The HL2DM University Forum

These are questions that have actually been asked since the site began...

Why was HL2DMU started?

Back in late 2006, HL2DM saw a mass exodus of well known clans and players from the game. Pub server numbers dropped and some were predicting the rapid death of the game and the community. At the same time, various players who still liked the game and wanted it to thrive were posting on forums asking if something could be done by the community to help make HL2DM better. Inspired by the efforts of a few dedicated players to promote HL2DM, DMU was founded in the form of a barebones website, but with the hope of growing to be so much more with the support of the community.

Why is it called HL2DM University?

An academic institution is a good metaphor for the values of the site. Teaching and research are the two core activities that drive us, and it gives reason to the design and organization of the site as a whole. Sorry, we do not issue degrees.

Why should I get behind/support HL2DMU?

You like HL2DM, you would rather see it grow than die off, and it disappoints you to load up the game only to find a few servers you like with players in them. This site is community run, completely free to use, and has no hidden agenda.

I am a Server Admin/Clan Leader. Wont this take my players/traffic?

Absolutely not. Although we have servers, they exist only to benefit our community by giving us a place to teach and train players who desire it. Our goal is not to take traffic away from you, but rather to send traffic to your servers by promoting the game as a whole and thereby having more players to go around. To facilitate this, we also have an open advertising policy with regards to servers and clans. You are free to promote and post on our forums your server IPs, websites, request new recruits in our recruitment section, or send your team to us to train with our instructors.

Advertising policy:

http://www.hl2dm-university.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=51

Aren't you just a cheat site, teaching people a bunch of lame exploits?

In any game, certain tricks are discovered which some say are intentional and others say are exploits and should not be used. DMU recognizes that without comment from the developer this is often a matter of opinion, but we also must take a stance on what is acceptable and what is not. In determing what is an exploit and what is not for training purposes, we follow the rules set forth in competitive leagues such as CAL and Clans United. This allows all our members to have the opportunity to play in such leagues if that is their decision. We do however, also encourage all members to obey the rules set forth by the administrators of any server they visit.

It is also the opinion of HL2DMU that keeping such techniques under wraps (which are already widely known by the competitive community) hurts the casual player more than it does the competitive player. Opening this information to everyone gives casual players the opportunity to level the playing field, or at a minimum understand what is being performed so they can adapt their strategy accordingly.

Items that Board clearly agrees are bugs or exploits will not be taught, nor released, but they will be submitted to Valve for correction. If an item is posted in the forums that is clearly an exploit and it is not deleted, it means the moderators do not feel it is of sufficient concern to delete.

Why are certain players Officials and how can I become an Official of DMU?

Initially, Board Members were selected for contributions they made to the community by their own volition. Examples: a video teaching movement, developing a program that plays back old demos, running a league, visiting various sites and promoting the game, releasing maps, submitting bugs, and so on. Advisors and Instructors were players who were either nominated by a board member as being potentially helpful to the site, or who requested a position early on and were accepted as being able to handle it. Now that DMU has grown and is more established, positions are filled by invitaton only.

Why are most of the Officials from North America?

Invitations were sent to people from all over the world. Unfortunately many people declined the invitation citing the fact that they were too busy, some were leaving the game, and others just didn't respond at all. Of the ones that did accept the majority were from the US, possibly because they had heard of the founders of the site, while people in other regions had not. Over time as the site becomes more well known, we expect this imbalance to correct itself.

Don't only one or two clans/teams hold all the Official positions?

Up to two players from a single team are allowed on the Board at any single time. A multitude of other clans and teams are also represented in our advisor and instructor positions. These limits only apply to potential new officials. We do not want to discourage officials from joining any team they wish, so existing officials who change teams will not be dropped even if it causes them to exceed this limit.

Many of the people involved in HL2DMU are competitive players, isn't the site really just a bunch of "leets" who want everyone to play HL2DM the way they do?

If you have a good attitude, and love and intend to continue playing HL2DM, we will support you. Although many league players have rallied behind DMU, it also pays to remember that both site administrators are long time killbox players (Keeper and Walking Target). Yes, we strongly support leagues, but we are also here to support anyone who plays HL2DM, be it casual, competitive, killbox, co-op, ctf, low grav, you name it.

Regarding everyone playing the game a certain way, HL2DMU recognizes that everyone has difference preferences, but at the same time we also need a certain amount of standardization in order to be united as a community. It is most important for everyone visiting DMU to understand that every single player has a different concept of what is the best way to play. Just because you see these opinions expressed by members of the DMU community, even an Official, it does not mean that DMU as an entity shares this view. As individuals we may like or dislike a specific style, map, gravity, weapon, whatever...but HL2DMU stands for tolerance, as documented in our philosophy:

"HL2DMU is designed for all players with a good attitude, regardless of clan affiliation, skill level, play-style preference, and reputation."

Someone from HL2DMU came to our server and was being a jerk. Why do you allow them on your site?

We are a public community site. What members do outside of DMU is their own business. Much like you can only police your own servers, HL2DMU does not extend it's administration or demand accountability outside of it's boundaries, which includes the http://www.hl2dm-university.com domain, and the official HL2DMU servers. Please don't hold us responsible for actions taken elsewhere by individuals that post on our site, just as you wouldn't hold Valve accountable if someone posted on the Steam Forums and then went and acted like a jerk on your server. This is completely outside of our control.

What should I do if I have a problem with HL2DMU or I am concerned about something related to it?

Send an email to siteadmin@hl2dm-university.com and we will straighten it out one way or another. In most cases, misinformation is the reason for problems. Do not believe rumours, contact us and get it from the horses mouth.