Server Operators/Admins Wishlist
Lord Schnitzel
Join Date: 2008-11-04 Member: 65377Members
Join Date: 2008-11-04 Member: 65377Members
Are you (or have you been) running an NS server or plan to run a Server for NS2?
Please list and discuss things that are important to you, svars you'd like to see in NS2, what their default value should be and so on.
For non-admins/ normal players: what information would you want a server browser to show to you before joining? Why?
My 2 cents:
On the technical side I of course want the server load not to skyrocket when there's a lot of buildings/action on a medium sized server (let's say 18-22 players). The NS1 server on linux and windows machines sometimes behaved a bit different (e.g. func_rotating and stuff like that) - that should be double checked.
Server Variables I'd like to see (meaning those that should be seen by players in the browser and can be used in filter rules to find a server one wants to play on):
- consistency (allow only players to join that use the stock models, textures, sounds, and so on). The default Value should be 1. This is first to prevent exploiting (spike models,...) and second to establish the look of the "core" NS2 before there are 4138582 custom entities available (wich will be seen on a lot of screenshots/videos than.
- friendly fire. You usual FF setting. I love to play with FF enabled because it prevents/punishes GL spamming and other "not that tactical" things. I'd recommend FF being enabled by default (although FF=1 still should mean a percentage of the daage enemies take... 33% or something.)
- scripts_allowed. If there will be the possibility to use scripts in NS2 it will most likely lead to a similar discussion about it that we had/have in NS1. I'd set scripts_allowed to 0 by default. BUT there are some things that I'd not consider to be a script but more a "bind" like a teamsay + voice command.
Also I'd like the server to show a list of plugins in the server details in the browser. So I know if and how a server is modified.
If possible I'd like to see a built-in slot reservation system. Currently the most popular plugin keeps one or two slots open until somebody with a reservation joins. This practically renders the "Auto-Join as soon as a slot is free" function useless - there are free slots, but you cannot use them. Maybe somebody has a good idea how to make res slots work better?
Schnitzel
Please list and discuss things that are important to you, svars you'd like to see in NS2, what their default value should be and so on.
For non-admins/ normal players: what information would you want a server browser to show to you before joining? Why?
My 2 cents:
On the technical side I of course want the server load not to skyrocket when there's a lot of buildings/action on a medium sized server (let's say 18-22 players). The NS1 server on linux and windows machines sometimes behaved a bit different (e.g. func_rotating and stuff like that) - that should be double checked.
Server Variables I'd like to see (meaning those that should be seen by players in the browser and can be used in filter rules to find a server one wants to play on):
- consistency (allow only players to join that use the stock models, textures, sounds, and so on). The default Value should be 1. This is first to prevent exploiting (spike models,...) and second to establish the look of the "core" NS2 before there are 4138582 custom entities available (wich will be seen on a lot of screenshots/videos than.
- friendly fire. You usual FF setting. I love to play with FF enabled because it prevents/punishes GL spamming and other "not that tactical" things. I'd recommend FF being enabled by default (although FF=1 still should mean a percentage of the daage enemies take... 33% or something.)
- scripts_allowed. If there will be the possibility to use scripts in NS2 it will most likely lead to a similar discussion about it that we had/have in NS1. I'd set scripts_allowed to 0 by default. BUT there are some things that I'd not consider to be a script but more a "bind" like a teamsay + voice command.
Also I'd like the server to show a list of plugins in the server details in the browser. So I know if and how a server is modified.
If possible I'd like to see a built-in slot reservation system. Currently the most popular plugin keeps one or two slots open until somebody with a reservation joins. This practically renders the "Auto-Join as soon as a slot is free" function useless - there are free slots, but you cannot use them. Maybe somebody has a good idea how to make res slots work better?
Schnitzel
Comments
So, you want what Empire's uses on their servers?
Anyway can we keep this to a discussion about what server variables/features people want and not so much about what the default value should be?
Schnitzel
I have not invested too much time researching (yet) but aren't server ops going to just be editing some lua file(s)? Do you think there will be plugin capabilities for the "REsource" engine like AMXX does for HLDS?
Not sure if they are going with the same ready-room concept, but if they are, I would like to see a variable <b>force_random_teams 1/0</b> //(round start)
I have not invested too much time researching (yet) but aren't server ops going to just be editing some lua file(s)? Do you think there will be plugin capabilities for the "REsource" engine like AMXX does for HLDS?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
It will be mostly LUA, but hopefully they will have in place a system to notify players about modifications from vanilla. The Helper Plugin is something I really approve of in NS1 AMXX, it lets you know what's active and how to use them. The devs also discussed having tags in the server browser to notify changes, similar to how in TF2 does it. Simple changes to cvars won't move it from the main list, but you'll know you're entering one with fastrespawn or something, while the custom servers might have modded it to death.
As far as cvars go, here's a few on my wishlist:
- control rate of res generation
- control starting res
- control starting tech, tech cap, etc.
- dmg ratings (100% dmg, 150% dmg, etc.)
- % dmg due to FF (if FF is on)
- maxspeed
- the usual (fps_max, max ping, min ping, etc)
Something also to consider is making it on a map basis as well. TF2 has this system where each maps has a .cfg file where you can tweak stuff just for that map. It's kinda shiny. This will be extra useful for things like res generation speed.
No it wont. Server ops will download the scripts to do it. They always have.
Do you think the server ops are the ones doing most of the coding? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
I think that setting up a server should be as easy as possible. This means being able to set up the basic elements via simple "yes/no" (1/0) and some percentage values in a config file. My personal wish is a vanilla server with about 9vs9 players, FF enabled, a map vote option and and AFK-kick after ~2 mins (pretty much like the VH2.nl Classic server currently - hope they setup a NS2 server with the current rules *hinthint*) - however for every "mode" there are people that like or dislike it, so there will be a lot of different servers or better the need for diofferent servers.
Admins that want to setup a server aming at a certain player style should not be forced to learn Lua first. This hurts the acceptance.
Second, I don't really understand your definition of "clueless admis". Why is an admin clueless if he has a different oppinion about scripts than you do? If you don't like FF and I setup a server with FF=33% does that make me an clueless admin regardless of my PHD in computer science?
Giving admin easy access to the basic gameplay values via a config file (pretty much like the .cfg file of most linux server deamons) will lead to a wide range of diffent servers. However sets up a server (wich almost all the time means that they actually pay good money for that!) makes re rules. If you don't like the rules an admin sets, there will be loads of other servers to choose from.
So: PRO easy configuration of core gameplay variables for server admins
(Lua scripting should only be necessary if you want to change gameplay _mechanics_)
Regards from Austria
Schnitzel
Script command which allows you to be able to test to see if a map supports alien vs alien or human vs human games. If so, so long as it is before the actual game begins, can set it to be so if they wish.
Ability for mapper to predefine structures / marine buildies and even better still if they could predetermine health on those structures as well. Placement doesn't have to make sense (imagine humans securing remants of a marine base already destroyed by the Kharaa and finding half-destroyed turrets but no turret factory). With this feature, server should be allowed to enable these extra structures or disable them completely.
Script commands to allow admins to make comm orders for all marines (think of tutorials, etc.).
Tribes 2 had by far the best networking model.
80 ppl on a dedicated server any the lag was about that of halo1 with 16 ppl
Tribes 2 had by far the best networking model.
80 ppl on a dedicated server any the lag was about that of halo1 with 16 ppl<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
And that model was.....
However a thing server admins CAN adjust would be voice codecs. Please put in different voice codecs/bitrates the server operator can chose from (it can have a significant impact on server traffic). Also please make it a variable the player can see. After I bought my new headset I joined a server and it souded like total crap. It took a while until i figured out it was actually the server using a very low voice setting -.-
Schnitzel
A similar system is already in place from NS1. Hopefully a similar system is implemented in NS2, although really the codecs aren't getting that much better nowadays. This is one of those features that has to be well documented and publicized, or else it will get lost in the shuffle of basic setup and people will scratch their heads on why no one understand them.