Should we have a contest-specific Gameday, or add a 4th?

[drp]

I think if we expand the game days, it should not be to another nght in the week, but by finding someone to run a different list of maps on the other server, so that there'd be a gameday on the US server and one on the EU server. Judging by the number of people waiting to get onto the server during a gameday, we wouldn't have a lot of trouble filling both servers.

i think this would make the most sense.

 

[MrAlBobo]

However, some people do try to design their maps to accommodate 32, so it wouldn't be a bad idea for our server to support that. I'm just not sure if it's possible (or beneficial) to change the player max during gameday.

When you buy servers you pay per slot. So like $0.99 per slot/month. So, as far as I know you wouldn't just be able to bump up the slots on your server unless you're running it personally, like in your house.

the most obvious way to accomplish this would be to pay for a 32 slot server, artificially limit the number of slots in the server.cfg to 24 then use a map specific cfg to change the total to 32 when that map appears...this could work in theory...however...I strongly suspect that slots is something that needs to be set in a server on launch, either through launch parameters or with an autoexec.cfg, in which case it would not be possible to change it mid game. Though...there is a way to play around with reserved slots with sourcemod that might be able to fake a 24 slot server...but sourcetv breaks that

anyways...aside from that

Basically I think having a gameday dedicated to contest maps is retarded, I think the last contest proved well enough that the same gametype over and over is painful. Having a 4th gameday would also be pointless, what people really need to get out of their heads is that every playtest requires some kind of schedule in advance. We should be able to join one of the servers at any point and be able to build a test off of that. Ideally a message in the chatroom to alert people to join should be successful in getting some people to join. I mean with all the people that think that a 4th gameday would be a great idea there should be more then enough people to fill a server on a whim. And even better then a message in the chatroom, a message to a mod to send out an event that you are testing your map and need people.
More of these spontaneous tests during the week is what I want to see, not another clump of maps scheduled days in advanced...

 

[ChronoTriggerFan]

That would work very nicely, if people could be arsed to play during said sporadic playtests. From my experience its very hard to get more than 5 people on the server for one of these.

 

[Shaar]

4th day, on the EU server please

EDIT: I too wouldn't mind seeing it a 32 slot game day. That way people can test it for two different audiences and see if they play relatively equivalent on both parts. plus it means that there is less chance that one doesn't have to wait for a map change for a chance to get back on the server >_>;

 

[MrAlBobo]

That would work very nicely, if people could be arsed to play during said sporadic playtests. From my experience its very hard to get more than 5 people on the server for one of these.

im quite aware of this, but I just find it kinda amusing that these same people think the 4th day would be a great idea <_<

and a change to these habits would always be nice i suppose

 

[Mar]

Hey, if you guys need a server I am very willing to offer use of the Fragimus Maximus server. If you just send me or Fragimus Maximus the configs we need to run it we'll set it up and run it.

The only thing is that our server is a 16 man server but I think that still should be enough for the overflow.

 

[grazr]

im quite aware of this, but I just find it kinda amusing that these same people think the 4th day would be a great idea <_<

and a change to these habits would always be nice i suppose

Plus if more of the sporadic testing -within the week- gets the additional support via announcements and happens on a regular, a few more people may be inclined and keep time free to bother testing it. Rather than never expecting it and thinking it's not worth the distraction.

I believe that's probably the main problem there. People are always busy and never expect these things to come along when they do.

That, and people should be more reserved in their alpha releases. Generally alpha's shouldn't be released anyway. Alpha's shouldn't leave your pc hd and i'd be cautious of any beta's that come out even fortnightly (unless they just completely blitzed their map (which does happen on holidays)).

 

[Mar]

That, and people should be more reserved in their alpha releases. Generally alpha's shouldn't be released anyway. Alpha's shouldn't leave your pc hd and i'd be cautious of any beta's that come out even fortnightly (unless they just completely blitzed their map (which does happen on holidays)).

Don't release your alphas? Who are you hurting when you release it? You need to release alpha's so can map test them and see how they play. It be retarded not unless you only care about looks, not game play.

 

[TheDarkerSideofYourShadow]

I'm agreeing with Mar? What the hell is this madness???!one....

Anyways, I do agree that alphas should be tested. Thats how you determine if the layout works, while everything is in dev textures and easy to mess with. Then when things are much more set in stone, you texture/detail and go with beta.

 

[Radaka]

I agree with some others in thinking that a 4th gameday would be good, but not contest specific, or else the gamemodes would get very VERY old. To be honest... I'm already growing weary of ctf assault.

Alphas need testing.

 

[Armadillo of Doom]

Radaka, your sig actually made me 'lol' The impression that I'm getting here is to have a 4th Gameday, and just try to spread out the contest maps. Also given the massive number of entries, I think we're going to institute a 'no reserving testing slots' rule.

 

[A Boojum Snark]

I think we're going to institute a 'no reserving testing slots' rule.

Welcome to two (was it three?) weeks ago?

 

[Fireman]

A 4th gameday would be great. I know we have to have more maps in the WIP section than we have room to test for, and what harm could another test bring? Having it during a different time would also accommodate a bit for those of us who can't always make the morning/early afternoon tests.