The "Less is More" Idea - What Options Should be Eliminated?

[Butters1919]

Seeing as we are members of a site with a dwindling membership base, a few folks have suggested that there are too many game play options available and that this impacts the rate at which games are filled. Let's be honest, is there much difference between this Game 14633494 and this Game 14687018? It's also been suggested that the surplus of options is confusing for new players and prevents them from engaging in the site.

I realize that the elimination of any single option is going to infuriate some and that the killing of options attached to medals will infuriate even more! But, I think it should be done.

The two easiest to ditch are zombie spoils and parachute reinforcements. What they add to game play is minimal and would not be missed by many. After those, it gets a bit more complicated due to the medal issue. I was going to suggest killing polymorphic, but it's essentially 1v1 and would not send many to waiting team games should it disappear. I would kill trench. Popular I know, but may serve to consolidate games waiting to be filled. After looking, I see there are over 5000 "standard" games waiting to be filled and only 500 "freestyle". I'm scared to suggest killing freestyle, but perhaps a good way to consolidate further? Perhaps just put freestyle on "pause" until membership stabilizes or (dare I suggest) ever rebounds? The round limit option could be simplified to a "yes/no" and have it set to a fixed value (say 30 rounds).

I also think that games waiting for players should be deleted after a fixed amount of time. If no new player signs up after 2 weeks, ditch it. Also, limit the number of games of a particular setting that a single player can create. Do we really need 68 waiting games on this map and of these settings?

Thoughts?

[DoomYoshi]

Eliminate that Risk minigame and keep the forums.

[BigBallinStalin]

Why bother? Team CC is very unlikely to consider this option, but if swaying their opinion is not the goal, THEN GET YOUR BUTTERY FINGERS OFF MY BELOVED TRENCH SETTING!!!!

[Metsfanmax]

I'm scared to suggest killing freestyle, but perhaps a good way to consolidate further? Perhaps just put freestyle on "pause" until membership stabilizes or (dare I suggest) ever rebounds? The round limit option could be simplified to a "yes/no" and have it set to a fixed value (say 30 rounds).

There's a qualitative difference, I think. Very few players are likely to leave the site over losing Parachute reinforcements, so you would indeed achieve the desired effect of redirecting their games to the more standard settings. There are definitely people who would outright quit immediately if we removed freestyle.

[Army of GOD]

remove DoomYoshi

[owenshooter]

I'm scared to suggest killing freestyle, but perhaps a good way to consolidate further? Perhaps just put freestyle on "pause" until membership stabilizes or (dare I suggest) ever rebounds? The round limit option could be simplified to a "yes/no" and have it set to a fixed value (say 30 rounds).

There's a qualitative difference, I think. Very few players are likely to leave the site over losing Parachute reinforcements, so you would indeed achieve the desired effect of redirecting their games to the more standard settings. There are definitely people who would outright quit immediately if we removed freestyle.

as has been pointed out in many threads... the site admins KILLED FREESTYLE a long time ago... Freestyle no longer exists how it did in it's glory days... if anything, they would need to change freestyle back to how it was to help bring people back...-EL JESUS NEGRO

[Butters1919]

as has been pointed out in many threads... the site admins KILLED FREESTYLE a long time ago... Freestyle no longer exists how it did in it's glory days... if anything, they would need to change freestyle back to how it was to help bring people back...-EL JESUS NEGRO

not being a freestyle player, i'm not familiar with what was changed. anyone care to enlighten?

[Swifte]

They added delays to the start of the game. 20 seconds at the start of speed games, and an hour at the start of casual games.

[degaston]

They added delays to the start of the game. 20 seconds at the start of speed games, and an hour at the start of casual games.

I don't see why this would have killed freestyle unless the only reason that some people play it is to get an advantage by being the last one to join and the first to move.

What might help is to improve the game finder so that you can quickly find games that only need one more player to start. When players start 5 or 10 (or more) games with the same map and the same, or very similar settings, for which no one has signed up, it can be a chore to have to wade through those to find ones with a map and settings that you are interested in. I prefer to join games that only need a few more players to join so they have a chance of starting in a reasonably short time.

Allowing you to save favorite search settings would also be a welcome addition, and along with that, add the option to get an email alert when someone starts a game that matches the settings you like.

Carry it one step further, and they could match groups people who share a similar taste in maps and settings, and give them an easy way to come to an agreement on a map and settings that are acceptable to everyone. Maybe instead of the current method of starting a game, you could specify a set of settings that you would like to play. When enough people have added settings that coincide, a new game can automatically be generated and invitations could be sent out.

I think this would be a better way to get games going than eliminating game options.

[Shannon Apple]

I don't think the answer is removing lots of features that are already there. Maybe rolling them out more slowly to new members would be a better idea based on number of games played.

As for polymorphic, I love it. I hate 1v1, so it's definitely not the exact same thing.

[ManBungalow]

A good start would be koontz' 'Advanced Game' idea:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=197529#p4311640

Remove some of the clutter from the start/find a game pages. Put it somewhere that can be found by players who are actually interested in it.

Make a list of 'suggested maps' or something (which could be cycled) so as to not overwhelm people.

Even after 8000 games on this site, I find the start a game page intimidating.

[Dukasaur]

A good start would be koontz' 'Advanced Game' idea:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=197529#p4311640

Remove some of the clutter from the start/find a game pages. Put it somewhere that can be found by players who are actually interested in it.

Make a list of 'suggested maps' or something (which could be cycled) so as to not overwhelm people.

Even after 8000 games on this site, I find the start a game page intimidating.

Good idea, but give credit where credit is due. Koontz stole that idea from me, and I stole it from natty_dread.

[rhp 1]

Seeing as we are members of a site with a dwindling membership base, a few folks have suggested that there are too many game play options available and that this impacts the rate at which games are filled. Let's be honest, is there much difference between this Game 14633494 and this Game 14687018? It's also been suggested that the surplus of options is confusing for new players and prevents them from engaging in the site.

I realize that the elimination of any single option is going to infuriate some and that the killing of options attached to medals will infuriate even more! But, I think it should be done.

The two easiest to ditch are zombie spoils and parachute reinforcements. What they add to game play is minimal and would not be missed by many. After those, it gets a bit more complicated due to the medal issue. I was going to suggest killing polymorphic, but it's essentially 1v1 and would not send many to waiting team games should it disappear. I would kill trench. Popular I know, but may serve to consolidate games waiting to be filled. After looking, I see there are over 5000 "standard" games waiting to be filled and only 500 "freestyle". I'm scared to suggest killing freestyle, but perhaps a good way to consolidate further? Perhaps just put freestyle on "pause" until membership stabilizes or (dare I suggest) ever rebounds? The round limit option could be simplified to a "yes/no" and have it set to a fixed value (say 30 rounds).

I also think that games waiting for players should be deleted after a fixed amount of time. If no new player signs up after 2 weeks, ditch it. Also, limit the number of games of a particular setting that a single player can create. Do we really need 68 waiting games on this map and of these settings?

Thoughts?

I have no problems with any of your suggestions.. but freezing freestyle seems redundant.. it's dead bro

[rhp 1]

as has been pointed out in many threads... the site admins KILLED FREESTYLE a long time ago... Freestyle no longer exists how it did in it's glory days... if anything, they would need to change freestyle back to how it was to help bring people back...-EL JESUS NEGRO

not being a freestyle player, i'm not familiar with what was changed. anyone care to enlighten?

there are many threads dealing with topic, too many to mention... many things led to the demise of the setting... few freestyle players around anymore... gameplay changes... lag... there are other reasons...

[JamesKer1]

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=206924

Let's get this fixed.

[DoomYoshi]

Nobody would notice if Midkemdil was gone.

[Butters1919]

Nobody would notice if Midkemdil was gone.

Or crossword, but I doubt those changes would have any impact!

[Dukasaur]

Nobody would notice if Midkemdil was gone.

It may not be among the more popular maps, but it is one of my favourites. I would notice.

[jammyjames]

Trench, Parachute, Zombie, Nuke.

Improve site clickable maps, remove the stupid star system and go from there.

[AndyDufresne]

Trench is the only real special gameplay that I like.


--Andy

[rhp 1]

Personally, I think trench blows ass... Though its a highly popular setting.. I'm not sure if pissing off a huge segment of CC by eliminating that setting is any different than what admins have done up to this point. The other settings and options listed? Knock urself out. Most are lame

[rhp 1]

And when I said "highly popular" in reference to trench, I actually have no idea and no intentions of researching its popularity... Though it seems like a lot of people like and play it

[IcePack]

Trench, Parachute, Zombie, Nuke.

Improve site clickable maps, remove the stupid star system and go from there.

Trench and nukes would probably stay, the others wouldn't make a big difference either way.
Clickes can always be improved later as needed if people outline what's needed (I don't use them never have and don't care) the star system removal would do what exactly? It has a lot of potential uses. Not sure why you think it confuses new people enough to remove it?

[nietzsche]

WHY DO PEOPLE EVEN CARE ANYMORE ABOUT SUGGESTING THINGS!

DO you know those little suggestion boxes that some business still have? Well, it's like when you finally have the courage to slip a note in them, one or more of the clerks will quickly read your suggestion and have one of the following comebacks at you, before you even leave the store:

-the floor can't be cleaned, that's not our focus.
-you didn't type the suggestion right, be specific, at what hours was the floor not clean, what was the temperature? were you wearing panties?
-that it's stupid, because if we clean the floor it will get dirty again
-we don't have money to buy mr. clean.
-i cleaned the floor the other day, stupid crybaby
-the floor is dirty for a reason
-foe the floor and move on
-the floor can't be cleaned because this particular kind of floor is based on dirt, and we can get rid of dirt
-the filthy floor is not a problem, it's a feature
-there's momentarily no floor


This is stupid, it's as if it was our obligation to do your work. If an owner cares about his business he will read between the lines, he will take the suggestions from beneath the rocks if he has to.

So, Butters, for years me and others have been suggesting this, that the options are extreme and the usability of the site, which it sucked to begin win has gotten worse with the complexity of the options.

But the mods have some sort of entitlement. I guess it's the owners fault for not paying them or whatever, but they feel like we have to beg them to take our ideas.

[iAmCaffeine]

as has been pointed out in many threads... the site admins KILLED FREESTYLE a long time ago... Freestyle no longer exists how it did in it's glory days... if anything, they would need to change freestyle back to how it was to help bring people back...-EL JESUS NEGRO

not being a freestyle player, i'm not familiar with what was changed. anyone care to enlighten?

there are many threads dealing with topic, too many to mention... many things led to the demise of the setting... few freestyle players around anymore... gameplay changes... lag... there are other reasons...

+1

I see more sequential players trying to say how freestyle isn't dead. Please learn from the other 576 people that have done that and failed.