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October 2025

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[Berath]

Now we have a new host, we can look at suggestions for what we might do on/with the servers.

Currently we have:

Server 1 (standard pub, standard map rotation plus custom maps as we voted...though only snakewater has been uploaded atm, class restrictions)
Server 2 (comp server)

So, any thoughts?

It can also be an opportunity to think about how various suggestions could be implemented and made to work, I'm particularly thinking about some form of 'no crits' here.

It could also include any plugins etc

[Jebus]

If you want to run a comp setup server then probs worth looking at tftrue - http://tftrue.esport-tools.net/

Has all the whitelists etc - but can turn them and class limits off.

[Berath]

So you're suggesting a third server with comp setup?

[Jebus]

Well how much are you planning on using server 2? Can always use it for other game modes as well?

[Berath]

No idea Jebus!

At the moment it's just there for anyone in the community who wants to use it.

[Yer man oer yonder]

Is a crit vote system feasible on server 1 at all?

[Berath]

If I remember correctly it was on Server 1 but then we had loads of problems with the server crashing so all plugins were removed.

Now we have the new server, who knows.

I know, before, I wasn't sure what would happen to our Quickplay rating if the server went no-crit for a while. If it works in the same way as it seems to do when non-custom maps are on, for that period of time, people simply aren't sent via Quickplay. Once it returns to vanilla, the quickplay people come back.

[Jebus]

There were a load up TF2 updates at the time which resulted in SourceMod and Metamod becoming unstable. All stable now afaik.

Personally think you are better off keeping server 1 as it is (still need to re-build Quickplay reputation etc) and look to develop server 2 (which I cant see being used for anything atm) into an 'alternative' server.

Could run all sorts of nights:
- competitive (6v6 whitelist and maps) - might attract some of those who lost interest with all the new weapons etc
- 'fun map' night with things like koth_trainsawlaser (prob want instant respawn) - UKCS do these every so often
- arena? only needs 4+ people
- jump maps?

Also I don't really understand why you don't add at least a second night to the week when you have frag fest? Think most times people have tried to get it going on alt nights it has filled at least for a couple hours or so with pretty much no notice that its happening. If you keep it consistent (ie the same night) and pre-notify in the same way you do for Fridays then it will become a routine. Also vaguely remember quite a few old regs saying they couldn't play on Fridays.

[Berath]

We are trying to add other nights at the moment...but we still have the ongoing issue of people available to start the server without it always being the responsibility of the same people. I've been trying to build up a pool but it's not easy, especially for people who will do it proactively and there is ISPY's server filler group but that is still small.

Maybe it would be better to simply begin a Turbo Tuesday or something, have a second constant night.

I like the idea of other nights, but how would we get people to them? For getting people in to play games the Steam Community Group doesn't seem to be very effective. We've sent out announcements for our extra TF2 evenings and for Llama Nights.....but how many people do we get? About a couple.

Friends lists seem way more useful

I think there could be potential to open server 2 up to be a competitive map...though there are only 20 slots atm. Or something like an arena map. Then we could simply stick an announcement on reddit or somewhere and leave it. That's what we need to be looking at, we are little, there are so few of us to actually do stuff (organise, publicise, recruit, configure/set up servers), we need to set up things that can run themselves.

I noticed on THG...they have a normal pub server and a 20-slot payload only server. Their normal/regs server is often dead by about 11ish at the latest, the payload server is crazy popular and stays full until the early hours (it's almost full now, their pub server is empty) - it must be pretty hellish to play on; though - more-or-less 100% Quickplay - you never see a reg on there. They also have a reasonably successful arena server.

[CruelCow]

I'd be all up for non-friday fragfest. Friday is the worst day for me tbh.

[Berath]

It's actually not the best day for me either! Should we try and add Tuesday?

Adding a Monday or Wednesday would be fine as well, but I won't be around for either if we're looking for server starting bodies

[Jebus]

I have no issue jumping on a server to fill it if I am about - just need to be asked or wait till I notice.

Also I think there are a lot of people who would be happy to share the work load. WDG has just historically tended to be a bit top heavy when it has come to who actually has access to things like the servers - when there have been a lot of willing members who have experience setting up and managing them (especially now that they are rented rather than dedi-box).

I think there is a difference between Llama Nights and filling TF2 server 2 when it comes to community announcements given that most if not all the members are people who play/have played TF2 so may have more success.

The server is empty anyways - so if it doesn't work you lose nothing. As you say start with something simple like arena and grow some awareness and then develop others. Also I see no issue with having fewer slots for most of the types of game play you might want to run - in most cases its probably preferable.

Also would suggest you don't overlap events on server 1 and 2 to avoid spreading regs to thin across both.

[Berath]

No events on Server 2. As far as I'm concerned it'll just be set to some config and left unless someone else decides to organise an event which would be totally cool.  As you say, it's empty anyway.

I already get stressed out enough without adding events on server 2 for me to feel responsible about!

And before there were enough people in the clan with both time and knowledge but this isn't the case now...it's probably right to start putting more onus on the community for those willing and able, especially as we've always said we're a community group.

[Berath]

Moving on from this.....

What we could do is set up a no-crits evening on Server 2 with comp-type settings if possible, similar to Fragfest.

We won't be able to rely on anyone else to fill it except us, regs etc, it will have to be publicised, probably often to everyone we can think of. I don't know of any no-crit/non-quickplay servers that have survived apart from Reddit. There was one that was pushed on ETF2L recently. Everyone was saying how they'd play on it and favourite it and how it was what they had been looking for their entire lives, I think it lasted about  2 weeks. It's always empty now.

One of his problems was that he was starting from scratch...he had no established community which at least we do, so that would be in our favour.

Picking a specific day could work better too, to get it in peoples' minds and to stop confusion over what server we might be on and when. On that day we just remove the password, stick on the config (yeah easy as that ) and off we go.

Any other day we use for trying to start server 1 if people are about.
And would it starve server1? Only if someone has only one night a week to devote to TF2, I think?


Thoughts?

[DeadlyAvenger]

Yeah - sounds good to me. I'll start a new thread so we can discuss the configuration of the comp-style/hardcore server and once decided - I'll try and get it all sorted.