TOPIC:

Sorry for the crude Subject guys, but otherwise I would imagine nobody would look at this thread

As we all know we have a LOT of servers which mostly stand vacant. I was wondering if it would be a good idea to "scale down" the number of servers?
This way we might attract more people to 1 server and not spread them out over all others... Furthermore we could slim down our infrastructure to maybe even 1 dedicated server (we have 2 now).

I would like to hear some oppinions from everyone which servers could be closed (if any) in your oppinion.

Please let me know by replying to this thread

Thanks.

Frank

I will not suggest servers to close -- even though I may not play on them, other people might.

I would like to KEEP:
- CB 4k temperate
- CB 8k temperate
- CB 25k temperate
- CV 25 temperate
- BusyBee

Thank you for keeping these servers running!

--hollyt

Two days of thinking and I still have no clear answer...

I'm spending a lot of time here, and I've registered at least one game on every server this year. Here is what I think:

1. Servers #1, #3, #6, #8: Short CV goals, quite easy, very popular => we should keep them.
2. Servers #12, #12A, #13, #15: Easy temperate CB goals, very popular => we should keep them.
3. Servers #K2, #31, #33: RoadKing, Cargo, BusyBee - unique in the world of openttd servers available 24/7 + quite popular => we should keep them.
4. Servers #27-#30: APHID CBs - unique in the world of openttd servers available 24/7, carefully thought-out thresholds for requirements; unfortunately: too hard for many players imho, but... => we should keep them.
5. Servers #K1, #K3, #7 - one extremly long + 2 classic hard servers, quite popular => we should keep them.
6. Server #9: Very popular FIRS CV server, one of the best configs here => we should keep it.
7. Servers #10 and #11: Less popular desert CBs, underestimated by players imho, they are quite easy and satisfying, but slow at the beginning => we should keep it.
8. Servers #2, #4 and #5: Long, boring CVs imho -> eventually I could sacrifice them.
9. Server #32: VIP CB Road King -> should be closed.

So, if I think hard, I see 4 servers (out of 25) to close. But it doesn't slim down the infrastructure, so... keep them running, please And thank you for keeping them running!

Another idea, in opposite direction: replace #32 config to something available to all players, and keep it in MISC category. Now: dreaming of 1M Cargo FIRS server...

--tomb

Hi Frank!

I mostly agree with what tomb said.

The first server that i would say should be closed is #32 - no one plays on it. Dunno how much active VIP players there are right now, but is obvious that #32 is not in their interests.

I would like to underline what tomb said: I would love to see a new MISC server instead of #32, since:
a) MISCs are quite unique setups
b) lots of ppl play on #31 and #33
c) there are only two MISCs in compare to CV and CB configs
d) doing '1M Cargo FIRS' would bring the level a bit up, maybe convince more experience players to do more MISCs

I agree that #2, #4 and #5 are quite boring, especially #5 - dominated just by one player. The times are quite unrealistic, so probably most of the players do not even see the point in trying to catch up. So maybe those should be considered to be shut down?

Regarding quick/short servers (like #1, #3, #6, #8, #12, #12A, #13, #15) - those are very popular, and therefore have to stay. Maybe #12a could be closed - and the traffic will shift to #12 instead? Maybe there is as way to analyze it further, more comprehensively?

Regarding #27, #28, #29, #30 - APHID CBs are also quite unique, even thought not that many players use them compared to quick/short ones. But this is probably related to the fact that APHID required much more skill, and therefore now suited for everyone, at least for starting players. I would keep those, as for instance #9 APHID CV is quite popular.

Best,
CiociaKrysia

Have to agree with #32 to be closed. Year is almost over soon and during this year, there has been only 7 recorded games, played by total of 3 players.

Instead of choosing which servers to cut and close and which to keep. Maybe think of an idea of closing and opening set of them per certain time period.

Think of it as a season. For example (random numbers), you close servers 1, 2, 3 for a week and for this time period you open servers 4, 5, 6. Week after that we go back to 1, 2, 3 or to 7, 8, 9. Choice which servers are put to this schedule, can be done as per popularity of servers, vote or some other filter.
Of course, bit bad about this idea is that, maybe someone was just planning to come and play in server 2, but after launching a game, discovers then that it is closed for a week, which would be a bummer. Good about this idea would be that we might attract more players to some servers and not being spread out between many servers.

Disregard the fact that I'm an admin, I write this purely as a player.

I also largely agree with tomb, though I do have some thoughts of my own as well.

I agree with CiociaKrysia that 12A should maybe be closed, both 12 and 12A are pretty popular, but anecdotally I usually see players either flocking to one or the other, and there is actually no gameplay difference between the two (12 has BaseCosts mod, which would allow us to adjust things like terraforming cost, but it's actually set to change nothing).

Agreed that the APHID's CB servers 27-30 are unique and should be protected, but maybe we don't need 4 of them? I suppose it's nice to have 1 for each climate, but maybe we could get by with just 1 "vanilla" Aphid's and the FIRS one.

I wonder if server 32 would be more popular if it was made available for everyone, a road vehicle only CB is at least a pretty unique idea. Maybe the problem is just that most people are not allowed to play it, which could also make it less attractive for VIP's. Presumably part of the reason to play multiplayer is to play with other people.

K1 is one of my personal favorites, and if it were to go I would take to the streets in protest. That said, between BTPro and n-ice there are 3 "extreme" goal servers in total, which is maybe more than there is an audience for (though there are some important differences between them).
I actually have a lot of thoughts about K1 in general, for instance I think it is a bit boring that all 3 of the previoulsy mentioned servers are temperate, but this is probably not the place for that discussion.