Public Play

[joey_deacs]

[QUOTE='[R-CON]Outlawz;987320']Or make public play a must after the first match, advertise it along with the match 3 weeks beforehand and kill two birds with one stone.[/QUOTE]

Your mixing the two the community ARE the public ... not just a set of people who have found out about the events........

the whole point of the public play event is to allow the people who could not attend the event for real life issues or mainly teams were just filled too quickly plus any reserves...ect ect get to have a ridgid structured play of the modded maps... we struggle to fill the event so why use this map for this reason... ill structure and badly advertised / organised events make us look bad...

[[R-DEV]Outlawz7]

Yes but since we are not organizing any strats, squads or selecting commanders for public play, it's just ends up as the [I]public[/I] play.
I was under the impression that public play meant 'lets have everyone play the map without any match organization'.

[[R-DEV]epoch]

I have to agree with Outlawz's differentiation between the two. That's exactly what I thought the 'public play' was. We do one (or some) properly organised matches, with signed up players, referees etc. Then we release the map for 'everyone else' - I'd call that 'the public' - and let them play. The public play is without organisation etc, but it gives them exposure to the map, and the hard work you've all put into it, hopefully whetting their appetite for the next match.

However, I believe they should both be given the proper level of promotion, and it does make some sense to advertise both together. If people can't make the organised match, they can hopefully make the public games, and with any luck enjoy it so much that they'll put real life on hold next time and play the match !! :p

[[R-DEV]Masaq]

Why not trial it in reverse?

Run community events over a four week cycle.

Week one:
Run the [B]new [/B]map [I]before[/I] the next event. Have it on the server, unpassworded, available for download and casual play. Server is used from Friday to Friday - server can then be set for the PRT at the weekend.

Week two:
Signups, allocations to roles. Server can be left on the Community Map to encourage interest for the signups, possibly.

Week three:
Signups, allocation to roles continue, 'practice' night for each team is held, on [I]weeknights [/I]so as not to clash with PRT battle. Server is set to PRT for the weekend.

Week four:
Signups close, all roles should be allocated, teams know what they're doing, a second practice night for each team can be held if they want it available, the actual event is held on the weekend.



By then the next map should have been selected/created - the next day, the map is announced to the community (along with the results of the event just played, say?) and put on the server for the public to try out prior to the event.



Removes some of the 'Oooh, I'm playing it first!' element about the community events - but might help to actually encourage use of the Public Play sessions, gives you a set timetable to work to each month, and might drum up additional interest in the actual Events as people can check out the maps before signing up...




Only a suggestion, but could be worth considering for a month's trial? At each stage, you post an update on the forums - general discussion or via the Announcement system.

[joey_deacs]

[QUOTE='[R-CON]Outlawz;987354']Yes but since we are not organizing any strats, squads or selecting commanders for public play, it's just ends up as the [I]public[/I] play.
I was under the impression that public play meant 'lets have everyone play the map without any match organization'.[/QUOTE]

Yes maybe i should have been more direct what has happened in the past is that it`s just open, meaning people join some at different time and a game doesn`t get played.... the only organistion need it to announce SET times to play a round for example so an admin doesnt have to sit on it all the time... but the public / community get a game thats semi organised, i`m by no means suggesting and tactics and planning should or needs to be done but as an event it need to be monitored and organised or you will end up with posts like we have now i.e "i`m on is anyone else?"

the community matches are just extentions of this so people get to have a structured and pre planned battle...

I`ve read post above the idea of running it backwards sounds good.... open the map to download and play public then the community match files can be downloaded by the selected players...

[[R-DEV]epoch]

Masaq's idea is certainly something worth considering (he does have his moments, however brief :p).

The danger, of course, is that interest in the actual 'organised' match may be diminished if people play the map to death beforehand.

Certainly a topic which merits discussion, and more input from the rest of the team is needed.

[[R-DEV]Outlawz7]

[QUOTE='[R-DEV]epoch;987470']
The danger, of course, is that interest in the actual 'organised' match may be diminished if people play the map to death beforehand.
[/QUOTE]

Yes that would be one flow in the otherwise superb plan, I suggest after the sign ups start the map is taken off public, since by then everyone who has played the map will probably make up their mind if they want to play it in a match or not.

[joey_deacs]

like a structured public play weekend fri / sat / sun. 2 set times to start a round, each day.

[VoXiNaTiOn]

I'm thinking Masaq's idea if definitely worth a trial, it could turn out pretty well. (And if it doesn't, we blame him :p.)

[[R-DEV]Masaq]

*Bow* so be it, just slinging it out there for discussion. ;) A couple of semistructured - ie, publicised date/time sessions is probably a better idea than a full week, granted.

Could be worth asking TCC if they're interested in hosting some US-timezone public play sessions with US-timezoned admins available maybe, too? (They host the US Beta Test server for the team)


I'm quite happy (or hell, UKF/Epoch can sort it) to pop forum announcements in the General Discussion area - the yellow alert bars at the top of the screen etc) - or you can just use stickied threads in General Discussion.

Also, we can definitely get the "Message of the Day" box on game log-in used more frquently for signups for you, for example. The template's kicking around - you probably even have the link) - all you gotta do is put the image through to dbaozo with the link you want it to point at and he can sort it.


Mas.