Soon - MKWEA switching to "Registered" server

[FadedOasis]

Been thinking about it, I think I'm going to go through with registering MKWEA with Valve.

Benefits of registering your server:

• Drive traffic to your server. Registered servers will receive significant preferential treatment by the automated matchmaking system.
  
• Be a good citizen. You'll get a nice, warm feeling that comes with helping us gather the data we need to make the game better.
  

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How does the matchmaking work?

• You need to be running a Valve map to be matched, except:
  • Any arena map
    
  • cp_manor_event
    
  • cp_degrootkeep
    
  • koth_harvest_event
    
  • tc_hydro
• Servers should be running as "vanilla" as possible. In particular, these server tags (sv_tags) will disqualify a server:
  • friendlyfire
    
  • respawntimes
    
  • nocrits
    
  • norespawntime
    
  • nodmgspread
    
  • highlander
    
  • noquickplay
• Your server should not be password protected
  
• Your server needs to have VAC enabled
  
• Increasing the max player count above 24 will incur a matchmaking scoring penalty, but will not disqualify you from the list

Registering the server will allow it to be found in the "Play Now!" button, which hopefully means it will be somewhere between full and nearly-full all day long. (I probably wouldn't have to do this if people actually followed my suggestions on "How to not kill the server".)

Unfortunately, it means I'll have to take the custom maps out of regular rotation. Since people seem to be getting bored of them anyway, this shouldn't be too big of a deal. Also, I'm not going to be getting rid of them entirely. I'm working on a way to do a "Custom map night" thing more often. This way we can still play the custom maps, yet not have them ready to kill the server.

[pneuma08]

If you're feeling it, go for it.

[vultanphase]

I should note that, as I read it, changing to a custom map doesn't magically make all the "PLAY NOW" players suddenly vanish, it just means they won't be assigned to the server while ON the custom map. Which means as long as the server is not saturated with custom maps, anyone that leaves during a custom map is only temporary damage as it ought to fill back up afterwards. I mean, it still involves the people playing VOTING for a custom map.

[FadedOasis]

Why do you want the server to be more filled with random people at all hours of the day?

Because an empty TF2 server is a useless TF2 server. If I want to play TF2 at 1pm on Saturday, I can't play on MKWEA because it's empty and the MKWEA Startup Group isn't working as well as it used to.

Regardless, keep in mind that doing this will require you follow more arbitrary and seemingly unnecessary updates, Faded.

What? The main rule we'd need to follow is "Keep the server as vanilla as possible." I see no problem there.

I should note that, as I read it, changing to a custom map doesn't magically make all the "PLAY NOW" players suddenly vanish, it just means they won't be assigned to the server while ON the custom map. Which means as long as the server is not saturated with custom maps, anyone that leaves during a custom map is only temporary damage as it ought to fill back up afterwards.

Except for all those times where it's a full server, and then we move to Lighthouse or Waste or something, and then the server is completely empty . I really like Custom Maps, but I'd like a server with people in it more.

[FadedOasis]

Oh, I should point out that we *can* break the rules if we want to run a highlander event or something. It would just disable the "Play Now" button from finding MKWEA until we get back to regular TF2.

[blight]

I like this. I can't count how many times I'd rather be on MKWEA and have to settle with some other server.

[fivealarm]

I support this idea!

[rhench]

I'm fine with this.

[rhench]

Question: does this mean 2fort and everything else we've suppressed comes back into rotation? Because I'm not fine with this if that's the case.

[jamez]

I support this decisions for all the reasons already mentioned.

Also so I can play L4D without guilt.

[Heller]

Question: does this mean 2fort and everything else we've suppressed comes back into rotation? Because I'm not fine with this if that's the case.

From what Faded posted, it looks like we have to be running a Valve map, but we don't have to have all of them in the rotation. In other words, we have to choose our maps from a set list, but we don't have to include the entire list.

[FadedOasis]

Heller is right. Valve sets up a list of maps the server can run and still be eligible. Basically, it's "If the server isn't currently running one of these maps, the 'Play Now' button won't find your server.

[strata]

Gonna be under the thumb of the man, man.

[FadedOasis]

MKWEA IS NOW A REGISTERED SERVER. You can tell because it's 4:00 on a Tuesday afternoon and it's nearly full.

A reminder: MKWEA has THREE hidden slots for players with reserve access! If you want to get in, that will be your easiest way!

[melonaterman]

Holy shit it's true.

[Doctor Wheeze]

Is that why there were so many terrible people on

[Doctor Wheeze]

I don't mean to be a negative nancy but I just wanna say that the server is now constantly full of awful, annoying people. It's making basically every match super unsatisfying. If I wanted to stomp on newbies I'd go play on a Valve server.

All these children in my video games. Get off my lawn!

[FadedOasis]

This is why you should be posting an event to the MKWEA Server Startup Group to try to fill it with server regulars.

[Doctor Wheeze]

freetoplay dot jpg




fortunately the other team was also stupid was using the kritzkreig

[vultanphase]

Are you CERTAIN you didn't need five engineers?

[pneuma08]

Don't worry, the spy and the sniper can pick up the slack.

[docsfox]

Hey, they were just trying out a new strategy man.

[rhench]

I'd like a revisit of this issue, just to see how people are feeling about MKWEA lately. I enjoy the Hunt, and I think it's a good chain effect of bringing people on the server. But with all the pubs (I want to call them scrubs, but some are just new, and that's not their fault) and idiocy, I have been having less fun on MKWEA than ever. I still love our community, but our community is no longer the highlight. Yeah, we can get on and play more often, but I can play a vanilla pub server anywhere, anytime. Sure I don't have admin privileges there, but I have at least one other alltalk primarily vanilla server that I go to now. And it has custom maps that I like, too. Anyone else think that the registering is a losing proposition?