Competitive Testing now Available Here!

Nineaxis

Quack Doctor
aa
May 19, 2008
1,767
2,820
Drpepper, being awesome as he is, has acquired two 6v6 servers for us. This allows us to have competitive playtest sessions for maps from our community, which especially helps with our competitive contest!

To test your map, ask a staff member to organize the playtest. This will require them to upload the map to one of the 6v6 servers and set up a lobby at tf2lobby.com. Our staff members can provide beta access for the mapmaker and playtest participants.

Before asking, please familiarize yourself with how 6v6 games (pick-up games or "PUGs") operate to ensure that the test and organization thereof go smoothly. This includes principles of class layout, team selection, etc. Do NOT ask if you cannot attend the test and play, even partially- you must be able to play from beginning to end. Same goes for anyone looking to participate in such an event.

So let's get some competitive maps tested!
 

Tapp

L10: Glamorous Member
Jan 26, 2009
776
215
Is spectating allowed? Also, with 2 servers and 34+ maps, I can see a lot of map changing. It may be worth getting in touch with more servers, reminding them that they will probably get a new yukon for helping.
 

Boonsaw

L1: Registered
Jul 22, 2008
46
18
This is brilliant. I'd love to help testing the maps.

Is spectating allowed? Also, with 2 servers and 34+ maps, I can see a lot of map changing. It may be worth getting in touch with more servers, reminding them that they will probably get a new yukon for helping.

I doubt we can get more than 24 ppl playing all the time, anyway.
 

Ida

deer
aa
Jan 6, 2008
2,289
1,372
Do NOT ask if you cannot attend the test and play, even partially- you must be able to play from beginning to end.

I don't feel I have the skill (or a mic for that sake) to play competitive 6v6, but I still want my map tested with comp. rules. Why can't I spectate or get a demo?
 
Feb 14, 2008
1,051
931
Are the servers 12 slot or do they have a STV slot?
 

Nineaxis

Quack Doctor
aa
May 19, 2008
1,767
2,820
I don't feel I have the skill (or a mic for that sake) to play competitive 6v6, but I still want my map tested with comp. rules. Why can't I spectate or get a demo?
No skill requirements, and a mic isn't necessary (though it might be useful)! You'll probably be playing with a bunch of us casual map makers anyway. Besides, playing 6v6 gives you a better understanding of how it plays out, which should let you make a better map.

About demos, see below.

Are the servers 12 slot or do they have a STV slot?
Drpepper said he'd work on getting SourceTV set up for them.
 

ANova

L7: Fancy Member
Jul 16, 2009
415
132
You should have a Chart for sign up for days to have a 6v6 some thing like a Gameday but only 6v6
 

Rikka

L5: Dapper Member
Feb 10, 2009
208
388
I don't feel I have the skill (or a mic for that sake) to play competitive 6v6, but I still want my map tested with comp. rules. Why can't I spectate or get a demo?

I also have neither the skill or the mic, but I've taken part of a few these test. People are an understanding, and there's plenty of people like me and you in the community, so it's not like you're alone. It's also a good learning experience you're going to need if you plan to submit your map into the contest.
 

grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
aa
Mar 4, 2008
5,441
3,814
Do NOT ask if you cannot attend the test and play, even partially- you must be able to play from beginning to end.

That sentence is a little confusing. So you can't get your map tested unless you yourself play?

My main concern lies with the inherent team balancing issues if the mapper is not so good at TF2, it'll be nearly impossible to get a fair test.. testing your map that way would make most of the testing data redundant. I realise that even though it will likely mostly include pub players from the TF2M community, but, there are obviously better than the average players here and some not so better players. 6vs6 play is only going to emphasise the skill gaps.
 

Dr. ROCKZO

L8: Fancy Shmancy Member
Jul 25, 2009
580
159
Where are the servers located? Because I probably won't be able to play due to a restrictive ping.
 

Colt Seavers

L6: Sharp Member
Dec 30, 2007
288
82
I'm in UK. Will happily turn up and play my map any time. ctf_soda - in sig. Would be ace 8) Nice offer!
 

Ida

deer
aa
Jan 6, 2008
2,289
1,372
Right, I'm sure I will try to turn up for testing when I've polished my map a little, but I'm still concerned about... well, what grazr said.

Regardless, I appreciate it.
 

MangyCarface

Mapper
aa
Feb 26, 2008
1,626
1,325
That sentence is a little confusing. So you can't get your map tested unless you yourself play?

This is a necessity - 6v6 playtesting takes a lot more out of playtesters than pub playtesting, where anyone can hop in or out at any time and can casually play. 6v6 playtests are precious things and if the mapmaker can't be spared to hang around for the entirety of a test then they don't really need that test. When you playtest in 6v6 you want to iterate very slowly so that you're not forcing people to play your map every other day- easy to get sick of even good maps like that.
 

Flame

aa
Jul 19, 2009
368
865
just play huntsman sniper if you feel like youre overpowering your team... thats how I do it anyway...

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on a serious note though i just got the Source TVs set up. change the port to 27020 to connect to them if you need to / want to spectate.
 

Nutomic

L11: Posh Member
Feb 7, 2009
888
177
Really good news. There arent much people in tf2l yet, but that will change.

What i dont like is, that we are using ingame voice, i mean, that sucks, i wouldnt know a clan that does so.
Mumble server would be really cool.
 

Ravidge

Grand Vizier
aa
May 14, 2008
1,544
2,818
What i dont like is, that we are using ingame voice, i mean, that sucks, i wouldnt know a clan that does so.
Mumble server would be really cool.

Why does it suck?
Is the performance so much better with mumble that it is worth the trouble of forcing everyone that wants to use the lobby system to install it, and set it up properly, and connect to the right chat?

The simplicity of the lobby system is brilliant, a game can start within a few minutes for some good fun.
It's not league play, or a tournament, it's just matchmaking. I believe there is a setting to turn off the ingame voice in the lobby too. if you really want to.
 

grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
aa
Mar 4, 2008
5,441
3,814
6v6 playtesting takes a lot more out of playtesters than pub playtesting, where anyone can hop in or out at any time and can casually play. 6v6 playtests are precious things and if the mapmaker can't be spared to hang around for the entirety of a test then they don't really need that test. When you playtest in 6v6 you want to iterate very slowly so that you're not forcing people to play your map every other day- easy to get sick of even good maps like that.

OK, none of that actually addressed my query.

I would have no intention of demanding my map be tested every other day; and if i'm spectating, technically i am "hanging around"; if that principle is so important. But that's not what i was asking. It's that we have to participate in one of these for it to happen. I have no problems participating in some if not most games, especially if they involve my own map, but if i would like one extra PUG to fine tune my map before my next release, that i am dissallowed this because i wont/cannot play in it. A mapper might rather spectate for the sake of not destroying balance. Otherwise, then what's the point of the test?

There is also, obviously, no obligation for anyone in particular to test at any given time. So if people feel they don't want to play, that's their porogative. I really don't see the issue here that it requires a rule like that. It merely seems counter intuitive to the development process.

My issue isn't even with people joining in and dropping out half way through a game. Again, that wasn't what i asked, i can understand why that would be disallowed.

Also, whether a mapper is able to attend their map test or not has nothing to do with whether it actually requires testing. These are two seperate things, and as a statement sounds completely pretentious.

I fail to see any relavence to anything you said in regards to what i asked. I simply wanted a justification for a rule that seemed largely unnecassery, particularly when i imagine most mappers will attend their own maps anyway.

As i said, i was querying because i might want one test with balanced teams before i release another beta; but you're saying i can't do that unless i play. I just fail to see the logic. If a map gets over tested, people will simply say that and refuse to play it further. You don't need a rule like that to manage excessive testing of any one map.

I don't mean to sound ungreatful for this service, not at all. It just seems to be a rule that only restricts the total amount of tests available to mappers for the competition. If you have the man power to fill 12 slots without the mapper, it just seems petty to refuse that test on the grounds that he is unable to personally attend. Particularly in the context of a fair test, where not playing is intentional. If someone ends up requesting a lot of tests that he doesn't attend i can see why you would refuse it further testing. But refusing to test maps without the author's attendance outright?