Multi Modded Map Loader; SSGM plugin release

[Spencer]

Still not a father yet (well, I've felt like a father since we discovered my wife was pregnant really, but you know what I mean).
In the mean time, I was able to put together this very crude, but working and effective plugin that's now available on the downloads page.
It's called "Multi Modded Map Loader", and it basically allow server owners to make lots of different modded versions of the WestWood maps and then put them ALL in rotation (when previously you could only ever had One modded map in rotation at a time).
It does this by an automated method of copying the modified .ldd files to the data folder at specific points.

The readme contains some important information that you need to read before trying to use the plugin, as you need to setup some directories for it to work.

This is a plug-in designed to work with SSGM2.02 for cnc_renegade.
It was written by spencer elliott www.spencerelliott.co.uk

This is a Beta release version and probably has some bugs in it, with feedback I will fix bugs found.

This plugin is designed to make your server able to load several different map modifications for the below list of maps, in .ldd format.
It works by taking the first map modification from the corresponding folders, and putting them in the data folder when the FDS starts up
(meaning that when the server loads you gaurantee it loads the first modified version of the map, the first time it's played).
Then when the map loads, it immediately over-writes the .ldd file for that map in the data folder with the next modified version,
meaning when that map loads again, it will play another modification...

With the download has come a whole bunch of folders that should be familiar map names. These folders need to be placed in your server's directory, along with the plugin.
You'll notice as a test I have included Two versions of Complex, and that the ini file has a setting of "2" for Complex.
The folders are named Complex1 and Complex2. There is no limit to how many modified maps you can have...
If for example you had 99 different versions of Complex, that's fine. But you would need to have 99 folders for Complex (Complex1, Complex2, Complex3... Complex99).
In each folder you would need to place the .ldd modification.

There is no point using this plugin if you only have 1 or less modified map versions, but it wouldn't actually do any real harm.

Version 1.0 currently supports these maps:

Complex
CityFlying
Under
WallsFlying
Volcano
Canyon
Hourglass
Mesa
Islands
Field
City
Walls
Tutorial
M01
M02
M03
M04

If there is an interest or demand, I will add the rest of the mission maps, and other others that may be requested.


To use this plug-in, refer to SSGM.ini in your SSGM2.02 server folder.
You'll need to add the .dll to the server folder, and make an entry in the [Plugins] section, mine looks like this:

[Plugins]
01=MultiModdedMapLoader

You'll also need to add the MMML.ini file to the server's directory and configure it as specified.

I urge you visit my forums and my site @ spencerelliott.co.uk
There are at time of writing over FIFTY releases on the site for renegade, and other interesting projects too.

http://www.spencerelliott.co.uk/downloads.html

[trooprm02]

Im confused...is this meant to over the one modded file per map (.ldd) limitation?

What if the modder combined all the mods into a single .ldd, and then just replaced it with the original one in the map.mix?

[Spencer]

Im confused...is this meant to over the one modded file per map (.ldd) limitation?

What if the modder combined all the mods into a single .ldd, and then just replaced it with the original one in the map.mix?

Say for example you made some different modifications for C&C_Complex.mix... One mod had masses of base defense, celiling camera's and other stuff, another mod had everyone spawn in the basement area of the "complex" and it was a team death match mod, then you made another mod where the basement are was sealed off and no one could get it...
That means you have Three .ldd mods for that One map. But you can only ever have One of them in rotation at a time. You can't combine all the mods into One, because for some modifications that would defeat the purpose, some are supposed to be team death match, while others aren't.

You have to put the .ldd file in the data directory (or as you pointed out, in the .mix file itself), but you can only ever have One version in the data directory because obviously the files have the same name. You could not have all of your modded Complex versions in rotation at the same time.

This plugin solves that problem and allows you to have an inifinate amount of modded versions of each map in rotation. You could have 999999 different .ldd versions of any of the supported maps, and they would all be in rotation at the same time. It works by copy the .ldd files from other directories into the data folder (over-writing the previous one) at key points (map load).

It's a crude concept, and an even cruder implementation, but it works, and I didn't have allot of time.

This is kinda stretching the truth a little I guess, but in my opinion it's the closest thing to allowing server owners to put more maps in rotation without having the need for the client to download them. You could have a limitless amount of modified versions of the maps in rotation, and the client never has to downlaod anything. However, in reality they are not "new maps", just lots of modified versions of the existing ones.

[trooprm02]

I see...it allows a server to have 2-3 different variants of the same map in the rotation. Now, do they have to be .ldd based mods?

Or can it be worked out of having a "Multi" gametype server, switching between ctf/aow/snipe using different versions of the same maps in a different rotation?

Just pilling on work aren't I

[Spencer]

I see...it allows a server to have 2-3 different variants of the same map in the rotation. Now, do they have to be .ldd based mods?

Or can it be worked out of having a "Multi" gametype server, switching between ctf/aow/snipe using different versions of the same maps in a different rotation?

Just pilling on work aren't I

It allows for more than 2-3, you could have as many as you wanted. Yes, they're .ldd based only.

I have no idea what you mean with the second question. :-/

[JasonKnight]

His second question is asking if he can also have it chose different game types, lets say Walls is in the rotation and with the plugin he wants it to play 4 times.

1 time as normal
2nd time with some base defences he added to it
3rd time as just snipers
and 4th time as just deathmatch up top.

in a sense he could get some of it to work if he knew how to mess with level edit and redo spawn locations and weapon drops, but he couldnt set it up with CTF or Snipers Only unless he added a new objects.ddb (objects.gm) to each folder as well.

Maybe you can add that into the mod. let it see different objects.ddb(gm) files.

[trooprm02]

Yah, thats what I meant but its not possible if it only loads separate .ldd's

Just thought it would be cool to have "mixed" gameplay servers like CoD, 1 map snipe, another aow, another CTF, etc

[Spencer]

With the plugin as it stands, it's not currently possible. However, after a quick look, it seems that it would be easy enough to change the game mode of SSGM through the plugin (the settings struct for it is in there, so Settings->GameMode = 1 or whatever it is, should work). It would mean some rejigging and extra work, but yeah, it's possible to do without lots of fuss. :-)

However, I currently do not have the time to do this. I would be willing to show an example of how to do it or give some pointers though...