Loading a random map when the server starts up

[Luk | twitch.tv/doctorluk]

Hello everyone

I'm having some - expected - problems with my TTT Server. As you all know GMod likes to crash once in a while and it's quite annoying if a map is being played many times because it's the server's default start map.

The start map is sometimes manually changed by me, but that is by far no permanent solution. I seek someone to create a script that randomly starts a map from the mappool on server start.

I've tried some LUA and made some progress but I'm not sure where to start and I'm also not sure whether there is a hook for the first server start.

Would be awesome if someone could help out

[JamminR]

I'm 98% sure you wouldn't be able to do this strictly in lua.
I was about to say not at all, then my mind started thinking 'well, perhaps a startup batch file could read from a gmod\data\<somefile> that contains a map randomly selected on startup for NEXT time', but, unless you wanted the server to start up, load command line/config file map, then restart loading a random map, you'd HAVE to have the command line outside of lua loading whatever randomly selected map.

So, 2 options I see.
100% outside lua.
Have server start non-lua startup script randomly pick from map in a list.

Using GLua and outside.
Server starts, picks random, writes it to a \data\ file for next startup.
Next server start, command line reads the map from that \data\ file.

[Tomzen]

I'm 98% sure you wouldn't be able to do this strictly in lua.
I was about to say not at all, then my mind started thinking 'well, perhaps a startup batch file could read from a gmod\data\<somefile> that contains a map randomly selected on startup for NEXT time', but, unless you wanted the server to start up, load command line/config file map, then restart loading a random map, you'd HAVE to have the command line outside of lua loading whatever randomly selected map.

So, 2 options I see.
100% outside lua.
Have server start non-lua startup script randomly pick from map in a list.

Using GLua and outside.
Server starts, picks random, writes it to a \data\ file for next startup.
Next server start, command line reads the map from that \data\ file.

Could you not use an array and then get a random value from the array and force the map to it? or even read the maps/ directory and pick a map random from the names (this would cause problems unless the maps are named like: (e.g) gm_flatgrass)

[Aaron113]

I worked on a game mode a while ago where if the server crashed, it would go back to the last map it was on.  This is entirely possible through Lua and data files.

[Timmy]

I worked on a game mode a while ago where if the server crashed, it would go back to the last map it was on.  This is entirely possible through Lua and data files.

Would such system load the server on a default map, check if it crashed, then load the map it was originally on?

Edit: I'm asking cause I think maps are loaded before Lua is. You wouldn't be able to manipulate this without loading the server twice. Correct me if I'm wrong though. :)

[Aaron113]

Would such system load the server on a default map, check if it crashed, then load the map it was originally on?

Edit: I'm asking cause I think maps are loaded before Lua is. You wouldn't be able to manipulate this without loading the server twice. Correct me if I'm wrong though.

You are completely correct.  It is almost instant and hardly noticeable though.

[JamminR]

Additionally, you could use a (batch cmd or shell depending on the OS your server is running on) script to read from a file created while server is running normally.

[Megiddo]

Add a command to execute load_random_map.lua on your server shortcut/start-up script.

[Tomzen]

This isn't quite what you want, but I've made this: http://forums.ulyssesmod.net/index.php/topic,8549.msg43938
You could easily convert it to do it on start up.