Improving the online lobby search system for everyone

Game Suggestions & Feedback
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Good Morning everyone, Nualpha here.

One thing that I’ve noticed while playing online in KI is that there is a lack of being able to search for, and choose specific lobbies. The way the system is currently programmed is that you input a search criteria which then randomly places you in a lobby. The lobbies we enter may or may not be suited to our current level, but more importantly what makes this current system somewhat bad is that not everyone plays online consistently.

What this means is that, say a tournament player’s rank is low due to them spending more time training offline, they are now randomly placed into a lobby where they’re grouped with the same ranked players but are way above them based on experience, etc. This results in a divide in strength which may lead to a poor online experience both for the experienced player, and the new player.

While this feature may be good for some, KI is now becoming a fast growing game within the community and more functionality should be implemented to compliment this. A great example is the SF lobby system, where you’re able to input your criteria but are able to choose from an assortment of lobbies in a lounge type format.

Here is an example:

IMG_3484.JPG2448×3264 1.17 MB

KI should implement this type of system so therefore there is more freedom with regards to what room we want, but more importantly for streamers. If a streamer makes a lobby and asks everyone to join, because of the current system in place it prevents a smooth process because, the streamer would need to add these viewers to their xbox live list, then invite them. If KI were to add this function, all a player would need to do is just find the username among a list of other rooms, then hop right in thus preventing a large list of friends on your friends list.

It’s very tedious and quite frankly really dated, so I think if KI added in this feature it would really help to create a great online environment, especially streaming, online tournaments and casual sets! Furthermore, it would be extremely easier to find the people you want to play with, so for example if FiyahLiger creates a room, he could have specific requirements to allow people in (killer players only, etc) which would allow the host of the lobby to be more in control of who enters and who leaves.

This is a very strong selling point that could really catapult KI into the upper echelons of online play!

FatalDMG/NualphaJPN

2 Likes
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While I can certainly see the benefits to such a system, I do want to ask you - what makes you think this specific feature would be a selling point? Particularly 1 that would “catapult KI into the upper echelons of online play” as you so eloquently put it…

It’s a good feature, but if added, I personally doubt it’s what would “sell” the game. After all, you don’t hear people saying “yeah, I so totally bought SF because of its great lobby system!” :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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Online has become an appealing feature for many fighting games, since it allows people from all over the world to fight each other without much effort. KI as it stands at the moment has arguably the smoothest online performance out of any fighter. I live in Japan and fight against US players without any lag, when compared to that of other titles.

The new feature would provide more appeal to KI because of its already solid reputation of having a fantastic netcode. It would be more enticing to new and casual players to have a lobby system that is flexible, and allows them to create a room where they can manage, enjoy their time with friends, and other players. This would also remove the arduous task of adding random people to your friends list just to play them, and then over the course of a few months these same people no longer play, thus having unnecessary friends on your list.

I’ve heard many people say they buy fighting games (not just SF btw lol) because of the opportunity to play online to boost their skills, since traveling to other parts of the world to fight can be pricey. This feature will strongly benefit the online tournament structure, since TO’s can now just simply make a room, search for a player, and invite them in.

It also makes it easier for players to just put in a quick search feature and have a large handful of lobbies to choose from, which again is huge for casual players coming into the game. The more variety, the better :slight_smile:

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So your argument about said feature “selling” the game is that it’s not the feature itself that sells the game, but rather, it’s the online play and excellent netcode that sells it? I’m sorry, but that’s not a very good argument to backup what you said regarding your own concept. Sounds more to me like it’s the online play and excellent netcode that “sells” it rather than your idea. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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It’s not my own concept nor argument, it’s an ongoing importance that exists in almost every current fighting game. Research into the reason behind what was clarified.

It is an industry standard now to have lobbies in fighting games that can help promote a better online environment. The very reason behind “selling” fighting games is BECAUSE OF online play and excellent netcode. This would only help to make the KI online infrastructure more appealing and thus, create a more valuable product. The lobby system IS a BIG factor in online play, so the idea has full justification behind it. Why should we have to search for a lobby in KI, only to be shoved into a random lobby?

We should have the option to choose from a list of lobbies, making it easier to find players of our current level, etc. Moreso, having a large number of lobbies available “sells” because to the casual consumer it shows them how versatile it can be.

So going back to the quote that started this, I mentioned upper echelons because the KI lobby system is out dated when compared to the more recent fighters that implement a multiple lobby system, with the freedom to choose one that suits what you’re looking for. KI sells, but this standard will bring it up to par with everyone else.

A great example to research is PandaxGaming. His stream is up 24/7 with a room that can be found easily just by searching among a list of other lobbies. He doesn’t have to invite players, or add them to his friends list just to have them come into the room. Also the players aren’t thrown into a random lobby, his lobby can be found immediately.

SFV has this lobby system
GG Xrd has this
Blazblue has this
SFIV had it (and mind you SFIV has been out longer and still had this system implemented)

6

Make no mistake here - I’m not disagreeing with you.

I’m merely letting you know that you were saying in 1 post that apples are what sell it (your lobby feature), and then in the very next post, you were saying that it’s oranges (online netcode) that actually sell it. Aplples and oranges, my friend - those are 2 very different things, and because you switched to the latter from 1 post to the next, you basically contradicted what you formerly said. That’s why it made a weak argument. Not the idea itself.

I know that the lobby system you’re proposing is a great idea and I also know that the great online netcode can only help such a feature, but what I’ve been suggesting since my 1st post is simply that to your average Joe Schmoe, who doesn’t play fighters or who is just getting into the genre, what you’re suggesting is not going to push sales. It won’t entice them to buy the game, because that’s not necessarily going to be what they’re going to be looking at (well, at least not the 1st thing, which means even if they did, it wouldn’t be the primary reason the game sells well).

1 Like
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Perhaps my wording was slightly off in the second post, but maybe using the term “selling” was where the confusion began. Perhaps using the term appealing would have been a bit more concise.

The whole purpose is that with the already optimal netcode that KI provides, implementing this would surely strengthen the already strong reputation KI has pertaining to its online infrastructure.

So throwing this out there to Iron Galaxy could make the online experience better for casuals and vets. The term selling wasn’t meant to be interpreted as making money, but more so a strong point that could help solidify the already concrete credibility KI has established.

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Yep, makes a world of difference regarding your argument. :wink: