With all this talk about how Valve no longer cares and evidence of that being quite clear, what is keeping all of you in the game? What is keeping you all hosting servers?
Serious question. It is clear from what I've read that this game is no longer fun and no longer worth supporting. Every update that is added is not one that favors any of you and normally punishes all of you who feel they are legit server owners/communities, worked hard to stay on the straight and narrow, followed all the rules and didn't abuse anyone playing on your servers intentionally. All of your hard work, time, money, effort, stress, and anything else ends up going to waste and you are constantly getting screwed. You can't run the maps you want to run because your communities would die with them and when you run only the stock maps in the most vanilla way possible and by the rules Valve has imposed to keep the community afloat, you end up hating to play because it really isn't even that fun at all. You're tired of 2fort, tired of badlands, tired of dustbowl, turbine, goldrush/badwater. Tired of 20 second spawn times, tired of having to keep on to of whether or not your server is registered to quickplay, tired of keeping in compliance with rules and policies that Valve clearly does not enforce and uses just as a scare tactic. Tired of the free publicity that these maverick servers who shouldn't be in Quickplay, that break all the rules, and abuse the community get due to dumb things like ads, quickplay placing them on their servers, and how little effort they actually put in to building their servers. What about you? You didn't do that at all to the player base yet you get no mention at all! You're tired of all of it. Tired of each and every update putting this game closer and closer to other games that you hate because you knew that this game was once so much more. It offered so much without being so restricting and the playerbase gave back to it when Valve wasn't busy adding things to help hurt EVERYTHING you came to love about the game. The playerbase can't distinguish between a community server and a Valve server and they only believe that servers are either Valve or shitty ads-ridden hovels of admin abuse and general griefing. You want something new and fresh, something that would have normally re-invigorated the players on your community and else where, but without actually having to change the game from what it is to do so. But if you attempt to go outside of the norm with this game as it is now, you gain nothing but empty servers that you pay all kinds of money for. What is stopping you all from just packing it all up and leaving now? What could possibly be so important that it warrants all this unwanted stress and expense for absolutely nothing? All the emails and badmouthing and outrage in the world will not change Valve's decision on anything they've done and it is quite clear that TF2 is either a testbed for other games to benefit or a cash cow and that is all. From everything I've read in every email chain so far, there is more than enough evidence to support that Valve has summarily turned their backs on you all and they could care less. "Screw you, got mine." is all you see every time you see a new email or update or preview or "feature" that they add to this game. So, I ask you, why do you still bother? On Fri, Jan 24, 2014 at 9:35 AM, E. Olsen <ceo.eol...@gmail.com> wrote: > Something else to consider - this is also essentially an abandonment of > the "server scoring" system, since (by making quickplay go to Valve servers > by default), even if your server has a sky-high score (which, in terms of > player satisfaction, would mean that it is a high-quality server), it will > still be bypassed for a brand-new valve server that may not have a score at > all. > > I always thought the server-scoring system was such an elegant way to do > things. Why not simply remove servers from quickplay eligibility that > receive a consistently low score after 45-60 days or so? > > > On Fri, Jan 24, 2014 at 12:30 PM, ED-E <e...@chello.at> wrote: > >> I agree. >> >> While I can understand why they added this option, why enable this by >> default? Reverse it as "Including Community servers" and enable it by >> default. Since the way it is now, it doesnt make any sense anymore to press >> the "Quickplay rules" on us. >> >> Another thing would be to make a separate "Community Mod's" quickplay >> option for custom mods which have a certain server tag in them (like >> FreakFortress or Randomizer and so on). >> >> Even though we server owners invest more time and effort than any of the >> hat and map makers out there, we don't get a single dime from Valve. All we >> get is rules and punishments. And I don't even have pinion or ads in >> general on my server to deserve this. >> >> Am 24.01.2014 17:42, schrieb ics: >> >>> This is my opinion as well. Communities slowly start dying because their >>> regulars cannot go to a populated server to play on when they have time to >>> play themselves. The regulars get things started but quickplay was nice >>> filling of the servers. >>> >>> 67/96 players now on the regular servers, and not a single quikcplay >>> player. All players through favorites, history or steam. Used to be 10-20% >>> quickplay for us. >>> >>> -ics >>> >>> Lucas Wagner kirjoitti: >>> >>>> This exactly. >>>> >>>> In my experience, quickplay was useful for filling servers after you >>>> had 12-14 players on it, and retaining already full servers. Regulars are >>>> what makes your server successful, but quickplay can help bridge gaps of >>>> inactivity by your loyal player base. This option will only reduce the >>>> referrals (it remains to be seen how much) meaning that seeding efforts >>>> will require players to stay longer and servers will be more fragile and >>>> susceptible to depopulation. It will add volatility to a lot of communities >>>> and I'll be watching how their servers fare in the weeks to come. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On Fri, Jan 24, 2014 at 9:32 AM, 1nsane <1nsane...@gmail.com <mailto: >>>> 1nsane...@gmail.com>> wrote: >>>> >>>> Unfortunately valve doesn't really need us anymore. They can't >>>> monetize maps or custom game modes. Once quickplay was added with >>>> its preference for certain "noob friendly" maps a number of >>>> valve's own maps (and game modes) stopped being played. You'd >>>> think they would want more variety so players stick around for >>>> longer. Other online FPS games tend to rotate through all their >>>> maps. >>>> >>>> At this point the only important part of the user generated >>>> content for them is the item creators as they make the money. But >>>> this seems to be shortsighted, like you said custom maps and >>>> custom game modes that valve previously loved to take and add >>>> officially to their games will now become a rarity. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On Fri, Jan 24, 2014 at 6:17 AM, E. Olsen <ceo.eol...@gmail.com >>>> <mailto:ceo.eol...@gmail.com>> wrote: >>>> >>>> Agreed. >>>> >>>> It's one thing to make such a drastic change, it's another to >>>> re-route 40-50% of all TF2 traffic away from every non-valve >>>> server on the planet in one fell swoop. If this change stands >>>> as-is, there's not a single server operator on the planet that >>>> will be able to launch a new vanilla server (or almost any >>>> kind of server, for that matter), because unless a server >>>> already has a following, it will never be able to build up the >>>> momentum when less than half the player base will even be able >>>> to find it. >>>> >>>> Here's the thing, folks: >>>> >>>> It's been proven time and time again that Mods extend the >>>> lifetime of a game (look at what Day Z did last year for Arma >>>> 2). The diversity of TF2 is what has kept it going all these >>>> years....yet a change like this actively steers half (or more) >>>> of the current playerbase, and probably the vast majority of >>>> _every_ new player AWAY from ever finding a custom map, mod, >>>> or game mode. >>>> >>>> If "official valve vanilla" is all you want - then this change >>>> is wonderful for you (and you should have that "option"), but >>>> should this remain the "default" setting that every client is >>>> now set to, Valve has hastened along the death of the very >>>> game they are trying to protect. >>>> >>>> Why would anyone even bother creating a map for TF2 now? How >>>> would it ever see any kind of significant traffic? >>>> >>>> How about custom game modes? We were hosting a "King of the >>>> Hill" server (using custom maps made for that game mode) for >>>> over a year BEFORE it became an official game mode with >>>> official maps - think anyone will or would be able to throw up >>>> a new server or game mode under these conditions? >>>> >>>> I think we all understand why Valve thinks they had to do this >>>> - all the "Pinion Profiteers" made them think this was >>>> necessary - but make no mistake, these were problems that were >>>> CREATED by quickplay in the first place, so in one fell swoop, >>>> Valve has not only created the problem, but they have used the >>>> same system that created it to essentially throw out all the >>>> "good" servers with the bad. Any non-valve server that does >>>> not already have a significant amount of "regulars" will now >>>> die on the vine....and there won't be any new non-valve >>>> servers going up to replace them. >>>> >>>> It's a shame, folks. This change effectively takes the >>>> "community" out of TF2, and turns it into just another random, >>>> casual, anonymous FPS. >>>> >>>> It's was a rarity already to have a game that was 7+ years old >>>> that still had new clans and communities forming around it - >>>> but a change like this will make it all but impossible for any >>>> new TF2 communities to even get started. >>>> >>>> >>>> On Fri, Jan 24, 2014 at 4:55 AM, Emil Larsson >>>> <ail...@gmail.com <mailto:ail...@gmail.com>> wrote: >>>> >>>> I wouldn't had mind the valve only server option, but it >>>> shouldn't be the default certainly. We're also certainly >>>> noticing a decrease of players now, and I just feel >>>> punished for playing by the rules. >>>> >>>> >>>> On Fri, Jan 24, 2014 at 3:38 AM, Stephen A. Yates >>>> <syate...@cfl.rr.com <mailto:syate...@cfl.rr.com>> wrote: >>>> >>>> I am not trying to start shit… I am just stating my >>>> opinion. Quickplay has been killing our servers for a >>>> long time. >>>> >>>> *From:*hlds-boun...@list.valvesoftware.com >>>> <mailto:hlds-boun...@list.valvesoftware.com> >>>> [mailto:hlds-boun...@list.valvesoftware.com >>>> <mailto:hlds-boun...@list.valvesoftware.com>] *On >>>> Behalf Of *Lyrai >>>> *Sent:* Thursday, January 23, 2014 9:25 PM >>>> >>>> >>>> *To:* Half-Life dedicated Win32 server mailing list >>>> *Subject:* Re: [hlds] Mandatory TF2 update released >>>> >>>> It looks like that community's servers were already >>>> shutting down due to admin burnout. Nothing related to >>>> this in any way. Maybe just an attempt to start shit. >>>> >>>> On Thu, Jan 23, 2014 at 6:20 PM, Ragorism >>>> <ragor...@gmail.com <mailto:ragor...@gmail.com>> wrote: >>>> >>>> That's why it's called an 'option', you fucking >>>> mongoloid. >>>> >>>> On Thu, Jan 23, 2014 at 8:08 PM, Stephen A. Yates >>>> <syate...@cfl.rr.com <mailto:syate...@cfl.rr.com>> >>>> wrote: >>>> >>>> Really? >>>> >>>> >>>> - Add quickplay option to only connect to >>>> official Valve servers >>>> >>>> We have been running Vanilla 24 player servers >>>> since the month after the >>>> launch of Orangebox. Valve did not seem to >>>> have an issue with us when we >>>> were helping to build the TF2 community. This >>>> should pretty much put an end >>>> to new players finding their way to our >>>> servers and community. >>>> >>>> Thanks Valve. Enjoy your cash. >>>> >>>> We will be closing our community down at the >>>> end of this month. >>>> >>>> Peace out. >>>> >>>> -SpikerNoob >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or >>>> view the list archives, please visit: >>>> https://list.valvesoftware.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/hlds >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or >>>> view the list archives, please visit: >>>> https://list.valvesoftware.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/hlds >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> -- Tee hee hee hee >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view >>>> the list archives, please visit: >>>> https://list.valvesoftware.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/hlds >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the >>>> list archives, please visit: >>>> https://list.valvesoftware.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/hlds >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list >>>> archives, please visit: >>>> https://list.valvesoftware.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/hlds >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list >>>> archives, please visit: >>>> https://list.valvesoftware.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/hlds >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, >>>> please visit: >>>> https://list.valvesoftware.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/hlds >>>> >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, >>> please visit: >>> https://list.valvesoftware.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/hlds >>> >>> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, >> please visit: >> https://list.valvesoftware.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/hlds >> > > > _______________________________________________ > To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, > please visit: > https://list.valvesoftware.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/hlds > >
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