the 30ftx30ft projector screen visible from all over the room?</li><li>What list of instructions should I give for them to quickly set up HLTV or spectator mode on the *other* such projector screen?</li></ul>Overall, what can I give the organizers of this thing to make their job easier so that they are confident people will be able to walk in and have fun?
Comments
thinks....
1) Start with a good description of what NS REALY is (each element, what is in there, what is not etc)
2) Run down on basic game play (win conditions, roles of players, how evolving works, etc. No bias, just facts)
3) Cheet Sheet containing:
A) General Descriptions of weapons, attacks, evoloutions, upgrades, buildings etc
B) #s for each of these
C) Some various ideas of different people on each thing (explain pros and cons of chambers, leap bite, blink swipe, regen vs cara for fade etc)
4) Map overviews for the projectors (you want the ones that are blueprint like, with everything marked)
And I say set up both NS and CO servers, cuss you know what? CO is good for learning the basics.
You also face this big problem:
No Commanders.
If no one realy knows wth is going on, then no one can realy comm that well, it will be a definate problem.
Oh, and give us the info for this thing before it happens <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
remember, it is a Metric Arse Load Of Nubs.
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->What gameplay/settings/map(s) should be chosen?<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Maps, start with CO for sure, and start on pulse and just cycle through the maps. I suggest one hour of CO mimum so people know how to fight.
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->What PowerPoint slideshow, animated graphic, or similar self-teach-by-reading thing can be shown on the 30ftx30ft projector screen visible<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Doesn't NS come with a slide show? Just steal that, edit it and update it!
<span style='font-size:21pt;line-height:100%'>BE SURE TO TELL THEM YOU CAN BHOP AS ALIENS, AND TO HOLD DOWN DUCK AS A SKULK TO DO IT!!!</span>
If these guys are hardcore UT players, then some of them will know how to bhop. I remember at the CPL the TFC dudes knew how to bhop as a skulk in a second.
Great idea, 'inviting' NS veterans to play in a team with the newer players (one experienced player per team, just to tell people what to do, NOT own them all up as fade or whatever).
And the experienced players should only be comms or perma gorge for the first few games.
Just be sure an experienced NSPlayer is the Comm and the gorge (gorges?)
How big is this event? If there is going to be 75+ players you obviously will need multiple servars running.
Uhhhhhh.... be sure to tell them about the BACON and tell them to be good marines and not whine for the awp <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/wink-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
gah with the current res system the aliens would need all the res nodes on the map to even get all of them to lerk, much less onos, and thatll take awhile
...
unless they made one very massive, super special map for this, now that would be sweet <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Well, Thansal covered everything pretty well. Only problem is comms.
If you can get them to hook the games up to the intraweb and just PW them, I'd be happy to command for you, and help teach, even if I can't be in the room that night(where is it, btw?).
As for the concepts of gameplay - a lan is an organized event. Tell people weeks in advance that NS will be played there, links to resources on how to play, etc. Other than that, uh. Videogame players play videogames, answer questions as people ask 'em and they'll figure it out.
the gorge!
Honestly, combat is easy to pick up and go, and I think it would be easy for everyone to play it. All you need to do is tell them how to get upgrades, and what each of them do. Theyll learn the rest as they go along pretty quickly.
And I agree - simply show them <!--emo&::gorge::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/pudgy.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='pudgy.gif' /><!--endemo--> , and they will be overcome by its cuteness they wont be able to stop themselves from playing.
I've attempted on several occations to introduce NS to the club. On two seperate occations I organize a small 16 player Learn-As-You-Play-Session at our bigger LANfest that wasn't a Tourney.
Right off the bat I learned a few things...
The group tutorial method at a LANfest is a no-go. Even putting things as simple as possible and using a projector (we made screenshots of all the different units and buildings) it still took some time to go through both sides. What we discovered was when you are at a LANfest (distraction galore!) it's kinda hard to teach people something even if it is game-related. If it took 5-10 minutes to explain then yeah, I think it would be possible but for NS it takes at least 10 minutes to explain each side and the Aliens usually take longer to explain.
The "group tutorial" only worked for those really interested in learning NS and most of the "I'll Check It Out" People just sat down and tried to learn it by playing it.
So what transpired was a bunch of people who knew the basics about the game playing with a bunch of people trying to learn it while they were playing. Even among people who knew each other, played often together, and are willing to help each other out, it was still a bit tough . We had about 5-6 people who played the game frequently help out as Tutors on-and-off through the night.
The marine team was usually okay (someone experienced always COMMed and they didn't "COMM-to-Win' so much, they tried to "COMMing-to-Teach-and-have-Fun") but the alien team would often lose without a few experienced teammates or tutors.
It became hard to organize a real game because some were still learning so they started a server on their own for that, and the people who wanted a real game started a server of their own. But we couldn't really fill enough of the actual game server with players so they ended up playing with really small teams. When we did have enough people on the game server it would either end really quick, or the end game would drag on forever, there were hardly any "quality" games. The conclusion seem to be people would say "NS is pretty fun" but not enthusastic enough of a responce to keep 16 computers on NS all night.
This was in an atmosphere of mutual respect too, not a bunch of strangers on a server just beating around.
I hosted a few small 20 Player NSfest to try to get more people in the club hooked. That worked far better. The noise-level wasn't as high, there wasn't as many people around, less distraction in general and tutors can help on more then just basic stuff, they could talk to all 6-8 players on one side and give examples of tactics and strategies. People who stopped by or were standing around weren't distracted by other games so they got to see some of the cooler moments in a NS match.
We got far better quality games and cultivated a much deeper appreciation for NS at the smaller NSfest then trying to get people interested at the bigger LANfests. However even with my push for NS to be played more it was only semi-successful at best. I got a few more people hooked on NS but it wasn't enough to have another 16 computer permanently on NS at bigger LANfests. I haven't been pushing NS lately but occationally I'll see small 4vs4 or 5vs5 CO games being set up but really only as sort of a side game. NS is hardly played at all.
That's my $0.02.
Good luck.
It went... meh.
We had no good coms (as I suck at com).
I was the only person who had ever played the game.
We managed to play like 3 games, and some fun was had. but it promptly switched back to UT, Q3, and BF1942.
thus why the pamphlet thing would be cool, and definatly starting off on CO.
u have small videos (demos) about each categore (skulks,upgrade,commanders...) and u are there with a laser poiting out stuff and explaining what's this and what's that and why this and why that.... then invite them to play co maps for couple of minutes... they'll learn the upgrades and their effects & about diff species... supposing they know how to fight in a FPS game...
where's this LAN by the way? is it in u.s. or canada or where...
After that, tell them tips (like what umbra actually does, and the power of welding) after they have enough experiance to understand it, hold a session on commanding for the interested, and just let them at it.
Too much information is just as bad as too little. I doubt these guys will be long on attention span at a party.
gah with the current res system the aliens would need all the res nodes on the map to even get all of them to lerk, much less onos, and thatll take awhile
...
unless they made one very massive, super special map for this, now that would be sweet <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
HL has a maximum of 32 players on any server. Period.
Gabe Newell is a very... large man.