• Please make sure you are familiar with the forum rules. You can find them here: https://forums.tripwireinteractive.com/index.php?threads/forum-rules.2334636/

Re-launch/Free weekend

Sensemann

Grizzled Veteran
May 10, 2009
1,146
269
Shanghai, China
I read that TWI is considering a free weekend/re-launch in the foreseeable future. That's a good thing and I really hope that this succeeds.

In order to make it successfull, I would like to ask, what you guys think is necessary to be done before this free weekend/re-launch is done.

In my eyes, the following should be considered:

1. Make the anti-lag mutator work properly. Many, not all, servers would run it. And this mutator is simply outstanding. The game just plays so much better, simply because your bullet hits where it's supposed to hit, the essential of a shooter.

2. Fix the sdk and map issues and pull out all current available maps into a steam update.
A major concern of many current players and those that abandoned the game is that the variety of maps, or limited amount of them, was a reason for them to leave.
If you try to suck in more new players, the more maps available, the better it would be. Now I understand that TWI as a company cannot and should not take any responsiblity on custom made content, but have a HUGE message on the map loading screen that the map was done by (e.g) Drecks/Wolverine/BOH-rekrut and maybe even mention that it's still WIP.

This would on the one hand honor the modders work, take out TWI's responsibilities (if bugs still exist on those maps), give more map variety, make sure that players have the maps and don't need to download upon connecting. Plus, it would encourage the current mappers and maybe even suck in more mappers as they see that the SDK is bringing results.

3. Clearly define the game modes and make it visible, which mode is on which server.
With the risk of confusing new players (gosh, even I am confused) about the different game modes, it's essential that it's clear to people which server runs which mode. If a player on the free weekend had a good friday night on "arcade mode" and tries to play again on saturday but cannot find a server with crosshairs, he will be upset and it will have negative influence on his perception of the game. Try to minimize the confusion as much as possible, so that people quickly find the mode they want to play. And don't forget, the average bloke is not the brightest person in town.

I could bring up ideas of how to present different modes, but that would basically be wordy and just destroy the thread. Also, I believe TWI has ideas on how to handle it properly.

Please write down what you think needs to be done prior to offering a free weekend, in order to make newcomers feel that RO 2 is the game to play at a discount (or full price, or whatever TWI intends to do). This also goes towards those guys that have abandoned the game already: What is needed to bring you back to the game.

And now I am speaking only for myself:
I wish RO 2 will end up as successfull as RO 1. I have been here since release and went through a lot of pain. The game has improved significantly, currently is lacking content (maps, which could be changed by them working properly), but the current player base is too small. If the free-weekend deal and classic mode are not bringing in a significant number of more players, I will be out for summer, because at the current state, the game is not worth much of my time anymore.
 
I agree with #1 and that kind of ties into #2.

Fix the mutator/custom map/redirect/SDK issues. It's totally bannanas. Can't run anti-lag, can't run custom maps, redirecting custom maps breaks sometimes, and I hear mappers are having SDK issues.

I'd like to see all that fixed to take some weight off of TWI's creation department. So they can focus on supporting the community and managing it's numbers so it can grow again.

I think with the addition of RO-Classic, MP Campaign, the new sexy map, and all the performance/UI changes currently in the beta, it should be enough to pull off a proper free weekend.

Also I totally agree with you on #3, instead of the map names showing TE or FF of CD I'd much rather see a seperate tab defining the gamemode
 
Upvote 0
Good post I think a free weekend will bring in alot more players.Just like it did with killling floor.The game is solid and plays well even compared to other big names and is if anything a change of pace.Hoping more people can appreciative tactical gameplay.While its not a mainstream game and everyones cup of tea years of coffee a nice cup of tea would be refreshing to many.They just need to discover it that's what a free weekend would do.

I still think ro2 is a hidden gem now and does not deserve to be in the price bin.So lowering the price shouldn't be an option a free weekend is all that's in order.Besides classic will bring back many old vets and they each will equal 3 mainstream fpers.....According to my old school RO math ;)
 
Upvote 0
Have you played the beta? Then you would know #3 is of topic.
Not sure about the others though, but I think some of them are in the beta aswell

Yes I did play the beta. #3 is not of topic. It's essential that it's clearly stated which mode is currently on. I heard from some guys that they are confused about the differences between realism and relaxed realism. In fact, casual gamers will just connect to the next server that offers a decent ping with a spot left. After connecting, they will be "oh ****, it's realism mode" or sth like this.

I find it amusing when players ask for more maps and weapons. We can't fill the maps we have now, yet they want more......

I personally don't think people are not playing this game because of lack of new content.

That's not true... What I mean is: distribute the current available maps from the community via the steam update. Everybody then has them and people that will play RO 2 during a free-weekend will think "Wow, many different maps, so the game won't get boring after the 2 free days, because there is still a lot to discover. Too difficult to understand my initial post? Sorry.
 
Upvote 0
Yes I did play the beta. #3 is not of topic. It's essential that it's clearly stated which mode is currently on. I heard from some guys that they are confused about the differences between realism and relaxed realism. In fact, casual gamers will just connect to the next server that offers a decent ping with a spot left. After connecting, they will be "oh ****, it's realism mode" or sth like this.



That's not true... What I mean is: distribute the current available maps from the community via the steam update. Everybody then has them and people that will play RO 2 during a free-weekend will think "Wow, many different maps, so the game won't get boring after the 2 free days, because there is still a lot to discover. Too difficult to understand my initial post? Sorry.

Senseman, I wasn't talking about you only. There are many who are crying for more maps. I was just adding to the post. No offense meant.
 
Upvote 0
Wow, no offense meant either. I just read it again and have so say: oops, you are right. The "sorry" wasn't meant to mean: sorry for you not to understand it. It was more meant as "sorry" if I wasn't clear enough.

In general what I mean is: the more maps available, plus even showing that they were community made via the SDK, would probably attract players because "hey, it's a unlimited amount of new content coming out" plus "cool, I try making a map myself".

Sorry, not a native English speaker and I really didn't want to offend you.
 
Upvote 0
Sensemann said:
That's not true... What I mean is: distribute the current available maps from the community via the steam update. Everybody then has them and people that will play RO 2 during a free-weekend will think "Wow, many different maps, so the game won't get boring after the 2 free days, because there is still a lot to discover.
That's a good idea; not only community maps are good but it'd make map pool larger without the need to wait some time for them to be downloaded after entering each server running it (at least I had to do it three or four times, not exactly sure what was the cause - is it the map issue you refer to?).

Sensemann said:
1. Make the anti-lag mutator work properly.
I agree with it and suggest marking servers with the anti-lag mutators for people who'd like to play on them (and I think a lot of people would as the only reason they stopped using the mutator was because of problems making it unable to play for the people on servers running with anti-lag mutator).

Sensemann said:
3. Clearly define the game modes and make it visible, which mode is on which server.
Agreed. Although I must say that - at least in Classic Beta - you have a warning about entering classic version, so that would-be-issue is partially solved (that doesn't mean that clearer making in server browser should be ignored of course).

Cliffs said:
I personally don't think people are not playing this game because of lack of new content.
I think it depends on the player type. There are indeed people who wait for new content (like trucks), while some are waiting for classic to come out and there are surely other groups too.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
That's not true... What I mean is: distribute the current available maps from the community via the steam update. Everybody then has them and people that will play RO 2 during a free-weekend will think "Wow, many different maps, so the game won't get boring after the 2 free days, because there is still a lot to discover. Too difficult to understand my initial post? Sorry.

The one problem I have with this idea is that not only does not enough maps turn a player off, but a bunch of maps with problems will turn a player off, too, even if they know it is "only" community-made content. Good example, Ogledow, admirable effort, widely appreciated as something fresh for RO2's gameplay, but you can't have an official release of a map that has missing textures; you just can't. Currently there are zero final versions of custom maps announced, that means they are all in some Beta version or another and with the update and subsequent free weekend coming up fast, in the next couple of months I guess, I don't foresee many maps being in a finished state, especially with current SDK and redirect issues getting in the way of mappers' motivation. Maybe once those are fixed and updated, mappers can make a big push, but by then it seems to me the official map contest will be announced, so releasing community maps officially would not be viable as either it is unfair or mappers will be "saving" their maps for the contest so they can maybe win something.

I just think TWI needs to be sure maps are finished or as darn near finished as possible (undiscovered problems that need to be fixed is something else) before they should take them into the update package and offer them alongside their own work, no matter how clear they are able to make it which maps are theirs and which maps are community-made.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
I'd like to see some general long standing bugs fixed and some tweaks to the UI

Animation bugs while bandaging
Auto picking up MG's when you walk over them
Going to cover when you mean to bandage

For UI:

When you type "np" to forgive someone you should get some feedback about what happened. Same for when you are forgiven ("X player forgave you")
Separate system messages from player chat, either somewhere else on the screen or different colours/text size
Tick mark on the spawn screen that remembers your last setting and autospawns you
Show reinforcements on the overview map rather than just with scoreboard. Now you have to alternate between the two for the info
 
Upvote 0