On Hold Hide the "slot reservation" slot (1 Viewer)

[lukesrw]

Hi,

Slot Reservation?​

Recently a reserved slot was added to allow donators to connect to a server when it is full.
This is great, allowing those who pay money to the community to be able to play whenever they want.

The Problems?​

The implementation of it really isn't great, as it shows to everyone as a publicly available slot,
This means you can no longer use the "Auto-Retry" feature of the community server browser:

As the server browser sees 31/32 and connects you... at which point...

This causes two main problems:

1. Unable to queue into popular servers without spamming the "Refresh" button and clicking at 30/32, hoping no one else got in first
2. Chat spam during the game, as it still shows "X has joined" and "X disconnected" messages when people spam join

Proposed Solution​

Other TF2 communities also have reserved slots without the above problem, Panda should adopt the methods that these communities use.

Reserved Slots (SourceMod) - AlliedModders Wiki

wiki.alliedmods.net

The server has a reserved slot available to donators - it isn't visible in the community server browser.
The server shows as 32/32, but a donator can use the command:

connect 193.192.59.191:27165

Then, depending on implementation either...

Method 1: Hidden Slot​

My favourite method with no interruptions, the server allows the donator to connect and the slots show either (I don't recall which) 33/32 or 33/33.​

Once a player leaves the server it restores to 32/32 (if updated to 33/33) until another donator wishes to play, and the same thing happens.​

​

Method 2: Kicky Slot​

Not a great method, but it is a better alternative to not allowing auto queueing, the server allows the donator to connect and it kicks a player.​

It's not great as someone that's been playing is removed (usually best to pick the player with least time or least score). But it works.​

​

 

[Kevin]

Hi,

Slot Reservation?​

Recently a reserved slot was added to allow donators to connect to a server when it is full.
This is great, allowing those who pay money to the community to be able to play whenever they want.

The Problems?​

The implementation of it really isn't great, as it shows to everyone as a publicly available slot,
This means you can no longer use the "Auto-Retry" feature of the community server browser:

View attachment 23366

As the server browser sees 31/32 and connects you... at which point...

View attachment 23367

This causes two main problems:

1. Unable to queue into popular servers without spamming the "Refresh" button and clicking at 30/32, hoping no one else got in first
2. Chat spam during the game, as it still shows "X has joined" and "X disconnected" messages when people spam join

Proposed Solution​

Other TF2 communities also have reserved slots without the above problem, Panda should adopt the methods that these communities use.

Reserved Slots (SourceMod) - AlliedModders Wiki

wiki.alliedmods.net

The server has a reserved slot available to donators - it isn't visible in the community server browser.
The server shows as 32/32, but a donator can use the command:

connect 193.192.59.191:27165

Then, depending on implementation either...

Method 1: Hidden Slot​

My favourite method with no interruptions, the server allows the donator to connect and the slots show either (I don't recall which) 33/32 or 33/33.​

Once a player leaves the server it restores to 32/32 (if updated to 33/33) until another donator wishes to play, and the same thing happens.​

​

Method 2: Kicky Slot​

Not a great method, but it is a better alternative to not allowing auto queueing, the server allows the donator to connect and it kicks a player.​

It's not great as someone that's been playing is removed (usually best to pick the player with least time or least score). But it works.​

​

just to note, reserved slots have always been in place and servers who run 32 slots are configured the following way;

If someone with reserve access joins into a reserved slot, the player with the highest latency and no reserved slot access (spectator players are selected first) is kicked to make room. Thus, the reserved slots always remains free. The only situation where the reserved slot(s) can become properly occupied is if the server is full with reserve slot access clients.

we can hide the slot but that doesnt really change the way it works.

 

[Kevin]

if you dont like being kicked then the easiest way is that you support the community and donate

 

[lukesrw]

we can hide the slot but that doesnt really change the way it works.

...but that does change the way it works. It means people can auto-queue again.

 

[Kevin]

...but that does change the way it works. It means people can auto-queue again.

if the server is full then the server is full that doesnt change the fact that its simply _full_
if a player leaves then someone else can join and if a donator joins a person gets kicked who isnt immune against it.

 

[lukesrw]

if the server is full then the server is full that doesnt change the fact that its simply _full_

I don't mind the server being full, I mind the server showing as not full - when it is full unless you're a donator.

If the server showed 31/31 then we can auto-queue and it will connect us when someone leaves.
If the server shows 31/32 (as it does show) then we can join/auto-queue and get kicked immediately.

It's not about being kicked after actually playing (that as proposed method #2, which is fine), it's about being kicked because the server says it's not full when it is.

 

[Kevin]

I don't mind the server being full, I mind the server showing as not full - when it is full unless you're a donator.

If the server showed 31/31 then we can auto-queue and it will connect us when someone leaves.
If the server shows 31/32 (as it does show) then we can join/auto-queue and get kicked immediately.

It's not about being kicked after actually playing (that as proposed method #2, which is fine), it's about being kicked because the server says it's not full when it is.

If someone with reserve access joins into a reserved slot, the player with the highest latency and no reserved slot access (spectator players are selected first) is kicked to make room. Thus, the reserved slots always remains free. The only situation where the reserved slot(s) can become properly occupied is if the server is full with reserve slot access clients.

 

[lukesrw]

The point you're missing is that 99% of people aren't donators... and that's not what's happening?

I'm not saying "God it's so annoying that I get kicked when a donator joins", that's more than fine.

The problem is that the server allows you to connect only to kick you because it doesn't want you to connect.

It's a simple change to hide the reserved slot, why not do it?

 

[Kevin]

The point you're missing is that 99% of people aren't donators... and that's not what's happening?

I'm not saying "God it's so annoying that I get kicked when a donator joins", that's more than fine.

The problem is that the server allows you to connect only to kick you because it doesn't want you to connect.

It's a simple change to hide the reserved slot, why not do it?

cause the server has 32 slots and not 31.

 

[lukesrw]

cause the server has 32 slots and not 31.

It only has 32 slots if you're a donator, which 99% of people arren't?

 

[Kevin]

It only has 32 slots if you're a donator, which 99% of people arren't?

donators + admins are able to use the reserved slot, unsure what i should tell you nor what you want from me.
the server has 32 playable slots for everyone to use and once the server is full and a donor/admin joins a random guy gets kicked in order to free up the slot.
if it somehow glitches out there's nothing i can do about it and like i said if we'd hide the slot then the server would only have 31 visible slots available.

 

[lukesrw]

unsure what i should tell you nor what you want from me

From https://wiki.alliedmods.net/Reserved_Slots_(SourceMod)

Hidden Slots​

sm_hide_slots <0|1>

This controls the plugin hides the reserved slots (the default is 0).

If enabled (1) reserve slots are hidden in the server browser window when they are not in use. For example a 24 player server with 2 reserved slots will show as a 22 player server (until the reserved slots are occupied). To connect to the reserved slot of a server that shows as full you will need to use 'connect iport' in console. (e.g. 'connect 192.168.1.100:27015')

There is no possible way for the reserved slots to be visible to admins and hidden from normal users. Admin authentication can only happen after the user is fully connected to the server and their steam id is available to SourceMod. For this reason it is often better to hide the slots otherwise public users will attempt to join the server and will get kicked again (rendering the ‘autojoin’ feature useless)

As they state,

For this reason it is often better to hide the slots otherwise public users will attempt to join the server and will get kicked again (rendering the ‘autojoin’ feature useless)