Sad to see the decline in the playerbase

[jockskratos]

Let me introduce myself. I'm jockskratos, which is a play on the name [Fox] Kratos. Rip [Fox], a clan of envy for many (once) scrub players like myself.

I started playing assaultcube a bit after 1.1 was released in 2010. My real life best friend [PSY]Pwnmeister introduced me to the game. Assaultcube's the first fps game I really got into and is where I built up my skill at aiming with a mouse.  I had a blast playing the game very actively in 2010, 2011, and 2012 and have played on and off since then.

My favourite weapon was the assault rifle, with the carbine being a fun alternative, and the sniper being used on many custom maps. I played all types of maps, be it official, gema, camper, twin/mega towers, terrorists vs counter terrorists, vietnam war, and all sorts of other custom maps. My favourite maps were the ones that gave you decent room to move around, like douze, shine, and dust_2. I despised maps like rattrap because they would hinder strafing/jumping/rifle kicking. I often enjoyed headshotting people across the map in open spaces, or playing killing maps that seemed gema inspired.

Anyways, I feel the changes from 1.1 are what led to the decline in the player count.

-Max player counts were reduced (many people enjoyed the hectic gameplay)
-Shotguns were nerfed (I hated the shotgun in 10 v 10 servers, but a lot of people relied on it)
-AR Rifle kick reduced (really hurt GEMA and overall fun)
-AR damage nerfed (helps the SMG spam weapon)
-SMG spam weapon buffed (an annoying spam weapon)
-CTF douze removed, the map distilled gameplay down to movement, aim, reaction time. Your deaths were your own fault.

-Map restrictions tightened (many GEMA, camper, tower, miscellaneous custom maps were destroyed when they offered unique gameplay that many people enjoyed). Custom maps are what's keeping AC afloat today, but they seem considerably worse and less varied than the maps that were once available. 

AC 1.1 gave a do-what-you-want vibe to players and I think it's sad that the devs have tried to destroy unique player designed experiences.

I've been reading up on posts and feel people like undead should direct the gameplay development of the game. The devs have gone against the wishes of the playerbase (both competitive and unique map players) and the game has been decimated. I think whatever devs remain need to start coding what the community actually wants.

[Nightmare]

#Vanquish4CompetitionDirector

[hgf-arg]

I have my pop-corn, bring it on!!

[Sanzo'']

Were you guys around during 1.0 ?
The player base started declining when 1.1 came out, not after it...

[Marti]

Were you guys around during 1.0 ?
The player base started declining when 1.1 came out, not after it...

well, jockskratos said he started playing during the 1.1 era, so i guess no?

[Undead]

sanzo is correct in that immediate statement, but lets not get into another long-winded discussion on why 1.1 or 1.0 or 0.93 is better.

[ElCrema]

1.0 might not be "better" but it was undoubtedly the most popular version, mostly cause AC was just slightly "outdated" compared to other fps back then. It is thanks to the huge player base built during 1.0 golden age, that the game managed to last so long. That time, unfortunately has passed and that has been quite obvious from some time now, that AC is doomed. Lots of players were leaving AC behind, for many reasons, and few were coming in, for mostly one reason: it's an outdated fps, albeit how much many of us still like it. Hate to say it, but AC probably won't last another year :'(

[Alien]

it is sad ...

[Luc@s]

1.0 might not be "better" but it was undoubtedly the most popular version, mostly cause AC was just slightly "outdated" compared to other fps back then. It is thanks to the huge player base built during 1.0 golden age, that the game managed to last so long. That time, unfortunately has passed and that has been quite obvious from some time now, that AC is doomed. Lots of players were leaving AC behind, for many reasons, and few were coming in, for mostly one reason: it's an outdated fps, albeit how much many of us still like it. Hate to say it, but AC probably won't last another year :'(

If your logic is "devs should make sure AC lasts  a bit longer", we're going nowhere, because we should focus on attracting new players rather than keeping the few we have.

I think AC has the potential; it might be old, but some other games are way worse and yet have a lot more players.

[Nightmare]

we should focus on attracting new players rather than keeping the few we have.

Are you still against Steam?

[Luc@s]

no

[1Cap]

New players? I agree 100%.
Let me manage the facebook page of the game. I need only 3 months.

[Luc@s]

sure, someone who hates facebook as much as you do isbest suited for this task. lol

[1Cap]

Let's see ...
> I have an MBA in Digital Marketing, that is, I'm an expert in social media. I can easily prove it.
> Currently I manage several fanpages on Facebook. Many with more than 5000 fans. But it is not about the number of fans but of engagement. The important thing is to have participation, new fans will bring other friends and so on!
> I go to the game for more than eight years. I said eight years not eight months. I was in the old forum, played with very old clans. When they speak of each version of the game I know they're talking about, I was there. I know all the members of this forum even though some do not know me as well :)
> I've never been in the BL. In fact I have never even been suspected of something...
> I have no prejudices. I am Brazilian and I am in a non-Brazilian clan. I am the only Brazilian there, people are people no matter where they live.
> Note, Facebook is not a forum. I do not need to write long texts. In fact the language will not be a problem.
> The point is not to hate or not Facebook. The point is that I love this project and this should deserve many, many points ;)
I can help increase the game player base.

[Marti]

> I've never been in the BL. In fact I have never even been suspected of something...

Didn't all of Brazil get blacklisted?

I'm also a social media expert, don't need an MBA for that

[MathiasB]

I'm also a social media expert, don't need an MBA for that

These days everyone thinks he's a social media expert... Few actually are...

[Marti]

I'm also a social media expert, don't need an MBA for that

These days everyone thinks he's a social media expert... Few actually are...

In case you weren't aware, I was havin' a giggle.

[ElCrema]

@ Luc@s

I agree with you 100%. If youcheck my posts on every discussion about new versions, you'll see what I mean.
I always thought the devs give way to much importance to the "pros", they are not as important as they believe.
The main goal of the game should be acquiring new players and lots of them. The problem is, you ain' t gonna do that with the current map restrictions and weapon balance.

You devs should get together to think about AC's future with NEW PLAYERS in mind and not forum users and a hand full of competitive players. It's like you said in the other thread, fuck it if half of the forum user leave AC, it won't make a difference if you manage to bring lots of new players in.

The only thing is, once you decide to implement changes from the top down, you have to be 100% sure that it will be a change for the better. Or will have the same problem that happened in the 1.1 to 1.2 transition i.e. shitty changes that drove lots of players away but didn't bring a lot of new ones.

Just be careful, cause the player base is very small, a bad new version (or keeping this one), will be the end of AC.
I wish you devs the best of luck!

[DamDam]

we should focus on attracting new players rather than keeping the few we have.
I think AC has the potential; it might be old, but some other games are way worse and yet have a lot more players.

And looking at the playerbase numbers over the past few years, you think the leading development team have successed in that matter? Obviously not.
Just like someone said in another thread :

tbh its time for you and the full dev team to admit you killed AC by trying to impose to the many your vision of the game. You killed gema, you killed modded servers, you killed crappy self made maps that were motivating people and their friends to stick with the game

I don't know how you personally started to play the game, but I know that I, along with most players who stick to AC originally started on goofy maps, playing TOSOK Twintowers, LSS brazil ejezemville (or whatever you call it), and we had fun.
That's the reason why we sticked to the game, then later on, we eventually found out about other different maps and about the more competitive side of AC playing CTF etc..

If you cut the fun, custom, LSS/TOSOK side of AC, you cut the roots out of a tree, because this is where the new playerbase is at. It's about time you realise that it's not what's killing AC, it's what has been keeping AC alive for all this time.
Whether those maps are ugly, against AC's "original gameplay" or anti-fun according to you does not matter. It just does not matter at all, because they're not made for you. If you don't want to play it, then just don't. Stick to the official masterserver side of AC, and let the other players have fun, they're the one we should be focusing on.

That's why people call devs selfish, because some want to model the game into their own vision of it, which obviously has not been working for 4 bloody years. And yet, they still refuse to give another try, and a different way to play, which include GEMA, no restrictions, and custom goofy maps.

[Orynge]

DamDam, the devs didn't singlehandedly kill AC. While map restrictions, in hindsight, were a bad idea, the rise of better looking and more complex F2P games have also had a hand in declining AC, as have the improvement in computers that have enabled more people to play such games.

[Undead]

DamDam, the devs didn't singlehandedly kill AC.

its called death through inaction.

[DamDam]

DamDam, the devs didn't singlehandedly kill AC.

its called death through inaction.

Yep
The game needed a swing and actions to be taken when, like you said, other games with better graphics were being a competition to AC's playerbase. AC always had that special thing, that would make people stay, the gameplay, maps, community etc..
Even back when I found out about the game (about 4-5 years ago), there was a lot of F2P that were concurrents to AC (Crossfire, Sauerbraten, Wolfeinstein, Urban Terror.. to name a few). In fact I remember those because I downloaded a bunch of free FPS games to play, and AssaultCube is the one I ended up prefering and sticking to.

The abyssmal inactive gap from 1.1 to 1.2, without any patch, change or new version combined with the refusal to most help or participation from the community, is what made a lot of dedicated players quit, also what made newer players not stay. But then again, at that time, the development team was in lead of the project and thought they knew what they were doing despite tons of warnings and remarks by the community as a whole.
Well few years later, look at the results. No playerbase, barely any competitive games, unhappy dedicated players, and now that the boat has been sinking, the whole development team is magically gone and has disappeared "because the community is too hard to handle".

It's too easy to be in charge of something, pretend you know what you're doing and leave when you've fucked up everything, refusing to acknowledge you've fucked up. Because, yes, I repeat, the devs fucked up with their development of this game.

[Luc@s]

its called death through inaction.

then everyone is guilty. devs less than the others.

[Luc@s]

The abyssmal inactive gap from 1.1 to 1.2, without any patch, change or new version combined with the refusal to most help or participation from the community, is what made a lot of dedicated players quit

hahaha.

Show me the patch submissions, that were refused ? Show me concrete help that was refused ? BS again; When we started the match client, could have been an occasion for the community to come at us and make suggestions. We got none.

IDK what happens in your head/rC teamspeak but its so far from the truth, its amazing.

[Undead]

its called death through inaction.

then everyone is guilty. devs less than the others.

the devs prevent people from doing anything. you know this just as well as i do. there is a very good reason as to why i have not been permitted to do anything, along with many others.

[Luc@s]

the devs prevent people from doing anything. you know this just as well as i do. there is a very good reason as to why i have not been permitted to do anything.

how many match clients have you seen apart from mine ? 0
yet everyone can make his own

whats the reason in your opinion ? because of pressure from the devs ? Lol. excuses... always excuses for your inaction

[Undead]

how many match clients have you seen apart from mine ? 0
yet everyone can make his own

what relevance does this have? zero.

whats the reason in your opinion ? because of pressure from the devs ? Lol. excuses... always excuses for your inaction

because the very specific reason i have not been permitted to aid in development is because RK would not allow it. furthermore, you don't seem to ask for help from anyone else, and you wonder why nobody will help you. how many times have you asked for my opinion on balance? zero. how many times have you asked for my opinion on anything pertaining to mapping? zero. how many times have i tried to talk to you and have been ignored? many, many times.

[Vanquish]

I was gonna write a troll post but after rethinking it I think I will make a legitimate suggestion.


Taken from a PM Lucas sent me a while ago:

So im in this position right now :

1) can't really work with the other devs because many of them are clueless and unhelpful
2) has to work with other great people (Drakas & sanzo), but some people are trying to ruin this for wrong reasons (honestly, your reasons are stupid as fuck). 
3) Nobody else wants to contribute. Show me someone who submitted anything interesting and coherent these days ? And if someone wants to get involved in the dev team, he has to submit something first; We're not accepting someone just because he pretends to "know" everything.

If you really meant #3, then now that Phantom has basically coded a working /pause feature, can he be placed under consideration for dev status? serious question, I hope you'll answer.


EDIT: fixed spacing

[Nightmare]

Nobody is trying to ruin the woop client, it's just that they don't want to use it, just like any optional client/mod.

[Luc@s]

what relevance does this have? zero.

if someone can code and wants something to getimplemented (pause feature for example), why can't he post a patch ? pressure from the devs ?

because the very specific reason i have not been permitted to aid in development is because RK would not allow it. furthermore, you don't seem to ask for help from anyone else, and you wonder why nobody will help you. how many times have you asked for my opinion on balance? zero. how many times have you asked for my opinion on anything pertaining to mapping? zero. how many times have i tried to talk to you and have been ignored? many, many times.

your opinion was asked at the same time as everyone elses. Theres no reason for us to come at you for your opinion, unless you proved us before you could provide a well detailed argumentation for your point.

But TBH, after what you've done to me especially during the 2011 ACWC, i had all the best reasons to ignore anything coming from you (since you were harassing me)


In other words, you didn't do much for us to consider your opinion as more valuable, but you did everything you could so that we would ignore you.