Hi guys,

Been trying some stuff out tonight - following this page I found:
http://wiki.multiplay.co.uk/BF3_Seeding_Guide

Seeding - involves setting server slots to 0/4 to start, when it fills to 4/4 increase to 4/6, when fills to 6/6 increase to 6/8 etc... requires close watch of rcon, blog and ingame to admin people baseraping as that causes people to leave.

So I reset all the server settings to Quick Match default settings to make it compatable for that, map to metro 32, 1 round. A few other settings mentioned in that guide... and tried this out.

I was idling and I got dc due to idle timeout dispite me setting this to 300 minutes - I need FTP access to set this up in startup.txt (trying to get hold of saink or annarack). When I got dc I got distracted by work but the rcon carried on running.

Now the server name was METRO Conquest 64 | SpecialAttack.net and server slots were 4/4. Here are the rcon logs I just found, along with my comments:

[20:36:19] Sheppyh has joined the server..
[20:40:20] Sheppyh has joined the server..
[20:54:55] Sheppyh has left the server.. <<< Now i got dc for idle time out and got distracted
[21:13:40] eviro2 has joined the server.. <<< 20 mins later
[21:13:46] Riccts has joined the server..
[21:14:28] mattyyoO has joined the server..
[21:14:32] bobmer123123 has joined the server.. <<<< server FULL!, now i should be increasing slots to 4/6
[21:26:28] Riccts has left the server.. <<<< people play for 12 mins, noone else joins, someone leaves
[21:38:07] thebigstar66 has joined the server.. <<<< someone else joins
[21:54:56] eviro2 has left the server.. <<<< this is boring, its 4/4 everyone leaves
[21:55:16] mattyyoO has left the server..
[21:56:00] thebigstar66 has left the server..
[21:57:12] bobmer123123 has left the server..

NOTICE I wasnt even connected when the 1st player joined. He joined on 0/4!! It NATURALLY filled!

Why are people joining?

MOST people set a filter for amount of free player slots, personally i set 1-5 free slots, I love full servers. With no more than 4 slots free at any time we are always included in this massive filter. Also with quick match default settings we people who press quick join may end up on our servers.

I will give this a proper go tomorrow, and when I have FTP so I can set the server up for this properly..

Seems like a step in the right direction...

Any thoughts?

EDIT: On that guide note comment: "This method works best before 8PM (GMT) in the europe zone, it appears to be effectively impossible at 10pm"

I hope I get a chance to try this before server expires.

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Just idling now...

[00:27:23] Sheppyh has joined the server..
[00:45:13] Sheppyh > someone join >.<
[00:53:10] gjevans539 has joined the server..
[00:53:58] gjevans539 has left the server..

Min players is 4... has to be for ranked server. Need 4 players minimum to get this going.

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Looks like a plan. No harm in trying. Need to check when the contract runs out though

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Classy is when a woman has everything to flaunt, but chooses not to show it!

Just another update,

Been doing this this morning between 9:45 and now 10:35 and ive gotten the server to 8/10...

This is deffo do-able!

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That's without server GUID reseted, right?

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BAM!
"Player with nothing to live for" - PsychoStats

Correct without!

Update: 12/14

RENEW THE SERVER I CAN MAKE IT WORK

It just needs some TLC



EDIT: Update: 18/20
EDIT: Update: 22/24 - server filling nicely now

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Final update: 64/64 [4]

Yes 4 people QUEUEING to join our server

Nuff said im going to college

May I add this is just random people joining an completely un-admined server. Get some admins on there to keep people happy and get some social aspect going and we have returning players and a BF3 community

EDIT: ALSO: TWICE now ive accidently kicked *32 players* by accidently reducing server to 32 slot when full at 64. It refills almost instantly

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Good news!
I'll open procon to look on server activity. if I see something I'll act.

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BAM!
"Player with nothing to live for" - PsychoStats

As for where do we go from here?

Well we have a 64 player server filled. Change server name to whatever we want, add maps we want to the list fill the server as metro then transition into whatever we want it to be.

Simples

Record of achievment attached.

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Is pretty easy to control what ppl do on server. I just give some info to some goys on the server via procon and keep them under observation.
Nice job Sheppy .

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BAM!
"Player with nothing to live for" - PsychoStats

Well we now have a full server 64/64. All thanks to sheppy

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Classy is when a woman has everything to flaunt, but chooses not to show it!

Nice one Sheppy, should have got you to do it from the start!

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-"You've really worked out your banter, haven't you?"
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Thanks

This was my first try at this server seeding tactic, there's no reason I can't do this each morning to fill the server for the day!

Just bought procon for iPhone so I can watch the server/manage slots from anywhere

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I've just been monitoring it and on the last map change I didn't put the command in and this time we didn't lose half the people. So maybe that bug just happens now and then or when the server is not very full. We have 64/64 and 4 in the queue as I type this.

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Classy is when a woman has everything to flaunt, but chooses not to show it!

No need to put in the command when we are full can't work out yet when to use the command. Deffo had to earlier when we were stuck on 4/4

I just added Canals to the map rotation and changed server name to TACTICAL CONQUEST .........

Wanna see if it maintains 64/64 with a map change.

I'll monitor and look after slots to bring it back to 64 if it dies down after this.

Harry

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Ok cool, map change almost up so I'll keep an eye on it too. Still full btw

EDIT: Map change over, all is good

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Classy is when a woman has everything to flaunt, but chooses not to show it!

Seem to be hovering at 45.

A LOT of the metro players have left but we've had plenty of replacements people who want to play maps other than METRO so not a failure here

I'll keep monitoring and trying to fill

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Just added Seine under player request.

Let's see what happens

Edit: map about to change. Got to 52/64 on canals

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Nice

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Classy is when a woman has everything to flaunt, but chooses not to show it!

Back hovering around 45

Gona leave metro/canals/seine for now

Most players leave at end of map (obviously)

Therefore have increase tickets from 150% to 200% to allow more time to fill server between map changes.

Harry

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I've just upped the player count to 54. I'm going to be away from my computer now for about an hour. So hopefully all goes well.

EDIT: It's 54/54 now, I'll up it again then I'm off for a bit

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Classy is when a woman has everything to flaunt, but chooses not to show it!

Server seems stable on 50-64 players on a 3 map rotation.

Had max players at 64 for a few maps now so it's self filling too

I say this is a fairly successful result. If only we had the server for another months for continued testing.

Going to chip in for another 3 month block or look around maybe at wire play for a 1 month server. Anyone else willing to chip in to see if we can get this going? With a 64 player BF3 server hopefully we can generate some donations soon too.

Harry

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Ppl seems to enjoy it. Not to much moin and rage, not at all actually :p. I even played 1 round of metro. It's a mess .
Anyway. I think one good thing is that is no restriction on weapons. I've been asked few times (admin was actually) if some weapons are allowed. They seemed to be happy when I said yes to all .

LE: Sheppy, I'd say is the best thing ever happend to BF3 server . It's for sure a succes .
LLE: Another thing. Actually the game is Small CQ but with 64 players. I think this is actually a good thing .

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BAM!
"Player with nothing to live for" - PsychoStats

That's the idea

Metro is a mess, people love it though for fast levelling and carnage. Lots of these servers are no M320/RPG but people seem happy with all weapons - not too bad without hardcore on.

Other thing I have been doing is putting all players into squads, I like this as it promotes team play, spawning on other players rather than bases and seems to help keep people on the servers. Nothing I hate more than empty squads

Try fill squads in order A-H

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I notice that on some servers is an autojoin to squads. I think is a plugin for procon. Also, there is a lot of useful plugins for it on their webpage. You may wanna take a peak, I didn't installed as the ylook complicate to setup for me .

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BAM!
"Player with nothing to live for" - PsychoStats

I'm starring at procon and can't believe it's almost full most of the time. By hours now. Damn good job Sheppy.

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BAM!
"Player with nothing to live for" - PsychoStats

I might be able to spare some cash if you can get a good deal on the server. I'm extremely skint but I can work an extra day at the shop to get an extra bit of cash.

You've done an awesome job sheppy. Thank you

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Classy is when a woman has everything to flaunt, but chooses not to show it!

Yeh I notice these plugins, we need a procon layer server.

This is a bit of software which runs on a computer (one of spa's servers) which is connected to the game server all day and has plugins loaded like the auto squad joiner.

We then connect our procons to the layer server instead of the game server. That way we can set permissions for admins to control who can do what.

Yep server seems full all day, drops at map changes but is always full for the next map.

What a result!

Your all welcome, it has been a pleasure being part of SpA again much enjoye working on this.

People in my Maths class asked what I was doing on my phone as I was running the iPhone procon app modifying slots and putting people in squads. Amazing how the world has come on since the days of HLDS and amx mod

Think this shines a ray of hope back on the much missed BF side of SpA

Thanks for your help annarack and bam! Hopefully you got all your marking done for a game this evening

Sheppy

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Still marking...

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Classy is when a woman has everything to flaunt, but chooses not to show it!

People complained at metro, I asked them to suggest an alternative, they picked Bazaar, added to map list.

Server was 55/64 after map change, highest retention yet.

Wanted to add the server name is TACTICAL CONQUEST .....

I'm always forcing into squads and I'm seeing plenty of team talk going on, people complimenting each other, quite a pleasant server

Someone even commented "there's 3 maps in this server" so already got a "regular" lol

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