[sDOM.I] Updates January 12th, 2015

[PACO]

Dear community,

This thread is to update the current status of the upcoming sDOM season. We are currently sitting around 80 signups. This is not enough participants to run or plan for a league. January was always ambitious and running signups over the Christmas break was a mistake. It is something that we will learn from moving forward.

With the Superbowl interruption, the draft happening this Sunday makes a lot less sense. The proposal is to shift the draft to February 8th, 2014 (a week after the Superbowl). This will give us more time to tweak/test maps and get more signups. Ideally, I would like to see 140+ and 16 teams.

Upcoming:
Sunday - January 18th, 2014: #iPug Pug night.
Sunday - January 25th, 2014: sDOM All Stars

Pressing Issues:
-Maplist.. we have a lot of new and cool maps coming in but what is the maximum amount of maps that we can have before it becomes less competitive? Looking to have 11 maps but there could be more depending on how we do map selection.

-Map selection.. In years past, you found out what map you would be playing about ten minutes after match time. Lately, we managed to improve the system and you can find out 15mins beforehand however something about this makes matches feel even more puggy to me. I'm curious what people think about entering map selections at least 72 or 96 hours in advance? I'd love to see teams practice and be on point for game day (even if the practice only happens individually). More than 11+ maps is not competitive if come match day.. you have no idea what you will be playing and are not adept at all of the maps.

-Getting new players to play sDOM. It is a scary gametype.. it is absolutely hardcore and timing + amps can be intimidating for the average gorilla. My first experience playing sDOM was teaming up with PanterA, nark and maybe JYB? against phr sorn and some other retardedly good players who had amp all game and hyuk hyuk'd all the way to the bank. I was so traumatized that I didn't play sDOM again for a year or two but after getting into it.. it is an adrenaline rush and a half and an amazing addition to Unreal Tournament. I think we need to come up with ways to help ease new players into the gametype. We should also try to make the fairest matchups in pugs (picking wise and point wise). Stick the lower picks on points that they can duke out with one another instead of sending in a top player to bash them. These are some simple things that we can do but I'm not sure if it will be enough.

-Overall interest. Is it there or are we trying to squeeze juice from rocks? Organizing a league and covering it takes a lot of time and energy. We love doing it but it needs to be a reciprocal process where people actually want to participate. If signups/activity do not increase by the 8th, then there is no point in going ahead with a league. Sundays would be a great slot for our UT4 shows so we need to know how we should allocate our time. One day tournaments are also a possibility but once again would also depend on the level of interest.

Signup: http://www.ownedwell.com/Leagues/UT99/sDOM_I/
Signup: http://www.ownedwell.com/Leagues/UT99/sDOM_I/
Signup: http://www.ownedwell.com/Leagues/UT99/sDOM_I/

Apologies for the wall of text. I'm hoping to hear some good feedback from everyone.

Cheers,

PACO

[RickJames]

If you've seen the attitude of the average joe pugging ictf these days, you know why we have 80 signups and why 140 seems unlikely no matter how long you leave them open. The community is full of idiots who are either close minded or just caustic. Personally, I'm fine as long as we have a season. I'd be happy with 8 teams with the current signups even. I made a list of missing players, can't see too many decent players outside of that list stepping up.

Number of maps depends on how many quality maps we have. None of the new maps tested so far are super promising (imo) and it's hard to get the other maps played. Our current list of 9 is good, and if we can get 2 more quality maps that's great, but I don't want to see mediocre maps added for the sake of it. Quality should take precedence.

I favor a map picking format that involves elimination. Monk had some suggestions that sounded good. I don't care about knowing maps in advance.

Moving the draft forward is a good idea, hope it works out.

[blackout\\]

[miracle]

Getting new players to play sDOM. It is a scary gametype.. it is absolutely hardcore and timing + amps can be intimidating for the average gorilla. My first experience playing sDOM was teaming up with PanterA, nark and maybe JYB? against phr sorn and some other retardedly good players who had amp all game and hyuk hyuk'd all the way to the bank. I was so traumatized that I didn't play sDOM again for a year or two but after getting into it.. it is an adrenaline rush and a half and an amazing addition to Unreal Tournament. I think we need to come up with ways to help ease new players into the gametype. We should also try to make the fairest matchups in pugs (picking wise and point wise). Stick the lower picks on points that they can duke out with one another instead of sending in a top player to bash them. These are some simple things that we can do but I'm not sure if it will be enough.


Ill be completely honest, compared to last season I feel like when new players pug up they are taken into account that it would be nicer to put him on a easier point so hes not frustrated. And some players may not like it but that has def changed big this season theres a lot more account for bad players. And it seems like most pugs have some smart sdom player to give knowledge, some people are still scared of the mod but ive worked on helping ppl get better and i know jyb and a lot of others have given a lot of advice to new people.

[Hermione]

Paco the title of the thread has an error, its currently 2015 not 2014 LMAO!

[Shotman]

[kevinsan1ty]

[Junkyardboy]

[Morpheus]

Oh Well...

sdom=ezpz

[d3R]

[ramdrop]

Well they definitely need to do something to get more interest but at the same time not delay the people who have already signed up as they might lose interest.

[Viperzz^]

Survival of the ficklest 2 in the mean time!

[Hinata]

It is only scary if you are bad, since you are alone on your point and have to do good. On top of this, you have also timings and your weapon doesn't one-shot.
One of the best mod tbh.

[exixt]

rip sdom

[Morpheus]

[Imperious]

I like the map idea. I think the knowing in advance helps newer players of sDOM. The mod is much easier to digest when someone has to can focus on playing one map and one spot for 1 week rather than not know what map or what spot he has to play. sDOM is much much much more map dependent than iCTF. So a newer player feels like he can never catch up. I think this will improve the quality of matches as well.

IMO all the reasons not to do this is because of the stupid "but what if my top guy doesn't show" excuse. Pick reliable people. Make a map choice, and play that map. Not really that hard.

[Lineage]

Personally, I would like knowing what maps 3-4 days in advance - it would lend time to get a scrim or two going in the days leading up to Sunday, to practice those specific maps. If teams don't want to take advantage of that, it is their own prerogative.

[csnafk]

[kevinsan1ty]

[Sauron]

[massie]

the thing i love about ictf is that it is easy, when i come home from work i dont really feel like thinking alot just to play a videogame i just want to shoot tha gunz

reason why UT99 instagib is still played these days is becoz ictf, and ictfs brutal gameplay

ppl like nuke are not braindead they simply just dont care about ctf they just want to frag

everybody cryin about ictf sucks this that, well its the community itself that made ictf the way it is now if u cant deal with laming and backshooting dont play

[csnafk]

[kud]

sdom is a good gametype even with a terrible player or two on your team since you can "win" your point while still losing the map

[Sonic|^]

[Monk]

[ramdrop]

DOM does have a steep learning curve, but it's important for the better players to help the newer players, in PUGs, rather then the top fragger take the amp, why don't you let the lower fragger take the AMP for a run? If they're playing in dev matches, they may be the key player, it's something that we should do to help the new players - can't remember who said it, but let the new players face out against each other on the solo points.

Other thing that I don't notice, is new players asking the more experienced players for help, or even, look to be approachable, I'm more than happy to help some of the newer players if they need advice about certain aspects of the game, I appreciate the guide that has gone up on the website about timings, but sometimes speaking to a real person is better than reading an article.

sDOM.I had lots of signups and the season was one of the best I've played, we need to recreate that somehow, people need to promote and new players need to step up and give the mod a go.

[HULKSMASH]

I'm also up to 'teach' anyone even though I'm only a $300 player myself

[kud]

[rasta-man]

I wanna point too like many others that indeed SDOM is the greatest mod i ever played in ut99.
is a little scary at the beggining ,becuase you don't know the map,you are killed because you don't know how to attack a point ,and after 1 or 2 pugs you quit and you let it conquer you.---you give up and say :this mode is not for me and people will laugh.
many players think like that and they just play one sdom pug and they will not join again--very sad.
so for helping them i was thinking that for 9 maps that are on the list ,even we can do more,we can make a short video from demo showing the points,the best ways to attack them ,the position of the armour,shield,etc and where should the player stay when defending a point.
i know that most of the players are not jumping around the point ,they are just sitting and hiding and point the cursor in an area that he knows the enenmy will spawn 75% of the time and he will come from that direction.
these elements can help the new players already to understand how they have to play it and this will just make the gears starts rotate for them.
a new player ,after watching the movies maybe 2 or 3 times,i am sure he will rememeber when he will play a point should stay there and the armour is somewhere there(he will learn it better after playing).

this is happening(even for me) when i play a new map and i know nothing,i have to F5 someone and have to learn it quicky but is hard with the many spwans points so maybe transform this situation in some videos.

i know someone starts something like that for campgrounds but the idea stopped there.
maybe is time to continue it.
most of maps i know how to play ,but i just let people more experience than me to do the favours.

hope after seeing the movies and understand some things they will not be afraid of this amazing style

SDOM RULEZ .
BELIEVE ME!
I KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING!
PEACE !

[Sauron]

Someone needs to train all the newbs to boost. Boosting 101.