Srb2 - has popularity got lower?

[Fizz]

I played since the 1094 days I remember tons of servers filling the list.
Including v2.0 , but since 2013 this game isn't as popular as it used to be, I think it's because it took a lot of time for v2.1,now the server list is a little bit more popular than 2013 but still that's not that much...

Reasons people agree with so far (changed in July 5th )

*people outgrew srb2, moved on.
*online isn't as good as it used to be.
*some of the old version players didn't like the new level design
*not a lot of hangout servers like in the old versions.

But there's the possibility that there actually more players, just not online..
I just wish the online was exploded like it used to be.

 

[TOGM95]

Maybe because some guys like the older versions?

I dunno, but, from what I've seen, there are mods for the older versions which are awesome. For example: eggmanway5, CBFDRB2, SRB2 DX, SRB2 Unleashed, SRB2Riders, SRB2Kart, XSRB2 and so on.


But, there are some guys playing the 2.1 version, so if you have some friends, ask them to play with you, do a party gaming and have fun yourself

 

[TehRealSalt]

I think people dropped off at 2.0 because it was too different and they didn't like how the levels, instead of being open and run-aroundy, had things to do in them.

I'm not certain if this is correct or not, though.

 

[speed2411]

People moved on. Some went to college, others just stopped playing. I've seen a lot of people come and go over the years. There is not one reason why everyone left.

 

[Fizz]

People moved on. Some went to college, others just stopped playing. I've seen a lot of people come and go over the years. There is not one reason why everyone left.

I agree, but I also think it's because version 2.0.6 something like that didn't get updated for years,people got bored and left, I myself didn't play srb2 for like 6 months, I waited for the new version to come...

 

[Final Radiance]

Moonsae, you can argue the same exact thing with 1.09.4 considering it took around 3 and a half years to get 2.0

Back in 2.0.6, it's more like people outgrew SRB2, most likely moved on in other FPS since the match gametype was and still is rather popular.
(Heck, 2.0.6 was the opposite of 1.09.4, where 1.09.4 had a ton of Co-op, 2.0.6 had a lot of CTF & Match)

Nowadays people don't play because the game can barely function online, much less so than in the past

 

[Fizz]

Moonsae, you can argue the same exact thing with 1.09.4 considering it took around 3 and a half years to get 2.0

Back in 2.0.6, it's more like people outgrew SRB2, most likely moved on in other FPS since the match gametype was and still is rather popular.

Nowadays people don't play because the game can barely function online, much less so than in the past

Oh yeah I forgot to mention the online isn't as good as it used to be
I agree with everything you said...

---------- Post added at 02:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:34 PM ----------

I think people dropped off at 2.0 because it was too different and they didn't like how the levels, instead of being open and run-aroundy, had things to do in them.

I'm not certain if this is correct or not, though.

I kind of agree with this, I do like change though.

 

[SSNTails]

I've tried to play online, and it's failed every time.

I think fixing that needs to be Job #1.

I wonder if the issue with it is not building the main release with Visual Studio... Yes, you're going to break compatibility with the 0.05% of users that run it on Linux, but so what?

 

[Fizz]

I've tried to play online, and it's failed every time.

I think fixing that needs to be Job #1.

I wonder if the issue with it is not building the main release with Visual Studio... Yes, you're going to break compatibility with the 0.05% of users that run it on Linux, but so what?

Linux users that play the game with wine or users that install it off the terminal?
Or is it the same?

 

[K.S.]

The game is relatively stable as long as nobody tries to join in the middle of the map. The specific problem has to do with joining in the middle of a game, where the new joiner goes about a tic offsync right as they join. If you wait for everyone to join and then map change, things rarely break.

I was tempted to disable the join-mid-game code before 2.1 released, but considering how this community throws a fit about everything, I'm sure there would've been a lot of complaints.

 

[VelocitOni]

The smart people who know what's good for them won't complain if they understand its actually helping the netcode a ton by preventing midmap joining. The dumb ones who complain about everything from "bring back cfails we hate resyncing" to 2.0 Knuckles being superior can be tuned out as usual. That sort of ignorant crowd has always been looked away from anyways haven't they?

I see what you wanted to do as the ultimate bandaid solution. People will complain initially and eventually stop bitching down the line when they notice the game is actually functioning for once again. I would love to see this done to 2.1.9 or 2.2.

 

[Unknownlight]

This game (a fangame) is now 16 years old.

I'm honestly shocked and pleased that it's still as popular as it is.

 

[Fizz]

This game (a fangame) is now 16 years old.

I'm honestly shocked and pleased that it's still as popular as it is.

Yeah that's amazing!

 

[Unknownlight]

By the way, does the team know how many people downloaded v2.1? Is that tracked?

 

[toaster]

I've heard on #srb2fun recently- don't take this as gospel, but it's a good metric as any- that there's roughly a few thousand unique people actively playing the game in the year of our luigi 2014.

I don't know whether that's netplay (which would be an underestimate), unique hits to the srb2mb (which would be an underestimate), or just downloads (which would be an overestimate), but the number I've seen is only a little higher than I'd expect it to be.

 

[Retroben]

I personally hate 2.0.6 because Deep Sea Zone is way too hard compared to later versions like the 2.1.6 version.
The 2.0.6 version of Deep Sea Zone lacks the 1.6 bridge in the wall with springs to an Air Shield that is normally only a 1up which can be useless since I can spam reloading my save file to infinitely start act 1 again with my original life count.

I love 1.09.4 Final,can someone please link me to the old 1.09.4 PSP port so I can test it on PPSSPP for Android to see if it is way faster?

Since Deep Sea Zone Act 2 worked for me in the 2.0.6 PSP build,the older one should run flawlessly.

 

[Mystic]

I think a lot of people forget that the vast majority of people who play SRB2 don't play it online. This isn't to say that the online functionality shouldn't be fixed, because it totally should, but it means that just because there's been a drop in online games due to the serious bugs in the current netplay doesn't mean that the overall popularity and userbase has gone down. 2.1 is a huge single player update with basically no new multiplayer features, so it stands to reason that most of the interested players are playing it in single player, even before the netcode issues crop up.

 

[Fizz]

I think a lot of people forget that the vast majority of people who play SRB2 don't play it online. This isn't to say that the online functionality shouldn't be fixed, because it totally should, but it means that just because there's been a drop in online games due to the serious bugs in the current netplay doesn't mean that the overall popularity and userbase has gone down. 2.1 is a huge single player update with basically no new multiplayer features, so it stands to reason that most of the interested players are playing it in single player, even before the netcode issues crop up.

Yeah I agree with you... I guess the game is still kind of popular because there are a lot of srb2 videos on youtube and there are a lot of people in the forums.

I also think that there is a social change in online...

 

[Firework917]

Yeah I agree with you... I guess the game is still kind of popular because there are a lot of srb2 videos on youtube and there are a lot of people in the forums.

That's a very good point. Before I read this, I thought SRB2 only had a few hundred players left, but I was only measuring the SRB2 Message Board, the SRB2 Skybase, and the Netplay users. But when I look at other things like the SRB2 Skybase and videos like MaskedMetaKnight4's The Grand Prix, I realize there's a lot more than I thought.

 

[SomariTheAdventurer]

As someone who has officially quit playing SRB2, I can tell you that it is 2.1's AWFUL online. It's unbearable, and I actually came back to see if they fixed it, but the team hasn't even TOUCHED it. It's just as terrible as it was two months ago. I is hands down the worst online I've ever seen in a video game (It being a "fangame" is no excuse, 2.0's was great and well organized), and the change was unnecessary. 2.1 in all just isn't as fun as the older versions, and a lot of great mods that kept people coming back are not present. Keep in mind that I'm only referring to the online community here. I could rant all day about this, but I can guarantee that the "resynch" is a bit part of this.