What makes a good Game Server Provider?

[Tazz]

So, you may have had bad experiences in the past with other GSP's but without naming anyone, what do you think makes a good GSP and also, what are the WORST traits of those dastardly GSP's?

 

Leave comments here of what you guys think we could improve.

 

Thanks for the input, it will only serve the gaming community if your voice is heard by us!!!

 

THIS IS TO HELP GSP WITH THEIR SERVICES

[SickPuppy]

Here are a few things that I think make a bad GSP

 

1. Someone who rents one dedicated servers and thinks that makes them a GSP.

2. Someone that takes days if not weeks to respond to support request.

3. GSPs that only provide email support.

4. GSPs that offer discounts for 3, 6, or 12 month prepaid accounts. What a rip off.

5. GSPs that charge more for Public servers. Public or Private they use the same

resources. Another rip off

6. GSPs that charge more for 100 tic vs. 66 tic servers. Do I have to say it, Rip Off

7. GSPs that charge setup fees. Why? Just to stick it to the customer for a few more $

8. GSPs that do not or will not provide refunds. I love this one “5 day money back

guarantee” So after 5 days you are just screwed.

9. GSPs that advertise their servers to be “lag free” get a grip no one can guarantee a

lag free server.

10. GSPs that don't want to support the things they offer for free. If you don't want to support it don't offer it.

11. GSPs selling illegal Teamspeak and Ventrilo servers. Damn dude pay the license fee

12. GSPs that are always asking for help but not willing to help others.

13. GSP owners that log into my live chat masquerading as customers just to interrogate me about where I colo my servers and how much I pay. If you want to know this type of information just call and ask. I will be happy to help you start or expand you current operation. I will give you all the information you need.

14. GSPs that have the big blowout sales, if you can afford to rent the game servers at a lower price then why not offer them at that price to start with. The answer greed pure greed.

 

 

I will add some more later but for now you forum flamers should have enough to start ripping into me.

[Monk]

Worst traits:

 

1.) Lack of clue on the interaction between gameservers and the OS.

2.) Companies who put fictitious/ridicilous statements on their sites about hardware/transit/etc

3.) Non-SSL billing sites

4.) The frag-not-lag statement is being used by so many people it's hard to say where it really came from

5.) People who advertise their networks are lower latency than another by like 3ms. Most games have prediction, and even with lower latency the engine makes everyone behave like they have the same ping (built in engine latency)

6.) Users who complain about free things.

[Dan M]

The main two for me are,

 

Uninterrupted, excellent service.

Top notch support.

 

I agree with some of your bad points Monk, there are many "GSP's" in the UK which claim to have full suites in Bluesquare Datacenter, UK stocked to the brim with Dedicated Servers which I know they don't for a fact.

[SickPuppy]

Worst traits:

 

Users who complain about free things.

 

Excellent point, but that would go on the "what makes a bad customer list."

 

I would have to add this to my list, GSPs that don't want to support the things they offer for free. If you don't want to support it don't offer it.

[HIS-MOTHER]

Worst traits:

 

 

6.) Users who complain about free things.

 

 

Hey.. If I don't take the FREE voice server how much of a discount will I get.

 

Hmm lemme do the quick math one sec..

 

30.00 - free or -0 = 30.00 LOL

[SickPuppy]

Had to add this to my list

 

GSPs that have the big blowout sales, if you can afford to rent the game servers at a lower price then why not offer them at that price to start with. The answer, greed pure greed, sticking it to the customer whenever you get opportunity.

[JasonF]

Worst traits:

3.) Non-SSL billing sites

 

This one really irks me. If you don't have the know how about online security then you should not be offering services online.

[Defcon|Rich]

Worst traits:

 

 

4.) The frag-not-lag statement is being used by so many people it's hard to say where it really came from

 

 

That statement came from fragism who sold out to gameservers.

[Defcon|Rich]

Had to add this to my list

 

GSPs that have the big blowout sales, if you can afford to rent the game servers at a lower price then why not offer them at that price to start with. The answer, greed pure greed, sticking it to the customer whenever you get opportunity.

 

 

If your business is doing well there's really no need to have any 'blowout' sales. IMO this usually indicates a company on the decline.

[JasonF]

If your business is doing well there's really no need to have any 'blowout' sales. IMO this usually indicates a company on the decline.

 

Agreed. That means they have TONS of available server space that is not being used and they are trying to fill it with anything.

[HIS-MOTHER]

Agreed on the "Blow-Out" Deals but alot of companies do run Monthly specials that change from month to month.

 

If this is a normal practice for that company alot of customers look for and expect those specials from month to month. To stop could be as detrimental to image as doing blow-outs.

 

Again this would fall back to your business model.

[Dan M]

We have got an offer on now, but it's for Christmas as we feel that users deserve a Christmas treat from us.

[Monk]

the best ones are the ones who have a clue. i'm not talking about 'hi i know how to install windows' .. i'm talking about people who actually understand the interaction between the OS and hardware, down to the machine level.

[Dan M]

I think a good way to follow on from Gary's post above is have certified windows administrators working for the company, or somebody with equivalent qualifications.. not a bedroom ran company by two 16 year olds who don't have a singular clue.

[ptadmin]

Support

Service

Quality Servers and knowledge of load balancing

 

Those above are the main things if you ask me.

 

The "Bad" that I still just get a kick out of when I see with other providers.

 

CPU Priority upgrades <------------

 

Any provider that offers CPU Priority is just another way of taking extra money and giving false hope that the customer actually does have CPU Priority. If you fall in this category Sorry! its just my opinion

[SickPuppy]

have certified windows administrators working for the company, or somebody with equivalent qualifications

 

I agree, but most small companies can't afford to pay skilled administrators. My support supervisor is an MCSE, I could not afford to pay her at the standard hourly rate. Good thing she is my wife and works for free.

 

If you need any support she can fix your problems, at a $125 per hour rate, min of 1 hours.

[SickPuppy]

The "Bad" that I still just get a kick out of when I see with other providers.

 

CPU Priority upgrades <------------

 

Good point, just another rip off.

[SickPuppy]

I love this one. The owner of a GSP rents a server from me just to find out how to setup and run rFactor through TCAdmin. He keeps the server for 30 days then cancels it. During that time he masquerades as a potential customer on my live chat asking questions about the shopping cart software and billing software we use, who we use to Colo our servers, and how we can afford to rent servers for $1.00 a slot.

 

A little clue dude, I know who you are, each time you log into my live chat it registers your IP address. When the same IP address is linked to eight different live chat login names it is not hard to figure out what you are doing.

[cobra]

Haha that's funny stuff right there. gezzz that must be one of the newest ones here that most likely renting some box's from another company an is running a GSP with it. An ill admit to doing that when i started out at first. and it was an ok way to go but the best is to build your server an collocation it. I Have three that are in collocation and currently renting one for a short time until i can finish building the next one to replace it.

[jointopz]

I would like to add another thing to the "Bad" GSP list.

 

Running cracked servers

 

If providers are alowing this then actually they are slapping the community in the face. I have had a couple of clients cancel after not being able to replace .exe files with cracks....

 

Obviously there are some out there that allow this.

[cobra]

Since you say that what about the ones with Modernbill and Clientexec and other things such as support software that they get from pirated sites etc.

And also have things such as vBulletin if you want it buy it it's only 160 to own a license for Vb as for modernbill and clientexec get it monthly or buy it, monthly is about $15-$16 / month give or take to lease it.

[jointopz]

Absolutely its the exact same thing. Stealing hard work from the developers of great software products.

 

If you like it purchase it. If you cant afford it use something similar until you can afford it. I dont see how a business can be taken seriously with any kind of pirated software.

[Dan M]

I agree, but most small companies can't afford to pay skilled administrators. My support supervisor is an MCSE, I could not afford to pay her at the standard hourly rate. Good thing she is my wife and works for free.

 

If you need any support she can fix your problems, at a $125 per hour rate, min of 1 hours.

 

True, I think EndlessGaming and yourself is lucky that we both have one

[cobra]

Absolutely its the exact same thing. Stealing hard work from the developers of great software products.

 

If you like it purchase it. If you cant afford it use something similar until you can afford it. I dont see how a business can be taken seriously with any kind of pirated software.

 

Maby we should come up with a topic for this kind of thing and post suggested freeware for the ones who cant afford it or are wanting to be a tight pocket in this industry, But then again where is it our responsibility to do so.

 

Also if you cant afford a support program just use PHP its a free live support with knowledge based forums and support ticket system

The following is the one i started out with ....

http://www.dayanahost.com/phponline.cfm

 

Here is another

http://linuxwebshop.com/phphelpagent.php