More server settings & admin capabilities - for more hardcore play/special events/community stuff

[cold plume]

I would love to see being able to:

• modify time limit (or to disable it altogether)

• being able to make server-wide settings that would apply to all the players in the server, allowing for more hardcore experience (no friendly icons beyond certain set distance, no squad comms and proximity VOIP only, activating persistent ammo for not redeploying rearmed, being able to disable restriction of 1x ammo box rearming per 1 life, stuff visible on the tactical map only within some range and otherwise just for the officer roles...)

• adjust the default vehicle rosters and being able to admin-spawn or despawn any vehicles/artillery anywhere

• adjust spawn wave timers for all the spawnpoints types and also for HQ vehicle self-spawning timers

• adjust the Commander's power roster (disable/enable certain powers any time during an event)

• modify/disable garrison limits and vehicle limits

• adjust the resources base incomes and starting resources amounts

• being able to choose active objectives that will be being played (it is all generated atm)

• being able to set how long an objective takes to capture

• disable ability to capture certain points, remove default strongpoints (for events or seedings)

• being able to admin-place&name custom objective cap circles (strongpoints) anywhere on the tactical map, even more than 5 of them and set objective cap order (a custom offensive so to speak)

• disabling sectors/territory (for the whole map to be neutral so to speak, but to be able to build garries and stuff anywhere... for events)

• enable unlimited special classes per squad for group training purposes

• place garrisons/buildables/deployables via adminCam for the events or private stuff, or setting up for seedings without wasting time on building the seeding garries manually

• modify squad type limits (so we could have less than 18 infantry squads, more than 2 recons...) and custom squad sizes (so we could have for example 9 players in an infantry squad)

And I am sure I would find more that don't come to my mind right now.

HLL has had just no any options for making any special events or private group trainings or anything for the clan-based activities. With the way the base gamemodes and their rules have been setup, it is basically impossible to do any of those. But I fear it may stay that way for good. 😦 I hope I am mistaken.

[mellow breach]

[raven herald]

All good points made, the game is crying out for some sort of HC mode to be implemented to bring back more strategic play, as it stands, it feels like it moving towards a more arcade style shooter….but my worst moan is many new players don’t have mic’s which is a game killer. Bring in HC mode/servers would hopefully encourage squad chat as being essential.

[silver geyser]

Been saying this for years, early excuse was they didn't want to fragment the community, but this game has more than enough active players, and so many that shelved the game on standby if they saw something like this. For years, people ask for more or less of these settings, depending on the hosts desired goals. Little settings like this could introduce a ton of variety, fast, slow, competitive, sim, larp. Let the players and hosts choose.

[cold plume]

💯 Yep I remember those (at that time valid) excuses when more of us were suggesting some or more of those thins in the far past. But HLL today could indeed definitely afford it and there is still the hardcore audience that would welcome and love it. Would potentially bring more people from that camp back to the game while the casual audience wouldn't worry as it wouldn't be affected by it.

[final siren]

[twilit canyon]

That is great and all, but what exactly is going to prevent this from becoming a huge clusterfk?

I can see this turn out becoming a gambling element to the game. Click on any server in the browser and see what kind of sweet server settings you've rolled today. Players right now can click on any server in the browser and expect a streamlined experience. Imagine trying to join a server with 6 friends, oh shid, i accidently joined a server with amazing settings that allows people to fly through the air with jetpacks. Lets find a new one, oh shid, i just joined another server with server settings that has the max damage per bullet capped at 1, oh lets find another one. Lets spend a entire evening finding a normal server, rather then actually play the game.

I have heard from some friends that own Battlefield 2042, that their ''Portal'' part was completely unplayable after 2 days. The vanilla experience was just no longer available. It was nothing but ''Hardcore'', ''Zombie mode'' and ''Exp farm'' servers.

Similar scenario with a f2p game from 2003 called Wolfenstein Enemy Territory that i used to play back in the mid 2000s, it had all kinds of modding support, but about every server had some kind of mods running. The vanilla experience just completely phased out over time.

Now place yourself in the shoes as a brand new player. The first server you join has spawn timers of 5 minutes, or capped damage, or not being able to create a squad because there are limits or whatever more ridiculous shd people can come up with. That player will think it actually represents the entire game. What a amazing first impression to the game, thats really good for player retention.

[silver geyser]

If I recall from most any game Ive played in the last 20 years, servers modified were labeled custom and clear. Of the games that offered basic server customization, never once did we feel it was bait and switch or troll admins. Them servers never get seeded. The servers were labeled with particular play styles in mind get seeded by like-minded players. Want a fast game to warm up? Want a league normalized gameplay? Want something hardcore? Ect.. there was a server for you with like-minded individuals.
Assume they follow other games, these type of servers wouldn't live at the same level of any quick join or normal server browser, custom servers typically were isolated to a specific filter selection on server browser. The slippery slope that one of these custom setting out shadows the vanilla play is just evidence maybe vanilla is missing something in the first place. Never played 2042, if it's vanilla mode was not popular, might be more of a broken game design, EA has pushed a few of them.

Nothing here is 'new' game design. The vanilla HLL is a solid game, but some want more or little different, and might be willing to rent a server, apply their ideas, hope it gains some following.
Doubt they will ever over take the vanilla, else HLL needs to rethink their game design.

[cold plume]

I personally don't think that would be the case as majority of the current target playerbase (and its players too in that case), is the casual playerbase. But if it would be a case anyway - then it would be fair to say that the vanilla experience is just not good enough is it? I mean - if it would be avoided by majority of the players so much you wouldn't be able to find a vanilla server, then there is definitely a problem with the vanilla core of the game.

But again, I doubt it would be the case because majority of the current HLL playerbase are casuals and with the thousands of players it is impossible you wouldn't find enough of servers with the casual vanilla setting. I strongly believe the vanilla servers would keep their majority. And there are and never will be any zombies here. The new hardcore/event options would just lure the hardcore playerbase in/back to even make the overall numbers higher as HLL would then cater the widest possible audience.

[storm swan]

[violet mountain]

Could be the stepping stone for modding.

[dim rampart]

Also add the ability to have bots

[twilit canyon]

Abusive admins, that's bound to happen regardless, there where you give them power, its to be abused. You're going to see farm servers where admins spawn 5 tanks on on top of each other so you can blow them up with a single satchel. But i don't care too much for that part. It's more about the vanilla experience being broadly available.

then it would be fair to say that the vanilla experience is just not good enough is it?

Everyone and their mother thinks they'll be able to create a better version of the game. The server browser will be flooded with all these ''better'' versions of the game and every single of them is entirely different from eachother and it is going to drown out the vanilla servers without a doubt. Despite the vanilla experience being still available, you're really going to have to look for it.

And don't get me wrong, some of the changes you can apply sound alright. For example i absolutely despise the arty, i wouldn't mind it seen removed entirely but i think it should be a game wide change and not server based.

BackToAbusiveAdmins, admins willApplyChanges to their servers to compensate for their own and other players incompetence. Admin squad that mains tanks, driving into objectives like a suicide bomber, don't worry, we got instant respawn timers on tanks boys.

You should be able to blindly navigate through the browser and expect a certain level of quality of gameplay. Whether it's bad or good isn't really the point.
A casual player isn't going to join the same server day after day, they open their browser, they just click on whatever is available the time. Having it be a gamble as to what kind of mess they're going to join in is going to get people frustrated and drive them away

The only way i can see itWork is if the devs care enough to setup a application process, ANDserverely limit the amount of servers with access to extended server options. Prefferbly server owners with relations to the Cmanagers&devs. and i amTalking3-5servers