[TF2] Server Scoring

[Nanor]

I believe it was BiG D who suggested using our TF2 server to get some new blood for THN. Valve are introducing server scoring to let players find servers which are good. It works pretty sweetly:

• New servers start with a score of 0 points
• Each time a player connects to a server, it loses 15 points
• For each minute the player stays on the server, it earns 1 point (up to a max of 45 points per player)

If we get the THN server up and running to a satisfactory standard, i.e. it being able to count, an admin program and voting system, I'd say we'd be able to use the TF2 server to catch some hot babes.

Because everyone on the internet is a hot babe.

 

[Gizmo-5]

Because everyone on the internet is a hot babe.

I wish this were true and thusly believe it so

but yea, to play on our own server constantly id really really want a voting system, for both maps and players, and maybe a player cap. (3)

 

[Huung]

I'm a hot babe. I'm also up for TF2 - it's everyone's lucky day

 

[PsiSoldier]

Everyone knows hot babes love computer gaming!

That system seems rediculously easy to server-grief with. Competing server taking all your players? Connect and rejoin to it 1000 times.

 

[Ronin Storm]

That said, that particular grief is easy to screen out by simply checking a user's steam id.

 

[BiG D]

Competing servers? Really?

Not to mention that a) it seems to be based on unique players, so the most damage one person could do is a -15 and b) such grief will most likely stand out in any analysis of the data and be discarded (and potentially held against you, as it would be a direct link to your steam id.)

 

[PsiSoldier]

Competing servers? Really?

Not to mention that a) it seems to be based on unique players, so the most damage one person could do is a -15 and b) such grief will most likely stand out in any analysis of the data and be discarded (and potentially held against you, as it would be a direct link to your steam id.)

People use player-count faking scripts to try and get players, why would they stop there?

As for the other point; it's hard to tell what will and will not be with the rather vague description they have given. It's still possible though, even if it is only for unique players (Get your friends to connect/disconnect)

 

[Wol]

The amount of times I've connected to a server with 30 ppl on (apparently) only to find it empty . stupid thing.

The quality of a server is so varied though. Looking at pretty much all graphs for all servers. some will pick up to full capacity, stay there for a few horus, and then just die out. Dont feel that a scoring system would be particularly helpful in choosing a server. It lets me see which servers have people who join and stay on more than 15 mins, but I dont give a crap how long *other* players stay for on a server.

The main features when choosing a server for me are map rotation - which can be seen in the server window as to which maps a server runs. and ping, again, which can be seen in the server window. Other mods and features can be seen (and searched) in the tags system which was added.

 

[Ronin Storm]

Yeah, I pick servers by rotation, ping, (the lack of) modifications, game type (not arena) and whether people I know play on that server. Then I stay if the player attitude is good, there's a bit of VoIP and I'm having a good evening.

 

[Gizmo-5]

I was on last night and had one or two problems

1) The server was telling me it couldnt connect to steam and thus my unlocks were blocked
2) got randomly punted after about 2 minutes of game time

Also would really like some admin and player controls asap, nothing like being forced to play a crap map or listen to mic spammers.

 

[Nanor]

I think our server was being updated last night?

 

[Traxata]

I was on last night and had one or two problems

1) The server was telling me it couldnt connect to steam and thus my unlocks were blocked
2) got randomly punted after about 2 minutes of game time

Also would really like some admin and player controls asap, nothing like being forced to play a crap map or listen to mic spammers.

You mute them? That generally stops any issues I have with those unsavoury types

 

[Nanor]

You mute them? That generally stops any issues I have with those unsavoury types

That's true. However, people like that generally annoy others as well as you and they're not the type of people you want to have on your server. It's better to kick them in the long run.

 

[Gizmo-5]

Old problem is rearing its ugly minge

- When a map reaches 3 CAPS (3 points captured for one team, 3 flag captures, 3 payload checkpoints) the map will change suddenly. I assume this is a bug in the server code to change map after 3 ROUNDS

Boink!

 

[Ronin Storm]

It's probably something like "sv_scorelimit"...

 

[Wol]

Well as far as I can currently see: mp_maxrounds = 3 on our server.

On normal servers its 0 (thus disable)

But I don't have priviledges to change this so can't test out whether this is the problem or not. Worth a try?

 

[Ronin Storm]

I'll poke that later and you can tell me if it helps.

 

[Ronin Storm]

Well as far as I can currently see: mp_maxrounds = 3 on our server.

A bit of reading around tells me that there are two settings that are in play here.

mp_maxrounds
mp_winlimit

I've set both to 0 for the time being, with a time limit per map of 25 minutes. I think that we'll need an admin mod to actually set mp_maxrounds appropriately for each map type as CTF and CP maps probably benefit from a maxrounds of 3 or 5, where winlimit should probably always be 0. However, on a PL map, maxrounds of 2 or 4 might be better.

Let me know if it's any better now.

 

[Wol]

Cheers. I'll go and check that.

In my opinion / experience. CTF maps work well as first to three (so best of 5)
CP maps (two way ones like cp_well and single direction ones like cp_dustbowl) should run once with the team as red/blue and once as blue/red.
Similarly with PL, with one offence and one defence.

Last time I looked at the source server, I'm sure I saw somewhere where you can edit individual map config files... although on closer inspection I can only find class specific ones. Ah well.

 

[Wol]

Yup. That seems to work better now. Managed to get to the end of badwater, and then it changed to red, rather than a diff map, so will try again later if i get the chance to.