Spawn points - Map List

TeaLeaf · January 03, 2003, 10:03:34 PM

These maps are 32 players by default:

cs_aztec
de_dust
de_dust2
de_inferno
de_cbble
de_vertigo

I'm working on finding some more - we seem to have needed them this evening

It was great to have a full server again........but a pain to find a map that all 24 could play at the same time :?

TL.

TeaLeaf · January 03, 2003, 10:05:41 PM

Could you peeps have a look at this url please? It has a method for editing the .ent file to add up to 32 spawn points for the maps.

http://www.joe.to/32players.html

Is this something that we can use or will it cause the system to become compeltely FUBAR?

TL.

TeaLeaf · January 04, 2003, 12:08:39 AM

From the public section of the forum and courtesy of Sadako, the number of map spawn points for several maps:

de_dust2.bsp 40
as_oilrig.bsp 36
de_chateau.bsp 35
de_aztec.bsp 32
de_cbble.bsp 32
de_dust.bsp 32
de_inferno.bsp 32
de_piranesi.bsp 32
de_storm.bsp 32
de_torn.bsp 32
de_vertigo.bsp 32
cs_747.bsp 26
as_tundra.bsp 25
de_train.bsp 24
cs_assault.bsp 20
cs_backalley.bsp 20
cs_estate.bsp 20
cs_italy.bsp 20
cs_militia.bsp 20
de_nuke.bsp 20
cs_office.bsp 20
de_prodigy.bsp 20
cs_siege.bsp 20
de_survivor.bsp 20
de_vegas.bsp 20

TL.

OldBloke · January 04, 2003, 10:58:17 AM

QuoteCould you peeps have a look at this url please? It has a method for editing the .ent file to add up to 32 spawn points for the maps.

http://www.joe.to/32players.html

Is this something that we can use or will it cause the system to become compeltely FUBAR?

TL.

Looks simple enough. All the changes are server-side so it only needs a willing volunteer to edit the ent files and then post them up on the server.

I'll have a bash at it.

TeaLeaf · January 04, 2003, 11:26:29 AM

Good on yer Oldie

I read it and it 'sounded' simple enough, but my techophobia stopped me

TL.

OldBloke · January 04, 2003, 11:51:27 AM

However ...

We have another option.

We could reduce the maxplayers on MH from 24 to 20. This would fit in with the current maps and limit matches to 10v10. We could then open up Baldric to PCS (max 8v8).

To my eyes this seems much more PCS than 12v12.

Thoughts?

TeaLeaf · January 08, 2003, 08:41:49 AM

I've been thinking about this for a few days now - it's not often that I mull something over for that long :lol:

I can see positives and negatives to the second server idea, some of which are reasonably logical, others just irrational worries.

The benefits as I see it are:

- we always carry spare capacity for PCS players and the server is unlikely ever to be full
- the team size remains at a manageable level for the PCS style of play
- we avoid the max spawn point problem - at an guess we only have 7-10 maps with more than 20 spawn points in the current rotation
- we are able to entice and host more people to try MHPCS

My concerns are:

- we have no data to show the demand is sufficient for a second server to be offered to PCS players
- It is better to show a full or busy server all the time - being busy in itself creates a demand to play there, it is seen as a preferred home
- N42 did it and look what happened to them (I told you some of my worries were totally irrational)
- we create twice the 'please idle in an empty server' problem
- N42's second server never really took off, even with the number fo players they had 'back in the day'. Players saw it as second best as it ALWAYS had fewer players and often not the 'big name' players.
- we create a problem for matches again as we end up closing the server up to 4 times per week, which in itself will deter peeps from using that server even if there is space on it

Next steps:

Before we decide to do anything I think we need some more detailed information about the population size of the MH server over the last couple of weeks and going forward. If we know how many players have used the server, for how long and at what time of day, then we can better assess the demand. It woudl also really help to know how many people tried to connect but couldn't due to the server being full and when - as the server tells them it's full, is there any log of these requests?

My guess is that we might currently find that a second server would only be warranted for maybe a couple of hours per week - but that may decline after the recent pimping hullabaloo recedes. Even then, I am not quite sure that the extra players would want to be on a 'second' server rather than the MH itself.

If the logs show that we have sufficient demand then the next step I think would be to ask the players - not just the forum players, but the MHPCS mailing list. 111 forum users is not enough for a second server.

Finally the other possiblity as mentioned before is reducing the max number of players on MH in the advent of a second server. If we max'd at asay 16 on MH and allowed the same number of Baldric that might work better than launching a second server and keeping the max players at 24 on MH. A good look at the useage stats would help assess the viability of this option.

I am reluctant to make changes without the data to support the change though. If the logs don't give the needed data, are there any mods out there that do? (::sorry Doggers - I know, yet another mod:

Just my 2 cents.

TL.

DogMeat · January 08, 2003, 01:00:07 PM

There are mods to monitor players on the server - things like the stats program we used to use, PsychoStats and the like...

We also have a program called MRTG which graphs and monitors the bandwidth for Crosswired customer servers, though the displays aren't publicly available.

DM

TeaLeaf · January 08, 2003, 05:06:32 PM

So, do we risk adding yet another Mod to the server in order to get this data, or do we wet a finger, stick it up in the air and guesstimate? :?

TL.

TeaLeaf · January 14, 2003, 08:32:57 AM

I think the nature of the foums posts is pushing this little chestnut at some pace. I played for 2 hours last night and we had people stacked outside the server and unable to get in for most of that time (inc Doggers, FatBob, CiM, Jazz, Dymarda etc).

Can we reduce the number of people allowed on MeatHook AND at the same divert people into Baldric? I'm just thinking that it would be neat if once we got 'critical mass' to support two matches, that we could have some sort of command to detach some people from MeatHook and load them up into Baldric?

An in-game server monitor would be a handy facility to have so that Admins could keep an eye on numbers and 'distribute' people by asking them to switch servers or return to MH as numbers change etc.

If we make this type of change then I think we may also need to reserve some Admin slots? Otherwise we may not be able to get on to switch people. I'm not quite convinced on this point, but let's have a quick discussion about it.

Whatever we come up with I think we need to do something now rather than wait. Opening Baldric up is a logical progression, but the question is how do we manage the players from one to two servers in mid-evening?

Anyone got any ideas?

In order that we focus our minds, shall we set a prelimary deadline of Friday by which time we will have made up our minds?

TL.

OldBloke · January 14, 2003, 08:56:55 AM

Well. We could reduce the maxplayers on MH to something more PCS friendly - 16. Baldric is already running at 16.

This gives us 32 slots of PCS goodness.

As for how we manage the two servers - we don't. We let nature take it's course. At the moment there's no tool I know of that will enable us to steer people to one server or the other or indeed to swap them if needed.

We as admins should try to ensure that we have a presence on both servers should they both be in use.

We could introduce reserved slots later if there was a real need.

TeaLeaf · January 14, 2003, 10:02:17 AM

Seems sensible to me that we have 2 servers with a 16 capacity running. Any bigger than that and we would not have enough for proper teams spilling over onto Baldric.

If we make the change then we need to change the pw on Baldric. Do we need to change the settings or map rotation?

We would also need to send a couple of emails to the MHPCS Mailing List - can we get access to that? Doggers/Stryker?

We should also change the script that runs by when people joining the server telling them about the new server and IP.

And of course a ruddy great big forum post.

Anything I left out?

TL.

OldBloke · January 14, 2003, 10:14:51 AM

The maxplayers setting is set (and can only be changed) when the server is started. This will need to be done by Doggers.

The server password can be set using rcon and various tools. However, so that it is always set to maglite, it will need to be set at server start. The server config file may also store it in which case it needs to be changed here as well (the server config is exec'd after every map change). It may also be the case that the mods store it as well. In short - Doggers needs to sort it

The MOTD (message of the day) is simply a text file (or files - the mods like to have their say as well) so, again Doggers will need to do this as well.

Due to the recently discovered security holes in HLDS and the mods, Doggers did say that he would remove all mods until they were patched. If this is done then setting up the two servers for 16 players with the same pw should be a lot easier.

TeaLeaf · January 14, 2003, 10:45:09 AM

Doggers - I'll have a go at writing a new MOTD and send it to you. If it's garbage then just 'shit can' it

TL.

TeaLeaf · January 14, 2003, 09:11:26 PM

OK, the server just maxed out again so I left to let some other peeps in and play. I think we need to move fairly quickly now, we are maxing out the spawn points almost every night now.

1. Let's open the other server.
2. Set max players at 16
3. Change default password on Baldric to maglite
4. Email all MHPCS registered players with the new IP and pw confirmation
5. Put up a forum post announcing the change.

I'll try to write something up for the forum post - it can then be cut and pasted into the MHPCS email.

Does all that sound OK and can we still head for Friday night as the day that it becomes live?

TL.