Help clear somthing up about ranked servers

[Gringo]

Anybody in advertising and marketing, kill yourself and do the world a favour!

[Flesh]

I’d like to boo ingame advertising so badly, but I don’t want this to go off topic

[Edn]

focus on this guys: QW has a player auth system with unique names and some sort of IM

there are 3 possibilties:

ranked server available for everybody: after two weeks we have the fiorst cracked server and player with awesome high stats …

ranked server available only from licensed serverfarms

ranked server available for everybody AND a stats collecting system saving your stats for every server (and keep the massive amount of data)
cracked server can be thrown out of the stats -> 1. have fun administrating a whole server farm only for stats 2. have fun people complaining about stats loss because their favourite server has been blacklisted 3. do you want to test such a system with QW? better grab another game for it

If they cant secure there code then bad for them imo, if stats could be altered before there sent then it doesn’t matter if your running a ranked server from a large provider or from an individual it will happen either way.

managing ranked servers that are open to any admins who wish to run one its no different than what they now want to do. Yes there is a little more workload because you would now have to process application for each individual server admin however that should be a one time process. They still have to make checks on every ranked server as they originally planed to do, and if they plan to scrap that because there only going with the big providers and they believe they can trust those GSP’s have control over there servers then there idiots.

Your point about people complaining about stats loss is a little invalid as well. You only need to look at BF2 to know that large GSP’s don’t have control over how there servers are run, servers are shut down on a weekly basis and stats on numerous accounts are completely reset or there account banned indefinetly.

In the end it creates a split in the community, not to mention it allows the large GSP’s to monopolize the ranked side of the game pretty much allowing them to charge what the like and they will charge more for a ranked server.

Also you’ll find private stats servers popping up in no time as well where people will set there own values to the specific stats they receive.

The original intention (if it was even there intention (it did seam so at the time)) was to allow anyone to run a stats tracking server, they said it them selfs that all you needed to do was allow your server to undergo checks, Its a bit of a coincidence that this suddenly changed after people started pre-ordering the game, but thats for another discussion.

[FRIJJ]

If i can add my 2 pence worth.

I think ranked servers (meaning you have to buy from a said bunch of server providers is so wrong). The whole ranking issue is an nightmare and just promotes stats padders, and vehicle whores. Look at BF2 and even worse 2142. BF2 is still being played by normal players who love the game but both these games have suffered from stats padders, stats padding servers etc etc…

Let me raise some points for you Splash Damage…

Custom maps - will need to be endorsed by ID/Splash before they will be allowed on a ranked server, so whats the point in mapping now, i mapped for BF2 and know of some far better maps than the vanilla ones but because of no support and no endorcement they will not see the light of day to the masses.

Mods - mods will have no ranking system, ths making QW:ET the only game to play if you want to keep ranks, and get those shiny medals. Mods will have to look at other ranking systems like ABR to run with their mod to compete with you.

Clans - Running clans is very expensive and having to fork out another 60-80 quid a month on top of the dedicated boxes you already run is daylight robbery. The same happened to BF2 when that came out.

Yes i do know you have to keep the ranking system tight to stop abuse, but you guys will make people abuse it by putting silly 5 KIA with a knife badges. Hence the stats padding servers in BF2. What would be better would be a basic ranking system like ABR that can be adapted server side so server admins can use it on thier own dedicated box. It is possible and it does work, look how many Project Reality stats padding servers there are?

Lets face i play a game because i like it not to get shiny medals. It depends if you want to appeal to the hardcore gamers that love your game or the fly by night console gamer that jumps on, plays it to death for 2 months, gets his medal and goes away.

Its all about business, money and selling units at the end of the day, but i feel a knock out game with a basic ranking system would sell better in the long run because of what it is and not something i will buy and then un-install after 1 week because every server is full of numpty’s getting thier latest gold badge like I did with 2142.

You will earn more respect as a company based on the game than the ranking system.

All this said QW:ET looks like its going to be a great game, all i am saying official ranking is a bad idea in the long run.

[_ls.leodavinci]

well … it has been cleared up !

http://www.quakewars.net/index.php?id=169

[FRIJJ]

hmmm…

Well it all comes down to money at the end of the day…

Ranked server providers are in a contract to provide quake servers so hence more money for a game.

Mods dont make SD or ID money so they won’t support mods or custom maps on thier ranked system.

They want the clans to pay more for the servers, hence more money

Money, Money, Money

What it boils down to is shareholders get hungry, game developers get hungry. Gone are the days when game developers go into it to do something they enjoy (like the rest of us out there in the MOD community).

Yep everyone needs to earn thier crust, but at what cost?

The mod teams saying what the hell and not producing anything as it wont get played due to some expensive stats system?

The clans all breaking as server running costs spiral out of control?

For christ sakes can a developer atleast make a good game that communities can back for the long term? or has it changes to making a quick buck?

Would Wolfenstien ET be as popular if it had a ranking system, Yes, but would it be supported by the community now after all these years? No

Will i still buy the game Yes, will i be still playing it in 6 months (this will depend on how SD & ID support the communty).

[kamikazee]

They want the clans to pay more for the servers, hence more money.

SD states that no license fee has to be paid by GSPS. This means it doesn’t necessarily cost more.
It is of course very likely that a GSP will use the “but we need better hardware” argument to increase the price. But all of this remains to be seen.

What has been confirmed as well, is that custom maps will be approved for ranked servers once in a while.

All in all, if you want a server for your clan, rent an unranked one. You can play clanmatches with it, add other mods and do whatever you like. Ranks mean almost nothing for a clan, and server-based stats can be generated because the game can write out log files.

Ranked servers should appeal more to large communities which won’t change their mods/maps that often.