Class Limitations

**enf** · 06-20-08, 01:58 PM

Is it possible to code this? With these new class updates coming every month, it would be nice if an admin could have the option to limit the number of a certain class to each team. That would really just quash any achievement whoring and the admins can have more time to take care of any other unruly players.

**Ewok** · 06-20-08, 03:20 PM

Yeah it's possible. Unfortunately, there are more pressing matters in the feature queue at the moment (mainly voting).

But I'm hoping that by the next set of class achievements, it'll be in.

For those aspiring coders out there.... this would be a good feature to cut your teeth on...

If I was going to go tackle it, I'd first go look at sourcemod scripts to see "how do they do it" (because I know they have scripts that do). Then, do not copy paste their code (that's copyright infringement), but instead learn how they do it, what Valve APIs they use, and then with that knowledge, we write our own version.

**timikoy** · 06-20-08, 05:35 PM

I'm up for tackling this. Eagerly awaiting lonestar v2 source release...

**Ewok** · 06-20-08, 05:51 PM

I'll probably be posting it sometime tonight...

**timikoy** · 06-22-08, 07:14 PM

I've been getting my bearings in the lonestar source and the various API's being used, and trying to figure out how to hook the game events needed for this feature (class changes, auto-balancing). I see IServerGameClients is used for some hooks, and wanted to glance through it's class definition, but I cannot seem to find it in the includes. Can someone point me in the right direction (Ewok)?

**Ewok** · 06-23-08, 02:08 AM

hl2sdk/public/eiface.h

When dealing with the sdk side of things, it's useful to get visual studio setup so that you can ask it where things are defined. For instance that's the only reason I know where that class is defined

For figuring this one out, you may want to look up some sourcemod scripts that do it and figure out what they do. It'll point you at the right engine calls and hooks to use.

When using sourcemod as an example, it's a two stage process. First you make sure to understand what the script is doing and what "native" functions it's calling. Then you look in the sourcemod dll code to see how those "native" functions are implemented, as that code is what's actually calling the game engine functions.

**Consultant** · 06-23-08, 08:35 AM

For the sake of playing devil's advocate, I think this "feature" is unnecessary and potentially damaging for the people who normally play the classes in question...Why should SmokenSheriff be restricted from playing Soldier on a map like Granary because when he joined after the solder patch was released there are 4 other soldiers on the team? That's pushing it, in my opinion.

TTP has a plethora of wise admins in-game to deal with problems like this - why code in features for these short-term issues? 2 days removed from the Pyro patch, last night there were 3 pyros on my team and we didn't have any issues.

Heck, on the day of the patch I asked a pyro to go medic and he did, and I'm just a player, not even an admin.

Again, just my opinion, but I would say don't waste your time coding this feature when our already talented pool of admins can handle the issue with more common sense than can be programmed into a piece of software.

**Graverunner** · 06-23-08, 08:47 AM

All I ever see class limitations doing, is stabbing the losing team in the back, because the class they need is full. Offense is offense, if you're good with the pyro, then your better off with that than going soldier. And the more pyros you have, the more that are likely to switch when asked. If it really gets to be a problem, there are always admins on.

**Consultant** · 06-23-08, 09:29 AM

Then again - the existence of a feature doesnt mean TTP has to use it...other server mods who download Lonestar may lack the admin support of TTP thus they may wish to limit classes...

If it's coded in for the sake of being a fully equipped server moderation and administration tool, so be it, but I dont think TTP should implement this feature on its servers.

**Ewok** · 06-23-08, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by Consultant

Then again - the existence of a feature doesnt mean TTP has to use it...other server mods who download Lonestar may lack the admin support of TTP thus they may wish to limit classes...

If it's coded in for the sake of being a fully equipped server moderation and administration tool, so be it, but I dont think TTP should implement this feature on its servers.

Exactly. We can and will be doing things, not because TTP needs it, but because other server's are not TTP.