Hardest part of the game: joining a match

[Banditl0rd]

This game seems to be great and looks extremely fun, but sadly, I don't think it's population will grow much anymore because of this one frustrating fact: better experienced players or donators get all the perks.

I am a new player to this game, and I am positive you have heard this complaint many a time, and if you have, dismiss it as you have the others. But something needs to change to support the newcomers and the players that simply "can't make the cut". If you think there is a successful game out there where players don't come first, then you're right. There's many. But I'm sure more hate it than love it. And I am terrified to admit that that is where your game is headed. I have been trying and trying to get into a game for about a week, and I get faced with the same problem each time: A better player joins, and I am the best candidate to get kicked out of the game. How is that fair, how is that balanced? I have honestly not played a game yet. Only spectated in wonder, hoping that I will make it into a game someday. I have some ideas that may help us new players a bit.

Add one main go-to server to find every single other server to join into. One for U.S, and one for EU. It would both help clean up the mass amounts of servers on the multi-player screen in minecraft AND make it easier to play games. Now if you already have this, then I apologize because I have not seen anything about that.

Another idea would be that, at the end of each game, to not allow the people that were just playing back into that given server. It would give others a chance.

You could just erase the whole "better players should get in first" idea as well. I'm sure you lose more fans to that than anything else. This idea not only makes people leave the game in anger and frustration, but it also makes people such as me think "well apparently the creators love the people that have given money and/or time into this game more than me." I'm sure that's not true and I'm sure you're trying, but I haven't seen anything yet.

That's all I have, if these have already been answered, please direct me to the answers or tell me since my blind eyes did not see them. Please help us poor noobs that can't donate or buy premium as well. Thank you for your time.
~may the odds be forever in your favor

 

[schnikes]

was going to come in here, roast a noob, and req lock, but this is really well thought out and well done.
I really can't see the system changing though, just try to join as quick as you can, play on servers with the closest ping to you. #reqlock

! Let it also be noted that I have never donated and don't really intend to, and I rarely have problems with donators or joining.

 

[Zeno]

This is a well reasoned argument, but it gets a few core principles wrong, that undermine the argument as a whole.

1. More advanced, skilled, better, etc. players do not have the power to kick people. This is a perk that comes with donating, and will not be removed, as it is the primary draw for donations, which allow the servers to remain free for everyone else.

2. You are not kicked because you are the 'best candidate', that's rather confusing wording that the Devs decided to use. You are kicked because you are the last non donor to join. A way to fix this is to wait for servers that are restarting, then join immediately, the faster you join a server, the less likely it is you'll be kicked.

3. You talk about the servers dying off because of this kicking process, but the donations that fuel that are exactly what are keeping these servers alive. A region's servers cost around 3500 dollars a month to keep up, and they could not be maintained without donors, unless you had to pay to join the servers, which no one would want. So, though this may not be desirable, it is necessary if you want even the ability to play on these servers.

Overall ,the donation perks will not be changed, as being able to join full servers is a major draw, and the main reason many donations are made. However, it is not as unfair as you seem to think, and you are not being singled out as worse than other players. You just have to join faster, and then you'll be able to play.

 

[G33ke]

I understand your frustration, but this is sadly how it must be. When it comes to the games, it's really, really hard to find good donor perks that will be desired without giving them in game advantages, which would be worse and make it more "pay to win" than anything. Kicking players is the one main feature that attracts donors - without it, there would be a lot less donors, and keeping the servers running would be far harder - what with 30 US, 30 EU, 8 CA and 8(?) AU servers...it takes a lot more money to keep these servers running than you might think.

My first 200 wins I achieved without ever donating...I donated for my first time, and despite the fact that I had such a method to get into servers prior, I loved it. The fact that I got into those 500-600 games without donor is amazing, considering I was never donor the entire time...I do not, however, have any idea what it's like to connect now, as I no longer have to go through the painful process of finding one, haven't needed to for at least 3 months - however, I can give tips to getting in:

-The last non-donor spectator user who joined will be the person who is kicked when a donor joins next. (assuming the server is full.) To avoid being kicked, your best bet is to get into the server as soon as possible after it restarts. Watch the server list for servers in deathmatch, add them to your server list, and refresh every now and then (don't do it too frequently - if you refresh too often, you'll get "communication error" and the only way to fix it is to wait about 5 seconds, then refresh again - this can really throw you off if you get it just before the server comes back up.)
-As soon as the server comes up and you are able to connect, simply double click it and you should make it in without being kicked most times.
-Avoid servers 1-5 in US and EU. (not sure about CA and AU.) The early numbers are the ones the donors will most likely flock to, and sometimes you'll even have full donor games. The larger the number of the server, the less donors you should expect.

The main problem I'm noticing is that users with a not-so-good internet connection may have trouble getting into a lobby soon enough to not get kicked. Most times, (provided you aren't on the early number servers.) if you didn't manage to make it in or were a late joiner, when you know that you tried as soon as you could, you're probably too laggy to even play the games properly anyway. I suggest checking your internet speed on a website like speedtest.net. Anything less than 10 mbps download is probably a bit too laggy to fight properly anyway...sadly, the more and more users that join our servers, the harder and harder it is to get into a server with a semi-slow internet connection. Not much we can do about it, though...My only suggestion is to try to improve your internet connection by any means you can, although the best answer for that is to pay for better internet connection, which assuming you are the average age of players on here, might be out of your reach... (No offense, but I just assume everyone on here is about the average age of players on here unless otherwise stated. )

But mainly, though, if you donate, you'd never have to worry about this again, and it's also something a lot more people in the average age range of players can do. It supports the servers and gives you some nice perks, including said kick upon joining ability...I know what it's like to be a regular user like you, and so I hate to sound like a greedy jerk, (not that I get any money from donations - I'm not getting payed for this.) but I've never seen an unhappy donator yet, and even with my knowledge to easily get into servers without donor, it was far worth it for me.

I hope this helped a bit. I am sorry to say it, but removing the kicking feature for donors is just not really possible, as it's the really huge reason for people to donate - Sadly, faster internet = more likely to get into the game, and there's not really much we can do about that. (Although admittedly, those with faster internet connection, the ones who are less likely to lag out, are probably the ones we would more like to see in the games - not to say we don't care for those who do, but it's certainly a lot more fun to play in a game where nobody lags during your fight with them causing you to lose or something.)

 

[Gamer101luke]

How long does it take to type that ?

I understand your frustration, but this is sadly how it must be. When it comes to the games, it's really, really hard to find good donor perks that will be desired without giving them in game advantages, which would be worse and make it more "pay to win" than anything. Kicking players is the one main feature that attracts donors - without it, there would be a lot less donors, and keeping the servers running would be far harder - what with 30 US, 30 EU, 8 CA and 8(?) AU servers...it takes a lot more money to keep these servers running than you might think.

My first 200 wins I achieved without ever donating...I donated for my first time, and despite the fact that I had such a method to get into servers prior, I loved it. The fact that I got into those 500-600 games without donor is amazing, considering I was never donor the entire time...I do not, however, have any idea what it's like to connect now, as I no longer have to go through the painful process of finding one, haven't needed to for at least 3 months - however, I can give tips to getting in:

-The last non-donor spectator user who joined will be the person who is kicked when a donor joins next. (assuming the server is full.) To avoid being kicked, your best bet is to get into the server as soon as possible after it restarts. Watch the server list for servers in deathmatch, add them to your server list, and refresh every now and then (don't do it too frequently - if you refresh too often, you'll get "communication error" and the only way to fix it is to wait about 5 seconds, then refresh again - this can really throw you off if you get it just before the server comes back up.)
-As soon as the server comes up and you are able to connect, simply double click it and you should make it in without being kicked most times.
-Avoid servers 1-5 in US and EU. (not sure about CA and AU.) The early numbers are the ones the donors will most likely flock to, and sometimes you'll even have full donor games. The larger the number of the server, the less donors you should expect.

The main problem I'm noticing is that users with a not-so-good internet connection may have trouble getting into a lobby soon enough to not get kicked. Most times, (provided you aren't on the early number servers.) if you didn't manage to make it in or were a late joiner, when you know that you tried as soon as you could, you're probably too laggy to even play the games properly anyway. I suggest checking your internet speed on a website like speedtest.net. Anything less than 10 mbps download is probably a bit too laggy to fight properly anyway...sadly, the more and more users that join our servers, the harder and harder it is to get into a server with a semi-slow internet connection. Not much we can do about it, though...My only suggestion is to try to improve your internet connection by any means you can, although the best answer for that is to pay for better internet connection, which assuming you are the average age of players on here, might be out of your reach... (No offense, but I just assume everyone on here is about the average age of players on here unless otherwise stated. )

But mainly, though, if you donate, you'd never have to worry about this again, and it's also something a lot more people in the average age range of players can do. It supports the servers and gives you some nice perks, including said kick upon joining ability...I know what it's like to be a regular user like you, and so I hate to sound like a greedy jerk, (not that I get any money from donations - I'm not getting payed for this.) but I've never seen an unhappy donator yet, and even with my knowledge to easily get into servers without donor, it was far worth it for me.

I hope this helped a bit. I am sorry to say it, but removing the kicking feature for donors is just not really possible, as it's the really huge reason for people to donate - Sadly, faster internet = more likely to get into the game, and there's not really much we can do about that. (Although admittedly, those with faster internet connection, the ones who are less likely to lag out, are probably the ones we would more like to see in the games - not to say we don't care for those who do, but it's certainly a lot more fun to play in a game where nobody lags during your fight with them causing you to lose or something.)

 

[Zeno]

Anything less than 10 mbps download is probably a bit too laggy to fight properly anyway

I have 2.5 ._.

 

[G33ke]

How long does it take to type that ?

I spent probably 20-25 minutes on it.

I love making long detailed replies to things...I like being clear and concise and make sure the reader understands my opinions without any sort of misunderstanding - for example, I specifically point out how I know what it's like in his position - I was there, I know how much he might hate to see the "you can always donate yourself" response, so I specifically open up and tell him I understand that, by saying "I hate to sound like a greedy jerk." Still, I feel the need to suggest it, as it's true it is a real answer to the problem, provided he's got the money and is willing to spend it...

Edit:

I have 2.5 ._.

D:
It's no wonder you lag so much sometimes...are you working on fixing that?

For you, though, I've fought you before - I think it's more like spikes of lag, and maybe you tested during one of the spikes?

Edit 2: Let's try to keep this on topic. lol.

 

[Ethan1126]

well they're donating to help the server shouldn't they get a reward

 

[hwracer]

ermaghgerwd: Typing-fest!

 

[RCFloris27]

I understand the annoyance of getting into games too. I pick out a server that is in post victory, try to join it all the time so I don't get fooled by false statuses, and then the entire server fills up during a single double-click. A SINGLE DOUBLE-CLICK!

 

[schnikes]

I understand the annoyance of getting into games too. I pick out a server that is in post victory, try to join it all the time so I don't get fooled by false statuses, and then the entire server fills up during a single double-click. A SINGLE DOUBLE-CLICK!

False, never do this. If you join the server before it comes back up green, it gives me a communication error that lasts far past the resetting of the lobby, thus making it impossible to join.

 

[Ethan1126]

False, never do this. If you join the server before it comes back up green, it gives me a communication error that lasts far past the resetting of the lobby, thus making it impossible to join.

dayum dat bad computer? Mines just fine!