this post was submitted on 13 Aug 2025
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I'll be honest: I think matchmaking is just a better experience for how I like to play FPS games. I never got a sense of "community" from sticking with a given server; I would come to find something like it via Discord years later but not just from frequenting a given game server. My server browser experience was mostly that I'd join a game in a progress, as other people come and go from a game in progress, and I wondered what the point of the match was if the teams weren't even the same at the end of the match as when they began. Most people's default when running a server was to turn player numbers to max and, in Battlefield's case, "tickets" needed to win as well, but just because the numbers are bigger doesn't mean that it's better pacing for a match, for instance. Matchmaking sets the defaults and ensures a pretty consistent experience from start to finish of each match.

This comment from the developer is true, too.

"Matchmaking servers spin up in seconds (get filled with players), and spin down after the game is over," Sirland wrote in a thread on X last week. "That couple of seconds when servers lose a lot of players mid-game is the only time you can join, which makes it a tricky combination (and full of queuing to join issues).

My preference for the matchmaking experience is reflected across the audience they cater to, and it contributed to an industry focus on matchmaking and the end of server browsers.

But we still need real server browsers.

If we bought a game, we should be able to do what we want with it, including running those max player/max ticket servers that run 24/7 on one map. We should be able to do it without DICE/EA's permission, on our own if we so choose, without salaried staff running master server operations, because one day the revenue this game brings in will not justify the costs to keep it going. We should be able to deal with cheaters by vote kicking them from the server rather than installing increasingly invasive mandatory anti cheat solutions that don't even fully solve the problem anyway, because it's unsolvable.

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[–] voytrekk@sopuli.xyz 68 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

It would be nice if we had both options. Let people matchmake for the default experience and let those that prefer custom servers to use those instead. There are problems with using only community hosted servers, such as game rules and less ideal admins.

That being said, the longevity that community servers offer is likely the reason they have been scrapped by EA. They want everyone to move to the next title that comes out like what people do with CoD.

EDIT: Typos from mobile

[–] fuckwit_mcbumcrumble@lemmy.dbzer0.com 39 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I loved the servers that were 24/7 metro, no drags etc. some of those were (and still are) my favorite. Or pistols only, no Glock 18. When you get rid of custom servers you get rid of that custom experience.

[–] real_squids@sopuli.xyz 9 points 1 day ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

Didn't they try something similar in 2042 but on their own servers? edit: portal

[–] Baggie@lemmy.zip 27 points 1 day ago

I miss community servers terribly.

[–] justlemmyin@lemmy.world 24 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Bit it doesn't even work on linux, basically DOA for me.

[–] Grass@sh.itjust.works 16 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

supposedly doesn't work on windows either if you play valorant or maybe other games with similar anticheats competing for the same system area no video game shoud have control over

[–] rozodru@lemmy.world 7 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

ah so that post I saw the other day saying "begun the kernel wars have" makes senses. someone posted the fact they couldn't play BF6 cause Valorant was installed.

[–] Grass@sh.itjust.works 3 points 22 hours ago

yeah. I've been wondering when this would happen since spore. Took longer than I expected really.

[–] purplerabbit@piefed.blahaj.zone 17 points 21 hours ago (3 children)

One doesn't need to replace the other.:)

The big problem with matchmaking is that in the long run, it kills game. When people start to move on to a new thing, the population that stays because they're attached to the game gets fucked over by matchmaking.

The less people they are, the worse it works. That's when a server browser and the ability to run community server becomes crucial. It will keep a game alive for a decade after its last update.

[–] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 6 points 20 hours ago

That’s perfectly acceptable justification to shut down gameservers and profit from people moving to the next version of the game. Gone are the days of private servers, especially with client and serverside mods, that kept people engaged with an older game for years. That’s not profitable.

[–] NuXCOM_90Percent@lemmy.zip 3 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago)

How would a server browser help in that case?

Matchmaking puts people into a limited number of servers. Yeah, you get the problem of realizing that those folk have been playing Tribes 2 for over twenty years at this point but you also have people to play with on that one 24 player server. Versus twelve servers with 2 players and a bunch of bots (if the game has them) each.

I always would rather both options. But from a game health standpoint... hoppers tend to have clear advantages at most player counts.

[–] Grimy@lemmy.world -1 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago)

They will have community servers with its own browser. The servers will have full xp as long as the rules are close to the official ones.

Matchmaking wont be the only option.

[–] Croquette@sh.itjust.works 13 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

Bring back community servers, so the developers can keep their official servers and people that want to play on community servers can do that do.

It's a solved problem that publishers tells you is hard to do in the name of money.

Don't look harder into it.

[–] Grimy@lemmy.world 1 points 22 hours ago

That's exactly what they did. You have official matchmaking, then you have community servers people host. If you use official rules, you can still earn xp in the community servers.

They have a server browser, official matchmaking servers just don't show up but they only last one game anyways.

More like a real server browser with real self hosted dedicated servers. Couldn’t imagine mods at this point

[–] shadowedcross@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 day ago

I want servers so I can avoid playing maps I don't like... Looking at you Siege of Cairo.

[–] TheHobbyist@lemmy.zip 10 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago)

Having long played some old CS, there was so much sense of community from connecting to a personal server instance, regularly seeing the same people, familiarize with specific rules to that server, getting to know the admin etc. I'm sure you feel a sense of community from match making, but it can definitely exist outside of matchmaking IMO.

And I'm not advertising for one over the other. But I'd be very happy to see the persistence of accessing personal servers for a game.

[–] garretble@lemmy.world 9 points 18 hours ago

I always liked going into older BF servers that weren't so populated just to be able to get a lay of the land without being destroyed in three seconds.

Or to be able to use the vehicles and get used to them without as much threat.

Maybe I just want a mode that lets you free-roam maps...

God yes. I would rather have a few popular servers over endless empty matchmaking

[–] yermaw@sh.itjust.works 8 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

Server browsers are the better experience for me. Jump in a game and its already going, less pressure to stay because there's no matchmaking ban/penalties. Everyone is there primarily to have fun because KD WL MMR ELO isnt being logged. If im desperately outclassed, or life gets in the way, I can just quit with no guilt or punishment. If im having a good time i can stay with mostly the same people for a long time.

Thats before you even get into the technicalities and longevity considerations.

[–] rozodru@lemmy.world 4 points 23 hours ago

Plus it's great if the server is made specifically for a map you really love. Like TFC/TF2 with say 24/7 2fort. I love me some 2fort and yeah I will play it for hours on end, it's comfy.

[–] griffinite_psx@lemmy.world 5 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

A server browser similar to Arma would have been a godsend as it allows people to set up unique rules, experiment with different game modes and play around the map itself. While BF isn’t a milsim sandbox game a server browser is what keeps older BF games alive especially on console and the removal of that does make you wonder if we’ll be playing BF6 a decade down the line.

[–] Grimy@lemmy.world 1 points 22 hours ago

They are implementing just that. Official servers don't show up on it but everything hosted by the community does.

[–] Tikiporch@lemmy.world 3 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

Article about BF6: shows picture of BF2042.

[–] ampersandrew@lemmy.world 1 points 21 hours ago

Because it talks about the same "Portal" feature in 2042 that came before.

[–] ZoteTheMighty@lemmy.zip 2 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

Based on the article, a server is probably a docker container or something like it they spin up and replace each new match. Sounds to me like they deliberately designed around a system that makes a server browser impossible.

[–] ampersandrew@lemmy.world 2 points 22 hours ago

The way I interpreted that part was that they were trying to smooth over the frustrating part of finding a server, because at large scale, you end up in a spot where it's difficult to actually secure a slot on one. That might be their reasoning, but it's still an excuse to omit a key feature.

[–] Grimy@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

They have a browser where you can run your own games. If you use official rules, you get full xp. I don't get what people are complaining about.

You can earn full XP in Portal matches as long as the house rules closely resemble the vanilla ones

[–] ampersandrew@lemmy.world 2 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

As per the article, persistence, and a way to bypass DICE.

Speaking for myself, I miss multiplayer games before they had XP and progression.

[–] Grimy@lemmy.world -1 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

They are persistent, they stay open as long as someone is in it. No one is kicked after the game.

Bypass dice isn't a feature but a fantasy, never happening. I don't really get what it would bring to the table either.

[–] ampersandrew@lemmy.world 2 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

The ability to keep the video game. The ability to play it on a LAN. It's not a fantasy; it's history. We used to have this.

[–] Grimy@lemmy.world -2 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (2 children)

That's more then a server browser. You are just being deceptive. You cherry picked the one quote in the article that makes it look like there is nothing in your post and your comments aren't honest.

What you are talking about is a whole other debate entirely and simply not how the industry runs anymore when it comes to multiplayer shooters.

I want that stuff too but that's not what server browser means. The finals and cod don't have server browsers. Bf6 will have a server browser.

[–] gwheel@lemmy.zip 3 points 20 hours ago

IMO it's the opposite, what exists now is less than a server browser. I'd call it a custom games browser instead. Whichever one you pick will be on the official servers.

I agree it isn't how the industry is now, but it isn't going to improve if everyone just accepts it.

[–] ampersandrew@lemmy.world 2 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

That limitation, and the inability to sidestep DICE by renting a server that never shuts down, made it difficult for communities to take shape in Portal.

The ideas are bound together. Same with anti cheat. Same with preservation. Removing private servers caused all of these problems at the same time. The author of the article speaks for the group who want the community that I admitted never mattered to me, that Portal doesn't provide, but other knock-on effects of the death of the server browser do matter to me.

[–] Grimy@lemmy.world -1 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago) (2 children)

There is a server browser. There are no servers hosted on private machines. I would like fully private servers too but there is still a server browser regardless.

You are conflating two different things.

[–] MotoAsh@lemmy.world 2 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

They have explained what they are complaining about several times now, so get off your pedantic horse and either join the conversation that is happening or fuck off.

[–] Grimy@lemmy.world -1 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago) (1 children)

It bothers me because 90% of the people in the conversation think there will be only matchmaking and nothing else because of how OP framed it.

You want to talk about how you can't have your own private server completely disconnected for EA, fine. But that doesn't mean the game has no browser, jfc.

[–] MotoAsh@lemmy.world 2 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

No, you seem to be the only one confused here. They said a REAL browser, not just a list of servers.

"... we should be able to do what we want with it, including running those max player/max ticket servers that run 24/7 on one map. We should be able to do it without DICE/EA’s permission, ..."

Does that sound like OP was whining about simply not having a list of servers? Improve your reading comprehension before you whine about how something was stated.

[–] Grimy@lemmy.world 0 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (1 children)

we should be able to do what we want with it, including running those max player/max ticket servers that run 24/7 on one map.

You can do this because the game let's you host a server (your rules or official ones) and includes a server browser so random people can find it and join your game.

We should be able to do it without DICE/EA’s permission

You can't do this because although there is a server browser, you can't run private servers disconnected from eas infrastructure.

I am correcting OP because most of what he said in his post and what people are repeating in the comments implies that there is only matchmaking and implies that the first part isn't possible.

What isn't real about the browser we are getting?

[–] MotoAsh@lemmy.world 2 points 18 hours ago

Or, hear me out, people are whining about their own experiences, complaining in general about how they hate matchmaking only games. Several people even specifically mention other games before they go on to complain.

This is mostly basic commiserating that you seem to be mistaking for misunderstanding.

[–] ampersandrew@lemmy.world 1 points 20 hours ago

Hence the article expressing the desire for a real server browser, as it seems like a lot of people aren't served by the replacement they whipped up.

[–] SaneMartigan@aussie.zone 1 points 10 hours ago

BF6 is the only thing keeping me on windows. If they don't include a server browser I'm not buying it.