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I have a question for OA community and an answer for people looking to fix a "snauf" that took me some time to figure-it out.


Jumping over the bridge in ps37ctf is NOT a gravity issue, is a pMove cvar thing.
Here are the settings allowing this to happen:
pMove_float 0
pMove_mSec 8
pMove_fixed 1

What I think these settings are doing (not shure thow, correct me if i'm wrong) is that they force the caracter behaviour in a certain way, body more rigid & less movement resolution, allowing a glinch (like strafe's bug) to jump over an edge at limit size.

Edit : this link explains alot
(DO NOT LINK) h t t p s : / / openarena . wikia . com/wiki/Game_physics


The other setting I heared is important in a server cfg is videoflags. By default 7, I was asked to (and did) set-it 0. This way, the vertex graphics mode is available for the client ?

Edit : videoflags, like I supposed, allows different graphics
http://openarena.ws/board/index.php?topic=3781.msg32938#msg32938


Another polemics is the game version.
Many players suggested OA 0.8.1 instead of 0.8.5 (for server, have course)

I'm not only a programmer, but a server admin also. I know by experience, that updates & patches are meant to "fix" things, so for me 0.8.5 is synonym of less bugs and better inner working (maybe better memory allocation etc.) The other cool feature which I also implemented is the custom voting system. I also use OAX (Open Arena eXpanded) which I understand that will be included by default in 0.8.6

(btw, b3 bot is kinda heavy; spawning a daemon for himself, meaning 2 processes runing: OA + B3. not quite elegant)

So until someone enlightens me (with arguments) why should I run a 0.8.1 instead of 0.8.5, I'll follow my instinct.

The last thing I want to ask about, is specific configs.
Do you know/think some cvars should be tweaked in function of the gametype ?
Meaning, for example, videoflags: are they important for all weps only ?
Are there another cvars that may be ok in a insta rail server but not suitable for a all weps tdm/ffa ?

Well, thank you all for reading this far, any help/opinion is greatly appreciated.
I know that you, like I, are doing this for fun and with no payement :)



Edit :
More reading I do about the 0.8.5 tweaking, less I want to change things. These settings are there with a meaning, trying to make the play more smooth and fair. I know there are many hardcore 0.8.1 players and changing a bit is annoying for them. Then again, I was a q3 1.16 player and took alot to get used to 1.32. Well, I think this is the same, adapt or rest behind situation. Nevertheless, the OA community doesn't really need that right now.
Since the hardcore players spend much more time playing than the "n00bz", I think that they should be more comprehensive about-it. Meanwhile I keep hearing complaining: that's not like on the other server, these settings sux & so on. That's so childish. This is a game, right ?!

The values you mentioned enable "Fixed 125 fps emulation" physics... for more info about it (and the other available game physics options), please take a look to this page:
(DO NOT LINK) h t t p s : / / openarena . wikia . com/wiki/Game_physics (EDIT: I see you found that page by yourself and modified your post while I was writing this reply)

I'm sorry I can't help you with the other questions (I don't know about videoflags... and about 0.8.1, maybe someone does not like the "accurate" physics, or the "push award" feature, enabled by default in 0.8.5? Maybe RMF may tell you, he played 0.8.1 a lot after 0.8.5 was released).
Anyway, if you want, you can take a look to these other server-administration-related pages:
(DO NOT LINK) h t t p s : / / openarena . wikia . com/wiki/Manual/Multiplayer
(DO NOT LINK) h t t p s : / / openarena . wikia . com/wiki/Servers
(DO NOT LINK) h t t p s : / / openarena . wikia . com/wiki/Configuration_examples
(DO NOT LINK) h t t p s : / / openarena . wikia . com/wiki/Tweak#Tweaking_online_gaming_parameters
(DO NOT LINK) h t t p s : / / openarena . wikia . com/wiki/Special_game_options
(DO NOT LINK) h t t p s : / / openarena . wikia . com/wiki/Manual/Using_Mods#Notes_for_Server_Administrators

If you're using a recent OAX version you could use the technically superior pmove_float solution and still enable your players to make the 125 fps jumps. Recent OAX versions (http://openarena.ws/board/index.php?topic=1908.0) have the g_gravityModifier cvar to cut down on the gravity just a little to simulate the framerate dependent and pmove_fixed rounding errors. Try this with oaxB48 and every player should be able to make the 125 fps jumps without choppy movement etc:

Thanx for ur reply Gig,

and thank you too seven :)


yes, i'm using the latest oax and i was wondering, with the g_gravityModifier may i affect only one map ? the annoying thing is only the bridge wall on ps37.

i have tryied with :
set d1 "map oasago2; set g_gravity 800; set nextmap vstr d2"
set d2 "map ps37ctf; set g_gravity 790; set nextmap vstr d3"
set d3 "map pul1ctf; set g_gravity 840; set nextmap vstr d1"
and the gravity was 790 during warmup, but after the warmup is automatically falling back to 800.

so, replacing g_gravity with the g_gravityModifier should work ? anyway, i will give-it a try this evening.

- I never noticed gravity was set back to 800, but maybe that's coz I don't have warmup enabled on these servers.
- I think the same than you about that 081/085 story, some people seem tostick to the few details of what went slightly wrong after the update rather than searching for a solution with both developers & players. Developers should adapt to feedbacks as well and I think OA is not so bad in that regard even if it did mistakes.
- I never used gravity modifier, I'm not sure it's that elegant but I don't know more elegant than adapting to each map in order to give it a good feeling, probably each should have a suggested gravity based on pmove_float 1.
- I'm not sure /videoflags is still valid, IIRC Sago told it was buggy so it may have been removed.

Good luck with setting up the servers ;)

No, you should set g_gravityModifier in your configuration only once, preferably after where you set pmove_float:

NOTE: Someone replied while I was still writing this post.

Uhm... I don't remember if I tested this "warmup-end" thing when I wrote this:
(DO NOT LINK) h t t p s : / / openarena . wikia . com/wiki/Configuration_examples/Weapon_rotation#Changing_gravity_and_speed
(I thought I did it, but if you are experiencing problems...)

In my tests at the time, I placed the g_gravity at the very end of the line of the script
(Example: ), but I suppose it should have worked also simply placing it anywhere after the "map" command, like you did (anyway, if you want to try to move it at the very end of the line and then tell us if it works...). I suppose I should check again... Are you using the DO NOT LINK[/b]) h t t p s : / / openarena . wikia . com/wiki/Elimination#CVARs]"Elimination" warmup variables (http://([b) or something else? In which gametype does your server run?

However, the g_gravitymodifer has been created to workaround such problems with g_gravity: unlike g_gravity, it is not automatically reset on map load/restart... it will not change again until you change it again in your rotation script...

A couple of examples:
Should (unless I misplaced the command... I haven't tested this now!) make the "125-fps-similar" gravity (not to be confused with "125-fps-emulated physics", even if the goal is to emulate it without its drawbacks) for ps37ctf only, then returning back to the standard jumps for "accurate" physics.

while
will use a "125-fps-similar" gravity for all the maps.


Important question: 7, are you sure that 0.945 value emulates 125 fps gravity at any g_gravity, or is there the risk that this may be true only at g_gravity 800?

i think that may be the issue, that i set nextmap after the gravity.
alltough, it was working fine with some maps and not with others.

anyway,
here's my cfg : http://www.superbots.org/supeR,InstaCTF/

It will emulate 125 fps correctly for g_gravity 800, but that's the standard gravity value that's hard coded into 99% of the maps out there (that's also the reason why you have to set g_gravity after a map command).

By the way after experimenting I found out that g_gravityModifier 0.9475 actually emulates 125 fps physics a little better still, so sorry for the incorrect value I stated before (looked it up on the forum instead of in my config). Setting g_gravityModifier to 0.9475 amounts to a g_gravity of 758 on maps with hard coded default gravity (800 * 0.9475 = 758).

i have an issue right now on the server

i have the B47 and seems gravityModifier is not working

does-it only works on B48 so i have to svn & build ?

G_gravitymodifer is listed in OAX B47 features (and why should you get B48 from SVN? It's "mod format download" is available from the OAX forum thread...)...

Anyway, have you tried to use the "classic" g_gravity system, but placing it at the very end of each line of the rotatin script? Did something change or not? I am curious to know it...

Did you start the server with +set fs_game oaxB47 ?

i've just downloaded the oax b48

the oax is working, i have the ! admin system on and configured since long ago

and no, i didn't retryied yet with the gravity (in the end of string)

i make all remaining tests this evening, i'll keep you posted

ty all for ur help & time,
is recomforting to see that the others are sympathic to the problem and really helping

the odd thing is that on the oax google dev page there's no dl link for the latest b48

not related - votecustom file is case sensitive

it seems that in b48 there's no g_gravityModifier

when i /rcon g_ [TAB] the cvar doesn't get listed


any tougths ?

It was missing from the release script. I have uploaded B48 manually and added a call to googlecode_upload for future releases.

Maybe it has not been used locally yet? It should be defined once a local server has been launched once.

http://www.superbots.org/supeR,InstaCTF/

all the server cfg is available there
(except passwords, have course)

and yes, the cvar is set in the default cfg and yes, the server has been rebooted. twice.

I am not talking about the server. The client does not retrieve its autocompletion from the server only once the client has hosted a local/skirmish game and thereby writing the variables to its local config file will the autocomplete work.

well well

in oax b48 there is no g_gravityModifier

the gravity by map tweak works.

i'm looking forward for the gravityModifier fix. untill then, pMove it is.


EDIT - if u have any ideeas, i'm on server. /connect superbots.org

I can assure you there is because I've played and tested it, and sago as the coder sure should know in case I am crazy ;)

Just because g_gravityModifier doesn't show up in autocompletion doesn't mean the cvar doesn't exist but that it wasn't written to your local q3config.cfg. Why don't you install oaxB48 on your own machine and start a skirmish game with some bots; after you've exited and restarted the game, g_gravityModifier should turn up in autocompletion also. I have attached a screenshot of the autocompletion as proof.

well

my oax was in baseoa folder

i've put-it (because you have insisted) in the fs_game folder

and - f*ck-me sideways - it works

mea culpa

OAX in baseoa folder?
OAX have to be used like any mod, in a separate folder from baseoa! You may have caused problems in those who connected to your server...

To avoid errors, I just added two notes DO NOT LINK[/b]) h t t p s : / / openarena . wikia . com/index.php?title=OpenArena_eXpanded&action=historysubmit&diff=8750&oldid=8645]here (http://([b) and DO NOT LINK[/b]) h t t p s : / / openarena . wikia . com/index.php?title=Manual%2FUsing_Mods&action=historysubmit&diff=8755&oldid=8687]here (http://([b)...

PS: Did you try to place the g_gravity at the very end of the line of the script?

i was putting oax in baseoa to avoid downloading by clients, and like i sayd, the !admin works this way

and yes, g_gravity at the end of the string works also on default maps ( with the exception of few custom maps )

Excuse me, what do you mean with "avoid downloading by clients"? If clients would not download the OAX pk3 file, how could they use its features?
I don't know how the !admin system (http://code.google.com/p/oax/wiki/Admin) works, but AFAIK mods have to be placed in a separate folder.

Who knows why not with some maps...  ??? Could you please give me the name (and a download link, if you have it) of one of such maps? I'd like to take a look...  :)

for the !admin system, pls try-it. put oax in server's baseoa then connect with a client without oax.


here's a map on which the alter of the gravity is resetted after the warmup (g_gravity NOT g_gravityModifier)
http://www.superbots.org/baseoa/index.php?dir=&file=ps6ctf.pk3

Do you mean placing homepath\baseoa\oaxb48\oax.pk3 or homepath\baseoa\oax.pk3 ?

yes, on the server

Okay, I've done some tests.
First, I've checked that the script that changes g_gravity at the end of the line works with the "elimination_warmup", but NOT with g_dowarmup (related with g_warmup). I've updated the Wiki mentioning this further limitation.
I fear we cannot change g_gravity with the script in classic CTF mode with warmup active.

And for OAX, if I place oax.pk3 in baseoa like you suggested (a thing I do not suggest at all), launch a server and then connect from a client with a different path (that does not contain that oax file), I can see that server does not know "g_gravitymodifier" and it does not work even if I set it using "set" command... while the client does not try to download any file. I think the reason is quite simple: pak*.pk3 files are loaded after oax.pk3, and the game logic stored in that file is then ignored (overridden?): the server works like a classic "stock" 0.8.5 and the clients do not download that pk3 since it does not contain anything actually used by the game.

Things change if I rename oax.pk3 to zzzz_oax.pk3. In this case, OAX game logic is really loaded, the game recognizes and uses g_gravitymodifier. Clients that connect try to download the zzzz_oax.pk3, in order to play on that server (I have to enable sv_allowdownload 1 to allow the clients to join). This means that there is the problem I feared since the beginning: clients download the zzzz_OAX.pk3 directly in baseoa, messing up their game when playing offline! Well, at the moment probably it is not a great problem since OAX simply adds new features, but the problem is general: they have an unofficial version placed in the folder (baseoa) that should contain the official version of the game logic (plus user-customized maps, obviously), and they will use such unofficial version when playing offline, probably without having idea about it. OAX tests should be placed in a different folder (like all pk3 files that change game logic).

More, I have to say that g_gravitymodifier should be limited to do not allow people to use values that may "crash" the game, like 0, -1, 10...

wow

ty gig for the time you took to see this all through.