Coldsteel beta 8

[Piscator]

@Mord

I had the problem and even deleting the cache did not help it just kept crashing, oddly enough I could sometimes play 5 mins or so. I deleted everything and reinstalled the game but I doubt many people are willing to do so esp. the ones with limited download bandwidth and amounts. Are we trying again this week. The custom maps are great but the technical difficulties are killing them! TWI HELP US PLEASE!

@Drecks
let us hope that day never comes when shoe shopping is being preferred...

@Mike
is it just you seeing the red screens, still have not seen that. Maybe an ophtalmologist knows what to do ! Just kidding but none of us is getting younger...

[Mike_Nomad]

Originally Posted by Piscator

------ snip ------

@Mike
is it just you seeing the red screens, still have not seen that. Maybe an ophtalmologist knows what to do ! Just kidding but none of us is getting younger...

True, we aren't getting any younger.

Trouble is, some of us never see the real things in life due to not looking past our noses.

Truth is, you will see those RED SCREENS sooner or later...

Don't forget; "He who laughs last - Laughs best!"

[jolorulz]

Is there any possibility that I can download this outside of the map-change sequence? I never seem able to finish downloading it through there. By the time I get to 80% or so, the map changes and I get kicked.

[Mike_Nomad]

Originally Posted by jolorulz

Is there any possibility that I can download this outside of the map-change sequence? I never seem able to finish downloading it through there. By the time I get to 80% or so, the map changes and I get kicked.

Try Gleedo's: RO2 Cache Extractor and Map Downloader v1.2

[Cultivator]

I think the problem is, that there are 3 folders where the files can be installed to. Main Ro2 mapsfolder , Mygames/Ro2/Cache folder and Mygames/Ro2/published/maps folder. And if there is an old version somwhere it will crash.

[pipi long stocking]

I used to do mapping with the Call of Duty Radiant mapping tools. And the problem stated here was the same. I know some of the coding/script commands are different, but the concept is still the same(i.e. brushes, meshes, fx, skins, textures, cylinders. patches, lighting, vertices etc)

My solution was always to give the map a goofy internal tester name (and all it's associated files) such as "crapmap_beta_1". This is for your own testing. I would personally go prone the whole map for hours , to find overlapping/missing or textures where you could see through to the skybox. I would not even show anyone the map without doing this first. or with a very closed group of testers i.e. friends/fellow clan guys.

Once it would get on the actual test server, it would have a more generic name such as
"forest_outskirts_map" and once all the kinks/glitches were worked out, it would be given it's proper name. example "mp_brjansk" , and that would be the final version, then Released for general gameplay on ALL servers.

Suggestions that worked for me and other mappers:
1- Effects/Scripting i.e. fire, smoke, snowfall, rain , were generally kept off the betas. Reason: maps reference these script files and if they're similarly named it might try to "Access" these scripts from a previous iteration of the map on a player's pc or the server itself. Plus, while testing all these effects get "oohs and ahs" but generally are not needed other than to give a map "feel" and "ambience".

2- Give all scripts unique names such as "crapmap_beta_1_snowfx" and change every single time the map name changes. change map/script names often (hard to keep track of, but you're making a pro map anyways and comes with the territory)

3- Test with only closed groups. Get a clan/group to host the server, use a password if possible, lock server if possible. Instruct clan members/group on how to delete/copy map files from the RO2 folder. Reason: you don't want glitchy/crashing maps to get out into the game's general population. You would think that most people have the common knowledge of how to remove/add custom maps/mods from their pcs. But the reality is, a good percentage are foreign/casual players who don't know how to get into game directories or there is a language barrier. So you get all these people with a corrupt map, and they're never going to be able to play the new "fixed" version for reasons listed above.

On any given map we made, it would have a total of about 7 map names

Internal: map was deleted immediately after issues were found-Never released to general public
crapmap_beta_1 (check out my new map, it's so kewl phase)
crapmap_beta_2 (damn it has alllooooot of glitches, i'll work on those)
crapmap_beta_final (fixed most of the glitches, on to major gameplay, I think this team should spawn here, this should go here, delete that, phase of map)

Server (Test/Clan) map was deleted immediately by testers/clan-never released to general public
forest_outskirts_1 minor glitches, gameplay issues still present, but nothing that requires remaking the whole map, adding heavy eye candy, models, bricks , debris etc
forest_outskirts_2 around here, is where the scripts/effects were added
forest_outskirts_final final iteration of map "final test" phase, technically there shouldn't be any game breaking "omg i get stuck here, or cant do this" type of issues anymore.

General Release: the redirect/server download version
mp_ardennes_1944 (leftover minor cosmetic glitches are not worth a general re-release/risk , and are generally indistinguishable from Stock maps, as a mapper, I've seen all of TWI's/Activision's glitches that are very fixable but they probably don't fix them because of above compatibility/crash issues of having to many maps with the same names)

There's absolutely NO REASON(other than pure energy and excitement about a map) that a map should get out with a _beta attached to it's name. Good things come to those who wait.

Just my 2 cents worth. Don't hate me It just seems the maps are getting released too soon in alot of cases.

[Drecks]

Good post the only problem was internal testing was a ***** cause of other
issue which have been solved with the GOTY release.
Here I mean the No radio,spawn and covernode issues.

Funny you named one of my very first Medal of Honor map "mp_ardennes_1944"

http://www.gulfcoastcommandos.com/Cu...dennes1944.jpg

I would love to test the crap out of a map before its release and I used to do that
back in the Call of Duty days. Its a pity the reality with this game is different.

[pipi long stocking]

Originally Posted by Drecks

Good post the only problem was internal testing was a ***** cause of other
issue which have been solved with the GOTY release.
Here I mean the No radio,spawn and covernode issues.

Funny you named one of my very first Medal of Honor map "mp_ardennes_1944"

http://www.gulfcoastcommandos.com/Cu...dennes1944.jpg

I would love to test the crap out of a map before its release and I used to do that
back in the Call of Duty days. Its a pity the reality with this game is different.

I remember ardennes 44 from COD/United Offensive with the custom tank destroyers and all that. I love After-HOurz maps! We hosted alot of your maps on our server.

I havent made a RO2 map, I would love to , but the editor keeps crashing in the content browser. And none of the fixes suggested on the forum have worked I had to uninstall Ro2 SDK and just be a player lol

What, may I ask is the main reason you can't test the map extensively? Is there no way to start the map on your home pc and run around in it?
I'm sorry I havent mapped in UDK/SDK, only radiant. And I remember for call of duty it was quite easy to start a listen server, or your own low slot password protected. dedicated server.

Maybe try to convince TWI to set up a mapper's only server. And Recruit only testers that know all about deleting maps and files. Maybe change a TWI DEVS server to custom map testing server with a password. That way Gleedo, yourself and anyone else, can test with other mappers and expert testers. I'll gladly volunteer for testing as I used to map quite a bit.

TWI, any input or Ideas on this?

[Sensemann]

Originally Posted by pipi long stocking

Just my 2 cents worth. Don't hate me It just seems the maps are getting released too soon in alot of cases.

Really liked your post. VERY Informative! Kudos to you and one question: Can we assume that you are working on a RO 2 map as well?

[Drecks]

You those where the days with the Jagdpanzer....

You can test on your local pc with bots but they not really play like real humans. I would love to have a server with 32 dedicated testplayers.
Man that would get things running. As now its more have a testsession pubs join and then obeserve how gameplay runs. Meanwhile one have to filter the comments people give during gameplay which goes from "This cover setup sucks" to "Paris Hilton needs bigger tits"

Sensemann how did the CD version plays ?

[Six_Ten]

Originally Posted by pipi long stocking

What, may I ask is the main reason you can't test the map extensively? Is there no way to start the map on your home pc and run around in it?

The point to having many average players test the map is to actually test the map in ways that I nor other mappers will think of; if there's a way to break it they will find it. You can't do that with just a small group (and it really is a very small group) of experts.

[Six_Ten]

Originally Posted by Drecks

Meanwhile one have to filter the comments people give during gameplay which goes from "This cover setup sucks" to "Paris Hilton needs bigger tits"

Those comments are annoying but sometimes useful for improving the map as well as Paris' body XD

[Drecks]

Originally Posted by Six_Ten

Those comments are annoying but sometimes useful for improving the map as well as Paris' body XD

Thats why we need to filter the comments. Lots of good comments also. So thats good.
It goes inbetween the "This sucks" and Mrs Hiltons tits.

[Six_Ten]

Originally Posted by Drecks

Thats why we need to filter the comments. Lots of good comments also. So thats good.
It goes inbetween the "This sucks" and Mrs Hiltons tits.

Nah, I'm for all the comments. They're inspirational. I usually tell them to post in the map thread to make the to-do list, and once they have to put them in writing they're more practical. Besides, I like to know who the morons are so its easiest to let them self-identify.

[Ducky]

Both the Coldsteel beta 8 and the Cold steel beta 8 threads are now merged into one thread.

[k9mike]

I tried everything...an it still crashes. I am not uninstallng just for this map. I have not had any probs with the other new maps...just this one. Is there a seperate website where the map can be found an DL an loaded manually?

[Cwivey]

Originally Posted by k9mike

I tried everything...an it still crashes. I am not uninstallng just for this map. I have not had any probs with the other new maps...just this one. Is there a seperate website where the map can be found an DL an loaded manually?

You did delete previous versions AS WELL AS the prop packs that were downloaded for the Map right?

[r5cya]

Originally Posted by k9mike

I tried everything...an it still crashes. I am not uninstallng just for this map. I have not had any probs with the other new maps...just this one. Is there a seperate website where the map can be found an DL an loaded manually?

a seperate website to download the map isn't going to help you get rid of the old one on your computer. you must still have old files there.
you can download it here. http://forums.tripwireinteractive.co...ad.php?t=76004 straight from the maker. but i bet you still have problems with old files.

[Sensemann]

Hey Drecks,

Just to let you know. I tried to test the countdown version yesterday as I downloaded beta 8 through the 2.Fjg redirect. I connect, see the map loading and then RO game crashes...

I deleted all former Coldsteel versions (all 7 of them were still in my folder) but loading still failed.

Since I didn't have time to play anymore, I quit. What I will do tomorrow (again no time today) is to delete beta 8 and try to install the map via LordGleedo's downloading program. Hope it works then.

By the way: When the server switched to Coldsteel, player number went down from 62 to 13, so I assume that many people had the problem with the redirect. This is harming custom maps a lot I would assume!

[k9mike]

Originally Posted by Cwivey

You did delete previous versions AS WELL AS the prop packs that were downloaded for the Map right?

I think so...I found some prop in there and deleted. I will try and DL from link and see what happens. Thx