Tuchola Forest PUBLIC Alpha Test, feedback and news Options

[ScrapyardBob]

The map is to the point that I'm comfortable letting everyone play on it. Just be warned, the map is NOT final. There ARE glitches and bugs and things that aren't quite right. The server can and will go down without notice whenever I'm ready to put new changes upon the server.

Please check this thread frequently if you start playing on the test server as I will make periodic announcements of current bugs and upcoming changes here.

Please do not host this map elsewhere. I make changes to it on a daily basis and you will see new versions up on the server on most days. Please wait until the public beta before hosting this map on servers other then my testing server. ETA for the public beta is 2-3 weeks, depending on how this phase of alpha testing goes.

Server IP Address: 70.42.41.170

- This IP should be live in another 2-3 hours, I'm currently configuring the new server.
- There is no password. Everyone is welcome to come and play.
- I will post a private slot password for the MOB/Regs folks to use.
- I'm taking a hands-off approach to policing the server, but if there is disruptive gameplay, I reserve the right to wield a very large ban stick. I would prefer to spend my time working on the map rather then babysitting players.
- If you find a glitch, tell us in this thread or e-mail the demo file to me.

Current version on the server is v081 (v082 will go up on the server late Thursday or sometime Friday). You will want to periodically remove old versions of the PK3s as we update to new filenames on the server.

Currently implemented gametypes are: BAS / CNQ / BEL and HQ. The server is configured to run BAS on alternate games (so BAS -> CNQ -> BAS -> BEL -> BAS -> whatever -> BAS). I'm still working on DOM and CTF support.

[ScrapyardBob]

Known issues in v081:

- There are sections of road that are colored incorrectly. That indicates that the road mesh is buggy and that I know about it. (Which means that vehicles go wonky as you drive over that section and that players can fall through or get stuck.) If you find a section of road that is buggy, but is textured with the road texture, please let me know.

- The only known hole in the terrain is at the Southwest Bridge. There shouldn't be any other terrain holes in playable areas.

- Edges of the map are not finished.

- Inside of the Farm House is not finished.

- Second floor of the Russian spawn area barn is not finished. Nor is the interior of the Russian spawn house or the tunnel beneath the house. There are two bunkers in the Russian spawn that still need detailed.

- The G1 pak40 gun is not entrenched in fortifications yet.

- Most treelines are missing their interior foliage.

- The fence lines on the east side of the river in the Farm area are not finished.

- I probably need one or two more satchel spawns.

- The red lighting inside the bases is still being tuned (and toned down).

- It currently rains in the basement of the bases... it is not indicative that the 100 year flood is imminent.

- There may be a few places on the map with too much detail.

[ScrapyardBob]

README file for Tuchola Forest

------------------------------------------------------------
Tuchola Forest 1945 - Multiplayer map for CoD:UO

ALPHA TESTING VERSION 081 - APR 6 2006
(scrapyardbob@mobclan.com)
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NO PART OF THIS PROJECT FILE, MAP .BSP, CUSTOM TEXTURES,
LOADING SCREENS, IN-GAME MAPS OR ANY OTHER CONTENT MAY BE
ALTERED IN ANY WAY FOR ANY PURPOSE WITHOUT MY EXPRESS
CONSENT. ANY SUCH ACTION WILL CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF
INTELLECTUAL COPYRIGHT.

------------------------------------------------------------

ALPHA TESTING NOTES:

Since this is an alpha test version, please do not host this on public clan servers. Revisions will be happening on a daily basis and you will be constantly chasing your tail trying to keep up with the latest alpha version. It is best for everyone if you come to the Tuchola Forest Alpha Test server to play with other alpha testers.

Please leave any and all feedback / bug reports in the {MOB} forums. You can find the latest feedback thread at:

http://www.mobclan.com/forums/upload/index.php?showforum=73

If you have screenshots or demo files of problem areas, please e-mail them to scrapyardbob@mobclan.com. Please be sure to include enough contextual information in your screenshot (rather then focusing tightly in on the problem area) so that I can locate these spots in the map. Locational information (using the console, type /viewpos) is also extremely helpful. Bugs that might warrant a screenshot:

- Messed up textures
- An abnormally high vert/tri count (/cg_drawFPS 2)
- Terrain holes
- Exploitable glitches (get in behind the treelines, inside of models, or other exploits)
- Other things that are too complicated to describe in the forums

If you need help recording demos, see:

http://www.mobclan.com/forums/upload/index...?showtopic=7047

The latest information about test changes can be found at:

http://www.mobclan.com/forums/upload/index.php?showforum=73

You will want to periodically delete old Tuchola Forest PK3s from your Call of Duty: United Offensive install folder. This can easily be done by searching your hard drive for "mp_uo_tucholaforest_*.pk3" files.

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CLIENT REQUIREMENTS AND NOTES:

1) THE AFTER-HOURZ VEHICLE PACK IS REQUIRED ON YOUR MACHINE

This map requires that the server and any players have the After-Hourz vehicle pack on their machines. You can find the AHz vehicle pack at:

http://www.after-hourz.com/cod/BarbVehicles.php

If you have played maps like Ardennes 1944, Barbarossa or Smolensk then you will already have the necessary PK3 installed on your machine (z_ahz_vehicles.pk3).

2) If you encounter the "hunkmegs" error, use the following to increase your hunkmegs setting:

(press the tilde key "~")
Type this into the console: /seta com_hunkmegs "256"

------------------------------------------------------------

CREDITS:

The After-Hourz vehicles and the Conquest gametype were developed by the After-Hourz crew (and known associates). They are a great resource to the CoD:UO mapping community.

Slyk has been invaluable at answering technical questions that I've had for my first public mapping project. In addition, I've learned a lot about mapping and portalling by closely examining how Slyk constructed his Barbarossa and Smolensk maps.

A big thanks to everyone at {MOB} who were willing to help test the map when it was still in an unfinished state. Even though gametypes like HQ / BEL are not their favorite gametypes, they never complained but slogged through and helped me to find bugs, errors and gameplay issues. Without alpha testers, the map would never have been as balanced or fine-tuned as it is today.

TODO: Add "mention list" based on everyone who gave feedback / ideas in the alpha testing / preview threads.

------------------------------------------------------------
THIS MATERIAL IS NOT MADE OR SUPPORTED BY ACTIVISION.

END FILE

[Cpt.Canuck]

IT'S ABOUT TIME!

I hope to give 'er a go tonite Bob. Thanks!

[Lt. Buttfish]

Yeah, I checked it out. Awesome map, can't wait to play!

This post has been edited by Lt. Buttfish: 04/06/06 7:31pm

[Mr.Scruff]

Yeah, I checked it out. Awesome map, can't wait to play!

I want to check it out right now hopefully its still out for public

[ScrapyardBob]

Things we found tonight. Peak load was 15 or 16 players.

- A bit of server lag. I suspect that is because we're on a shared box. I'll try to monitor it, but it's something we'll probably have to put up with during alpha testing.

- Gamestate values... highwater mark was 26249 with 16 players (probably during a BAS round). Fifteen players was only 26171 gamestate.

- There's a bunkbed in the German spawn that players spawn inside of and get trapped during BAS. I will fix that for Friday. I also found 3 other spawn points that were inside of newly added detail.

- HQ spawns are not working properly. It's using spawn points that are not flagged as HQ. Also turned off sniper rifles during HQ rounds.

- Points per rank is not working properly... I'm researching this. It seems to be taking effect one round after it should.

[ScrapyardBob]

Other changes planned for v082:

- Fixed the spawn points that I know about which were inside of models or walls.

- Made the bomb triggers in the bottom of the bases larger.

- Changed the server to run a stock 10 points per rank until I figure out why points per rank isn't taking effect properly for the different gametypes.

- Fixed the issue where the HQ gametype was using spawns that weren't flagged for HQ. Spawns should now be closer to the action in the HQ gametype.

- Changes to the road at the Southwest Bridge. Some attempts at fixing broken road mesh. (Sections of road that exhibit the "pothole" effect.)

[Cross of Iron]

- Made the bomb triggers in the bottom of the bases larger.


- Fixed the issue where the HQ gametype was using spawns that weren't flagged for HQ. Spawns should now be closer to the action in the HQ gametype.

Cool map Bob ,had fun last nite with you ,silver etc.

Nice to see that we don`t have to run so far to get to HQ now.



This post has been edited by Cross of Iron: 04/07/06 4:18am

[ScrapyardBob]

'twas rather odd, the issue with HQ spawns. The BEL gametype *only* uses spawnpoints that are either not flagged with a game specific type along with spawnpoints that are flagged for BEL. (You can tag a spawnpoint as being available in just BEL, or tag it for multiple of the TDM-style gametypes.) However, when they (IW or GMI) wrote the HQ gametype, they set it up to also pull in TDM spawns that were flagged for TDM.

I had set up the edge spawns to be "BEL TDM" and the middle spawns to be "BEL HQ TDM". Which should have kept HQ using the middle spawns only. I had to change the edge spawns to just "BEL" to keep HQ from using them. Which is okay... I'm not really planning on TDM support in the map and if all of the TDM spawns are in the middle, so be it.

I know that's as clear as mud... but it's simply yet another bug with the HQ gametype where they did something inconsistently compared to the other gametypes.

[ScrapyardBob]

Other fixes / changes for v082 that I think I forgot to mention.

- Added (2) smoke grenade spawns to the German Ammo dump shelters during BAS. That will give germans the ability to put up additional smoke screens to help in breaking out of a spawn-rape situation. I may take these back out...

- Moved foliage and trees around in the German spawn area. This is a double-edged blessing for the Germans.

- Added a 3rd bunker (and moved 2 spawns from the Ammo shelters up to the new bunker) in the German Spawn. The new bunker has anti-tank ammo and is on the north side of the spawn area. This is probably the best fix as it gives another threat axis against any enemies in the spawn area.

- Added another anti-tank ammo box in the German spawn. This one is behind the walls surrounding the parked tanks.

I may have overthought the spawn rape situation... I'm sure Silver will tell me this weekend whether I made it too difficult. Last night, the Russians got 3 tanks into the German spawn area and proceeded to box us in the two ammo shelters. While not as bad as the situation gets on Barbarossa, it wasn't a cakewalk to break out of.

[Silver]

with the 3-4 spawn areas in the circle it will be hard to spawnkill for more then a minute. no one used the flanks to get out. you could have easly out flanked us... maybe remove the back wood were the tanks sit by the ammo dumps and bring up the tanks spawns to like 15 seconds like on barb and that will help. one question is why were the germans spawning at the spawn and not at one when we were in the spawn?

[Cpt.Canuck]

Had fun on the map for the first time last nite Bob. Thanks again for your hard work.

Glad to see you're open to changes/suggestions. Will your server 'always' be up now, during testing at least?

[ScrapyardBob]

one question is why were the germans spawning at the spawn and not at one when we were in the spawn?

Darned if I know... seriously... as near as I can figure, I have everything properly set for players to spawn inside of bases, yet they constantly spawn in the spawn area instead. I'll be taking another look at it. Has ANYONE managed to spawn inside base yet during Base Assault? (Bueller? Bueller?) Time to go look at Foy, Barbarossa and Smolensk again... I've read the BAS.GSC twice and haven't figured it out either.

Pretty sure I'll take the smoke grenades back out. You can still force Germans to spawn down in the ammo shelters if you position a pair of tanks directly between the (3) wooden bunkers (staying within 1000u of each bunker).

I could see what happens if tank respawn changes from 60 sec to 10 sec (the default).

I'll think about removing the back panel behind the tanks at the ammo shelters. Since I just added an ammo box behind that wall as well as some foliage bushes around that area, I'm waiting to see what happens.

On the upside, getting spawn raped in those ammo shelters was challenging and not overly frustrating. It took a bit of work to get rid of ya'll but it didn't feel like fish-in-a-barrel. We had places to run to. We weren't killed immediately as soon as we spawned. We had time to look around, spot the enemy, and attempt an action before dying.

Making it harder to spawn-rape that area also helps CNQ play (since the CNQ objectives path terminates in those ammo shelters).

...

Base Assault spawn logic tries to put you near teammates and away from enemies. But it only checks for enemies within 1000u of a spawn point. When the two russian tanks were sitting at the two German spawn bunkers (within grenade throwing distance), that's one reason the Germans spawned down in the ammo shelters. However, there's also a slight random adjustment to the spawn scoring so that sub-optimal spawn points can get selected in certain circumstances.

That's the other reason to add the 3rd bunker (closer to the spawn shelters then the two current bunkers). It increases the odds that the random adjustment value will cause the a spawn point away from the ammo shelters to be selected.

...

Most of these adjustments won't be seen until v083 (which will go up on the server this evening or maybe Saturday AM).

...

The server will always be 'open' now. We're in the 2nd phase of alpha testing, things are in good shape. There's really no major reason to keep it password protected. I've fixed enough glaring issues that I won't get deluged with questions during gameplay (ask the alpha testers what that first night was like).

I probably won't change any "gross" features (locations of bridges, roads, bases, pak guns) unless things are really whacked. There are a few bits of road that I plan on straightening out (the section of South Road east of the SE Bridge that is U-shaped). I wish the Russian side wasn't as wide open (IOW, all of the russian features I wish were about 2000-4000u farther west) but it's probably too late to change.

The major goal of alpha testing is to start testing game balance on a larger scale and to make sure that the map "works" and is enjoyable to play on. While that testing is going on, I'm able to go and fix all of the little detail things when I'm not adjusting game balance.

...

Did I mention lately how much the patch meshes are a thorn in my side? (All of the roads are patch meshes... that pothole effect is driving me up the wall.)

[Silver]

opening a base thingy (like you have at the ammo dumps) will slow the Spawn killing. dont open the back of the wood I forgot that you can access the side of the wood. no need then. the russian spawn can also be rocked, the major problem was that youset up after the s curve if you set up at the tank scrape b the village then it would have been an onslought. also look into putting a building and a tank scrape going to G1 (lil before it to give the germs a chance to defend that area. little defense over there.)

the problem you germs had was you had 3 people that knew some of the map on the russians and 1 on the germans.... Denver used the trails as well asI did on BEL which surprised me to sy the least. I didnt think that they would be found easly as they were.