Question for server admins

Squidget

<div class="IPBDescription">Dealing with Hydras?</div>Has there been any discussion about dealing with Hydras in the <b>short term</b>?

Example: A server-side mod that disables hydras once server tick drops below some threshold? Or a way to kill hydras as Aliens, maybe?

This remains the 2nd biggest gameplay problem I'm seeing in day-to-day games (the first being stalemates due to sentries and lack of siege units).

But it's the number #1 source of griefing, trolling, and rage. And that can't be helping the cause.

It worries me because everyone complains about it in-game, but I'm not seeing a lot of forum talk about it.

player

I created <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=112026&st=100&p=1839943&#entry1839943" target="_blank">this</a> a while back to deal with hydra-spam, it's for the benefit of admins only however.

Squidget

Yeah, it's a shame that only works when an admin is online. I'd definitely love a persistent limit in addition to that, for when admins aren't around!

devicenull

At the moment, there's no way for the lua code to get the server's tickrate. I'm hoping this changes at some point, as it would be really handy to do so.

Squidget

Good point. I posted it to Get Satisfaction as an idea, to maybe get a dev thinking about it.

<a href="http://getsatisfaction.com/unknownworlds/topics/please_give_the_lua_side_a_way_to_query_server_tickrate" target="_blank">http://getsatisfaction.com/unknownworlds/t...server_tickrate</a>

Asraniel

The number of hydras isnt such a big problem Anymore. Its the number of players and entities number. Hydras but also infestation etc of course count as entities

Squidget

<!--quoteo(post=1849010:date=May 29 2011, 12:43 AM:name=Asraniel)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Asraniel @ May 29 2011, 12:43 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1849010"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->The number of hydras isnt such a big problem Anymore. Its the number of players and entities number. Hydras but also infestation etc of course count as entities<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

That conflicts with my experience. I do alien comm a lot, and I observe a strong correlation between hydra spamming and server performance. For example, 20 infestation entities have much less impact than 20 hydras on a server's tickrate. (I always use net_stats and start squaking when ticks drop below about 12.)

In fact, less than an hour ago, I was in a game on 156 West that crapped out after my teammates started spamming hydras. There was no other significant change in number of other entities or players.

Sure, maybe sentries and whips would have the same problem. But the difference is, they can't be spammed like hydras.

I thus assert that Hydras are most definitely still a big problem. Hydras are a bad combination: too cheap, too easy to spam, too hard to kill, and can't be suicided by the alien comm.

player

<!--quoteo(post=1848990:date=May 29 2011, 02:05 AM:name=devicenull)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (devicenull @ May 29 2011, 02:05 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1848990"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->At the moment, there's no way for the lua code to get the server's tickrate. I'm hoping this changes at some point, as it would be really handy to do so.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
My mod has had that ability for months now. There is no clear-cut function to fetch the tickrate no, but you can simply place a counter in a rudimentary OnProcess-function (NS2GameRules' for example), and derive it that way. Works like a treat.