Random faction and ban faction in the Lobby

[el_matarife]

There's no "Random" option in TASClient or SpringLobby (As far as I know). I think being able to choose a random faction versus just choosing Arm or Core (Adjust on a mod by mod basis) is a pretty basic RTS feature that we really should implement. Additionally, I think it would be nice to ban factions from play, or enforce the choosing of one faction or random factions globally. There's a variety of use case scenarios for these options, like "All Random" games or banning experimental factions like the chickens from CA.

I opened a Mantis ticket for random factions a year ago then I forgot about it, along with everyone else. It has some details of the proposed technical implementation. http://spring.clan-sy.com/mantis/view.php?id=791

[REVENGE]

+1'd

[zwzsg]

It's rather easy to implement mod side.

And yes, if there is a random choice handled by lobby, it has to get a way to know that some factions are not meant to be played.

[smoth]

It's rather easy to implement mod side.

And yes, if there is a random choice handled by lobby, it has to get a way to know that some factions are not meant to be played.

I am fine with adding this mod-side in the future. it would be cool to have it and I don't see a reason why not

[zwzsg]

Is there a mod side implementation that let stuff like the side returned by GetTeamInfo be properly changed?

I am fine with adding this client-side or engine-side in the future. it would be cool to have it and I don't see a reason why not. However, if you do, please add a related entry in EngineOptions.lua/ModOptions.lua that let us disable it entirely or restrict it to some race. Make it so if that entry is absent then the random side is activated and pick from all side, or that if we use it we can specificy which race to randomly chose from, including none in which case the random side button is removed from the interface.

[smoth]

I don't know if I can disable it by changing settings in mod options

[Tobi]

This can actually be added as feature to any lobby/autohost quite easily now that the generated script.txt is sent to all clients by Spring anyway: there is no need anymore to implement the identical feature in all lobbies.

[det]

Good random should be random until you encounter the other players in the game. This is the way CA random works. In the playerlist, a random player has the random logo. If it was random implemented by lobbies, then you would know the opposing player's side as soon as you entered the game.

[bibim]

I think that's 2 different things: random and hidden.
We could imagine a faction mode where you can choose your faction but factions of other players are hidden until you meet the player in game.

[Tobi]

Good random should be random until you encounter the other players in the game. This is the way CA random works. In the playerlist, a random player has the random logo. If it was random implemented by lobbies, then you would know the opposing player's side as soon as you entered the game.

Why? The lobby doesn't have to show the chosen faction in the GUI, the host's lobby just has to pick random faction when writing the startscript.

I guess you have a point tho that it would need support from all lobbies or the mod to actually have that random faction icon and a way to select it.

[smoth]

all you have to do for random is have one faction and when the game starts said faction just gets a random com.

[imbaczek]

...which is what CA does AFAIK. since 76b1? can't even remember.

[Tobi]

Ya I suppose that is the easiest solution after all, since some mod support is needed anyway one can as well make the entire solution in the mod

[BrainDamage]

Good random should be random until you encounter the other players in the game. This is the way CA random works. In the playerlist, a random player has the random logo. If it was random implemented by lobbies, then you would know the opposing player's side as soon as you entered the game.

Why? The lobby doesn't have to show the chosen faction in the GUI, the host's lobby just has to pick random faction when writing the startscript.

I guess you have a point tho that it would need support from all lobbies or the mod to actually have that random faction icon and a way to select it.

the host would get an unfair advantage since he could just check script.txt to know all player's factions

[det]

Side choice is available to the widgets API (I think this is correct behaviour). The AdvPlayerList widget takes advantage of this to draw side icons in the in-game playerlist. This is why random has to be a real side choice, and not something done by the lobby.

[BrainDamage]

I think it would be nice to ban factions from play, or enforce the choosing of one faction or random factions globally.

protocol doesn't allow the host to set a player faction for human players, only bots

[el_matarife]

protocol doesn't allow the host to set a player faction for human players, only bots

Which is why I am requesting that as a feature.

[KDR_11k]

Good random should be random until you encounter the other players in the game. This is the way CA random works. In the playerlist, a random player has the random logo. If it was random implemented by lobbies, then you would know the opposing player's side as soon as you entered the game.

Why? The lobby doesn't have to show the chosen faction in the GUI, the host's lobby just has to pick random faction when writing the startscript.

I guess you have a point tho that it would need support from all lobbies or the mod to actually have that random faction icon and a way to select it.

The advanced player list widget, for example, displays the faction icon next to the name. Lua can read the faction name and thus display it.