nataponwhat server location/regions do people usually play pugs in NA? are there any recommendations on dedicated server hosting in those locations?
chicago servers are good (outside of esea)
smobohooliWhat can we learn from the death of irc pugs? Was it due to separating the pool of players? Or perhaps the lack of new blood? How can we prevent this in the future?...
I see what you're saying here, but from my experience the biggest problem with IRC pugs was the lack of administration and the tendancy for people to stop adding up when they see others aren't added. Unlike inhouse pugs where people start pugs with announcements or steam messages, there was no real way for irc pugs to get people to add up.
Without this motivation a lot of people would glance at the channel, realize there weren't enough players to pug, and leave the IRC. The idea of people not playing medic was only really an issue at the very end of the channels life (when most of the regulars had stopped opening the IRC in the first place) and at the very beginning.
The whole lack of seriousness you're talking about is mainly caused by the fact that most of the admins didn't pay attention to the channel or had stepped down. In the months preceding mixes death defy was the only 'active' admin, although not usually online during pugs.
As people have said, ultimately irc pugs died because people dont like idling in irc channels. Developing a good web client like the one reilly posted could definitely bring back the player base for pug.na imo.