And what if the maps would smaller? Its about 2 minutes to reach the end of the map from one side to the other. I don't think we need this big maps. With smaller maps, the file size would be smaller too.

Apart from caching the map I would also really suggest to look into compression. There is much potential with the vxl-format. For example I just tried winrar on some maps and the results were impressive: the compressed maps were about 8-25% of the original filesize. Ok, I used the ".rar" with "best" compression method but still it didn't really take much time or ressources (about 1-2sec and not more than 5% of CPU).
So - caching or not - compressing the maps before downloading will decrease the downloadtime dramatically.

>Has anyone suggested this
Yes.
>map reset once objective is reached
No.

I definitely do not want any kind of reset. This is pointless. I've already suggested just bomb the shit out of loosers side of the map. That will give a motivation to capture and protect intels and not just fuck around.

First: Ben, if you implement map resets/map rotation, please let it be optional, e.g. in config.ini.

I would use a library like zlib to compress maps before sending them. Often they become very small. Also, patches are pretty difficult with the .vxl format.

it's like apply a .ppf to a file. You have the original, you patch it.

The problem with "staring at win/lose for a minute" is that you have the current map download time potentially multiplied by 32 (depending on how fast the server is). So I assume the problem is that it could be a lot longer than a minute.

Caching the original map would work if you don't want to generate a new map each time, although obviously people who join in the middle have an already-destroyed map so it gets complicated.

I suggest always generating one map ahead, and download the next map in the background during the previous game. This will be wasted on anyone who quits, but whatever. When the map resets, anyone who hasn't had it fully downloaded yet then gets the full download (which will hopefully be a small fraction of people). And this handles generating a new map for each reset.

well staring at a YOU LOOSE or YOU WIN thing for a minute or two is always good for morale and making people try harder as it downloads the map again group by group or something.

I'll third that. It would really sink it in if it was up there on the loading screen for the next map.

On a related note, we need some sort of marker to show the end point of the download map bar. Never know quite when the map's going to come up.

I think some are saying something similar, but why not just push the pristine version of the map to players in the background after they've downloaded the current version upon joining the game?

basically there should be a maps folder is what is being suggested...kinda like how modern games are made. For example TF2, you DL the map from the server and as long as it isn't different from the servers version you join without a download you just need to sync.

no it's not. That just resets the scores.

@Trizaxx

What I'm saying is that the MAP should be cleared of manmade structures after the objective is reached...

UM this is already implemented. The capture limit in the changelog. When you make your sever you put your capture limit and the game is reset once the capture limit is reached

What about, caching the original map loaded on the server, have clients load it, then sending the changes made to the map to the client as the initial load, then to reload the map on all clients (as they would already have the initial map loaded, and just have changes applied), you just send a dingle data packet telling all of the clients to just reload the original map (just removing the changes that were applied).

Simplified: Send original map. Send changes made to map. Paste Changes over top original map. Delete Paste. Map reloaded.

^agreed

well staring at a YOU LOOSE or YOU WIN thing for a minute or two is always good for morale and making people try harder as it downloads the map again group by group or something.

If 32 at once is two much, you could just have 8 at a time, right? I really don't know, but it makes sense to me.

I'm working on this... but transferring a new 2-3mb map to 32 players at once is a hell of a burden on most servers.

I either have to work on way better map compression or implement a good way to cache downloaded maps.

Nobody has suggested this

Once one side wins, the map should reset.

Discuss.