Petition to use Kansas Server for Pick Up games and Scrims!

[Siper]

Hello! this is a petition to have the kansas server for pick up games etc. Reason is the change in pings affects the performance of players, for central us and especially west coasters that are used to playing on kansas server with 100 ping even less, and the new jersey server is a big change to 120-150 even more for some. I know most players are east coasters, but there is still plenty of west coasters that would like to play on a reliable ping that's why I'm making this petition! Please sign below if you would like kansas server used for private games.

 

[Daphinicus]

I haven't spoken to GReaper, and he's really the head honcho when it comes to the servers, but we might be able to use a dedicated, "hidden" Hotswap (i.e., Kansas Server) for a PUG if and when the majority of the PUG's participants requests it. Then again, that might be infeasible right now; I'll talk to him tonight if I see him.

 

[Mabeline]

We can (and have) played pugs on hotswap, but most of the time we simply play on the server that most people want to play on. Most of the time everybody's east, so we play Jersey. The Jersey server is also way more reliable than the hotswap servers, which is another point in its favor.

 

[Gheist]

And also doesn't completely *dance* over the occasional european players.

 

[Ucantry2run]

Yeah, the east coast gives a fairly balanced ping to west coasters and Europeans. I've seen European players with as low as 80 ping, central with as low as 60-70 ping, and west around 100ish. Also, it is more reliable, as many have said and can vouch on.

West server for pubs? I'd give it a yes.

West server for pickups? I haven't really seen more than two or three west coasters on a pug at one time, so I wouldn't think it would be really necessary until more frequent numbers come on.

 

[GReaper]

A slightly higher ping is better than an unreliable ping with pretty bad sporadic bursts of packet loss.

Hotswap currently doesn't provide the thing you're after - a reliable ping, the NJ server is generally far more stable. We're aware of the issues with it and hope to have it sorted, but until then most people prefer to play an entire game without everyone having to ask "LAG?!" once in a game.

 

[Siper]

East coasters wouldnt suffer much ping penalty if kansas server is used for pick up games.

As a west server for pubs, I think the kansas is good enough for all US to play on.

.. And out of curiosity, how is jersey server more reliable? Edit: thanks GReaper, is there any chance the Kansas server will be improved?

 

[GReaper]

As I've explained above, packet loss issues. Poor connectivity, poor location.

At this point a new location is going to be the only way of fixing it.

 

[Chi-Ro]

West server for pickups? I haven't really seen more than two or three west coasters on a pug at one time, so I wouldn't think it would be really necessary until more frequent numbers come on.

I believe there are plenty of west coasters in pickups, (and far more than there are euros in the NA pickups). It's not unreasonable to have a single central or west host available. Also, as to the euro argument, you could say the exact same thing about the aussies and asians who play but the other way around. There's not now nor will there ever be a perfect host, but the majority of our pickup players are east coast, followed by west. Personally I believe as the two largest groups it should be evened between them rather than a group like the euros. Anyway for every Euro I've personally seen in a NA pickup I've seen an equal number of aussies, and some asians as well. That ping balance argument really doesn't hold much weight, as by helping one group it royally screws the other.

 

[Mabeline]

It's not unreasonable to have a single central or west host available

It's available, we just don't play on it most of the time.

EDIT: While I don't have numbers about the pickup players the east side of NA has about twice the players the west side does.

 

[Ucantry2run]

It's available, we just don't play on it most of the time.

EDIT: While I don't have numbers about the pickup players the east side of NA has about twice the players the west side does.

I've also seen more central players than west coast players. I honestly don't see many west coasters frequently.

 

[djfaith]

I like the idea of a central host, but I agree with the points that there are far less west coasters than east players. That being said I don't think (when we get a better central host) that the east coasters will really be at a loss if we played more comp from central servers. So I show my support for central when the time comes. As it stands I totally understand the need for a good host and that is in the east.

 

[Buhlitz]

I've suffered high pings since the early days , curse you east coast.

 

[Kryst]

Isn't this about what servers can be afforded as well?

West coast servers, central servers and east coast servers all come with a price. Remember that this is a non-profit game and server costs are coming out of someones pocket. (aka donations, devs, ect.) More server locations = more money.

Now as much as I love the Kansas City servers for a neutral host, if you go into any of the hotswaps you get the burden of the constant lag spikes. While you might be able to put up with it regularly in a pub, its a little bit more frustrating in a pickup, which is why we use the Jersey servers currently until other alternatives arise.

 

[Siper]

Ok, so I don't understand why Kansas server hasnt been taken down and replaced by a better server in or near kansas? would the price difference be that big?

 

[GReaper]

We're aware of the issues with it and hope to have it sorted

 

[Apcizzle]

For east coast vs central coast servers... i dont mind either way. The Jersey server is wayyyy more reliable and hardly lags, so that is why we usually play on that one... but if we can get a reliable in the central part of the states, ill be ok with that.