I've played a few dozen games on GPG Net (hell, at this point, its more like a few hundred) and I've got some gripes! The system itself is alright - and by that I mean I have enjoyed most of the games I've played. But there are a few things that just don't make any sense to me...
Overall Gamer Stats versus Ranked Game Stats
Okay, I get it - you're supposed to play ranked games to be a legit player. But for a lot of players, ranked games just aren't that appealing. So. Where does that leave custom-game players? Every time I join a custom game, I wish it'd provide some information about the players. Simple stuff like: games played, games won, games lost, disconnects. That's all I need! That way, when joining a custom game, you can see if its full of noobs or if there are some players in there that are notorious for dropping.
AI Replacement of Dropped Players
This one is kinda up in the air since the AI's are pretty dumb - but still. There have been plenty of games where one player drops and then the entire game is ruined. If a dropped player were replaced by an AI, at least those units wouldn't go to waste. Another solution? Any dropped players units are divided equally among remaining allies.
2 on 2 ranked games - Teams on the same side?
This one seems kinda stupid obvious to me, but how are you expected to enjoy a 2 on 2 ranked game when you and your ally are on opposite sides of the map? Next to your opponent?!? WTF? If you play a 2 on 2, it should automatically realize that there are two players that should be positioned next to one another.
Connection Problems Connection Problems Connection Problems
Round here we have a "3 times a charm" saying. It seems like there are still way too many connection problems. If you host a custom game, usually you have to log all the way out of GPGNet just to be able to host another one. C'mon - these bugs need to be resolved!
Preview System Capabilities before a game
Lag is the worst enemy of Supreme Commander. Wouldn't it be nice if each machine were given a rating that says whether or not the player can actually handle the game about to be played? It wouldn't have to be complex - even just a 1-10 system value would be fine. That way players with average systems can play against one another, and the players that invested big money in their systems could play against similar players without lag.
Well, those are just 5 of the many things I'd love to see implemented in the GPGNet system. I know those guys are cranking away at updates, but I'd love to see these outstanding issues resolved before they go adding ladder tourneys and custom map vaulting. Priorities here people!