Locked Spec

Discussion in 'General' started by JustGoFly, Dec 21, 2017.

?

Open spec after 30 seconds?

  1. Yes

    31.3%
  2. No

    50.0%
  3. Don't care

    18.8%
  1. JustGoFly

    JustGoFly Member

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    BH - I never lock spec. The server does it. I was unlocking spec every time I joined until Vickie opened it up on ESB, from the start of the game.

    I don't know who you are - but maybe that is due to us never having talked. Which when Spec was open, we all got to chat and learn about new players and crack jokes. Hell some guys joined with no intention of playing - just to chat. Is that wrong ? I laughed when some would rage over more people being in spec than in the game. We had many nights of lots of laughs while watching the game from spec. It usually only took one person to say - "OK Lets go help ..." to empty spec.
     
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  2. bunnyhopper

    bunnyhopper Member

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    Back when it was viper. You would get pissed that people was just sitting in spec. So you started locking spec.
     
  3. JustGoFly

    JustGoFly Member

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    Well I guess I understand why we locked spec. And I do think it needs to be locked for official games. But not for daily playing. The daily games are intended to gain more players, train and just screw around. I doubt this thread will impact the official games, which in spite of the crap given to those hosting them, I think they are run very well.

    BH - if you've played with me - you know I can get pissed over just about anything. Don't take it personally. I don't dislike anyone in this game.
     
  4. vipervicki

    vipervicki Member

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    VIPER's spec was only to get closed during daily games when there was a small amount playing and double or more of the amount spectating, other than that I wanted spec open, The VIPER admins and I knew/know how much the players liked to chat and goof around, spec happens to be part of the Empires experience, whether that is good or bad is subjective, but it's how it is.
     
  5. Misfire

    Misfire Always Lost

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    A version I brought up long ago ... open spec at the start of the new map and for a short time at beginning of the round. Just a few mins. I like the chat time. Then after some limit, auto assign the spec stragglers and lock it. Don't know if it would be better or not, but would like to see it tried.
     
  6. vipervicki

    vipervicki Member

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    forcing players to play, given there are more playing than in spec, is not the way to go IMO. Also what if a player/players are in spec because they needed to go afk for w/e reason, but intends to play the next map, then you would be auto assigning afk players to a team.
    Spec serves several purposes.

    1. a break from just playing several maps in a row
    2. need to go afk
    3. not liking the map
    4. admin monitoring
     
  7. Misfire

    Misfire Always Lost

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    I agree on AFK player issues, that would need to be considered. Used to be you would be kicked if inactive for a certain time, wonder what happened to that option.
    I wish different formats could be tried. Things like.... if taking forever to get commanders... well then switch to infantry map instead. So many quit just waiting for the next round to start.
    Often I've joined mid match with teams already even. Rather than join and tilt the game unfairly, following from spec until the next round used to be my preferred move.
    Can't now with spec locked more than not.
     
  8. Acolyte

    Acolyte Member

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    I think end of the round time should be extended by a minute or so, and that time should be used for more social interactions!
     
  9. Major Cleve Cutler

    Major Cleve Cutler Member

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    The problem with that is it would add more down time to the game, which already has a lot of with map switching, downloading, then waiting for players, then waiting till the comm voting ends.

    Not a bad idea, but impatient people may get a bit tired of waiting.
     
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  10. D.D.D. Destroyer

    D.D.D. Destroyer Member Staff Member Moderator

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    I believe the better approach is to play short maps that take 5-10 minutes from end of previous round to start of another, like ricochet or crackdown. That way, people have time to talk about whatever while watching others play, and they also can play something with little downtime. It's a compromise between having no open spectators, and having spec fully open. Which is why a lot of people aren't happy with it :rolleyes:
     
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  11. MegaMLGgaming

    MegaMLGgaming Member

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    Fly and DD have very good points.

    Back when spec wasnt locked, confersations after a long game were pretty nice and apart from the gameplay it was an added reason why i kept on playing, meeting new people talk about stuff and shoot them in the face if we decided to join. Yes, specpires was a pretty sizeable problem. But thats pretty much how i found out which tank loadout is best for more situations. I would think "HE bezt kannon" if it wasnt for every vet going for ranged.

    But i loved spec and the chit chat and the things guys will teach you while you were sitting around.
    Specpires is unavoidable after a 1hr+ game, its in our nature to take a break.

    Which is why DD's plan to focus more on all-talk chill fun maps sounds the best so far, if we have like a 5 to 10 min for the lulz map it will get everyone back to speed while also prefferably leaving spec open on those maps, because its a chill map and not everyone should be forced to play.

    As for the learning aspect of spec, we can help that by making class and tank specific tutorials (while rebalancing scout which is much more easyer than you might think)
     
  12. JustGoFly

    JustGoFly Member

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    All talk will certainly not contribute to fun play since X simply mutes you when you chat in game. Everything seems to irritate him, and he becomes a nazi demanding that you play and stop talking. Any joking at all seems to cause him physical pain, so he freely mutes players and pisses everyone off. Spec is the only way to get away from him and in many games when he just irritates the hell out of you, you have no choice but to quit since spec is locked. The old players who enjoyed the social aspect of the game are long gone due to demands that they play or be banished. We used to have alot of fun chatting and joking, then playing when spec got boring, but it was thought that forcing people to play would improve the player base. So now instead you have empty servers. The improvement choices made so far are having a seriously bad impact on the player base. Still little focus on what is fun.

    Empire Strikes Back has open spec, but you still have X pruning and bad mouthing of any server that is not his. And the 150+ ping on his server vs x running 5ms ping certainly gives him the game advantage. When more than 30 people join my ping can soar as high as 900 ms on his server, and the lag is horrible.
     
  13. JustGoFly

    JustGoFly Member

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    Destroyer - if you remain in unassigned you can chat, but you can not watch the game. Short match's are a good break from long match's but sometimes can be even more intense. They certainly don't inspire discussion. Unassigned is simply telling anyone who doesn't join - you can play, but you can not watch or comment in spec, or learn by watching. Spec is yet one more feature that removing makes the game less fun. And still no one in dev understands how to make this game more fun. It used to take an hour for a server to dwindle to too few players. Most would linger and listen or participate in spec. Now the servers could go from 20 ppl to 0 in less than five minutes and mostly based upon someone ruining a game, and those who would normally just go to spec have no choice but to quit.
     
  14. D.D.D. Destroyer

    D.D.D. Destroyer Member Staff Member Moderator

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    @JustGoFly I won't dive into the hate, so I'll respond to just a few bits of those posts. Take server administration issues to their respective forums instead.

    (also use the Edit button instead of double posting k thx)

    Given that there's very little complaining about lag on X's, I recommend checking your connection as the problem might be there instead.

    I forgot to mention it, but the short matches as you call them would have spectators unlocked to allow for watching. The intent for maps fitting that bill is to either work at extremely low player counts with everyone playing, or at higher counts but with a portion of players not participating actively.

    I'm not sure how this entire discussion about spectating involves development in any way, I'd appreciate you clarifying that point.

    The gameplay experience at minimal playercounts is still abysmal and needs to be improved. This is something mappers should be addressing oh wait that's me :rolleyes:
     

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