PR Server 1.1 suggestion

[Ghostwolf]

Hello!

In my opinion the current PR community cannot regularly fill 100p servers in a satisfying way.
Too few regular players meet too many irregular players.

This leads to stress, irritation, teamstacking which results in an overall declining of general attractiveness of Project Reality.

Issues

Stress
Try to drill a team to victory, when 1 squad is somewhere 4 flags ahead, 1 squad(probably trans squad ) is the only one responding on mumble, 1 squad going amok with their assets. And the rest 4 full squads are continously feeding the enemies bullets.

Teamstacking
Many regular players avoid this exhausting and irritating atmosphere and then they flock together on one side with all the other regular players. Unbalancing the team and irritating the major population of the server. This won't go well in future if we continue that.

Irritation
Irregular players are mostly facing irregular squadleads, with whom they have to fight regulars. This leads to a critical amount of disappointment, which could result in avoidance of project reality.


Okay, now I pointed out some problems, which are the norm, not the exception.

Suggestions

Awareness/Illumination
Already tried this but failed hard, since it depends on the individual's own initiative.

Servers
Reduce free slots: 70/75/80p
Increase reserved slots: 20/15/10p
Increase avaiability of reserved slots: Registrations/Clans/Communities

Pro:
- server seeded with less people (easier to balance the teams. 1-3 experienced squadleaders have way bigger impact on gameplay)
- server attracts more regulars through reserved slots
- proportion regular/irregular improves through reserved slots
- overall gameexperience increaases

Conclusion

Project Reality has a huge potential, but it is on us, the community, to use this potential. Your actions decide how good this game is.
But regular 100p servers overburdens the current potential of the community. Reduce the regular servers in amount of players, to increase gameplay, and add free reserved slots to attract more regular/registered players.

The suggestion does not mean, that 100p servers are suspended. They are still avaiable, if, but only if, the playerbase is strong enough to carry it. And this "if" is regulated by the reserved slots.

Easy example: 80p server with 20 reserved slots.
80 irregulars play, 20 regulars join = 100p server.

[matty1053]

IIRC... there is a server w/ I think 10 reserved slots...

But I can agree with you on these...

Stress
Try to drill a team to victory, when 1 squad is somewhere 4 flags ahead, 1 squad(probably trans squad ) is the only one responding on mumble, 1 squad going amok with their assets. And the rest 4 full squads are continously feeding the enemies bullets.

Yes, I have noticed this a ton since 1.0, so I know it's not just 1.1

Teamstacking
Many regular players avoid this exhausting and irritating atmosphere and then they flock together on one side with all the other regular players. Unbalancing the team and irritating the major population of the server. This won't go well in future if we continue that.

Basically, you gotta get used to it.
But, I am sure you know the clan prWars.
They are AWESOME, since most of the time, they will switch to the losing team if they lost like 350-0

Irritation
Irregular players are mostly facing irregular squadleads, with whom they have to fight regulars. This leads to a critical amount of disappointment, which could result in avoidance of project reality.

Well, servers can try to do stuff..
HOG prohibits free kits squads.
Few others do that too.

But, PR population has gone down recently after like 2 months of 1.0.

[Raklodder]

I would recommend (or at least suggest) the PR-community to have at least a few 64-player(s) servers available.

[Gracler]

I agree with Ghostwolf. The 100 player servers where fun when the population could support it and the admins could be very strict, but now it seems more reasonable to have maybe 70 player servers instead to be able to control the quality of the game-play more easily.

Back when we had just 60 with 4 reserved slots, it was also much easier to get a 2nd server going, but now when the cap is at 100 players and 64 are playing it is a sign that the server is about to die so people start to leave automatically.

[fatalsushi83]

I would love to see one or two popular 64-player servers. 100 players on maps like Fallujah or Basrah can be a big mess with little room for tactics like flanking and ambushes because people are everywhere. But with around 60 players the pace is much better and there's room for strategy and planning.

[Raklodder]

Originally Posted by fatalsushi83

I would love to see one or two popular 64-player servers. 100 players on maps like Fallujah or Basrah can be a big mess with little room for tactics like flanking and ambushes because people are everywhere. But with around 60 players the pace is much better and there's room for strategy and planning.

I usually only play on insurgency-layer server/maps and know for a fact (my opinion) that 100p is indeed to much vs. server/client performance, with that said, I was among the majority of people who were all for and happy to see a new 100p layer, but I kind of regret that now, since 36 players are not being rendered (without a name and map icon).

[Hulabi]

Originally Posted by Raklodder

since 36 players are not being rendered (without a name and map icon).

Nobody has name tags anymore, and the extra 36 players have always had a map icon just like everybody else.

[Ghostwolf]

No, the servers technical resources are not the problem here. And the removal of nametags is in my opinion essential for todays PR and a very positive thing.

The problem is, that the community cannot host satisfactory 100p public matches.
There are too few regular players and too small maps to come up with those 100players.

Simple solution for that problem:
Reduced amount of public player slots (60-80)
Increased amount of reserved slots (20)

Give the reserved slots to people who register on the servers homepage or to clans. Overall regular players.
Then the total player amount COULD reach up to 100p. But this happens automatically ONLY, when enough regulars join.

[DesmoLocke]

It sounds like some people want to go back to playing 2km maps with 64 players. I can see the appeal, but I prefer the 4 km maps with 100 players PR experience.

The only true way to resolve the player population issue is to recruit more players! I got a guy that randomly joined my clan's PR channel in TS to buy BF2 off of Steam for $9.99. I'm happy to say he'll be on the battlefield this weekend.

[Raklodder]

Originally Posted by [R-COM]Hulabi

Nobody has name tags anymore, and the extra 36 players have always had a map icon just like everybody else.

All but 36 players have names, all you have to do is to hover over their body, with your cursor, for a few seconds.

Originally Posted by DesmoLocke

It sounds like some people want to go back to playing 2km maps with 64 players. I can see the appeal, but I prefer the 4 km maps with 100 players PR experience.

The only true way to resolve the player population issue is to recruit more players! I got a guy that randomly joined my clan's PR channel in TS to buy BF2 off of Steam for $9.99. I'm happy to say he'll be on the battlefield this weekend.

I would like to play 64 players on 4KM maps!