Why do people never vote custom maps?

[FuLLBLeeD]

I've noticed there are a lot of new UT3 players..which is good! However, I've noticed that on the popular servers for each gametype, custom maps NEVER get voted. Why is this? They are just as good if not better than stock maps. Vote for custom maps sometimes, guys.

[Dark_Slayer]

There is a huge amount of people which simply doesn't have custommaps installed. Therefore they would be forced to load the map from the server and they don't want to do so, because it's slow and the maps are huge in size.

[BlueCloud]

There is a huge amount of people which simply doesn't have custommaps installed. Therefore they would be forced to load the map from the server and they don't want to do so, because it's slow and the maps are huge in size.

1) Epic run servers(they are the most popular ones,at least in WAR) do not host any custom content at all

2) Without a redirect, map download from server is agonizingly slow(slower than dialup I think). Redirects were broken till like 6 months from game release and were properly fixed only in Patch 2 or 3.

3) The redirect traffic costs a lot to server providers (Raptor Squad server says this in their server message broadcast)

4) Many custom maps are just either (sometimes bad) straight up remakes of UT2004 maps or are not designed with the orb in mind(in Warfare)

5) Impatient players and 'noobs' leave because of slow big downloads(esp. WAR)

6) Most people voting like playing familiar maps and are more comfortable with them or just vote for their favorite custom map that very few vote for. I.e Votes for custom maps are split.

7) It's hard to advertize map packs except for the crowd that visits forums. Many people find it too tedious to go download and install them properly.

[Taffy]

Our TDM server is doing pretty well with custom maps. It's a stock server other than custom maps. It has most all of the stock maps with about 8 customs.

I think one big mistake admins make is to just spam the server with a bunch of custom maps at once. What I have learned is that an admins choice of custom maps will not always be a popular choice ( I don't always have the best taste in maps ). It's good to put a single custom on and then get feedback. A lot of times I end up removing a map soon after putting it on because of the negative feedback.

Putting a custom map on that isn't very popular can be a very big detriment to server popularity. Inevitably what happens is the map will somehow get voted and everyone leaves.

Size also seems to be a big factor. Anything over 40M and people start getting very impatient. People don't seem to want to wait more than a minute or so.

Having said the above, some of the most played maps on the server are custom. I think Campgrounds, Gutter, Grendelkeep, and maybe Goose are played at least as much as Deck and Defiance.

[zunnie]

Our server has a dedicated 100mbit line for redirect downloads so downloading is fast always.

I only play custom maps really and our server runs a dozen new maps (good ones), i like to support the mapmaking community by hosting their maps, seems like an aweful shame
that so little people play them.

( http://ut3.mp-gaming.com has maplist and downloadpackages )

[coolcat22]

Why do people never vote custom maps? is ask my self that question or a long time
its a shame pll dont play costum maps the so many good costum maps out there

[bclagge]

3) The redirect traffic costs a lot to server providers (Raptor Squad server says this in their server message broadcast)

Not so. We at BGE, back when we bothered with a server, have always used our website FTP for redirecting. It's blazing fast and costs us nothing because we already have to have a website up. Gameservers also offers a free redirect and I don't even think you have to be a client to use it. It's not as fast as some, but it's free.

Annnnnd...

8) By default the client side cache is 30 days/300 mb. This is ridiculously small. For example in Warfare, you can only have about six 50mb maps in the cache at a time. DL another one, and it removes the oldest one. God forbid you wait around for one of those 150mb maps. Most noobs don't know what the cache cleaner is.

[BlueCloud]

Not so. We at BGE, back when we bothered with a server, have always used our website FTP for redirecting. It's blazing fast and costs us nothing because we already have to have a website up. Gameservers also offers a free redirect and I don't even think you have to be a client to use it. It's not as fast as some, but it's free.

Pub clan server also runs a redirect. Well, I was playing on the Euro RaptorSquad server, and saw that message, so mentioned it. Maybe bandwidth isn't so cheap across the pond.

[BlueCloud]

Forgot to add:

Most or all custom WAR maps seem to be missing any announcements or announcer guidance and other audio cues found with the stock maps. In addition, I heard it's not possible to have custom voices for custom maps due to modding limitations in the editor.

[Killerus]

omg how long could it possibly take to download 60-100 mb's? Vote for the map and get a drink in 2-3 mins you should be playing. I guess people are just too impatient.

[FuLLBLeeD]

Our server has a dedicated 100mbit line for redirect downloads so downloading is fast always.

I only play custom maps really and our server runs a dozen new maps (good ones), i like to support the mapmaking community by hosting their maps, seems like an aweful shame
that so little people play them.

( http://ut3.mp-gaming.com has maplist and downloadpackages )

I'd love to play on your server, unfortunately its in Germany and I am in central USA, so I would ping terrible.

[The Demon Slick]

Stock Maps..... YAWN...... Custom is awesome, even the bad ones are good to run thru the very first time. I share your puzzlement, the majority of players just kind of seem like they couldn't be bothered. Laziness, maybe. Too busy...? Get cache converter, BradG. has an awesome one, and so does UNK, takes two seconds, takes the maps you sat thru downloading, and places them in your list to have forever, or until you delete them.

[Sanch3z]

Forgot to add:

Most or all custom WAR maps seem to be missing any announcements or announcer guidance and other audio cues found with the stock maps.

training wheels werent necessary or a part of 2k4 ONS. WAR=ONS + orb. The node links and orb show in the minimap, are announcements really necessary to anyone other than short bus riders?

[HornDog]

omg how long could it possibly take to download 60-100 mb's? Vote for the map and get a drink in 2-3 mins you should be playing. I guess people are just too impatient.

It takes at least 7 minutes or more for a 50mb file from most redirects. If there are 10 player that are downloading content for the next level, that redirect server has to serve 500mb in 7 minutes split to 10 different IP's. That's just for one game server! It's not only bandwidth but redirect server horse power too. Now if one player has the map already installed on their game then he/she has at least a 7 minute head start. Bottom Line, The custom content files are too big. In UT2004 that would be very possible to do at 20 time less file size.

[Unreal4Eva]

Yeah them maps are pretty big, it took me like 8 minutes to receive them.