Hi, The last server update email, by Jason Ruymen, has answers to your questions :)
> -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:hlds- > [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Blood Letter > Sent: 07 November 2008 18:46 > To: hlds@list.valvesoftware.com > Subject: [hlds] Answers > > > The main thing hurting this demo right now is the lack of stable > dedicated servers. > > I'm sure everyone at Valve is extremely busy right now, but if they > want to make a good impression when the demo goes public (Gamestop > accepting blank submissions aside...), they need to communicate with > server operators. > > The lobby system is great for finding people to play with. > I wish the friends list showed them grouped together when they were in > the same lobby. > We need to see pings! A ping chart (4x4, or 8x8 for versus) would be > nice as well (when in a lobby). > These are minor details that can be addressed later > > The lobby system is horrible for finding a server to play on. > If you know of a dedicated server that is stable, or have one that you > run, you should be able, as the lobby leader, to join your group to it, > add your group to a queue for that server, or give it and other servers > you like favorable treatment in the random selection process. > We also need to be able to confirm we want to join the selected server. > No joining a random server only to be killed by a password prompt. No > scraping the bottom of the ping barrel because it was the only server > avilable. No joining a random server that has friendly fire modded out > (it's only a matter of time) or other things modified without you > knowing it. > > This all needs to be in the standard UI with the standard server > configs, not hidden in a console command and requiring server variables > to be modified (from default). As it is, people are blindly struggling > with server variables and command lines. Is this variable behaving > properly? Is it a bug? Is it a demo restriction? Is it the intended > behavior of the lobby/matchmaking system? > > For the purposes of the demo, I'd like to see: > An official comment on how to manually join a server (either as an > individual, or once you're in a lobby). > An official comment on how to set your server up to allow or disallow > (allow should be default) manual joining and auto joining. > An official comment on how to password your server and prevent it from > showing up in the list or being randomly selected. > > Each of the above has been figured out by people on this list, and I'll > be wading through tons of emails this weekend when I set up my server, > I'm sure. But this is what needs to be addressed officially now. > Stable dedicated servers aren't exactly easy to come by. It really > hurts the demo, and it hurts people's perception of the game (as server > operators and as players). > > On a side note - has any tried throwing party mode at this yet? > > _________________________________________________________________ > Stay up to date on your PC, the Web, and your mobile phone with Windows > Live > http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/119462413/direct/01/ > _______________________________________________ > To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, > please visit: > http://list.valvesoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/hlds _______________________________________________ To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, please visit: http://list.valvesoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/hlds