From: Fletcher Dunn <fletcherd@valvesoftware.com>
Subject: Re: [hlds] TF MvM hosting questions
Date: August 14, 2012 12:00:15 CDT
To: Half-Life dedicated Win32 server mailing list <hlds@list.valvesoftware.com>

We will not have Steam group functionality tomorrow.

You actually have to set maxplayers to 32 to host MvM (to make room for all the bots). That's why the mode is expensive CPU-wise, to not only simulate all those players but run their AI logic as well. We'll have more details on the recommended settings tomorrow.

Regarding exactly what happens if a 24-player server switches to MvM: I actually don't think we have worked that out yet.

I'm pretty sure on day one there will be lots of people trying out all sorts of things. Our approach to experimentation in MvM will be the same as in PvP: we encourage it, provided that players are opting in to any major deviations from the vanilla experience. Our servers will all be configured vanilla, and the matchmaking will enforce the 6 player limit, and the server browser will be the primary means for players to find those sorts of customizations. What will the most interesting customizations be? What will the standard tags be used that we request server operators to set in order to help players find the modifications they want or avoid the ones they don't like? We can't know that yet. That's something we expect you guys and your players to figure out.

I will hazard a guess that raising the player count well above 6 would be detrimental the experience. There ratio of humans to bots would be off and the human defending team would not have enough challenge. (As an extreme example: imagine a 32-player server where everybody is defending an there are no bots.) Exactly how far it can be raised above 6 without totally breaking the game is speculation of course. I think a smart server operator will start out with the server configured relatively vanilla, and then watch how the game unfolds and listen to their players, and try to make smart decisions about which areas to experiment, rather than assuming the same sorts of adjustments your community prefers in PvP will automatically apply to this mode. A fun co-op mode with more than six players is likely to require entirely new missions. (The mission decides the pattern of enemy robots that come at you.) We have purposefully made it easy for players to create their own missions. (It's a lot easier than creating a whole new map!) But if you play with more than six players, with the missions we've made, I think the balance will be way off.

- Fletch

-----Original Message-----
From: hlds-bounces@list.valvesoftware.com [mailto:hlds-bounces@list.valvesoftware.com] On Behalf Of Saint K.
Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2012 4:51 AM
To: Half-Life dedicated Win32 server mailing list
Subject: Re: [hlds] TF MvM hosting questions

Will we be able to restrict a MvM server to people in the steamgroup only, like in L4D2?

Saint K.
________________________________________
From: hlds-bounces@list.valvesoftware.com [hlds-bounces@list.valvesoftware.com] On Behalf Of Fletcher Dunn [fletcherd@valvesoftware.com]
Sent: 14 August 2012 08:52
To: Half-Life dedicated Win32 server mailing list; Half-Life dedicated Win32 server mailing list (hlds@list.valvesoftware.com)
Subject: Re: [hlds] TF MvM hosting questions

MvM matchmaking will be restricted to 6 players at launch.

The matchmaking also supports joining games in progress to fill an empty slot, in which case of course the current map will not be changed.

From: hlds-bounces@list.valvesoftware.com [mailto:hlds-bounces@list.valvesoftware.com] On Behalf Of Agro
Sent: Monday, August 13, 2012 11:40 PM
To: Half-Life dedicated Win32 server mailing list
Subject: Re: [hlds] TF MvM hosting questions

Is MvM matchmaking going to be limited to 6 players or was the "6 players join, map changes" logic just an indicator of server behavior to expect?
----- Reply message -----
From: "Fletcher Dunn" <fletcherd@valvesoftware.com<mailto:fletcherd@valv esoftware.com>>
To: "Half-Life dedicated Linux server mailing list (hlds_linux@list.valvesoftware.com<mailto:hlds_lin ux@list.valvesoftware.com>)" <hlds_linux@list.valvesoftware.com<mailto:hlds_lin ux@list.valvesoftware.com>>, "Half-Life dedicated Win32 server mailing list (hlds@list.valvesoftware.com<mailto:hlds@list.valv esoftware.com>)" <hlds@list.valvesoftware.com<mailto:hlds@list.valv esoftware.com>>
Subject: [hlds] TF MvM hosting questions
Date: Tue, Aug 14, 2012 06:39

Here are some answers to questions regarding hosting MvM servers:

* Players can join your server through any means they can join PvP games: the server browser, ad hoc joins, or the new matchmaking system (quickplay beta).
* To accept matchmaking traffic, you must select which sort of traffic you want. (Regular PvP traffic or MvM traffic.) Set "tf_mm_servermode 2" to be placed in the MvM pool.
* For MvM matchmaking, if 6 players are sent to your server to start a new game, it will switch to whatever map the players selected.
* You will need a TF gameserver account to accept matchmaking traffic.
* You can switch the server in and out of any matchmaking mode pool or back to any regular game mode at any time.
* The CPU usage for a 6 player MvM game is about the same as for a regular TF server. (Yep, this mode requires significantly more CPU cycles per player than the PvP mode, that's an unfortunate fact.)

Given the surge of players that comes with any major release, and the player / server ratio of this game mode, the demand for MvM servers will probably be high. We expect that a large number of players will want to try out the new mode, so we will be converting most of our servers to host MvM, and then adjust the allocation based on what players are playing.

I, for one, DO NOT welcome our new robot overlords!

- Fletch