Plugin: "kings" type of team-making

[Jools]

Here's a plugin i wrote:

[kings]
!kings <lowest|highest|player1 player2>
!kings lowest - allows two lowest ranked players act as kingmakers

[cancelkings]
!cancelkings - cancels vote lock from kings command[/color][/size]

This picture summarises very well that it does. In swedish we call this type of drafting "kings", because there are two "kings" that pick their teams.

[PicassoCT]

Bravo- let the fighting of the matchmakers beginn

[bibim]

Once again thanks Jools for sharing your plugins :)

It's an interesting alternative balance mode, did you use it already for some games? Did you get some feedbacks about it from players?

I guess this is mainly usable when there aren't too many players joining/leaving the battle all the time, otherwise you have to restart the process from scratch whenever a new player joins or leaves.

[Jools]

Yes, I got feedback for it. Mainly that if there are uneven number of players, then the second king should get the last player because he has a disadvantage of not starting to choose. So it's an config-option now:

# If number of players is uneven: should lastplayer go to team 1 or team 2?
# 0 or 1 = team 1, 2 = team 2
lastplayerto:2|1

The plugin starts the 'draft list' when the command is issued and makes up two 'kings'. They are then allowed to choose from the remaining players, obviously this can take some time. So the 'draft list' management is actually handled in the "!select"command handler in spads, which means that a new draft list (containing only active players) is made every time somebody chooses.

We have used it a few times to balance games, but I haven't tested what happens if one already selected player leaves the game. It's not so easy to test the plugin as it needs at least 5 people to test properly. The selected players are assigned to teams when they are selected and also once again in "balancebattle" callin once teams are final. It returns the "balance deviation" parameter.

Edit: just tested what happens if a player leaves or specs while the balance is on-going, and that is not accounted for. It will form unfair teams. I'll see how that could be rectified.

[MajBoredom]

I would love to try this out on a test trial basis. For a SPADS newbie like myself, could you provide basic instructions for installing and configuring it? (I have not run any plugins yet myself).

Thank you & it sounds like a wonderful idea.

-MajorB

[Jools]

Yes of course.

See here: https://springrts.com/wiki/SPADS_plugin_install_notes

The kings.conf and kingsCmd.Conf should be placed in your etc directory, and kings.pm and kings.dat go in your plugins directory. Those directories are defined in your spads.conf file.

Activate the plugin with command !plugin Kings load or put this is spads.conf:
autoLoadPlugins:Resign;Kings

You can check loaded plugins with the !plugins command, and you start the command with !kings, !kings highest,!kings lowest or !kings <player1> <player2>.

If you have any trouble or find bugs then you can report them here.

[PicassoCT]

I call discrimination against the last guy/girl/bad player - I want everyone to be the first!
But seriously- how do you choose kings who know the other players well?

[Jools]

Well, just like you did in basic school. If you don't know the people you pick the strongest looking guy and/or the prettiest girl. Isn't that how it works?