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Hi guys,

I've recently come back to ET and I'm sad that you and the [!!!] crew are the only ones keeping the great public etpro fun spirit alive. I've played ET for many years and I've played pretty much in every map that ever existed.

I really like your main server with the old style campaign with the default ET maps, however I find it a little boring to played oasis and goldrush and fueldump twice every time. Just a small complaint here

Now, the other server is always empty and it makes me sad because it has as much potential to be full as the other ones. I've entered once and the map was a supply depot with snow. Right there I realised that I'd hate to play that map and I guess every one else agrees.

I'm don't know what the map rotation is on that server, so I can't fully comment or understand why it is empty, but I'd like to make a map suggestion.

How about setting up a 10 or 8 map campaign starting with oasis, ending with goldrush and with radar somewhere in the middle. People in pubs like panzas, airstrikes and mortars so there you go with perfect maps for that. Then, you want to continue with that trend with maps that were always public favourites, so you put caen_4, supply, et_beach and venice. You can also throw some competitive maps like tc_base, sp_delivery_te, adlernest and bremen_final. And then somewhere in the middle you throw some less known, but good old ones that have all the qualities to be in a public server (room for 24 people, open spaces, cool objectives) like sos_secret_weapon or password2.

This way you're not just overlapping with the official maps campaign servers and the Hirnlos competition maps. It's a mix!

So, just for exercise sake, let's give it an example:

CAMPAIGN:
- Official map.
- Great open map.
- Competition map.
- Official map.
- Less known map.
- Fun map.
- Competition map.
- Official map.

So in practice:

Campaign 1:
- Oasis
- caen_4
- bremen_final
- Radar
- sos_secret_weapon
- et_beach
- sp_delivery_te
- Goldrush

Campaign 2:
- Oasis
- supply
- adlernest
- Radar
- password2
- venice
- tc_base
- Goldrush

I'm just giving my personal opinion and my view as to what could be a really fun public server. What do you guys think?

my 2 cents,
IDIROFT

For those who don't know what sos_secret_weapon is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v_g1SQOx1I

If this is Customs server that we are talking about then I agree.

Yep, the Customs, not the default maps one.

I think having a server with just unknown random maps is unattractive. But if you have 2 maps at the beginning of the campaign that you and everybody knows that are great and then have a couple of extra maps in between that you know people like, you can fix people to it more easily.

Bottom line: no one wants to play supply with snow. Or a campaign without enjoyable maps.

Agreed, let's see what the reaction from others is.

Keep in mind, that people responsible, or able to change map rotations are somewhat absent these days and it might take a while to get a response.

Greets

Sounds good since the custom server is never busy.

More ideas:
- After you lunch and test the new campaigns, have the classic server redirecting players automatically to the custom server for a 24 hour period. This way it may create a new player base for the custom server. The Classic will always have people in it, but if you interrupt play there and force people into the Custom, maybe after you can have players who will prefer the custom and revamp it.

- Another idea, whenever the Classic server is full, have the players being redirected automatically to the custom server.

Don't think redirecting is a good idea there might be friends on the main server you want to play with and that would be very annoying imo.

Hi, that's a great point. Well, you don't need to force redirect when the server is full, but a pop-up can appear for the player to decide if he wants to redirect. That's something that could really improve the custom, if the classic is full you can suggest people to go the the custom



Oh, another map that was always good on public servers is dubrovnik.

Well actually there was once a group of maniacs that tried to make customs map popular but less and less time prevent them from succeeding...

I'd love to play some customs especially Depo, Aldernest but honestly I won't spend my time waiting for players to connect I'm too old for this stuff. I'd rather get spammed by arty and panzer at dc2

If we get approx. 6-8 players connecting at regular basis afternoons than It may work.
Anyway worth trying I quess such solution hasn't been suggested before.

could be worth a try.

A no on the forcing a redirect from me, but an optional redirect (with the option, to keep waiting for a slot on the DC2 if you wish too wait), is fine by me.

same here.

Tried in past (redirect & random custom map) result was an epic fail

Hi,

I found something else that could be improved. When you open the game with etmain, and you go to play online, with your custom menu, the Hirn servers are there, the nexus servers are there, the extreme warhammer is there, but only your DC2 is there, not the customs. Maybe for that reason few players are aware that the Custom server is an option.

Also, would you consider one day switching the IPs of the servers, swapping the DC2 and the customs?

Just some thoughts. I mean, there are still plenty of servers with jaymod and noquarter and custom maps that are running, and with many players. There is no reason for an etpro server not to be better then them


EDIT: I took the liberty of taking a little in game survey at the DC2. SO basically, some guys replied that they like to play: oasis, goldrush, radar, caen, venice, supply, aldernest, braundorf and bremen. Also said that et_beach can get pretty ugly for allies. So instead of a 2 campaign server, you could keep just one (a 10 map campaign):

- Supply
- Caen
- Adlernest
- Oasis
- sos_secret_weapon
- Radar
- Dubrovnik
- Bremen
- Venice
- Goldrush

I think Braundorf is too small for 12vs12 and maybe supply as well, but you could try. You could also try a map called snatch (there are some nq and jaymod servers with it, that as usually popular).

Just some thoughts. I hope you think about my input.

no to customs or redirect on fP2 please, leave it as it is.

start messing with the server like this and you can guarantee people will start playing elsewhere or not at fP at all.

customs aren't a bad idea, but not on fP2.

1) The customs The main point that I was trying to make was that the map rotation in the customs should change to something that people would like to play.

I asked a few players in what kind of server would they really enjoy playing. Some think the Hirnlos is too skilled and prefer a more relaxed server, a few are tired of the standard maps but can't find a better alternative: Customs always empty, other servers aren't etpro etc. Some don't like fueldump, railgun or battery.

The outcomes were:
- Customs is always empty and the maps aren't the best. Therefore it never gets people there in the first place.
- railgun, fueldump and battery aren't people favourites.
- Everyone loves oasis and goldrush.
- Radar is also up there too.
- Players also said to like caen, venice, adlernest, supply and bremen a lot.
- On a personal note, I didn't ask the players because few know these maps, but I think sos_secret_weapon and dubrovnik are two great maps that would work well in between the other maps.

So since the customs is always empty, you could try and put there a campaign with maps that people really like, taking out the ones they don't like, hence the maps named above and see what happens. Taking all the feedback, I think a good rotation should be something like I wrote in the previous post:

- supply
- caen_4
- adlernest
- oasis
- sos_secret_weapon
- radar
- dubrovnik
- bremen
- venice
- goldrush

It's at least worth a shot.

2) The fP2 I agree that fP2 is running very well right now. Now, messing with it were just random ideas I tried to pull to try to give some visibility to the Customs server, it's not like the game play would change per say. Some are extreme and you're right, maybe they would do more harm then good. But the option, not forcing, to redirect when the server is full? I think people would still play in fP2, given that the option to redirect would only appear when the server is already with 32 guys playing there.

3) The etmain menu Has I wrote before, with the custom menu you have right now, the Customs server does not appear when you start the game with etmain and click "play online". That could be also make less people know about it. Of course if you switch the game to etpro and go to play online, the server is there, but most people start with etmain.


So that pretty much sums up my attempts to improve the customs server. I can say that my best times playing ET were in etpro servers with a blend of official and custom maps. I miss that dearly and believe that your empty server could restore that kind of game experience that is missing

IDIROFT

Yeah, i'm in line with every one else here. The redirect should be optional and the maps imho do need a change. Since custom maps is always empty, i think there is no problem in taking a risk and shake things up a bit.

I know some players would like to play some other maps under fP control fortunatly we're praised many times for keeping the servers friendly and duchbag free.

PT players were used to have a custom map server, and it was always full just because the main big hit maps were there, and then with some other fun maps (venice, frostbite, depot etc.).

I also think that forcing players to the custom server either by IP switching or via a redirect is a bad idea.
I recall when something similar was tried a few years ago and it almost destroyed the DC2 player base. With player numbers as low as they are attempting this again could be futile.
I totally support you though, Idiroft, as I too would like to play different maps. But we have to remember what DC2 offers its players - original maps with 34 slots. They want to jump in and fight on a hectic battlefield [EDIT] on FAMILIAR maps [END EDIT]. Not many have the patience to sit on a near empty server waiting for more players to join.
Even with the redirect, players complained that they would rather wait in queue than join an empty server.

This is something I want too but not at the expense of DC2. Sorry.