Soldat 1.5.0 Preview

[Snow]

I was just thinking. If in the chat, someone posts a malicious site, why not have a much more serious ban in store for them that what usually happens on a server. Usually on a server, one my get vote kicked. If an admin is there, they may be banned longer or in the most extreme case permabanned... but only from that one server. If someone was being an asshat in the chat.. ban them from the lobby for either a period of time, or permanently. I know this was suggested in the suggestion thread and I have no idea how hard it is. However, if someone is right there with malicious intent, getting rid of them is a favor to all server operators and all legitimate players.

But, if this is hard to code, this may not be possible for a while, so what could be done is this:

Asshat posts something bad in chat. An admin gives asshat a swift boot out of chat. Depending on severity what asshat did, that same admin then sends out a quick PM to other admins and known server operators that are online. They block asshats ip (for the same amount of time) before asshat tries to get on any of their servers. Not as affective as the first suggestion, but would still put a damper on asshats game. The servers asshat may have wanted to join may be locked out.

To help make sure that, asshat gets locked out of as many servers as possible. Have a bulletin/mini messageboard that pops up only for admins and server operators to see, which lists idiots (with ips if necessary) to watch out for or ban on sight.

This is easily possible. As said though, not as affective, but, if the consequences are beyond just getting booted from a chat channel that a server one was about to join may also be locked out, I think some idiots would think twice about breaking the rules in chat. Then again.. let's hope they don't think twice.

[Shadow G-Unit]

Lets see what it can do first. EnEsCe, can I get some kind of credit for the Lobby Chat thing, though? It seems pretty good right now, but that's one thing I would like though if I was the first one to suggest it PUBLICLY.

[Clawbug]

Really, EnEsCe & MM, why couldn't you just make 1.4.3 to fix the minor flaws and maps, and add the new WM?

Nevermind. Its too late now. We'll see how the 1.5 beta will work.

It won't.

The chat will just fail. People spread hacks with it, no one is going to just sit there and watch if someone breaks the rules etc.

Alot of unnecessary stuff, like Lobby chat has been added, while the whole game is already completely crippled. I'd understand IF there was this 1.4.3 to fix maps etc, but no. Instead cripple everything else also.

I wonder when there is a rule which forbids criticizing Soldat, wouldn't be surprised it there was one.

[EnEsCe]

EnEsCe, can I get some kind of credit for the Lobby Chat thing, though?

What? It wasn't your idea, it has been discussed for years. Way back to the old Snitz forum. No single person is ever going to get credited for any feature in Soldat, it's just silly.

Clawbug your not displaying the right attitude or qualities for a beta tester, your making me doubt your reliability in that department...

[L[0ne]R]

EnEsCe, can I get some kind of credit for the Lobby Chat thing, though?

Clawbug your not displaying the right attitude or qualities for a beta tester, your making me doubt your reliability in that department...

Clawbug's got a point, even though he sounds quite pessimistic.
The fact that he's a beta tester doesn't necessarily make it mean that he's not reliable. Maybe the issues he mentioned are just something more than what an ordinary user can whine about.
I don't know what's really going on with soldat development, so I can't say much. Maybe Clawbug doesn't know too(from what I know, most beta testers don't even know a lot about it either).
But to be honest, I too have no idea why is it taking so long to make an installer. New version can be just put in a zip.. at least all the previous versions have worked fine even though I moved it around from one computer to another.

Don't misunderstand, I'm not trying to say "hurry up and release it already you slacker", take your time if you need to. But it'd be much easier for us if we were at least better informed about what's going on, so that there wouldnt be as much complaining on that topic.








I sound like a nerd preacher again, am I? >_<

[Clawbug]

Clawbug your not displaying the right attitude or qualities for a beta tester, your making me doubt your reliability in that department...

And since when you haven't been doubting that? Let me quote you.

Clawbug is a prick, bad choice.

Theres been alot of delays for 1.4.3. I'd have no problem with 1.5 etc. if there was 1.4.3 to fix maps etc. All I(and quite much the rest of the clan scene) have wanted is a working version with new WM. As you know, new versions cripple quite much every working hack, wasting hackers time and resources. Thats why I am all against these kinds of releases. Shorter release cycle would work very much better.

For example these two cases. 1.4.3 and now 1.5 open beta + installer. We are delayed because of what? An installer? Still no one has answered me why there was no 1.4.3, everything was set, MM was about to release 1.4.3, but nothing happened.

It feels that I am really the only one critizing this, maybe due to the fact that mostly public doesn't know about the fact that for example. 1.4.3 was supposed to be a bugfix release.

This is not the first time I whine about this "going to be a bugfix.. no.. BLOAT"-version fiasco. I've been talking about it ever since 1.3 came out.

[boer]

This happens every time. Such a topic should be created at most a week before the actual release. And only when its release-able. If additional work gets done it should go into the next version, and not the version to be released.

[Sauron]

Soldat Installer is a free installer for Windows programs.Easy to use and can be downloaded here:
http://www.jrsoftware.org/isinfo.php


Will be released Soldat Server 2.6.4 too for testing?

[Achi113s]

Everyone should just do what I do i.m.o... play the new soldat releases until they get old and all the bugs become waaay too obvious, then move onto other games until all their bugs become waaay too obvious, then begin the cycle anew.

Problem solved.

[Dusty]

I'll have to admit that Clawbug has some point there.

From non-public player's point view new features like ActionSnap, lobby chat, exploding heads and the animated gifs are rather useless. Of course there are some new useful features like the clock in the game, but if I was someone who ran this project, I'd focus on the gameplay and leave adding new shiny things to the future, when the gameplay is "mostly done."

[Snow]

I'll have to admit that Clawbug has some point there.

From non-public's player point view new features like ActionSnap, lobby chat, exploding heads and the animated gifs are rather useless. Of course there are some new useful features like the clock in the game, but if I was someone who ran this project, I'd focus on the gameplay and leave adding new shiny things to the future, when the gameplay is "mostly done."

I just want to note that animated gifs CAN be useful if you use them in a smart way. If you have animated waving grass in a camping spot, it may give you an extra chance of seeing someone camping there.

They could be possibly used for hiding spots, for instance a flickering light. When the light goes out for a short period of time, the area could be dark (a mask), when it turns on (no mask), you can see someone standing underneath the light or in the light. Kinda hard to explain if you can't seen an example. Gifs can have transparency in them, so some frames can be transparent or semi-transparent, others opaque.

The problem with this though... animated scenery will be clientside like regular scenery. There is no control over timing.. though timing controls could possibly be implemented on a server later (I asked EnEsCe about it). Those who start on a server at different times will initialize the map at different times. Once a map is loaded the gif cycle starts on the first frame. It's pretty much impossible to get everyone's animated scenery to start on the first frames at the same time. Therefore if you wanted to use animated scenery as an element for the purpose of stealth, it would be rendered useless. Referring to the light example for instance... the light would be "on" for one player, but "off" for another.

One possible way that one could get that light example to work is if one used a script for rounds. A late joiner would have to wait until a current round is over. When a new round starts, the map is reinitialized for all players. Those with higher ping will start later, but their animated scenery may only be one frame behind since Gifs animate a lot slower online in a game. Although, in some case that is probably fps limit.

Remember, it's just an example (and very rough idea) of implementation of useful animated scenery. So if a map designer is smart, there are several ways of using gifs to a maps advantage of either the maps purpose (in the case of the light - an element of stealth) or as clever ways that mildly affect gameplay. A small building could have a flashing neon sign that could be distracting, etc.

It's a new element - new type of scenery. Try it out.

[As de Espada]

- Added Animated GIF Scenery (You can disable the animations by unchecking 'Animated Scenery' in Config.exe)

that would ruin all the gameplay usefull gifs idea

[Snow]

- Added Animated GIF Scenery (You can disable the animations by unchecking 'Animated Scenery' in Config.exe)

that would ruin all the gameplay usefull gifs idea

>.< Yeah, forgot about that one. I forgot to explain how to somewhat get around that. >.< Thanks for pointing that out Espada. Sometimes, just sometimes, I forget small little GIGANTIC details like that. I guess it must be some of that gamma radiation spilling up from the radiography labs down below killing off my brain cells. Damn, building contractors... skimping on the lead shielding. Anyways...

In the case of using animated sceneries for stealth - the light example - the first frame would be 'off' - opaque. EnEsCe said that, if AS is turned off, the scenery is of course, still there, but frozen on the first frame. That way, the only way you can see someone standing under that light, is if you have AS turned on. Otherwise, you'd better have good ears. You could still use the waving grass too for instance, just that the grass is frozen on the first frame so it looks like all other scenery. So... what I mean by useful gifs is make gifs somewhat important. If having animated scenery turned on allows you to spot a camper a bit better, it helps. If you want to catch someone sneaking around in a dark area, again, if you have something like my example, it helps. Light turns "on" - gif goes to transparent frame - you catch a glimpse of a noob hiding there. BANG

Um... and scratch the neon sign thing though... that one is useless . It would be more distracting to you, instead of your opponent.

It also, may and just may (I really don't know at this point how much is possible with scripting and with Soldat's code - to the point that it doesn't have to be completely overhauled just to implement a small option) be possible to have a server that you can only join if you have AS turned on. That way, if you want to play on a server that has maps that utilize AS, you have to have the option turned on, otherwise your simply blocked. Of course, that is just adding one more extra thing to Soldat, which already has a lot of options for play and servers.

[Katelyn]

Please fix the huge bounce in Nuubia.

[Scarab]

I don't think it's Soldat.

I think it's just the map

[Ziem]

Katelyn - this map bug is already fixed (afaik).

[Clawbug]

Maps were fixed few days after 1.4.2 released, if not the same day. However, as I said before, there was going to be a version 1.4.3 to fix bugs and few other minor annoyances which got never released. Nowadays that(bloated) release is known as 1.5. This is what I hate the most in Soldat.

[EnEsCe]

Would you quit your bitching? Its contributing NOTHING to this topic. In fact, its contributing nothing to anything.

[EnEsCe]

Closing thread - Dragged on long enough.

If anyone has questions/comments etc for Soldat 1.5, feel free to PM me.

[EnEsCe]

All questions that have been PM'd to me frequently will be added to the topic located here:

http://forums.soldat.pl/index.php?topic=28313

(So please don't hesitate asking a question)