12 replies to this topic

[R.E.M.]

A number of you have recently been encountering a new error which says "Lobby already exists." This is due to a new feature introduced in the latest hotfix.

 

Due to popular demand about limiting multiple instances of the same lobbies and a strange bug where 2 of the exact same lobby could be made instead of just 1, the TF2C developers have introduced the following rule into the code:

 

A lobby cannot be created if a current lobby already exists with:

1. the same location (e.g. EU, US, AUS etc.)
2. the same gametype (e.g. 6s, 9s, 2v2 etc)
3. the same map

We are also considering implementing a change where a lobby would also have to share a mumble requirement setting with an existing lobby to be forbidden. This means that 2 lobbies with the same location, gametype and map can exist together as long as one requires mumble and the other does not, but this is a change that has not happened yet and we are still reviewing this feature.

 

Any questions or comments are more than welcome in this thread.

 

Regards,

 

The TF2C team.

[Redshirt]

Please reconsider this feature. This solution to two million of the same UGC flavor of the week lobbies is worse than the problem it solves.

 

For example: suppose you have a roamer, pocket, and medic who want to lobby together on Badlands. But the existing Badlands 6s lobbies only have medic and demo slots open.

 

Do the roamer, pocket, and medic just decide not to play that night? Wait until no one has started a badlands lobby? Just let their medic wander off alone into the cold, dark world, lost and alone?

 

While we understand tf2center is not an adequate replacement for scrims, lobbies are great when small groups of people just want to play a comp format game together.

[TheMattgician]

The problem we are trying to fix is that sometimes there are too many lobbies with same settings, such that none ever starts. Lobbies start much more fluidly because of this. However, there are some issues with this system, mainly what you talk about.

I believe this is not the final version of this system, there will probably be a more sensible but more complex algorithm later.

[R.E.M.]

Well to be absolutely honest with you all, I was as surprised to hear this as some of you might have been. I know for a fact we had a different much more complex system in the works but it seems we've opted for a slightly simpler option. Nothing wrong with that per se but I was expecting this fix to come much later, perhaps the devs decided it was so important they wanted to fix it ASAP.

 

However you can make all the difference by commenting your approval/disapproval. The developers will read everything you say and will listen to the prevailing opinion(s) in the community.

 

The will of the people shall be heard! Workers of the world, unite!

[VoidWhisperer]

This does seem to present a bit of a problem. Take this from the perspective of a spy main (Of which I am not, but they are easy enough to think about in this mindset):

 

Every person and their brother plays spy, so it fills up in lobbies extremely quickly. What if you want to play a map and the spy spot for that map is taken? You are stuck sitting there waiting for that map to start so you can attempt to snipe the slot on the next one going up.

 

There is really no easy solution to this imo. Also, maybe you should be able to create a lobby if it has significantly different requirements than other lobbies that are currently up with those settings (+ or - 200 hours, 10 lobbies, some percent, etc)

[TheMattgician]

This does seem to present a bit of a problem. Take this from the perspective of a spy main (Of which I am not, but they are easy enough to think about in this mindset):

 

Every person and their brother plays spy, so it fills up in lobbies extremely quickly. What if you want to play a map and the spy spot for that map is taken? You are stuck sitting there waiting for that map to start so you can attempt to snipe the slot on the next one going up.

 

There is really no easy solution to this imo. Also, maybe you should be able to create a lobby if it has significantly different requirements than other lobbies that are currently up with those settings (+ or - 200 hours, 10 lobbies, some percent, etc)

This system does force people to offclass (actually its exactly how it works). There are a lot of people that want to play Spy, and what happens occasionally is that there are 4 badwater lobbies with four slots taken: spies and snipers. None of them start and its annoying to everyone. Imo, it's better to play in a lobby while offclassing than standing around like a bloody idiot.

[VoidWhisperer]

 

This does seem to present a bit of a problem. Take this from the perspective of a spy main (Of which I am not, but they are easy enough to think about in this mindset):

 

Every person and their brother plays spy, so it fills up in lobbies extremely quickly. What if you want to play a map and the spy spot for that map is taken? You are stuck sitting there waiting for that map to start so you can attempt to snipe the slot on the next one going up.

 

There is really no easy solution to this imo. Also, maybe you should be able to create a lobby if it has significantly different requirements than other lobbies that are currently up with those settings (+ or - 200 hours, 10 lobbies, some percent, etc)

This system does force people to offclass (actually its exactly how it works). There are a lot of people that want to play Spy, and what happens occasionally is that there are 4 badwater lobbies with four slots taken: spies and snipers. None of them start and its annoying to everyone. Imo, it's better to play in a lobby while offclassing than standing around like a bloody idiot.

 

 

The issue with offclassing is if you have people offclassing to important classes (medi, engi, etc) that they do not know how to play... Not saying people trying new classes is a bad thing, but in some cases it might not be the best thing either.

[Timon]

A number of you have recently been encountering a new error which says "Lobby already exists." This is due to a new feature introduced in the latest hotfix.

 

I've been sat there where there are no lobbies open that are 6v6 EU on any map and a bunch of people in the chat, myself included are getting "lobby already exists". It makes sense with the new system but still seems possibly buggy?

[R.E.M.]

 

A number of you have recently been encountering a new error which says "Lobby already exists." This is due to a new feature introduced in the latest hotfix.

 

I've been sat there where there are no lobbies open that are 6v6 EU on any map and a bunch of people in the chat, myself included are getting "lobby already exists". It makes sense with the new system but still seems possibly buggy?

 

 

Sounds like a bug. Make a bug report on the forums if it happens again, with screenshots as evidence.

[Harry Kaine]

very good change !

[Kenneth]

This is good, we already do this a little bit in AU by mildly abusing the lobby leader who opens one up when we are waiting for meds... it's just kind of rude and our community is small enough that having multiple open will absolutely kill any chance of anything starting.

[kKaltUu]

Great change, until TF2Center rewards players that pick less popular classes this is exactly what the site needs. 

[TheMattgician]

Great change, until TF2Center rewards players that pick less popular classes this is exactly what the site needs. 

 

Ideas such as achievements and rankings are in the works!