Do Valve host any UK servers? I've been tossed into servers where my ping is way higher than normal just of late.
What determines the connection?? The lobby leaders locale? Cos each time i opt for a pub lobby, and i start seeing russian names, i know im in for a shit pinging so i leave quick sharp. I was never any good at geography, but russians shoudnt be classed as european? Im not getting poitical here, just trying to understand the connection procedure. sv_region 3 = europe? Then i think this should be narrowed down a little more as im in the UK - im sure that wouldnt be too hard for the boys? Narrowing it down a bit would certainly help UK gamers (and french, and germans etc etc ) - ive convinced 7 friends of mine to buy this game, and when they experience a shit server they all come after me and slap me with rubber chickens. Its not nice. On Mon, Mar 16, 2009 at 12:23 AM, Richard Eid <richard....@gmail.com> wrote: > So you're just thinking of the most likely theory in your head and saying > that it -must- be the case? > > http://www.mail-archive.com/hlds@list.valvesoftware.com/msg31734.html > > To me it sounds like Valve is hosting those servers. > > Also, who said there is no need for server admins? It's true that we now > have the ability to self-govern the servers...as players...but like I said, > it's been abused thus far. There is not, and there never will be, a > substitute for a true admin in-game. If you ask me, Left 4 Dead gives > people a real incentive to either play with only friends or to just set up > their own server. Public matches are chock-full of shenanigans by people > who's idea of fun is ruining everyone else's and so the new Matchmaking > system being put in place will be right up their alley. They'll be matched > with like-minded players who can run off from their team and/or ragequit at > will with no real consequence other than they will be less likely to ruin > the fun for people who play the game seriously. It won't be impossible for > them to ruin games still, just less likely. > > You're making some pretty huge assumptions and coming to an unreasonable > conclusion. You equation is more like: > > 5.1356 x 7 2/5 - 50 / 6 to one, half-dozen to another = OMFG > > -Richard Eid > > > On Sun, Mar 15, 2009 at 7:41 PM, Aaron Rapp <r...@iz3d.com> wrote: > > > Richard, > > > > Let me ask you. What game, from Valve, has been run without the need of > > server admins? I'm not sure I can name any. > > > > Then...all of a sudden, when a game developed by Valve, but published by > > EA....now they have their own servers? > > > > It definitely doesn't sound like something Valve would have come up with. > > There is no hard evidence that shows that EA is a part of these > > shenanigans, > > but...let's look at it with common sense. EA is the publisher, and now > > there > > is no need for server admins. > > > > 2+2=4 > > > > Aaron Rapp > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: hlds-boun...@list.valvesoftware.com > > [mailto:hlds-boun...@list.valvesoftware.com] On Behalf Of Richard Eid > > Sent: Sunday, March 15, 2009 3:38 PM > > To: Half-Life dedicated Win32 server mailing list > > Subject: Re: [hlds] L4D Client Update > > > > gameadmin, > > > > I disagree. I can't tell you how many times I started a Lobby, filled > it, > > let the Lobby being a server search, then ended up on some random, > modified > > server. I could probably count on one hand the number of times I played > on > > an official Valve server before this recent change. > > > > Now I'm not trying to bash every Left 4 Dead server out there, because I > > ended up on more good ones than bad ones. But I know for a fact that > > official servers were not the default choice of the Lobby system. Not > even > > from day one. On release day, as soon as the issues with Windows Left 4 > > Dead servers were corrected, I fired up two of them and they stayed > packed > > for a few days straight. > > > > I believe that before this change, the option of "Best Available > Dedicated" > > was the default(and only) setting. In this case, you may still end up on > a > > Valve server, but definitely no guarantees. This is what I experienced > > throughout all of my Left 4 Dead playtime. > > > > Robert, > > > > I see your point and can definitely attest to running into a lot of > > undesirables out there in the random public games. The thing is, unless > > you > > have your own server and choose to play on it through the use of a > > search_key or whatever method you use to get to it, you'll run into this > on > > any server you go to unless you only and always play games with your > > friends. You're never guaranteed to see an admin anywhere. Not in Left > 4 > > Dead, not in TF2, not anywhere. At least we have the Vote Kick system > > available by default, though this is also a well abused feature in public > > servers. So it's good that you won't be in public servers because who > > needs > > a headache like that, right? Play on your own server. That's why you > have > > it! > > > > You have to start looking towards the future anyway. The SDK will be out > > soon and all sorts of changes will be made to the base gameplay of Left 4 > > Dead without anybody ever knowing until they just run into it and declare > > Left 4 Dead a horrible game. With the default being Official Dedicated, > > you > > will at least know that you're getting into a plain old regular game > > instead > > of possibly(most likely) an ultra-modified game. This is simply a way > for > > Valve to protect their investment, without really harming anybody in the > > process. > > > > Think about it...who really cares if your Left 4 Dead server sits empty? > > If > > you got one, it's more than likely that you got it so that you and some > > friends could get together and play on it. I don't know what the > obsession > > is with having your server packed full all the time. Yeah, I noticed it > > during release, cool. But if I wanted to actually play on it, I'd have > to > > kick someone else that may have already invested a bunch of time into a > > campaign. Or maybe they were playing with friends. Or whatever. But it > > was never really empty so I could start a new game on it. I sometimes > > prayed that it would empty out so I didn't have to feel bad about kicking > > someone so I could join an in-progress game. > > > > Seriously, could someone please answer the following question for me? > > > > What is the obsession with having your server, no matter the game, packed > > full all day and all night? Is this that much a measure of your > > self-worth? I always thought people started servers so they had their > own > > place to play with their own rules. What does it matter if people come > > around or not? If you don't have enough friends to have a friendly game > of > > whatever, why did you start one in the first place? > > > > This is seriously something that's bugging me and I'm trying to find out > > why > > having a full server is so important. It's been consuming me lately and > I > > have yet to find an answer. > > > > Aaron, > > > > You're going to have to explain to me where EA sits in all this. This is > a > > Valve game with servers hosted by Valve(and a lot of us). Could you > please > > provide some linkage to where EA fits into any of this besides > distribution > > at retail? > > > > Steve, > > > > I'm not sure where you got the idea that I, personally, wrote what you > > quoted. That's taken directly from the news page on the Steam site. I > > merely linked to it. > > > > And as far as "better", what is your definition of that? Ping? Server > > quality(fps)? Because the Valve servers run like butter. Sometimes I'll > > have a bit higher ping than I'm used to, but does ping really make *that* > > big a difference in Left 4 Dead? Not that I've noticed, but maybe you > have > > a different opinion. I'd love to hear it, so please respond if you > > disagree. > > > > And again, how is this making any of our servers "second-class"? How > much > > time do you have to spend administrating an empty server? When you are > > ready to play, it will probably be available to you now. When you are > > playing, you can do all your administration then. > > > > Or did you mean administration in terms of setting it up? Because if > > that's > > the case, then you set it up how YOU wanted to set it up, correct? So > when > > it's time for you to get a game going, the server will perform as and > make > > the options available to you that you desire. > > > > It really seems like a win-win for everyone involved here. The players > get > > the option to first play on normal servers. I'm not saying that everyone > > who runs one modifies it, but with the Lobby system, there's no way to > tell > > where you're going to end up. So Valve has guaranteed that players get > to > > play Left 4 Dead. On the flip side, my server is now empty most of the > > time, so when I have time to play, I can use it. Hell, I can create a > > Lobby, wait for it to fill, then bring all those random people into my > > server...MY server. I can do this at will and when I want. I can then > run > > and administer the server as I like while I'm playing on it. I no longer > > have to wait for it to free up, then hope that I'm either free or in the > > mood to play. > > > > Maybe you can answer the question as to why it's so important to have a > > server full constantly. Is it because you run more than one? Ten? Why > > did > > you get ten going? Do you have a community that plays Left 4 Dead? Was > > the > > amount of servers you got based on how many people would play? Are the > > players disappointed that your servers are always free now? Why did you > > get > > ten going again? If they're all sitting empty now, your community must > not > > have been the reason you decided to run them. So what exactly is the > > reason? > > > > I don't mean to come off as a jerk, but I am seriously baffled at this > > latest craze. I run servers for myself and my friends to play on. I > don't > > really care if anyone else plays on them. I also know that not everyone > > runs servers for the same reason, but then why? Why do you run servers? > > Why must they be packed full all day or you'll get rid of them? > > Please...someone has to have an answer. I think I know what the real > > answer > > is, but it hurts me to know that it's where we are at as server operators > > today. > > > > But I'm all ears. > > > > -Richard Eid > > > > > > On Sun, Mar 15, 2009 at 3:47 PM, <gamead...@127001.org> wrote: > > > > > Mike, what region are you in? We are in sv_region 3 (Europe) and, > while > > > our > > > servers were empty just after the last update (all of Friday) they > picked > > > up > > > again on Saturday morning as normal: > > > > > > http://www.127001.org/mrtg/graph_93.html (The decrease in peak usage > in > > > the > > > past couple of weeks is because we decreased the number of servers from > > 12 > > > to 8 because of other activity on the box) > > > > > > Also, to reply to Richard Eid: > > > > > > "Left 4 Dead players are now going to official servers by default." > > > > > > What do you mean, "now"? They always _did_ choose to go to official > > > servers > > > first, there's a thread in the forums about it. There's just the > ability > > > to > > > turn this off now. > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > From: hlds-boun...@list.valvesoftware.com [mailto:hlds- > > > > boun...@list.valvesoftware.com] On Behalf Of Mike Stiehm > > > > Sent: 15 March 2009 19:28 > > > > To: 'Half-Life dedicated Win32 server mailing list' > > > > Subject: Re: [hlds] L4D Client Update > > > > > > > > Good now I can dump the piece of crap L4D servers and just add more > > > > variety > > > > to what I have now... (I had some of the most popular L4D servers > > > > before > > > > this.. Now I get 0 players... Not even one player at all..) > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > From: hlds-boun...@list.valvesoftware.com > > > > [mailto:hlds-boun...@list.valvesoftware.com] On Behalf Of Richard > Eid > > > > Sent: Sunday, March 15, 2009 12:02 PM > > > > To: Half-Life dedicated Win32 server mailing list > > > > Subject: Re: [hlds] L4D Client Update > > > > > > > > http://store.steampowered.com/news/2349/ > > > > > > > > That's what is going on. Left 4 Dead players are now going to > official > > > > servers by default. Since the nature of the lobby system would allow > > > > for > > > > people to end up on any random server out there, the Left 4 Dead > > > > experience > > > > was being ruined by modded servers. If you create a lobby and look > > > > under > > > > Game Settings, you now have the options of Official > Dedicated(default), > > > > Best > > > > Available Dedicated and Local Server. It's now up to the player to > > > > decide > > > > which type of server he or she wants to end up on. > > > > > > > > My guess, which can't be all that far off just by noticing what's > been > > > > mentioned here on HLDS, is that players are using the default of > > > > Official > > > > Dedicated because it guarantees them the cleanest experience > possible. > > > > > > > > -Richard Eid > > > > > > > > > > > > On Sun, Mar 15, 2009 at 7:17 AM, Mark Edwards > > > > <sixtysixno...@hotmail.com>wrote: > > > > > > > > > Zero players on our three L4D servers in the 48 hours or so since > the > > > > > second > > > > > update. What is going on? > > > > > > > > > > >> > From: Admin Bob <admin_...@cox.net> > > > > > >> > To: Half-Life dedicated Win32 server mailing list > > > > > >> > <hlds@list.valvesoftware.com> > > > > > >> > Sent: Saturday, March 14, 2009 7:48:41 AM > > > > > >> > Subject: Re: [hlds] L4D Client Update > > > > > >> > > > > > > >> > Still empty. Still getting errors: > > > > > >> > A2C_print from 68.142.72.250:2701 > > > > > >> > Bad challenge > > > > > >> > > > > > > >> > -----Original Message----- > > > > > >> > From: hlds-boun...@list.valvesoftware.com > > > > > >> > [mailto:hlds-boun...@list.valvesoftware.com] On Behalf Of > Adam > > > > > Nowacki > > > > > >> > Sent: Saturday, March 14, 2009 2:09 AM > > > > > >> > To: Half-Life dedicated Win32 server mailing list > > > > > >> > Subject: Re: [hlds] L4D Client Update > > > > > >> > > > > > > >> > Blood Letter wrote: > > > > > >> > > So did this update fix the empty server issue for anyone? > > > > > >> > > Mine is still bone dry. > > > > > >> > > > > > > >> > Maybe because people want to play on official servers? The > > > > search > > > > > works > > > > > >> > now and will actually fall back to non-official servers thanks > > > > to a > > > > > >> > longer search timeout. > > > > > >> > > > > > > >> > _______________________________________________ > > > > > >> > 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
