Ball Ladder Server Size Poll

[shrode]

Now that we have had a long time to give 26 man servers a shot, what are your guys' thoughts?

I, personally, am really sick of specing every other game because people are too incompetent to switch servers. Even with 26 people in the full ladder, chances of the other server starting aren't that great. The other specs last game and I had a nice conversation about how great the old ladder was, and how when you were in the server, your time was enjoyed. Yes, you had to wait a game to get into the server many times, but it was SO nice not having to spec every. ****ing. game.

Another thing that is just terrible about this new system is that the full ladder servers is basically two seperate games without many players switching from one set of players to the other set of players. It all comes down to people being terrible at starting new servers.

I propose we go back to old server size until a mass server move function is implemented into ladder.

[sky]

i agree with 2 ladders u dont need so many specs, btw i would also like to add their should be like a secret ladder or something, Im tired of 1 player who almost doesnt know what he's doing going and making his team lose almost always oyster is the best example he doesnt know how to play, ive had long tlaks with him and said, ill teach u or go to ball dojo. he says ladder is only place to learn, ladder is competitive pubs are not so. Idk just noobs are starting to ruin ladder in a similar way to ball ruining tbd. tbd takes skill and teamwork ball does to dont get me wrong, but it teaches the new players all the wrong stuff. For example a TBD player can play ball (kujas tbd clan he made for ball) people who start out with ball just know to hit f and s for shoot a missle out of loopy and pass the ball. It's time that some new players join tbd, and that ladder becomes more fun. Everyone says i rage, me TYPING IN CAPS doesnt mean im ragin it just stresses the point.
-sky

[sky]

i jsut got double specced if ur not gonna change it down to much at least change it to freaking 24 double specced is plain old stupid.

[Clapon]

imo make it like 16 and force people to play in two ladders


but yes atleast make it 24

[shrode]

Originally Posted by Clapon

imo make it like 16 and force people to play in two ladders


but yes atleast make it 24

24 is actually the worst of both worlds. Then the chances of getting another one started is virtually 0 AND you still have to spec a silly amount.

Either 1: Go back to old size, which would lead to more people playing dojo and what-not while they waited to get in to ladder, or 2: stay at what it is, which everybody has to admit results in a TON of spec'ing.

I completely understand why this way was tried, and if we had a slightly larger player base I think it WOULD be the way to go, but there are just too many times when the number of players lingers around 23 that it makes old server size more efficient.

[shrode]

Originally Posted by [Y]

biased poll options are biased

also, tl;dr

and my bad i was kind of ragey when i wrote that. I'd edit it but I can't. However, it's not like the thread option is a lie.

[sunshineduck]

i don't enjoy getting double spec'd but i would like to vote no because people should be held accountable for their stupidity

[shrode]

Originally Posted by sunshineduck

i don't enjoy getting double spec'd but i would like to vote no because people should be held accountable for their stupidity

it just takes a couple idiots and no second latter. it's not just them being held accountable. SSD don't act like you don't miss the good ole days where u had like 5000 games.

[sunshineduck]

i'm definitely no moser steve

his games played rate has got to be higher than mine on a per day basis, and he sits half the time. ;_;

[Urpee]

All we need is a function that moves specs over automatically if the second ball server is not full. 26 is actually better to make sure you really do have two servers. The only reason why there is double-speccing a lot is because people cannot be arsed to move to the second server and sit at 5 each side, because some lazy few stay put.

[Ajuk999]

Lamster threatening to ban people if they don't go to the other ladder works just fine. lol

[elxir]

Originally Posted by Urpee

All we need is a function that moves specs over automatically if the second ball server is not full. 26 is actually better to make sure you really do have two servers. The only reason why there is double-speccing a lot is because people cannot be arsed to move to the second server and sit at 5 each side, because some lazy few stay put.

no thank you i have no desire to be auto-moved into a group of **** players

[ryebone]

I definitely acknowledge the fact that increasing the server size has not worked as well as intended. People have pointed out several reasons for doing it, but one that I haven't seen mentioned is the fact that it's risky to be the first to change servers. If Ladder #3 is at 26/26, the first person to switch to Ladder #4 runs the risk of losing his spot in Ladder #3, as well as failing to get Ladder #4 started. Therefore, there's a huge risk for non-admins to begin the migration process.

How about increasing the server size to say, 30?

[elxir]

Originally Posted by ryebone

I definitely acknowledge the fact that increasing the server size has not worked as well as intended. People have pointed out several reasons for doing it, but one that I haven't seen mentioned is the fact that it's risky to be the first to change servers. If Ladder #3 is at 26/26, the first person to switch to Ladder #4 runs the risk of losing his spot in Ladder #3, as well as failing to get Ladder #4 started. Therefore, there's a huge risk for non-admins to begin the migration process.

How about increasing the server size to say, 30?

soooo eight people can get double specced?

the simple fact is that people do not want to move servers. either force server moves, or decrease server size.

[bummeln]

Another option may be to further differentiate the servers and give a reason to play elsewhere. My thought would be to have one server only pick from the top players joining (12 for TBD, 14 for ball), something would need to be done so it wouldn't be the default server choice though.

Another may be a more non-expert friendly server where flaming is discouraged and/or punished (half-value games?), to help with transitioning between pub and ladder.

I still like the concept behind the large servers but in a full room it still requires over 90% of the specs to want to move (rye's point), usually quickly, I think attempts to start a 2nd ladder average about 30 seconds.

[yankinlk]

Originally Posted by bummeln

Another option may be to further differentiate the servers and give a reason to play elsewhere.

eurobladder ftw

[Jayfourke]

Euroladder*

Corrected that for you there.

[classicallad]

I think this problem was brought up before and the solution was something like, 'Have servers ask you weather or not you would like to switch to another ladder server that is in need of players'.

This sounds like the way to go imo.

[SendMoreCops]

The way you have presented this poll is ... interesting. *cough* Biased *cough*

[Rainmaker]

Originally Posted by ryebone

I definitely acknowledge the fact that increasing the server size has not worked as well as intended. People have pointed out several reasons for doing it, but one that I haven't seen mentioned is the fact that it's risky to be the first to change servers. If Ladder #3 is at 26/26, the first person to switch to Ladder #4 runs the risk of losing his spot in Ladder #3, as well as failing to get Ladder #4 started. Therefore, there's a huge risk for non-admins to begin the migration process.

How about increasing the server size to say, 30?

+1

Increase ladder 3 slots to 30~32.
That way you would have enough people to move to ladder 4.

Moving people it's not a good idea. Some people might prefer to wait and play with their "friends" than start playing right away in another svr with a bunch of "strangers".

[sky]

im tired of oyster or 1 player ruining a game i think ladder size sohuld be decreased or increased, and something needs to be done about 1 player ruining games.

[nobodyhome]

Originally Posted by sky

im tired of oyster or 1 player ruining a game i think ladder size sohuld be decreased or increased, and something needs to be done about 1 player ruining games.

maybe if we know a player that tends to ruin games, we should leave them permabanned.

[TwistedCookie]

Originally Posted by nobodyhome

maybe if we know a player that tends to ruin games, we should leave them permabanned.

ooo theres loads of them ..

[TRUEPAiN]

Originally Posted by TwistedCookie

ooo theres loads of them ..

It's much of ladder's player base! Without them you wouldn't be able to get in a ranked game any time of day.
Typed this on my iPhone sorry if it sucks.

As far as server size. Ladder #4 is highly neglected. When games are running in both servers they tend to fail because of
1. Takes a good number of specs to change servers in order for a large following to gather to get both running. Both tend to die because a tending movement to spec in another to catch a game that is about to end.
2. There are too many spec slots! If you reduce the amount of slots you give potential for stronger player base in both servers, providing gratuitous amounts of games for both players in both servers.

3. By reducing number of spectators your not stuck in "group rotations" as it is now in a full server. One is stuck playing with and against defined groups of players. 12 that are playing will play with same group (in most cases with very little variance). And specs will play against the spectating group.

This is both good and bad. As it provides more players playing time, bad for it provides good or bad inheritance for that player of the player group.

Also, why the heck are there 12 spec slots when another game could be going on? 6 is the golden number here for spec slots

By reducing number of specs, more variety of teams will be able to occur and may make for more

By reducing the amount of spectator you break any reason to double spec to skip a group of players you don't want to risk with.. You make 6 spec slots you provide better opportunity for better team composition

[elxir]

also i strongly dislike playing on ladder 2 and 4 due to the no ping limit, regardless of server size

i even dislike 1/3 at times because people abuse the maxping and play with 250+ in the "limited" servers (lol) which is just silly

[Ligature]

I'm not sure if this is feasible with the commands altitude provides currently and there are a lot of details that might make it not work out, but one idea would be to have start_tournament automatically make 2 games if there are 24+ people not specced when it is called and use the /move command to populate the other server.

[Urpee]

Originally Posted by elxir

no thank you i have no desire to be auto-moved into a group of **** players

Here's the fix: When a server is full, random everybody into two teams and split them among two servers. Chance of getting to group of "**** players" no greater than staying where you are.

[Smushface]

Nobo, I'm interested if you've compared the data of how many ladder games / day were played before the server cap change vs. after.

While it's not conclusive, it is telling.

Should probably also compare (I have no idea how robust you data is)
-How many unique players played ladder / day
-How many unique players played ladder / month (to make sure that the above stat isn't different simply because of an influx of new players)
-The average number of games each player played / day