I didn't read every post made.....
Some quick thoughts.....
If everyone that posted made and honest effort to play on a given server at the same time 3 or 4 times per week, you'd find other people that play during that time frame will soon join in. If you need more than your wits to make the game more enjoyable, perhaps its already dead for you. Once the parade passes by, the trinkets passed out quickly lose their luster. (Please. I do not intend to demean the hours of hard work put in by the modders with that remark. My point is that it is not the guns, the uniforms, the tanks, etc. that make RO. Its the gameplay and the immersion. Once you get bored with the gameplay, all of the new guns and vehicles, etc in the world aren't going to hold your attention for very long.)
While we are on the subject of attention, I still don't get the attention deficit most online gamers seem to have. Learn to take the good with the bad. We can't all play the maps we like all the time. We can't all play with people that play like we do all the time. If you enjoy the game and ultimately its something you like to spend your free time doing, make a few sacrifices every now and then so that the opportunity to have those awesome battles has a chance to occur. If you can't stand the servers, start a new one. Its not
that expensive. Then complain about the choices. Its not the server's fault. If no one enjoyed what the server offered, no one would play there. Censor a server because it "ruins" the game? And it stays full? The logic fails me.
24-50 players? IMO, its not the numbers that matter, its the players that make the game. I realize that some maps don't play well with large numbers, just as some maps don't play well with low numbers. No sense crying about it. Its gonna happen. If that ruins the game for you, I sorry you feel that way. Its all about give and take. That goes for any game, any where.
I play every night on a full or almost full server. Many known players and many new players. Sure, there are a couple of nights a week that things are slow, but my family enjoys my company every now and then too.
Ironically, I was just thinking the other night about how sad it will be when the mappers move on. I understand its a difficult task to create a good map.
To all mappers, I applaud your efforts and thank you for your time. I have spent and enjoyed many an hour playing your creations. Imo, it is you that have kept the game fresh.
I thank you for sharing your skills with us and beg all of you to do one more map (for the old times
).
So as for the poll, I'd have to go with #2. (Or anything involving new maps.) The bells and whistles don't make the game more enjoyable for me. Its a well designed map that pits foe vs foe (single and team) that does it for me. Sure, the new toys are nice. But in and of themselves, they grow tiresome. The ability to pit teamwork against teamwork using different scenarios while utilizing all the assets available is the key, imo.
As a player, your mileage will vary. I understand and appreciate that. But I'm not so selfish as to expect you to do things my way all the time. I'll scratch your back, if you attempt to help me scratch mine.
Floyd