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Should there be a UT99 day?
Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 10:03 pm
by brazzjazz
When I sifted today through my old screenshots from 2001, I found one screenshot of the server browser. 936 servers, 874 players. I just checked again, 281 servers, 105 players. That's about 30 percent (servers) and 12 percent (players). So this is substantially lower, but still not bad at all, considering that UT is pretty much 13 years old now, and especially compared with UT2004 and UT3. There are even a few guys still playing OldUnreal! I think the number of former UT99 players that could be hooked playing again, is substantially higher. Well, and a moment ago I read about the Nali Weapons 3 mod, and it was great to see that there are still mods like this being developed! Only I have read from the descriptions that it has been frustrating for the creator to see that only so few people have been playing the mod. This is sad, and maybe this is even unnecessary and preventable if the playing could be concentrated by things like a UT99 day or other special UT99 occasions where you could make people aware of them beforehand and reach a critical mass. I think UT99 gives much better conditions for this than many other older games. Nowadays it's about how many players you meet by chance, on any given moment. This could be arranged more effectively. So let me know what you think!
Re: Should there be a UT99 day?
Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 11:12 pm
by rsbloom44
On my server list it shows 814 servers and 642 players. It can't be accurate, it's those servers with bots that have ping messing it up. I think it would be a good idea, but how would you aware everyone?
Re: Should there be a UT99 day?
Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 12:14 am
by UT Sniper (SJA94)
When there was a tournament going on there was about 980ish online -90-120 of the bad servers with fake bots on. When newnet is completed i bet the population will increase again.
Re: Should there be a UT99 day?
Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 12:30 am
by Feralidragon
Not much of a frustration, but mostly what I was expecting, the thing is: there are cases I wish I was wrong. It could be worse though, so I am "somewhat" happy with the results anyway (the mod served as a good starting point to know what and how I should do next in game development).
As for the servers and players, most of them are servers with fake players (bots), so the reality is completely different. Generally you can get a more accurate from gametracker and so (although it's not 100% reliable, but mostly the top servers have the players gametracker claims iirc).
Re: Should there be a UT99 day?
Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 2:48 am
by JackGriffin
This is a copy of a post I made at Hooks but it fits nicely into this discussion:
I had this discussion at UA and I'll add it here too (respectfully ofc). UT is really, really hurting now. I just looked at the gametracker stats and here's a synopsis:
Of the top 15 UT servers 6 are Tac Ops.
There are 144 'real' players on all those servers right now. 77 of those are playing Tac Ops. 21 are playing on |uk| servers, which are commonly known to use false player reporting to improve their rank. There are 7 people at MHA and three of them have no score and have all been playing exactly 2:48:43, or as we would say: Idling to improve rank.
I only outlined the servers I know that are germane to this discussion. There's almost surely more fakers, idlers in the top servers and I'm missing them in this presentation. Anyway the point is that of 350 'live' players on UT right now probably 1/3 of those are real players on a real UT server. That's pretty dead for a worldwide figure.
So my point with this is that anything major to fall now could very easily tip the scales to the die-off. That's why UT-Files and Unreal Admin are so desperately important. Lose any of those important places and it will start a house-of-cards infall. Even the 333 servers now have taken an important spot in the remaining supporters. The community cannot take the loss of any of them now IMO.
Re: Should there be a UT99 day?
Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 6:14 am
by PACO
FWIW, we usually have anywhere from 10-40 people playing at a time in an instagib pickups channel for 16/24hrs of the day. Not sure if those servers are all advertised but the pickups scene is 2-3x more active now than it has been in the past half decade. Last weekend there were 40 straight hours of uninterrupted pugs and we get about 200 idlers in #iPug on the weekend (this is without any grand marketing campaigns/mailers that I'm planning).
I'm feeling pretty optimistic about the direction of the game. Awesome to see that people on this site are still making great contributions.
Re: Should there be a UT99 day?
Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 7:50 am
by ASLY
PACO!
Do you know more pugs?
Formerly I play a lot but I dont remember the channel names
Re: Should there be a UT99 day?
Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 12:29 pm
by brazzjazz
I have also been wondering why almost the bigger part of the servers has a mod - Instagib, Sniper Arena. I find the classic UT equally enjoyable. And some mods are rather quaint, like when your gun makes "hahaha" instead of "dududu". Those are sometimes fun, sometimes rather annoying.
Re: Should there be a UT99 day?
Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2012 12:10 am
by {dFb}VanQuisher
I say declare a UT day and host a tournament for the players by the players .Big,giant every game events we all can sign up for .Us server admins can host places to play per game styles and locations around the world.
So which day would this take place ?Can be like a ut99 convention or gamers convention .All the players ,games,mappers,etc can show case their work .
Sounds like a wonderful idea.
Re: Should there be a UT99 day?
Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2012 12:41 am
by rsbloom44
Did anyone used to play on High speed face? It used to get quite a number of players, unfortunately I think the server got shut down. If there was ever a reason the UT population is dying I'm sure this had some contribution.
Re: Should there be a UT99 day?
Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2012 7:21 pm
by Dr.Flay
Back on topic.
Yes I think a UT day would be a good publicity exercise.
All UT versions should be included, as it is best to stay current/relevant.
On the given day, a mod and map combination should be available for each.
All versions of UT need any help they can get, as they are not promoted by the makers.
Many newbies to UT are actually unaware of the potential of mixing mutators and mods.
Over the years I have explained to many people, that the ladder in UT is only the basic part of the game.
You would be stunned at the amount of people who never discovered "Practice" or Botmatch mode
Also I notice from sitting in the UT IRC rooms, that many new users, of all versions, do not know they have to wait for the server list to populate, and abandon the online section, thinking there are no servers
This is the shittiest reason for lack of online activity ever.
UT2K4 is a popular DL on steam, but it seems the modern buyer expects an instant server list, and misses out.
Go figure
With a UT day, people can have their eyes opened.
UT day should also coincide with the birthday of Unreal or UT
Re: Should there be a UT99 day?
Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2012 3:22 am
by EvilGrins
Yes, ut99 Day. Celebrating that moment in time where battle weary Skaarj stood triumphant over the vanquished human scum who once tried to take away their Nali slaves...
...oh, wait, I may have wandered a bit off topic.
Re: Should there be a UT99 day?
Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2012 10:22 am
by papercoffee
Let us celebrate it on the 99th of every month !!!!
...wait... what??
Re: Should there be a UT99 day?
Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2012 4:43 pm
by Hook
Dr.Flay wrote:Back on topic.
Yes I think a UT day would be a good publicity exercise.
All UT versions should be included, as it is best to stay current/relevant.
On the given day, a mod and map combination should be available for each.
All versions of UT need any help they can get, as they are not promoted by the makers.
Many newbies to UT are actually unaware of the potential of mixing mutators and mods.
Over the years I have explained to many people, that the ladder in UT is only the basic part of the game.
You would be stunned at the amount of people who never discovered "Practice" or Botmatch mode
Also I notice from sitting in the UT IRC rooms, that many new users, of all versions, do not know they have to wait for the server list to populate, and abandon the online section, thinking there are no servers
This is the shittiest reason for lack of online activity ever.
UT2K4 is a popular DL on steam, but it seems the modern buyer expects an instant server list, and misses out.
Go figure
With a UT day, people can have their eyes opened.
UT day should also coincide with the birthday of Unreal or UT
Words of wisdom Dr.Flay - and more of your good ideas!
(In my book, Every Day is UT99 day!)
Re: Should there be a UT99 day?
Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2012 1:01 pm
by brazzjazz
We can start by organizing smaller UT99.org events on a regular basis, like after Christmas, as
editor Dave suggested.
http://www.ut99.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t ... 422#p44226