[sorrybro]

I have to disagree Fastmancz about it destroying the community. If a server can only offer !ws as their value, players will not rejoin. There has to be something else that the community offers that makes them come back. As a player, if I was brand new, it would be a cool perk to have something like that, but I wouldn't care for the server if it was all it had. For me personally, its the players that play on the servers and the friends I make that makes me want to play in a server. Not some silly perk that has no value other than aesthetics.

For it to stop there has to be a patch. People are doing it since they can get away with it, and they will do it whether motd's are enabled or not.

[ghostofmybrain]

Originally Posted by sorrybro Could have at least asked to reiterate on some of the points...

I think you're greatly over-estimating my interest in this topic. I cared enough to answer why people aren't replying to your arguments, in case you maybe wanted to try again. I don't care quite enough to teach you how to write clearly or to play the part of your freshman english teacher.

[ghostofmybrain]

Originally Posted by sorrybro If a server can only offer !ws as their value, players will not rejoin. There has to be something else that the community offers that makes them come back. As a player, if I was brand new, it would be a cool perk to have something like that, but I wouldn't care for the server if it was all it had.

If that were true, then you wouldn't have seen the rapid increase in the ubiquity of !ws even though it requires serious workarounds and a blatant disrespect of Valve's Terms of Service, and that's exactly why not a single person here who runs !ws is willing to disable it for even a week just to prove us wrong.

When !ws first came out, I saw hundreds of people join my server every day (gee, maybe because they wanted to play in a 8v8 casual/comp hybrid server playing a rotation of workshop maps? Like, maybe it's a type of server people do enjoy?), type !ws, and immediately leave. Now, nobody will join a server that doesn't have !ws in its name. Ask any of the handful of server operators here who don't run !ws what happened to their player base when they simply put !ws in the hostname. (I'm sure we've all tried it, just to make sure we weren't completely out of touch with the player base.) I'm sure my experience is not novel - hundreds of players joining every day again, typing !ws, and then immediately leaving. I would wager that every single non !ws server host who has tried it would mirror that experience.

[dedimark]

Originally Posted by Fastmancz Unfortunately, these plugins (!ws etc.) completely destroyed the community. Today, if you don't these plugins, you aren't chance to run new servers. The Valve must block these plugins. Are you want to show the MOTD? You must disable these plugins. It's a simple condition. Or little bit a drastic solution, if you run these plugins, your server will not run. It is a very difficult question. It isn't easy to answer it.

totally agree with you.
Something like that 4 years ago, game tf2, player connect from qplay = no motd.

[sorrybro]

Originally Posted by ghostofmybrain I think you're greatly over-estimating my interest in this topic. I cared enough to answer why people aren't replying to your arguments, in case you maybe wanted to try again. I don't care quite enough to teach you how to write clearly or to play the part of your freshman english teacher.

Why make it personal and look for cheap shots? I'm articulating my message just fine, and dont you come from a humble background? A math teacher assistant for title 1 students? Shouldn't you be a little more understanding than insulting me and telling me you dont care?
Your one of the more active posters in this topic so please spare me your "overestimating my interest." Didnt ask you to teach me anything. I asked you to participate in the discussion rather than pointing out how you cant understand what I'm writing while not even having a slight interest at understanding what I have to say. All that does is point personal and off-topic flaws, sidetracking from the argument, rather than having a productive discussion.

Nevertheless, you respond to my points, and good job doing so, and to address your point about your server player count, just because players join your server and type ws and leave, does not mean it's the reason why your server is doing bad. XD

If someone can help me explain that to him please help since I tried so hard and cant think of another way to explain it.

[Dr!fter]

Originally Posted by sorrybro Why ignore the good arguments and respond to the trolls?

My post still answers many of your comments. Ads were/are abused cause servers have high traffic, if you have weapon skins you will get more traffic without a doubt. The servers that run weapon skins almost all have intrusive ads or kick players that don’t have the motd enabled. THAT is my issue with ads, you run one non intrusive (no fucking blaring sounds) ad on connect no biggie really, as long as I can close it and don’t get kicked for having it off. But, that is not how most of these servers run. So fuck all of them.

At this point, it’s also about protecting the player base too. No one wants their computer mining bitcoins for the server owner. No one wants intrusive ads that blow your ears. No one wants to be annoyed. Not to mention how many ads are almost malware like.

[404UserNotFound]

Originally Posted by Dr!fter My post still answers many of your comments. Ads were/are abused cause servers have high traffic, if you have weapon skins you will get more traffic without a doubt. The servers that run weapon skins almost all have intrusive ads or kick players that don’t have the motd enabled. THAT is my issue with ads, you run one non intrusive (no fucking blaring sounds) ad on connect no biggie really, as long as I can close it and don’t get kicked for having it off. But, that is not how most of these servers run. So fuck all of them. At this point, it’s also about protecting the player base too. No one wants their computer mining bitcoins for the server owner. No one wants intrusive ads that blow your ears. No one wants to be annoyed. Not to mention how many ads are almost malware like.

Completely valid points, and I second this. I've never run ads on my servers in the 7 years I've been running them and I'm actually quite glad Valve seem to be phasing MOTDs out.

[ghostofmybrain]

Originally Posted by sorrybro Why make it personal and look for cheap shots?

I'm not. I'm explaining my level of involvement. I care enough to answer a simple question. I don't care enough to become your english teacher.

I'm articulating my message just fine, and dont you come from a humble background? A math teacher assistant for title 1 students? Shouldn't you be a little more understanding than insulting me and telling me you dont care?

See, it's just like the cook who doesn't want to cook at home. I literally have to do this shit all day long, but at least I'm doing it for kids who don't know any better. I'm in my free time now - I have absolutely zero desire to help you be a better writer. Being a teacher doesn't require me to be a martyr and do whatever you want me to do for you, whenever you want me to. I know people like to pretend that being a teacher means I have to just always want to teach, but just be realistic - teachers are people too. I don't want to help you write. And honestly, appealing to a teacher's profession in an attempt to manipulate them is just flat out douchey.

Your one of the more active posters in this topic so please spare me your "overestimating my interest."

Yes, I'm interested in this topic. However, not interested enough to teach you how to write.

Didnt ask you to teach me anything.

I'm not even going to go so far as to coach you on how to make your points, as you asked. To me, that sounds like teaching. To you, it may not. Sorry for the miscommunication.

good job doing so

Thanks, pal.

Honestly, I'm being more entertained by this derailment than the rest of the conversation, though.

Alright, now on to the one actual point you made:

just because players join your server and type ws and leave, does not mean it's the reason why your server is doing bad. XD

Wait, what? Is that really your only response to the evidence I laid out above? "Just because you think it be that way, don't mean that it do"? Do you have any other explanation for this common experience that every server owner who doesn't run !ws has?

[sorrybro]

Originally Posted by Dr!fter My post still answers many of your comments. Ads were/are abused cause servers have high traffic, if you have weapon skins you will get more traffic without a doubt. The servers that run weapon skins almost all have intrusive ads or kick players that don’t have the motd enabled. THAT is my issue with ads, you run one non intrusive (no fucking blaring sounds) ad on connect no biggie really, as long as I can close it and don’t get kicked for having it off. But, that is not how most of these servers run. So fuck all of them. At this point, it’s also about protecting the player base too. No one wants their computer mining bitcoins for the server owner. No one wants intrusive ads that blow your ears. No one wants to be annoyed. Not to mention how many ads are almost malware like.

Yes Drifter, I noticed and thank you for that. I was referring to some other posts before you and most importantly the one bragging about his money and saying dumb things throughout the whole thread, not providing good insight or helping bring out any, ASKER_CZ.

Not sure why the f bomb, but I agree the ad volumes could be fixed. But not all ad providers have blasting volumes. I mentioned this before also and would like to see the few providers that run loud ass ads to get that fixed.

The correct statement is the weapon skins were abused, not the ads. The ads are there and sure, that may give them more of an incentive, but that doesn't mean its the source of the problem and that other server owners should be punished who don't abuse the !ws plugin. The ws plugin is a problem of its own, outside of advertisements.

As for requiring players to pitch in through enabling ads, I think that is fair as if everyone abuses that then the fundraising is pointless to begin with. They have plenty of other servers to play on that don't run ads and is completely at their choice. The player's aren't paying for the server bills and I think it's fair that the owners ask them to at least enable ads to pitch in simply by watching a video. If the server owners are intrusive with the ads, simply they can play elsewhere.

I think people are stating too much on how players are being annoyed and intruded when they can easily not play on the servers they don't like. The numbers show handful of players don't mind as there are plenty of players playing on ad servers, despite the people who say these servers should be "boycotted" when they can simply not play on it themselves rather than forcing others to share their views. Not saying anyone here is saying that, but I've seen some posts like this online.

The malware accusation is also false. The web browser can't download any files to your harddrive, including executable files. Although videos can use up some cpu/ram and if that is slowing the player's computer down, they can simply not play on the server. No intrusive malware or harm is being done.

I just ask for a good discussion rather than name calling, off topic, or personal attacks. That's all I ask.

[sorrybro]

Originally Posted by ghostofmybrain ...I know people like to pretend that being a teacher means I have to just always want to teach, but just be realistic - teachers are people too. I don't want to help you write. And honestly, appealing to a teacher's profession in an attempt to manipulate them is just flat out douchey...

Bro, please do yourself a favor and just reread what I wrote. You're accusing me of saying things I haven't. I respect teachers and simply said someone from your profession should be a little more considerate of people's imperfections for example. You accusing me of my grammar being bad rather than addressing the main topic was the problem that I was pointing out. Not that being a teaching assistant is bad, I never said that... I also never asked you to help me with my grammar, obviously, and your still going on about how you shouldn't be forced to teach me grammar. Do what you want man, no one cares about that, but if your going to simply state I'm rambling and such rather than staying on topic, at least let me point that out. Nevertheless you decided to participate after my comment and I appreciate that...