Yes I made this experience too. But it seems that once a game with sv_search_key is started it can be joined in progress by everyone else. sv_search_key as steamgroup_exclsuive 1 only blocks the using of a server through a lobby. Sometimes I start a game alone through a lobby with search key and still in the start sequence other players are joining; too fast that this could be through the use of the server browser.
2009/3/16 Major NuT <[email protected]> > I concur w/ TheNob on this from our experience. I will note one difference > though. > > We have had randoms in our L4D servers (with search key in place). Only > way > they entered the server was via the OpenServerBrowser command from the > Console. They were not in our Steam Group either. I have confirmed that > action myself. > > > [FLASH] MjrNuT > Arise from Flames and Ash, Behold Immortality > > www.flamesandash.com > > > Message: 6 > > Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2009 15:09:45 +0100 > > From: TheNob HLDS <[email protected]> > > Subject: Re: [hlds] L4D Client Update > > To: Half-Life dedicated Win32 server mailing list > > <[email protected]> > > Message-ID: > > <[email protected]> > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 > > > > Yes it does restrict! sv_search_key must be ("") empty to be accessable > for > > matchmaking. > > > > > > > > 2009/3/16 Alec Sanger <[email protected]> > > > > > > > > Sorry if this sounds incredibly stupid, but does sv_search_key actually > > > restrict cleints from connecting who don't have the proper > sv_search_key > > on > > > their end? All of my servers have been dead since friday. I removed > > > sv_search_key, rebooted the server, and it's been full for the last 2 > > hours. > > > I was always under the assumption that sv_search_key didn't restrict > > > pubbers. > > > > > > Thank you, > > > Alec Sanger > > > www.stompfest.com > > > > > > > > > > > > > Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:42:40 -0500 > > > > From: [email protected] > > > > To: [email protected] > > > > Subject: Re: [hlds] L4D Client Update > > > > > > > > Actually, you just sparked in my mind another reason that the lobby > > > > server browser would be a good idea. Private L4D servers that are > > > > passworded. Right now, I'm not really sure how you can even connect > to > > > > a L4D server that has sv_password set. If you had the server browser > > > > working like it does in TF2, when you double-click on the server, it > > > > pops up a dialog box to type the password in. So, when the lobby > > leader > > > > chooses the private server to connect to, do the same thing. Not > only > > > > would this guarantee that your server is available, but it would also > > be > > > > welcomed by GSPs and players alike, because the GSPs would be able to > > > > sell private L4D servers, and the players would have a less-costly > > > > alternative to a public server (generally GSPs sell private servers > at > > a > > > > discount because the private servers aren't full eating bandwidth and > > > > CPU resources all the time). Also, only the lobby leader should need > > to > > > > know the password, because they are the one picking the server to > play > > > on. > > > > > > > > > > > > StevoTVR wrote: > > > > > That would be awesome if the GUI let you pick the server from a > list > > > and > > > > > skip all the searching. The cheat command ms_force_dedicated_server > > > lets > > > > > you do this and I've had to use that since the las update messed up > > > > > sv_search_key for us, but most users don't know about that. The > > system > > > > > you suggested would be perfect for us, and probably most other > > > > > communities with private L4D servers. > > > > > > > > > My 2 cents also Matt, with one exception. We use Teamspeak as you're able > to talk to ppl in different channels. ;) > > I changed our previous public L4D to a private one now. It saw no traffic > since the update. Course, I may not have the correct server.cfg now, i.e., > remove all setmaster lines? > > It's not an issue for us. I'm glad Valve has decided to support with their > own servers with this type of game. Some of the modded L4D servers out > there are just not my cup o tea. I'm actually mixed about wither L4D > should > be modded, but that's just me, not putting it on anyone. One annoyance I > do > have is that I've been on L4D server that constantly, constantly runs adds > of: Join our Community, join our steam group, join our blah balh, etc. > These adds are in all kinds of colors to really get your attention _and_ > are > right near or overlap the vanilla game messages. Just so much spam in my > opinion. It was quite annoying and actually took attention away from > playing. This was my own personal annoyance of mine and I'm sure many > players are able to ignore them, but I just started our own servers. I > don't need to name the Community. Point is, I think it's good that Valve > has own set of servers, and the Communities out there may still have their > _intended_ public servers still used. > > Matt, I would add that instead of looking at HLSW, just do > OpenServerBrowser > from Console, find your server and you'll be able to see if it is occupied. > Unless you have HLSW on a 2nd PC or your CTRL+ESC command works dandy to > minimize apps. Seems L4D handles that very well actually. > > I agree it's a bit of a chore educating the members about the search_key. > Pictures do resounding things though. > > [FLASH] MjrNuT > Arise from Flames and Ash, Behold Immortality > > www.flamesandash.com > > > Message: 2 > > Date: Sun, 15 Mar 2009 23:31:07 -0500 > > From: Matt Stanton <[email protected]> > > Subject: Re: [hlds] L4D Client Update > > To: Half-Life dedicated Win32 server mailing list > > <[email protected]> > > Message-ID: <[email protected]> > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed > > > > Ok, given the way the game is played, the lobby system *does* make the > > most sense. You want to be able to connect with all of your friends at > > the same time. The server browser can't really give you this option > > unless everyone is in a ventrilo channel relaying to each other which > > server they are planning on connecting to. > > > > The solution I would pose is: Keep the lobby system. Allow a lobby to > > just connect to an official server or best available server, but also > > offer the lobby leader the option of browsing the servers manually. > > Have it so the leader can pop up the server browser, with only servers > > that are in hibernate mode listed. Then, the lobby leader can choose a > > server that has a decent ping, with whatever plugins and addons they > > like (or none if they choose to). Has anyone at valve looked into > > this? I mean, the server browser is how every other game out there > > works... it's not like the people who play left 4 dead are driveling > > idiots who can't figure out which server would be the best for them. > > Also, allow them to put servers that work well for them consistently in > > a favorites tab just like with TF2. The way the lobby system works now > > is kind of an insult to our intelligence. > > > > It would also make it easier for people like me, who are members of a > > gaming community that would like to branch out into running L4D servers > > (we do run one) to make sure we get connected to our own server. The > > way the sv_search_key thing works, you have to have a copy of HLSW up so > > you can make sure the server doesn't have people on it before you > connect. > > > > We pay for a dedicated box through our GSP, so we can run whatever we > > want within the limits of the hardware and bandwidth, so I could care > > less whether our L4D server stays empty all the time. Our bread and > > butter is TF2. But since L4D came out, a lot of our members have gotten > > really into the game, myself included, and so it's nice to have an empty > > L4D server laying around with pings that we have all been extremely > > happy with from our TF2 servers. > > > > Teaching people the little search key hacks you have to pull to allow > > them to connect to our server is a lot of work. Not everyone is very > > technical when it comes to this stuff, but everyone is used to the > > server browser. If they aren't, they could still choose to just connect > > to the nearest valve box. > > > > Just my two cents. > > > _______________________________________________ > 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
