Server crash with too many maps

(Schaffer) #1

I go to quite a few private LAN parties where I run my PC as the host as well as play. We use both custom and standard maps with a few campaigns a scratched together.

The probelm I found at the last one was that if I had too many maps loaded (unsure as to how many is too many) the ET would crash at map change. I thought that this may have been a dodgy campaign but this even happens when I run it in single map objective mode.

I know I can get away with about eighteen maps (six standard plus two campaigns of six apiece) but even then I did find it crash about half way through a campaign.

Initally I thought ET needed to be reloaded but I found that it depends upon the number of PK3 files.

The reason we go with custom maps is to do some Beta testing for the mappers as well as to have some variety and fun.

Any suggestions (besides using less maps). Does anyone know the limit of PK3 files. I guess this might be different if the server was dedicated?

PS I do a fair bit of beta testing so I usually have twenty+ pk3 files.

Running 1.02 patch

(Kendle) #2

I believe this is an OSP bug carried over into ET. RTCW / OSP had a 32 map limit. There is no solution other than move maps out of the \etmain folder when you’re not using them.

(IPvD) #3

Would it be possible to expand the .pk3s and store the assets they contained uncompressed under the standard /etmain directory structure? I tried this once, but with no luck.

(Schaffer) #4

That was a quick relpy. Obviously the world (just like Marko) never sleeps.

Thanks Kendel. I though this might be the case.

IPvD, to do this you would have to disable Pure. Sounds a little bit of a pain but would probably still have the same problem.

At the moment I just move unused maps to another folder but when hosting privatley (like Venice the other weekend for Chavo) it is good to have a range bacuse we were playing single map and when I went to swap to Battle of the Bulge the lights went out.

What can you do but bash your head. I might plant a land mine and then step on it and see what really happens :slight_smile:

(IPvD) #5

ACK
:beer:

(pgh) #6

Posssible to maybe say, shove 3 maps into a new pk3 and make a campaign file to read from that? This way, u can have say, the 3 standard pk3s and 2/1 extra with the maps… doubt it will work or be possible but hey…

(bani) #7

you’re blowing over the limit of the sv_referencedPakNames cvar, because of the way etmain looks for campaign scripts (even if you’re not running in campaign mode).

there’s a number of ways to fix this:

[ul]
[li]remove pk3s from your directory
[/li][li]combine several maps into a single pk3
[/li][li]run etpro, which has a specific workaround for this
[/li][/ul]

(pgh) #8

got pimped? :blah:

(Superfreak) #9

You may also be hitting the “Not too many but too damn large” .pk3 problem. This thread has a bit of info on it (third or so post down)

http://www.splashdamage.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=5437&highlight=

Every time I try to put >100 or so meg of maps on server, it goes all pear shaped. If there’s a workaround, I would love to hear about it.