So I have been hearing that map popularity is based on the number of times the game has been made public. However, I have two seperate accounts. I have done a create game and then make public from both accounts, leave the games up for about 5 minutes, then a few minutes later checked the #of games created" and it still shows 1... How exactly does this mechanic work? There must be a way to fool the system somehow to show your map has more "popularity".
I dont think that's it either zakariah.. I have hosted with a non-author account, had 2 people in the game and started 4 times after making the game public. It still shows only 1 game created in the last hour...
I believe it's the amount of time a game is played divided by the number of times it's played... Something along those lines.
This would make sense, but i know at first it was just the number of lobbies created. I think now they changed it to number of games started, but I'm not totally sure.
They definitely changed it from phase 1. It's not just lobbies created anymore nor is it simply games started.
Or maybe it is. Argh I have no idea!
When my map started at 1 games played, it was go up extremely slowly, even though I invited people to play multiple games. It wouldn't be until 20 minutes later that the popularity goes to 2 games played. I've been watching the numbers closely early on and the games played would just go up one by one every 10 or so minutes.
Wasn't until 4th page it started going up by 2+ each refresh. Then when it got to 1st page, # of games start going crazy. Obviously you'll get more and more # games as you're higher on the list. But iunno something about this system is weird.
I dont think that's it either zakariah.. I have hosted with a non-author account, had 2 people in the game and started 4 times after making the game public. It still shows only 1 game created in the last hour...
I know that it doesn't update as fast at it used to in phase1. But i know that you have to start the game and you need to have at least 2 non-cpu players in it.
I dont think that's it either zakariah.. I have hosted with a non-author account, had 2 people in the game and started 4 times after making the game public. It still shows only 1 game created in the last hour...
where can you find the info "game created in the last hour"? Is it visible on bnet ?
There's a bar to the right of the map on the popularity list. Hover your mouse over it and it says how many games per hour it has.
My experience:
I started a game, it went to 1. I played a game with others, it went to 2. It went to 4 without me seeing how (like 3 hours later). I played another game with a full crew and the game stayed at 4.
Thanks, the bnet design is really counter intuitive. There's shouldn't be so many information hidden by "hover" effects (last ladder ranking, character code, this, etc...)
Hell, I had someone on my friends list and I wanted to give his name/code to another friend to add. I couldn't find it. I eventually had to ask him what his code was. HE'S ON MY FRIENDS LIST! (I will apologize if there is a way and I missed something).
Well, I'm glad they changed the popularity system to be time-based now if Sixen is right, and he usually is with his insider-info! The problem is that that now we're really screwed if we want a map to make its way up after release. There's no way to test maps publicly if we upload it and host and it sits on page 34.
I guess we'll just have to release our maps on 12AM july 27th so we can get on page 1 lol. Either that or watch our map never be played (under the mass of crap games on page 1).
I even decided to actually try a few of the phase-2 page 1 maps yesterday. GARBAGE. I hate to be so mean but it pains me to see the maps that are on page 1 (in general). First game I played was like a hero game, but the hero didn't level and already had his spells. We just attack moved basically. Second game was called Sentry <something> and it was 3v1 where the 1 guy didn't know he was alone and we killed him in 30 secs and he had to leave. We then just started blinking around and abusing the fact that a missile spell targets allies (intended?).
How those maps sustain 2000 games per hour I will NEVER know. Well actually I do know: They put the map on right after patch.
I didn't come from sc1, but are these the types of games that were on there? War3 had much higher quality maps (albeit, not on release though... actually I take that back lol). However, we have so much knowledge now that we can definitely make high quality maps even in beta. In fact, we've all seen the high quality maps here on sc2mapster. They are not on the front page (most)... or even page 2. Such a shame. Either the system sucks or people's opinions of good maps suck.
MAPPERS! WORK ON YOUR TERRAIN! (FLAT = UGLY) TEST YOUR GAME! CHANGE LIGHTING FROM DEFAULT BLAND GRAY! ETC!!!
:( rant over. I guess my map better be damn good or I'll be eating my words. I'm sure some of them read sc2mapster.
And I haven't tried several of the page 1 maps so I'm not commenting on all of them. But my assessment is made having played many in phase 1 and a couple in phase 2.
80% of the most popular maps are utter garbage. It's just awefull a lot of good maps are stuck beyond reach with no way of getting any traffic whatsoever... I will wait for the system to be changed to a decent one before i do anything...
@progammer: Go
Well, I'm glad they changed the popularity system to be time-based now if Sixen is right, and he usually is with his insider-info! The problem is that that now we're really screwed if we want a map to make its way up after release. There's no way to test maps publicly if we upload it and host and it sits on page 34.
Don't quote me on that, I was just taking a stab at what it looked to be. Because you can ruin a maps popularity by creating it and just sitting in the lobby.
I definitively think it is based somehow on played time, because there is no way the impossible map that is on second right now on US would be there if it wasn't, its quite a long map.
It also seems to be linked to your account as well. You can start a game by yourself, it will increase the game's popularity by 1, but after this if you try to do the same again it wont do anything. I think this limitation resets every hour; un-flaging your account.
So I have been hearing that map popularity is based on the number of times the game has been made public. However, I have two seperate accounts. I have done a create game and then make public from both accounts, leave the games up for about 5 minutes, then a few minutes later checked the #of games created" and it still shows 1... How exactly does this mechanic work? There must be a way to fool the system somehow to show your map has more "popularity".
I wanna be one of the cool kids too..
By games i created im pretty sure it means started as well.
I believe it's the amount of time a game is played divided by the number of times it's played... Something along those lines.
Where did you get this info from? I thought it was the number of times the game is started while having at least 2 non-cpu players in the game.
I dont think that's it either zakariah.. I have hosted with a non-author account, had 2 people in the game and started 4 times after making the game public. It still shows only 1 game created in the last hour...
This would make sense, but i know at first it was just the number of lobbies created. I think now they changed it to number of games started, but I'm not totally sure.
No, its definitely not number of games started. Or number of games started with 2 people..
What is the secret!!! =(
wait a second.. maybe you guys are right.. I have it showing 3 games played in last hour now. I think the below worked:
-Make game public -2 people in game (host +1) -start game -play for like 3 or 5 minutes
Now tomorrow I will try to host with just 1 person to see if that works..
They definitely changed it from phase 1. It's not just lobbies created anymore nor is it simply games started.
Or maybe it is. Argh I have no idea!
When my map started at 1 games played, it was go up extremely slowly, even though I invited people to play multiple games. It wouldn't be until 20 minutes later that the popularity goes to 2 games played. I've been watching the numbers closely early on and the games played would just go up one by one every 10 or so minutes.
Wasn't until 4th page it started going up by 2+ each refresh. Then when it got to 1st page, # of games start going crazy. Obviously you'll get more and more # games as you're higher on the list. But iunno something about this system is weird.
I know that it doesn't update as fast at it used to in phase1. But i know that you have to start the game and you need to have at least 2 non-cpu players in it.
where can you find the info "game created in the last hour"? Is it visible on bnet ?
@progammer: Go
There's a bar to the right of the map on the popularity list. Hover your mouse over it and it says how many games per hour it has.
My experience: I started a game, it went to 1. I played a game with others, it went to 2. It went to 4 without me seeing how (like 3 hours later). I played another game with a full crew and the game stayed at 4.
@SquarelyCircle: Go
Thanks, the bnet design is really counter intuitive. There's shouldn't be so many information hidden by "hover" effects (last ladder ranking, character code, this, etc...)
I'm still hoping we can somehow petition for the availability of a games' list... sigh i guess i'll have to get used to this.
@progammer: Go
Totally agree.
Hell, I had someone on my friends list and I wanted to give his name/code to another friend to add. I couldn't find it. I eventually had to ask him what his code was. HE'S ON MY FRIENDS LIST! (I will apologize if there is a way and I missed something).
Well, I'm glad they changed the popularity system to be time-based now if Sixen is right, and he usually is with his insider-info! The problem is that that now we're really screwed if we want a map to make its way up after release. There's no way to test maps publicly if we upload it and host and it sits on page 34.
I guess we'll just have to release our maps on 12AM july 27th so we can get on page 1 lol. Either that or watch our map never be played (under the mass of crap games on page 1).
I even decided to actually try a few of the phase-2 page 1 maps yesterday. GARBAGE. I hate to be so mean but it pains me to see the maps that are on page 1 (in general). First game I played was like a hero game, but the hero didn't level and already had his spells. We just attack moved basically. Second game was called Sentry <something> and it was 3v1 where the 1 guy didn't know he was alone and we killed him in 30 secs and he had to leave. We then just started blinking around and abusing the fact that a missile spell targets allies (intended?).
How those maps sustain 2000 games per hour I will NEVER know. Well actually I do know: They put the map on right after patch.
I didn't come from sc1, but are these the types of games that were on there? War3 had much higher quality maps (albeit, not on release though... actually I take that back lol). However, we have so much knowledge now that we can definitely make high quality maps even in beta. In fact, we've all seen the high quality maps here on sc2mapster. They are not on the front page (most)... or even page 2. Such a shame. Either the system sucks or people's opinions of good maps suck.
MAPPERS! WORK ON YOUR TERRAIN! (FLAT = UGLY) TEST YOUR GAME! CHANGE LIGHTING FROM DEFAULT BLAND GRAY! ETC!!!
:( rant over. I guess my map better be damn good or I'll be eating my words. I'm sure some of them read sc2mapster.
And I haven't tried several of the page 1 maps so I'm not commenting on all of them. But my assessment is made having played many in phase 1 and a couple in phase 2.
80% of the most popular maps are utter garbage. It's just awefull a lot of good maps are stuck beyond reach with no way of getting any traffic whatsoever... I will wait for the system to be changed to a decent one before i do anything...
Don't quote me on that, I was just taking a stab at what it looked to be. Because you can ruin a maps popularity by creating it and just sitting in the lobby.
I definitively think it is based somehow on played time, because there is no way the impossible map that is on second right now on US would be there if it wasn't, its quite a long map.
It also seems to be linked to your account as well. You can start a game by yourself, it will increase the game's popularity by 1, but after this if you try to do the same again it wont do anything. I think this limitation resets every hour; un-flaging your account.
@Barterr: Go
It's a long map but most games consist of newbies that don't make it past the first scenario, so they end up quitting and starting another one.