I agree with both of the above posts. Preloading really isn’t that difficult, the maps are mentioned many times in this thread (which is how I assume people are learning about the weekly matches). However, there are those who join late or a new version of the map snuck into the rotation and people need to download. We need a reliable and speedy way to keep the game server in sync with the maps on the download server so that there aren’t so many problems.
Last night we had trouble with the map on the download server being a different version than the one being played on the server… which is odd, since I haven’t touched my copy of the map since I first got it from the server and I don’t have any problems.
Well I’m sorry everyone’s having so many problems. I can’t imagine why there would be a problem with different versions on my server as opposed to the game server. I took exactly what Kromano gave me and uploaded it, I even have two older versions still on the server just in case. I don’t really have much else to say, I’m sure there’s some other kind gentleperson with some extra bandwidth that can handle it.
i always had issues downloading it automatically never found out why. but i was able to download them from your site directly in no time and extract them to the proper location.
I’m sorry Vanilla, I didn’t mean to insult you because we all appreciate the bandwidth you’re offering. The trouble we had was with Swizzle’s map where we lost most of the server due to a “server is running different version” problem. Perhaps these are players who were using an old version of Swizzle’s map (with the spawn problems) or something, I can’t say… The trouble is, since Kirt doesn’t have direct access to the maps on your site, the problem can’t be investigated or fixed without your help. And as we’ve discussed in the past, that’s not always possible.
Another problem is that when the number of users connecting to download increases (such as half a full server doesn’t have the map) your available bandwidth is used up and a lot of the users can’t finish the download. Again, maybe this is actually a problem with Steam or with the server config file. I honestly don’t know, and I don’t think it can be solved until a single administrator can work on the game server and the download server at the same time and synch them up.
I am sorry if I was insulting in my comments earlier, I didn’t mean to be. It’s just really sad to see half the server drop because of download/connection issues every time we move to a custom map through no fault of yours, mine or Kirts… it’s just inexperience and difficulty with hosting. Who knows? It’s a real shame that multiple download URLs can’t be supplied, then we could load balance the maps among many servers and see how that works out.
We’ve determined what the problem was with the file yesterday… so it goes like this:
Just a few minutes before the saturday game began, Swizzle finished a new map update for Happy Valley, though the filename stayed the same. When I uploaded the new map I obviously overwrote the old one, and since it was so close to the start time, Kirt didn’t have time to move to the new version. When the server was looking for the map to download, it came across a different file of the same name, hense the “server is running a different version”. I probably should have noticed this would happen but I was very sick yesterday so I wasn’t in the greatest state of mind.
I was getting over the flu myself so I understand. For the player it was a matter of downloading the new version and overwriting the copy in your maps folder. Course if you’ve never had to go into your maps folder you probably had no idea where it was. Maybe that was the issue but toward the end we had around 9-10 people on Happyvalley. That showed promise. I can imagine what it will be like with 16-24 players, Mmmmm.
Great fun everyone even though I was getting drubbed.
Yeah, sorry for the confusion and hassles. I don’t believe I got Swizzle’s latest version either. Which would explain why the game server was different than the download.
Basically … [ul][li]Game server & Vanilla’s server must have the same version of the map.[]Pre-loading the map is highly recommended.[/ul]And for the map makers …[ul][]New versions of maps should be done prior to Friday evening (24 hours prior to an event would be ideal).[]Change the name of your map so there is no overwriting of files.[]Send a download link to Vanilla and myself via PM (CGTalk’s pop-up PM notifications are very eye catching compared to searching a thread for your notice of a new update).[/ul]
[/li]
For some reason, links on MOTD page do not work in game. Otherwise I’d include direct links there. But what does work is the current map version date. The date you see on the MOTD page is the day of the update. Check your map versions against this.
I’m excited for the matchup tonight, though I may be a little late, I’m not sure of my plans today. I just want to mention there will be no update to Escherhaus this week, I’m up to 2+ hours of compiletime so I think I need to do a massive systemwide enima on my computer to get a little stability back. Nothing like spending 2 hours compiling with one tool, only to have Steam crash silently in the background again causing the tool to discard all the data and send me back to square one.
My complaints aside, anybody who hasn’t please preload both mine and Swizzle’s map if you plan on joining in:
The date on HappyValley is later than the version I was running last week, I’m taking a gamble on that one. After talking with VanillaChicken, it seems that last week’s download problem was related to Vanilla uploading a newer version of Swizzle’s map while the server was still running the older version of the same name.
Kirt, Akin, correct me if I’m wrong, but these should be the same versions the server is currently running. edit comparing the date from latest Vanilla download to the MOTD, it looks like I’m going to be out of sync if we swap over to HappyValley, as will anybody who still needs to download unless the server is updated./edit
That should help in not losing everyone at level change. Didn’t realize that the Valve development SDK was so taxing on computers. I’ve been tempted to download it myself and give map making a try, but it’s been so long since I’ve messed with anything like that, that I wouldn’t even know where to begin.
The last time I messed with mapping was with Battlefield 1942 ( the original fun version!! ). Ah Dice, what have you done!
Had a lot of trouble posting this earlier, so here it is anyway, it was only I who suffered from the quantum vortex.
Compiling a complex map that isn’t well optimized (like mine) can be pretty demanding of a computer. But keep in mind my computer specs, I’m running an unstable Sempron 3000+ 32bit with a gig of ram. My slightly more stable but has its own problems dual CPU Athlon 2400+ MP with a gig of ram can compile in half the time, despite its much slower bus speed. If you’re running anything more modern hardware wise, you should be able to kick the pants off my compile times.
And since I’m posting I’ll make a comment directed to RockinAkin: If you remember we were discussing my map’s filesize being a drawback, I was curious and took at look at the valve maps, they’re all 55-60MB+ so it doesn’t seem like my map has some flaw inflating its filesize… in fact, I seem to have half the size of ctf_2fort which is a smaller map by quite a margin in playarea.
Haha, wow a TF mapping contest. I wonder if I should enter for kicks. The map seems pretty popular here on CGTalk, but I wonder how the rest of the world would like it… Aww, upon reading further of the criteria, my map doesn’t qualify. They only want CP or TC. My CP map is in early design stages and won’t be ready for ages. It’s also neither industrial OR mining, it’s an underwater sealab so I guess that rules me out. Damn you conformist pigs!
