addons and being kicked

[girlyman 0]

i've been away from ofp for about 2 years and just recetly got resistance. the problem now is when i try to play multiplayer, i find very few servers that's open to me. i ether get kicked or i'm missing an addon.

what exactly is causing me to get kicked? (i'm not talking about playing for awhile and the admin kick me, i'm talking about clicking on a game and it won't even allow me to get in.)

the other problem is i'd click on a game and it'll load for maybe 1 min. and then i'm kicked out with a message that some addon is missing. with the bewildering numbers of addons, what is one that most ppl use so i can cover most of my bases? why is there addons anyways? i don't remember running into this problem in cold war crisis. it seems the addons fracture the online community by not allowing everyone to have the same access to the same servers.

i also get a message that i have a modified config. something or other in some games that i'm able to play. i don't understand this at all. i patched the game to 1.9(something,)

is that what that is? could my custom camo face be it? is it a big deal to have modified config?

[korax 4]

1) Make sure your running 1.96

2) Make sure your custom face is not too big in file size (some servers restrict them altogether)

3) Try getting OFPWatch, some servers support auto-addon downloads that will get you all the needed addons to play

Not sure about the modified config file, are you running anything like ECP or FDF?

[girlyman 0]

ecp or fdf? i don't even know what they mean. i didn't modify any files or add any mods. the game is straight out of the box and patched to latest version. nothing changed at all.

thanks on the face file size. it's just the standard face w/ camo painted on it using photoshop, but will check on size.

[korax 4]

Ok then you shouldnt worry about your modified config msg...

And BTW I *think* I saw you at Karrillions Bootcamp earlier, but then you got kicked due to missing addons

[benu 1]

It can't be repeated often enough: use OFP Watch. It will automatically download all addons you need and has an internal game browser. Select a server there, let OFP Watch download all the addons for you and connect. No addon problems anymore.

[RN Malboeuf 12]

even tho not all servers are OFP watch servers, once you start the dloads you will be able to access more servers

also you will need MOD folders, addons in a seperate folder that has to be added into your OFP start command line

-mods=wgl;@ctitc

the list goes on, just do some searches in these forums on MOD FOLDERS

[sanctuary 19]

Sometime you can be kicked because the server has just been "locked".

I remember when i tried to join a cti server that was in "green" , then i was kicked just after the click , to only find that after a refresh that the server went "red".

A bad luck due to bad timing

More annoying is when you are kicked from a non-passworded server because 2 clans want it for their private game and after one of the 2 clan members is voted as an admin , they will kick players they dont want in.

Well, not everyday, fortunately, but annoying when you join "supposed to be public" servers.

[girlyman 0]

again, i'm sorry if this has been covered but i've been away from this game a long time, but isn't all these addons fracturing the online community?

instead of everyone having the same access (other than the password ones) to the same servers, the result of the addons is u have a few ppl here and a few ppl there. u don't end up with a critical mass of players who used to duke it out in tanks, helos, or on foot night after night.

true, ofp watch (thanks for tip, btw,) in theory, will allow everyone access to all the servers, but in reality, with some addons nearing 1 gig!!!, ur effectively locking out some players who just don't want the hastle. there's not the freedom of sampling different servers to find ones that suit ur style or w/o the immature crap since every server now has the potential of a long d/l ahead.

i'm saying all this because i'm dismayed by the current state of ofp. since i've been back (1 week now,) i've only been able to play 3 games total. no other game, besides the old air warrior online flight sim from aol, has held my interest this long, but now i'm wondering if it's worth it.

[RN Malboeuf 12]

if you were around for the three years you would have called it a progressive accomplishment

besides, why would i want the Brazilian MOD or the FIN mod, im canadian (why the hell would any one want to use Canadian Armor lol)

it's a game and the mods are based on popularity, if you dont want it you dont need to dload it, not every one has the 1000 odd gigs of addons out there, and besides, we play this game still because it's open for editing in every aspect

I played SCOM2 on PS2 last Xmas (bought if for my younger brother who is 23) which looks and feels like OFP but i was board of it in 4 hours

[benu 1]

1) not all servers use addons. Sadly, you will not know this beforehand in all cases. But if a server has modfolders activated in the gamebrowser you can be sure that it uses some, if it does not have modfolders it could be addons-free or it may use addons in the standard folders. As with any other mp game you should search for a server that caters to your wishes best. This is a lot of trial and error, but worthwhile in the end. Our regulars ended up on our server the same way.

2) addons enhance gameplay a lot. Many people like them. Yes, this "fractures" the community. That is what ofp watch is for. Server admins that care for their players (and have the opportunity) will most likely set up either a downloads page or ofp watch to let every interested player get all the addons for the server. Before ofp watch, getting the right addons for any server was a lot of hassle. I have been there, running an addon server for years. It always took hours to get a new player up to date with the server.

3) Even servers that do use addons normally have addons-free missions installed. We often use non-addon missions when lots of players are on the server that do not have the addons. Not always though. And we always tell them to get ofp watch and all the needed addons. People like you, that do not seem to want to download the addons, should look for a different server or expect to drop out quite often though. We don't have ofp watch and all the addons installed to not use them.

4) modfolders: if ofp watch is set up correctly it will install it's addons into modfolders automatically. Our server creates a modfolder called gdt and installs all (except mods like finmod, wgl or similar) addons there. This is for maximum compatibility. Some addons have different versions out there that do not mix well. Some addons have bugs in them and we use fixed versions.

[SpecOp9 0]

play on the Roughnecks server, we arent fags when it comes to administration...

[Placebo 29]

we arent fags when it comes to administration...

I don't know what cigarettes have to do with multiplayer, because I certainly hope you're talking about northern English slang for cigarettes rather than a derogatory term used against a group of people

[RN Malboeuf 12]

play on the Roughnecks server, we arent fags when it comes to administration...

lol

we are too lazy to be admins

the true value of being a RN is by letting some one else admin - guys who MUST be admins all the time or have half a million wants/orders need not apply

(im admin I say you must be here - you go here - you your ping is too high - fk off my server) ppl could count on thier hands and feet how many times I become admin

[Rune 0]

This has been pissing me off for a long time too girlyman...

The best solution is for BIS to absorb addons in upgrades so your OFP-version forces compatibility...But maybe that can only work for a certain number of them.

Second best option is for the community to make compatible packs of addons, unlike some of the stuff like ECP/FDF they need to work with all other packs out there and NOT touch the configs unless the change is universal for all the packs.

Personally I would rather have no addons at all - 99% of them offer nothing fundamentally new anyway - and I won't put them in my missions as long as there are no standards in place.

[benu 1]

Semi-official addon packs were one of the things i tried to do one time, but the wants and needs of server admins were too diverse to realize this. In short: this will not happen.

I tried to have same/similar addons as SES or Zeus for a time, but this was too restricting for the "flavour" of our server, so although there are (or at least were) compatibilities between those servers and ours they may not be there anymore (don't know, i rarely play "outside"). I guess you have to live with it. Select one or two servers you play on regularly and get their addons. Use ofp watch to connect, it will automatically activate the modfolders the server has activated and you will always be hasslefree in mp.

[Rune 0]

Benu, you are probably right about the packs ...But other things could help aswell, admins and mission makers could learn some 'manners' then it comes to addons - most seem to suck at their 'jobs'. You have a certain responsibility to do a proper job about it when you do stuff publicly - so for all you dedicated and IP-reporting server admins and mission makers who release their missions to the public:

   SERVER ADMINS

1) If you have addons consider not having them and consequently having more people on the server.

2) If you report your IP to GameSpy and do not have a join-password, you're supposed to be a public server - so expect people without addons to join.

3) If you have addons make sure that this fact is clearly visible to anyone using ingame browser.

4) If you have addons consider passwording(or not reporting the IP) the server so people do not come there expecting to play without them.

5) If you are one of those server admins who say "It's my server I'll do whatever I want" think for a moment and understand that when you report your IP that is an invitation over the internet. And your rules only apply on your server, not on the internet in general.

6) If you absolutely must have addons on the server, setup a server for OFPWatch along with it.

   MISSION MAKERS

1) If you are using addons in your missions consider what it is that makes a mission good - it is rarely the addons...

2) When considering putting in a certain addon, ask yourself 'will this mission work without it?'. If it will then take it out.

3) When considering putting in an addon which is not strictly needed - make the mission without it, release it without it...THEN put in the addon to play the mission with your friends...

4) If an addon is absolutely unavoidable, think about wether the whole mission revolves around it...if it does, odds are your mission is not as good as you think it is... either get a better plot or don't release it.

5) If you do use addons, write PROPER lists of them and where they can be found. Make sure that this list can be read in the mission description on downloaded-sites and in readme file.

6) If you do use addons, make sure the fact that addons are required shows in the mission name.

7) If you do use addons, try to use addons from an easily describable group of addons/mod team - such as BAS/CoC/FDF. This will speed up finding them and make listing the addons on a certain server easier in the ingame browser.

[MEDICUS 0]

Personally I would rather have no addons at all - 99% of them offer nothing fundamentally new anyway - and I won't put them in my missions as long as there are no standards in place.

Hmm, i have to disagree in that point.

For me (as a mission maker), the addons and mods are the main reason why i still spend my freetime with editing and playing OFP.

Sure, you are right if you say, that not the addons make a mission good, but good addons (like Combat!, BAS, RHS, ...) make a good mission even better.

The best thing to get rid of the "Missing addon" problem is like benu and some others still said: Get OFPWatch, chose a Server out of the list you like to play on, download the addons ... and enjoy!  

MfG MEDICUS  

[russin 0]

if ya don't like the servers with addons then mabe some people should cough up some loot for a server with stock addons RoughNecks server has about every Mod and what ever we feel like booting up we play here is a list of RN MODS for our server

WGL , MTCO marine pack , BasTonal , CM (Combat Missions)

FCM, and the list goes on.... it is a long list

weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee the more toys the better i say

[RN Malboeuf 12]

Benu, you are probably right about the packs ...But other things could help aswell, admins and mission makers could learn some 'manners' then it comes to addons - most seem to suck at their 'jobs'. You have a certain responsibility to do a proper job about it when you do stuff publicly - so for all you dedicated and IP-reporting server admins and mission makers who release their missions to the public:

   SERVER ADMINS

1) If you have addons consider not having them and consequently having more people on the server.

2) If you report your IP to GameSpy and do not have a join-password, you're supposed to be a public server - so expect people without addons to join.

3) If you have addons make sure that this fact is clearly visible to anyone using ingame browser.

4) If you have addons consider passwording(or not reporting the IP) the server so people do not come there expecting to play without them.

5) If you are one of those server admins who say "It's my server I'll do whatever I want" think for a moment and understand that when you report your IP that is an invitation over the internet. And your rules only apply on your server, not on the internet in general.

6) If you absolutely must have addons on the server, setup a server for OFPWatch along with it.

   MISSION MAKERS

1) If you are using addons in your missions consider what it is that makes a mission good - it is rarely the addons...

2) When considering putting in a certain addon, ask yourself 'will this mission work without it?'. If it will then take it out.

3) When considering putting in an addon which is not strictly needed - make the mission without it, release it without it...THEN put in the addon to play the mission with your friends...

4) If an addon is absolutely unavoidable, think about wether the whole mission revolves around it...if it does, odds are your mission is not as good as you think it is... either get a better plot or don't release it.

5) If you do use addons, write PROPER lists of them and where they can be found. Make sure that this list can be read in the mission description on downloaded-sites and in readme file.

6) If you do use addons, make sure the fact that addons are required shows in the mission name.

7) If you do use addons, try to use addons from an easily describable group of addons/mod team - such as BAS/CoC/FDF. This will speed up finding them and make listing the addons on a certain server easier in the ingame browser.

Rune, you make us laugh

it's been three years and this subject it self is the most IRonic thing there is

MODs rule

so EAT IT THE BAN WIDTH and stop yur bitchen

ohh and go play CS

[edc 0]

I would kind of agree. If you're too lazy to download a few popular addons to play MP, then, well, that's your problem. Don't make the rest of us suffer because you can't be bothered to spend 5 minutes out of your day downloading a few addons.

[Rune 0]

Quote[/b] ]Rune, you make us laugh

Good - I always thought I was very funny, just didn't think anyone else knew about it .

I really can't recognise the rest of that post as an answer to any post I made except that it quotes me - maybe you should try and read more slowly or something. Actually I quite like many addons and mods, really enjoyed ECP until I found out that my computer crashed almost everytime I was playing with it online, nothing fixed it short of OFP reinstall from scratch... I've had too many buggy addons give me low framerates and having to spend much much more than 5 minutes a day to keep my OFP running reasonably well. And if you just got the game now(as in not 3 years ago but today) and went online without knowing about computers, computer game communities, OFP-Watch, patches, addons and mods you'd be absolutely clueless as to how to get in a game at all... that is why I think we should try and make it easy for the new people. They do exist, but if they don't get to play they wont stay.

There is no reason what so ever for not stating that addons are required to play so that it can be seen in the ingame browser...and IF you only play with the same old crowd of 6 anyway - there is no reason to be reporting the IP and a password wouldn't be a problem either. That's all I'm saying.

There would not be any 'suffering' done by people playing on addon servers, but OFP might get some new fans.

And about CS...saying such things can really hurt a guy - ouch!  

[KDog35 0]

Glad to hear there' this "OFP Watch" thingy. I'm finally getting Highspeed and need all the addons to join in.

Rune - Even if you do decide to DL some of the addons, (manually), that won't be the end of it. They continuosly change; new versions, up-dates etc.

Never ending my friend, welcome back.

Kdog~

[benu 1]

OFP Watch handles updates as well. It always checks your installed addons and those on the server and notifies you on changes.

Rune: I wouldn't say that some new players should "dictate" how mission makers make their maps or admins run their servrs. We try to be as friendly and helpful to new players as we can, but we won't punish our members and regulars because of them.

I'd rather see it this way: the server admins are throwing the party and the mission makers bring the food. The gamespy thing is an invitation to the public. Nevertheless their may be a dresscode (required addons) and bouncers at the door to enforce it. Yeah, it would be best to mention the dresscode on the invitation flyers, but the space on those is so limited... although most put it in the fine print (modfolders or servername).

[Rune 0]

KDog35: Thanks...was I gone? I didn't know  

Benu: I know most server admins are trying to be helpful, I just think that they've overlooked this issue - 'dictate' and 'punish' is not what I'm asking at all The new player-issue is only about finding the first server that lets you in a game - so maybe it could be approached the other way around if some of the non-addon-servers had 'no addons' in their description...

About the missions and addons, here's my reasoning: If 100 people download a badly documented addon mission they can spend up to an hour each to find the addons and make the mission work...It takes one mission maker 5-30 minutes to edit a non-addon mission to make it an addon mission...there are exceptions obviously  But my complaint is not and never was with things like the CoC Divers, UA or CTI-addons and what-have-you.

[russin 0]

Mod folders makes it easy to beable to play on many servers with differnet setups with a 3 year old game your luckey to find a mission that doesn't use some addon or another addons make the game better if they are used properlly....

Wargames pack , MTCO Marine pack , are 2 good ones the get and there are a lota maps kicking around for them....need more tho