Server Browser Feedback, Plus An Idea
msleeper
Join Date: 2009-10-13 Member: 69034Members
Join Date: 2009-10-13 Member: 69034Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Also, NS2 Lobby?</div>I'm sure it's been said several times already so I'll keep this part short. Several features need to be added to the Server Browser, such as a "Filter" for different game options (passworded, empty, full, etc.), as well as being able to view max players and having a more informative "Ping" listing. This is ignoring the listenserver problem / going on the assumption that they will be gone from the server listing as of the next patch.
Moving on though, I think the server browser should ideally be re-examined at a very basic level. Right now it seems like a facelift directly from the HL1 era game - a nameless faceless, completely unhelpful and unintuitive list of servers. There are a lot of ways that NS2 could build a server browser to be oriented towards the user experience instead of just making a simple listing of all servers, period. Here are a few ideas, in no particular order:
<ul><li>Let servers be grouped by region / country / some other geographical means. I live on the East Coast, and just because a West Coast server has low ping does not necessarily mean I will have a good latency to it if I join. Being able to see where a server is located would help decide where I might like to play.
</li><li>Continuing with that idea, adding some sort of "Best Fit" option to the listing would be helpful, to have a server be rated to the client based on the server's ping as well as the distance from the client to the server based on GeoIP or some other similar method. Just because an East Coast server has low ping doesn't mean it's nearby either and I might still get high latencies.
</li><li>Getting away from ping/location... It would be really awesome if there was some sort of way to see which servers people on our Steam Friends list are playing on. Most gamers I know tend to find a couple of servers they like and stick with them, either because the server is well run or because of the other people that may frequent it. Of any major addition, I think this would be the best one and it benefits everyone. Players get to play with their friends more often, and server admins get to build regulars and build communities.
</li><li>On a separate and somewhat controversial subject among gamers, I think that NS2 could greatly benefit from having some sort of lobby system added at some point down the line. We all know how boring that 2v2 games can be and waiting for more people to join really sucks, so being able to join a lobby that needs players L4D / L4D2 style and then jumping into a server as a large, ready to play group, would again I think benefit the player experience as a whole.</li></ul>
That's all I have for the moment. I think that ultimately the server browsing experience needs to be redesigned with end user experience and benefit in mind, and not just simply giving a list of "okay here are the servers, good luck finding something you like" like we currently have - and like so many current generation games have.
Moving on though, I think the server browser should ideally be re-examined at a very basic level. Right now it seems like a facelift directly from the HL1 era game - a nameless faceless, completely unhelpful and unintuitive list of servers. There are a lot of ways that NS2 could build a server browser to be oriented towards the user experience instead of just making a simple listing of all servers, period. Here are a few ideas, in no particular order:
<ul><li>Let servers be grouped by region / country / some other geographical means. I live on the East Coast, and just because a West Coast server has low ping does not necessarily mean I will have a good latency to it if I join. Being able to see where a server is located would help decide where I might like to play.
</li><li>Continuing with that idea, adding some sort of "Best Fit" option to the listing would be helpful, to have a server be rated to the client based on the server's ping as well as the distance from the client to the server based on GeoIP or some other similar method. Just because an East Coast server has low ping doesn't mean it's nearby either and I might still get high latencies.
</li><li>Getting away from ping/location... It would be really awesome if there was some sort of way to see which servers people on our Steam Friends list are playing on. Most gamers I know tend to find a couple of servers they like and stick with them, either because the server is well run or because of the other people that may frequent it. Of any major addition, I think this would be the best one and it benefits everyone. Players get to play with their friends more often, and server admins get to build regulars and build communities.
</li><li>On a separate and somewhat controversial subject among gamers, I think that NS2 could greatly benefit from having some sort of lobby system added at some point down the line. We all know how boring that 2v2 games can be and waiting for more people to join really sucks, so being able to join a lobby that needs players L4D / L4D2 style and then jumping into a server as a large, ready to play group, would again I think benefit the player experience as a whole.</li></ul>
That's all I have for the moment. I think that ultimately the server browsing experience needs to be redesigned with end user experience and benefit in mind, and not just simply giving a list of "okay here are the servers, good luck finding something you like" like we currently have - and like so many current generation games have.
Comments
Definately hope you submitted this to the feedback channel. :)
<a href="http://getsatisfaction.com/unknownworlds/topics/server_browser_suggestions_and_ideas" target="_blank">http://getsatisfaction.com/unknownworlds/t...tions_and_ideas</a>
I really would love to see a game involve the Steam Friends more integrally into the server searching experience. I can't imagine how many people are turned off to a game when they want to play for the first time, and they are given a completely unhelpful blob listing of servers. This isn't 1999, server browsing should be doing more for us than any game out there is doing now.
They release the bare core and then based on how the alpha is playing out make adjustments.
Its suggestions like your first post that help get them there :)
The reason i love this game in its current form is that in a years time when we are all just taking it for granted that NS2 is awesome, im going to come back here and grin at the fact that i was part of the creative process that took it from how it is now to what it will be like then.
Trust me, we're on the same page.
I'm not sure if I read that anywhere, but if it's true I hope they are willing to consider alternatives.
<!--quoteo(post=1786925:date=Jul 27 2010, 06:42 PM:name=Mr. Epic)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Mr. Epic @ Jul 27 2010, 06:42 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1786925"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->lobby system would be a near total waste of time. When are you going to have 7-15 other friends ready in your group and you expect to be able to join 8-16 other players in some ns2 match making service? It just doesn't make sense in this case. I understand it more if have 2-3 friends and are looking for a lopsided server, but even still it would likely be temporary on a busy server and getting a queuing system in place where you could have the match making system reserve it would be a nightmare. In NS you join servers with other people, and if you can't all end up on one team then you play anyway and wait for the game to end to try again.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I think lobbies would benefit single players who want to start a game from the beginning, not necessarily the group 7-15 friends online. Let's say I want to play a game and I don't really want to join one in progress that may be over 30 seconds after I join. I could join a lobby with 7-15 other people who also want to play, and in a matter of minutes we would have a full game and be off on our way. I think you are misidentifying the purpose of what lobbies are for, which is to bring players wanting to play together and not just benefit big groups of friends.
But like I said, I know that lobbies are pretty controversial for PC gamers since so many people think they are "the devil".
We should just use match-making! LOLZ JOKE JKJKJKJK.
We should just use match-making! LOLZ JOKE JKJKJKJK.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Awesome, glad to hear that! I really hope you take ideas like Steam Friends integration into consideration. Like I said, I can see something like that only benefiting everyone.
I is go to kill you now!!
~Context, it matters.