(I've created this new discussion here. If that's an issue, you can move it to the right category)

COMPETITIVE PLAYTESTS - CUSTOM MAPS

The idea being this thread is to organize a group of volunteer competitive players in order to playtest custom maps. We all know that having a community is what makes a game stay alive. The NS2 community has a lot of awesome content creators and mappers. Due to the obnoxious and unituitive workshop system to look for player created maps, we constantly play the same maps over and over again, and mappers with their new maps (which are WIP for the most part) don't get the chance to have decent feedback from others players.

Although the SCC does a FCKING great job, it cannot be on every front and tackle every issue. That's is why I would love to see, very much like the SCC, the creation of a group of competitive players willing to give a little of their free time to help mappers improve their map.

Some mappers would love to see their map played during competitive games (gathers, pugs, etc...) or even in the NSL Season, but can't due to a lack of feedback. Without a proper base of competitive players they are not able to work effectively on their map and correct what is wrong/unbalanced, etc...

I'm quite sick of hearing this "I'm not playing on this map, it's aweful" tune, when the map is a work in progress (greyboxed, or mostly textured). You have to play a map, to make it better. Mappers are used to hearing their map being called garbage, but they mostly want to hear why, and how they could improve it.

Currently we have promising and interesting maps that need testing, and I'd like to get involved and invite everyone who is interested to join this thread and try to make this happen.

Inspired by the awesome guys of the SCC, here's what I think could work out great.

- 1 weekly competitive playtest session : 6 versus 6 (with all mods used in NSL).
- 1 and maybe 2 maps each session (depending of availability), with the participation of the mapper (whose map we would be playing on, if he/she can be there).
- 21:00 CEST on weekends (friday night or saturday)

Logistics :
I've heard Vindaloo tried/tries to organize PCWs on custom maps, and that Pelargir organized playtests some time ago too.
I don't have a server on which we could play, but there might be some solutions. So first I would like to ask if it would be possible to use once a week one of the NSL gather (Onfire) servers or the SCC's. Why ? Because Vindaloo is onFire and - if he is interested, and if the rest of the onfire team don't mind - already tried to organize this kind of thing before. They would just need to add maps to one of their server (preferably not the one on which NSL gathers usually take place) and allow us to play once in a week on it.

About the SCC server, I would also like to address the SCC group a request, even though that could be a little harder to organize : would it be possible to allow us to use your server ? I know there is no Comp Mod on it, but you have many many many custom maps.

That's the two ideas I got about the server. If someone wants to share another idea, please do.

About the TS/Mumble server : couldn't we use the ENSL TS ? i'm asking to the ENSL admins here if that would be possible to create a channel for our purpose, once the project grows.

I think that's about it. If I'm missing something please notify me in this thread. And let the world know if you are interested ! HYPE THIS UP

(ps : main thread is on the UWE forums : http://forums.unknownworlds.com/discussion/135524/competitive-playtests-custom-maps?new=1)

Here is the steam group :
http://steamcommunity.com/groups/competitiveplaytestscustommaps

I think this is an excellent idea and i'd love to be part of it. Getting more maps ready for a competitive standard is the best way to keep NS2 fun in the long run in my opinion. However, isn't this exactly what the SCC is already doing? Isn't an SCC expansion what you're really asking for here?

I'm pretty sure Vindaloo would be happy to see the oF servers used for endeavors such as these, as long as they don't collide with the practice times of the team. These are currently at Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, usually starting at 20:00 or 21:00. So for example Saturdays could perhaps function as an appropriate time to host this event if it is to be held in the evening.

Robby says

I think this is an excellent idea and i'd love to be part of it. Getting more maps ready for a competitive standard is the best way to keep NS2 fun in the long run in my opinion. However, isn't this exactly what the SCC is already doing? Isn't an SCC expansion what you're really asking for here?

This is indeed a kind of SCC expansion yeah. But the project's aiming at 6v6 competitive playtests here, what the SCC seems to have trouble organizing so far (due to a lack of comp players, in their weekly playtest sessions). So I guess not that much. But yeah I got the general idea from them

Robby says

I'm pretty sure Vindaloo would be happy to see the oF servers used for endeavors such as these, as long as they don't collide with the practice times of the team. These are currently at Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, usually starting at 20:00 or 21:00. So for example Saturdays could perhaps function as an appropriate time to host this event if it is to be held in the evening.

About that, Pelargir has offered the old structure of his playtests. So the NS2-FR NSL server, a channel on the ENSL TS, maybe the private Mapping forum on the ENSL website, the steam group, etc ...
So that issue, is no more. But thanks for the offer.
And I'm glad to see you're on board. I might try to organize a first session and have everything ready by next saturday. Share this thread to see if other people are interested :)
You can also post on the uwe forums thread where I hang out mots often than here.

The ENSL has had their own program for this. Just ask pelargir about it. We unfortunately stopped doing the map tests because no one wanted to do it unless they got badges................................. But im sure if you ask Pelargir you could probably just revive the program. :)

Tico says

The ENSL has had their own program for this. Just ask pelargir about it. We unfortunately stopped doing the map tests because no one wanted to do it unless they got badges................................. But im sure if you ask Pelargir you could probably just revive the program. :)

Yup, I did. I'll try to provide everything we used before.

I want my badge FFS. I quit :D

So,
First of all, eveything's been sorted out logistics wise, thanks to @Pelargir.


- We'll be using the ENSL Teamspeak:
address : ensl.org
no password
Go to Admin/Referee Channel => NSL Maptesting Lobby
You can access the lobby, but you'll need a password to get into the NSL Maptesting sub-chan, as well as on the Team #1 and #2
In order to get the password, you can ask me (via Steam or PM) or get into the Lobby when we're playing and someone will come see you and give you the password.

- NSL Maptesting Private Section :
http://www.ensl.org/forums/19
You'll need to request access to this section, to Pelargir or another ENSL Admin, I guess Pela told then about this maptesting stuff being live again.
Access has been granted to all mappers (that were already there before). New mappers will have to request access too. They'll be able to create new topics for their own maps.

ps: we can also talk about stuff here if you guys want. But ENSL forums sounds way more practical for our purpose.

- NS2-FR server :
I will soon have some Admin rights on the NSL NS2-FR server. We'll just have to ask Pelargir to add the custom maps we'll play.
password as you may already know is : ns2nsl

- Steam group : NSL Maptesting
We'll use the old Steam group. Pela's given me admin rights on it. So I'll publish news and announcements to notice you when a session is starting
You'll need to ask me for an invite. The group is still private. And it's better to add me on Steam so that I can invite you more easily.
http://steamcommunity.com/groups/nslmaptesting

When ?
What I proposed :
- 1 weekly competitive playtest session : 6 versus 6 (with all mods used in NSL).
- 1 and maybe 2 maps each session (depending of availability), with the participation of the mapper (whose map we would be playing on, if he/she can be there).
- 21:00 CEST on weekends (friday night or saturday)

But Pelargir told me he organized these session on Thursdays. I aimed at the week end so we could have Americans too joining us.
Why don't you give your opinion on that matter so we can sort a day together.
Hence, for now it will still be on Saturdays of Fridays.

About the maps & mappers still active :
Tex: Outer Rim Ark
Loki: Derelict reboot
Flaterectomy: Caged
Olmy/Insane: Relic
Lotnik190: Light
MasterG: Mineral
Vert: Prison
Fivz: Stratos
Kalopsia: Nothing
Mouse: Fusion
Deathshroud: Cradle Returns
Mephilles: Docking 2
PrevertMaximus: Orbital
F0rdPrefect: Frost
BeigeAlert: Temple
Loki: KodiakFIVE
Cetme (remade by Mouse): Penta
Howser: Fracture

Contact me if your map isn't in this list. And also tell me if you want your map to be tested for 6v6.

You'll have to get in touch with me to ask for a 6v6 playtest if you want your map to be fit for competitive games.
Depending on what you've recently done on your map, we'll sort out a kind of priority queue.

Like for example, we've tested Mineral a couple of times (6v6 and ffa) and MasterG is planning a redesign of his map, so testing his map won't be a priority until he has some new stuff. That way we can play other maps that have not been tested yet.

So now, I hope to have something ready and people up to the task by this week end. I'll post this message on the ENSL forums and on the Steam group as well, to let everyone know.

ps: It would be cool if we had some casters or people recording during our playtests. Pelargir told me Cr4zy and @Vindaloo did it before, so ?

Updates will now take place on the private Maptesting section, on the Steam group and on the UWE forums' thread. If you want in, just add me on steam, or contact me via anything you want.
Steam name : MauvaisVitrier (although you can access my Steam via my ENSL profile)