Our Left 4 Dead Server.

[elDiablo]

They did this as it's a very console (one specific console I might have experience with...) way of doing things. It removes the ideas of "servers" and "clients" from the players, and gives them a pre-game "lobby" to find friends and other players in, after which you are playing the game. Keeps it simple.

 

[Ronin Storm]

Hmm, but not in an environment of modded servers and sometimes poor server reliability. Simple but not good.

 

[elDiablo]

Indeed. I do not agree that it is a good solution, or even idea

 

[Ronin Storm]

I'm all for simplification when it's presented as a facade (borrowing from design patterns, for a moment). When it's the only interface, however, it's pretty frustrating for more discerning users.

 

[BiG D]

They did this as it's a very console (one specific console I might have experience with...) way of doing things. It removes the ideas of "servers" and "clients" from the players, and gives them a pre-game "lobby" to find friends and other players in, after which you are playing the game. Keeps it simple.

Said console does it right, though. The L4D method makes stupid stupid mistakes. I chose QUICKPLAY. If the server you chose for me filled up before I could join, GO BACK AND CHOOSE ANOTHER rather than bouncing me to the main menu with an error. Piece of shit.

 

[DeZmond]

I know of some console commands that might help as I've been using them for a slightly different purpose, but I'm not sure if they would help or not in this case.

Firstly, enable the developer console and open it. You could then try some of the following commands:

openserverbrowser
opens the classic server browser as per HL2/DoD/TF2 etc

sv_allow_lobby_connect_only 0
this server cvar allows players to connect to a server without use of the lobby.

and of course, the classic connect <ip> still works if you know the server IP offhand.

 

[Ronin Storm]

sv_allow_lobby_connect_only 0
this server cvar allows players to connect to a server without use of the lobby.

That setting is already in play, just FYI.

 

[PsiSoldier]

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