A new low...

[bystander]

Be advised that, as with the demo, servers that are caught allowing users to play with the unlock weapons using the python workaround will incur a one week ban from the server list. While we encourage mod teams to discover cool things to do with the python scripts, we reserve the right to de-list servers that find ways to undermine the core features of the game using these tools. We will be sure to update the community when we do begin punishing a tweak that falls into this category.

If you are going to tweak the Python files and you are unsure whether you might be doing something that DICE and EA would consider undermining a core game feature, please feel free to send a note to BFHQ@ea.com and ask for our feedback. We want to re-affirm that for the most part anything goes on Unranked servers.

So basically we're paying for the game, we're paying for servers, bandwidth etc so the community has a place to play (and EA gets the dough for those sales of course) - yet we only get to use portions of the game we're paying for. That is unless we want to pay 2-4 times more to EA for the right to run a Ranked server. Lovely. Great.

Rudedog asks on the home page "One question I have to ask. Does this mean they are going to run or sell their servers with enhanced features?". Hell yes that's exactly what this means.

The whole point of the Ranked servers was to make EA cash #1, and to "give the players a clean place to play, no cheats, admins, no clowns" etc (I'm paraphrasing). I don't recall EA saying in their press releases on Ranked servers that you'd also get to use parts of the retail game that were unavailable elsewhere. But that's exactly the affect of this announcement.

I for one will never play on a Ranked server under these conditions. Consider it my small form of protest.

Feel free to join me.

[rudedog]

I hear, you bystander and with you!

the funny thing is, when I started my online game playing back in 99 with delta force. Novalogic soon released DFLW with online stats.

There was always the public vs stats "who's better" arguments that split the community. This seems to drive a bigger wedge into these two types of players. I think we'll start seeing a lot of ASE only servers playing the way the admins want to play.

EA was so close and then bam! back to their old ways........ It will be interesting how EA spins this when know one is playing their "ranked" servers

Time to dust off my copy of ASE for BF2, So I can find all the "cool" servers.

[SNYPE]

You know whats really unclear is that last line:



We want to re-affirm that for the most part anything goes on Unranked servers.



Apparantly we are able to mod our "Unranked" servers but they reserve the right to determine what we can mod and what we cant?!?!?!?!?! How ridiculous!!!
Why dont they just publish a list of what they consider "Off-limits" and stop the guessing game!!!

[bystander]

Yup, I saw the same line and had similar thoughts. That's the danger here - there's no rules except what EA makes up as they go along. So eventually someone does something that's really cool, really draws a crowd (at the expense of the Ranked Server population) and all EA has to do is say "sorry, that's not allowed so we're banning all servers running CoolMod". They've started with the "locked" weapons. What is next and where will it end? There is no answer to that. Maybe the next map pack or expansion pack, maybe that's only allowed on Ranked Servers? New vehicle add-on packs? This annoucement is very bad tidings for where their thought processes are. EA has independent server operators and modders by the short hairs and has already shown they'll give a yank anytime they feel they want to.

[General_Death]

EA was so close and then bam! back to their old ways........ It will be interesting how EA spins this when know one is playing their "ranked" servers.
Oh what morons....

They could not resist....the dev gloves dont fit EA....stop trying.

[OldDog]

I think the issue is one of marketing and market share. These guys rush this stuff out, to corner/grab market share. Its a highly competitive field, and that's how they're driven. When you rush any software project, you don't usually have all your ducks lined up for the "what-if" cases. I think that's the case here...they're winging the "rules", and reacting. In the case of MP games, I don't think that ANY company really understands the type/quality of players/admins/modders in this space or the fact that the MP 'market' is always going to look for better/higher/faster, and that, if they can't find it with the stock game, they're going to CREATE it. Oh, maybe some do... Marketing people don't see it that way, because, I think, for the most part, they don't play...or, they're not immersed in the games the way the rest of us are. Oh, probably the devs are, and the lower-level folks, but they usually have no say-so in how these games are MARKETED.

I've been in computers for quite a number of years (too long), and game development companies are like any other app developer...no/little testing of ALL the features, marketing-driven, "get-it-out-the-door-before-someone-else-does" mentality, no real in-depth look at the target audience(s), except what THEY think is the target, and no answers for the "what-ifs", like "oh, really...it blows when you press that key, and you desperately need that feature to run your business?...well, don't press that key, that feature isn't enabled", or, "Oh, you want no time limits? well, let me see...NO". Its an immediate gut-reaction...it LOOKS like they'll lose control (whatever THAT is), so its a big no.

No apologies for any of these people, but its just not in their economic interest to have a bunch of wild-ass modders (their opinion, not mine) screw with their game, maybe making it better/higher/faster. Its the same with any app developer.

Look in the dictionary..."marketeer = moron"...

[Boneman]

well, it looks like there won't be a "ranked" server on our end....not that i care if its ranked...and just for the record, i won't mind NOT being on EA's ranked list either...

i think that ppl using ASE have a little more experience and computer ability than some wet behind the ears kid that just made his/her parents buy the game...

so as far as players go, the more experienced gamer will be using 3rd party software anyway and we don't have to "admin" as much - i actually prefer a semi-public server than a completely open public server
in my old age, my tolerance to these kiddies with the less than desirable personalities and language, and lack of teamwork seems to diminish with each passing year...
i'm here for fun and EA is here for $ - they get theirs and i get mine - the great EA debate continues and so far as i can see...EA has not changed in the least and i guess common sense isn't a requisite at EA

3 days till release :) - they get theirs and i get mine

[rudedog]

Check out the front page news regarding ranked players and their unlocked weapons on "your" server

[bystander]

Well my opinion is that there's no damned way I'm allowing ranked players/weapons. I mean how much sense does it make for all the people in our community who play on our unranked servers every day, that they can't use the locked weapons. Yet someone else who's not spent one minute contributing anything to our community or playing on our servers can waltz in and get the best weapons, preferred selection of commander and squad leader roles, etc. But our regulars get stiffed. That just makes no damn sense at all.

Unranked we shall be, and ranked players can try to earn their kills on our servers with the same weapons everyone else gets. Democracy in action.

[Boneman]

Check out the front page news regarding ranked players and their unlocked weapons on "your" server
well that sucks - guess i'm going to have to change from fps to something else...