A very simple and obvious fix for UT3 to encourage higher/more consistent activity

[Henrik]

Q: When you click Multiplayer, what is the first thing you see?

A: The search filter, with Deathmatch selected by default.

Q: What gametype has the most active servers?

A: Deathmatch by a landslide.

This isn't coincidence. This doesn't mean deathmatch is the most successful or most fun gametype. All it means is it's accessible. I'm tired of never finding good games in other gametypes. It makes me generally want to click the 'Exit' button sooner when I can't find any games in TDM for example, because I prefer that. I'd play CTF if I saw a good match of Coret going on at around 60 ping.. but do I have reason to normally look? CTF is almost always empty... but..

Another question for you then. What if as of version 1.3, the filter defaulted to "All", with the same options for full/empty/locked... UT1 had a "Populated" tab which performed basically the exact same function, and to this day it still has a few thousand players. I don't think that's a coincidence either, I mean sure it has something to do with the game itself, but I believe something so simple has a lot to do with it also and it has always bothered me that this hasn't been done in any version since.

If it defaults to search All gametypes or maybe just Populated, then people will join servers more based on the ping than what gametype it is, there will be more even distribution, people will play for longer because there is a more even distribution of players, and as a result I think we will see some growth in the numbers.. even if modest, it can't hurt right?

So Epic, please for the love of fragging, implement this in version 1.3 or with your updateable UI system.

[faultymoose]

This is a really good idea. +1

[Rob.JW]

+1

Populated servers as initial search ftw

[Wail of Suicide]

Agreed. Populated servers search as default.

[The Great TYF00N]

Populated servers search as default. I support this proposal

[mtv2004]

this is a great idea

[faultymoose]

This is the BEST kind of suggestion. Something small and relatively easy to implement that will not negatively affect gameplay for anyone. Nothing subjective about it. I'm replying again just for bumpage.

[13th_Disciple]

i'd just appreciate it if it would default to the last gametype i selected.

[Numbered Days]

Good to go.

[wisdomWarrior]

And yet another great idea from Bersy

I totally agree (It's amazing how well thought out and executed UT99 was)

[recoiledsnake]

Great idea, UT2004 demo had onslaught as default and hence had more newbies join it first(myself included).

[[EX3]Cobra_XP]

what I have noticed is the instagib players got it the worst of it all. The 2004 instagib players mostly played low gravity "open" maps or custom box style maps. UT3 maps are horrible for low grav. The instagib community has died. Movement is not the same. All the custom map makers for 2k3 and 2k4 don't even want to make maps for it. My clan was an instagib clan. Most of our members have moved on to other games. Our guys were never pickie about what they played as long as it was instagib low grav. All the clans we played with moved on also with the exception for {AW} which has been trying hard to keep IG Low Grav going with bad success (no knock on you Res). I don't know if our community will go back to the game even if its fixed. We are paying a server host for a UT3 server which we are having trouble modding and customizing. Our clan is asking for a change to the server for a different game. I am not down playing the game, just being realistic.

[Cenotaph]

just the other day i was thinking the exact same thing. totally support this.

[Trepænima]

+1 10charlolz

[Uriop]

2k* was the same way in that respect, i believe.