Reform the Autohosts

Just an idea..

Problem background: Its kind of universal knowledge that running one huge mixed elo game only is beloved to a vocal few but also pretty toxic to both keeping the community alive, getting a game smaller than 10v10 and to confusing new players.

Assumption 1: People don't want to have limitations of game size forced on them. With that in mind, it seems like the best way to proceed in reforming this is to use gamer apathy as the primary means to enforce any changes, and leave the option to continue as before possible.

Assumption 2: clusterf*cks are still clusterf*cks at 8v8 size - which has the benefit of being slightly more manageable in terms of ingame FPS and porciness than 10v10+ on the same maps. Having smaller max game size increases ability for our community to have two such games running at once.

Assumption 3: We should try to stop 1200 elo players spending all their time in the same room as 2000 elo players. It makes for rage, abuse of noobs, noobstomps and mindless porc games. There is nothing especially fun about a professional tennis player facing off against someone just learning the game.

Assumption 4: Gamers are lazy and don't have much initiative. They will generally use the autohosts, with whatever settings and limitations they apply, over hosting their own games.

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Proposal to fix this: Reform Autohosts

Proposal is to apply no limitations to lobby itself or hosting games - just change the settings of the Springie Authost rooms.

Currently we have 4 types of host: 1v1, small teams, big teams and FFA.

Proposed changes:

Small Teams - have a Small Teams room as now, but re-introduce the Experienced Players Only Small Teams room also, that autospecs players beneath a defined Elo Floor. This would be awesome for Clanwars.

Big Teams - Make the max player count in the Big teams room 8v8. Split Big Teams into two types of Room, one with an Elo ceiling and one with an Elo floor.

Do not prevent players from creating their own rooms, should they want to create 20v20 cluster games.

I suspect that player apathy and general assumption by community that the springie rooms are the 'official' game mode will make it work. It doesn't force anything on anyone, while it does move players away from the 20v20 mixed elo rooms.

Desired outcome:

Two large (but not as large as 10v10+) games running per evening, one higher elo than the other. The ability to host clanwars without needing to !spec randoms.

Thoughts?

Affirmative. Not given any thought as to what those values would be, and whether there would be elo overlap between the rooms.

That would literally fix nothing - see assumption 4.