To keep this journal alive, here's some random stuff I have been working on recently...
Server Rulesets:
Rulesets are server configurations that both admins and players can understand better, for example "Casual" and "Competitive" sets. Currently servers that have features such as manual parry, friendly fire, disable special etc. are poorly indicated to players in the server browser, not everyone is aware of tags or terms used in server names.
The purpose of the rulesets is to help players find the best server for their playstyle and to give more details on the gameplay changes. For server admins rulesets help with the server configuration, no need to find a long list of ConVars just to get more competitive gameplay going on.
On initial release, there will only be 2 official sets: "Casual" & "Competitive". Support for custom rulesets is included.
Casual: This ruleset intended for more "sit back and relax" type of gameplay, pop open a bottle of Hubb Jubb and have fun. Changes include:
Auto-Block allowed
No friendly fire
Allow thirdperson
All-talk
Competitive: Don't expect any hand holding here! Competitive is the ruleset where only the best may win. With the most significant changes to the gameplay, Competitive is not recommended for inexperienced players. Changes include:
Match-based mode (more below)
Manual block only
Friendly fire
Disallow thirdperson
No all-talk
FF damage reduced by 50%
Auto-kick after 5 teamkills
AFK players are kicked from the server
No freezecam
Custom: Make your own rules! This ruleset means that the server has unique changes that won't fit in Casual or Competitive sets. Server admins can create and name their rulesets, even for each game mode.
Match-Based Mode:
First things first, there is NOT going to be matchmaking or ranks, we don't even have the infrastructure to do that.
Instead, it is a server option to enable match-based gameplay. A single match is often round limited, such as LTS best of 30 rounds, or just a single round in Booty. It's up to server admin to decide.
This mode will be enabled by default in stock Competitive ruleset (see above).
In round limited games matches can be "clinched", which means that when enemy teams have no chance to catch up in round wins, your team wins the match.
Add-on Manager Update:
Improved GUI:
The add-on list now has enable/disable checkboxes and multi select:
New categories:
Workshop categories on launch were scarce, so in the next update we will introduce more detailed set.
For example:
Animations
Characters
Jokes/Memes (containment category )
Weapons
There is even more nicer stuff related to Add-ons & Workshop in the works. I will showcase more here Soon™®℗Ⓜ
Better Demo Support:
Demos are like replays for the Source engine, but few people know of its existence. The better demo support will improve the recording/playback of the demos and make players more aware of the feature.
At time being the features implemented are auto-recording, custom record/stop commands, HUD demo timer, filename time stamps for auto-recorded demos, custom file prefix and even sound effects when user records/stops.
That's all I had in my mind right now. Feedback, criticism and questions are welcome as always.
Forgot to mention that all the settings in the rulesets are subject to change. I also wish to get community feedback on the stock sets before release, so if you have any suggestions/criticism please post it here.
Really liking the rulesets Would making a "hardcore" set with double damage be possible?
I know HaVoK has been talking about a PVK1 combat mode since forever ago (increased damage, no blocking, etc). I wonder if a Ruleset could be implemented like that.
It would be fun to see a server that ran PVK1 combat with PVK2 everything else
We talked about it at a meeting regarding the next release. It was something that we would like to do, but we need to find the best way to implement it so it's made perfectly clear to the perfectly innocent people joining a server like that. Then again, people might like the faster style of gameplay, who knows. Only way to really find out I suppose is to try it out.
Can we put tags in the server browser? I know TF2 had/has something like that where the server rules like party mode are displayed in one of the columns. You would easily be able to identify it before even joining the server.
Double damage sounds great. Maybe a little less for ranged weapons or they would be too powerful.
How about you display which mode you are joining either in the loading screen or the MOTD screen? And a brief description, not too wordy- something simple like ...
You are entering a CASUAL server. Have fun!
You are entering a COMPETITIVE server. Match based games, friendly fire, and manual blocking are on.
You are entering a HARDCORE server. All damage is increased.
Oh, and I'm not sure it was mentioned- but presumably team switching should be disabled in competitive mode?
How about you display which mode you are joining either in the loading screen or the MOTD screen? And a brief description, not too wordy- something simple like ...
You are entering a CASUAL server. Have fun!
You are entering a COMPETITIVE server. Match based games, friendly fire, and manual blocking are on.
You are entering a HARDCORE server. All damage is increased.
Oh, and I'm not sure it was mentioned- but presumably team switching should be disabled in competitive mode?
Yeah right now when the game is loading the map\connecting to the server it will display whether or not it's running competitive or casual and Felis already started work on MOTD stuff to make it clearer as well.
As per team switching, I'm not sure. Felis is adding a vote system with team scrambling options as well. So maybe disabling team switching aside from scrambles would be fine.
What's the server command? I don't recall ever 2-shotting people from full health with the HK, but I guess the weird armor system might come into play.
While the solution for using doors 'worked' it was trivial and had problems when switches were in close proximity to one another. With a map layout like this... 2. https://youtu.be/uCu7pyc3vO8
A rebuilt solution for finding doors by tracing the bot's planned path through the world checking for doors sitting on the path is a much more robust solution that allows us to directly recognize a door and start searching the area around the door for buttons. Of those buttons in the area, we select the closest button to the door that we can walk to. 3. https://youtu.be/SSkpmM5Mf5M
With a little nav mesh editing the bot door algorithm works on unique door/button configurations on existing maps like bt_island. 4. https://youtu.be/lnNKRq4XLxs
Comments
To keep this journal alive, here's some random stuff I have been working on recently...
Server Rulesets:
Rulesets are server configurations that both admins and players can understand better, for example "Casual" and "Competitive" sets. Currently servers that have features such as manual parry, friendly fire, disable special etc. are poorly indicated to players in the server browser, not everyone is aware of tags or terms used in server names.
The purpose of the rulesets is to help players find the best server for their playstyle and to give more details on the gameplay changes. For server admins rulesets help with the server configuration, no need to find a long list of ConVars just to get more competitive gameplay going on.
On initial release, there will only be 2 official sets: "Casual" & "Competitive". Support for custom rulesets is included.
Casual: This ruleset intended for more "sit back and relax" type of gameplay, pop open a bottle of Hubb Jubb and have fun.
Changes include:
Competitive: Don't expect any hand holding here! Competitive is the ruleset where only the best may win. With the most significant changes to the gameplay, Competitive is not recommended for inexperienced players.
Changes include:
Custom: Make your own rules! This ruleset means that the server has unique changes that won't fit in Casual or Competitive sets. Server admins can create and name their rulesets, even for each game mode.
Match-Based Mode:
First things first, there is NOT going to be matchmaking or ranks, we don't even have the infrastructure to do that.
Instead, it is a server option to enable match-based gameplay. A single match is often round limited, such as LTS best of 30 rounds, or just a single round in Booty. It's up to server admin to decide.
This mode will be enabled by default in stock Competitive ruleset (see above).
In round limited games matches can be "clinched", which means that when enemy teams have no chance to catch up in round wins, your team wins the match.
Add-on Manager Update:
Improved GUI:
The add-on list now has enable/disable checkboxes and multi select:
New categories:
Workshop categories on launch were scarce, so in the next update we will introduce more detailed set.
For example:
There is even more nicer stuff related to Add-ons & Workshop in the works. I will showcase more here Soon™®℗Ⓜ
Better Demo Support:
Demos are like replays for the Source engine, but few people know of its existence. The better demo support will improve the recording/playback of the demos and make players more aware of the feature.
At time being the features implemented are auto-recording, custom record/stop commands, HUD demo timer, filename time stamps for auto-recorded demos, custom file prefix and even sound effects when user records/stops.
That's all I had in my mind right now. Feedback, criticism and questions are welcome as always.
I've planned that one in another thread.
Your soul cannot be saved.
I know HaVoK has been talking about a PVK1 combat mode since forever ago (increased damage, no blocking, etc). I wonder if a Ruleset could be implemented like that.
It would be fun to see a server that ran PVK1 combat with PVK2 everything else
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MOBO: MSI Z87M GAMING
CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-4770K OC'd @ 3.7 GHz
GPU: EVGA GTX 660 Ti
RAM: Ripjaws X 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 2133MHz
OS: Windows 10 Technical Preview
Double damage sounds great. Maybe a little less for ranged weapons or they would be too powerful.
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MOBO: MSI Z87M GAMING
CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-4770K OC'd @ 3.7 GHz
GPU: EVGA GTX 660 Ti
RAM: Ripjaws X 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 2133MHz
OS: Windows 10 Technical Preview
You are entering a CASUAL server. Have fun!
You are entering a COMPETITIVE server. Match based games, friendly fire, and manual blocking are on.
You are entering a HARDCORE server. All damage is increased.
Oh, and I'm not sure it was mentioned- but presumably team switching should be disabled in competitive mode?
"All damage is increased."? Come on now, let's be poetic and unoriginal, let's just make it so it says "Prepare to Die."
Or "Welcome to the world of Black Caesar, DON'T enjoy your stay."
Your soul cannot be saved.
Yeah right now when the game is loading the map\connecting to the server it will display whether or not it's running competitive or casual and Felis already started work on MOTD stuff to make it clearer as well.
As per team switching, I'm not sure. Felis is adding a vote system with team scrambling options as well. So maybe disabling team switching aside from scrambles would be fine.
Felis > Spirrwell
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MOBO: MSI Z87M GAMING
CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-4770K OC'd @ 3.7 GHz
GPU: EVGA GTX 660 Ti
RAM: Ripjaws X 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 2133MHz
OS: Windows 10 Technical Preview
Grogbot Progress Update - Doors!
A first pass at getting bots to recognize and use doors.
1. https://youtu.be/vq7kYEVbdxM
While the solution for using doors 'worked' it was trivial and had problems when switches were in close proximity to one another. With a map layout like this...
2. https://youtu.be/uCu7pyc3vO8
A rebuilt solution for finding doors by tracing the bot's planned path through the world checking for doors sitting on the path is a much more robust solution that allows us to directly recognize a door and start searching the area around the door for buttons. Of those buttons in the area, we select the closest button to the door that we can walk to.
3. https://youtu.be/SSkpmM5Mf5M
With a little nav mesh editing the bot door algorithm works on unique door/button configurations on existing maps like bt_island.
4. https://youtu.be/lnNKRq4XLxs