ARS - Avoid Reserved Slots - A server browser hack to hide reserved slots

typodaemontypodaemon Join Date: 2013-07-04 Member: 185922Members
in Modding
I've made a quick hack of a mod to address the issue of reserved slots on servers.

All it does is search the name of the server for the string "RS:" and then read the next two characters as the number of reserved slots. Then it subtracts the number of reserved slots from the maximum player count. So if your server is named "King Kahuna Hive #5 RS:02" and it's reporting 20/22 players then this mod will show it as 20/20 players (full). You can still try to connect (if you have a reserved slot, you'll be fine) and if you have "Hide Full" checked it would be hidden. I don't know of any servers that have more than 9 reserved slots, but I used 2 digits just to be sure. If you list a server as "RS:2 " with a trailing space it should read as 2 just fine, but I haven't tested it.

I need 2 things from the community:
1) Server admins! Please start listing your reserved slots in your server name!
2) Server admins! Are you comfortable with the tag "RS:" or would you rather have it be "#RS" or "Reserved Slots: " or "(NN RS)" or something else?

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Comments

  • typodaemontypodaemon Join Date: 2013-07-04 Member: 185922Members
    I should clarify:
    This is a client mod for the server browser. If a server has the "RS:NN" tag in it's name, it will accurately show the number of public slots on the server and hide the reserved slots from the browser. This mod doesn't do anything yet because there aren't any servers yet that have the number of their reserved slots in their name.
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  • SamusDroidSamusDroid Colorado Join Date: 2013-05-13 Member: 185219Members, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Gold, Subnautica Playtester, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
    edited July 2013
    Good idea! I know not all like reserve slots/ redirect, and UWE won't do it now, community has to do it :D

    Tactical gamer tried listing how many reserved slots before, and of course, the internet, can't read anything. Will pass it on.

    IMO, this is what I thought UWE should do in the first place. All it takes is a simple value in the server for how many reserve slots the server has and if there is room it will show. Simple, easy, can easily become standard. Hopefully this expands, gets better, and gets into vanilla!
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  • WyzcrakWyzcrak Pot Pie Aficionado Join Date: 2002-12-04 Member: 10447Forum Moderators, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    Characters are precious. People don't read, and the browser truncates names.

    I'll add "RS#" to the end of Tactical Gamer's server names.

    The stock server browser shouldn't advertise a number of reserved slots, and the stock server needn't have reserved slots logic.

    UWE needs to give server operators the ability to lie about the number of public slots. Server owners can take it from there to /effectively/ give players /confidence/ that they /will/ have a successful connection attempt when they try to join.
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  • typodaemontypodaemon Join Date: 2013-07-04 Member: 185922Members
    Great! Thanks Wyzcrak. I've changed the mod to use RS# like your servers are showing now. Here's a link to the mod that I really should have included in the first post.

    ARS - Avoid Reserved Slots

    Someone on reddit mentioned that UWE is going to add official support for reserved slots in an upcoming patch. If anyone has information on this, please forward me a link. I don't want to push for server admins to tag their servers if an official route will be here shortly.
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  • WyzcrakWyzcrak Pot Pie Aficionado Join Date: 2002-12-04 Member: 10447Forum Moderators, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    Cheers. I hope this helps people frustrated by UWE's tardiness allowing server owners to lie about public slot count.

    "Whoops" Note: Your mod description cites our "23 minus 7" as equal to "18". Rather, it's 16.
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  • typodaemontypodaemon Join Date: 2013-07-04 Member: 185922Members
    Thanks for spotting that, I've fixed it. I can do math, I promise!
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  • dePARAdePARA Join Date: 2011-04-29 Member: 96321Members, Squad Five Blue
    If servername include the ammount of reserved slots, why should i use this mod then?
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  • CrazyEddieCrazyEddie Join Date: 2013-01-08 Member: 178196Members
    So that servers that have no available public slots will appear to be full. They'll be listed in red, their slot count will show up as 16/16 instead of 16/23, and if you have enabled "hide full servers" they'll be hidden. For many people, these are valuable UI elements.
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  • SolaritySolarity Join Date: 2012-11-13 Member: 170515Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    Brilliant!
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  • dePARAdePARA Join Date: 2011-04-29 Member: 96321Members, Squad Five Blue
    edited July 2013
    The problem atm is, you dont know how many reserved slots a server has.
    If an 23 slot servername includes "RS:7" i know it is full @ 16. I dont need this mod then.

    The real brilliant way would be: Hide the reserved slots serverside.
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  • CrazyEddieCrazyEddie Join Date: 2013-01-08 Member: 178196Members
    dePARA wrote: »
    If an 23 slot servername includes "RS:7" i know it is full @ 16. I dont need this mod then.
    Well then, you're welcome to not use it. I for one will be very glad to use it - not because I can't do math, but because I appreciate the additional UI elements it will provide (which I described above).
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  • ZEROibisZEROibis Join Date: 2009-10-30 Member: 69176Members, Constellation
    How about make it so it auto subtracts one when the server has an odd number of slots.
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  • SolaritySolarity Join Date: 2012-11-13 Member: 170515Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    CrazyEddie wrote: »
    dePARA wrote: »
    If an 23 slot servername includes "RS:7" i know it is full @ 16. I dont need this mod then.
    Well then, you're welcome to not use it. I for one will be very glad to use it - not because I can't do math, but because I appreciate the additional UI elements it will provide (which I described above).

    Mikey likes it?

    Maybe if we get lucky they will add this in as a regular feature for the next patch so it won't scare away the normals.

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  • SamusDroidSamusDroid Colorado Join Date: 2013-05-13 Member: 185219Members, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Gold, Subnautica Playtester, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
    Why use it, because some people can't read/ know what RS7 would mean.
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  • WyzcrakWyzcrak Pot Pie Aficionado Join Date: 2002-12-04 Member: 10447Forum Moderators, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    The tail ends of server names often don't render given the low resolution at which I run the game.
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  • Ghosthree3Ghosthree3 Join Date: 2010-02-13 Member: 70557Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    I don't think having it rendered or not matters. The value is the same.
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  • SamusDroidSamusDroid Colorado Join Date: 2013-05-13 Member: 185219Members, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Gold, Subnautica Playtester, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
    Ghosthree3 wrote: »
    I don't think having it rendered or not matters. The value is the same.

    Yes, but if you can't see the RS7 how would you know there are reserved slots.
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  • Ghosthree3Ghosthree3 Join Date: 2010-02-13 Member: 70557Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    I thought the point of the mod was that you didn't have to see it, it did it for you? Or did I miss something (I only read your post and OPs).
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  • SamusDroidSamusDroid Colorado Join Date: 2013-05-13 Member: 185219Members, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Gold, Subnautica Playtester, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
    Ghosthree3 wrote: »
    I thought the point of the mod was that you didn't have to see it, it did it for you? Or did I miss something (I only read your post and OPs).

    Yes, that is why the mod is cool, even if you can't see the server has reserve slots, the mod will do it for you.

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