Too many countdowns.

(Violator) #1

The lobby can be a bit of a waiting game due to the countdown system. We currently have -

Countdown to lock in - up to 60 seconds
Countdown to synchronise loadouts - 10-20 seconds
Countdown to start match (in lobby) - 10 seconds
Countdown in match itself (including the unskippable intro) - 10 seconds

4 separate countdowns (though the ‘loadout’ and ‘pre-match’ ones are kind of merged together) seems a bit overengineered and the numbers add up, though I can see why it has been done that way with the current mechanics.

Titanfall does it well imho. There is a fixed 60 second or so countdown where you can do what you want (customise your char, pick cards etc.) and then you are into the game. If everyone readies up then it starts right away. I would reduce it to a single lobby countdown + a single in-game countdown:

Countdown to lock in (including picking chars) - 60 seconds or so until everyone locks in.
Remove the greying out of character selection once locked in. IMHO lock should just mean ‘I’m ready to start’ not ‘I’m ready to start with these 3 fixed mercs’ - surely that decision can be left up til the last second?
Server starts. 10 seconds for everyone to connect / ready up.
As a side note, move the intro videos to the main menu (tutorial section, like W:ET for example).

(titan) #2

ye its far too long thats how servers start dieing

(AssortedStuff) #3

I agree with everything you say as I’ve thought about all those points myself.

  • Too many countdowns
  • I’ve had times I ‘locked in’ but then remembered I should have changed mercs
  • intro videos are only necessary for the first few times playing

Also, I don’t understand why the 15 seconds countdown to deploy if you join a game halfway. (no sarcasm, I really don’t understand)

(Scarhand) #4

Most annoying thing in the game by far. Might even top the recommending “quickmatch” in the console after typing the entire word “quit” so that I have to backspace and re-type the “t”. No point in making people have to wait more than necessary; people hate that.

Agree 100%

Only countdown you need is the match starting one so people who have very slow loading like me don’t start way late.

And should be able to un-lock in, because it is habit to push that right away when you have so much waiting and are tired of it and then realizing you actually did want to change your loadout.

(Glottis-3D) #5

allow ppl to change mercs up to the seconds, when actual match starts.
and drop first ‘lock in’ countdown away.

the guy needs to be able to go to fully costomize his merc in between matches. and he realy needs only one timer - when the map starts.
all the synchronizing stuff has to be totally background.

(Anti) #6

I’m working on condensing this flow and the timers at the minute, will be faster soon :slight_smile:

(DB Genome editor) #7

Any chance for some pre-loading while we’re in the lobby as well?

(tokamak) #8

//youtu.be/9jK-NcRmVcw

(Glottis-3D) #9

zis is betta:

//youtu.be/XkMWdI2IKiw

:]

(Ruben0s) #10

Reduce the countdowns and increase the spawntimes.

(AssortedStuff) #11

I always wondered the same thing myself. For many games, not just this one.

(Ashog) #12

lol vid kroko :smiley:

can’t unsee this anymoar :open_mouth:

So that’s what’s delaying the patch since weeks! ^^

(Rex) #13

There is also a countdown for that. :>

(Nail) #14

http://forums.nexon.net/showthread.php?1050012-to-help-manage-the-Overlords-of-the-game-The-countdown-timers&p=8890125&viewfull=1#post8890125

(tokamak) #15

Double post.

(tokamak) #16

wXxEq8f.jpg363x720