I'd just like to say that nothing was ever wrong with the custom tab. The issue was server admins and plugin writers actively working to break the tagging system, to avoid going to the custom tab and to keep populations up, even if it's people joining and leaving quickly.
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To: hlds@list.valvesoftware.com > Date: Wed, 12 Nov 2008 12:51:16 +0000 > Subject: Re: [hlds] Status > > You have to realise that Valve are forever treading a fine line > between the players and the server admins. > > If you look at some of the mods being run out there, some of them are > actively player-hostile, especially to new players, as the game > experience changes semi-randomly. Instant respawn in particular turns > many maps into unwinnable meat-grinders. > > The custom tab was a laudable effort to help new players get > acquainted with the vanilla game before they get assaulted by the > variations - but when it proved to be imperfect, they listened and > changed. > > The fact that they're engaging in a dialogue to try and reach a > compromise that suits everyone is what you should be paying attention > to, rather than making knee-jerk reactions. > > Sent from my iPhone > > On 12 Nov 2008, at 08:25, Timothy L Havener <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > wrote: > > > I had that hope after the custom tab debacle. I now no longer hold > > onto > > it. I give up on Valve. > > > > [ЯтR] The-/<iller wrote: > >> Hopefully its only nibbling in ignorance, as we are they're bread and > >> butter, and hopefully it will be balanced in the end, keep console as > >> console and PC above it all. > >> > >> Timothy L Havener wrote: > >> > >>> Where once Valve was an innovator in the way we play online games > >>> they > >>> have no become a force of complete destruction to the way we play PC > >>> games. By reverting to a console style server browser they have > >>> devolved their game into an Idoit's Guide to Online Gaming. This is > >>> just another move on the chess board to marginalize server admins > >>> and > >>> take complete control of the gaming experience. Anyone who > >>> doesn't see > >>> that is blind. I had a little respect for them left after TF2 and > >>> it is > >>> now gone. Keep pissing off admins, Valve, its always good to bite > >>> the > >>> hand that feeds you. I'm sure those uneducated gamers out there > >>> that > >>> you are catering to will step up to the plate when all of us are > >>> gone. > >>> Good luck with that. > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> Dj Satane wrote: > >>> > >>> > >>>> Let me get something straight, Erik wrote: " When a player or two > >>>> leaves > >>>> Left 4 Dead the game suffers quite a bit, and we were worried > >>>> that the > >>>> server browser model wasn't the right one for this game." > >>>> > >>>> Erik, you don't explain the matchmaking how it solves the problem > >>>> you > >>>> are talking about. How does "console style" matchmaking solves > >>>> the problem > >>>> of people leaving a left 4 dead game? How does server browser > >>>> supposedly > >>>> does not solve this problem? > >>>> > >>>> On Mon, Nov 10, 2008 at 2:08 PM, Erik Johnson <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>>> >wrote: > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>>> First off, thanks to everyone for running servers for the demo. > >>>>> We knew > >>>>> going into the release that we were going to need to figure out > >>>>> some ways to > >>>>> make it worth it for server administrators, and now we have a > >>>>> ton of > >>>>> feedback to work with. > >>>>> > >>>>> Right now we're looking at ways that server administrators can > >>>>> both build a > >>>>> community around their game server (by subscribing to > >>>>> matchmaking) as well > >>>>> as service their group of "regulars" that play on their server. > >>>>> Hooking game > >>>>> servers into Steam Community is going to be our first step, and > >>>>> we're > >>>>> working on that now. > >>>>> > >>>>> There is a key difference between Left 4 Dead and games like > >>>>> Counter-Strike > >>>>> and Team Fortress in terms of matchmaking that we wanted to > >>>>> solve, and > >>>>> didn't think the server browser could accomplish. In CS and TF2, > >>>>> you can > >>>>> have 2 or 3 players leave in the middle of a game, have their > >>>>> slots filled > >>>>> by new people, and everyone else's experience doesn't completely > >>>>> suffer. > >>>>> When a player or two leaves Left 4 Dead the game suffers quite a > >>>>> bit, and we > >>>>> were worried that the server browser model wasn't the right one > >>>>> for this > >>>>> game. In hindsight, there are a number of cases where the server > >>>>> browser > >>>>> does a better job than the new matchmaking system does, so it is > >>>>> highly > >>>>> likely that we'll be adding it back in soon. It isn't trivially > >>>>> easy to turn > >>>>> back on, but there is overlap between it and the Steam Community > >>>>> work we'd > >>>>> like to do. > >>>>> > >>>>> Right now we're working toward getting that release out within a > >>>>> week or > >>>>> so. > >>>>> > >>>>> There are a number of Valve employees reading all of the posts > >>>>> on this > >>>>> list, and while we can't reply to every question that comes > >>>>> across, the > >>>>> discussions here are ones we reference commonly when talking > >>>>> about what to > >>>>> do next internally. > >>>>> > >>>>> _______________________________________________ > >>>>> 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 > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>> _______________________________________________ > >>> 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 > >> > >> > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > 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 _________________________________________________________________ Get 5 GB of storage with Windows Live Hotmail. http://windowslive.com/Explore/Hotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_hotmail_acq_5gb_112008 _______________________________________________ To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, please visit: http://list.valvesoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/hlds