public server

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benji 13
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public server

Post by benji 13 »

Heya guys,

I appreciate the ongoing discussion about about the new matching variant introduced by red-der and while the discussion is up I want to revive an old topic, which the older players might remember.
The fundamental thought about the following is the low amount of new players in our league and that we as league didn't consider trying to involve more bz players into the league, at least we didn't in the past few years (hopefully I'm right about this, because I haven't been following the topics constantly).

Getting more new blood in the league would bring us some more activity and the weaker players would have more possibilities of matching without having to face one of the strong and experienced teams.
The basical problem is, at least in my opinion, that we don't have a newbie-friendly public server from which we can recruit players from. If I'd be new to bzflag, I'd avoid bzf 54.
Why that?
It can't be fun to play vs the strong league players in rogue while having barely a team-colored mate aside.
The suggestion, as brought up by dexter and me in the old forum years ago (can someone dig that out? couldn't find it) is to reintroduce a public server like we used to have when I started playing bzflag, the one that existed before bzf came.
It had the old hix-map with the pyra's in the middle and with 4 teams setting, no rogue, but ctf and some flags.

Why I think that this would be useful:
New players would be able to compensate their low skill by
- using superflags
- playing as team and if not being able to kill a lot still can do caps and "kill" a whole team
- having mates around them (again, no rogue) who can support and assist

When I was the leader of pino I convinced a few players from the league to join the team but also asked some players on the public server if they might join the league and my team, because they were doing well on the public map.
Not imaginable is in our days that there are people playing public server on a regular basis without being registered in the league, but back then I think I recruited like 2-3 people (x0nix, ponnyplut) and introduced them to the league.

So my wish is basically to have a server set up with the old config and have league players playing kind on them and I'm sure, that we'll have a crowded public server again soon. I remember and miss the times when you wanted to play on the public server and could only join obs because every team was already full.
And yeah I know about the criticism related to superflags used by players like laaco, but that's no argument against having such a public server again in my opinion, especially not when looking at the status quo.
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kierra
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Re: public server

Post by kierra »

I like this. This is how I came to gu....a public server with super flags. Playing here I met the captain of Assassin Clan who then invited this super noob to his team.
ATG took me under his wing and taught (or tried to) me some of the tricks of gu.....he was like a regular coach...."do it again", do it again,...again till I did it right. I don't think this happens much anymore, but ATG's tutoring was the only reason I stuck with gu.
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slime
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Re: public server

Post by slime »

IIRC, there was a public hix server with super flags that a player could only pick up if their score was negative? Or something like that..is that the server you are thinking of?

I also remember my favorite hix variation, brad's hix rabbit chase. That was also a good server for hix newbs to learn on, since they'd basically be on a team of 10 vs 1. They learn to jump, shoot and chase without many bullets being fired back at them.
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kierra
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Re: public server

Post by kierra »

slime, it was one earlier than that one.

I miss rabbit chase also
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Zelgadis
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Re: public server

Post by Zelgadis »

I think your a talking about the old gamesunited.de server? That's how I started playing gu.. Yes, I like this idea.
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benji 13
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Re: public server

Post by benji 13 »

yep kierra and zel, it's the one before brad's servers. later destroyer had this version on his server iirc. I'll try to contact him since noone seems to remember the map name (was it only hix?) or the server name.
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Zelgadis
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Re: public server

Post by Zelgadis »

benji 13 wrote:yep kierra and zel, it's the one before brad's servers. later destroyer had this version on his server iirc. I'll try to contact him since noone seems to remember the map name (was it only hix?) or the server name.
Was hix with 4 thin bases. (height 1) But I don't remember the flags.
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slime
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Re: public server

Post by slime »

Oh haha I remember those thin bases..and that weird thing in the middle of the map. Yes I strongly support this ben, hope you can figure it out :)
alezakos
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Re: public server

Post by alezakos »

An archaically old version of the HIX map did have tiny bases. I couldn't however locate a hix map with those 4 pyramids in the middle... (thanks @benji for the screenshot). It would be great if anyone could find this version of the HIX map.

In other news, I put up a Hix rabbit hunt server with superflags at helit.org:5177 open to everyone and I'm open to comments, suggestions, criticism, ideas or enhancements.
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Snake12534
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Re: public server

Post by Snake12534 »

Thank you alezakos for the map, tested it out today, looks fun, but no players :(

Anyways, I had told every player in the public hix servers to join the league. I successfully recruited 5+ players. One player that currently is now even better than me. I also train many new gu players as best as I can.

I joined the league by the hix public servers. I remember pam recruited me. All in all, I support this idea, but don't we already have servers like this on already? The server list is full of these hix public servers.
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benji 13
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Re: public server

Post by benji 13 »

Thanks for the support and interest so far.

snake:
No we obviously don't. The hix servers are different and if you have a look at the following screenshots you might get an idea what I'm talking about.

http://benji.saturos.de/1.png
http://benji.saturos.de/2.png

Maybe you re-read my first post, try to spot my arguments and combine it with what you see.
It's a pity that you haven't had the chance to play on that ancient server.
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