Spinoff : Too many racers to restart!

[Theafro]

Has any one else noticed that once a server gets above 30 players, It becomes a serious chore to start a race.

I know it's a bit late as a suggestion for X, but it might be better to give somebodys vote a few more minutes before it expires.

[niall09]

and maybe if a new guest connects, the vote does not cancel :) +1

[Milanche]

If admin is online that shouldn't be a problem. :)

[otolikos]

maybe a server side option should be implemented:

autorestart delay :5min after race ending (there is already an insim app to do it)

[Burnzoire]

If admin is online that shouldn't be a problem. :)

what a silly and counter-productive thing to say. hell, let's not try and fix anything so long as the server admins can do it! :shrug:

[matze54564]

Why does a vote cancel after a short time, if i vote i don´t want vote again for the same, i will that my vote will be saved for eternal and that no reason can change my vote, the only one true reason to change a vote is if the one who voted disconnect or go to spectators.

[Yaamboo]

I remember the cancelling is there because of out of sync errors if the connect would happen while the race is restarting.

[traxxion]

maybe a server side option should be implemented:

autorestart delay :5min after race ending (there is already an insim app to do it)
Yes, this would solve everything really. +1

[three_jump]

maybe a server side option should be implemented:

autorestart delay :5min after race ending (there is already an insim app to do it)

in general a good idea, but in some cases those 5 mins are to short. like for example you are just fooling around on a server and waiting for people to connect (usually happens on the non-normal combinations).

the voting thing is still the best basic thing I can think of.

my wish / hope is to get rid of the expireing votes. Once you pressed that it should stay that way until someone connects, race is restarted or you cancel your vote (shift + r again to cancel vote). I think that would solve most cases.
so first shift +r says: "I'm ready to restart"
and 2nd shift + r cancels the "vote"

[SpikeyMarcoD]

The problem now seems to be the vote expiring with people connecting. A lot of actions hold when people connect (pitting, voting). Think that is the underlying issue here.

[Fischfix]

there should be something like a 5min. auto restart with a countdown, so everyone sees how much time he/she has to change setup and stuff. during those 5 min. everyone who wants to take part, has to press "shift+r" everyone who did not vote for restart, will be sent to spectate automatically on the restart. so there won't be any standing drivers. (or not that much at least)

[srdsprinter]

+1 for auto restart
+1 for Welcome Message including this info
"THIS SERVER RESTARTS X MINUTES AFTER THE PRIOR FINISH"

So you know if its a quick server, or one you can run grab a sandwich and not miss the start

[CharlieP]

there should be something like a 5min. auto restart with a countdown, so everyone sees how much time he/she has to change setup and stuff. during those 5 min. everyone who wants to take part, has to press "shift+r" everyone who did not vote for restart, will be sent to spectate automatically on the restart. so there won't be any standing drivers. (or not that much at least)

A delay until restart (after a race has completed) would be good so you can get a drink, have a pee, whatever and know you will not miss the start.....

Having to rejoin (shift-r or another key) would be good as long as theres a display showing who's in/out..... Something like next race grid.....

This would help to stop the problems where someone has gone away / switched focus etc and is an obstacle on the starting grid.

:)

[tristancliffe]

Combine F9 and F10 menus (which I now have on all the time because otherwise the race position list covers the mirrors for me!), and thus free F10 to become a race/next race details page, so you can see who has opted in for the next race and other nice things I cant think of right now.

That, and Fischfix's idea sounds quite workable. Admittedly more hassle, but then I'm still struggling to come to terms with the Shift-S reassign so...

[mrodgers]

there should be something like a 5min. auto restart with a countdown, so everyone sees how much time he/she has to change setup and stuff. during those 5 min. everyone who wants to take part, has to press "shift+r" everyone who did not vote for restart, will be sent to spectate automatically on the restart. so there won't be any standing drivers. (or not that much at least)
+1 This would solve the problem of people who leave their cars on the track to run to the bathroom, get a drink, food, kiss the wife, put the kids to bed, scratch unmentionable areas, etc.

[geeman1]

Just make it so that votes/restart doesn't reset while someone (dis)connects.
I remember the cancelling is there because of out of sync errors if the connect would happen while the race is restarting.If that is the case, maybe just start the restart timer if it's already on.

Knowing nothing about how this actually works it doesn't seem that hard to save the votes/not cancel the restart if someone disconnects or connects.

[duke_toaster]

To stop a number of people going for a J Arthur between races causing a delay, what about after 3 minutes of the end of the previous race, something similar to the end race screen would come up, and those who will be involved in the next race would click "ready" to join the grid ...

[Chaos]

imo the best thing would be an autorestart after X minutes when more than Y people are on the server else normal voting... (X&Y setable by the admin)...

[OldBloke]

When the 'delay' function is added to the scripting then, amongst other things, hosters will be able to provide a next race countdown message.

[SpikeyMarcoD]

Seems Scawen is on top of this

Thanks! :) Now we have a way to reproduce it every time.

You program didn't run on my windows for some reason, so I've compiled again with your source code and attached it here.

I'll do some remote debugging and try to catch this later. Remote debugging, for anyone who doesn't know, means : running the program on a different computer from the debugger, and that is needed when you are debugging things going full screen, because when it goes full screen you can't see the debugger. :D


Yes, when too many people join and leave all at once, it can go wrong. I've already improved some things and will probably test this evening. Though I'm keen to make in-game votes and the game setup screen "ready" flags persistent because it's so hard to get in for a race or restart. So... patch X is already delayed and it's better to fix these known serious issues or it really isn't that good for 32 players.

[Stang70Fastback]

I think that for every person on the server above 10 or 15 people, 2 seconds should be added to the time until the vote expires... or something like that.

[mcintyrej]

I think that for every person on the server above 10 or 15 people, 2 seconds should be added to the time until the vote expires... or something like that.

This wouldn't really solve the problem of people connecting when the restart is in progress.

Is it not okay to just make voting un-effected by joining players? Then if the newly joined player try's to vote, just display a message such as "Vote was started proir to connection - please wait until new vote".

[Stang70Fastback]

Point well taken, but that's another problem altogether. I was just trying to offer a solution for the problem that the first person stated. When 30 people
are in a race, it's hard to get everyone to vote to restart in the given time before a vote expires. I just think that as the number of people in the race increases, so should the allotted time before a vote expires.

[darkfate]

Just make a Vote prio, Person that been on server for X amount of time got more controll over restart the more Persons been online share this prio. This will make it hard for newcomers to get in and restart it. But allso make it easyer for ppl that been on server to make a restart as thy have more controll over the restart

[felplacerad]

Heh, that sounds complicated. As pointed out above, Scawen has already commented on this:

I'm keen to make in-game votes and the game setup screen "ready" flags persistent [...]

That's the kombat teams way of doing things! ie, either you're ready or you're not. No need to have everyone hit shift-r at exactly the same time. If enough people are flagged 'ready', just go.

[MikeB]

Please no autorestart. This would be a workaround to the original problem, but not a solution. As already mentioned, there are already insim apps to support this if you really want to have it.
Imagine you have autorestart with a grid of 30 people. You will have a lot standing cars at start because the driver is doing sth. else (browse the web, pee, whatever...). :really:

[GeForz]

What about making everyone spectate and then making a 30 Secs cooldown in which you can join the race again?

[SMOKE-Prophete]

As far as I could tell, the only autorestart server I know of was immensely popular when working (yeah, I mean STCC / CTRA / whatever), and voting still lets people not ready on the grid, maybe they should get spectated when there's a restart or at least have an option to do so, anyway, I'm all for a permanent vote, especially now that I don't have the message telling me my vote's expired (am I the only one having this problem ?).

Running a server is already complicated enough, having to add tons of plugins for very simple options makes it worse, more simplicity, please ! If you add an autorestart delay, nobody's forced to use it, and I predict it WILL be popular.

On more or less the same topic, you might want to leave people decide what the race restart delay (once the restart has been decided) should be, and also make the game make some noise when a restart is about to happen (like a "gentlemen, start your engines !" bit ? and beeps for the lights ?), so as to allow people who aren't yet ready / awake to hurry up, making the taskbar flash would also help for those IRCing or whatever between races.

My two cents ;)

[Belgrom]

+1 for auto restart
+1 for Welcome Message including this info
"THIS SERVER RESTARTS X MINUTES AFTER THE PRIOR FINISH"

So you know if its a quick server, or one you can run grab a sandwich and not miss the start

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


I agree for the autorestar

+1 fron here

[Delgado]

Hi,
we, the "UER-Racin.de" Team have an X2-Server too :)

so, we have noticed, if more then 4-cars at the Pits, and they
press "Shift +R" so they do discos.. from server :(

Sometimes, if more then 10-cars on the track, after the start 80% of the
drivers have an disconnect.. :(

Have Someone this probs too ?

btw. this "strange" things also happend at the X-Server..

[anttt69]

To stop a number of people going for a J Arthur between races causing a delay, what about after 3 minutes of the end of the previous race, something similar to the end race screen would come up, and those who will be involved in the next race would click "ready" to join the grid ...

+1 to that. Drivers who want to take part in the next race should have to opt in (join) to a race before the end of a pre determined countdown. Else they will be sent to spectate. This keeps the grid clear of stationary cars at the restart.

[Dru]

To stop a number of people going for a J Arthur between races causing a delay, what about after 3 minutes of the end of the previous race, something similar to the end race screen would come up, and those who will be involved in the next race would click "ready" to join the grid ...

ypu agree - this is a good idea, as long as it does not form a 'new grid' and the grid is based on previous race results rather than the speed at whic hyou hit ready :D

[Toyotoyo]

Right, how about this:

Auto restart after x min, unless the majority vote against it, i.e. cancel auto restart. Well?

[PLAYLIFE]

I don't know... It takes a while for the race to get restarted with a huge field... Way-way too long. I dunno what... people want to have a 5-10 minute brake between the races!?!?!? WHY!?

[Cue-Ball]

I don't know... It takes a while for the race to get restarted with a huge field... Way-way too long. I dunno what... people want to have a 5-10 minute brake between the races!?!?!? WHY!?Because after a 30 minute race it's nice to get a chance to rest your arms, get a drink, take a leak, etc. If you're driving 8 lap races in the XRG, using only two pedals, shifting with the paddles, etc. it's no big deal. But when you're doing longer races, using all three pedals, and rowing your own gears, racing can get damn tiring!

[PLAYLIFE]

Because after a 30 minute race it's nice to get a chance to rest your arms, get a drink, take a leak, etc. If you're driving 8 lap races in the XRG, using only two pedals, shifting with the paddles, etc. it's no big deal. But when you're doing longer races, using all three pedals, and rowing your own gears, racing can get damn tiring!

That's fine. I'm talking about the 4 lap servers. Sry for not being specific. I can understand if its 15 laps or more.

[zak_mull]

That's fine. I'm talking about the 4 lap servers. Sry for not being specific. I can understand if its 15 laps or more.

If they want a break why dont they just miss the next race (its only short) :shrug:

[PLAYLIFE]

If they want a break why dont they just miss the next race (its only short) :shrug:

I don't know. It takes a couple of "everyone press restart" and "come on, lets race" messages to get the vote ball rolling. otherwise people would just sit around forever. Tired of being the person who wants to get people to race.

[Aidanciyo]

i think it must be an option.

it can be enable or disable.

+1 :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

[piggy501]

Dunno if this has been said already, so here go's;

You could make an auto restart for a selected time after the race has ended, and people vote for it NOT to end, because I see it being people forget to vote to restart...

[LiveForBoobs]

+1 for votes that dont get canceled with new players etc.

[Alles]

Dunno if this has been said already, so here go's;

You could make an auto restart for a selected time after the race has ended, and people vote for it NOT to end, because I see it being people forget to vote to restart...

thats basicly what CTRA have. its a good thing

[PLAYLIFE]

Don't restart votes also get canceled when someone enters and exits the garage. I think people dont even realise it that their vote has been canceled

[ACCAkut]

I do like the system Conedodgers introduced, so that you can always see how much people are still needed to restart.