COD2 Modding- Testers needed!!

[Rhino]

Hi all...

Think the days of COD2 modding are over at Anarchic? Fat chance!

I went out and bought a small 8 slot COD2 server (because the AXDEV server wasn't very user friendly) and with a lot of good help from Kaveman we are working on some exciting things.

Remapping:
First, we have been reworking maps with bad spawns and bad flag locations for use on the PressureCooker server. Thanks to Kavemans "GSC Tool" we can now move, replace and consolidate spawns on any given map. We can also create random spawn groups and random flag locations within a single map for some of the round based games like LTS.

If you have a good looking map that plays like dog with fleas then let me know. We can help.

Ultimately I'd like to be able to get some of the reworked maps on the CTF server but you will have to lobby Gitman on that if you can find him.

Modding:
Second, we have recreated the original PressureCooker gametype on the Extreme mod. Kaveman has put in a lot of time to bring this together and now we need some help testing it.

The original gametype played like our CTF overtime. Players spawned behind the enemy flag just seconds before going to sudden death overtime. It was then up each player to stay alive, support the flag carrier, eliminate the other team and cap the flag. It was a lot of fun to play and thats how we developed the core group of PressureCooker players back 2 years ago.

Back in the day when we would play on Thursday nights we would have to restart the server to play the PressureCooker game type. Not any more. The new Kaveman version has a few changes which should be even more fun. Instead of the clock counting down to zero then going into sudden death the new game has 3-5 minute rounds. Players spawn at the enemy flag and work together to wipe out the other team return their flag and cap. Its sudden death so gametype puts an emphasis on being careful, picking your shots, and by all means BE SNEAKY. In the new version the round will end if the entire opposing team is killed. We can also give each player a number of spawns tickets so they can stay in the action a little longer (Mistake should appreciate this).

We need a group of players to try it out. 4-8. Play a few rounds. Look for bugs or other oddities and then report them to me. Currently we are only testing on stock maps.

We could also use some help naming the new game type. If you have any fun suggestions let us know. Here are a few I have considered: PCCTF (PressureCooker CTF) STD (Secure the Flag) Umm maybe not, SDCTF (Sudden Death CTF). Like I said we need some help.

If you have time to help us test then find me in TeamSpeak (anarchic-x.com) and we will go make it happen. Thanks for your support and please thank Kaveman for all the time and effort he is putting into this. Shouldnt that be |ax|Kaveman?

The server is called SkunkWerks.
IP: 69.28.250.61:28960
Password changes to: ax

Thanks,
Rhino

PS. We are slo going to check out the Wild West Mod there. Thats the mod that created the map Gunslingers.

The designation "skunk works", or "skunkworks", is widely used in business, engineering, and technical fields to describe a group within an organization given a high degree of autonomy and unhampered by bureaucracy, tasked with working on advanced or secret projects. Yeah..thats us!

[|ax|Poison Profile]

Great work Rhino and Kaveman

[Eagle1 Profile]

Whew! Sounds like a lot of work. Wish I could be more involved, but my schedule has picked way up. Let people know the times and I'll see what I can do.

~Eag

[chuckie2 Profile]

way to go guys and thanks. I think I need the "death" tickets more than anyone sounds like fun

[Rhino]

Lets try wednesday or thursday afternoon before PressureCooker.

[Rhino]

Lets try to hook up around 6 pm eastern time today.

[c2thet Profile YIM]

I can help.

[Rhino]

First or all thanks for the help CT, Eagle, Chicago , Spawn, Grim, Mistake, Nevada and Kaveman.

Here is my short list of things I felt we could address in the mod...

1. Spawns - ran into two maps that were problematic. mp_decoy and mp_toujane.
We can fix these by me placing custom points in locations with more open area. I plan on creating random spawn points for all of the stock maps anyways.

2. Respawns -Might be worth trying both types of respawns. Around the flags or standard ctf spawns after the initial spawn. A dvar in the config that lets us choose might be nice. 1 for at the flag / 0 for ctf defaults

3. Team Balanced Spawntickets - Balances overall team spawn tickets for uneven teams. Would have to round up or down since there ar no fractional spawns. (lol)

4. Individual and Team respawns remaining - Indicator that shows these. Maybe they can co-opt or replace the live/dead teammates indictor in the game. (upper right hand corner)

Please add your feedback if there are things I left out.

Rhino

PS> I changed the skunkwerks password to ax

[Rhino]

Kaveman thinks he has fixed the spawning problem. If a few people can help me test that would be appreciated.

I uploaded a new version of the mod to the test server. This version will attempt to set spawns only in places where players won't get stuck. It's not perfect, but I'm pretty certain it should deal with > 95% of the bad spawn locations. There is an outside chance that a team might be left with no spawn locations, so if the server crashes, check the logs.

I'll work on the other features soon.

[Rhino]

Kaveman made some improvements and d fixed to the new game type so we could use a group of testers and some feedback.

[Eagle1 Profile]

I had a fun time with the new gametype. Here is my personal opinion:

1. 2-3 spawn tickets per person - adds a little excitement and great for people like me who generally Rambo it
2. Find a way to make the flag actually become relevant. Most of the time it turns into a LTS situation. Maybe moving the respawns around?? Haven't really thought of a good way to make this happen.
3. Sometimes the same person spawns on the flag every time (i.e. in possession of) - possibly only on a few maps that I noticed.

~Eag

[Rhino]

I had a fun time with the new gametype. Here is my personal opinion:

1. 2-3 spawn tickets per person - adds a little excitement and great for people like me who generally Rambo it
2. Find a way to make the flag actually become relevant. Most of the time it turns into a LTS situation. Maybe moving the respawns around?? Haven't really thought of a good way to make this happen.
3. Sometimes the same person spawns on the flag every time (i.e. in possession of) - possibly only on a few maps that I noticed.

~Eag

Good ideas Eagle and that is what we are after...

Here is what Kavman has changed /fixed:

Moved the spawns back a bit from the flag and fixed (we hope) the problems of spawning inside a crate or surrounding object like on El Alamein.

Respawns will occur using TDM spawns so that you will spawn near the flag carrier and be able to support him.

Added a feature that exposes the flag carrier as time winds down in the round. For example in a 5 minute round the flag carries location will be revealed with 2 minutes to go. I'd like to see this happen for a few seconds then go away then appear again ever 20 seconds. The idea here is to try and encourage a fight and if the two flag carriers are the only ones left it lets them know they are close to each other or very far apart.

Other ideas we have considered:
Delaying the respawn time so it becomes more important not to just rush headlong into a fight.

Balancing respawn times based upon teams (if uneven) Say 4 vs 5 the 4 person team members would respawn in say 5 seconds and the 5 person team would respawn slower..say 7 seconds.

[MajorFullWood Profile Website]

2. Find a way to make the flag actually become relevant. Most of the time it turns into a LTS situation.

Haven't actually played it yet but this is a great response to my own thoughts. It's the CS-syndrome all over again.

What about a form that fully requires a point being scored? Would make people(eventually, most likely) properly play the gametype.

[Rhino]

Overtime Sudden Death cometh....

Kaveman and I have worked out a simple sudden death overtime for the PressureCooker and the extreme mod.

-Extreme+ CTF Sudden Death Overtime Rules--

The game goes to overtime when the regulation time expires if and only if the scores are tied. Whether the flags are at base or in the field does not matter.
When entering overtime, the game clock changes color to red and a notification appears in the game feed in the bottom-left.
There is no respawning. If you died before overtime started, the game will force respawn you for one last time.
If you connect in the middle of overtime, you will not be able to spawn until next map (prevents an exploit present on the main CTF server).

Overtime continues until:
A) The overtime clock runs out or...
B) Either team manages to capture the other team's flag or...
C) One team eliminates the other team's players.

Two settings can be adjusted in gametypes.cfg:
1) Whether overtime is enabled
2) The length of the overtime period.


We will need some help testing this for potential bugs....

At least 4 would be good 6 or 8 would be better.

[SpawnAlot Profile]

Will help out whenever I see you in TS and we can head over there.

Haven't been on much lately tho: works been a bitch, more kids moved back in, etc., etc., etc..

Hell, I've been playing so little lately, my rifle butt is starting to miss Poison's head.



(my pistol grips got a new dent from Poisons helmet tho !)

[Rhino]

B rus and i tested it and it worked great but we do need to test it with a bigger group and get suggestions.

[|ax|Poison Profile]

Will help out whenever I see you in TS and we can head over there.

Haven't been on much lately tho: works been a bitch, more kids moved back in, etc., etc., etc..

Hell, I've been playing so little lately, my rifle butt is starting to miss Poison's head.



(my pistol grips got a new dent from Poisons helmet tho !)

You asked for it !