Demo/Full version compatiblity

[IndySkies]

Is there a specific reason you still play the demo? I'd like to think you have the full version. At least by now

I was in a demo clan, still am technically although the clan is just about dead now. Yeah, I bought the full version, I actually quit demo for a while, played FV non-stop against some of the top clanners, happy days

Demo was always more of a family though, it's where my UT experience began. v348 will always hold a special place in my heart, and as long as there is a server running, I'll be there

[Sigmadnb]

I don't think so.

It is nice to keep the players together but you have to draw the line somewhere. Things need to change in the retail version that probably wont be changed in the demo.

[Tørmentør]

According to our statistics, 50% of the players on the demoservers of jolt are retail owners. I'd rather see them on retail servers only. You know, Torlan, Rankin and Face get a little boring after 3 years.

EDIT:
I might add that we have more than 1800 unique players a day. Force 900 of them to retail servers and things would be much more enjoyable.

there is a very good reason as to why the "retail" players are on demo servers, the fact that epic allowed demo servers to run indefinetly, most active players in UT2k4 are people with just the demo, so having a lack of retail players on full retail servers makes the players with full game go where the action is: DEMO SERVERS.

[Ultron]

I don't want an expiration date on demos. They are classic ways of fostering new players over time, as well as introductory LAN party usage to get people interested in buying the full version of the game.

That said, I think UT did it best by not having demo/retail compatability. Half the populate servers or more ended up being demo servers, with limited functionality (very vulnerable to cheating) and tiny map rotations. Personally I think this caused one of the biggest problems for the two UT2 versions, right above bots being enabled by default (nobody wants to play bots online, and they skew population numbers) and the sheer unpolished nature of UT2k3. I couldn't get my friends to touch it on LAN parties, but I've had UT on probably every LAN party I hosted, due to it's popularity (and two others that are also chosen by the participants).

[Xyx]

we still have people going on Torlan/Primeval only servers and cleaning house with the noobs

That be a compelling reason to ward off retail owners. Repeatedly getting pwned won't help you buy the full version.

You can't trick people into consistently play a game they don't like.

But you can trick people into not buying a good game if the demo sucks.

[Daimao]

there is a very good reason as to why the "retail" players are on demo servers, the fact that epic allowed demo servers to run indefinetly, most active players in UT2k4 are people with just the demo, so having a lack of retail players on full retail servers makes the players with full game go where the action is: DEMO SERVERS.

Nobody here is mentioning it, but there's also many people who have warez copies, which makes demo servers their only choice when it comes to online play.

[Destini]

I'd like to see Epic's considered opinion on this, whether they have started thinking about how to go about doing this aspect of the demo yet.

Please, whatever you do, just don't do what u did for UT2.

[StalwartUK]

Nobody here is mentioning it, but there's also many people who have warez copies, which makes demo servers their only choice when it comes to online play.

Well it's their fault that they didn't pay for their copies. Why should they be allowed to play online if they haven't contributed anything to Epic. Kind of makes those who bought the game a little annoyed that they've paid for the priveleage when there's those online that haven't paid one little bit towards the game or it's developers.

When the full game comes out I'll swich over from the demo as soon as I have my copy of the game installed and I want to be playing with those that also have the full game.

[MonsOlympus]

According to our statistics, 50% of the players on the demoservers of jolt are retail owners. I'd rather see them on retail servers only. You know, Torlan, Rankin and Face get a little boring after 3 years.

EDIT:
I might add that we have more than 1800 unique players a day. Force 900 of them to retail servers and things would be much more enjoyable.

I fully agree, the 2k3 demo maps can be just as boring these days

I went NO! Its obvious the retail being compatible with the demo was one of the mistakes that 2k3/4 made. I think its good to phase out the demo/retail compatibility but if its gone from the start people might complain less, I also think that official demo servers if there is any should be phased out at the 1-2 year mark anyone buying after that can test the gameplay through the single player components.

I think it'll just open more room for good retail servers running stock settings but perhaps with some custom map packs etc. Thats one thing I have found is most custom servers are like crazy custom where as you cant find many stock servers (here in aus) running the CBP's or UCMP's

I think it'll help the community alot though because people wont have to go to demo servers because they are populated. When you think about it if those retail players were on retail severs then they would be more populated, I never did understand peoples reasoning for frequenting demo servers if they own the retail.

[Destini]

what is the advantage in allowing retail owners to play in demo servers anyway?

as for the argument about "people will still just keep their demo copy next to their retail copy", wtf?

[TWD]

I think it'll just open more room for good retail servers running stock settings but perhaps with some custom map packs etc. Thats one thing I have found is most custom servers are like crazy custom where as you cant find many stock servers (here in aus) running the CBP's or UCMP's

I think it'll help the community alot though because people wont have to go to demo servers because they are populated. When you think about it if those retail players were on retail severs then they would be more populated, I never did understand peoples reasoning for frequenting demo servers if they own the retail.

Yet this is the ultimate irony of the situation. Lots of people complain about the situation. Enough to have several more populated stock servers. Yet people would rather sit and be mad about it rather than actually do something. Every time I talk about getting some sort of decent CTF pub put together everyone tells me I shouldn't waste my energy. There is no reason that everyone should be putting up with demo servers, and there's no reason that we can't get some of these people onto a new normal weapons CTF server with a few custom maps.

[Destini]

I see what you mean, but then aslong as they get it right in UT3, ppl won't need to "waste their energy".

[Daimao]

Well it's their fault that they didn't pay for their copies. Why should they be allowed to play online if they haven't contributed anything to Epic. Kind of makes those who bought the game a little annoyed that they've paid for the priveleage when there's those online that haven't paid one little bit towards the game or it's developers.

Indeed, but I wasn't defending them anyway - I was merely pointing out that they've must been part of the reason why demo servers are so much popular

[Taleweaver]

what is the advantage in allowing retail owners to play in demo servers anyway?

as for the argument about "people will still just keep their demo copy next to their retail copy", wtf?

What do you mean, "wtf"? Is that supposed to be an argument or something?

Simple scenario:
1) I play UT3 demo. It contains the best map(s), all weapons and lots of easy opponents (aka: everyone that's new to the franchise)
2) I buy the full game. It comes with more maps, but the experience isn't as good as the demo was (perhaps the easy enemies had something to do with that?)
3) as such, I download a new copy of the demo, install it (on another folder, or a different drive for all I care) and play it whenever I feel like it instead of the "real" UT3

To keep up with your conversational skills: "allowing, wtf". You don't allow people to have both versions installed...you just can't deny it to them. At least not without an entire registration procedure just to be able to play a demo game (which'll scare new blood away pretty much equally fast as demo-botters will).

[MonsOlympus]

Yet this is the ultimate irony of the situation. Lots of people complain about the situation. Enough to have several more populated stock servers. Yet people would rather sit and be mad about it rather than actually do something. Every time I talk about getting some sort of decent CTF pub put together everyone tells me I shouldn't waste my energy. There is no reason that everyone should be putting up with demo servers, and there's no reason that we can't get some of these people onto a new normal weapons CTF server with a few custom maps.

Well I play on stock servers myself (stock aside from UTComp) and even some of them have CBP2 on them but the server is rarely populated so I'll hop on there every now and then with a friend if they want a match. Not very often do people join though because its a choice of an almost full demo server vs 2 people on a retail one.

I never really bring it up much myself except if someone makes a thread about it, its not something I feel I could change by running around ranting about it so I just play on retail servers myself and kinda boycott demo servers where I can. I think the only one I frequent is a torlan only demo server but it is weird cause it has a few different node setups. Usually 1 full round is enough to do me though so its not like I spend any amount of time more on this ONS demo server then I do on retail DM/CTF servers.

I spose I could start a server myself but its not like there isnt plenty of retail servers just sitting there empty or half empty at peek hours. Honestly if you think you can run a good server and it'll pull people into retail servers its not a waste of energy