On Portal utilization

Question

Portal is quite possibly the coolest thing y’all have ever done. The underlying core is amazing. But I don’t feel as though the game as a whole utilizes portal, or the teams. There have been so many cool things done in portal. New game modes, maps, ways to play, we all know the possibilities are endless. However, that untapped potential is just that, but it does not have to be. The first steps I believe the team should take in order to use Portal to benefit the game as a whole would be as follows: improve the user interface by adding a “favorites” tab, (I guess panel but that’s a topic for another day), work with the creators of experiences to update them with the game, and taking one or two of the amazing test ranges people have come up with, and using them to update the terrible built in test range. I believe doing these things will propel people to actually start using portal. It is the tool that can keep this game going forever, but it never will if it is a pain to use.

ty_ger07 · Answer

I think showcasing test ranges is too elementary. There are some truly amazing maps that are way more than test ranges or bumper cars or rockets vs golf carts. Like full-on maps that represent the core gameplay. Like rush on the hydro dam. Amazing. And there's the new undead (zombies) level. That's not core gameplay and maybe gets too close to licensing problems, but is a full on game that is fun. Not just a test range. And, no offense, not just a little mini-game of golf carts or bumper cars that is fun for half an hour.

I think step one is: get people to stop calling them 'portal servers' or a 'portal browser'. They are community servers in the game's server browser. Portal is a website interface where the content is uploaded and published, not the server, and not the server browser. The community is the thing in the game that mimmicks the clan system and server hosting that people used to have; and there are official servers from BattlefieldOfficial mixed in as well. That needs to be properly presented and communicated. People need to know that the matchmaking system is optional and the choice is either matchmaking like COD, or community servers like BF3 and BF4.

Two: get people to use the server browser by informing them that official servers are in there, with full xp, and hardcore servers, and tell them about all the matchmaking complaints they solve. Tell them about how they can have larger parties, and their party doesn't break up after each round, and the server population doesn't break up after each round, and you don't randomly play the same map over and over or attacker or defender over and over. This would probably also require EA to remove or hide all the useless and broken afk and farm servers that drown out all the good and real servers.

Three: fix the performance issues. They are purposely making community servers inferior, with a lower tick rate, higher server up-time, server CPUs chugging, server frame time spiking all over the place, creating associated rubber-banding and awful gameplay. People who care rehost until they get a good server, but the majority do not and that gives a bad reputation to community servers for any player who joins.

Four: THEN, we can try convincing people that there are awesome maps they are missing. Because there are. But most players just don't care at the moment.

THEN, we can hope that the ability to favorite a server is something people would use.

For example, what people are choosing to miss:

YouTube: This dam map where you can play some dam rush.

YouTube: An amazing undead level.