Author Topic: A simple server suggestion: a couple of bots on empty servers until players join  (Read 1169 times)

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Offline Snow

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Like the title says. I dunno server scripting yet so I don't know if this is possible or not, but it's still a suggestion and belongs here. I also don't know if there were servers that did this or if some script exists. If it does exist, just ignore then.

I just finished playing and I was looking through the server list and noticed that my favorite server was back online but empty. Sometimes, if I join it and goof off and wait, others start joining since they see someone playing. In the meantime however, there is nothing to do but wait, which is unattractive, and if all the servers I like are empty.. I don't want to sit there staring at a blank map. I usually quit Soldat and go do something else.

My suggestion is what if you have some bots occupying the server so that you have something to do while waiting. It helps brush up on skills. Sure you could go offline and play a bot battle and keep checking the server, but then you're not on the server and other people may not be joining since its empty.

When a player joins, a bot is removed. When the same number of players join as number of bots OR a certain number of players join - such as 3, all the bots are removed and do not return until the server is completely empty again. This way if the number goes down, you don't have a bot reappearing and being in everyones way.

I wouldn't mind duking it out with bots for a while until enough players join. You could have it so that bot kills aren't counted within your ratio... as in getting killed by bots isn't going to effect your record on the server, they're just practice.
"Evil will always triumph, because Good is dumb." - Dark Helmet

Offline jrgp

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This is extremely easily implemented in scripting and is done often enough that adding it to the core functionality would be an epic waste of time imho.
There are other worlds than these

Offline chutem

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!Legends Public inf does this, if it is within a suitable ping, you could play there, it gets quite a lot of players too.
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Offline Snow

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Well, scripting is what I mean't. It's a server suggestion, not a suggestion to be implemented within the engine. Since this section is about improving soldat - this is meant holistically. If players stay on servers longer and wait a bit longer, perhaps it might help populating servers a bit more, thereby improving the empty server situation.

!Legends Public inf does this, if it is within a suitable ping, you could play there, it gets quite a lot of players too.

I'll check it out and see. Since I'm in Calgary, some servers are great but most have high ping.
« Last Edit: December 02, 2010, 09:21:40 pm by Snow »
"Evil will always triumph, because Good is dumb." - Dark Helmet

Offline VirtualTT

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This was implemented long time ago, there are several public scripts for this purpose. For example BotKeeper.

Offline thegrandmaster

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Frosty's gather does this... his server seems to be a zombie-esque CTF - great fun just to join and have opposition appear.
I like the idea, though it is up to the people hosting the server to do this - so I don't think it should be implemented directly into soldat itself.
ohgodwhydidInamemyselfthis. Just call me Grandy.