Universal Server Project

[BizarroEvade]

This whole thing is going to evolve very rapidly, but Universal Server Release #1 Beta: http://www.quake-1.com/files/univers...r1_gamedir.zip for you (or anyone else like Evade) to play with on their server in the mean time.

Cool. Tomorrow I will get it running on my server. Quick question/thought. Since you are selecting the progs file for each mod at the server end, is the reason the mod needs to be open source so you can add in the commands to list mods available and vote to change?

Thanks

[Baker]

Cool. Tomorrow I will get it running on my server. Quick question/thought. Since you are selecting the progs file for each mod at the server end, is the reason the mod needs to be open source so you can add in the commands to list mods available and vote to change?

Thanks

That's a large part of the reason. But eventually not all of it and this will become clear why later on ...

(adding standardized features and such is also important ... like adding observer mode to mods without it, admin controls to mod without admin controls, possibly stats to mods without stats and things of that nature are likely later on).

But you cannot have player voting without QuakeC and without an open source mod, it can't be modified to have it and this set will continually grow in size and need to be recompiled everytime it advances.

[BizarroEvade]

That's a large part of the reason. But eventually not all of it and this will become clear why later on ...

(adding standardized features and such is also important ... like adding observer mode to mods without it, admin controls to mod without admin controls, possibly stats to mods without stats and things of that nature are likely later on).

But you cannot have player voting without QuakeC and without an open source mod, it can't be modified to have it and this set will continually grow in size and need to be recompiled everytime it advances.

Some ideas were running through my mind to have voting outside of quakec that would work for all clients, but they are mostly quick hacks. One would be to modify the server to parse messages (messagemode1, tell maybe?) from the client that could initiaite a vote outside of the quake c. This wouldn't resolve the bigger problem to add features to closed source mods though that you mentioned.

[Baker]

Some ideas were running through my mind to have voting outside of quakec that would work for all clients, but they are mostly quick hacks. One would be to modify the server to parse messages (messagemode1, tell maybe?) from the client that could initiaite a vote outside of the quake c. This wouldn't resolve the bigger problem to add features to closed source mods though that you mentioned.

There are weird things you could try, but in the end it'd be a mess.

How to connect a server that doesn't have an observer system and just watch and not play, for instance.

Too many features are exclusively dependent on QuakeC. Look at anything that you like about CAx, CRMOD or RuneQuake in the sophistication department of watching, stats, player voting and administration and general refinement.

[=peg=]

Some ideas were running through my mind to have voting outside of quakec that would work for all clients, but they are mostly quick hacks. One would be to modify the server to parse messages (messagemode1, tell maybe?) from the client that could initiaite a vote outside of the quake c. This wouldn't resolve the bigger problem to add features to closed source mods though that you mentioned.

In fact that is exactly what we do on euroquake hence it would work with whatever mod, no matter if its closed source.. mind you.. I'm still working on a more general and easy to maintain version of the "magic".. once I'm happy with it.. I might go GPL with it, so other server admins can use it.. However.. with powerful technology comes great responsibility, for this "magic" can be used for good AND evil.....

[Baker]

In fact that is exactly what we do on euroquake hence it would work with whatever mod, no matter if its closed source.. mind you.. I'm still working on a more general and easy to maintain version of the "magic".. once I'm happy with it.. I might go GPL with it, so other server admins can use it.. However.. with powerful technology comes great responsibility, for this "magic" can be used for good AND evil.....

Eh? What about improved spawn functions in QuakeC so maps with 6 spawn points can actually handle 8-12 players?

Don't get me wrong, ALL experimentation is a good thing.

I just think that's Frankenstein like. Not that the feature isn't good, but that it is like opening a can with a screwdriver.

I dunno, anyway my goal is to see that there is a standard, high-quality experience with maximum server flexibility for server operators and a minimum of administration. At least as this progresses.

I'm not saying there isn't valuable knowledge in doing that ... I guess what I am saying is that my goal is to provide a standard and easy experience for both server operators and players and kludging it is kind of the opposite of my goal.

I think you are going to find the limitations of that severely restrictive, really, what about when a mod needs it's own player model? In open source, you can rename it and the model. In closed source you can't and if you were to try to do hackily do it, you'd find you are breaking the demo specification and therefore the network protocol and the mod wouldn't run.

I am NOT trying to discourage you, like I said, ALL experimentation is a good thing. I'm just pointing out one of the rocks you are going to hit and letting you find out about it now.

[=peg=]

hehe no worries.. all that "magic" stuff was never intended to serve the purpose of a multi mod (vote-mod) server.. but it does allow for all kinds of stuff that would never even be possible in quakec.. like server-side server-browser (or even web-browsing for that matter).. but it DOES provide vote-map functionality beyond the limits of quakec.. anyways.. this is indeed all experimental stuff and some things are obviously easier solved in quakec then by other means..

[dfsp_spirit]

This whole thing is going to evolve very rapidly, but Universal Server Release #1 Beta: http://www.quake-1.com/files/univers...r1_gamedir.zip for you (or anyone else like Evade) to play with on their server in the mean time.

Universal Server R1 is now running on airrocket.net (default port 26000). This server is located in Europe (Germany).

[BizarroEvade]

I compiled the modified proquake 3.90 server on Debian Etch. Grab it here:

http://www.airrocket.net/~spirit/fil...11_univ.tar.gz

Thanks! Works great.

I now have Universal server running at thisserversucks.com:26014. Sorry about the awkwardly high port number .

[Trickle]

so this works for any client right?

[Baker]

so this works for any client right?

Any NetQuake compatible client.

And with only mild modification to FTEQW, it should run on FTEQW server (needs one trivial modification, sv_prog.dat)

But this is a mod and not a server engine, so ezQuake or FuhQuake clients (which are Quakeworld clients for those that don't know), for instance, cannot connect to a ProQuake server running this.

[MasterSplinter]

If there was a ticker (scrolling marquee) of sorts that can be displayed in the console for server addresses... showing attendance

(i.e.: speaknow.quakeone.com (2/16) sandbox.quakeone.com (0/10) ctf.quakeone.com (8/16) )

That would be pretty sweet.

[metchsteekle]

bigfoot has something similar to that via magic, you just say !servers -all

[ninjamonkeyz]

oh one more off the wall question i have is, what about a submit-mod option to be voted via poll either on quakeone.com forums or by other means, for potential mods to be added to the server list of voteable mods.. so that mods that people make later or have as a work in progress can be added for online play? even total conversion etc..

[ninjamonkeyz]

oh one more off the wall question i have is, what about a submit-mod option to be voted via poll either on quakeone.com forums or by other means, for potential mods to be added to the server list of voteable mods.. so that mods that people make later or have as a work in progress can be added for online play? even total conversion etc..

over look that i didn't take the time to read everything... that has already be covered .