Server Rotation

[backfire]

[quote author=Caffeine link=topic=3865.msg138471#msg138471 date=1267148589]
[quote author=Black Aspen link=topic=3865.msg138468#msg138468 date=1267147957]
Any reason it was removed?  I thought it did a pretty good job of keeping the server populated.

Its what I see most often people leaving on, even though its a tiny download
[/quote]

Protip: Only maps on a rotation should be stock maps or widely recognized (Fastlane, for example, before it was made stock itself even though it's a shitty stalemate-magnet)

People see download and go "FUCK THIS" /cancel /24-7 2fort
[/quote]

[quote author=Caffeine link=topic=3865.msg138454#msg138454 date=1267145042]
basalt removed from rotation

-.- another step towards the all dustbowl, goldrush, badwater rotation.
[/quote]

y-you... you want this, don't you?

[CaffeinePowered]

[quote author=Caffeine link=topic=3865.msg138471#msg138471 date=1267148589]
[quote author=Black Aspen link=topic=3865.msg138468#msg138468 date=1267147957]
Any reason it was removed?  I thought it did a pretty good job of keeping the server populated.

Its what I see most often people leaving on, even though its a tiny download
[/quote]

Protip: Only maps on a rotation should be stock maps or widely recognized (Fastlane, for example, before it was made stock itself even though it's a shitty stalemate-magnet)

People see download and go "FUCK THIS" /cancel /24-7 2fort
[/quote]

Negative ghostrider, a map should be on rotation if it is good, basalt got its chance to get popular, but has failed. Think of something like snowfort, which has been pushed heavily, by ours and a few other servers, someone has to run it first.

[Moosendoo]

Protip: Only maps on a rotation should be stock maps or widely recognized

That's like the worst tip I've ever heard.  :-X

[CaffeinePowered]

Blue Changed

2fort
badwater

Round time increased to 60

Flag caps to win set to 5

Vote Scramble on Blue reduced to 45% threshold



Vote Scramble Re-Added to Red - Set to 50% Threshold

[beep beep diglett]

thanks for putting scramble on red, easier than rtving and hoping teams change


also i have weird gray goop on my keyboard and mouse, i think i just vomited

[Wedge]

Does round time force maps to end if blue and red haven't each had a turn on a/d?  Coz' otherwise it'd be cool if we cut the round timer to 15-20 minutes on Red, if we're never going to get round limits.

[CaffeinePowered]

Does round time force maps to end if blue and red haven't each had a turn on a/d?  Coz' otherwise it'd be cool if we cut the round timer to 15-20 minutes on Red, if we're never going to get round limits.

I wish there was away to do generic round limits, like 5CP = 3, PL = 6, etc

And no it wont cut out on AD when the timer reaches zero

[CaffeinePowered]

I'm also considering some more radical changes to Red's rotation


Simply put, we are not maintaining the populations we should, the mostly custom rotation worked for December/January because of the WAR and Soldier/Demo update, more people came back to TF2, and numbers are slowly dying down again. The number of players that frequent custom map servers has also gone drastically down.

Here are my proposals


Changes to Red:
- Votescramble Added (50% Threshold)
- Radio Plugin
- Lowered RTV Threshold (40%)
- Altered Rotation (4 Custom, 8 Stock, from 6 Stock, 7 Custom)
cp_gravelpit
cp_dustbowl
pl_goldrush
cp_badlands
pl_cashworks_rc2
ctf_2fort
ctf_mercy_b3
pl_badwater
cp_indulge
koth_sawmill
ctf_snowdrift_b3
cp_gorge

Main Goal: Cut down on larger customs that seem to do worse and pick up a few stocks, but at the same time, make it easier for players on the server to rock_the_vote, Ive noticed a lot that under a full server, you'll get just under the cusp, so in exchange for removing some of the custom maps, its easier to RTV to them.



Changes to Blue:
- See Previous Post (New Rotation, Voting percentage already in place, 60 min map timer)
- Radio Plugin
- Roll the Dice Plugin
- Instant Spawn
- Main Goal: Make this more easily filled and more sustainable, even dustbowl/goldrush seem to lose out to badwater/2fort for filling

[Surf314]

I'd say do it but I hate to tell VP but Mercy is too small. I was playing rounds where 3 people got into the intel room and managed to have scouts run the train on the intel and win in like less than a minute. Either he needs to find out a way to make it take a little longer to run from one intel to the other or he needs to add a delay to the intel respawn after cap.

[CaffeinePowered]

I could take mercy off too...but what should I put in it's place, chaos? well?

[beep beep diglett]

ctf well would be nice, no 2fort pls, badlands is ok

[backfire]

Changes to Blue:
- See Previous Post (New Rotation, Voting percentage already in place, 60 min map timer)
- Radio Plugin
- Roll the Dice Plugin
- Instant Spawn
- Main Goal: Make this more easily filled and more sustainable, even dustbowl/goldrush seem to lose out to badwater/2fort for filling

I mean, I know blue is usually empty and all, but are you really willing to bastardize the server for it? I'd just think keeping the rotation all stock (maybe adding in those obscure stocks no one knows about) to keep people from leaving or to draw in the croud that wants to play these kinds of maps instead of the usual Big Three rotation. That's my thoughts anyways.

[CaffeinePowered]

[quote author=Caffeine link=topic=3865.msg138926#msg138926 date=1267450481]
Changes to Blue:
- See Previous Post (New Rotation, Voting percentage already in place, 60 min map timer)
- Radio Plugin
- Roll the Dice Plugin
- Instant Spawn
- Main Goal: Make this more easily filled and more sustainable, even dustbowl/goldrush seem to lose out to badwater/2fort for filling

I mean, I know blue is usually empty and all, but are you really willing to bastardize the server for it? I'd just think keeping the rotation all stock (maybe adding in those obscure stocks no one knows about) to keep people from leaving or to draw in the croud that wants to play these kinds of maps instead of the usual Big Three rotation. That's my thoughts anyways.
[/quote]


Well....we ourselves aren't filling it, and Ive found that even with "the big three" it doesn't stay full, goldrush/dustbowl's stock has fallen in my eyes. An empty server does not bring in more people to the community, and it wastes funds that people have donated. But I'm also unwilling to simply discard Blue because it does get some use, especially during more busy TFT/FNF nights, the problem being that people simply don't seed it.


<chaotic good>
I am willing to do what is necessary to get more use out of blue, we could leave those plugins off and if people actually start using it more with the 2fort/badwater rotation, then I won't need to make any further changes.
</chaotic good>

ctf well would be nice, no 2fort pls, badlands is ok

As much as I also dislike 2fort, the last three times we've run it on Red it filled the server very very quickly, even more quickly than badwater  :-\

So I guess I could say that well, if you don't like it, rtv, because with the lower threshold that should be easier





Overall we had a very full December (yay update + no school for the young'ins), but things recently have been lack luster in my opinion, pops dropping out even on more popular customs. I think going back to a more stock oriented rotation will get us back on the map with more regulars....then we can spring customs back on them at a later point 

The key to more permanent and stable populations is always inviting people to the steam group, which I encourage all of you to do, , add random people to your friends like that you thought were fun to play with, invite them to the group, you can not rely on people taking the initiative on their own, and a simple invite can go a long way for some people.

[Surf314]

I had a bitch of a time trying to fill Red all weekend and didn't even bother with Blue. TBH unless the community steps up with some seeding I'm going to push for Blue being dropped for a Battlefield BC2 server and figuring out if we can use Green to fill Blue's void later.

[Moosendoo]

- Altered Rotation (4 Custom, 8 Stock, from 6 Stock, 7 Custom)

These are dark days indeed.

I have noticed that things have really slowed down these last two weeks though.

[CaffeinePowered]

[quote author=Caffeine link=topic=3865.msg138926#msg138926 date=1267450481]
- Altered Rotation (4 Custom, 8 Stock, from 6 Stock, 7 Custom)

These are dark days indeed.

I have noticed that things have really slowed down these last two weeks though.
[/quote]


Empty Server -> Badwater -> Full Server (50/50 Pubs/Regs) -> OMFG A MAP I DONT HAVE -> Regs only -> population dwindles -> Holy shit back to badwater before no one is playing anymore


Also I wanted to take some time off of having to seed the server every single night since the populations just can't seem to keep themselves stable unless Im there constantly sending out invites

[beep beep diglett]

rtd i can stand (if you can take out instant kills), instant spawn no, maybe lowering it to 5-10 seconds, but not insta spawn :<

2fort is just trouble, i mean sure, the server fills, but it fills with retards and bad snipers who leave as the map changes, so whats the point

[CaffeinePowered]

but it fills with retards and bad snipers who leave as the map changes, so whats the point

They don't always leave when the map changes, and even if only half stay that's better than we're doing currently

[HeK]

Shouldn't be too hard to whip up a perl script that generates a dynamic rotation, eh?
Run stocks during the day to keep it full, and add in customs as the day goes on.

[Surf314]

Shouldn't be too hard to whip up a perl script that generates a dynamic rotation, eh?
Run stocks during the day to keep it full, and add in customs as the day goes on.

This sounds like a brilliant idea.