Feb 18, 2013, 12:13 PM
... or resolve the issues with them. Or give access to someone else to maintain them. There have been more than a dozen threads in the past two years begging, pleading, praying for changes in the community and all but the most urgent changes have been ignored (and not even all the most urgent ones were actioned).
Valve1 is empty more than 18 hours a day most days. 2Fort administration is in need of fixing. Prophunt barely counts as even having administration.
Last night, 3 ghosters (PH is hide and seek basically, and ghosting is people telling each other in steamchat/whatever where props are hiding to get more points) came on and ruined the game for ~5-6 maps. I used contact admin to get some help since Butane dared take time away from his computer. 30 minutes later (of no action done to the first three ghosters), another ghoster came on to join them. Then a mic spammer. PH only has 3 admins - Butane, Ibby and DF (though I assume Neph could count). Butane was offline, DF was away, and Ibby was online playing TF2. So I messaged Ibby.
The ghosters eventually quit ~30 minutes later. Micspammer ~45. This is far from the first time this has happened. And far from the first time a demand for more admins has been made for that server (and the other servers).
At this point the entire community is in such a disrepair the servers either need to be overhauled by the current administration (meaning DF/Neph), access handed over to someone new (Butane/Fusion/Whatever) or the servers just turned off completely. Seeing a large number of valve1 regulars online at the same time playing on different servers because of the current map on valve1 being bad, the server being empty, etc, and then seeing them finally join because Enforcer spams invites to populate the server every day is... well, sucky.
There's a post in the admin section I'll copy/paste in a reply. The purpose of this thread is to get some community backing, similar to the last thread created by Enforcer. Something drastic needs to happen (good or ill), otherwise the servers will slowly be dead (save for 2fort and PH, as they can survive a lack of oversight) by the end of the year.
------
(Post from the Admin forum from the start of the year)
A list of things that need to change within the community. This is prompted after the thread in the general forum, as well as all the other threads in the general forum that have been calling for these changes for over a year now.
Note: Valve2, 2fort normal, Pro, Goldrush and Arena have all pretty much been not populated (>5 players) for at least a month, in some cases almost 3.
To Do:
-General
--Assign new general admins for PH, Valve1 (and others as needed for other changes mentioned below)
--New reserved slot structure
---Resets quarterly, minimum $5, maybe gets stupid things to do (hats/sparkly weapons/whatever) for donation tiers on the currently not popular servers (2Fort instant, valve1, and PH would be excluded from the stupid buy-up things)
--Update the MOTD's on all servers with a quick rule overview
--Add a text MOTD to spam chat at the start/end of each map with a link to the rules thread, a link to the home page and a link to the donations page.
--Promotion of someone (Butane, Fusion, whoever) to make changes to the servers (e.g. rotation) on approval from upper management ('Hey boss, people hate X map, can I remove it from the server rotation' 'Yes, make it so number one.')
-Valve1
--Map specific
---Degroot: Wins required for map change
---Hightower: Time limit or win limit
--rotation (remove maps/shorten rotation and re-order)
---Propose rotation
---Approval
---Implement rotation
---Revisit rotation in 45 days and modify as needed (new maps might not work well)
-Valve2
--rotation/theme (maps from Valve1 that aren't being used, retire it, or a ctf or cp server)
---Propose rotation or theme
---Approval
---Implement rotation or retirement
---Re-name as needed
-Pro
--rotation/theme (a dodgeball/kart/whatever gamemode server or retire)
---Propose theme
---Approval
---Implement game mode
---Re-name as needed
-2Fort (non-instant)
--rotation/theme (ctf or custom server, or retire)
---Propose rotation or theme
---Approval
---Implement rotation or retirement
---Re-name as needed
-2Fort (instant)
--Nothing needed
-Goldrush
--rotation/theme (PL server or retire)
---Propose rotation or theme
---Approval
---Implement rotation or retirement
---Re-name as needed
-Prophunt
--Update map start times (delay before first round)
--Rotation (remove some maps, add new, change rotation order)
---Propose rotation
---Approval
---Implement rotation
---Revisit rotation in 45 days and modify as needed (new maps might not work well)
-Arena
--Rotation (remove/re-order/add maps or retire)
---Propose rotation
---Approval
---Implement rotation
---Revisit rotation in 45 days and modify as needed (new maps might not work well)
-----
(another post in response to Womb's suggestions to the above)
That would work, whatever the cool kids are playing these days.
If you're right about the hardware setup then the best plan of action is to make the current servers financially viable, and the best way to do that is with a new donation structure and making the servers popular, populated (enough to create a demand for donation). If I remember right SourceOP (plug-in-wise) is setup for just one tier of donations - it's on or off, then the donation amount. I'm probably wrong. If I'm not, it means some coding additions to the plugin to handle it. Thats why the quarterly reset idea was kicked around last year (or the year before) - it means that the donation I made five years ago isn't what lets me still have a slot (seriously, it's been five years almost since my first one). It doesn't require coding (well, it does, but just a script run whenever - nightly or quarterly depending on how we do it - that backs up and then empties the player table based on whatever conditions), keeps a stream of revenue going, and for a game whose regulars have been playing in some cases for five and a half years, not too crazy a request.
Also, we could keep Valve1/2Fort/whatever normal mode servers would be left/maybe PH on the existing donation table, but then create additional ones for the MGE server, the arena server, make a trade server (just because to give Butane another place to ban some of these traders) and have one for it, etc. Each of the "specialized" communities would have their own reserved slots. Main issue I see with it would be fracturing the community, but since PH and Arena regulars weren't aware that 1. slots existed (some did), and 2. that they extended to all other SOP servers, I don't think fracturing would be a concern. Maybe integrate it by saying 'Donate $50 a year and get a slot on all SOP servers', and having a script check for donations at/above that amount then propogate it across the tables.
[SHOWTOGROUPS=6,7,5]Bu: plz no trade server[/SHOWTOGROUPS]
For not Valve1/2FortInstant/PH (henceforth known as the good servers) we might be able to use the credit system in a similar fashion (outside of the reserved slots) to handle the item buying, buy 'slays', jetpacks, whatever depending on what the server is. Have a second donation button (three actually - one for donations that get you a reserved slot on the good servers, one for the other servers and one for credits) that gives say 10* the dollar amount you donate.
Outside of that, like everyone else is saying Valve1 is fine on admins (since it's basically 16+ regulars whenever its populated who know how to use votekick or contact admin when needed) in most cases, its just PH and 2Fort that are truly in need (Butane is the only PH admin, still). If we succeed in making Valve1 populated more we will need more admins, if nothing else to spread the workload. A good chunk of the regulars still play TF2 at hours when the server isn't populated, so I'm still confident it can find that late night, early morning, afternoon (west coast) life again.
Valve1 is empty more than 18 hours a day most days. 2Fort administration is in need of fixing. Prophunt barely counts as even having administration.
Last night, 3 ghosters (PH is hide and seek basically, and ghosting is people telling each other in steamchat/whatever where props are hiding to get more points) came on and ruined the game for ~5-6 maps. I used contact admin to get some help since Butane dared take time away from his computer. 30 minutes later (of no action done to the first three ghosters), another ghoster came on to join them. Then a mic spammer. PH only has 3 admins - Butane, Ibby and DF (though I assume Neph could count). Butane was offline, DF was away, and Ibby was online playing TF2. So I messaged Ibby.
Quote:9:33 PM - Dopp: first four ghosting, last mic spam
9:33 PM - Dopp: k thx
9:33 PM - Ibby is now playing Team Fortress 2. Click here to join.
9:33 PM - Ibby: omg
9:33 PM - Ibby: how did I not see this
9:35 PM - Dopp: magic probably
9:35 PM - Dopp: k thx
9:36 PM - Dopp: plz
9:41 PM - Ibby is now Away.
9:46 PM - Ibby is now Offline.
The ghosters eventually quit ~30 minutes later. Micspammer ~45. This is far from the first time this has happened. And far from the first time a demand for more admins has been made for that server (and the other servers).
At this point the entire community is in such a disrepair the servers either need to be overhauled by the current administration (meaning DF/Neph), access handed over to someone new (Butane/Fusion/Whatever) or the servers just turned off completely. Seeing a large number of valve1 regulars online at the same time playing on different servers because of the current map on valve1 being bad, the server being empty, etc, and then seeing them finally join because Enforcer spams invites to populate the server every day is... well, sucky.
There's a post in the admin section I'll copy/paste in a reply. The purpose of this thread is to get some community backing, similar to the last thread created by Enforcer. Something drastic needs to happen (good or ill), otherwise the servers will slowly be dead (save for 2fort and PH, as they can survive a lack of oversight) by the end of the year.
------
(Post from the Admin forum from the start of the year)
A list of things that need to change within the community. This is prompted after the thread in the general forum, as well as all the other threads in the general forum that have been calling for these changes for over a year now.
Note: Valve2, 2fort normal, Pro, Goldrush and Arena have all pretty much been not populated (>5 players) for at least a month, in some cases almost 3.
To Do:
-General
--Assign new general admins for PH, Valve1 (and others as needed for other changes mentioned below)
--New reserved slot structure
---Resets quarterly, minimum $5, maybe gets stupid things to do (hats/sparkly weapons/whatever) for donation tiers on the currently not popular servers (2Fort instant, valve1, and PH would be excluded from the stupid buy-up things)
--Update the MOTD's on all servers with a quick rule overview
--Add a text MOTD to spam chat at the start/end of each map with a link to the rules thread, a link to the home page and a link to the donations page.
--Promotion of someone (Butane, Fusion, whoever) to make changes to the servers (e.g. rotation) on approval from upper management ('Hey boss, people hate X map, can I remove it from the server rotation' 'Yes, make it so number one.')
-Valve1
--Map specific
---Degroot: Wins required for map change
---Hightower: Time limit or win limit
--rotation (remove maps/shorten rotation and re-order)
---Propose rotation
---Approval
---Implement rotation
---Revisit rotation in 45 days and modify as needed (new maps might not work well)
-Valve2
--rotation/theme (maps from Valve1 that aren't being used, retire it, or a ctf or cp server)
---Propose rotation or theme
---Approval
---Implement rotation or retirement
---Re-name as needed
-Pro
--rotation/theme (a dodgeball/kart/whatever gamemode server or retire)
---Propose theme
---Approval
---Implement game mode
---Re-name as needed
-2Fort (non-instant)
--rotation/theme (ctf or custom server, or retire)
---Propose rotation or theme
---Approval
---Implement rotation or retirement
---Re-name as needed
-2Fort (instant)
--Nothing needed
-Goldrush
--rotation/theme (PL server or retire)
---Propose rotation or theme
---Approval
---Implement rotation or retirement
---Re-name as needed
-Prophunt
--Update map start times (delay before first round)
--Rotation (remove some maps, add new, change rotation order)
---Propose rotation
---Approval
---Implement rotation
---Revisit rotation in 45 days and modify as needed (new maps might not work well)
-Arena
--Rotation (remove/re-order/add maps or retire)
---Propose rotation
---Approval
---Implement rotation
---Revisit rotation in 45 days and modify as needed (new maps might not work well)
-----
(another post in response to Womb's suggestions to the above)
That would work, whatever the cool kids are playing these days.
If you're right about the hardware setup then the best plan of action is to make the current servers financially viable, and the best way to do that is with a new donation structure and making the servers popular, populated (enough to create a demand for donation). If I remember right SourceOP (plug-in-wise) is setup for just one tier of donations - it's on or off, then the donation amount. I'm probably wrong. If I'm not, it means some coding additions to the plugin to handle it. Thats why the quarterly reset idea was kicked around last year (or the year before) - it means that the donation I made five years ago isn't what lets me still have a slot (seriously, it's been five years almost since my first one). It doesn't require coding (well, it does, but just a script run whenever - nightly or quarterly depending on how we do it - that backs up and then empties the player table based on whatever conditions), keeps a stream of revenue going, and for a game whose regulars have been playing in some cases for five and a half years, not too crazy a request.
Also, we could keep Valve1/2Fort/whatever normal mode servers would be left/maybe PH on the existing donation table, but then create additional ones for the MGE server, the arena server, make a trade server (just because to give Butane another place to ban some of these traders) and have one for it, etc. Each of the "specialized" communities would have their own reserved slots. Main issue I see with it would be fracturing the community, but since PH and Arena regulars weren't aware that 1. slots existed (some did), and 2. that they extended to all other SOP servers, I don't think fracturing would be a concern. Maybe integrate it by saying 'Donate $50 a year and get a slot on all SOP servers', and having a script check for donations at/above that amount then propogate it across the tables.
[SHOWTOGROUPS=6,7,5]Bu: plz no trade server[/SHOWTOGROUPS]
For not Valve1/2FortInstant/PH (henceforth known as the good servers) we might be able to use the credit system in a similar fashion (outside of the reserved slots) to handle the item buying, buy 'slays', jetpacks, whatever depending on what the server is. Have a second donation button (three actually - one for donations that get you a reserved slot on the good servers, one for the other servers and one for credits) that gives say 10* the dollar amount you donate.
Outside of that, like everyone else is saying Valve1 is fine on admins (since it's basically 16+ regulars whenever its populated who know how to use votekick or contact admin when needed) in most cases, its just PH and 2Fort that are truly in need (Butane is the only PH admin, still). If we succeed in making Valve1 populated more we will need more admins, if nothing else to spread the workload. A good chunk of the regulars still play TF2 at hours when the server isn't populated, so I'm still confident it can find that late night, early morning, afternoon (west coast) life again.