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Beta Map [MAP]TE-Coldsteel

I did not want to post anything for a while but as stubborn as I'am I couldn't resist.

Since the map was released at 23 february I haven't a decent game on it. There are some servers running the map, but often you will find two or three human players and off course Fritz and Ivan. I don't know why these servers won't fill up, but it could be a combination of reasons.

Is it the weird redirect where you don't even get a notification that you are downloading custom content ? At least thats what I experience. Is it a lack of interest ? Or it's a ****ty map ? Or is it that RO HOS simply has such a low playercount that you can't fill that number of servers ? It's obvious the RO HOS Beta re release took way players who want to be involved in testing the Mamayev map.

In the releasepost I mentioned the problems some servers have with weird spawns and overheadmap, no artillery radios, and weird cover behaviour. While other servers not have issues at all and the map runs great with all working as should.

As far as I know I can't solve these problems as where should I start as the map works great on other servers. To me it would be better that servers with the mentioned problems remove the map. As its not ment to play like that.

My interest in doing more custom stuff for the game is gone and even polishing the Coldsteel map is not on top of my interest list anymore. Good thing spring is close and weather is getting better. So less time behind a screen will result in a nice tan.
 
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You better polish the map! It's a very very good concept for a map and it plays really good. I've only played it with 8 players max on the RGN server but it's the favorite on that server along with Arad 2. As to the empty server issue, I think the wonky redirect is to blame. There's the fact that the redirect sends the new map files to a cache (why??) instead of a permanent folder so players often have to download the map again when they try to play the next day. People who download and install the map from the forums don't have this problem but people are often too lazy or intimidated to get the files manually. Don't get discouraged! Beta 2 was a great improvement. Keep them coming!
 
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...Is it the weird redirect where you don't even get a notification that you are downloading custom content ? At least thats what I experience. Is it a lack of interest ? Or it's a ****ty map ? Or is it that RO HOS simply has such a low playercount that you can't fill that number of servers ? It's obvious the RO HOS Beta re release took way players who want to be involved in testing the Mamayev map...

It is a great map Drecks.

For the most part, I honestly believe it is the lower player count, and in some cases the players' mindset. In my opinion back in ROOST, there were more players and more of them were willing to test out the maps, any maps, as soon as they were out. That doesn't seem to be the case here with ROHOS.

With very, very few exceptions that I have seen, when I jump in a server with a beta map (or even the ROHOS beta lately) there are very few people playing it. Doesn't matter if its your map, someone elses or Mamayev. Most of the time there are few players on any of the maps. Overall, there just aren't enough players in ROHOS, let alone those that are interested in new maps.

This was probably my biggest worry with how ROHOS has turned out. The game just left too many not happy with how it turned out, either bugs or gameplay wise. Now many bugs are being fixed and gameplay improvements are coming out (RO-Classic?) but the playerbase has shrunk. This just leaves many those creating custom content asking, why bother?

The map is GREAT. I encourage you to finish it, but you have to do what you have to do.
 
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I will echo Mr Moe's sentiments and put a little more pressure on the good LordGleedo, whom has a cracker of an idea to expand his cache extractor to include a full blown map downloader, one that is external from any game server.

I think the guy has almost cracked it and if it works out like i hope it will, a lot more people will have easy access to custom maps and map makers like the good Drecks, who has poured both heart and soul into these fine works, will not be left feeling despondent.

So chin up Drecks because there is light at the end of the tunnel when LordGleedo brings us his advancement.

Also, any server admins that have a server redirect they are happy to let this cause use and you want to help LordGleedo's cache program, i think he is looking for more URLs to add to the system.

I think the way it works is you select what redirect server you want to connect to - so you might choose my one in Sydney, Australia or my other one in Texas, you then get to see what maps are on that server, from there you can download the maps and have them copied to the correct place in your steam folder.

Anyway that's how i think its supposed to work but I am sure LordGleedo will chime in at some point and defuse the excitement I am building because of this most fantastic idea.
 
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I'm one of the lucky few who has had almost no problem at all getting map download files. I like this map a lot, and would love to play it with more human players!

I would only suggest one slightly cosmetic change: - that the mapmaker place some more objects (piles of boxes would do) in the empty rooms of the main factory down the attacker's right flank.
 
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LordGleedo's cache extractor is all very good in theory,and probably in practise as well,but the problem is that the redirect system is broken,so it doesn't matter what redirect you connect to,you might still not get the files.

Yep. My app will only work for downloading from redirects up until the number of concurrent requests on that server gets hit, at which point it will timeout just like you sometimes see from in-game.

I don't not think my app will be the saviour of this game lol

I'm one of the lucky few who has had almost no problem at all getting map download files. I like this map a lot, and would love to play it with more human players!

I would only suggest one slightly cosmetic change: - that the mapmaker place some more objects (piles of boxes would do) in the empty rooms of the main factory down the attacker's right flank.


I have just put my main server into custom maps only mode, so coldsteel will rotate in after my map.

Enough people must have these maps downloaded by now! We will be on our server after work, so hopefully some people will join.

That being said, our server is either going to be reduced down to 32 slots at month end, or may even be removed completely. Just can't get the players on and 64 slot servers are not cheap (especially empty ones).
 
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Well isn't the fact we discuss a community members custom map tool to make
the use of custom maps easier so characteristic for the entire situation this
game is in right now. I have absolutely no knowledge about servers and
files, but why download them to a Cache ?
So if i understand correct a player connect to a server then download these files,
plays the map then decide not to play two days and connect to the server he will
download them again ???? Thats sounds wonky indeed. Same goes for the notification.

I noticed when I connected to a custom map server it felt like nothing happend for a while
and connecting failed then after a while all of a sudden it started to connect to the server.
I can understand an a player would think "oh connection failed lets pick another server"

I don't need or seek praises for the map. I need a game with a community which
handles all custom content as a real benefite. For now its a mess. There are
enoough posts on how things changed after a certain date. As an example.
Why Butovo and Ogledow didn't need that INT file ?
As far as I know these maps do not have that file and work correct.
Then other maps need an extra file to show the correct objective name...

Its pretty messy but perfectly fits in the games history. I had high hopes for the game and
despite the rough release enjoyed playing it. Upgraded my rigg to create custom content.
That part worked well. Distribute and play the bloody stuff is a just a disaster.
 
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I would think that the default for automatically clearing the cache files (maps from redirect) would be 30 days like in ROOST unless that was altered by the player somehow. In ROOST, that was done by altering the number from 30 to 0 which means keep indefinitely.

I have to say, I have yet to have a problem with redirect, but at some point I also manually download the maps.
 
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I would think that the default for automatically clearing the cache files (maps from redirect) would be 30 days like in ROOST unless that was altered by the player somehow. In ROOST, that was done by altering the number from 30 to 0 which means keep indefinitely.

I have to say, I have yet to have a problem with redirect, but at some point I also manually download the maps.

The other day i tried setting mine to 0 as a test,and had to redownload the map,so i would recommend setting it to 999,which seems to work at the moment,but only time will tell.
 
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LordGleedo's cache extractor is all very good in theory,and probably in practise as well,but the problem is that the redirect system is broken,so it doesn't matter what redirect you connect to,you might still not get the files.

Got to disagree with you here Major. Yep any system will struggle if there are bucket loads of download requests all at the same time but that is not likely to happen because the application lets people download maps whenever they want and not just when a map is playing on a server.


Further more, it will let people select what map redirect server they take the files from. So the more map redirects connected to the application, then the less load all round.

I have put my redirect in Australia on it as well as the one in Texas. If a few more get in touch with LordGleedo and get connected to the application the load will be shard even more.

So its a case of not funneling people to a redirect all at the same time, as is the case when downloading occurs through the game. Its a case of letting people arrive at the download application in their own time which will be spread over a 24 hour period.

You take a look at the download activity of a redirect server and you'll see spikes of activity around the time of map changes and they are at the times when the server is popular. The application will flatten that this out as people may download maps outside of the peak periods.

Well that's the theory anyway. Now we just need LordGleedo to come through with the goods. Boy I am putting some pressure in the guy !
 
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Well, full server tonight and great games! :D

Yep a full server and this server runs the map which all things work well. Thanks to Lord Gleedo who decided to make it the only map for the night to test. It was in rotation with other maps but after a mapchange redirect issues immidiatly caused in an empty server. He decided to make it the only map for the night to test. And helped seeding.
Finally played it with a serious number of humans. Which shows the weak and strong points. I noticed another nice thing. 60 people playing and I think I only seen 10 names which I recognize from these forums. :cool::cool::cool::cool:
 
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Yep a full server and this server runs the map which all things work well. Thanks to Lord Gleedo who decided to make it the only map for the night to test.

Well done Drecks and LG for last night. i think the map played really well. I know there were some concerns from some Axis players that the first spawn was too hard to cap - but I changed teams to Axis and no-one was talking, and they were not even using their Commander (smoke/ arty). Once we got communicating we took three caps in quick succession.

I don;t think the map needs changing at all. Teams will get walloped if they don't employ aggressive tactics.
 
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Well done Drecks and LG for last night. i think the map played really well. I know there were some concerns from some Axis players that the first spawn was too hard to cap - but I changed teams to Axis and no-one was talking, and they were not even using their Commander (smoke/ arty). Once we got communicating we took three caps in quick succession.

I don;t think the map needs changing at all. Teams will get walloped if they don't employ aggressive tactics.

Agreed - It was nice to actually speak to someone on voice comms for a change. I hate it when it's quiet and would rather not play the game without people communicating tbh.

Good playing/speaking with you guys last night and thanks for stopping by to help test :)
 
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In the first part, where the germans spawn in the north, they have lots off difficulty advancing over the open ground.

Germans could use somewhat more cover on the left and right flanks, especially on their left flank. When the germans achieve to reach the trenches it is allright, but to reach it, that is the hard part. Possible gamestopper there for the germans.

Or why not make a trench on that left flank leading to the above mentioned trench? Would lead to some enthralling situations!
 
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In the first part, where the germans spawn in the north, they have lots off difficulty advancing over the open ground.

Germans could use somewhat more cover on the left and right flanks, especially on their left flank. When the germans achieve to reach the trenches it is allright, but to reach it, that is the hard part. Possible gamestopper there for the germans.

Or why not make a trench on that left flank leading to the above mentioned trench? Would lead to some enthralling situations!

Agreed its challenging but that's what makes the map so good.
 
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