It seems like they could integrate the matchmaking and the server browser. Have the lobby leader click search for game and it could come up a list of all servers that are within a certain latency range. The host could then click on one and have the whole team join it. That way people who have certain servers they like can still join them, and people who don't care what server they join could still have the function of join a random server through the matchmaker. A server browser not associated with the matchmaking system would still be a nice addon for people that don't want to join a lobby and then a game.
2008/11/12 Jake Skenna <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Erik has already explained what valve is doing and why they are doing it. > They are not changing it because you don't like matchmaking. This is not a > list to whine about you losing faith in a company. Feel free to make a > comment on what they are trying to do at the moment, but people are not > here > to listen to whining. > > On Wed, Nov 12, 2008 at 3:43 PM, Timothy L Havener < > [EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Fine. You want constructive criticism? Here it is. Keep it simple. > > Stop trying to reinvent the wheel. Give us a simple single tabbed > > server browser with a filter system and stop with this console copycat > > garbage. I am a PC gamer for a reason. If I wanted an xbox I would go > > out out and buy one. > > > > > > Erik Johnson wrote: > > > For these lists to be useful, both to admins and us, these kinds of > > threads need to stop. If you want to get super angry in e-mail, people > > should send it directly to me and not to a list with over a thousand > e-mail > > addresses on it. > > > > > > Criticism is completely OK on this list as long as it is constructive, > > which 90% of it has been. Grandstanding and talking about how much you > hate > > Valve is not really useful to anyone. > > > > > > I'm going to try the 1 strike and you're out policy for a while on the > > list and see how that goes. If people are really upset about something > and > > want to shoot me an e-mail, that is OK and won't get you banned. > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto: > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Timothy L Havener > > > Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 11:04 AM > > > To: Half-Life dedicated Win32 server mailing list > > > Subject: Re: [hlds] Status > > > > > > I overreact when I'm frustrated...as I am with Valve. I love their > > > games but I am getting really tired of hosting servers for their games > > > when they are continually twisting my arm as an admin to accept things > > > which make it harder to build a community around those same games. It > > > just feels like they have forgotten what got them where they are. > > > > > > Leonard L. Church wrote: > > > > > >> So why are you still on this list? Give up already. > > >> > > >> Timothy L Havener 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 > > >> > > >> > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > 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