That's wonderful. But again, I'm not talking about the current autoupdate system (which apparently doesn't work on L4D), but the one that David Cousins pitched.
Cc2iscooL wrote: > Um... There's two options. Either you use autoupdate or you don't. > Take your pick. > > On 1/24/09, Jonah Hirsch <[email protected]> wrote: > >> I like this idea, but the only problem I see is that it takes control of >> the servers, instead of the server admins controlling the server. >> If this system were to be implemented, it needs to have at least a >> variable, or startup parameter, so that if a server admin does NOT want >> their server automatically updating (for whatever reason), it won't. >> >> Ronny Schedel wrote: >> >>> The autoupdate does not work for L4D. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>>> Linux Has an autoupdate feature. >>>> >>>> When will the windows guys get -autoupdate and -fork for l4d? >>>> >>>> -----Original Message----- >>>> From: [email protected] >>>> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of David Cousins >>>> Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2009 2:39 PM >>>> To: [email protected] >>>> Subject: [hlds] Server/client updating and L4D matchmaking >>>> >>>> *ahem* This is a bit long, so TL;DR: Matchmaking breaks for hours after >>>> every update because of the automatic nature of client updates and the >>>> manual nature of Server updates. It needs fixing by making the hldsupdate >>>> automatic too, but with some intelligence.. >>>> >>>> ------ >>>> >>>> Non-TLDR version: >>>> >>>> Everyone knows the drill by now. Whenever an update is released, >>>> matchmaking >>>> suddenly becomes useless when trying to find a server. It's also a >>>> problem >>>> for other games, but at least with a server browser you can see and >>>> choose >>>> servers that have been updated. >>>> >>>> People already playing when the update drops are fine, but anyone they >>>> invite gets the new update and can't play with them, and if a group logs >>>> out >>>> and back in to grab the update, because of how servers are updated they >>>> wouldn't be able to find many freshly updated servers to actually play >>>> on. >>>> >>>> What needs to happen is for steam to be a heck of a lot more intelligent >>>> about updating clients and servers need to self update. >>>> >>>> When an update is released, it should start off by being distributed to >>>> servers only, but not applied, and trickled down slowly so as not to >>>> disrupt >>>> the gameplay of people on that server currently. For major updates with a >>>> large filesize they would have to be released a couple of hours before >>>> pushing the client update, but for most patches it could be done an hour >>>> or >>>> so before. >>>> >>>> When a server has downloaded all of the update, it should then tell the >>>> master server it has done so and is ready to update itself, but it >>>> continues >>>> to run until given the go-ahead to update. When a certain percentage of >>>> servers have reported to the master server that they are ready, then the >>>> master server should tell them to update. >>>> >>>> When the servers are told to restart, they don't instantly shutdown (this >>>> would be annoying for anyone playing and potentially cause a massive load >>>> >>>> on >>>> the content servers with players from thousands of servers all updating >>>> their client). Instead, servers wait until they are empty, change maps, >>>> or >>>> end a campaign (depending on the game). This helps spread the load of >>>> clients grabbing updates, as well as allowing people to finish their >>>> game. >>>> Shortly before the server shuts down, it sends the players a message >>>> telling >>>> them a game update is available and that they can grab it at the end of >>>> the >>>> map/campaign when the server updates itself. >>>> >>>> At the same time as the master server tells servers to update, the steam >>>> content servers begin to release the update to clients in the normal way. >>>> >>>> This way, anyone in a game can continue playing and anyone looking for a >>>> game can continue playing without having an update forced on them and >>>> then >>>> needing to hunt for an updated server. When the client update is pushed >>>> out, >>>> anyone in a game can continue without worry that the server will boot >>>> them, >>>> but anyone launching a game will get the update and will have servers to >>>> use >>>> (any that were empty will update instantly, and gradually as games finish >>>> and maps change servers will update themselves). Anyone invited to join a >>>> game in progress will be fine for the most part, and only inconvenienced >>>> for >>>> a short time while the game they were invited to is completed. >>>> >>>> It's probably a hard system to implement, but the current system just >>>> renders matchmaking unusable and really needs fixing. And even in games >>>> without matchmaking, it can be frustrating when you want a game but can't >>>> find any empty local servers because everyone who has updated only has a >>>> few >>>> updated servers to choose from. >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, >>>> please visit: >>>> http://list.valvesoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/hlds >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, >>>> please visit: >>>> http://list.valvesoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/hlds >>>> >>>> >>>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, >>> please visit: >>> http://list.valvesoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/hlds >>> >>> >> _______________________________________________ >> To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, >> please visit: >> http://list.valvesoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/hlds >> >> > > _______________________________________________ To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, please visit: http://list.valvesoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/hlds
