Smolensk .76 - General observations Options

[ScrapyardBob]

At the peak last night, we had 13v13 players online (with 1 or 2 in spectator mode). While we didn't have a server crash at all last night, a few people complained about periodic lag spikes. Now, I also experienced lag spikes last night, but I suspect it was because XFire was downloading an update in the background. The previous night on 12v12, we didn't suffer from any lag spikes.

A few people have trouble with high pings on this map. We may need to do some digging into old CoD:UO tuning threads to give some additional suggestions. Because it's a larger map, some people may need to adjust various settings (quality, resolution, hunkmegs, datarate, etc.).

At a minimum, before complaining about ping / lag, please turn on both your FPS display and your lag meter. You can enable these by entering the following commands in the console.

/cg_lagometer 1
/cg_drawFPS 1

Useful COD Settings FAQ
http://www.mobclan.com/forums/upload/index...?showtopic=7047

You should also refer to this thread, which explains some basic performance tuning and also covers how to read the lagometer.


This post has been edited by ScrapyardBob: 02/17/06 11:11am

[ScrapyardBob]

I'm also wondering if there is any interest in playing CNQ on this map? I think it would be a nice change-up from BAS. The TDM fans would probably enjoy it, yet it still is objective-based. Plus, it provides focal points for the action leading to more continous fights then in BAS.

[Undertow]

I'm also wondering if there is any interest in playing CNQ on this map?

I would.

[Lord Lipton]

me too, even though i've never done CNQ

what is it? heh.

[Maj. H8Red]

CNQ is where both sides fight to move "the front lines of battle" Several Key points to capture to move the front. Cool gametype, something all around different, team based with objective. Similar to CTF (capture the flag) I'd be up fer it

[Silver]

me 2

[ScrapyardBob]

CNQ - AHz calls it "objective-based TDM". I'd call it a linear version of DOM.

On the Smolensk map, there are 9 control points. They're spread along the map between the german and russian spawns. German HQ is in the eastern building in the spawn (look for the haybale), the Russian HQ is at the old house in the forest. Some of the intermediate points are:

G2 bunker
Stone Bridge
Pillbox
West end of village
Church
R2 45mm gun
East Trench

(I think that's all of them)

The middle points are captured similar to Domination-style play. But the more allies that you have at a control point (within the "capture zone"), the faster you can capture it. If there are more enemies then allies in the capture zone, the progress bar will actually go backwards. So you can stop or slow down a capture just by entering the zone of control, even before you kill the enemies who are trying to capture the location. Some zones of control are very large, others are very small.

The end points require you to press the "USE" key (usually "F") in order to capture them. When you capture an end point (HQ), you get bonus points for yourself and for your team's overall score. At that point, control of the points resets (yes?) and you have to start re-do the capture sequence.

The big advantage of CNQ as opposed to TDM is that it provides natural focus points for combat on the larger maps. Everyone is chasing the same 2 spots (next capture and last capture) which results in continuous combat.

Note: You must exit vehicles in order to assist in the capture. (You cannot sit in a tank at the Stone Bridge to capture that spot.)

Scoring:

- Player points are what an individual player receives for performing an action (i.e. 1 point per kill, 3 points for helping to capture, 2 points for killing someone trying to capture, 5 points for capturing the HQ).
- Team points are awarded when players accomplish objectives (i.e. 10 points for each capture, 50 points for capturing the HQ). Teams also get points for kills (possibly on defensive kills?).
- Unlike BAS, other players on the team do not get personal points when objectives are achieved. Unless you are in on the captures or helping to defending captured zones, your only way of getting points is through kills.

Settings:

set scr_cnq_scorelimit "400" // scorelimit, default is 500
- Whichever team reachs 400 points first, will win the round. If you wanted, you could set scr_cnq_team_bonus_points equal to this value, which would end the round as soon as one of the HQs is captured.

set scr_cnq_timelimit "110" // timelimit, in minutes
- Overall time limit for the match, additional rounds will not play if the time limit was exceeded during the previous round.

set scr_cnq_roundlength "60" // round length, in minutes (CNQ 3.0 only)
- Length of an individual round (unless a team exceeds the score limit).

set scr_cnq_winlimit "2" // limit of number of rounds won (CNQ 3.0 only)
set scr_cnq_roundlimit "3" // set the maximum number of rounds per game (CNQ 3.0 only)
set scr_cnq_clearscoreeachround "0" // whether to clear player scores between rounds (CNQ 3.0 only)
- The above allow for best N of M play where player scores carry over from round to round. I prefer best 2 of 3, or best 3 of 5.

set scr_cnq_startrounddelay "30" // time before a round begins, in seconds (CNQ 3.0 only)
set scr_cnq_respawn_wave_time "15" // time interval between wave spawns, in seconds (CNQ 3.0 only)
set scr_cnq_captime "30" // default capture time, if not specified by the mapper, in seconds (CNQ 3.0 only)
- Start round delay should be at least 20-30 seconds to allow everyone time to connect and pick a team. Otherwise teams whose players have better connections get an early advantage.

set scr_cnq_player_objective_points "2" // Points to award player for achieving objective
set scr_cnq_team_objective_points "10" // Points to award team for achieving objective
set scr_cnq_player_bonus_points "5" // Points to award player for achieving bonus objective
set scr_cnq_team_bonus_points "50" // Points to award team for achieving bonus objective
set scr_cnq_defend_score "1" // Points to player for defending an objective from capture (CNQ 3.0 only)
- These are the scoring settings.

set scr_cnq_campaign "0" // Set Conquest to run in "campaign mode". Winners of current CNQ map will be attackers on the next map.
// set sv_log_damage "0" // turn off logging of damage (keeps log file size reasonable)
set scr_debug_cnq "0" // whether to run Conquest is debug mode, allowing a single player to play on their own

[Cpt.Canuck]

Played CNQ a few times with Smolensk beta versions. Pretty fun!

Would be cool to see MOB give it a try - alternate between BAS and CNQ - and then gauge public response...?

[ScrapyardBob]

I'd be interested... I'm finding BAS on Smolensk to be a bit frustrating at the moment. (But that could also be because I'm off my meds for a few days...)

CNQ is a lot more "forgiving" of a gametype then BAS. It's tug-of-war until one side or the other manages to get enough points.

[FeezyWeezy]

I agree, BAS seems to be focused on team-play alot, the main soldiers at smolensk seem to just run straight at the enemy bunkers and leave defence untouched.. maybe its a good idea to make the bomb timer longer, to give teams more time to respond and time to cover the great distances...

[ScrapyardBob]

There are some hidden server-side variables that are listed in the BAS code. There are the ones that most admins know about (these are my test server settings, I don't know what Smolensk runs with):

// Base Assault Settings (bas)
set scr_bas_scorelimit "6"
set scr_bas_timelimit "75"
set scr_bas_roundlimit "3"
set scr_bas_roundlength "45"
set scr_bas_respawn_wave_time "15"
set scr_bas_startrounddelay "30"
set scr_bas_endrounddelay "15"
set scr_bas_clearscoreeachround "0"

But there are also some additional ones that can probably be set in the server config (no clue whether they actually work as advertised, the code looks like they're hooked up properly):

scr_bas_planttime - default 15 seconds
scr_bas_defusetime - default 10 seconds
scr_bas_bombtime - default 60 seconds
scr_bas_announcer - default 15
scr_bas_basehealth - default 24500 (35 tank shells @ 700 damage)

I dunno what a bomb time of more then 60 seconds will do. It might be better to set plant time to 30 seconds, put respawn at 5-10 seconds. The stopwatch is hard-coded with a 60 second hand, and I'm not sure it can handle times over 60 seconds.

Maybe increase the base health by 50% (or even 100%).

scr_bas_announcer - is how frequently it calls out "our base is under attack" messages.

Suggestions for Smolensk:

1. Increase the plant timer from 15 sec to 30 sec. That slows down the plant cycle a bit, making life more difficult for "lone bombers". OTOH, it gives the defenders 15 more seconds to get to a bomb, *if* they react as soon as they see the base being planted. If the defenders don't react, they'll only get the standard 1 minute warning that the announcer gives once the bomb is actually planted.

2. Change the respawn down to 5 or 10 seconds, max. Smolensk is so large, that larger respawn values aren't needed to avoid the endless respawn waves (so common on the Foy maps, or on Barbarossa at Russian #3). We used to run a server with a 25 sec respawn to avoid the Foy issue.

3. Experiment with longer bomb timers. Requires testing...

4. Experiment with more health on each base to make them stand up to more shelling before they fail. The downside is more repetitive shelling required, but it also gives forces more time to chase down a base that's under attack.

[M@ster of Dis@ster]

There are some hidden server-side

Suggestions for Smolensk:

1. Increase the plant timer from 15 sec to 30 sec. That slows down the plant cycle a bit, making life more difficult for "lone bombers". OTOH, it gives the defenders 15 more seconds to get to a bomb, *if* they react as soon as they see the base being planted. If the defenders don't react, they'll only get the standard 1 minute warning that the announcer gives once the bomb is actually planted.

2. Change the respawn down to 5 or 10 seconds, max. Smolensk is so large, that larger respawn values aren't needed to avoid the endless respawn waves (so common on the Foy maps, or on Barbarossa at Russian #3). We used to run a server with a 25 sec respawn to avoid the Foy issue.

3. Experiment with longer bomb timers. Requires testing...

4. Experiment with more health on each base to make them stand up to more shelling before they fail. The downside is more repetitive shelling required, but it also gives forces more time to chase down a base that's under attack.

I like all these ideas except 4. I said before that I find getting back near impossible especially for the Russians, even with a suicide (if no jeep is available). Although I often manage to pull off the "lone bomber" trick, I accept it is a way to balance the map so you don't quickly lose bases because a one stragler got thru the defences. As long as spawn points aren't going to be changed to be nearer the key bases (which I also would have liked), I like shorter spawn time and longer fuse settings. However, an overall longer bomb timer would be best if possible. A lone bomber or a couple could have a great time trying to defend a one-and-a-half to 2 minute bomb! Imagine the tension as the timer ticked closer to the "point of no return" after having to defend for so long! So my preferences in order are 2 definately, then 3 if possible, then 2, or a combo of 3 and 2. The only one I don't like is increasing health of base. That's boring enough as it is IMO.

As a note, I also like the CNQ map. Is it possible to perhaps run 2 round matches with one as CNQ and one as BA? Probably not, but I would have liked that.

MoD

[Slyk]

I think the shorter respawn times are your ticket. Make a map specific config and cut it to say 5 seconds for BASE. That will keep the action much hotter and in the end, force more teamwork as you know that waves are coming at you faster. The downside: jeeps will be harder to find as they only self-destruct/respawn as a slower rate.

[ScrapyardBob]

Hah, I forgot about the gametype-specific and map-specific CFG files...

(from the 1.51 patch notes)

- Added ability to execute map and gametype specific config files. When a map is loaded on the server, a config by the name of <mapname>_<gametype>.cfg will be executed automatically, if it exists. If it doesn't exist, then it will be ignored. Eg. mp_foy_dom.cfg will be automatically run when mp_foy is started in Domination mode.
- Can specify a config file to execute within the sv_mapRotation command. For example, "sv_mapRotation exec mycfg1.cfg map mp_foy exec mycfg2.cfg map_kursk". (Note: doing this will override the <mapname>_<gametype>.cfg and prevent that config from being executed.)

So you could go with a base assault tank respawn of 30 or 60 seconds, but up that to 120 seconds (180?) for CNQ play to lessen the quantity of tanks. (The default value for tanks in the GSCs is 10 seconds. We used to change it to 60-90 sec to make tanks a bit rarer and worth protecting.)

There is a CVAR for jeep respawn (set scr_jeep_respawn_wait "5"). The default, however is already 5 seconds in the GSCs.

Other things to possibly set in a game-specific CFG:

1. Artillery intervals. These can be adjusted in the CFG files. The following snippet of code from _rank_gmi.gsc shows what the default values are along with the names.

if( GetCvar("scr_artillery_first_interval") == "" )
setCvar("scr_artillery_first_interval", "45");
if( GetCvar("scr_artillery_interval") == "" )
setCvar("scr_artillery_interval", "120");
if( GetCvar("scr_artillery_interval_range") == "" )
setCvar("scr_artillery_interval_range", "15");

scr_artillery_first_interval - seconds to wait after player spawns before giving them an artillery strike
scr_artillery_interval - seconds between additional strikes, randomly adjusted by scr_artillery_interval_range (so min time is just "interval", longest time is "interval + interval_range").

For CNQ play, setting it to 90 sec first interval, 120 interval, and 30 range might be enough. It's not easy to stay alive for 90 sec in CNQ play. It would cut arty roughly in half.

2. Points per rank

The code in UO (again, looking at "_rank_gmi.gsc") is rather simplistic. The only CFG setting is (scr_rank_ppr) which is the number of points per rank, and the code simply multiplies this to come up with additional rank values. The default for scr_rank_ppr is 10.

At one time, we (old clan) ran a mod that allowed us to have more of an exponential points-per-rank setting. It worked out that the rank points were 10, 20, 40, 60, 90 instead of the linear version.

May need to change PPR on CNQ to 15 (so no arty until you get 75 points) or even 20. With the 20/rank, helping to capture an objective should be 3-4 points instead of 2, and defense should be 2 points instead of one (IMO). Big rewards for getting in there and helping to capture or defend against re-capture.



This post has been edited by ScrapyardBob: 02/24/06 9:27am