One sec *logs off zmod server* OK! Just wanted to set a good example for that second bullet xD.

To start off, I'm gonna throw in I'm a new admin, but I've played the server for a few years now under both Chef and "Kung Fu Action Jesus", and would definitely agree that maps of recent have become rather overplayed. Although maps like Little Town and Snoopie have their unfair advantages making them beneficial to ranking up, I'm not gonna say they get anymore overplayed than some ze maps that are unbalanced on the zombie end (ex: LOTR Maps with their bad spawns). That being said, I do enjoy cade maps FAR more than ze for A) the challenge of making a cade that withstands the onslaught of zombies, and B) as you mentioned, ESCAPE MAPS GIVE NO REWARD.

A change in how the ranking points are given for things like ze maps where you meet an objective / survive would eliminate some of the biased stats. We need to remember zmod is NOT DEATHMATCH and should not be ranked purely as one. It plays a key role, but we have never given actual merit to individuals that survive in well constructed cades, or make it to the end of an escape map (which are both what I believe to be just as important as eliminating the zombie foes).

I know we are supposedly putting on 24 or so new maps, which hopefully will help to change the monotony of going to Mines of moria... black mesa... little town... desert fortress.. and repeat. I appreciate all the maps we have, but lets face it, with the amount of maps we circulate a day (1 map every half hour, 24 hours, approximately 48 maps a day), we go through the rotation VERY quickly and that may never be fixed. What we should strive for is re-configuring some of these maps to make them more balanced (ex: Little Town has a new version that's supposedly less CT-sided, and can we configure the LOTR maps to change spawns back to normal?). I know those kind of things should be brought up in the "Configure/Add/Drop Map" Forum but I want to bring it up again because it's relevant...

Lastly, the bit about the players staying in spec for too long. We do have the AFK disconnect thing for those not active for like 15 minutes or so. At most I see about 7 people hanging in spec, but that is during peak hours OR when a map like zm_highschoolbeta comes up where the map does not allow anymore players to join past 18. Normally there will be admins though in spec both discussing and watching the server. I think all admins and clan members can show a bit of courtesy and hop off the server until a map they like comes up (I will try hard to do that).

Thanks for starting a thread on these issues Holy.
-Chef