Your assumption is that there _are_ any available servers with lower pings. My experience is that at peak times if I spawn extra servers they will be filled pretty much instantaneously (western European server with good pings to the UK). That being the case, you being connected to far-away servers doesn't mean the lobby system _chose_ that server so much as was _forced_ to give you that server.
> -----Original Message----- > From: hlds-boun...@list.valvesoftware.com [mailto:hlds- > boun...@list.valvesoftware.com] On Behalf Of Patrick Shelley > Sent: 16 March 2009 01:03 > To: Half-Life dedicated Win32 server mailing list > Subject: Re: [hlds] L4D Client Update > > 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 _______________________________________________ To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, please visit: http://list.valvesoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/hlds
