[SERVER] Custom server map (online)

UncleCrunch · September 2014

Hi,

This post is dedicated to the NS2 custom map server activity

Introduction
This server
-Name : [-] A NS2 BootCamp - NS2 Help community (0 - 500 hours)
-IP 176.57.128.209:27015
-18 slots
-is online since 06 September 2014 and will be for 2 years
-is promoting custom map
-has also a selection of official maps
-is Rookie friendly
-has several mods like Shine, ns2stats and badges+, pre-game+ (shine)

Player rules
-No map exploit of any kind during game. There may be some unseen bugs from time to time. It happens. You are strongly encouraged to notify admins and authors of these bugs in their respective treads (link in the map list).
-Behavior on server is kind of the same that can be seen everywhere.
-No stomping/stacking
-No insults, rant and stuff. Get an admin, talk to them. This is the way to do things.
-No cheats of any kind (should i remind this?).

Player comments guide lines
If you want to comment on a map
-Pls don't pollute this thread use the dedicated ones. You'll be in contact with the author in a short delay.
-Try not to produce walls of text. Use a video recorder (or screenshots) to show a game and use time marks to say the things you want. ex: At 7.10 mark, the fades died fast because the room is this or that.

There are many solution on the market:
Debut (http://www.nchsoftware.com/capture/index.html), TwitchTV (http://www.twitch.tv/), Youtube etc...

Mapper rules
What is required ? In order to qualify you map has to :
-Respect game standards like PN in TP. Rooms size etc... Mario 64 maps port are not qualified, right?
-No Grey box / texture in map - unless it's a testing session supervised by admins. Even if you select all faces and set only one texture, it'll be better than Grey. You can do it under 10 clicks usually. Take the time to do it.
-Tell me if you have an update, so i can check that updates work smoothly on the server. I'm not used to the g-portal interface and stuff, so I'm being careful.
-If a map becomes buggy due to a NS2 build, it'll be removed until it is debugged.
-If you want a onlyYourMap testing session, pls ask instead of voting it over and over. We can organize that easily. I'm not a monster. ... most of the time

.

Before uploading
*Make sure your groups are including all the elements you want (occlusion, collision, CommanderNobuild. CommanderInvisible etc)
*Update the reflection probes.
*rebuild the path geometry
*save, close editor, re-open editor and load your map, move something, CTRL+Z, move the camera, save again.
*Use builder to build the project (especially overview map)
*Check overview image to see if you have invalid triangle that cross the entire map.
*if ok , good! if not, retry step 4; it'll work this time.
It takes only 10 minutes...

Guidelines
The philosophy behind is : "No rush, it's better to do things the right way than messing up fast".
-Occlusion helps optimize rendering time. So take a day to do that. It'll be better for player experience and feed back.
-Collision geometry can be useful, don't avoid it. You have plenty of information on the forum about it.
-If the a mapper wants a prop free map; so be it. There is no rule about decoration. Though it is a common use to include them in maps.
-Try to test with bots your layout on your PC (as server). It helps debugging path and many other things. In console : Cheats 1; autobuild; Addbot 2 1, Addbot 2 2)
-Try to upload on night hours in Europe.

MapCycle

Official maps
Tram , Descent , Summit , Mineshaft

Custom map list
ns2_outerrimark ( 262105837 ) ; Forum topic : Here Steam workshop link : Here

ns2_caged ( 104617372 ) ; Forum topic : Here Steam workshop link : Here

ns2_docking2 ( 232436788 ) ; Forum topic : Here Steam workshop link : Here

ns2_fracture ( 150058573 ) ; Forum topic : Here Steam workshop link : Here

ns2_fusion ( 178964086 ) ; Forum topic : Here Steam workshop link : Here

ns2_mineral ( 226965879 ) ; Forum topic : Here Steam workshop link : Here

ns2_nothing ( 220935709 ) ; Forum topic : Here Steam workshop link : Here

ns2_orbital_beta ( 246524501 ) ; Forum topic : Here Steam workshop link : Here

ns2_prison ( 133757158 ) ; Forum topic : Here Steam workshop link : Here

ns2_Stratos ( 270224945 ) ; Forum topic : Here Steam workshop link : Here

ns2_temple ( 257825519 ) ; Forum topic : Here Steam workshop link : Here

ns2_Veil_five ( 266284118 ) ; Forum topic : Here Steam workshop link : Here

Pending
NS2_Kodiak 5 (under development)

Subscription
If you want to submit your map to the MapCycle. You can contact me with private messages. I'll see the notification. You can also summon some VIP over here that will eventually forward your request. You can also request a SCC testing session which i recommend.

Finance
The server is paid for a year. If anyone is interested in making this living more, feel free to contact me.

Condition
Your money is your own. Don't use daddy's wallet. I only accept donation from ppl who are grown up and able to do that without harming their situation. Starving gamers are just dead. No extra life dude this is reality.

Granting Admin level
There may be the need for admins. Feel free to contact me with PM and write down your motivation and capabilities. Finger on the ban admin aren't what i want. Also it requires time.

Bug
If anything goes wrong feel free to contact me. I may from time to time scratch a file or two

. I may need some help for shine config file but that's for later.

Commander lessons
Obviously this game need more commanders. Or at least people who want to try to understand better the way a game goes and why a commander is so in need of some simple things. So i can provide from time to time help.

List of topics
Basics
-Configuration, test and getting comfortable
-Importance of Voice (get a $5 mic dude)
-Providing medpack shower and managing alarms, Squad and grouping.

A good start
-Know you tech path: What's possible considering the chosen path (Crag, Shift, Shade / PG, Arms labs).
-Dealing and adapting to the situation (analyze). Are we over expanding (etc) ?

Leading
-Checking things (the eyes of the team)
-Thinking the thing as a whole. Trade. Is it worth the price ?
-Behavior in competitive and on public server

PS: I will modify the post to reflect map authors and forums tread URLs of each map. Right now I'm tired and usually a lazy bastard.

Have fun.

Edit 2014 Sept 10: Map list with links
Edit 2014 Sept 16: mod list
Edit 2014 Dec 12: Changing name and purpose
Edit 2015 Apr 06: Changing name and purpose (again?)

GhoulofGSG9 · September 2014

Just a question why Uke's AV instead of ns2+?

Vetinari · September 2014

Please remove Uke's AV and replace it with NS2+. NS2+ includes UAV and lots of other awesome features (as we all know). Servers that force their players to use specific AVs are... problematic. I will just put here that this has me driven away from servers in the past, and that I don't play on such servers anymore generally.

Also, we need people to seed this.

UncleCrunch · September 2014

Ho yeah. Done.
(i think...)

GhoulofGSG9 · September 2014

Ok I'll just start my normal server admin consulting:

Do you know that you can define mods per map? This allows you to load the given map-mod only when it's really needed.

As examble here is the mapcycle.json i used at my server:
https://gist.github.com/GhoulofGSG9/01a90412eff275ca39fa

Beside that you can decrease the time ppl need to load at your server by using a lighten up ConsistencyCheckConfig.json
+ setting use_own_consistencycheck in ServerConfig.json to true.

Here a example of a lighten up consistenccheck:
https://gist.github.com/GhoulofGSG9/c3163c6c1e64342c0255 ( this also allows users to use all kind of skin mods at your server beside alien skin mods (purple skulks) )

If you run a g-portal.de server you can freely configurate your server start params in the server.cfg, you might want to define the logpath as the same as the config path so you can access it via ftp.

Look at the wiki for more details: http://wiki.unknownworlds.com/ns2/Dedicated_Server#Basic_Configuration

Beside the ns2 wiki a good place to find all kind of helpfull info is the shine wiki as you use the shine mod: https://github.com/Person8880/Shine/wiki

With these words i wish you best luck with your server and hopefully alot joyfull hours on it.

PS: Atm my most used shine chat command is !menu try it out

UncleCrunch · September 2014

GhoulofGSG9 wrote: »

Ok I'll just start my normal server admin consulting:

Do you know that you can define mods per map? This allows you to load the given map-mod only when it's really needed.

As examble here is the mapcycle.json i used at my server:
https://gist.github.com/GhoulofGSG9/01a90412eff275ca39fa

I suspected that as the list is long on some server and short on other while having the same things available. I didn't know to do so though. Thx.

On a side note. Even if JSON syntax was ok, if found myself re-uploading the same file after a fail initialization (something goes wrong and the file is recreated apparently).

GhoulofGSG9 wrote: »

Beside that you can decrease the time ppl need to load at your server by using a lighten up ConsistencyCheckConfig.json
+ setting use_own_consistencycheck in ServerConfig.json to true.

Here a example of a lighten up consistenccheck:
https://gist.github.com/GhoulofGSG9/c3163c6c1e64342c0255 ( this also allows users to use all kind of skin mods at your server beside alien skin mods (purple skulks) )

If you run a g-portal.de server you can freely configurate your server start params in the server.cfg, you might want to define the logpath as the same as the config path so you can access it via ftp.

I took a quick peek at the logs... not very crowded

GhoulofGSG9 wrote: »

Look at the wiki for more details: http://wiki.unknownworlds.com/ns2/Dedicated_Server#Basic_Configuration

Beside the ns2 wiki a good place to find all kind of helpfull info is the shine wiki as you use the shine mod: https://github.com/Person8880/Shine/wiki

With these words i wish you best luck with your server and hopefully alot joyfull hours on it.

PS: Atm my most used shine chat command is !menu try it out

I've configured ServerAdmin.cfg and the one in Shine directory but it seems Shine doesn't recognize me. The file comply with the wiki syntax. I guess i'll have to make some restart. Maybe changing map isn't enough. I'll do that later.

DaanVanYperen · September 2014

Took a look, looks good! Might want to remove the stock maps, that's all people voted for.

Mephilles · September 2014

why is this a 17 slot server? (I don't count reserved slots). played a 9v8 all the time which can be kinda... odd...

UncleCrunch · September 2014

Hi,

My bad, I unchecked the radio button "use reserved slot". I'll check that soon (when it's empty).

No rush, the target "stable custom map server for late Sept" is reachable.

It's just when i modify something, it doesn't seems to be instantaneously 'up' after server reloads another map. Kind of weird. Ex: After configuring basic Shine user, I wasn't recognized. Then the next day all was OK without any action from me. Maybe the server restarts at night... dunno.

I plan to get some items done before next week.

Planned Actions :
-Reducing vote timer (seems a little long)
-Try to enable Pre-game (it crashed the server)
-Check if 'M' vote always gives the same map set
-Try and check multi config (Comp mod / casual / other )

Find info on :
-Disable official vote map system ( 'M'(enu) vote is better, It should be one or another IMO)

Any advice, tip is welcomed

UncleCrunch · November 2014

Here is the updated map list

ns2_caged (104617372); Forum topic :Here Steam Workshop link :Here
ns2_docking2 (232436788); Forum topic :Here Steam Workshop link :Here
ns2_fracture (150058573); Forum topic :Here Steam Workshop link :Here
ns2_fusion (178964086); Forum topic :Here Steam Workshop link :Here
ns2_hydra (331148995); Forum topic :Here Steam Workshop link :Here
ns2_light (212016680); Forum topic :Here Steam Workshop link :Here
ns2_mineral (226965879); Forum topic :Here Steam Workshop link :Here
ns2_nothing (220935709); Forum topic :Here Steam Workshop link :Here
ns2_orbital_beta (246524501); Forum topic :Here Steam Workshop link :Here
ns2_outerrimark (262105837); Forum topic :Here Steam Workshop link :Here
ns2_prison (133757158); Forum topic :Here Steam Workshop link :Here
ns2_Stratos (270224945); Forum topic :Here Steam Workshop link :Here
ns2_temple (257825519); Forum topic :Here Steam Workshop link :Here
ns2_Veil_five (266284118); Forum topic :Here Steam Workshop link :Here

Included : Table with many information about these maps.

lotnik190 · November 2014

Thx for adding my map on the server, but it's currently not working

It appears in the the map vote, but when it won the vote today, server said that It was changing map to ns2_light and nothing happen. It doesn't occur in the UWE vote system (when you go to the menu and press start a vote).

UncleCrunch · November 2014

@lotnik190‌

There was a bug in the config file i made. Now it should be better as it is automated and optimized automatically.

Non the less your map doesn't load.

What i see:
You set up a required build for your map

name = "ns2_light"
build = 270

It's not needed. remove it (launchpad).

Also: load the editor, load the map, move around, change something. CTRL+Z if you want, save. Then update workshop. A fresh copy never hurts for the new NS2 build.

And it looks like the map is not recognized as a mod by mapcycle.js but as a standard map
config file generated by the script.

      "mods": [ "f5e1aef" ],
      "map": "ns2_temple"
    }, "ns2_light", {
      "mods": [ "13bceec3" ],
      "map": "ns2_hydra"

it should be a { mod"" map ""} form. @SamusDroid‌ : Pls look into it. maybe it's the "build" parameter that mess things up.

Console msg:

Kalopsia · November 2014

Sweet, thanks for adding ns2_nothing in the rotation.

deathshroud · November 2014

thanks for adding my map ns2_hydra. Its great to see servers running custom maps, i hope that players will be abit more open with feedback as well.

ATF · November 2014

Since this has been implemented, you can now define a chance for maps to appear in the vote.
Documentation is on the shine wiki.

{ "mods": [ "7b986f5" ], "map": "ns2_jambi", "chance": 0.2, "min": 32, "max": 50 },

We currently have ~30 total maps available on the server. Thanks again, Person8880, for picking this one up.

[SERVER] Custom server map (online)

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