Jaymyster
Member
I have played the new server rotation on the public servers since it has been released for a suitable amount of time; which has allowed me to to develop the conclusions I have come to in terms of changes that are needed in the rotation. Granted the updated rotation is a great step up from before, there are still some changes need to be made. The current updated rotation is as follows:
FrostByte - 1.0 (0-18 players)
Nivosus - 0.8 (0-12 players)
Moonshine - 0.6 (0-14 players)
Zenith Cauldron - 0.9 (16-20 players)
Fallout - 0.9 (16-20 players) (no reason for the min. to be this high)
Stygian - 0.2 (16-20 players) (no reason for min./max to be this high, if anything it's more of a clusterphuck on the flagstand this way)
Elegiac - 0.6 (14-20 players)
Gorge - 0.5 (14-20 players)
One problem I can pick out from this right off the bat in addition to playing with the rotation on the pub server is that there is no escape from Frost, Nivosus, and Moonshine when under 14 players... This is the reason why the map rotation doesn't seem as changed, because these 3 maps still dominate the server when under 14 players. This ends up to be a vicious circle due to the fact that players will leave due to the lack of variation between those 3 maps and the game will have less potential to grow so that the other 5 maps are available. My solution to this will appear where the <3 is.
Not much needs to be changed, but there are still some parts where it definitely needs improvement. This is the revised rotation in addition to the rationale behind the changes made.
FrostByte - 1.0 (0-18 players)
Fine
Nivosus - 0.8 (0-12 players)
Fine
Moonshine - 0.6 (0-14 players)
Fine
Zenith Cauldron - 0.8 (16-20 players)
Yes, I know this may be a shocker to some people, I reduced Zenith by .1. The reason behind this is because, although Zenith may be a map that vets enjoy more, it really doesn't run as well in pubs. The reason that is so is because of the larger amount of non-skilled players involved, which makes the majority of cappers on Zenith front routes in which are pursued at mediocre to slow speeds that only end up screwing up their teammates that actually know how important doing a real cap route on Zenith is. (Let's be honest, a pub on Zenith, is like a 1/4th as good as a pug. Although that could be said with many maps, it's become recurring for me to see a game on Zenith eventually fall apart and for most of the players to stop playing and dick around) However, it's only .1, not that big of a change/deal.
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Fallout - 0.9 (12-20 players)
Stygian - 0.2 (10-18 players)
Elegiac - 0.8 or 0.9 (12-20 players)
Changes made: 1. Fallout/Elegiac minimums reduced to 12 players, Stygian reduced to 10
2. Elegiac map weight + 0.2/0.3 | 3. Stygian max. -2 players.
1. The reason why I have changed the minimum players in all 3 of these maps to 12 players is because of the problem that I have stated above <3. If these maps are reduced to a 12 player minimum, the problem with Frost, Nivo, and Moonshine consuming the server should finally come to a halt in terms of being overplayed. 6v6 on Fallout, Stygian, and Elegiac is a perfectly sufficient starting minimum for a pub.
2. Elegiac is a map is a commonly enjoyed map, get's little negative feedback, and hell, I've played a LOT more pugs on Elegiac than on Fallout, so I see no reason why it shouldn't be up there with it. Elegiac almost never has the tendency to clear the server of it's population. (unlike some of the common maps do even)
3. Stygian's max. player count was reduced by 2, you may even consider 4 if you so choose. The reason why I changed the max was simply because the flag-stand on Stygian is already a mess with mortar. Stygian is an awesome map, but having a max that high with even more players will only make that issue worse. Minimum reduced to 10 to have at least a chance at SOME variation in the server when it contains low population.
Gorge - 0.5 (14-20 players)
Fine
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And that's pretty much everything that needs to be changed.
The problem with the rotation as a whole in addition to the tendency of maps being chosen would no longer be an issue if more good maps are made. (consider as a bigger priority maybe?)
I theorize that a possibility for why the map rotation was made the way it was in the first place was to preserve the other maps so people don't get tired of them. If that's true, then once more, maybe it should be considered a bigger priority to invest more time into making good maps.
Anyway, stay on topic about the rotation if you're going to reply.
FrostByte - 1.0 (0-18 players)
Nivosus - 0.8 (0-12 players)
Moonshine - 0.6 (0-14 players)
Zenith Cauldron - 0.9 (16-20 players)
Fallout - 0.9 (16-20 players) (no reason for the min. to be this high)
Stygian - 0.2 (16-20 players) (no reason for min./max to be this high, if anything it's more of a clusterphuck on the flagstand this way)
Elegiac - 0.6 (14-20 players)
Gorge - 0.5 (14-20 players)
One problem I can pick out from this right off the bat in addition to playing with the rotation on the pub server is that there is no escape from Frost, Nivosus, and Moonshine when under 14 players... This is the reason why the map rotation doesn't seem as changed, because these 3 maps still dominate the server when under 14 players. This ends up to be a vicious circle due to the fact that players will leave due to the lack of variation between those 3 maps and the game will have less potential to grow so that the other 5 maps are available. My solution to this will appear where the <3 is.
Not much needs to be changed, but there are still some parts where it definitely needs improvement. This is the revised rotation in addition to the rationale behind the changes made.
FrostByte - 1.0 (0-18 players)
Fine
Nivosus - 0.8 (0-12 players)
Fine
Moonshine - 0.6 (0-14 players)
Fine
Zenith Cauldron - 0.8 (16-20 players)
Yes, I know this may be a shocker to some people, I reduced Zenith by .1. The reason behind this is because, although Zenith may be a map that vets enjoy more, it really doesn't run as well in pubs. The reason that is so is because of the larger amount of non-skilled players involved, which makes the majority of cappers on Zenith front routes in which are pursued at mediocre to slow speeds that only end up screwing up their teammates that actually know how important doing a real cap route on Zenith is. (Let's be honest, a pub on Zenith, is like a 1/4th as good as a pug. Although that could be said with many maps, it's become recurring for me to see a game on Zenith eventually fall apart and for most of the players to stop playing and dick around) However, it's only .1, not that big of a change/deal.
___________________________
Fallout - 0.9 (12-20 players)
Stygian - 0.2 (10-18 players)
Elegiac - 0.8 or 0.9 (12-20 players)
Changes made: 1. Fallout/Elegiac minimums reduced to 12 players, Stygian reduced to 10
2. Elegiac map weight + 0.2/0.3 | 3. Stygian max. -2 players.
1. The reason why I have changed the minimum players in all 3 of these maps to 12 players is because of the problem that I have stated above <3. If these maps are reduced to a 12 player minimum, the problem with Frost, Nivo, and Moonshine consuming the server should finally come to a halt in terms of being overplayed. 6v6 on Fallout, Stygian, and Elegiac is a perfectly sufficient starting minimum for a pub.
2. Elegiac is a map is a commonly enjoyed map, get's little negative feedback, and hell, I've played a LOT more pugs on Elegiac than on Fallout, so I see no reason why it shouldn't be up there with it. Elegiac almost never has the tendency to clear the server of it's population. (unlike some of the common maps do even)
3. Stygian's max. player count was reduced by 2, you may even consider 4 if you so choose. The reason why I changed the max was simply because the flag-stand on Stygian is already a mess with mortar. Stygian is an awesome map, but having a max that high with even more players will only make that issue worse. Minimum reduced to 10 to have at least a chance at SOME variation in the server when it contains low population.
Gorge - 0.5 (14-20 players)
Fine
_______________________________________________________________
And that's pretty much everything that needs to be changed.
The problem with the rotation as a whole in addition to the tendency of maps being chosen would no longer be an issue if more good maps are made. (consider as a bigger priority maybe?)
I theorize that a possibility for why the map rotation was made the way it was in the first place was to preserve the other maps so people don't get tired of them. If that's true, then once more, maybe it should be considered a bigger priority to invest more time into making good maps.
Anyway, stay on topic about the rotation if you're going to reply.
