What I see, when I look at your server list, is a wasteland of boring rooms with only bots online, and fullish servers in countries I am not able to join. I am sure that there must be people actually playing the game, or the devs would have moved on by now. My conclusion is, that the races with the people in them must not be advertised. Why would you want them to be invisable? They can be password protected, so people could then see that there are people playing online, even if they can't join them. This would motivate people to find out how to join these races, rather than presuming that there is no-one online, and giving up on the whole game. Is there some resource hog involved in being listed on the server list? I cannot convince anyone to even join the demo game, and check it out, because they all say "It's a ghost town there, no-one ever plays it" and how can I say different, without stats that show it's wrong? I want my mates to buy your game, but they have enough ghost towns in their list of bought games, and don't want another. Some even already own the game, and just can't be bothered even checking, AGAIN, if anyone's there.
Stop allowing servers to be invisable.
(11 posts, started )
Stop allowing servers to be invisable.
There has always been an issue in Australia, due to the time of day. There is more going on when it's evening in Europe.
See on the LFS World graph: https://www.lfsworld.net/?win=hosts&whichTab=licensed_history
But as we do say occasionally, a server can only become full when someone first joins an empty server (or starts a server of their own). Then the next person needs to join a server with only one person on it.
Maybe we should give a medal to such people, because then it's so much easier for the third person, because he doesn't have to join "Billy No Mates" who actually isn't some weird loner but probably a perfectly well adjusted individual who just happened to be the first person to join a server. 
There always has to be a first and a second person, before a server can get busy.
See on the LFS World graph: https://www.lfsworld.net/?win=hosts&whichTab=licensed_history
But as we do say occasionally, a server can only become full when someone first joins an empty server (or starts a server of their own). Then the next person needs to join a server with only one person on it.
Maybe we should give a medal to such people, because then it's so much easier for the third person, because he doesn't have to join "Billy No Mates" who actually isn't some weird loner but probably a perfectly well adjusted individual who just happened to be the first person to join a server. There always has to be a first and a second person, before a server can get busy.
This is what i've always stated too, in the past i have gone onto one of our s2 server's which had been empty, then after a short while it does soon start to attract many more.
Yeah, I know what you mean, but hiding the fact that people play the game makes no sense to me. When I posted this, I had another post in mind, but it was Not Suitable For Wumpus, as Discord would put it. Very funny I thought, but not nice, lol. I tried that, on and off for a week or so, but no-one ever came in demo mode or S3. I now have a favourite car, but it's still in beta. When it's ready to use I'll put in some houirs and see what happens. On past experience in other gaqmes everyone tells me I drive the worst choice of cars of anyone in the game though, so I may be setting myself up for failure there too, lol.
What you are experiencing is probably just nobody online locally. My last race in Australia was in August 2014! I've joined about 1800 hosts and most of those were in the US and Europe 'enjoying' a shitty ping.
The higher traffic on European servers is expected of course, but even there I would say that that the survival of LFS is due in large part to proactive community-building, which has sadly lapsed down under.
Find or secure some local racing buddies and race regularly together, preferably at the same time every week.
I have my fingers crossed that tyre physics and graphics updates might revitalise the Australian and New Zealand LFS communities. Live For Speed is still one of the best all-round online race sims even in its current state of development, it just needs a little bit of love
The higher traffic on European servers is expected of course, but even there I would say that that the survival of LFS is due in large part to proactive community-building, which has sadly lapsed down under.
Find or secure some local racing buddies and race regularly together, preferably at the same time every week.
I have my fingers crossed that tyre physics and graphics updates might revitalise the Australian and New Zealand LFS communities. Live For Speed is still one of the best all-round online race sims even in its current state of development, it just needs a little bit of love
It is already way better than V8 Supercars, which AC never was (apart from the graphics). It looked pretty, but didn't deliver the goods so to speak. That's why I am voicing my opinion so much, I'm waiting for some one, anyone, to make or join a server I can go to, and looking through the posts here is as good a task as any other, where I can keep an eye on the server list in one corner. All night, from 9PM 'til now, just the two bots....
Check out our AirAttack servers in the evening European times for everyday casual racing, or Fragmasters at Thursday and Friday. There are also some MRc events during weekends and Rony's Tuesday races. So, plenty of activity.
At 350 ping though.
Well,there was an aussie guy with licence name BENQ,who joined 6 RTFR races many years ago,his ping was high but quite stable (250-300 or so),so we had no issues with him. Especially in the 2 races he won - you can't laghit anyone if you're in front and running away.
But generally the issue is always the same - from nothing comes nothing,if there is no activity,noone wants to start it - in prime time of Australasia part of the world,there's much lower activity from the main LFS base area - Europe,as people are either working or at school.
Only solution is to advertise around local simracing communities and start with one weekday gathering. If it's just a gathering at some public server with specific combo which would be interesting for masses or an organizes specific race - up to the one who wants to start the activity. This is actually how the success of my event RTFR started - the event was always there,people could rely that there at that specific time is some racing - attendance was variating,had some highs and lows,but eventually the event attracted right people to start sponsorship and later even streaming!
But generally the issue is always the same - from nothing comes nothing,if there is no activity,noone wants to start it - in prime time of Australasia part of the world,there's much lower activity from the main LFS base area - Europe,as people are either working or at school.
Only solution is to advertise around local simracing communities and start with one weekday gathering. If it's just a gathering at some public server with specific combo which would be interesting for masses or an organizes specific race - up to the one who wants to start the activity. This is actually how the success of my event RTFR started - the event was always there,people could rely that there at that specific time is some racing - attendance was variating,had some highs and lows,but eventually the event attracted right people to start sponsorship and later even streaming!
It comes back to one thing. If people get the demo down, and ONLY see empty or bot servers that they can join, then you have buckleys of getting them to buy. If they don't buy, then they don't join S3 games. If they don't join S3 games, then demo people ONLY see empty or bot servers that they can join, etcetera. If there is even ONE room with active players, then that may be the difference between trying, and buying. Imagine if you had three rooms active, and no-one ever knew it. Then no-one ever buys your game. What a shame for you. BTW, could anyone explain to me what the benefit is to HAVING an invisable room? Who benefits from it? How is the game being helped by this, how are the players benefitting from it, and why would anyone want this. The only benefit I can think of, is that you can have a room without a password that is still private, in a way. The thing that makes that simply stupid, is that it's just as hard to put a password in to join, as it is to type the server name into the "join specific server" block. That is in fact a password, so it's already a password room. It may have no effect, the servers list may still be a wasteland, but if you see ONE room of hope, that may be the tipping point.
Lag-hitting is a somewhat minor problem if you have no cars around you, for sure, but being at the limit of grip when somebody joins the server or telepits often means your car becomes part of the scenery. Not only is it frustrating (especially when it happens several times over a short period) but it usually means your entire race is compromised. And if it causes you to shunt another player, the confidence from your peers is diminished greatly and the potential vote ban which can result makes you look like you are an unclean racer.
Many, many times I've lapped alone online with nobody joining me, or they are joining from the other side of the planet which can cause the issues listed above.
As for starting something, I used to plan and organise racing clubs and events years ago. It always takes somebody to pull their finger out and start these things and work hard to make them a success (as you well know), and I got tired of being the one to do so, to the point where I just wanted to go racing.
I get more satisfaction out of watching your streamed events than I do lapping alone.
Stop allowing servers to be invisable.
(11 posts, started )
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