Func_Msgboard: Random Map Loader

Posted by Barnak on 2016/01/12 18:55:11

Over the years, I've accumulated hundreds of very high quality maps from this place. Now, it is becoming a nightmare to select a map to play, since there are so much to choose. The maps list in Quakespasm is very long and scrolling the whole list is painfull.

To solve this problem, it would be very usefull to have a small bsp file : random.bsp, that do just one thing : randomly select and load a map from a list of map names stored in a text file. That file could be located inside the default map directory (next to the random.bsp file), and could be edited by the player, using his/her favorite text editor.

So each time the player call the map random.bsp from the console, the engine then loads a random map from the favorite list.

Now, I am not a programmer, and I don't know if this idea could be done for Quake. I think it could be very usefull if it's doable.

So what do you think ? Anyone knows how to do this ?

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Then Again

#9 posted by Kinn on 2016/01/12 19:29:09

I bet Preach could come up some krazy idea to make it work in vanilla progs....

#10 posted by Baker on 2016/01/12 19:29:47

screenshot

Baker, What Is This ? LOL

#11 posted by Barnak on 2016/01/12 19:31:50

This looks like something from The Matrix.

#12 posted by Baker on 2016/01/12 19:34:20

Download - Created in 2006.

Hack...

#13 posted by Barnak on 2016/01/12 19:34:45

Kinn,

maybe that hardcoded entities list could be edited using an HexEditor ?

Oh Also

#14 posted by Kinn on 2016/01/12 19:35:57

Do you need this to load different mods as well, or is this list of maps all for one mod (vanilla I assume)

#15 posted by Kinn on 2016/01/12 19:37:24

maybe that hardcoded entities list could be edited using an HexEditor ?

Now this is getting silly

#16 posted by Spirit on 2016/01/12 19:39:47

Even easier on MacOS: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1515730/is-there-a-command-like-watch-or-inotifywait-on-the-mac

In case you did not understand how it works, it randomises the map each time you access the file. So you stay within Quake and just load randommap again and again.

#17 posted by Barnak on 2016/01/12 19:44:50

Kinn :

for the moment, I'm not asking to load different mods. Default bsp maps from the id1/maps folder only would already be great (I have about 200 great maps in there).

If the list must be hardcoded, then HexEditing it could be the only choice left, without asking for a modification of the engine (Quakespasm).

Spirit :

while I'm a long time user of OS X, I'm really not familiar with that OS X stuff. So I really don't know how to use the ressources from your link.

Baker

#18 posted by Barnak on 2016/01/12 19:56:11

That Mod is pretty impressive ! The undergate hall is cool to move in.

#19 posted by Joel B on 2016/01/12 19:59:49

Spirit's solution is described in those posts he linked to in the Quakespasm thread. He posted an example command for Linux that will link a different (randomly chosen) bsp file to randommap.bsp each time something (like Quake) opens the file.

If you're on OS X then you'll need to figure out how to modify that Linux command like so that it uses the file-watching tools available on OS X (fswatch), instead of the Linux-specific stuff (inotifywait).

Johnny Law

#20 posted by Barnak on 2016/01/12 20:05:24

It isn't obvious at all how to use Spirit's code. Where do you put that code ?

#21 posted by oh, that person on 2016/01/12 20:17:52

Theoretically it should be trivial to add a new command to QS which would switch to a random entry from the filelist... but I'm looking at the QS source and I have no idea where to begin.

#22 posted by Barnak on 2016/01/12 20:26:05

Adding a command to QuakeSpasm that reads a textfile to randomly load a map would be ideal ! I think it could actually be awesome !

Not A Textfile.

#23 posted by oh, that person on 2016/01/12 20:28:00

The list of maps.

List Of All Maps ?

#24 posted by Barnak on 2016/01/12 20:46:57

As indicated by someone elsewhere on the forum, there are maps that aren't actually true maps (I don't know if this is true).

I think it would be preferable that the user define a list of **favorite** maps in a text file, and the engine could then read it to load a map.

It may be more reliable.

#25 posted by Baker on 2016/01/12 20:54:17

My favorite map is b_shell1.bsp

#26 posted by Lunaran on 2016/01/12 22:17:08

I am looking forward to b_shell1rmx

#27 posted by Kinn on 2016/01/12 22:18:39

sock already did it

#25, #26, #27 ?

#28 posted by Barnak on 2016/01/12 23:18:55

Sock already did what ?

And what are b_shell1.bsp and b_shell1rmx ?

This Thread Is Funny.

#29 posted by SleepwalkR on 2016/01/12 23:28:15

Just Hook This Up To An Impulse And You're Good To Go

#30 posted by czg on 2016/01/12 23:32:06

void() random_map =
{
changelevel ("thefly");
};

You Mean The Fly From 1997 By Markus Klar? I Hear It's Good

#31 posted by skacky on 2016/01/13 00:06:01

Indeed Sleepy

#32 posted by distrans on 2016/01/13 00:22:34

Czg

#33 posted by nitin on 2016/01/13 14:18:11

you could also swap thefly for bailey.

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