Some unscrupulous server admins have created custom "rules" that falsely report the number of players in-game, so players have had to deal with the annoyance of joining a game that the server browser reported to be nearly full, only to find it completely empty.
Valve have found a way to defeat such chicanery: a simple server ranking system that awards points based on the amount of time players stay on the server (up to 45 points per player). Servers that have a lot of players joining and leaving within a 15-minute window are penalized, and those with negative point totals are removed from the master server browser. There's a little leeway given once the score drops below zero, but it ain't much:
"Bad Player Experiences" are a polite way of saying that the player has joined a lying server, and bounced off in disgust. Valve's solution here is rather elegant, and it doesn't even require a client download.
I wanted to download the game and join my friends in TF2 but was reluctant to install Steam on my new computer. I really despise proprietary software that smacks of Apple's Itunes. Seems to me like Valve could make it a goddamn option for you to install steam... I finally went to Gamestop and purchased the Orange Box Dvd set thing ... thought to myself "Yes ! Now I can play these games without downloading all that horse fucking shit !"
ReplyDeleteTo my immediate excitement, the very first goddamn thing I was required to do : INSTALL STEAM. Holy hell Batman !!! I want to rip something apart right now. Fuck Valve .. I know it's a survival tactic, I realize the industry is competitve ... I'm sure everyone else loves steam - but FIRE FUCK BALL ! I hate it ! ! ! !
Oh ya, is profanity ok ? I'm finding the usage of so many colorful expletives very soothing right now. To all of you reading this rubbish - I would encourage you to stop now and go no further, or read aloud in a Dutch Accent. Ya well ....
I don't like having my hand forced when it comes to my own personal computer.
I like to move my own hand freely ... and vigorously.
Also - Frisky, you suck ballz so just stfu right now before you get started.
I felt exactly the same when I first bought HL2 back in 2005. I told myself: "I'll play this game because I paid for it, but I'll never buy another Valve game unless they get rid of this Steam shit." Valve was sneaky, though: they kept making games that were consistently exceptional.
ReplyDeleteSo, I got used to Steam.