Just want to share some thoughts here.
One problem I have with KF is the traditional drop-in style of servers. This works well for casual perk-leveling but if you want to get something done, then this system becomes cumbersome.
For starters, people joining half-way through the game can mess things up. More zeds will spawn due to their presence and sometimes the team will now lack firepower and gets overrun.
Next, on large maps, it can be difficult to find the team if you spawn far away. It can also become difficult to distribute and buy weapons in time, leading to the first problem.
I know there are steam groups and friend lists as well as passworded servers, but regardless it can be difficult to get 5 people together whom you know at a certain time. The KF lobby isn't perfect, either; if one person clicks "ready" before anyone joins, he will start the game - if he dies, it changes maps! If 4 out of 5 people ready up, the timer starts and you may get an idle player. I find people just aren't patient enough to wait for a lobby to fill up before starting.
So I wish there was a nice system that acts similar to an MMO's "Looking For Group" (LFG) system. You know, have some sort of public chat where you can advertise your availability and experience, in hopes of forming a team to perform some common task. I think an IRC channel that you can join from KF's main menu would work nicely; Steam groups would be even better, especially if everyone joins it by default when they start - it would allow you to mess around solo until someone in the Steam group invites you or responds.
Maybe servers in the server list can get a new icon representing if the server is in a lobby state and has not started; or if the server is currently "Looking For More", where players in that server are currently just messing around and once they vote unanimously that they're ready, the server restarts on the same level at the voted difficulty and such.
What can I say? I'm tired of joining a suicidal server and we're doing well until a level 3 firebug joins. I'm tired of sitting around in an empty KF Steam Group, hoping to find some people willing to play when I can. I don't want scheduled events, I want to play when I want; I wouldn't mind a little wait to put together a good team. There are players out there playing at the moment, but there's simply no easy way to reach them.
OK rant's over. I hope you guys got something out of this. Share your thoughts!
One problem I have with KF is the traditional drop-in style of servers. This works well for casual perk-leveling but if you want to get something done, then this system becomes cumbersome.
For starters, people joining half-way through the game can mess things up. More zeds will spawn due to their presence and sometimes the team will now lack firepower and gets overrun.
Next, on large maps, it can be difficult to find the team if you spawn far away. It can also become difficult to distribute and buy weapons in time, leading to the first problem.
I know there are steam groups and friend lists as well as passworded servers, but regardless it can be difficult to get 5 people together whom you know at a certain time. The KF lobby isn't perfect, either; if one person clicks "ready" before anyone joins, he will start the game - if he dies, it changes maps! If 4 out of 5 people ready up, the timer starts and you may get an idle player. I find people just aren't patient enough to wait for a lobby to fill up before starting.
So I wish there was a nice system that acts similar to an MMO's "Looking For Group" (LFG) system. You know, have some sort of public chat where you can advertise your availability and experience, in hopes of forming a team to perform some common task. I think an IRC channel that you can join from KF's main menu would work nicely; Steam groups would be even better, especially if everyone joins it by default when they start - it would allow you to mess around solo until someone in the Steam group invites you or responds.
Maybe servers in the server list can get a new icon representing if the server is in a lobby state and has not started; or if the server is currently "Looking For More", where players in that server are currently just messing around and once they vote unanimously that they're ready, the server restarts on the same level at the voted difficulty and such.
What can I say? I'm tired of joining a suicidal server and we're doing well until a level 3 firebug joins. I'm tired of sitting around in an empty KF Steam Group, hoping to find some people willing to play when I can. I don't want scheduled events, I want to play when I want; I wouldn't mind a little wait to put together a good team. There are players out there playing at the moment, but there's simply no easy way to reach them.
OK rant's over. I hope you guys got something out of this. Share your thoughts!
