Game lobby

(KlausMorgenholz) #1

There’s a lot of talk about the gameplay and what we want it to be like. But there’s something I have come to care about and it’s the game lobby. The screen we are greeted with and that will take us to the games, etc.
There is a game in my opinion that got it just right, and it’s League of Legends. I’m not exactly a big fan of that game but the way they implemented it is just great.
First of all, it does not take you full screen until you are going to play, which allows you to do anything while you’re waiting for your teammates. It shows a chat-like user list where you can see what your friends are doing (playing, spectating, available…), and acts as a social hub and store for the game’s various purchasable items.

The only downside I can see for it is that for a heavier title as Dirty Bomb could be, it could take longer to load, as it should load the whole engine every time you join a game. Could a developer clarify? Thanx!

(nh0j) #2

I haven’t actually played LoL but I do agree that a lobby is important if you wanted to play some sort of ranked matchmaking like CSGO’s Classic competitive hopper. It should be easy to play with friends.

(Christophicus) #3

This is certainly an interesting thread, and while I agree that a good lobby system would be nice, I would implement it in perhaps a slightly different way to the OP.

With proper dedicated server infrastructure, due to the fact that players should be able to drop in and out of a server at any given time, there isn’t really a need for a lobby system for standard public play. Standard match making (sans lobby) and a server browser are all that’s required to get in-game.

Where I do agree that a lobby system comes into its own is for the match/eSport environment, particularly for pugs and scrims.However, when looking at it from a pugs/scrims PoV, I would implement it slightly differently to LoL’s. First on the list, I would include a lobby browser so that it’s easy for players/teams to jump in/out of a lobby. This will allow them to jump into a lobby and chat with their teammates and opposition to ensure that they’re pleased with the setup/rules for the match. Obviously it would be ideal if there were automated systems in place to set up lobbies for certain rule sets, but ample lobby title&description space should be ok if automation could be achieved.

A LoL/CS like system would be fine for ladder play I suppose.
I’d love to hear what more people have to say about this though. Are lobbies your thing? Is there a time and place for them?

(YouAreGood) #4

Hmm… Steam?

Good menu is needed if we talk about polished product. Windowed menu could be cool, yet it is not very important. I’d prefer one good fullScreen menu over two worse options.

(Christophicus) #5

I’d imagine that they’ll be going with their own back end created by Fireteam, so presumably they won’t have Steamworks integration. If they do go the F2P route (which seems to be the direction that they’re headed), then keeping that stuff in-house will pay off in the long run anyway :).

(Kendle) #6

SD have already made the best GUI for a game I’ve ever seen, the one used in ET:QW, so I can’t see why we can’t have something like that. I was stunned that Brinks interface was so poor considering SD’s track record in that department.

(TacTicToe) #7

Lobbies and matchmaking are for those playing with noobsticks on consoles. Neither should in any way shape or form be included in a PC game. Matchmaking is a clan killer. Proper server browsers, with good filters is the way to go. You add your favorite servers in your browser, so you can play on your favorite servers often, and perhaps become a part of that servers community in a more permanent relationship. In other words, you become a clan member, and that clan grows.

I HATE HATE HATE matching and lobbies. Would love to go bitch slap IW and others for ever bringing it to the PC scene.

You want lobbies and matchmaking? Go pick up your noobstick and play on your console, and leave the PC gaming to the big boys.

Thank you.

(Dysfunkshion) #8

He never said anything about matchmaking. He was talking about the screen you see after logging in. Tbh, if there’s a lot of options outside of the game itself, a “game lobby” is exactly what we need. I’m not talking about game lobby in the traditional sense of the word. It’s the screen where you can do everything except playing the game. Let’s take league of legends “Gamelobby” as an example:

[ul]
[li]There’s a chat system, to add friends and chat with them
[/li][li]You can view your own basic and in-depth stats as well as those of any other user
[/li][li]There’s an overview of all your champions and skins. With a comprehensive champion description as well as their individual skills, strenghts and weaknesses
[/li][li]You can also go to the shop
[/li][li]You enter matchmaking from this screen
[/li][/ul]
If there’s some kind of a “Game lobby”, I hope they take League of Legends as an example. The only thing I hope to see in DB is a server browser instead of matchmaking (Even though I don’t oppose matchmaking for clanpractice)

(Floris) #9

It could have both, but then again I would rather have a good server browser than matchmaking + a crappy server browser.

(Loki.) #10

couldnt, even if i wanted to try… agree with you more…

ETQW above and beyond - the best GUI ever…

one can only hope, DB either uses the same style or something very similar…

(KlausMorgenholz) #11

My original point was about having an window that acts as a hub for every aspect of the game that does not include playing , just as Dysfunkshion explained.
You have your player setup, control options, server browser, clan options, shop, etc in THAT window (like any other on your desktop, without the need to go full screen), and when you’re ready to play, you launch the game from there and it takes you full screen unless you have the game configured to play in a window.

(Raide) #12

[QUOTE=KlausMorgenholz;419800]My original point was about having an window that acts as a hub for every aspect of the game that does not include playing , just as Dysfunkshion explained.
You have your player setup, control options, server browser, clan options, shop, etc in THAT window (like any other on your desktop, without the need to go full screen), and when you’re ready to play, you launch the game from there and it takes you full screen unless you have the game configured to play in a window.[/QUOTE]

Ugh, I hate it when games use those windows. Arctic Combat (terrible game, btw) did that, and I immediately knew I was going to hate that game. Why can’t I browse the marketplace in fullscreen? All the text and buttons are too small. Why isn’t this screen just in the actual game!? GARGH.

(KlausMorgenholz) #13

What I love about that method is that it’s takes very little resources from your system, and allows you to be logged in while you wait for your friends to be online. This way, you can spend that time doing whatever you want. No need to load the whole game engine.

(Raide) #14

You make a good point, but I usually just alt-tab out of in-game to browse the internet/download stuff/etc, but I understand that not everyone has that luxury. If I can easily adjust it to make it appear fullscreen, I would be happy.

(KlausMorgenholz) #15

Being able to maximize the window would be great. You can’t do it in LoL unless you drag the borders, which is a true hassle.