Community Question: Average Multiplayer Play Time

(TheSgtBilko) #21

Not sure I understand if you’re asking for map round time or multi round/map session.

For round times, I’d prefer to play like in RtCW -where maps had default time ranging 8-15 minutes AND also a possibility for server admins to set whatever round time they want per map.

With “reasonably” short round times you can get some multi round/map carnage even if you only have an hour to spend before dinner.

However if the question is about session times rather than round times, then I’d say I play more than an hour per session.

For incitament to play longer sessions, I’d say clanmates around and well admined servers (for which the server tools to do that has been in general sadly reduced in newer games).

(EnderWiggin.DA.) #22

My reply addresses into the bonus question imo.
A) I agree with DarkangelUK.

B) I prefer shorter maps in the 10-15 minute (max pub time limit range) because I view the A->B->C map layout rule as being the best for attack and defend style gameplay. Also getting full held or holding the defense for 20-30 minutes blows chunks. Finally I honestly feel the average person doesn’t have the attention span to learn long maps with a NEW game.

C) I also think short maps have the potential to give you more of that “last second win” moment. When I think about the best matches and pub rounds I’ve played, it’s the last second wins and losses that stand out in my memory. Cheers or tears in the final seconds. Admittedly, this can also depend on how balanced the teams are for a round. I’ve been shot down on this before, but I think SD should at least think about ways to encourage balanced teams in terms of skill.

All of this requires fun and balanced maps. Also variety in the number or maps (ie more than 8) and sometimes gametypes. That is what keeps me playing a game longer.

(BioSnark) #23

2 etqw campaigns - 60 - 90 minutes.

Close map finishes and not playing with completely unknown people.

(Destroy666) #24

Playing with friends or people from my country, testing new mods/maps, being a part of an event. Or just playing/watching a very balanced, close game.

(Apoc) #25

Things that turn a normal 90 min session into a 6 hour all nighter:-

  • Lots of clan mates playing
  • New content in any way
  • Some sort of bonus weekend/event
  • Happen to be playing with some half decent players
  • Balanced games
(INF3RN0) #26

The more competitive the base game feels, the longer I’ll play it. I personally don’t care about all the grief of bad players, unbalanced games, etc if the general game play is solid. I usually join the weaker team to try and beat the odds in just about every game I pub anyway, which is possibly because I am the only gamer in the world who doesn’t give a crap about stats/rep. I do think that there should be hard coding in the next game to prevent FencingMaster from always following to my team in order to create cleverly homo fireteam names and flirt with me on voip…

(Dthy) #27

Don’t lie Inf, we all know you secretly love it.

(Bullveyr) #28

Hard to tell because of a wide variation but usually my sessions are pretty long, so I would say 1.5 - 2 hours (with a lot of smoking brakes)

When it comes to round times I prefer shorter ones in the 10 min range.

(nephandys) #29

For me, I usually sit down to play for about 2 hour stints. As far as match time goes…I’m a DotA player so 60 minute matches aren’t that outlandish for me. However, I think the sweet spot is really somewhere around the 15-20 min mark.

A lot of length depends on the game itself. Some games can have an interesting 60 min match. Others you’re raging within minutes if things aren’t going your way and you just want it over. Since we’re most likely talking FPS though I’d have to stick with the 15-20 min idea.

Good matchmaking is most likely going to extend my play time more than anything else. Too easy and I’m bored, too hard (getting stomped) or paired with crappy teammates and I want to shoot myself in the face.

Might be worth mentioning a fun, close-knit, community is a great plus for extending my time and involvement with a title as well. Whether or not that can be manufactured or must arise naturally is whole other issue.

(badman) #30

Thanks everyone for your replies so far!

We’re looking for total “session” play time this week, though this ultimately feeds back down into single match times as well.

(tokamak) #31

But averages don’t mean much in this context, you want medians if you go for determining the ‘attention span’ of the average player.

(Humate) #32

IMO 15-20 minute maps in a 3 map campaign, with temporary unlocks + persistent medals etc.
That way, the average joe is more likely to stick around even after getting fragged 100 times because they dont want to lose their unlocks.
It means you can keep the skill ceiling high as the noobs only care for xp, and that gives the mid level players that dont care about xp, something to play for. Add ingame voip, and you keep the social butterflies and the ‘self proclaimed team-players’ happy.

youre welcome, just add me in the credits cough

(Apples) #33

Used to play 15 hours straight… Now when I pass the 90 minutes its a miracle.

(tokamak) #34

You need more apples.

(retsy) #35

i will sit down in front of a multiplayer game for 6-10 hours if its good enough
20 minutes per map, 3 maps per round is my preference for fps multiplayer games

(dazman76) #36

Generally a couple of hours max on the weekdays, but could be longer at the weekend if the games are good :slight_smile: That is actually influenced by many things as already stated - team mates, opponents, resulting quality of rounds being played, other things to do etc. If everything falls into place, I’m quite happy to play the same game for hours, even if the map rotation is somewhat limited.

In terms of round times, I also like the 10-20 minute mark - it often feels just enough to allow the defenders to prove themselves without getting boring, and plenty of time for the attackers to chew their way through the objectives.

(Runeforce) #37

Something that would definitive make me play less, would be if any kind of persistant XP (hint: character and/or XP grinds) or gamer-awards, are part of the game!

I think ETQW used XP the right way: it taught you how to play the game, but it was not a goal in itself (except for bragging rights.) I could live without the unlockables though (but at least they were bound to campaigns, instead of username.)

(TheSgtBilko) #38

[QUOTE=badman;391804]Thanks everyone for your replies so far!

We’re looking for total “session” play time this week, though this ultimately feeds back down into single match times as well.[/QUOTE]
Well I guess it all boils down to the game.
Put it this way:

  • In the days of RtCW glory, we run monthly stats and a few of us were in the 80-100 (sometimes more) hours per month.
  • With BF3 (current main game) I put in about 60hours total since release, simply because it doesn’t have that “thing”.
(.Chris.) #39

[QUOTE=TheSgtBilko;392196]Well I guess it all boils down to the game.
Put it this way:

  • In the days of RtCW glory, we run monthly stats and a few of us were in the 80-100 (sometimes more) hours per month.
  • With BF3 (current main game) I put in about 60hours total since release, simply because it doesn’t have that “thing”.[/QUOTE]

Could it also be that RTCW was years ago when you had more free time?

These days I just can’t play for that long, though I did waste a few hours at a time with minecraft when first tried it. Online shooters however I can only play for about 1-2 hours at the most. With ET and ET:QW this could easily have been 3 hours mainly because I younger.

(TheSgtBilko) #40

Dunno, I was 40+ back then … still am :slight_smile: