We need your help
Firewater
Balance Expert Join Date: 2002-12-12 Member: 10690Members, Constellation
Balance Expert Join Date: 2002-12-12 Member: 10690Members, Constellation
<div class="IPBDescription">NSArmslab is in trouble.</div>Hey NS community,
NSarmslab is in trouble. One used to be arguably the most popular group of NS server has turned into an empty one.
NSAgames may have to take down the NSarmslab server when we transfer to a new box within the coming weeks. As much as I disagree with a lot of the things the NS dev team does, I still feel that it is one of the better made mods out there.
I do personally do not want to see the armslab server go, but if nobody is going to play on it than we can put the server resources to better use.
My question is to the community is:
What can we offer you guys to get you to come back to the server? I see other server communities thriving, but a lot of them are dying, so what can we do to not share a similar fate?
How can we restore most of, or all of NSarmslab.com's former glory?
Suggestions would be nice, but ultimately we need to offer something to the community that the other servers currently do not. What would you like to see?
NSarmslab is in trouble. One used to be arguably the most popular group of NS server has turned into an empty one.
NSAgames may have to take down the NSarmslab server when we transfer to a new box within the coming weeks. As much as I disagree with a lot of the things the NS dev team does, I still feel that it is one of the better made mods out there.
I do personally do not want to see the armslab server go, but if nobody is going to play on it than we can put the server resources to better use.
My question is to the community is:
What can we offer you guys to get you to come back to the server? I see other server communities thriving, but a lot of them are dying, so what can we do to not share a similar fate?
How can we restore most of, or all of NSarmslab.com's former glory?
Suggestions would be nice, but ultimately we need to offer something to the community that the other servers currently do not. What would you like to see?
Comments
Remove the CO maps
Partner with G4B2S.com
When G4B2S is full,
make it so that rather than kicking, players get redirected to NSA
with regards to partnering up with G4b2s, that I don't know.
We need to have our own playerbase, not take people who want to play on that server, but are forced to play on ours.
Just stopped by your server, it's looking great. Nice comming by the way Fire! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I wish I recorded a demo, both teams played extremely well. I thought the aliens had us.
Not bad for the first classic game back on armslab eh?
I don't know what "vanilla server" means ....
15-16 player would be nice. A good map cycle is always a nice thing.
K.I.S.S (Keep it simple stupid)
Fall
2. Get a tourney going when you have the box sorted.
3. Test different gameplay aspects i.e. Vanila _ns, siege, mods. Vanila appears to be what is needed in the community at the moment.
//Edit
4. Following Gumhat's lead, change the ethos to a more open and friendly atmosphere. I.e newbies welcome, there is a continual influx of new players who get the cold shoulder.
you log 4 people on every night or dif skill range, even soem time elite should play dumb just have fun enjoy your self, you do it every night exsackt same time use diff names on map rotations, logs i can tell you reguardless of mods server type rotation you will build a community big enough to reserrect your server...how ever yes obiously mods rotation and ops will play SOME part in peoples desision
now please deposit one soul in the coin slot in payment for my time and wisdom.
<a href="http://www.greyfalcon.net/nsa" target="_blank">NSArmslab.com Classic NS v3.1.3</a>
Gear up a Vanilla server
Remove the CO maps
Partner with G4B2S.com
When G4B2S is full,
make it so that rather than kicking, players get redirected to NSA
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I connected right now and it's playing a siege map. There's your first problem.
Make it vanilla with the exception of essential plugins, like /stuck, perhaps mapvote, /showres, and that.
What really sealed NSA's fate was when you changed it to CO with xmenu and NS with sieges, 32 slots, with giveres, and all that other nonsense.
Take a look at how full G4B2S is on a constant basis. It says there are still players willing, but there just aren't enough decent servers available. I think NSA is poised to give service to this demand, if only it does it right this time, and sticks with pure, vanilla NS only.
play nothing but classic NS on it, no CO
offer stuff others servers don't have like say giving reserve slots to the top rated players
once you get a steady flow of players again, don't make it seem like the server is for serious ns players and everyone else are noobs cause it'll make you seem elitist. That's the problem I thought with the old server, I thought nsarms lab people thought of themselves as kind of elitist compared to others.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The problem with removing combat from the server is that combat is our server "starter". While I agree its a lower form of gameplay than classic, we just use combat to bring people in so we can play classic. Rounds are set to 18 minutes to allow plenty of people to join, and then assuming there are enough, we switch to classic.
Well in defense on the old philosophy, veterans went to NSarmslab because they knew for the most part their talent would be rewarded, not banned. Armslab itsself was not "anti-newb" but they were competitive player friendly. There are plenty of servers that can satisfy a newbies needs, our server may or may not be one of those servers depending on the attitude of the new player (if any still exist).
Also, we want to offer the best possible gameplay experience, meaning we want to have lots of skilled players, but at the same time we want to kind of balance out the teams (not just numberwise), we want to keep the games competitive in a sense that boths teams are attacking each other (our first real game did just that, but I did NOT record it <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad-fix.gif" /> ). We want to offer the highest level possible, because that is what is going to draw people back, not catering to a population that pretty much does not exist. If people want to think thats elitist, then there is nothing to stop them. However, we are not going to compromise our values because a few random non-regulars have an unfavorable opinion about the server. Our skin is a little thicker than that.
On that note,
We're going to try to fill the server again by using the combat/classic method again. We want everyone to know that combat is just a server-filler, and the real reason to play is because we are trying to get enough people for a good classic game.
<a href="http://lkuindustries.com/images/free_candy_van.jpg" target="_blank">Free Candy(Innapropriate Language)</a>
* make sure we got viable ping. (depends on loction but still)
* few to no combat (co) maps at all
* classic maps, but perhaps also nice good custom ones?
* tournaments might be liked by some players.
* can't remember admins, so no comment.
* no lame plugins to alter anything ingame. amxx is fine, or admin plugins. But no lerklift this, extralvl that or w/e. NS itself should be clean. I come to play NS, not plugin_trash.
I am very prepared to play on armslab aslong as others are there, ping is good, and I don't get lamed by plugins.
Offer free res slots for 6 months to those who show dedication to your server.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Sorry puzl, but I have to disagree. Nothing erks me more then getting kicked halfway thru a game buy a reserved slot holder after I have been playing on it for 30+ minutes or more. ( the Tactical server for instance)
When that happens I just turn steam off and leave the computer. I have been playing this game for many years now and consider myself a very dedicated, loyal, and donating member of this game. I do not feel I deserve that.
If your server is full then it is full ...don't just BOOT people for a reserved slot please.
maybe some anger management classes are in order
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Dunno, seems like he does just fine. Throwing a fit at the computer would not do much good.
I always kinda wondered why there wasn't a server option to offer free Reserved spots to constellation members <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Because there's so many Constellation members?!?
another thing that helped to keep the vets around was reserved slots to top clan players. kept the talent in the server and allowd them to play whenever they wanted.
-Allow scripts.
-No game altering mods.
-Good map cycle (or votemap system so players get what they want)
-No custom maps.
-No downloads when I connect to the server.
-12-18 player max servers with active regs
Other then that its just a matter of getting the server to fill up on a regular basis which means you need a dedicated core of people willing to bunny hop around the maps waiting for people to come, which you will need before you attract people from these boards.
Personally I'm a fan of reserve slot systems. I used to get kicked constantly when FR31ns was at its prime, but I eventually got a reserve slot and that kept me coming back. TA has a system when if you register on their website it makes it less likely you will get kicked and I like the sounds of that. You could go so far as to make it so all you need to do is register and be immune to kicks from reserve slots. (meaning anyone who wants to be a part of the community doesn't get fustrated on your server, and only those who wont visit forums ect get kicked)
I used to love NSarmslab because it was bs_0. To tell the truth, I'd be back at NSA in a heartbeat if there were others playing there!
Now, I'd want Classic to be plug-in free (except maybe Awards plugin) but I actually think vailla combat is grossly imbalanced, and would like some plugins that activate only for Combat map.