Is It Over?

[LEON]

Is anyone playing on a regularly basis anymore? Weekends, midweek, time?

I seldom see people online, if at all, except for Subway Dancer, which always has players. Not even Skybox has players anymore. I used to log on an empty server and wait, but these days I can read a whole book without anyone joining me. I catch Mental Floss every now and then though, and I have seen Icehammer in the BOZ server, not sure if he's tired of waiting also, or just tired of humans

I neither enjoy Subway Dancer nor the BOZ, so that's not an option

Edit: A more accurate question; is anyone looking for games, or checking the server list on a regular basis? We might wanna coordinate our attempts.

[sigma]

Leon. I will tell shortly. The real experts in any network game are capable to make game interesting and 1 on 1, and for the company of players, regardless of their level of training. I know about what I speak because personally I this and do in other network shooters. Mental Floss now already understood it, in my opinion. To me, for example, to play with Leon and the Behemot is often simply uninteresting. Because I'm just a year and a half online Descent.There fore I play with you very seldom. Besides. I often see in online of beginners unfamiliar to me from the various countries, at different levels, and at different times days. More often at night or in the morning Moscow time. I see that the former descenters try to interest them in game in a multiplayer, probably. Draw conclusions, the Lord. Sometimes with BOZ it is more interesting to play, than with you. I ask, don't take offense, I only stated my look.

P.S. By the way, this is only part of the nicknames of players who remained on my screenshots D3

HARRY
NEVRI
SAHNE
BIGGI
WABBIT
OMICRON
TREE FROG
SPARKIE
MARKUS
PREITLER
GUILIGAN
CORI
MAD
HUNTER
TAGYMAN
[CTF]FROGGY
[NUB]ARREBA_SUB>
GRISLY_ATOMS
GANDALF
NAZGUL
[RIP]ZAPHOD
PWN
EAGLE
TIGER
INGO
LANCE FORESKIN
MENTAL FLOSS
MANMAN
FIBERMAX
FALCON
OLD FELLOW
CAROLINE
PER
DROIDNOID
ALEXI
NICE GUY
RAROLI
SLACKER
DOOMFROST
COOKIE
SCARE
AMATERASU
[NOX]
MEATBALL
SHADE THE PANTHER
THE BUFFOON
SOMNUS
TEST
SHROUDEYE
NOVAZUN
FIBER
DECKARD
MAURA
TEMPLETON
BEHEMOTH
FLOP
JUSTINBIEBER
PRUTALIX
ZED
ANTON
WHITESWITH>
TOMCAT
WHITESHARK
COW.CHEESE
JOE-POPYOU
LOMAX
GRAVIS
BAKOOM
DONK
FWD
DUES
DNWASCO
NAPHTHA
OHNOES
BETA
OOLONG
JONROD
SHAMWOW
SHOCKWAVE
1LATHAM
WERNER
SETHEROTH
SLOW POKE
GRAYCAT
BLESSU
PRETZEL BOY
NOOB
[II]MAESTRO
FWIFFO
DUES
DIRK
MR COOL
ACE
THRAK
SMILE
ROCKET
JOKER
BOOGA
...

[LEON]

I'm not sure what you try to say. Those who find me uninteresting as an opponent are of course free to avoid me. However, are you indicating that servers are empty because of me. If I could only keep a distance, servers would fill up again? I find that hard to believe. But, part of my intention to make this thread was to find someone who are willing to play me. Which seems to be in vain. I feel almost as lonely here as in the mines But, no worries, it's OK

BTW, your name list are quite impressive. I didn't know there were that many players left, strange that I never see them. Might be due to time differences though.

[Zero!]

its over....

sure a small handful get on once n awhile to play fuckin subway dancer but

its over

[sigma]

I have such impression that you any other network games don't play. I repeat, the MAJORITY of players never will reach that level of skill which from them waits Leon, Behemoth, Marcus, at those levels at which they feel surely. I understand why Leon, Behemoth, Markus is uninteresting to play on the Subway Dancer. Because at this level beginners and players with usual skills have a chance more or less NORMALLY to play without total damage to the vanity. Descent and so not the simplest game, and here still experienced players shoot all without a difference on favorable levels to and Ping for themselves, raising the self-assessment, but completely depriving of any desire to continue to play beginners. Of course, in such circumstances most of the players you will never see, in my opinion.
In this respect, BOZ more thought out, in my opinion. There are strong bots, but there are also weak bots . Therefore with them it is interesting to play EVERYTHING.

[LEON]

its over....

sure a small handful get on once n awhile to play **** subway dancer but

its over

I'm sad to hear that Zero.

As for you Sigma, I must say, this thread took an unexpected direction. It was never my intention to disrespect, neither Subway Dancer nor the BOZ. I believe Subway Dancer have been debated here, on this forum, countless times before, and have even been accused to sooner or later cause the death of Descent 3. Though I think that is a bit of an exaggeration. As for now, it looks like SD is the only thing keeping D3 alive. Quite ironic if I must say. If one can define SD as D3, however, but, that's a philosophical question.
However, I think playing in SD too much will hamper one's skill development (if that is one's goal), exactly for the reason you gave. The level tend to even out skill differences. If that is the reason some players avoid SD, I don't know. As for me, I find it a bit tedious to fight pilots who aim at the wall (cyclons), and run out of the room leaving a bunch of seeker mines behind them. If people find that funny -- fine, good for them. I won't disrespect them for that.

If I find wall aiming and seekers tedious, I find the BOZ even more tedious. They continue to do the same attack again and again and again. It's probably not easy to program or script them to vary their style, and there lies probably a lot of work to make them act as they do today already. So it's not about that. Is just that I find no fun playing them.

I started to play online back in 2002 or 3 (I'm not sure), and made a deal with myself to never back down from a fight -- no matter how bad I was beaten. A promise that has gradually become harder and harder to keep, as skill level have increased. Today, I get very mad when someone beats me
It's been a long way, and I have banged my head into many dead ends and misconceptions about how one should play this game. Concepts I should have seen before, but was too arrogant to even consider, even though people of greater skill level than myself pointed it out for me. Today I try sometimes to explain these things to other players. Some listen, and some don't. Nothing I can do about.

Take Care.

[Top Gun]

I'd be interested in hopping back on every once in a while, if I could even remember how to play the game.

[Naphtha]

I think we've played a couple times, Leon, but definitely not enough. I fly for the Red Dragons in the Descent Rangers and I've gotten a lot of practice in Rebirth multiplayer through them, but I think I've taken to Descent 3 more naturally and I just can't get anywhere near as many games in that. The Rangers have a Mumble voice-chat server to communicate, but how or where can pilots looking for a D3 game coordinate that?

[LEON]

Only way I know is through Vortex. Which can be found here: http://www.descentvalhalla.com/d3/downl ... ities.aspx Vortex has a game tracker and an overview of chats. Usually one will find people in irc.Gamesurge.net (#Descent3) or irc.Descentforum.net (#descent) I haven't been in chat for a long time, and it's seldom any of them respond if one ask for a game.

Mental Floss, one of the few player I catch randomly in games, is never in chat. I think he said he's never been there either. But, I think he's to be found more and more in SD, so maybe it's possible to join and lure him out of there.
Behemoth, a pilot I also find in games every now and then, can also be found in chat at times.
There are two other promising player, Ohnoes and WhiteShark, but, they play even less, and I have never seen them in chat.

[pipsqueak]

[/seldom see people online, if at all, except for Subway Dancer, which always has players. Not even Skybox has players anymore. I used to log on an empty server and wait, but these days I can read a whole book without anyone joining me

I feel your pain Leon, I've recently gotten back into the game and am not surprised by the lack of players. It is a very old game after all, a great one mind you, but old none the less. SD still seems to be the one most played so if that's what the few remaining players left are playing, I guess that's what I'll play. I've also sat in a server plenty of times and waited with no one joining although a few days ago I sat in a level, Athena I think it was and surprisingly after awhile I think we had about 5 players in there.

I usually pop in at various times during the day, sometimes in the afternoon around 4pm and then at night at around 8 or 9pm. I'm in the United States, eastern standard, time. Hoping to see you in the mines soon, actually, I'm hoping to see anyone in the mines soon.

[LEON]

That's strange pipsqueak, because I was in Athena the other day too, and some players joined in. Maybe Athena is D3's new hope However, Mental Floss was one of them, and as he is an old timer I was surprised he wasn't familiar with this level, neither was any of the other guys. Of course Floss brought out the hidden MD, which is, in this level, not too bad as the gun has a 4 shot limit, and no additional ammo available.

See ya in the mines

[Do_Checkor]

Hi Leon!

Coordination of games would most likely happen in the chats. I am going to build a new web based "gate" or "Vortex" kind of thing.

People often use tablets and smart phones nowadays to access internet - not the PC. I am working on a proper web chat to allow PC, mobile, and tablet users to check the IRC chat (same as the Vortex chat) on Descentforum.NET.

Feel free to sneak a peek: http://www.descentforum.de/chat/?nickna ... KNAME_HERE - this will get amended / enhanced soon...

[Behemoth]

Well, I haven't been around as much lately because one, we switched systems several weeks back and upgraded to win7 so i haven't taken the time to set my config up with everything, Two, i've been studying lately and trying to devote a decent amount of time to it.
Three, when i was playing i was trying to unrust as much as i could by playing d1 and d2, and Four, LEON is really the only one that gives me a decent amount of competition in d3, when i don't have enough competition against my skill level it gets kinda repetitive to utterly destroy people.
However, Descent is something i can't imagine myself ever being able to truly quit so i'm gonna say i'll try to be online in some games this week and maybe when you catch me online we can figure out a schedule?
Happy tunnel hunting

[LEON]

Hi Martin

I admire your patience and dedication towards D3, running those servers and chat and everything. Though I believe you have a broader overview and registers a higher activity than I do as I only check every now and then. So thank you for your services.

Yeah Behemoth, catch you online.

[sigma]

I somebody can explain the reason why when I play on the same server with the same players on the same level on D3, but I often get too surprisingly different stats. For example, regardless of the ping and style of play, I have a statistic, such as 75/30 and 30/75?

[LEON]

I somebody can explain the reason why when I play on the same server with the same players on the same level on D3, but I often get too surprisingly different stats. For example, regardless of the ping and style of play, I have a statistic, such as 75/30 and 30/75?

I'm not sure what mean . Are you asking why you sometimes lose and other times win? If so, I believe you should know better than us.

[sigma]

the fact is that players outside zavismosti from his skill as a rule, are not much different statistics on which they were familiar in all levels of online gaming. Despite the fact that I'm still not well studied MP D3, but in my opinion, I know already enough to realize that such a huge difference in the statistics occurs only in one case - if one or more of the players using cheats. And the action of cheating may even extend to players who do not have the cheats installed (an amendment to the ping and skill I have taken into account, of course). In my opinion, this is why there is such an unreal difference in statistics. I believe that the anti-cheat and Vortex require a major upgrade. No cheaters a little boring, I totally agree with that. But, what is happening now on some servers D3, is beyond a reasonable game.

[LEON]

I'm afraid this is outside my competence to explain.

However, I believe you ask why a particular player - or players - sometimes beat you with a huge margin, and next time it is the opposite - you beat him with the same margin. If you mean, however, why a particular player beat you all the time, I can tell you, as far as I have seen you, that you have much more to learn. But I believe you meant the first, not the latter.

First I will say; I haven't seen cheats in D3 for years, and they are easily recognizable when they are present. If you still believe cheats are used, do you have any theory on how and what they use, e.g. extra shields, speed, etc? (One should, I believe, see some differences in game play when one use a cheat compared to when one doesn't. Something you can spot)

Only thing I can think of is if you guys use a more spray and pray style of playing which randomizes the outcome, thereby the difference in stats from one game to the next one as well.

That's all I can say so far.

[sigma]

if you say that the action of cheating is easy to see, I conclude that you have little experience in online gaming.

[LEON]

if you say that the action of cheating is easy to see, I conclude that you have little experience in online gaming.

So why don't you tell me? According to you one can experience this phenomena. How? Don't make me pull every answer out of you.

Edit: I can tell you one thing though. I have played D3 online for 10 years, and I have heard many cheating accusations, both towards me and other players. What's interesting though, when I reach the skill level of those other players, I understand they wasn't cheating, and second, I understand why somebody misinterpreted it as cheating.

[sigma]

relax, friend. I respect your level of skill in D3.

The matter is that I am long ago the admin of game servers in other network games. And as any correct admin, I is obliged to be able to calculate cheaters. For this purpose it is necessary to be not only the high quality player, but also the cheater. I tried all possible types cheats for this purpose. I know as different types cheats work. And this requires a sufficient amount of experience. If you yet don't understand, I will tell you that network games are not games of cool players. These are games of programmers. I very much wouldn't like that network Descent too died because of games of programmers. It is the only reason for which I in general talk on this subject here.

[Krom]

The thing about Descent is that it is such a high skill game, that even if some average player cheats it is not going to make up for the difference in skill against stronger players. I've seen plenty of cheats when I was playing which were always painfully easy to spot, like rapid fire, flying through walls, unlimited ammo, super speed and other ridiculous things. But it didn't help any of them much at all, they still got crushed by the stronger players easily because the stronger players are just that powerful. Skills defeat cheats pretty much every time in Descent.

[LEON]

OK, Sigma; maybe a cheat is hard to spot. However, there must be something I should look for. I mean, for instance, if a player I usually beat start to beat me to a extent that I should be suspicious, I would see some changes in game, how he behave, some funky stuff, and not only on the score stats.

I know when your opponent fly through your weapons it can easily be interpreted as a cheat. Specially against better players than yourself - I know the feeling when you finally nail him, and he just fly through. This effect seems to happen more frequently against better opponents. However, I have learned to just ignore this, and try harder and aim better. Eventually you forget it.
I don't say that you don't understand this. My point is; this is the only strange phenomena I have struggled to understand during my time and development, and made me suspicious now and then. It turned out, there wasn't any. Last; I have never seen anything else that have attracted my suspicions.

Edit: What Krom said too. I don't think an obvious cheater ever have beaten me. I remember I spawn killed 'the_man', a known cheater back then, so many times that he left. Speed cheaters tend to fly into every nasty stuff there is, as the added speed draws back on their dodging ability. Rapid fusion is actually easier to dodge, at least when there's some distance. Closer fights might be harder.

[sigma]

I agree that the experienced players interested in playing fair, as with other strong players, and with the blunt, too arrogant cheaters. Just the usual players, unfortunately, run away in terror from multiplayer, find themselves on the field of battle of titans.
P.S.Yes, and I am happy that there are still real professionals who have not lost interest in network Descent

[Ryujin]

It's funny you posted this thread. I was wondering the same thing for the past few months.

For D3, if it's not already over, it will be soon. For a few major reasons:

1. It's old. Damn old.
2. Windows XP support ends in less 8 months. For me, I have not been able to get my config the way I like it in Win 7 and I'm even considering going Win 8 when 8.1 is officially released. Without XP support, there's no security updates which means a highly vulnerable PC
3. D3 is not open source so there can't be any modernization efforts It takes a lot of work to get D3 working in a modern OS to avoid fusion charging bug, graphics issues, etc.

Personally, I stopped bothering when I joined servers and waited 20-30 minutes to no avail. It's too bad because I'm a lifer and thanks to folks like Zico w/ Rebirth, there's a chance to always play Descent I & II. It's too bad D3 can't have the same love.

[Do_Checkor]

posts after the last post in here were considered offtopic and have been moved to a new thread : viewtopic.php?f=1&t=20806

[Birdseye]

It's never over

[BUBBALOU]

Windows XP more secure than windows 7 -- I chuckled on that one
Only reason WINXP support is this far out is because of Vista flopped for business's

Can not connect to servers on windows 7 - what are you taking about!

Windows 8 for gaming, good luck with that!


Go here

[Burlyman]

It's over because I'm sick of jerks like zero and all the ridiculous levels that get hosted. ThunderBunny was right... the noob level servers needed to run other things to force people to play new levels, and suncho was wrong.. PXO took 60% of the playerbase with it, not that anyone would be left at this point anyway.

[Top Gun]

I kind of eventually drifted away myself because I don't get much personal interest out of straight-up anarchy. There are certainly a crap-load of tactics involved at any given moment, but there isn't much higher-level strategy...you shoot them before they shoot you. The reason I got hooked on Team Fortress 2 so hard is that you're always part of some group effort, and you have those multiple classes that allow you to contribute in different ways. About the closest thing Descent had to that was CTF; Entropy was a criminally-underplayed mode that I never really got enough experience with. It seems like about all of the remaining die-hards are into the 1v1 scene, which I can't see myself doing at all.

[Behemoth]

Birds is right.
Only quitters quit.

[Sirius]

Heheh, that reminds me of this: http://demotivators.despair.com/demotiv ... ivator.jpg

[Burlyman]

haha!

I didn't quit, I won then the game ended.

[Behemoth]

heh against who

[Money!]

Leon if you see this send me a PM. I'm happy to try to coordinate with you. The game's still worth keeping alive.

[lance foreskin]

I'd love to get together for another session in the subway with froggy, mental and the gang

....if anybody's still alive (sorry there was quite a lot of napalm)

[Lady Silver]

Spur of the moment games can and still do get going these days.

Last night I was on Descent Underground chat, not really doing much of anything, when RIP Rooster (who had just re-installed D3 the day before) asked me if I wanted to play some Descent 3. "Chyeah!"

He chose Waltz & Matilda. Great choice! We played for a while and soon Tiger, Mickey1 and Dues joined us. Behemoth even jumped in for a little while.
A few of us were on mumble, in the Descent Rangers channel [url]mumble://mumble.descentrangers.com:31393[/url], and, I think it was Rooster who said something to the effect of it would be nice to play Veins again. So I asked everyone if they were game. Most of us moved to Vericose Veins (Thanks for the server Foil!) and started playing. I left a quick message on the D:U chat that a spur of the moment CTF game was being played, and Negatratoron joined us. Wats and Dravis joined us from mumble. Later on Behemoth showed up again, and then Fireball. Not long after, Zero joined in as well.
We played for a few hours and and at the peak we had 7 or 8 players. We had a great time, finally calling it a night at 2 am.

No, my friends, Descent 3 is not dead. I think the development of Descent Underground is really doing a great job of reviving the Descent community.

I'll see you in the mines!