What happened to #2??

[rgslane the trackpad]

I know the server hasn't gone anywhere, but it always used to be full and awesome most evenings... that just isn't the case any more. I don't know if this is because a few regular and pretty skilled players basically stopped visiting the server or because of that damned lag that sometimes made playing there impossible, but does anyone else miss the regular community thing that seemed to be there on 2?

Has #8 replaced it? It's hard to get onto now where #2 used to be...

[_yog]

[sort of late answer]
I also do miss #2 for myself...
I'm okay with pl_maps but only pl_maps is a bit pity while there are so many other game mode. Plus I'm not fan of the 16vs16 format. I understand it allows more people to get in but it's sometimes more a contest of spamming everywhere than really aiming.
As a main scout with sandman, that lets very little space to face one of the thousand random rockets/pipes without being instantly killed.

[rgslane the trackpad]

[sort of late answer]
I'm okay with pl_maps but only pl_maps is a bit pity while there are so many other game mode0.
Plus I'm not fan of the 16vs16 format [...] it's [...] more a contest of spamming everywhere than really aiming.
very little space to face one of the thousand random rockets/pipes without being instantly killed.

Pretty much the reason why I've been mainly on valve servers

[Ger-h]

It's sad to see #2 died these days was my favourite server for so long. Been hard to keep it alive after one/two maps players leave needs to build up a players Base again.

[Ama_]

It's sad to see #2 died these days was my favourite server for so long. Been hard to keep it alive after one/two maps players leave needs to build up a players Base again.

I'd seriously be all up for coming back to #2, as it has been said before I'm not a fan of 32 players instarespawn servers due to the impossible to avoid rain of rockets and grenades and #2 had a variety of maps I particularly enjoyed.

[Darkterror]

I miss #2 and its players. I almost never play anymore since it died. Would be nice if it could be brought back to life somehow.

[_yog]

It's actually probably up to us to bring it back to life...
If no one go there... it's empty, and if #2 is empty, no one join.
If one or two brave players stick even with an almost empty server, it'll probably attract more people. I'd say melee time is fun while waiting for a server to fill up.
I probably won't be able to be online tomorrow, but wednesday evening, I'll gladly cross my sandman with any willing bonesaw/kukri/caber/pan/fish/equalizer/wrench/market gardener/neon anihilator/axtinguisher/zatoichi/ham/KGB/you name it

[Darkterror]

I'll keep an eye on the servers and join any brave soul up to the challenge. You have my sword.

[Epicurus]

because a few regular and pretty skilled players basically stopped visiting the server

This. Not only did they stop visiting the server, most of them stopped playing on ukcs in general. Some even left TF2. I've ran into a bunch of oldschool regulars on KK/HH.
Sorry, but I don't think #2 will ever re-live its glory days. Not with the skill level of the current playerbase.

[heuji]

doing my best to revive it tonight with the starter help of Seiben joining. had it up to 20 players, and, will rejoin after a coffee & smoke.
it is possible

[heuji]

ohh, suggesting a sunday night #2 fragfest might be the way

[rgslane the trackpad]

I've ran into a bunch of oldschool regulars on KK/HH.

there's that weird awkward
oh
moment when that happens
i love it

[BelovedKiller]

It's sad to see #2 died these days was my favourite server for so long. Been hard to keep it alive after one/two maps players leave needs to build up a players Base again.

I don't think it's just 2 that suffers from this issue. The only servers I see full any more ate 6 and 8, sometimes one of the dustbowl servers.

I think the problem is that nobody is willing to sit on an empty server and wait for it to fill up, not even the admins. As far as I can see, admins mostly join 6 or 8 and don't venture beyond these two servers unless another is full. Bob and Seiben often start 7 or contribute which is always nice, but I'm not seeing many other admins put that effort it.

[rgslane the trackpad]

To be honest i've migrated to another chain of servers and they're complaining that their regulars have all left for another server so maybe its just tf2 being dedgaem

[Enigma]

I think it's more likely due to servers being crap and unable to get stable 66 FPS. The netgraph on every UKCS TF2 server is showing constant server FPS drops. How's that possible? Nobody is going to play on a server that can't get a stable FPS.

[heuji]

TF2 is far from dead. the biggest impact to the community servers is the changes valve made to the auto join buttons. hence valve servers are always really busy and the community servers got hit with only the community players now the ones playing thier servers. yes, people have stopped playing, but, it is still one of the most popular games on steam.
TF2 is dead... really?
http://etf2l.org/leagues/6v6-season-20-tables/ 151 6v6 steams actually played last season, excluding drop outs.
http://etf2l.org/leagues/recent-seasons ... divisions/ 20 teams of 9+ players in the Open section alone, excluding Mid and High. with the majority of players not even participating in the competative scene in europe. i hardly see how TF2 is even close to dead.

as for UKCS and lag. yes, i noticed some problems on #2 when i played it recently, but, it is only the massive player count on #8 that i can see that maybe causes any issues. there's no weird server based lag as there was on #2. maybe it's a 32 man issue? also, i don't know what you're on about with the player base. it's always been 2.5-ish servers that have been massively popular with the regulars (emphasis on 'regulars'). previously it was #2 and a dustbowl, now it is just #8 and 2-fort (both jammed i may add). try getting on #8 without a sub between 6pm and 1am gmt. like i said, valve kind of screwed over the communities with the autoplay update and some stalwarts have left/stopped. the top end of my favourite server list player count hasn't changed much though. 90% of the time at peak i'm on about my 11th or 12th choice server as i have no chance of getting in on the top 5 (the other 5 are jump/dm/surf) unless i queue for a while. have a look at the valve servers now too. they're totally packed and if you join there's a hell of a lot of newer players. i woudn't be surprised if more, like myself, filter back to TF2. some of the other games i've played just suck and have 0 depth in comparison.

[Enigma]

Whole two servers! Quite an achievement... Maybe it's time to finally give up on 32 player mess and convert the servers to 24 player? Maybe it will get some people to play here, maybe it won't. But it's still better than doing nothing.

[rgslane the trackpad]

could we switch some of the perpetually empty servers to being nospread/nocrit/stock rotation 18/24 man servers? Theres no point them staying as 24/7 mannpower or whatever they are at the moment

[heuji]

i totally agree with you mouse, but, the previous no crit server people didn't play on at all from what i saw. while the more experienced like the idea of no crit servers, valve have killed it with instant crit weapon mechanics, and those less experienced feel the gulf by getting less kills. i blame valve for some of the new idiotic insta crit weapons too. you have to implement a whitelist and class restrictions for it to truely work. from what i gather UKCS aren't into restricting classes etc. as it can breed the 'CoD kid' mentality and they have always liked the 'play the way you want' motto. maybe why it failed?

it would be nice to see some mods on the perma empty servers. maybe jump maps (the servers i visit are ever popular. they're also nice to join while queing for full servers as leaving isn't game breaking for others on the map. you can also play solo. personally i'd love to play some on a sub 40 ping too ), prop hunt, saxton hale, slender fortress, deathrun etc. there's tons of fun, and good, mods around just now. most of all i would like to see a smaller sized server though as you say. they're so much easier to start to fill amongst other things.
these things always seem to break UKCS plugins though

back on topic. i mentioned in a previous post that there is weird lag on #2. do the admin have any ideas why, or, even know about it? it's not even when it's too busy it happens. it doesn't happen on #8 even when it's maxed out with players.

[heuji]

most of all i would like to see a smaller sized server though as you say. they're so much easier to start to fill amongst other things.

ohh, and, on a set map rotation. i don't think the mapvote is needed on all the servers, and, you get to see some maps you personally like. the mapvote can make it a hell of a stale rotation. maybe a !rtv and !nominate call on a long cooldown so people can't troll the system. it means the public can put on a map they want once every so often which is great for starting to populate the server.