Invalid skial goldrush server set to 24 player spots instead of 32

[Astir]

Goldrush LA stats
As you can see the server isn't populated 24/7. Mostly the servers are filled because Valve sends people through Quick Play to our servers. Quick Play is the option you have in the main menu. But since Valve has changed is mind, they don't send players that search a game through Quick Play to 32 player servers. So the server would probably have because semi or less active than before because the Quick Play feed is gone, or it is most of the time filled due to fresh players getting directed to Skial.

EDIT: OakyTree ninja'd me with the URL and his bost when I was typing this, this is the image he refers to.

 

[IamTHEBOOKIE]

So is that image showing that the server isn't as populated as you would like?

 

[takethepants]

So is that image showing that the server isn't as populated as you would like?

Right...

 

[Bottiger]

So is that image showing that the server isn't as populated as you would like?

It isn't "as populated as [we] would like". The server would have gone through a slow but sure death and everyone would have eventually left as they saw other servers filling up several hours earlier.

The only thing you can do is complain to Valve to stop the favoritism towards 24 slot servers. Whenever I ask them to do something, they either ignore me and tell me to show them that players want it.

Trying to argue with us about it is like blaming a store for not selling an item that was banned by lawmakers. We are on your side but we are powerless to fight the system.

 

[ProbeX]

The systems always trying to keep us down man.

 

[teresa]

Thank you for the information I could nt this thread for some reason haha.

 

[[YDEK] fi$hy k!tty]

Trying to argue with us about it is like blaming a store for not selling an item that was banned by lawmakers.

Lol, I dunno if that was the best example bossman. Maybe more like yelling at a store for not having a size that the parent company doesn't make.

Otherwise you're implying that you're a drug kingpin, or something.... D:

 

[IamTHEBOOKIE]

I guess it was just weird how it was changed to 24 player with no notice to anyone in the server. Im not sure I would have just donated another 10 dollars if I knew it was changing to 24 player, and it doesn't seem like it's going back to 32 :(

 

[takethepants]

I guess it was just weird how it was changed to 24 player with no notice to anyone in the server. Im not sure I would have just donated another 10 dollars if I knew it was changing to 24 player, and it doesn't seem like it's going back to 32 :(

Well the server will be harder to get into, so you have the donator advantage of connecting when it's full, which will be even more often now.

 

[hellabad]

Is there a reason this was taken down from 32 to 24 and dustbowl LA was changed to 32 from 24. I recently started playing again and this was the only server worth logging into and now it feels too empty to stay on and I no longer see the familiar regulars.

 

[-=:iNDICA:=-]

I registered just so I could put in my 2 cents.

I personally don't really care about 24 vs 32 as such, but one of the results of having it limited to 24 is lack of cohesive teams. Not that it can't be done, but that it isn't. With 32 players, you might have those 6 players playing sniper, but you have enough left over to actually work together.

That being said, the other thing I noticed is that while you are now more available to 'quick play' players, this really isn't a good thing. The numbers aren't the only point of this equation. One of the issues with Quick Play players is that they jump in, play for a few minutes and then jump out. They aren't working on the premise of 'I like this server so I'll play there all night', but 'oh shit, these players are better than me. Screw this I'm leaving' or something along those lines. So while you might be getting more players, we aren't getting the quality players. I am noticing that while the cap is 24, the normal number of actual players is somewhere around 20, the teams are most likely uneven (just a few minutes ago there was 13 v 9 for about 10 minutes), and due to this unexciting play environment you'll see more of the steady players leave and go elsewhere. When it was a 32 player cap, and when the server was hopping, it was 100% full almost all the time. Then, yes, about 12a - 2a the population died off, but I can't imagine much that can be done to thwart that. We, most of us, limit ourselves by our ping. So you can't really expect to have dozens of people on the other side of the world playing while we all sleep.

Anyway, I understand why it seems necessary. It does cost money after all, and while I'm sure 10 or 40$ is helpful, it doesn't solve all your problems. Still wish something could be figured out to switch it back. .. Maybe have it be 24 during the low hours, but 32 during the peak hours? Automagically change itself when enough people join.

 

[hellabad]

I noticed that too, the quality of the players has dropped which in the end makes it so there aren't many regulars. I also thought they already did this since early in the morning I would see the server capped at 24 while later on it was set to 32.

 

[Bottiger]

Anyway, I understand why it seems necessary. It does cost money after all, and while I'm sure 10 or 40$ is helpful, it doesn't solve all your problems. Still wish something could be figured out to switch it back. .. Maybe have it be 24 during the low hours, but 32 during the peak hours? Automagically change itself when enough people join.

That was what we were doing until Valve started randomly blacklisting servers last Friday. A bunch of people kept suggesting that doing that was the cause for the ban. Around Tuesday Valve reversed the bans and stated that they do not want people doing that, or they suggested they will be blocking servers that change their slot numbers.

Again the only thing you can do to make a difference is complain to Valve both publicly and privately. I know there is demand for 32 slot servers, but the truth is that no one wants to seed them. If there is a 24 slot server that is seeded 2 hours earlier by quickplay, most people will just join the fuller server. I don't know why I need to keep repeating this.

 

[takethepants]

I registered just so I could put in my 2 cents.

I personally don't really care about 24 vs 32 as such, but one of the results of having it limited to 24 is lack of cohesive teams. Not that it can't be done, but that it isn't. With 32 players, you might have those 6 players playing sniper, but you have enough left over to actually work together.

That being said, the other thing I noticed is that while you are now more available to 'quick play' players, this really isn't a good thing. The numbers aren't the only point of this equation. One of the issues with Quick Play players is that they jump in, play for a few minutes and then jump out. They aren't working on the premise of 'I like this server so I'll play there all night', but 'oh shit, these players are better than me. Screw this I'm leaving' or something along those lines. So while you might be getting more players, we aren't getting the quality players. I am noticing that while the cap is 24, the normal number of actual players is somewhere around 20, the teams are most likely uneven (just a few minutes ago there was 13 v 9 for about 10 minutes), and due to this unexciting play environment you'll see more of the steady players leave and go elsewhere. When it was a 32 player cap, and when the server was hopping, it was 100% full almost all the time. Then, yes, about 12a - 2a the population died off, but I can't imagine much that can be done to thwart that. We, most of us, limit ourselves by our ping. So you can't really expect to have dozens of people on the other side of the world playing while we all sleep.

Anyway, I understand why it seems necessary. It does cost money after all, and while I'm sure 10 or 40$ is helpful, it doesn't solve all your problems. Still wish something could be figured out to switch it back. .. Maybe have it be 24 during the low hours, but 32 during the peak hours? Automagically change itself when enough people join.

It used to do exactly that. When it dropped below 18 I believe it switched to 24 players and then when it went up past that it changed to 32 dynamically. There is a bug which messes with the sv_maxplayers tag and caused a bunch of servers to get delisted. Fletcher (from Valve) also made the point on the mailing list that this kind of breaks the policy of truth (switching between 24 and 32), so I doubt anything will be done unless the whole community revolts against it. The other major server groups are doing this is as well so they don't get delisted.

EDIT: NINJA'd by Bottger

 

[Flawless]

I practically live on Goldrush server. Sad to see my household get reduce from 32 to 24. Oh well, less people I get to harass.

 

[Bottiger]

I practically live on Goldrush server. Sad to see my household get reduce from 32 to 24. Oh well, less people I get to harass.

I have told this to about 10 people this time, but none of them seemed to have done what I suggested and let Valve know how they feel about this. I'm taking this as a sign that people really don't care that much about 32 slots, and Valve probably does too.

 

[Rising Star]

server needs to go back to 32

 

[Sharkey]

server needs to go back to 32

Tell Valve to stop penalizing 32 slot servers for quickplay. Preferably in both these places.

http://valvesoftware.com/email.php
https://list.valvesoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/hlds

That's step 1.

 

[420smoker]

You tell us to tell Valve to stop penalizing 32 slot servers because your not getting "a lot" of players that you would like? Do you guys even watch your own servers? If you did then you would know the 24/7 goldrush | LA server is full for the most part of regulars and die off between 12am and 2am but thats not good enough for you guys? I hope you guys can see whats happening NOW due to your unannounced changed, One team which has a few more skill players are dominating the other team and causing large amount of rage to your precious quick play players due to the lack of regulars and small team work. I 100% agree with iNDICA post, the quality of players has gone down the drain and will cause the server to die and its already happening! Here's the kicker the 24/7 dustbowl | LA server is still 32 slots. Please please tell me why THAT server still is 32 slots while goldrush is now 24 and wont change.. I was going to donate and donate others to goldrush but thats off the table till it gets back to 32 slots. Plus im asking Bookie to ask you guys for hes money back but hes nicer then me. So how about you get some admins on the 24/7 goldrush | LA and see what your doing to your server before it dies completely. When you say that's step 1 is a joke. Step 1 begins with you and understanding tf2 is a old game and will be lost like all other old games, you cant stop that BUT you can hold onto the regulars you do have but now you cant even do that. Sad to see a once fun server go down the crapper like this.

 

[hXcjedders]

Let's break this down Barney style.

You tell us to tell Valve to stop penalizing 32 slot servers because your not getting "a lot" of players that you would like? Do you guys even watch your own servers? If you did then you would know the 24/7 goldrush | LA server is full for the most part of regulars and die off between 12am and 2am but thats not good enough for you guys?

What you must understand is that these servers do not run themselves. As explained, 24 slot servers get first dibs on quickplay. Ad revenue and donations are the only reason these servers run. So, Bottiger needs to maximize ad revenue oppportunities.

I hope you guys can see whats happening NOW due to your unannounced changed, One team which has a few more skill players are dominating the other team and causing large amount of rage to your precious quick play players due to the lack of regulars and small team work. I 100% agree with iNDICA post, the quality of players has gone down the drain and will cause the server to die and its already happening!

While I wish some of these changes were announced, server clearing happens in 32 slots as much as it does in 24 slots.

Here's the kicker the 24/7 dustbowl | LA server is still 32 slots. Please please tell me why THAT server still is 32 slots while goldrush is now 24 and wont change..

Face it. Dustbowl is far more popular than Goldrush as a map in general.


I was going to donate and donate others to goldrush but thats off the table till it gets back to 32 slots. Plus im asking Bookie to ask you guys for hes money back but hes nicer then me.

There's a reason it's called a donation. No services are implied with donating money. Therefore; no, you nor your friend will not get a dime back.

So how about you get some admins on the 24/7 goldrush | LA and see what your doing to your server before it dies completely. When you say that's step 1 is a joke. Step 1 begins with you and understanding tf2 is a old game and will be lost like all other old games, you cant stop that BUT you can hold onto the regulars you do have but now you cant even do that. Sad to see a once fun server go down the crapper like this.

Being that Skial is one of the most popular sever groups in all of TF2, I doubt Bottiger needs advice on how to run a server from a guy named "420smoker."