ATAG server question

[Mr Greezy]

Hey all!

Just a proposition for the ATAG guys if it's not already underway now. Is there a night that starts a certain time where there's a certain scenario played out?

To keep things relatively simple and no need to join any type of squadron or anything, perhaps there could be something like every Monday at 7PM PST (or whatever) there's a mission/scenario with objectives and sides and roles and everything. I feel like I read a post somewhere in SimHQ that this happened once -- I missed it obviously.

The goal wouldn't be to constantly create elaborate missions for every week (that's too taxing on missions creators and usually ends up FUBAR'ing), merely just a handful of scenarios that could be replayed often...even just one. Even as basic as a fighter sweep. In reality, there doesn't need to even be an objective, because my impetus for suggesting this (and again, my apologies if something like this already exists) is to have a set weekly time and place for pilots to gather so that they know there will be a larger amount of other pilots to fly with.

Granted, it would be cool if there were more organization in terms of sides and objectives, but considering all the elements that need to come together for that to work (scheduling, turn out, mission building) I was thinking that might be the next step should things go well with just a "weekly Flight Night" type of thing.

Usually there's pretty good numbers on the ATAG server so please don't take this as any type of criticism. Merely a suggestion. I guess I'm just talking about building a weekly community event so that people can schedule it in and fly with decent numbers.

If this appeals to you I'll volunteer to help organize and promote it. I can't build missions or anything but I'll help spread the word. Message me or respond to this, and by all means if this already exists let me know

S! Great server. I've been away for a bit but I'm coming back in February! Yay!

[SEE]

Just in case you are unaware of the recent changes on ATAG server 1, each side has three primary objectives - once a side has succesfully completed all three, the mission ends with that team getting the honours and the same mission then re-starts at the beginning. It is available 24/7 so to speak.

The secondary objectives - intercept/escort AI Bomber formations remain but have no part in determining the succes or failure of the mission - only the primary objectives control success/failure.

Naturally, it isn't always the case that all players focus on the primary objectives with AI bombers and DF players but, at peak times, there will be quite a few who join up on TS and focus purely on the primary objectives which require both defense and Attack of key targets.

I assume what you are asking for is a set start time that all players can organise themselves to join in. Maybe server 2 could be set for something like that - which I think was its original purpose.

[Bewolf]

Just curious, but is the engine by now capable to run different missions in succession? Means, once one side completed all objectives, another set of mission is loaded based on the results of the first? It would be nice to have a bit of fluctuation because the same mission all over becomes pretty boring pretty fast once you figured out how to do those attacks and what targets to destroy. Maybe even give the side that won the first set of missions some kind of advntage to make sure ppl really feel the need to destroy those targets. Dunno if that is possible and even if, how much work it is to implement, but it's a suggestions.

[Mr Greezy]

All I'm suggesting is a slightly more organized version of what's there.

I think what is set up there is great, it's just with a handful of people, all logging in and off at different times, it's hard to get a sense of "mission accomplished" or "mission failed" for that matter.

What I'm proposing can utilize, to a T, the very scenario(s) that you've already got in place. It's just, let's say, there's an official time where it starts and ends every week, perhaps even with stats recording (unless the current game state makes that too difficult) that will encourage players to maybe treat the rest of the week like fun, training, and just messing around, with this one two-to-three hour period every Monday (or Tuesday, or whatever) being "official".

I'm taking a page from what they do over at SimHQ with their Military Mondays or Tactical Thursdays for ARMA 2. It's a time and a place where it's a little bit more official. The rest of the week is practice, but (for example) every Monday at 7 is game day. The goal at least initially is to keep things relatively simple, which is why I like the idea of using the existing scenario you've already got, and should the response be great, it can evolve into more lofty ideas (like some kind of PVP campaign).

But right now it would be wise to stick to basics -- a time and a place and a goal that doesn't stretch the limits of the game's programming. As I said, I'd be happy to help organize, but I would obviously need to be in touch with the ATAG people and have everyone's blessings. If it's to be official, it needs to be "league sanctioned" as it were.

The game plan would be simple. Make a little e-flyer, make a post, get people to spread the word, have a start time as well as an earlier "show up" time so that people can get organized and briefed, have at it, see how it goes, adjust, repeat, try and build a "scene".

[SEE]

Your probably better posting your ideas/requests on the ATAG forum (though Bliss does read posts regarding Server missions in this forum).

Server two could probably host a specific timed event without disrupting the server one cycle. I am sure Bliss will reply to your request and ideas.

The only reason I mentioned the details in my post was that I come across a lot of players (who are new to ATAG server one) and not sure of the mission objectives and how they influence the premature end of the current mission - especially during the day time when the server can be quiet and they feel more comfortable having a go in MP for the first time.

I think it would be great for a timed event similar to that on server 1 - i am up for that if it happens for sure!

[ATAG_Dutch]

Originally Posted by Mr Greezy

As I said, I'd be happy to help organize, but I would obviously need to be in touch with the ATAG people and have everyone's blessings. If it's to be official, it needs to be "league sanctioned" as it were.

Hi Mr Greezy!
The current mission on server 1 at ATAG begins again after about 5 hours or so, but usually finishes well before that time if either side accomplishes it's objectives, then re-starts again.

I understand what you mean about start and finish times, but of course it's a little difficult when players come from literally all over the world, with all the time zone implications which go with this.

Please feel free to join ATAG's forum, and make your feelings and recommendations known here;

http://theairtacticalassaultgroup.com/forum/forum.php

Look forward to seeing you there.

Cheers!

[Mr Greezy]

Cool beans. Done and done. Here's the thread on the ATAG forum for anyone interested...

http://theairtacticalassaultgroup.co...=7170#post7170

[ATAG_Bliss]

Well,

I'd love to have more missions up and even get some coordination going on, but the problems with the game limit what we can do. You fly in formation with twin engine planes you're likely to get a launcher crash within 20 minutes - single engine planes are much better for some reason. Then you have the launcher crash problem itself. This limits the distance (realistic flight times) that I would love to have for missions. So the best spot on the map, mission-wise, using the full channel map, is where it's closest between England and France. Anything doubling the flight times will lead to many people wasting a flight just to finally crash.

As far as server rotations go, we used to do that, but soon found out that if the server doesn't cycle every so often - (in other words completely shut down and restart) - that there will be people that can never connect due to steam errors. Willie has released a server commander similar to a beta state of FBDj, but that won't shut the server down, so attached below is prime example of why the server has to be restarted every so often. To give you an idea of what I'm talking about, you'll notice what I have circled. This (null) is actually a player that tried to join the spits server and failed steam auth. Almost 11 hours later his instance of failing steam is still in the server cache/stats listing. This means that whoever that player is will never be able to join that particular server until the server/steam is completely shut down and restarted.



With that said, to avoid these types of issues we've had to create tools that will automatically shut down the server, shut down steam, restart the server, restart steam, watch for steam disconnects, watch for steam server shut downs, and perform a variety of tasks based on which one of those items fail. So lets say noone gets the objectives in the mission window (time limit) and the match ends in a tie, we use scripts to start our mission end cycle which will start the actually server rotation cycle 2 minutes later. For instance:

 
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////Snippit///////////////////////

{
            GamePlay.gpLogServer(null, "The match ends in a tie!  Objectives still left for both sides!!!", new object[] { });
            GamePlay.gpHUDLogCenter("The match ends in a tie! Objectives still left for both sides!!!");
            Timeout(10, () =>
            GamePlay.gpLogServer(null, "Mission is restarting soon!!!", new object[] { }));
            GamePlay.gpHUDLogCenter("Mission is restarting soon!!!");
            Timeout(10, () =>
            Process.Start(@"C:\Users\Administrator\Desktop\ATAG_Server\W_O-Hyperlobby\Server_Cycle.exe"));

So if red wins, blue wins, or the mission ends in a tie - the same process is started. In saying that, it is possible to have the process start another mission based on a red wins, blue wins, tie scenario and then go to another based on the outcome of that one, etc., etc., but it will take a whole bunch of coding and testing to get all our ducks in a row to have it work right in process with each other. Rotating missions how the game was intended (such as willie's server commander) is great, but having 20+ people not being able to join in a 24 hour window because of auth errors is a much worse situation. I've actually seen 30 (null) errors within 24 hours before. That would be 30 people not able to ever join the server it was created on.

It has taken a massive effort by us simply to keep the server up 24/7 based on the state of the game and steam issues. There's more coding in the tools just to make the server work than in the mission themselves. I do want to make a few scenarios like you suggest - IE..-reds win so the front lines move, the blues get pushed back etc.,etc or vice versa if blues win, kinda like a static MP campaign that changes based on who wins the mission, but I've been a little busy as of late. And having the FMB launcher crash on you after 2 hours of work just makes you have to walk away from it for a bit. But please realize we do things a certain way for a reason. We started when the game came out, and after literally thousands of hours amongst us in testing, building, trying, etc., for all this time, we have a really good understanding of what will work and what won't. I don't think many people realize some of the frustrations it's taken us just to try to have a server....work..

Anyhow, more will definitely come, but the games gotta get there as well

[Mr Greezy]

Holy smokes! I had no idea that a) it was so unstable, and b) the amount of work you guys have put in to make it all playable!

MASSIVE kudos to you and the ATAG crew. Wow.

Ok, maybe something a bit more casual.

What about, for now, simply a set time each week that people try to make? Yes, people are on here and there throughout the week, but if we tried something like Monday Night Flight Night (6PM PST -- the Europeans can mirror this with another time that suits them) every week on the ATAG server just simply to boost numbers -- something a little more coordinated that people can attend, we might just have one night with decent numbers. I'm sure there will be server resets and all kinds of weirdness so we won't keep track of mission successes and failures, it's mainly just a free flight with boosted numbers because there's a so-called "meeting time". Almost like a virtual pilot's social club. Maybe do a mailing list or something, or just create a forum channel for it. Then, when the game catches up, we can expand it a little to include organized scenarios, teams, virtual fronts, all that stuff (most likely in the year 2031, I'm sure).

Or maybe Sundays at 11 AM PST (which I think is 7PM GMT) to include the Europeans as well. It kind of shoots my day a bit, but if people are into it and we get good numbers I don't mind -- I'd probably be playing video games any way.

You tell me though, if it's going to be a headache it's not worth it.

[Ataros]

Originally Posted by ATAG_Bliss

This (null) is actually a player that tried to join the spits server and failed steam auth.

The solution for a player I have heard of is to start his own server in Lobby or Server section for a couple of seconds. In this way he would let Steam know that he left the previous server I think. Did not try it myself yet.

Maybe it is worth testing if many players have this issue. To reproduce the "Server failed authentication" error one can click Cancel while in server loading screen.