The future of the Invasion server
Posted: Sat 16 May , 2020 8:05 pm
To the Admins and the Players of the Invasion server.
With this post I would like to start a discussion about the future of the Invasion server.
During the last couple of weeks, we have seen several changes on the Invasion server. These changes, of which some where implemented quite poorly, have altered the gameplay for us invasion players in ways we do not appreciate.
We also had somewhat of a discussion with Satin about the interpretation of certain game rules. Since these discussions did not lead us anywhere, I wanted to use this opportunity to start a wider discussion about the server and its future.
I see three subjects we should look at:
1. The recent changes to the usage of the NFUD Combat Wrench have rendered the weapon, for which you must spend a fortune in points to buy, almost useless. You can now only place 1 shield, can’t place bounce pads in front of turrent to do turrent jumps and the shield / teleporter placing has a bug. When you place a shield or teleporter and destroy it to place it somewhere else, you often get an error message that only 1(2) of the items can be place – also none is placed at the time.
This change makes no sense, does not work correctly and is limiting us players in unwanted ways.
I would strongly advise to take this change back and return the NFUD to the function it used to have.
2. There is a discussion between Satin and us players regarding what he calls ‘out of bounds teleporter’. Satin believes that we cannot place a teleporter where he believes there should be none. We strongly believe that this is wrong.
A map designer designs the whole map. There are many maps where you cannot place a teleporter ‘out of bounds’. This is the way the designer wanted it. There are other maps where you can place a teleporter in areas where you cannot walk to directly. Yet you can place your teleporter there. This is what the map designer had in mind when he/she designed the map. Either way, we play the maps in the way the map designers wanted it.
It is our believe that we do not break any rules when we place teleporters where you cannot walk to directly. In particular because in the vast majority of those places you get killed from the monsters anyway. For this I would like to advise the admins to relax more when we do place a teleporter at a place you can’t walk to. We are still playing.
3. It is correct, that some players do take unfair advantage of some bugs when playing the game. This is not OK. However, the way that the admins have altered the gameplay does not solve this problem. It only ruins the fun playing the server.
With over 10 years of UT2004 experience I consider myself a senior player. Based on this experience I would like to suggest three simple steps to improve the gameplay and reduce the cheating, thus gaining back the exceptional reputation the Invasion server once had:
Step 1: Reverse the changes to the NFUD to have it working in the ‘old’ way – and without bugs.
Step 2: Eliminated the max magic +1 and the max magic +2 artefacts. Thus, eliminating the magic weapon bug cheating.
Step 3: Introduce a time limit of 15 min. per round on a map. Do not use individual player time out rules. If a round is not finished in the givven time the players die. This eliminates the farming problem.
Implementing these 3 simple steps will carry the server forward. Otherwise I fear that the popularity of the Invasion server will continue to decline.
Please engage with us on these issues and let us save the server.
All the best
Dicker Pitter
With this post I would like to start a discussion about the future of the Invasion server.
During the last couple of weeks, we have seen several changes on the Invasion server. These changes, of which some where implemented quite poorly, have altered the gameplay for us invasion players in ways we do not appreciate.
We also had somewhat of a discussion with Satin about the interpretation of certain game rules. Since these discussions did not lead us anywhere, I wanted to use this opportunity to start a wider discussion about the server and its future.
I see three subjects we should look at:
1. The recent changes to the usage of the NFUD Combat Wrench have rendered the weapon, for which you must spend a fortune in points to buy, almost useless. You can now only place 1 shield, can’t place bounce pads in front of turrent to do turrent jumps and the shield / teleporter placing has a bug. When you place a shield or teleporter and destroy it to place it somewhere else, you often get an error message that only 1(2) of the items can be place – also none is placed at the time.
This change makes no sense, does not work correctly and is limiting us players in unwanted ways.
I would strongly advise to take this change back and return the NFUD to the function it used to have.
2. There is a discussion between Satin and us players regarding what he calls ‘out of bounds teleporter’. Satin believes that we cannot place a teleporter where he believes there should be none. We strongly believe that this is wrong.
A map designer designs the whole map. There are many maps where you cannot place a teleporter ‘out of bounds’. This is the way the designer wanted it. There are other maps where you can place a teleporter in areas where you cannot walk to directly. Yet you can place your teleporter there. This is what the map designer had in mind when he/she designed the map. Either way, we play the maps in the way the map designers wanted it.
It is our believe that we do not break any rules when we place teleporters where you cannot walk to directly. In particular because in the vast majority of those places you get killed from the monsters anyway. For this I would like to advise the admins to relax more when we do place a teleporter at a place you can’t walk to. We are still playing.
3. It is correct, that some players do take unfair advantage of some bugs when playing the game. This is not OK. However, the way that the admins have altered the gameplay does not solve this problem. It only ruins the fun playing the server.
With over 10 years of UT2004 experience I consider myself a senior player. Based on this experience I would like to suggest three simple steps to improve the gameplay and reduce the cheating, thus gaining back the exceptional reputation the Invasion server once had:
Step 1: Reverse the changes to the NFUD to have it working in the ‘old’ way – and without bugs.
Step 2: Eliminated the max magic +1 and the max magic +2 artefacts. Thus, eliminating the magic weapon bug cheating.
Step 3: Introduce a time limit of 15 min. per round on a map. Do not use individual player time out rules. If a round is not finished in the givven time the players die. This eliminates the farming problem.
Implementing these 3 simple steps will carry the server forward. Otherwise I fear that the popularity of the Invasion server will continue to decline.
Please engage with us on these issues and let us save the server.
All the best
Dicker Pitter