Some Thoughts on how to improve our BOX sessions

[delta7]

First this is not meant as a critisicm of anyone but rather hopefully a way to improve our sessions

Over the last few weeks when I have flown I have done two missions per night. Missions are lasting 30. 40 mins or longer ,  there are some who are happy to fly the whole mission including taking a long time to RTB and land.  

Alternatively some may find it  a bit boring waiting on others to finish  and if you stuff up your ground attack, get shot down , have a technical glitch or wish to join it means that there is a long time you are doing nothing until next mission loads.

In the old days BG had a rule that if so many were down or not engaged then the mission was ended so others could fly. Im not sure if the squad has the same sentiments now.

I would like to suggest that we run a dogfight server alongside the co-ops so those who are not active in the co-op have something to do , with our squadmates, until the next mission loads.

I have no idea how to host, last time i tried it with 46 was a stutter fest so I realise I am asking others to step up here and help, there may also be issues with comms but I hope the squad can get together and find a practical solution to this issue.

Regards

 

Dave

[FoolTrottel]

Great idea Delta.

I am working on setting up a secondary server, that can and will run the missions currently in rotation on our primary Dserver for GBS.

 

On the other hand, we simply should get more people involved in hosting !!

(As in do-it-all-them-selves, our get them into operating our dedicated server!)

[T_O_A_D]

I wish I could host, I miss messing with the server, I still have the extra equipment, just no connection to support it.

I like the sideline Dogfight server idea, but not so sure on the rotating coop mission during flight time.

I can see that becoming two separate flights due to mission lengths and guys not willing to quit one or the other???

[Crash]

I think that part of the problem is the size of the maps. It now takes a lot longer to get to the action than in HSFX. Could we move the red/blue bases closer to the lines?

[DD_Fenrir]

I think Dave is spot-on here; having a D/F host available to act as a lobby for people either late for a co-op start or subject to an unfortunate event mid-mission is a great idea and would certainly help attenuate the sometimes 20-45 minute wait till next co-op commences.

The logistics is the issue.

The options are:

1. Have a second DangerDogz GBS Dedicated Server

This requires I assume another VM and the resources (time/money/willpower) to run. or Someone with a spare PC and a good/reliable connection (and the wherewithal/will) to host .

2. Latecomers/early departures host on their home machines

Plus for low cost. However, anyone hosting a Reserve D/F Server will only do so whilst they are not in a co-op; latecomers would have to host themselves. Since no-one knows when they are going to be late/suffer an unfortunate event, everyone potentially would have to be able to host so, as the first one out or first latecomer, they can provide the platform for others. This requires the necessary computing horsepower to run a mission with a reasonable amount of AI, a reasonable network connection, the requisite ports open and at least one D/F mission in their personal vault to draw on.

 

Comms could be as simple as setting a keybinding for TS to jump to a particular channel away from the Main Lobby.

Personally I enjoy the full take-off - fly - fight - fly - land experience and would not want to compromise that too much, however, I appreciate that it's not for all; perhaps a the alternating of air-start/full length missions might be appropriate.

[fruitbat]

In theory I might be able to host a dogfight map on my second (old) pc on Tuesday nights to act as a lobby.

[fruitbat]

Maybe by next tuesday anyway, no chance by tomorrow after finding out what i have to do first!!!!!

[DD_Arthur]

9 hours ago, DD_Fenrir said:

2. Latecomers/early departures host on their home machines

Plus for low cost. However, anyone hosting a Reserve D/F Server will only do so whilst they are not in a co-op; latecomers would have to host themselves. Since no-one knows when they are going to be late/suffer an unfortunate event, everyone potentially would have to be able to host so, as the first one out or first latecomer, they can provide the platform for others. This requires the necessary computing horsepower to run a mission with a reasonable amount of AI, a reasonable network connection, the requisite ports open and at least one D/F mission in their personal vault to draw on.

Comms could be as simple as setting a keybinding for TS to jump to a particular channel away from the Main Lobby.

This is the simple and straightforward solution.  I've put up a dogfight server myself a couple of times whilst waiting recently.  

All we need is for more Dogz to be able to do this.   If you can run BoS on your PC then you have enough resources to put up a dogfight server with a.i.   Since we have all flown on our dogfight server we all have these missions in our games.  They can be accessed by going into Multiplayer>Dogfight>Create Server and then selected from the screen.  It's really easy and everyone should have a try at launching their own server and shooting down some a.i..

To be able to put up a Dogfight server that other Dogz can join requires two things;

A reasonably strong, stable Internet connection.  This is mine and I'm able to host through my PC whilst my router has at least four other devices connected to it.

The other, vital thing is to have the correct ports on your router open.  This is the biggest single obstacle to most people hosting.  If your in the UK and are using BT,  check this thread out

 

[B16Enk]

I may not understand the issue and proposed solution(s).

But our server has a ton of horse power and should be able to cope easily with the load?

Is it that console/gui access is required?
I for one do not have any issue with others having that access, provided suitable training is given on what not to do of course!

Apologies for tardy response, work has been utterly crazy (102 hour week is my record and 25 days without a break including working on vacation!).

I am now off until January 2nd though

[FoolTrottel]

20 hours ago, B16Enk said:

I may not understand the issue and proposed solution(s).

But our server has a ton of horse power and should be able to cope easily with the load?

Is it that console/gui access is required?
I for one do not have any issue with others having that access, provided suitable training is given on what not to do of course!

Apologies for tardy response, work has been utterly crazy (102 hour week is my record and 25 days without a break including working on vacation!).

I am now off until January 2nd though

The issue is that Coop missions are run using the server as a host. Now if a coop runs, and people join or get killed along the way, they have to sit and wait it out - they could become a spectator, but not a participator. Now as I use Easy mission Generator to create coops on the fly, the coop mission can be a bit lengthy - up to 20-30 minutes. It would be good to have a simple DF server running next to the current one, on which the peeps waiting can have some flying fun.

Hm, theoretically, our server should be able to handle the load indeed, but one would need a secondary account to run the server on. One cannot have two servers up at the same time using our DD account. So, I have tried to request a secondary account, but that was denied. Unless I did it the wrong way, I should maybe try again. And run 2x Dserver on our box. Great idea Rog, thanks!

(Oh, and good to see you around here!)

[B16Enk]

OK setup 2nd email for this, will PM details Arjen.

[DD_Arthur]

54 minutes ago, FoolTrottel said:

but one would need a secondary account to run the server on. One cannot have two servers up at the same time using our DD account. So, I have tried to request a secondary account, but that was denied. Unless I did it the wrong way, I should maybe try again. And run 2x Dserver on our box. Great idea Rog, thanks!

@Hello Rog!  Hope you and your family have a great christmas mate

@FT; would we need to buy another copy of the game to run a second server?  I see that the GBS series is on sale again and that BoS standard edition can be picked up for a princely $12.49

I think I could just about afford to buy the server a christmas present at those prices!

[FoolTrottel]

Just now, DD_Arthur said:

@Hello Rog!  Hope you and your family have a great christmas mate

@FT; would we need to buy another copy of the game to run a second server?  I see that the GBS series is on sale again and that BoS standard edition can be picked up for a princely $12.49

I think I could just about afford to buy the server a christmas present at those prices!

No need to buy it, just need to request a secondary account, on the email account Rog just created. It's all cool ... 

 

[DD_Arthur]

Ah....I see.  In that case I can carry on drinking.😜

[FoolTrottel]

Just now, DD_Arthur said:

Ah....I see.  In that case I can carry on drinking.😜

Sure can, beer can!

[B16Enk]

3 hours ago, DD_Arthur said:

@Hello Rog!  Hope you and your family have a great christmas mate

@FT; would we need to buy another copy of the game to run a second server?  I see that the GBS series is on sale again and that BoS standard edition can be picked up for a princely $12.49

I think I could just about afford to buy the server a christmas present at those prices!

Cheers Arthur, and same to you (and everyone else)!

Hmmm sale time, I have some $$ left in Christmas kitty...

[fruitbat]

Ft, could use the key i have already got, on that email if you want.

[FoolTrottel]

1 hour ago, fruitbat said:

Ft, could use the key i have already got, on that email if you want.

That'd be cool. Gives me something to tinker with. Gimme! Please! Please? 

[fruitbat]

2 hours ago, FoolTrottel said:

That'd be cool. Gives me something to tinker with. Gimme! Please! Please? 

Check pm's

[FoolTrottel]

So, test is running now... 2x DF server on the same server box:

Now I need to find a proper name for the secondary one ... as far as I am concerned, it can be running continuously

[FoolTrottel]

And Thanks go to Kevin, as he came up with a nice Christmas Present for us, in the form of the activation key!

[FoolTrottel]

So, running two DF's is a bit too much, I made the secondary one to be a Coop server, and it's now running the set of 'Good Coops'  that I have gathered in the past sessions.

Yeah, there's only two missions in the rotation now... Yeah, I kinda forgot that I was gathering them ...

[Jabo]

Well done chaps. Personally I prefer to fly whole missions but the map size is problematic so this is a useful project. If I can be of assistance, let me know. I'm actively involved with the TF 5.0 Alpha testing at present, but I can certainly find the time over the next couple of weeks to chip in if required.

[FoolTrottel]

At the moment, I think what we are lacking in is mission building. We rely heavily on what the 'Easy mission generator' produces. And in fact it is a very cool and useful utility, as it can and will create missions on the spot, so the host can steer on the number of seats needed, and the plane types, ie. add a Spit VB on the Rheinland map for someone that does not own Bodenplatte.

The downside is the missions are 'limited' to certain goals and are all of the same setup: Land where you took off from. What is missing is the kind of custom missions we used to have with 1946, and in a limited sense/number for CloD. Not neccesarily hinting on the long Coops-run-as-Dogfight, but just some custom/signature stuff - yeah, stuka-attack-on-planes-taking-off and that shift fun good show stuff.

So, start building missions!

Alternatively, one could try and maybe go hunt for missions already created by someone else? Like a good DF map to add to the DF server, or good coops to add to the GoodCoops server ... Or maybe even more simple: Add stuff to the current DF missions, to tune them up a bit?

[delta7]

Thanks for the responses, and hard work,  to this, dogz stepping up and helping out as ever