[serverside script] restrict named squad creation & asset use

[=VG= XOR]

So clearly just about everyone objects to delayed asset squad creation, which is cool & good points have been made to that effect and I don't entirely disagree though I'll explore other options in the future, but everyone seems to agree with scripted squad name enforcement, i.e auto resign players using assets in the wrong squad, so just comment out 'delayNameSquadAssets(timeAtRoundStart)' and script will pretty much only do that with which you all agree.

 

@ZZANG1847  It has always been a problem in the almost 9 years I've been playing, just not mine & nor yours perhaps, but for plenty of others, because the MAJORITY of players play PR because they have low spec machines and can't play Arma or Squad or Insurgency or ..., I agree this solution isn't perhaps theee solution given the almost unanimous disdain for the idea, but dismissing the problem outright isn't reasonable either. 

Acceptable squad names enforcer is just a quality of life addition that removes at least one recurring nuisance for admins & maintains some order on the rare occasion no admins might be on, no more no less.

And there's nothing wrong with discussing anything however unpalatable, it's how we form ideas or maybe I'm just an idealistic idiot 😏

[=VG= =AMPH=]

On 10/11/2020 at 11:43 PM, =VG= Nyther said:

I am even one of those who loads slow.

1. Set Texture and Terrain quality to low (when game is starting, its going to load "LowTexture.extension" wich has less MBs)

2. In launcher go to: Support\Utilities tab\Clear Shader Cache (every time when graphics was changed)

 

I was logging in to the server pretty quickly while the game was installed on the HDD, i use free disc defragmenter-optimizer https://www.auslogics.com/en/software/disk-defrag/

because can save you time by defragmenting only the files or folders you want instead of the entire hard drive.

Game is now its on Kingston A400 120 GB SSD but improvements in loading time are only abouth 10-15 sec. faster. i guess its because extraction uses only one CPU core...

 

 

3. A very small program that help me to have less or not at all game crash by Trimming WorkingSet in background https://www.henrypp.org/product/memreduct

Working Set is the priority level given to data in RAM which cannot be paged out to relieve memory pressure. The Working Set for a process is dynamically assigned by the OS Memory Manager. The highest minimum W.S. allowed for 32bit processes is 4GB, for 64bit processes its 8GB. It is only the minimum amount of RAM guaranted  for application, actual usage can and usually is much greater. This is  true with 32bit apps on 64bit hardware. Anything over 4GB is not reflected in the Working Set, because its on the standby list... For example BFPR = 32bit

my MemReduct settings

 

4. Tweaking Realtek PCI GbEthernet Controller (see picture below)

5. I highly recommend SimpleWall https://www.henrypp.org/product/simplewall (block Windows spy + telemetry + create your own rules)

 

[=VG= Connor]

3 hours ago, ZZANG1847 said:

PR COOP may be flawed in more ways than you could imagine, but there is nothing wrong with the loading speed. This has never been an issue in Deployment and I frankly don't see why we're even having this discussion over and over again. There are ways to mitigate the slow loading issues

This is a very narrow mindset. Every game has it's slow loaders, PR Deployment or not you will always get them. The discussion comes up again and again because for the slow loaders it's not nice to get into game and have no squad to join.

To say slow loading is only a COOP issue is a really odd point to make. You make a point of upgrading PC, so by that you should understand that not everyone has beastly rigs that are fast and do in fact load slower than others. Nothing against you, but your whole response kind of contradicted itself all over and I don't understand where you are getting at.

[TEDF]

To be honest, there's not really a point in arguing about it here. If the long loading time is such an issue,  take it to official PR forums where people who manage this stuff can offer tech support. They have made numerous optimisations over the years and offer help, all you have to do is ask / raise the issue. Hell, I managed to get my insane 10 minute loading down to 5ish minutes thanks to couple of tweaks. 

     

[=VG= Connor]

1 hour ago, =VG= TEDF said:

Hell, I managed to get my insane 10 minute loading down to 5ish minutes thanks to couple of tweaks. 

     

Share away!

[TEDF]

That was years ago (1.2 something if memory serves right). The point is, ask help from devs. They have been working with the engine for 13+ years and have way more knowledge than any of us here. Butting heads here won't solve anything. 

[=VG= Connor]

This is just a discussion. Nothing more, nothing less.

[=VG= Fastjack]

1 hour ago, Connor said:

This is just a discussion. Nothing more, nothing less.

TEDF has a good point.

Why =VG= should implement new scripts to give the long loaders the same benefit as the short loaders? Is it our task to fix that?

Go to the Dev's and ask them for help or start a nothing more nothing less discussion in their forums? 

We had already enough Bullshit talking from the Devs because of SCRIPTS and we where accused of breaking server licenses.

 

 

[=VG= XOR]

@=VG= Fastjack I agree It's certainly not the responsibility of anyone here to fix anything inherent in the game. It's simply one of those issues with in the means of server admins to rectify should they choose to do so, R-Dev's requirements & expectations, unreasonable though they may be in this regard allow for very limited scripting as is the case with admin scripts which are allowed on public servers,i.e scripts of limited utility that don't alter gameplay such as this are considered admin scripts & NOT server side modifications, I carefully considered that when I wrote it. And given the extent of actual server side modifications on VG already, i hoped it wouldn't be a point of concern. 

 

With that in mind, I submit that delayed named squads aren't perhaps a solution to the problem of slow loaders on VG while the other solution contained herein is however worth consideration as a useful utility if nothing else.

 

@=VG= SemlerPDX

And with that I'd like this thread locked as feedback thusfar signifies this thread has run its course & served it's purpose. Thank you all for your feedback, it was most welcome.

[=VG= Connor]

Seems to be quite a sour tone to some responses for wanting trying something new. If this thread or me has somehow offended you then I apologise but if we just went to the devs for every suggestion then where would the server be now?

[=VG= Fastjack]

I dont feel offended. There also no harsh tone from me. I'm only saying all things straight out without turning left and right. English isn't my native language.

You know what happened in the past? Dont think so. Isn't so that we never tried to make things better.

It's only about that the Devs should fix those issues and not community X,Y,Z. There are ways to reduce drastically the loading times for everyone.

Overhauling datastructure and not pack every factionstuff into the same zip.file is a good solution. Why your rig must load all stuff that isn't needed on the map?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[=VG= SemlerPDX]

This discussion is going nowhere, so I am closing it.  We have no solution for the disparity between various computers you all use to play this game on our server.  We can only ensure our server is running to the best of it's ability. 


ZZANG is spot on when he noted that this is specifically a COOP issue.  That being said, I'm fairly certain that NO server running COOP has anything better than we do, everyone is on the same level playing field where the game's own optimizations are the key to the time it takes to load in.  When we recommend tips or hardware upgrades to improve this load-in time, we are NOT being PC elitists first-world snobs expecting everyone to be able to pull hundreds of dollars out of their ass just to play video games faster, we are being realistic and proposing the ONLY known physical solution to this issue.

Beyond that, as TEDF and FastJack stated, you can bring this concern to the R-Dev's, where they may be able to specifically help an individual, but likely not any 'blanket' solution for each and every slow loading player beyond continued development over time, and the occasional "getting lucky" by discovering something new, or developing a previously unthought of method to get around PR engine limitations (as they have many times for many things over the years).

We will be investigating implementation of Squad Naming scripting, but there is NOT unanimous support for that, as was stated - just wanted to post a correction on that front.  It's a great idea, but this level of micromanaging can have drawbacks as well, and we will be thoroughly discussing these on the back end among Head Admins and Server Managers in the coming days/weeks, prior to or if this is implemented.

To be clear:  PC gaming is NOT console gaming - we do not all have the same hardware, and that's kinda the point.  To make a point on PC gaming and involvement - for Falcon BMS, and anyone just trying it out, it would be good advice to tell them NOT to spend a lot of money on a HOTAS style flight stick, but a simple affordable flight stick with a bunch of buttons, a twist rudder, and an analog throttle axis/slider.  This is because it's good to gauge one's level of interest in such a thing before diving in feet first with expensive dedicated gear just for playing that game.  Once a person is sure this is something they highly enjoy, it makes much more sense to spend MORE money on this particular gaming hobby to better their own user experience therein.  This is the same for this PR COOP "loading in" time issue.

IF you are damn well hooked on PR, and specifically running heavy assets (like I used to), you may be more motivated to work on tweaks, tips, tricks, and any optimizations possible, up to and including upgraded hardware, to maximize your own experience therein.  This is up to the individual, and in many ways, and accepting the facts that we are powerless to fairly eliminate this issue on our server, it is a bit of an imposition to place the onus on the rest of us or those with faster hardware who load in more swiftly.  No one is trying to be mean and say, "git gud" with regards to your PC hardware setup, but no one here is in a position to help in any way personally - it ends up as a long complaint about what is wrong, and what is wrong with the alternatives currently available (tweaks or hardware upgrades).

My own love for CAS spurred me towards my first RAID-0 setup using 7200RPM mechanical hard drives, and this simple $60 upgrade immediately decreased my load-in time to the VG PR COOP Server dramatically, I was often the first person on the server (c. 2011).  I learned much about optimizing my Windows OS environment, my home internet connection, and how the PR game worked in this regard.  All just so I could improve my experience in my favorite video game.

Wouldn't want to rob anyone of that very educational experience, now do we?   *(that was a joke, just trying to lighten the mood here - don't take it wrong!)

We're basically powerless to improve this without considerable drawbacks, so the only route, sorry to keep it real, is tweaks/tips/tricks for optimization specific to this issue, and hardware upgrades (not talking $500 graphics cards here, but ~$100 investment in faster storage media).  That's always up to the person, their own budget, and their own dedication to their PC gaming hobby and/or the game server(s) they play on.  The world is not fair and even in this regard, and we can't make it so.  And since we can't do anything about the PR load-in times from a technical stance, these are unfortunately the only options available to you all.

We feel for you all - many of us have been there.  Slow loading sucks... but it is not a permanent thing, and given time and possibly saving money, you CAN change this for yourself - we just can't do it for you.
 

29 minutes ago, X0R said:

given the extent of actual server side modifications on VG already

We do not have any server side modifications at VG.  We have a simple Windows Task that randomizes the maplist.con

That is all.  And that is not a script per se, but an external task that jumbles up the lines of the maplist on a 30 minute schedule, in case the server crashes or is restarted, to ensure the maplist is rarely ever the same.

 

 

/locked