VIPs can only upload for themselves - DISCUSS IT HERE

[grazr]

I see it as the exact opposite. I rarely see feedback out of impromptu testing, but often see feedback from gamedays.

I wouldn't have said there was any difference at all. The only real difference is that impromptu's are less likely to garuantee 12vs12 player testing.

Impromptu's are as viable as gamedays, if they weren't then impromptu's wouldn't have caused Booj to reconsider running gamedays at all.

Gamedays do have the con of gathering more public players that arn't specifically there to test maps, but they have the pro of full team testing on your map.

 

[Ravidge]

Gamedays also caters to more than just chatroom regulars.


And while I'm at it: Here is something I miss from the old old days; when there was weeks between tests you really made sure your map worked before submitting it, you made sure you had done all you could and needed input from someone else.
There was a kind of self QA, since you didn't want your map to empty the 6 hour long tests.
These days its like people just submit randomly to catch the impromptu that is inevitably going to happen later that day. And there is tons of unfinished stuff, all over the place, and it irritates me :/

edit2: I know there is a difference between "unfinshed stuff" and "wip stuff". And I have no issues at all when it's clear it's WIP. But things just left halfway through just gets to me as lazy and I don't want to test stuff where even the author cant be arsed to care.

 

[littleedge]

Just to add more to the Gamedays v Impromptu thing...

Gamedays in the past were hard to get into since they filled up within an hour or two of being unlocked. Then you had to wait three or so days until the test. During that time, you either had an Impromptu that resulted in some changes that you made, or you were sitting at your computer doing nothing since you had to wait.
Impromptus were nice because three or so maps were starting off and an announcement was set. Then, when that third map came around, people would ask for their map to be next in a 'First Come, First Serve' kind of way. Then the impromptu became its own kind of Gameday until the server died. You would usually get in two more maps, though I've seen it go farther.

Gamedays are given a date and time at least three days prior. This lets everybody see when testing is taking place. Thus everybody, lurkers and mappers alike, can make sure they have room in their schedule to play, if they want to. That means there are people who understand that the map is in alpha and some bugs are understandable, and they know not to exploit them. But then there are also people who just know that there are six new maps playing, and so they join and complain about "no textures" and then they exploit every error, teleport their teammates out of the map, etc., etc.
Impromptus were generally filled with people in the chat and then anybody who was bored and noticed the announcement and jumped in. More people tested the map respectively and gave feedback in-game.

Generally, feedback (unfortunately) is given while the people play the map and not posted on the thread afterward. Gamedays result in people saying "Oh, I'm not gonna be home at all, but I wanna test cp_blah." Then they ask everybody for feedback, but weren't at their own test to see how it played out. Impromptus can really only be started by a mapper wanting his map to be tested right there since he's ready.

In Gamedays and Impromptus alike, if a map were so broken that you couldn't really play it (imagine Meridian unpakrat'd or a pl map with a cart that didn't move), we would skip that map.


I personally feel that not letting nondonators participate in impromptus is rediculous. I'm thankful I don't currently have a map to test, as it would appear I wouldn't be able to do such a thing.

 

[lana]

In Gamedays and Impromptus alike, if a map were so broken that you couldn't really play it (imagine Meridian unpakrat'd or a pl map with a cart that didn't move), we would skip that map.

I do not accept maps that are unplayable or visually incapable of play.

 

[littleedge]

You need to understand, Nerd. I am not speaking of this one instance of your one gameday. Get over yourself.

 

[DaBeatzProject]

And while I'm at it: Here is something I miss from the old old days; when there was weeks between tests you really made sure your map worked before submitting it, you made sure you had done all you could and needed input from someone else.
There was a kind of self QA, since you didn't want your map to empty the 6 hour long tests.
These days its like people just submit randomly to catch the impromptu that is inevitably going to happen later that day. And there is tons of unfinished stuff, all over the place, and it irritates me :/

edit2: I know there is a difference between "unfinshed stuff" and "wip stuff". And I have no issues at all when it's clear it's WIP. But things just left halfway through just gets to me as lazy and I don't want to test stuff where even the author cant be arsed to care.

This makes me feel a little guilty :| But I do understand what you mean and it makes me think too. Hmmmmmmmmmm.

 

[Psy]

Here's an idea. Allow everybody to have there maps uploaded but only on a certain day of the week. Those who are VIPs get to upload their maps and play test whenever they want but everyone else will have to wait.

 

[grazr]

One of the biggest problems with gamedays was if someone's schedule did not allow them to test one week it probably wouldn't let them test any week.

I remember when tests only ran on Saturday at noon and Sunday nights GMT, which were exactly in the middle of my weekend job shifts.

But Impromptu's were impossible because we didn't have nearly enough active members. This was part of the reason why everyone just submitted their maps ASAP and we ended up with test maps with no func_respawnroom's etc, because they would have to wait a whole other week before getting it tested (due to how the event threads were activated/closed).

But this is also why we have STV demo's. Most of the feedback i had to rely on was watching players habits in replays.

What ever the case, people are just gonna have to weather this out.

 

[Fraz]

Gamedays also caters to more than just chatroom regulars.


And while I'm at it: Here is something I miss from the old old days; when there was weeks between tests you really made sure your map worked before submitting it, you made sure you had done all you could and needed input from someone else.
There was a kind of self QA, since you didn't want your map to empty the 6 hour long tests.
These days its like people just submit randomly to catch the impromptu that is inevitably going to happen later that day. And there is tons of unfinished stuff, all over the place, and it irritates me :/

edit2: I know there is a difference between "unfinshed stuff" and "wip stuff". And I have no issues at all when it's clear it's WIP. But things just left halfway through just gets to me as lazy and I don't want to test stuff where even the author cant be arsed to care.

Err, I know I've been guilty of this a couple of times. Now I make sure I do check though >.> come to think of it, it is impromptus that were making me fire out version upon version of Kickass/Amargosa/Propane (Like, 5 within a week) You do make a good point though.

 

[drp]

Relying on Gamedays to egt my map uploaded onto the server is bull. From past knowledge about Gamedays, the chances of me gettign my map submitted in time is unlikely. I cannot donate because I don't have a credit card or a paypal or anything. I have cash. And I'm not going to mail that out. So essentially you're preventing anyone under the age of 16 (and/or people who have parents who won't cosign anything) from testing their maps.

Good plan.

This site does not guarantee anyone that their map will be play tested. TF2Maps.net provides a free service. That is information and the ability to host your map for download. Thats it.

The server is terrible. Why would I donate to keep a terrible server up and running? Don't just get a new server fromt he same guys. Change hosts so we get a good server.

If from my entire existence i truly hate anything, its people who constantly whine, and what you're doing now. Assuming. Dont assume. We've gone through five, FIVE different server hosts. We dont stick with the same one and just get a different server. Please dont assume, it irritates the fuck out of me.

Oh, by the way Fubar. Some of us don't have bank accounts that we can take money out of. I have one that I can't touch until I'm 18. Only my parents can. So stop being an idiot.

That's fine. I've said time and time before again. Money is not the only way you can 'donate'. Do something useful. Do a lengthy tutorial. Create the next swamp pack. Dont just sit there and whine about how you're not getting what people who help keep the server and site online get.

Again, we dont ever claim that you will get your map tested at any point. It's something I, but more importantly those members you see with the donator tag help bring to the table.

 

[littleedge]

I apologize for the assumptions and attack on Fubar, Drp. But the majority of my points in that post still stand.