Hm, shame. Was too good to be true anyways
. Also, I think it's rather strange and confusing that there are apparently multiple variations on one name. That's just asking for problems imho.Destination: Custom Map
- Thread starter Six_Ten
- Start date
. Also, I think it's rather strange and confusing that there are apparently multiple variations on one name. That's just asking for problems imho.
'Destination Custom Map' , this appears to be still broken. How many more mappers need to leave until this gets fixed?
I would think that adding a Boolean to see if the map is stock would allow for user made entries if it came back false. If false then search the upk for a texture called "screenshot" and do a drawscreen into some border and replace the map name with text with the variable that is in the worldinfo.
If you wanted to get crazy, add a field in the worldinfo to place the texture file's name so it can be called anything and remain in the map package after a rebuild because it was referenced. If blank, then default to the generic image that is already displayed.
I'm sure it would take some work to implement, but that is what patches are for
Please please please!!!
I think this is still #1 on most of the LD's list, well, besides vehicles.
Like they said, and i've said many times, Please....But here is some more...
Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please
Like they said, and i've said many times, Please....But here is some more...
Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please
Iff you rename yours in "Operation Custom map" I will rename mine into "Operation Destination" Which rhymes well.
Hmmm I remember making a plea for an introductory map page tool quite a long time ago. Everyone seemed to think it was a great idea.
Now I run a separate .ini. file for each map. I no longer integrate any specific map info into ROGame.ini. But I'd give an arm just for a half-page text field that could be typed into a map.ini for Header and scenario description. This then would be displayed on screen. Coding-wise, to add a feature like this to be displayed on map load would be nothing much in terms of time or complexity.
The frustrating thing is, most of the code is there. It shouldn't even take long to implement/do. Not sure why they went the "custom loading screen" route? Maybe they don't wont mappers putting weird looking screenies for their map(s) loading screen, and ruining the image of the game. who knows.....
... Maybe they don't wont mappers putting weird looking screenies for their map(s) loading screen, and ruining the image of the game. who knows.....
I would hope Server Admins wouldn't run a map with a lude, misleading or offensive preview. The community is too small to accept joke maps.
Oh, lord. Anything like that would be a big no-no from my point of view.
If a server operator engaged in something like that I guess TWI could take away his ip ranking. But look, server operators could already be doing that foolishness with clan logos, but I haven't ever seen anything objectionable.
Very nice, but to propagate it through servers and down to the client machines is what needs to be fixed.
Think of the Unreal custom map scene if this feature was omitted... yea, bleak and barren. That single screenshot was the mapper's only chance to advertise their map.
And yes, I realize that a map with zero players doesn't require any advertisement. That is what "Destination Custom Map" does to servers, it puts up an add for... who knows?
If Television played an add like this, they could shut down and no one would miss that station. The viewers already learned to avoid that station FOREVER.
Well thats exactly what happend with custom maps in this game....
We only where to stubborn to quit it.
Too true. New content on regular intervals keeps players interested. Guess fixing this cart with only a few live horses left doesn't make any sense.
Continuing here in this thread for what was discussed/requested here. Don't want to bother the members with too many coding details.
I have been working on the mutator as requested by Wolverine (here) using this information. The basics are in place. The mutator will lookup the details of the current map and then replicates them to the clients. This is far from perfect because replication of strings is very game unfriendly (lag, stuttering). To improve I want to:
The chopping strings in chunks (as described at step 2) is required to prevent lag/stuttering. Not yet sure what to pick for the interval. Maybe 50% of the remaining map time / number of chunks.
The next time a player plays on a server that runs that map (even if it's running without the mutator), then the map details will be in ROGame.ini on teh players PC. If the map loads, then he will see the map details.
An open item is the mutator name. Any suggestions?
PS:
I will not add a web-admin settings page to this mutator, because I do not think such a page will be needed.
I have been working on the mutator as requested by Wolverine (here) using this information. The basics are in place. The mutator will lookup the details of the current map and then replicates them to the clients. This is far from perfect because replication of strings is very game unfriendly (lag, stuttering). To improve I want to:
- If a player connects to a server, then the client will look which map is being played and checks if it's present in his ROGame.ini file. If not, then it send a request to the server and continue at step 2.
If it already has the details, then it calculates a CRC and passes it to the server. If the CRC doesn't match with the CRC calculated by the server, then we also continue at step 2.
In all other cases we are done for this map. - Server will start to upload the details to the client. Sending them as strings will be painful, for that reason it will send them in chunks of 4 characters with a TBD interval.
The client collects all the strings and saves them to the ROGame.ini file as soon as all the details are received.
The chopping strings in chunks (as described at step 2) is required to prevent lag/stuttering. Not yet sure what to pick for the interval. Maybe 50% of the remaining map time / number of chunks.
The next time a player plays on a server that runs that map (even if it's running without the mutator), then the map details will be in ROGame.ini on teh players PC. If the map loads, then he will see the map details.
An open item is the mutator name. Any suggestions?
PS:
I will not add a web-admin settings page to this mutator, because I do not think such a page will be needed.
This will be truly awesome!
Manipulating ini's client side has always had it's drawbacks, primarily it was nearly never done by players. Hopefully, Your mutator will fill in the missing link, and be quickly white listed.
In the spirit of Six_Ten, "Destination: Custom Map" seems like a fitting name.
Now we will need something in the wiki so mappers can properly set up the preview and map ini.
Manipulating ini's client side has always had it's drawbacks, primarily it was nearly never done by players. Hopefully, Your mutator will fill in the missing link, and be quickly white listed.
In the spirit of Six_Ten, "Destination: Custom Map" seems like a fitting name.
Now we will need something in the wiki so mappers can properly set up the preview and map ini.
Yes,This is truly awesome. Thanks Ducky!
I've put together some info on how it worked with ut3. Maybe you can get something from it. Just some more info.
Ok here it goes......
1st, in ut3 every time you cooked your map, it created an .ini file for it with default info.
Like so, with your map name, and it add a default screenshot for the game prefix type. in the case being "DM" =DeathMatch
Default DM Screenshot.
Now in "Worldinfo" just like you pick between RS or RO2 map/game info, ut3 had the same thing.
WorldInfo
now as soon as you picked the map info, you'd get more info in properties, there you can add a screenshot and even add music you'd like for the map.
something like this.
Now there was a few ways of doing it. you could just import a screenshot of your map into your map package and use that, or using your textures you could make a little video slideshow using material set-up.
You can do something simple like this:
Or do the material set-up, like this:
The thing is, it didn't matter if you added the texture in "worldinfo", it wouldn't show up in game unless you added the info to the ini file. it was all ini driven.
Anyways, hopefully this can help you or give you some ideas. and i'll pm you the files. See if you can make anything of them.
Once again thank you for you help.
I've put together some info on how it worked with ut3. Maybe you can get something from it. Just some more info.
Ok here it goes......
1st, in ut3 every time you cooked your map, it created an .ini file for it with default info.
Like so, with your map name, and it add a default screenshot for the game prefix type. in the case being "DM" =DeathMatch
Code:
[DM-CBP3-Thor UTUIDataProvider_MapInfo]
MapName=DM-CBP3-Thor
FriendlyName=CBP3-Thor
PreviewImageMarkup=[COLOR=yellow]<Images:UI_FrontEnd_Art.GameTypes.DeathMatch>[/COLOR]
Description=NoneDefault DM Screenshot.
Spoiler!
Now in "Worldinfo" just like you pick between RS or RO2 map/game info, ut3 had the same thing.
WorldInfo
Spoiler!
now as soon as you picked the map info, you'd get more info in properties, there you can add a screenshot and even add music you'd like for the map.
something like this.
Spoiler!
Now there was a few ways of doing it. you could just import a screenshot of your map into your map package and use that, or using your textures you could make a little video slideshow using material set-up.
You can do something simple like this:
Code:
[CTF-(Vp)Acropolis UTUIDataProvider_MapInfo]
MapName=CTF-(Vp)Acropolis
FriendlyName=(Vp)Acropolis
PreviewImageMarkup=[COLOR=yellow]<Images:CTF-(Vp)Acropolis.acropolis>[/COLOR]
Description=
NumPlayers=2 to 16 players [URL="http://www.wolvy.net/"][COLOR=white]www.wolvy.net[/COLOR][/URL] Author: Wolverine
Spoiler!
Or do the material set-up, like this:
Code:
[DM-Lyncsis UTUIDataProvider_MapInfo]
MapName=DM-Lyncsis
FriendlyName=Lyncsis
PreviewImageMarkup=[COLOR=yellow]<Images:DM-Lyncsis.LyncsisLevelShot>[/COLOR]
Description=
NumPlayers=4 to 16 players [URL="http://www.wolvy.net"]www.wolvy.net[/URL] Author: Wolverine
Spoiler!
The thing is, it didn't matter if you added the texture in "worldinfo", it wouldn't show up in game unless you added the info to the ini file. it was all ini driven.
Anyways, hopefully this can help you or give you some ideas. and i'll pm you the files. See if you can make anything of them.
Once again thank you for you help.
Last edited:
Thanks for the details. I will continue with the replication model this weekend and keep you updated on the progression.