Brainstorming over here!

Well, I got into some conversation about servers with Kankle and it somehow led to me brainstorming and jotting down ideas for server themes and ideas which I then ended up relating to TF2F. I don't expect any of this to become a reality or implemented or anything, but I thought it would be fun to share my ideas with you rather than bottling them all up.

The only server with a name really is Pro Like Chro since there aren't drastic changes to it, everything else I just gave random names, so don't consider me excluding the generosity given by Train and Flippy.

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TF2F #1: Pro like Chro (rotation) (16-slot) 

The "pro" server with attack/defend maps only (consisting mainly of 5CP maps). This server has become so popular, it's able to fill itself after an hour or so. This is good, it wouldn't need as much attention from the community as the other servers. My thought is that Yukon and Freight should be added. With Yukon now being an official map, we won't have to deal with the problem of people being too impatient to download the map. Freight is incredibly popular and well made and lives up to the standards of PLC. 

cp_yukon
cp_gravelpit
cp_freight
cp_badlands
cp_well
cp_granary
cp_fastlane

TF2F #2: Custom/Stock Mix (rotation) (16-slot)

This server would require the most attention from the community to fill and keep filled. What maps it has would be based on how well it plays and what the community likes (meaning, while pl_jungle is liked, it's just not a good enough map to be added). I thought about maps that I know for a fact that would play well and maps that would play better if it was on a 16-slot server.

cp_freight
cp_waste
cp_follower
cp_badlands
cp_yukon
cp_granary
cp_dustbowl
cp_furnace
cp_steel
pl_badwater
pl_stovepipe
pl_goldrush
ctf_turbine
ctf_sawmill

TF2F #3: Vanilla Server (rotation) (24-slot)
Would contain every stock map, even considered baddies such as Pipeline and Egypt. This is a server I would hope to be a half-self-reliant server. Once the server gets going (courtesy of people willing to fill it from the community), it should hopefully stay filled for a long duration of time. I know many people out there are in desperate search for a good vanilla server and could probably attract many players into favoriting it. It would need special attention to it's rotation in order to work, however. My rotation building skills aren't that good, but I thought of the following rotation (feel free to make any changes you please).

cp_dustbowl
pl_goldrush
ctf_turbine
cp_badlands
cp_yukon
ctf_sawmill
plr_pipeline
ctf_2fort
pl_badwater
cp_gravelpit
tc_hydro
cp_steel
cp_well
pl_hoodoo
ctf_well
cp_junction
cp_egypt
cp_fastlane
cp_granary

TF2F #4: KoTH & Arena (voting) (24-slot)

Because it feels odd to throw KoTH or Arena alongside any other objective-typed map and so as not to exclude it from any of the TF2F servers (and since there are so many!), I felt it wouldn't hurt to make a server dedicated to it. Once filled, I imagine it would be able to keep itself alive for awhile, similar to TF2F #3 and it shouldn't be too hard to fill up. Since rotation here doesn't really matter, I felt voting would be best. Map listing for reference:

arena_badlands
arena_granray
arena_lumberyard
arena_nucleus
arena_offblast
arena_ravine
arena_sawmill
arena_well
arena_watchtower
koth_nucleus
koth_sawmill
koth_viaduct
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Every server would be nocrit, no damage spread, standard spawn w/ class restrictions.

When I thought about it, I tried to include every stock map possible into all the servers so nobody would go "Hydro isn't on any of the servers!" or any outcry such as that. I thought about themes for servers that would help keep themselves filled (Vanilla and Arena&KoTH) without bending to the need of the pubber and doing something ridiculous like 24/7 2fort; I also tried to think of a theme that would last more than a week(Payload Only being an example of that).

I also wanted to include some custom goodies, such as pl_stovepipe and cp_follower, but trying to add those maps while retaining a "Pro Like Chro" server feeling was impossible, so I figure why not just make it it's own seperate feeling?

Afterwards, I had thought about all the silly and gimmicky maps I know you crazy kids love to play on. So I thought about TF2F #2, which would be dedicated mostly to the community's wants, and had an idea: Give #2 two settings for the server. The Custom/Stock one and the Silly Maps one. If the server was empty or by popular demand of the people playing on it, an admin could enable something on the server that would make it switch over to it's second theme: Silly Maps, Voting, w/ alltalk, random crits, and no class restrictions.

This would include maps such as wacky races and balloon racing maps. Once people got tired of playing the maps, an admin can either switch it back to custom/stock or it would automatically switch over when the server emptied. I figured it would be better to hit two birds with one stone instead of dedicating a server entirely to silly maps, which would rarely be filled. 

At the moment, I see server #3 as just being a jumbled mess of "Hey, I want to play Turbine OH LOOK WACKY RACES IS NEXT HA HA HA". It just doesn't flow very well and doesn't keep people staying on the server since you're conflicting them with two different in-the-mood gameplay feelings. 

more boring words to add to this long post HURRR.

I like the idea of making Server 4 Koth and Arena, and removing Arena from Server 3

Its 6am now but I've read this and I think this is one of the better posts I've ever seen for how to improve our servers.

Ill do my best to re-read this and perhaps implement some of these ideas.

The silly map idea was tried before and was almost a complete failure (nomnom server). I don't think it'd be bad if it was a possible option, I just don't see it being chosen all that often. :/

To be honest, the only server I ever see being filled is Pro Like Chro, so just make another one of those out of ILT.

I like the idea of KOTH even though I have yet to play it. Put less arena maps on there so that KOTH and Arena are played in equal amounts.

The issue that server 3 would have is that it wouldn't stay filled at all. Once it reached a map that the current crowd (or even half the current crowd) didn't like it'd empty and not be filled until it reached an acceptable map. From that, I really don't see the point in making it all maps. Make it a specific map type that will fill with certain people.

Other than those small things (which are my opinion that you have no need to take heed of at all) it's good. Keep brainstorming!

NOM NOM didn't fail.  Towards the end it started slowing down.  And their's no nom nom server in his ideas.

cheap like sheep

Quote:
I do believe he had a nomnom-like idea. All I said was that adding those maps to the server would serve little purpose as they would rarely be played and would more than likely empty the server (which is the opposite of what we want right?)

The reason I said NomNom failed was because after the first 2 weeks I NEVER was more than 6 people on it. With a 24 man server, that's pretty bad. It might have been filled later in the night, but I never saw it filled so I'm assuming it was EXTREMELY slowed down.

Eh, I got a decent amount of play on it.

Looks pretty good, I still don't think we'll ever be able to get all 4 servers popular, 2fort is just too good.

What class limits were you thinking for each server? That's the only thing I'm thinking about, everything else looks fine to me.