[SUGGESTION] Suggestion for empty servers

Simple idea; if the server is empty, host race maps. This offers newbies a place to practice their movement and draw some attention to the server without forcing the player to play against the (unskilled and sometime outright broken) bots.

I'd also suggest that servers hosting such maps have an option to tell the server list that they are in "intermission", so that the server list itself as it's primary gamemode (if it has one) so we don't end up with 2 servers with normal game modes and dozens hosting nothing but empty race maps.

Race maps are usually very different from regular fight maps though. I'd argue learning about the maps are just as important.

I do like the idea of letting the player choose whether s/he wants to play with bots, and/or the skill level of bots. I personally don't think the bot level should be high, because experienced players don't need to practice with bots on servers, so the bots are mostly for newer players.

Currently, IRC is still the best place to find players to start a game in real time. I'd love Xonotic to have a lobby system where players can meet, chat, and organize games, and better yet, see announcement, tournament dates, etc. However, that's require some development force that we are currently hungry for.

Race maps are usually very different from regular fight maps though. I'd argue learning about the maps are just as important.

Except that I'm trying to suggest something that gives a solo player something to do while waiting for a match with actual players. As it currently stands, the option is to join a random empty server and play against a bunch of not-quite-working bots, which is really boring, or not join a match. At least with a race map there is a goal to work towards (beating one's own PB, or the server PB) that doesn't involve bunny hopping circles around an AI that can't hit the broad side of a barn with the Crylink.

I do like the idea of letting the player choose whether s/he wants to play with bots, and/or the skill level of bots. I personally don't think the bot level should be high, because experienced players don't need to practice with bots on servers, so the bots are mostly for newer players.

This has very little to do with my suggestion, but I'll mostly agree. Actually, I'd rather see bots load up with (potentially) random difficulties so that a game against bots is going to be a little more realistic in that you can't always be 100% sure how a bot will react to a given situation.

Currently, IRC is still the best place to find players to start a game in real time. I'd love Xonotic to have a lobby system where players can meet, chat, and organize games, and better yet, see announcement, tournament dates, etc. However, that's require some development force that we are currently hungry for.

I'm fairly sure embedding an IRC client wouldn't be too hard (there is probably a lightweight client out there that would work just fine for this purpose), but frankly I find the (apparently) IRC-centric nature of matchmaking to be a good reason to not play. Sure, it works for high-end matches for skilled and/or serious players, but that doesn't help the fact that the public servers are loaded with tumbleweeds, making casual and quick games impossible to come by (at least on NA).

My server offers Race CTS as a voteable mode, it slightly has that as a function, but mainly its to help non-random newbies learn proper movement.
For the record, here is what happens roughly 90% of the time:

1. Player #1 comes in and plays Race CTS.
   
2. After some time, Player #2 comes in.
   
3. Player #2 shoots, in futility at Player #1.
   
4. Alternatively Player #2 tries to do the Race Map, but the large portion of Race CTS maps designed around speed milestones to get across obstacles, s/he fails.
   
5. Player #2 is at the ESC menu looking for another server before Player #1 (who was likely in the middle of a run) can ask if s/he wants to play Deathmatch/fragging mode.
   
6. Player #2 disconnects.
   

Alternatively, some defragger who only plays Race CTS comes in, and the racing continues.

On the other note, my server bots are amazing.
They move around the map at least, but they sometimes win games against randoms.
Have you ever seen someone rage quit against a bot?
   
Because I have.
They're bested by experienced players, but they generally pull their own weight amongst the usual Deathmatch player.
The randoms don't even need to play FFA over and over again because of whatever sensibilities on team fairness (but they do anyways).
The bots are just that adequately good.

In CTF you can practice fast caps, in DM you can practice chaining mega items. These are relevant aspects of the game mode that you're waiting to play. If you played a race map instead, you'd have invested your attention to different direction and risk not wanting to stop it