Fighting Against Epoch Base Building

[happysan]

So, I'm taking up the lone cause of fighting against Epoch base building.  I like the idea of it, but in execution, it's such a mess.  It was eating up too many entries in our object_data table and causing major lag when we had an event on Devil's because some guy built 100x tank traps.  I know there's a variable in the next patch to help out with player built structures.  in the meantime, we are mopping up anything without an item in the inventory after 24 hours.  

 

This includes:

generators

workbenches

walls

floors

cinder walls/floors

doors

 

Basically, we're nerfed base building down to wood shack, wooden shed and the vaults from traders.  Again, those would get mopped up if the gear is empty.  We lost a lot of players but I don't really care.  And, we weren't the best base building server anyway because we had way too many destructive vehicles in the spawn table (e.g., Hind) and lots of launchers.  

 

So, start the flame wars on how I'm turning this into BF3 or CoD.  I'm not.  I have major respect for this mod and its dedicated team. I just don't like the base building eats up so many resources in the database.  If someone's ugly-ass Terraria base could be one single entry, then I would be okay, but as it stands now, each little wall is the same row entry as a MV-22.  I'd rather have another MV-22 on the field.   

 

I'll keep you posted on my experiment.  I feel cold and alone but my RL friends like it better and that's why I started the thing up.  :D  

[Armifer]

You can limit how many of each object can be placed in X distance from each other to put a cap on individual objects. For example, when players spam workbenches to block of the fire station in Cherno, you can limit it to 2 work benches per 30m that way they can only place one. Who needs more than 1 anyway if your building in your base?

 

Another thing you can do is a shorter clean up. Lastly, you can just re-enable the plot pole requirement, its much better that way.

[happysan]

Thanks Armifer.  Good suggestions. I added the plot pole requirement.  that's helping big time.

[vbawol]

I knew this would come up as we are trying to push the limits. This is also why by default we have a 6 day cleanup and added the "maintain" options.

What was your cleanup duration before? What kind of object count are we talking about? 

[Jaegr]

You can limit how many of each object can be placed in X distance from each other to put a cap on individual objects. For example, when players spam workbenches to block of the fire station in Cherno, you can limit it to 2 work benches per 30m that way they can only place one. Who needs more than 1 anyway if your building in your base?

 

Another thing you can do is a shorter clean up. Lastly, you can just re-enable the plot pole requirement, its much better that way.

How?

[BetterDeadThanZed]

I'd like to know how to limit how many of each object can be placed also.

[Snowmobil]

As far as i know you can't, or you'd have to add it yourself.

[axeman]

There is also this:

[ADDED] Building count limit default is 150 and can be changed with DZE_BuildingLimit = 150; in the init.sqf

from 1.0.2.2 changelog.

[PetuniaEpoch]

You can limit how many of each object can be placed in X distance from each other to put a cap on individual objects. For example, when players spam workbenches to block of the fire station in Cherno, you can limit it to 2 work benches per 30m that way they can only place one. Who needs more than 1 anyway if your building in your base?

 

Another thing you can do is a shorter clean up. Lastly, you can just re-enable the plot pole requirement, its much better that way.

How do you re-enbale the plot pole requirement?

[Armifer]

How?

 

Not through default epoch, you will need to write some of your own code to do it. Currently I'm working on simplifying some code I wrote, it with some arrays and better variables, so that its not very taxing on any detection, meaning I want to optimize it. It also changes the way epoch is played when there are individual limits. For example I limited stairs and ladders to max 6, so to stop players from building those stupid ass sky buildings, that are 200m in the air. Stairway to heaven anyone? :lol: A lot of the code I play with on my private test box is just a hobby, to see what can be done. If I find something that works, I share it, but not until its 99% tested as lots of quirky things can happen that could make a 10 man server run fine, but a 30+ player server grind to a halt.

[vbawol]

This is exactly the reason DZE_BuildingLimit = 150; was added, if the default 150 is too much just lower the building limit by using something like:

DZE_BuildingLimit = 20;

in your missions init.sqf

[BetterDeadThanZed]

With this method, I assume people can still take down your structure with a crowbar, correct?

[vbawol]

With this method, I assume people can still take down your structure with a crowbar, correct?

Don't see how that is related, you can still take down all the standard epoch buildables not the modular ones.

[BetterDeadThanZed]

Don't see how that is related, you can still take down all the standard epoch buildables not the modular ones.

 

Actually, I somehow posted in the wrong thread.

[happysan]

So, just an update on this.  We're wiping objects that are 7+ days old.  This has been a big help and consistent with the advice given by the Epoch team about degrading server performance for too many objects.  

 

Still, we have lots of untouched Vaults that are clogging things up.  They can't be destroyed, and I have no way to know if the player who built them is still playing because the CharacterID column is used for the combo. People are putting them in buildings and on top of loot.  It's just gross and kinda hurts the role-play.

 

Possible solutions:

1.  I could do a custom SQL script to change the combo to 1111 after X number of days, but that will adversely affect normal players who don't pack and rebuild their safes (which would be a major headache anyway).  Not optimal.  

2.  Can we add maintenance to Vaults similar to walls, combo doors, etc.?

3.  Can we update the safe timestamps based on access to the loot inside?  This would also require a change to the code to remove an object with gear in it right?  As far as I can tell, the cleanupoldobjects code goes through and cleans up empty objects (like walls, etc.).  

 

Again, I love epoch and many thanks to the killer team behind this killer mod.

 

Thanks! 

[Armifer]

3.  Can we update the safe timestamps based on access to the loot inside?  This would also require a change to the code to remove an object with gear in it right?  As far as I can tell, the cleanupoldobjects code goes through and cleans up empty objects (like walls, etc.). 

 Add this please. And also, if possible, add the CharacterID to some field, maybe make it the base of the objects unique ID plus the world position, or add it to the fuel column. Just any way to track who built what in the database really helps with this issue, and for tracking down hackers/exploiters (for example, a half a dozen safes all places within seconds of each other, with full inventories of rarest gear, 100+ breifcases of gold). At the very least build in a message to the RPT to give player name and IP, when a they place a safe or lock box.