This is the single most useful feedback I've seen about vanilla since the server shut down, so I thank you for posting it.
As I stated before, I'm not against a vanilla server. I am against a second US server at the moment. Why? Well, the majority of our playerbase at the moment is North American. That makes an EU server unlikely to split pop in any way that seriously affects the community. There's much more room to grow players than to split off players, since NA players will likely prioritize playing on an NA server over an EU server. Now, a second NA server will definitely split that playerbase. If anyone wants a vanilla server, the only thing really standing in the way is the current server pop. If you come join us during more repops and show us there's demand for a second server, I'll personally set up a vanilla TTT server.
I think this is good feedback too, and I just want to give my two cents, which I think many may agree with but I could be wrong. ( INB4 Too long didn't read. I'm giving my opinion on a server I care about, there is a reason its long. )
For SGM, Modded was too Modded, and Vanilla was a little plain.
The things that I think make this game great are the times where you can have some good laughs and mess with people. Oh, you killed someone in a super unique way? That's funny. Some examples: Telefragging is hilarious-Pushing people off edges when they're dumb enough to get near is never not funny-Pulling off a solid Jihad is incredibly satisfying-Getting someone to run into a tripwire is hilarious, especially if its more than one person. Let's be honest for a moment; this is basically a roleplaying game (Traitor, detective, Innocent) where the rules are scripted but how everything else occurs and how you do it is up to you. This is hardly a FPS. This leads to many great experiences with a lot of people. If it didn't, this game mode would be dead by now, as many are.
In modded SGM, you had weapons like the Gauss rifle, and a bunch of 1 hit kill weapons. If someone had decent aim, or people weren't paying attention, they could just wipe up the lobby. You know the ones who would too, we all do. Having this stuff removed a lot of the fun factor, unless your whole goal was just to go on a rampage. So, this removed a lot of the fun moments people could have. A lot of people would leave when certain players would join the game, because they knew that these players came to do exactly that, and it sucks out the fun. The weapons like the Gauss rifle, SL8, MP7 and others basically made it so that with little skill a traitor could mop up the lobby. It made the game seem repetitive. Oh, you shot a traitor, okay now I know he's going to go to cover around the corner, come back with a Gauss rifle, and I will lose that fight. Yes, one can argue maybe I'll get a lucky headshot on them faster than they can get a round off, but let's be honest how often does that happen? Realistically, having all of these overpowered weapons took away from the group being able to have a fun time and fun experiences, and instead gave the fun time to people who wanted to shred kids but got tired of the toxicity of CS: GO.
Vanilla was a lot of the same maps, same guns, same people. Vanilla could get pretty slow and stale. Yes, we are playing minecraft dolls again, yes, a person is sniping from the vents, yes, the same people are playing again. It's basically scripted at that point and you lose the great experience where people try to be creative, play differently, try to do something for laughs. I asked a BUNCH of the staff to get Highwon to allow Jihads, always with the answer "Highwon is against it". I thought Jihads would be perfect. Vanilla was a little slower so a lot more people would be paying attention, and would either have to group shoot the Jihad or get group exploded. It would change how people were grouping up, make the game different, make things a bit unpredictable. There needs to be a level of change game to game and round to round, or else people get bored and leave. You don't want such drastic change that it changes the experience, but you need a little bit or else no one plays. When modded started coming back, I jumped ship. Vanilla felt too predictable, and I didn't get nearly as much of a laugh out of it unless a bunch of funny people were playing. There were just so few tools in the toolbox for creativity and uniqueness. That being said, I also was asking this at a time when Modded was never populated. I personally needed the gameplay to have some change-up to want to continue, and I know a lot of other players needed that as well.
My point bringing this up is I think the server's healthiest level is when its somewhere in the middle of the two experiences. Some where in the middle where the server doesn't have so many OP weapons or traitor weapons that they will have a ridiculously disproportionate win rate. Yet, where the server also has enough things added in to make the game enjoyable and different each time. For example I think the addition of the tazer was a great idea. It isn't too OP, its got range issues and limited ammo, but it changes the gameplay without fundamentally altering the game. I think to get to the perfect middle point the best bet is to not add too many OP traitor weapons, and we probably need a lot less 1 shot kill weapons. Make people work for the kills rather than just playing 1 shot headshot execution simulator. I think if that was done, a lot more people would continue to populate the server, and we would then have population to maintain a vanilla server for the people who think I am an idiot and think Vanilla is the best game mode ever. I am of the belief there IS room for both, and I think Vanilla players probably should get a server with features they like, my opinion be damned. But, I think in order to get to that point there needs to be a focus on the server having those fun moments that gets the server laughing, and keeps the population high, rather than gunplay. Maybe all my ideas are a pipe dream, but that's how I think AHG should learn from SGM's mistakes, move forward, and be successful.
Also, FFS give us the goddamn flare gun back. Do you know how much fun I am missing out on not being able to Gaslight someone literally and metaphorically? Like how do you think I used to drive Pink Waves mad? Now I have to innovate…
