Virtual Skipper

Outspan · Matelot Joined: 26 May 2011 Posts: 56 Location: Denmark

Ahoy back

I dont see it as a tall order.
I am guessing that the code base itself is very similar to the one of TrackMania. So it shouldnt be too difficult to get your head around it.

This is not a major rework of the way VSK works. It rather a quick little:
Add menuitem with a codebehind that would (in my C#.Net world) look something like:

foreach (boatObj boat in race.Participants)
{
if (boat.FinishTime == null)
{
Race.DoKick(boat);
}
}

This does not have to cost 1000 of dollars.
It could be a great little task for an apprentice at UbiSoft/Nadeo.

Also - some developers like what they do so much that they dont mind spending a few extra hours at night to make a few (or more) people happy.

So in my world. Not really that tall of an order.

I think your ideas with writing result files every X seconds - and the keeping track of IP adresses - is taking something very simple and turn it into a very complicated task.

But what it all boils down to.
I need a result file - and people like to get their ladder points.
So a quick fix for that - would be very much appreciated.

Cheers,
OutSpan

juliobandv · mousse Joined: 16 Nov 2011 Posts: 1

I totally agree Mort de rire

We need a mechanism to remove that bad sailors from the server.
They are a prague.

good idea, and hope you can implement this

Julio

Outspan · Matelot Joined: 26 May 2011 Posts: 56 Location: Denmark

I solved the problem Sourire

Using AUTOHOTKEY I kicked all players after 15 minutes.
This generates the result file and all finishers will get a time and I can therefore always calculate the players new ranking on my site.

Only drawback is that only the players kicked AFTER the ghost has been kicked - will get NADEO's ladder points.

So from now on...
If you want to continue playing on my server...
You have to re-enter it - after each race...

-------
Dear Nadeo

No need to solve this afterall...
But now that you have the source code open...
Can you DELETE the 17.1 penalty... Sourire

Thanks ...

Cheers,
OutSpan

P.S.
You can download the AUTOHOTKEY script on my site.
You might have to alter the "kicking" procedure - if your screen resolution is different from the one I use...
If you need help for this... Send me a mail..

My site is http://autohost.dyndns.dk - Look under FAQ for download link

CANKnot · Moderator Joined: 09 Nov 2005 Posts: 1319

I am glad to hear you found a simple work around. I just jumped onto your server for the first time the other night and had a great bunch of races.

Outspan · Matelot Joined: 26 May 2011 Posts: 56 Location: Denmark

Okay okay
I wont wish for any changes then..

Except for maybe - a fix for the VSK5.exe version - that creates XML result files.

Am I the only one that noticed that spectators and players waiting for next race gets a DNF for the active race?

Cheers,
Outspan

CANKnot · Moderator Joined: 09 Nov 2005 Posts: 1319

You can wish... you just have to be careful Sourire

I keep thinking of the Pen cancel "feature". Allowing players to cancel penalties seemed perfectly reasonable when it was proposed, but it was likely THE most controversial change ever made to VSK.

kiwi_bardy · Posted: 23 Nov 2011 9:30 Post subject:

CANKnot · Moderator Joined: 09 Nov 2005 Posts: 1319

True enough, that is what I meant by other obstructions. But I should qualify my last statement better... if a boat gets a 17.1 penalty and there is no land nearby, the penalty is likely correct... unless it is the case you stated
_________________
In theory there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice there is.

Camster · Posted: 23 Nov 2011 23:06 Post subject:

... Except on a shy spinnaker reach, when it can be a valid proper course to head high under genoa and then set the spi later. But if you do this, having obtained an overlap from astern, you will get a 17.1.

Of course that is why we have a pen cancel button.

Sourire

_________________
Sandy

JHL · Matelot Joined: 06 Jun 2009 Posts: 96

kiwi_bardy · Posted: 27 Nov 2011 21:00 Post subject:

najevi · Posted: 10 Dec 2011 7:59 Post subject:

For what it's worth I also agree with Outspan that such a "Kick all non-finished boats" button would be a valuable addition.

I'm just wondering if we should not be thinking about what else would enhance the autohost experience without creating too huge a burden for further software development.

Trusted List for Reports of Abuse
For example I imagine that a host (especially an autohost script) would benefit from access to information about any skippers that are reported via the "Report Abuse" button during a series of races. Suppose that the result.xml file included a section that listed login name pairs - being the name of skippers who reported another skipper. Now I would not trust any random skipper's report of abuse because that very "Report Abuse" feature might be abused by some mischievous players. However, I might maintain a list of even a few hundred skippers (maybe even the top 500 in the rank list) whose reports of abuse I am willing to trust. That way at the end of each race my script might parse the results.xml file and look for reports of abuse that I "trust" and then allow my script to add login names to my autohost server's blacklist.

Maybe someone who hosts often can finesse the detail but something along these lines would allow the so-called "trusted" players to act as regatta moderators in much the same way that trusted players at this forum act as forum moderators.

Rank based admittance
The top 10,000 players are accessible to anyone who has an ounce of interest in making the query so I wonder how difficult it would be to tweak the script for an autohost server to admit only those login names whose rank falls within a specified range. Say what you like about the points system, it is clear to me that some players value the prospect of racing online with a view to increasing their relative rank and so an autohost server ought to accommodate this.

So how easily might a script test each login name to see if it is within some pre-specified list of players such as those players ranked [10,000 to 5,000] or [1,000 to 1] or "not in the range [10,000 to 1]" or whatever tickles your fancy? It ought not matter if this list is 24 hours old. Rough enough is good enough.

Autohost servers
Outspan, I enjoy sailing at your autohost server even when their are mischievous players. It does not bother me whether I earn points or not. Just knowing that a new race starts about every 15 minutes is great.

Only recently has my situation changed such that I might host some races myself and I can't imagine attending the server to host but I could imagine setting up an autohost server to monitor as time permits.

Keep up the great work. I am keen to check out your script and dabble with it for myself. I did not find the FAQ link at your website but will check there again in a few days.

Fair winds!
_________________
it's better to spin and fin' than to fit and quit!

najevi

Rojoyinc · mousse Joined: 08 Dec 2011 Posts: 18

Seems like the race should have a ending time which is long eoungh for the slowest boats... And end. Anyone not over the finish line in that time frame isn't considered in the race or is shown to finish at the max race time.

I think this is how sail sim works. It has a race end time at the start of the race.

As to support? If the company isn't interested to develope and update the product, then sell it to a company that will.