merge

[Gamble]

would it not make sense to merge all the zones as one ss game and just have different arenas with the relevant settings applicable to each zone? Atleast then there would be a good population and something going on, a community again, games, banter etc etc.

 

The game is dying as it is now, but merging the zones the community will jel together and be like each zone was back when the stats were high, stuff going on all the time, players enjoying the different styles of gaming etc.

 

Any discussion on this?

[»Lynx]

Most of the zones currently having an inflated population shows the typical mentality behind zone operators. The idea is a good one, but would require everybody hand over control to somebody whom will likely be perceived as an evil overlord in no time at all.

[Cheese]

plus most zones have hundreds of subarenas, some with the same name

it will become a huge disorganized mess

[Resol]

As with what cheese said, merging all the zones will never be organized, and will never happen from what lynx said, no one wants to hand over control to one super power.

 

And a side note, imagine when that one server goes down, the whole game is affected rather than a single zone, or a single host. The mix of servers is a positive thing, but I urge you to read my rant.

 

 

 

I believe it is a good idea to try and mesh the zones together to promote larger games and cross zone events. The population isn't very high, and a lot of players that want to play end up sitting around waiting, or leaving.

 

I've noticed Trench Wars bots aren't very stable, and they go down a lot, or specific event bots are not working, and the only thing that people were still playing was the public arena, and a lot of trench wars players rather play other competitive style events and end up just leaving the game, and checking back every so often until the bots are restored.

 

I've noticed when HyperSpace goes off line, a lot of those players will go check out other zones and stay in one until there zone is restored.

 

Using ASSS, it is possible to make a Central HUB Zone, where all players could enter and be well aware of what zones have what population, what each zone has for events, the status of those games, when new games were starting, news / info of tournaments, and honestly it could go into much further details.

 

The only real issue I see with this, is using the redirect / moveto features on asss and subgame, the map and level files are all bundled into one zone folder. So an easy fix would be to have all zones lable their map and level file names to, ZoneInitials_ZoneInitialsMapName, for example: eg_egelim.lvl and eg_egelim_lvzname.lvz. And this would insure that zones didn't mix them up and force players to have to redownload the files every time.

 

I think with the use of bots in both subgame and asss, you could enable a World Chat style bot, that would relay messages from the public servers in the other zones, bots can even pick up arena messages, for when they advertise events. Players could enable or disable any zone chat that wish to listen to, and simply be sent a remote message from a central bot in the Hub Server that all the other chat bots report pub messages to. (should also enable ignoring features to not receive messages from a specific player.)

 

I don't think this would be possible on ASSS until being able to use the remote message function, (which I'm sure someone will claim works, so please prove it).

 

The features you could implement in this system would be very beneficial to the ever shrinking population. And instead of reporting the amount of players for each zone, you can do away with directory servers, and pack the client with the (possible multiple) Hub Zone(s). I say multiple for 2 reasons, one, you could have one in Europe, US, UK, ect, not only so players at least get a good connection to a Hub Zone, but also for backups in case a Hub Zone Server goes down. Most zones I am sure will want to maintain their own server, but many small zones could even merge into a Central Hub Zone, and again this would greatly promote games and increase game sizes.

 

Anyway, those are a few things I've thought about when thinking of ways to improve the game, I know if people put aside trying to do everything by themselves, this goal could be achieved.

[Lone Outlaw]

If the zones merged, it would eventually end up that everyone would play mostly one or two of the zones.

 

All the other zones/pubs/events would eventually become abandoned.

 

The reason for this is, because despite what you think, there is a zone which IS more fun, and better than the rest. (Much like no one is truly equal and for every human there is always someone better)

 

When the zones are merged, you will find out what zone that is. And watch the whole population divert to it eventually. Every other zone would just be an event or secondary to this one zone. It's a good way to assimilate people if that's what you want.

 

It's a bad idea to bring zones together, it's better to bring people to the game. And it's smart to merge Development teams. But zones being seperate is a good thing.

 

People stay in seperate zones now, not only because the zones are seperate, but the community is located at the zone. If the community was all merged, i wouldn't need to play chaos when i can chat easily and locate the same community in trench wars. (being merged into 1 zone) Yes it's possible for people to like many zones. It doesn't mean everyone will play every zone after a merge. It will all divert to one zone.

 

You can test it though, im never against testing. If the trial works for a week, keep it running for two weeks, if everything is good, then keep them merged.

Edited July 7, 2012 by Lone Outlaw

[Gamble]

I think a merge would be the best thing for this game as it is now.

 

Without a merge we will see zones slowly dropping off like flies and leaving 1 anyway (probably eg or trench), a merge would give players and new players alike a feeling of what each individual popular zone used to be like in the good days, big squads, games, big leagues etc etc. New players joining zones as it is now have nothing to enjoy and keep them coming back.

 

Wasn't the original SS one zone anyway? Look what it turned into.....

[»ZiGNoTZaG]

This will never, ever happen. Dead zones become subarenas of zones that are still scrapping by. A zone owner that commits his still sometimes active zone to be a subarena is consigning his zone to be nothing more then an event, a oddity from times past to be gawked at for a few minutes and then forgotten again.

[»Lynx]

Dead zones are typically dead for a reason, whether zone operators like to admit it or not.

[Lone Outlaw]

Hockey zone is dead sometimes, but people want to play it. I would say the same of Devastation, which occasionally can get 20 people but will be dead most of the time. As well i know there are many people who enjoyed 17th parallel. So there are a few zones which people want to play but don't for some reason. Either because the population is not there. Or the staff let them down somehow in the past and the zone never recovered.

 

Merging zones that died is worth trying. Merging zones that were always dead. Probably not. Merging healthy zones, will probably ruin the zone.

Edited July 7, 2012 by Lone Outlaw

[»ZiGNoTZaG]

Lets say you take a somewhat active zone and make it a sub of a larger zone. Lets say the existing player base is aware and moves with it. Good Good. Now, returning players who might be looking for it don't see it initially, whats more, new players are not aware of it for quite some time while they adjust to the game in general. The way I see it, the zone that was more healthy to begin with will be the one to reap the rewards in this situation. It will hurt the zone that is struggling for pop and benefit the one that is not. Regardless of the reasons why it is on the way out.

 

Making a zone a sub is a last ditch effort to just have the zone exist after all hope is lost and the owner no longer wants to invest time in it.

[c00l_b0y]

I really want Metal Gear to be merged in as a sub zone, within trench wars or extreme games or something. Even if it doesn't garner many players, just to be able to have a quick muck about duel or some sad solo flagging would be nice...

 

Is priitk still on this forum?

[»gallitin]

Is priitk still on this forum?

Don't think he ever did, his account was deleted a long time ago then I think Polix created another for him so no one else could take the name.

 

I can't find the topic on it.

[PoLiX]

Priit hasn't been active here in many many years.

 

Few years back, SyrusMX (for reasons I still don't understand) thought it a good idea to purge almost 4500 user accounts. This was also around the time Spade? (forget his exact alias) purged a whole crap load of posts from general discussion. There were no database back ups being done by the admins during my hiatus, so all was sadly lost. That coupled with the database corruption from us using an illegal copy of vBulletin before buying a license really killed this place. Heck, even 4yrs ago we had ~140-150 people visiting daily. Now we're lucky to see 50.

[Resol]

Spade12 of Omega Fire??

[PoLiX]

No, Spade12 was never staff here.

 

Thinkin it mighta been Spyed not Spade. He had the Pokemon zone.

[spidernl]

Hockey zone is dead sometimes, but people want to play it. I would say the same of Devastation, which occasionally can get 20 people but will be dead most of the time. As well i know there are many people who enjoyed 17th parallel. So there are a few zones which people want to play but don't for some reason.

 

What makes you think making those zones subarenas of a larger zone will suddenly make people play them?

[Lone Outlaw]

I don't think people will play them.

 

Merging zones that died is worth trying. So 17th Parallel or Starwars Zone falls in this category.

Merging zones that were always dead, is a waste of time. But you can try it, since they are dead anyway. I don't even know which zones never had people.

Merging zones that are alive will likely harm the zone. Hockey zone, Devastation, still fairly active.

 

My position is i don't think merging is good especially if it skews population display. But i see no harm in merging an always dead zone, or zones that used to have people but have none now. Since no one plays them anyway, there is nothing to lose with a merge, you can only gain. (Do i think it's possible to gain players?) Probably not, i think people will stick to the zone they are playing. So my position is that im not against trying, and it's up to the community what they want to do with their respective zone.

 

As a side note. Humans aren't created equal, but we believe in equal consideration for all, and thus that's what we mean by equality. Equality is not that you have the skills i have, or the brains, or the physical ability. It's just equal consideration. This applies to zones too. There is a zone which is better than the rest, we may not be able to determine it. Because people don't like change, and cling to familiar atmospheres. And even those who play multiple zones, have obligations, ties, and loyalties to friends, and the zone itself, built upon memories and experieces they had there. So really the best zone doesn't matter, only the zone where you have the most invested..

 

It's better a dead zone, become a bigger zones event, than remain at 0 people for 3 years, and eventually shut down.. unworked on, unattended, and ignored completely. With all the files and settings lost in the process. At least as an event the moderators would cycle events, and the zone/event would be played once a week, when some event ref hosts it.

 

For a lively zone, it's better to maintain your independance and originality.

 

The only way merging hockey zone might work, is if Trench wars made an official hockey league. Not only including the 100 people already playing HZ league in HZ, but also involving everyone in TW not in hockey league. And to merge the RSHL website into the trench wars one. From there the zones would be seperate still (as running everything on one zone would lag), but linked through ?Arena. And Trench wars would hold no other leagues during the hockey league (though you could run leagues simultaneously), and take in sign up applications from trench war players. Basically keeping zones independant, but having one zone host all the leagues might inspire zones to interact more.

Edited July 22, 2012 by Lone Outlaw

[Cheese]

moving hz to tw would be a downgrade

[PoLiX]

^ The amount of features lost would kill the zone.

[Lone Outlaw]

It's more of a 'on paper' move, not an actual move polix. Trench and HZ would have diffrent zones still and be connected through ?Arena. (So all features would be intact in HZ, like settings, replay, etc? if that's what you were getting at) The only thing that would need to be killed, would be the RSHL website, which would be incorporated into the Trench Wars Website.

 

I was also only brainstorming, one possible way to make two zones merge.. by having them interact their leagues. But otherwise.. im not even for this idea.. it's really far fetched. lol

Edited July 23, 2012 by Lone Outlaw

[Stag Shot]

It's more of a 'on paper' move, not an actual move polix. Trench and HZ would have diffrent zones still and be connected through ?Arena. (So all features would be intact in HZ, like settings, replay, etc? if that's what you were getting at) The only thing that would need to be killed, would be the RSHL website, which would be incorporated into the Trench Wars Website.

 

I was also only brainstorming, one possible way to make two zones merge.. by having them interact their leagues. But otherwise.. im not even for this idea.. it's really far fetched. lol

 

You mean like peering? I bet it's good in theory but riddled with problems...=P

[Lone Outlaw]

Like peering, it's an exchange of traffic. But i think in continuum, the problems are limited.

 

Each zone would do whats best for the other zone, because it benifits them both. HZ already has a working model, so Trench Wars would go with what is already proven to work, and just adminstrate it. Trench wars is a good choice, because many HZ players play Trench wars already, and Trench wars has the biggest population to distribute between both zones. Otherwise they could run HZ league half the summer, and then run the Trench wars league in the winter.

 

This wouldn't really work with other zones, because other zones have a pub and a league. Both are pretty seperate. Trench wars could never bring people to the pub of another zone, only to the league. And since Hockey league and Hockey pub are virtually identical, it works for Hockey zone.

 

However a zone like devastation has Baseduel as a league, which is completely different from their pub. And DSB has a whole deathstar, but their league is BABL currently, based on random mini maps. Even in the past DSB's leauge was sections of the deathstar, and not the whole deathstar. So many zones are not as easily integrated into a merge. While the WHOLE of Hockey zone could be treated as a Trench Wars League or Event.