Changing the Signup System Options

[Zantikk]

For the next Respawn, I really do think the signup system has to change in order for the competitions to be run at the best of there potential.

This Respawn filled up in less than 48 HOURS. That's less than 2 days for teams to organize their roster for their respective competitions. It's difficult for most competitors because they have to round up players over xfire/steam and get them to confirm their attendance (which is tough considering respawn was announced a whole 2 MONTHS in advance).

To be honest, I don't think 'First in Best Dressed' works well for a LAN of this scale, especially with the 500 slots filling up so quickly. So it's either change the player limit (which has been discussed many times) or change how things work.

Sure, for you admins, this surplus of attendees is great, but for competitors in the comps its difficult.

I'm suggesting dividing up the 500 limit to allow teams competing to signup up separately. For example, allocating 50 seats to the CoD comp (10 teams), 50 to CS, 50 to TF2 etc. Or, allow team captains to reserve 5 seats for their team (this would therefore mean having the team/comp signups before respawn instead of having it done on the respawn intranet).

Just an idea. Because at the moment, it looks like I won't be able to get my other teammates in.

Discuss.

[SirSquidness]

Discussion commence!

As the most important point, I believe, starting from very recently, we will be communicating to you, the player, a lot better. We are taking advantage of Facebook, Twitter, IRC and EMail.

Given the relatively sudden surge in demand, we will be making sure to communicate ahead of time important dates, such as the opening of registration. This will/should give you enough time to pull together a team, and get ready to click the register button the second registrations open.

It should be noted, however, few people got the pre-registrations email for v16 due to a bug in the mailing system, but that has been fixed now, and from this point forth, everyone will receive every email we send (unless you opt out).



Competition based allocation will likely not work. We have teams who register for >1 competition, and lots of people who don't participate in competitions at all. We aren't a pro-comp LAN in the sense that competitions are all we are about, so we don't want to discriminate against the people who want to come and play Tron against their friends (or similar).



More workable would be the team regsitration option - a captain creates a team, people join it, the captain registers the the team and the members confirm that they also are able to attend. (Or a variation there of).

We shall look in to both ideas, try and figure out how workable they are (or aren't). We're not committing to anything - such a major change needs quite a bit of discssion, planning, implementing. But we're willing to hear any other ideas/alterations people come up with.

Continue discussing.

[Sharks]

'More workable would be the team regsitration option - a captain creates a team, people join it, the captain registers the the team and the members confirm that they also are able to attend. (Or a variation there of).'

Thats actually a really good idea, link a team to a captain and he selects who or has an already pre-made list.

E.g giarus always texts me before respawn reg's open and tells me to go register, he could have been the leader and registered our 'crew/team' and then texted/msn/email/facebook us to go confirm the link/for the event.

[Maelstrom]

I like the idea, but I can see people exploiting it. Our 'crew' for example is ~20 people, and it would be easy for one of us to register the whole group, which quickly fills up the registration limit.

Maybe a third stage of registration would fix that though. So I can register the group, then they have to confirm registration within 3 days or lose their spot on that list, or drop down a few places. This would be separate to the final confirmation phase.

[xbox_girl]

I like the idea, but I can see people exploiting it. Our 'crew' for example is ~20 people, and it would be easy for one of us to register the whole group, which quickly fills up the registration limit.

Maybe a third stage of registration would fix that though. So I can register the group, then they have to confirm registration within 3 days or lose their spot on that list, or drop down a few places. This would be separate to the final confirmation phase.

What about those not wanting to competition game?

[Rangers]

Like squid said this isnt a pro comp lan. So i think the current first come first serve system works fine. Like Given that the current regos filled up within 48 hours it would seem that most people know that respawn rego is open or when it would be. I myself found out before hand and was able to register in time.

I believe that if you and your team members miss out on registering in time to make the top 500 then you aren't serious about competing here otherwise you would find out when registration opens just like the 600+ who were registered within 48 hours. If someone on your team can't register in time get them to give them their login info and register for them. That would ensure you the captain/leader of your team gets all his players in. I think the current way deals with it fine. First come first serve works.

What you get out of respawn is what you want it to be whether it be serious comp or playing with mates or leeching whatever you are after. Until respawn becomes a serious competition based lan, serious teams shouldnt be given preference above other people who come for other things or groups of people who come to play for fun. That said the group i come with play seriously in the tf2 comp and have won the last however many so i am not someone who is being biased against teams who wish to compete seriously.

The current system works fine. It could be refined as a whole but i see no reason to change it unless the direction of respawn changes. If it becomes more comp focused then limiting players and such would be an option but until then it is fine right now.

[ThirtySix45]

No matter what happens there will always be whinge threads like this. I think its the fairest way right now.

[Rangers]

No matter what happens there will always be whinge threads like this. I think its the fairest way right now.

Nailed it. You are now respected.

[priorax]

No matter what happens there will always be whinge threads like this. I think its the fairest way right now.

I couldn't put it better myself.
A major advantage of the current system is that it gives the people who go on the forums, the people who go on IRC, the people who follow the Facebook or the twitter, the people who just check the site every few days, the people who do stuff Respawn-related outside of that one weekend every so often a better chance to register, because those people (in my opinion, emphasis on opinion) are those who care about it more. Those who register the day before hand had an opportunity to register on the first day, so did those people who did. Why should those people who try and register as fast as they can and line up early Saturday morning and not leave until late on Sunday not get in so that a team of people who are there for one competition and then leave once its over can come.

[Rangers]

No matter what happens there will always be whinge threads like this. I think its the fairest way right now.

I couldn't put it better myself.
A major advantage of the current system is that it gives the people who go on the forums, the people who go on IRC, the people who follow the Facebook or the twitter, the people who just check the site every few days, the people who do stuff Respawn-related outside of that one weekend every so often a better chance to register, because those people (in my opinion, emphasis on opinion) are those who care about it more. Those who register the day before hand had an opportunity to register on the first day, so did those people who did. Why should those people who try and register as fast as they can and line up early Saturday morning and not leave until late on Sunday not get in so that a team of people who are there for one competition and then leave once its over can come.

You also attain respect. Seriously like i said unless respawn takes a competition focused direction then the current system is fine

[wolfmother]

To be honest, I don't think it's "fine" or "fair" at all, but there's no better and fairer way given the circumstances. The current system has a lot of problems and I personally think it's rather rude to some of the people who are missing out unfairly to act like it was their own fault. However, it's a very difficult problem and there's no perfect universal solution.

The only way to make sure everyone who registers comes is to require payment before you register, which has lots of different problems that prevent it being practical in the immediate future. However, ticketing for any event which has more potential attendees than seats is never going to be fair in the sense that lots of people are going to miss out (and there's no magical way of deciding how much people "deserve" to come other than nonsense like 'how quickly they registered' and 'how much they're willing to pay').

However, this does not mean that a solution isn't possible; simply that it hasn't been found yet. It's something that's worth working on and experimenting with, particularly after seeing this event book out in ~27 hours.

[xbox_girl]

Just to join the bandwagon *inserts 2c*

How about all those complaining about the way things are run, go home. Don't turn up and find another lan in melbourne that is as awesome as respawn... Oh wait.. there isn't. The guys, and girls, that run respawn don't make money out of it, they do it so we, the rest of the people that attend, can have fun in a lanning environment. Whinging and bitching about how long you have to stand in line isn't going to change diddly squat. How about we up the entry to $50.00 per person or $100.00 per person, and have a god damn red carpet and elite gaming lounges??? Or why not do it all for free and have everyone on bin duty and organising the servers??

Seriously guys, this is what it's come down to? I'm sure, no I'm certain, that the millisecond things change everyone will know about it. And tbph unless your one of the group running this event, you really have no say on how much easier it will be to run this event your way. Ideas are great, yes I agree. Complaining, not so much.

Can we shut this down now?

[GIARUS]

'More workable would be the team regsitration option - a captain creates a team, people join it, the captain registers the the team and the members confirm that they also are able to attend. (Or a variation there of).'

Thats actually a really good idea, link a team to a captain and he selects who or has an already pre-made list.

E.g giarus always texts me before respawn reg's open and tells me to go register, he could have been the leader and registered our 'crew/team' and then texted/msn/email/facebook us to go confirm the link/for the event.

Yeh i kinda like this idea ahh team leader has a nice ring to it

[SirSquidness]

How about all those complaining about the way things are run, go home. Don't turn up and find another lan in melbourne that is as awesome as respawn...

There's nothing wrong with people letting us know they think things should be done differently (as long as they have a good reason to do so, which in this case, they do).

[Tank]

How about all those complaining about the way things are run, go home. Don't turn up and find another lan in melbourne that is as awesome as respawn...

There's nothing wrong with people letting us know they think things should be done differently (as long as they have a good reason to do so, which in this case, they do).

i agree....

at least it was "hmm i think it could be better if it was like this..." rather than... "OMG IT SUX CHANGE IT KBAI >: ("

[xbox_girl]

*sigh* I hate when I feel like ranting but know it's not going to get me anywhere...

I ask again, what about those that do not wish to compete... If we go with team regos, then people will start registering 20 of thier mates and fill up the spots for others who, quite legitimately, want to register... Not one reply has explained the advantage of this approach for the individuals who don't want to compete. It's all from the point of view that everyone wants to compete.

[SirSquidness]

Not one reply has explained the advantage of this approach for the individuals who don't want to compete. It's all from the point of view that everyone wants to compete.

Absolutely nothing.

We have ways of preventing abuse - team member limits, email confirmation of the spot, teams must pre-register for a comp, etc. Don't worry about it being abused - no matter what system we have, as Wolfmother said, it will be abused or unfair.

[Tank]

*sigh* I hate when I feel like ranting but know it's not going to get me anywhere...

I ask again, what about those that do not wish to compete... If we go with team regos, then people will start registering 20 of thier mates and fill up the spots for others who, quite legitimately, want to register... Not one reply has explained the advantage of this approach for the individuals who don't want to compete. It's all from the point of view that everyone wants to compete.

i'm not sure why you feel the need to rant, all we were saying is that its a nice thing for people to actually suggest things, rather than just wingeing and complaining that something is wrong....

we're not saying we will change the current system in the nearnear future, but we do accept that different people will see it as fair/unfair.

[R4N]

xboxgirl, Discussion about these topics is fine. Us admins like the lanners to give us feedback about how we run our event.

This does not however mean we will take ALL ideas onboard instantly.

While i think that the OP has made some interesting suggestions, I do not however think a registration system like this will work for Respawn LAN.

We would however like to find a happy balance. So keep giving us ideas

[Zantikk]

It was merely a suggestion xboxgirl, no need to get so worked up about it.