Wolf ET mever stopped having a server browser... ;)

It's very simple. If it doesn't have a Server Browser, has MTX, has Gacha, has Rootkits, is Online Only/No LAN, or is made by any of the AAA studios, I don't play it.

Server browsers and dedicated servers are subjects that make me want to start with the old man "back in myyy day" style comments.

I saw somebody mention CS, which is a good one, but for me the peak was in Quake 2 because of personal circumstances like getting into overclocking and then moving to a university network connection when modems were the norm at home.

Certain servers running certain mods were awesome late-night hangouts. I have a few really fun memories of all of us coordinating to do goofy stuff rather than play whatever the game at hand was. Then somebody new would join the server and start wrecking us until we caught their attention with the text chat and got them involved too, lol.

I know exactly why they didn’t make dedicated servers and why doing so would be a scramble. But we are going to need them regardless

Vote with your wallet and don't buy this. Many years ago we've got dedicated servers and free map builders. Nowadays we get matchmaking and 3 maps and additional 3 for 20 bucks.

One doesn't need to replace the other.:)

The big problem with matchmaking is that in the long run, it kills game. When people start to move on to a new thing, the population that stays because they're attached to the game gets fucked over by matchmaking.

The less people they are, the worse it works. That's when a server browser and the ability to run community server becomes crucial. It will keep a game alive for a decade after its last update.

I always liked going into older BF servers that weren't so populated just to be able to get a lay of the land without being destroyed in three seconds.

Or to be able to use the vehicles and get used to them without as much threat.

Maybe I just want a mode that lets you free-roam maps...

It would be nice if we had both options. Let people matchmake for the default experience and let those that prefer custom servers to use those instead. There are problems with using only community hosted servers, such as game rules and less ideal admins.

That being said, the longevity that community servers offer is likely the reason they have been scrapped by EA. They want everyone to move to the next title that comes out like what people do with CoD.

EDIT: Typos from mobile

Having long played some old CS, there was so much sense of community from connecting to a personal server instance, regularly seeing the same people, familiarize with specific rules to that server, getting to know the admin etc. I'm sure you feel a sense of community from match making, but it can definitely exist outside of matchmaking IMO.

And I'm not advertising for one over the other. But I'd be very happy to see the persistence of accessing personal servers for a game.

Bring back community servers, so the developers can keep their official servers and people that want to play on community servers can do that do.

It's a solved problem that publishers tells you is hard to do in the name of money.

Don't look harder into it.

I loved the servers that were 24/7 metro, no drags etc. some of those were (and still are) my favorite. Or pistols only, no Glock 18. When you get rid of custom servers you get rid of that custom experience.

Bit it doesn't even work on linux, basically DOA for me.

I miss community servers terribly.

I want servers so I can avoid playing maps I don't like... Looking at you Siege of Cairo.

Server browsers are the better experience for me. Jump in a game and its already going, less pressure to stay because there's no matchmaking ban/penalties. Everyone is there primarily to have fun because KD WL MMR ELO isnt being logged. If im desperately outclassed, or life gets in the way, I can just quit with no guilt or punishment. If im having a good time i can stay with mostly the same people for a long time.

Thats before you even get into the technicalities and longevity considerations.

A server browser similar to Arma would have been a godsend as it allows people to set up unique rules, experiment with different game modes and play around the map itself. While BF isn’t a milsim sandbox game a server browser is what keeps older BF games alive especially on console and the removal of that does make you wonder if we’ll be playing BF6 a decade down the line.

BF6 is the only thing keeping me on windows. If they don't include a server browser I'm not buying it.

More like a real server browser with real self hosted dedicated servers. Couldn’t imagine mods at this point

God yes. I would rather have a few popular servers over endless empty matchmaking

Article about BF6: shows picture of BF2042.

Based on the article, a server is probably a docker container or something like it they spin up and replace each new match. Sounds to me like they deliberately designed around a system that makes a server browser impossible.