Testing my map

[Pirate]

K I have read the sticky but that didn't really help.

I've just spent about 10 minutes on BZedit making a very basic map with a couple of buildings. I'm a complete newbie and so I know very little about the whole thing. Anyways, I loaded BZ Flag so I could see what my map is like to drive around in with a tank. I went to "start server", went down to maps, found that my one was there (made me very excited ) and used that and started the server. Then I tried to join and it said "error connecting to server." I tried with a random map and it worked fine.

I have read through many stuff about servers and map-making on the forums and Wiki but I really don't know what to do and I know very little about programming and complicated things like this. The likli-hood is I've made a really nooby mistake like not exporting the file or something idk. I'm not interested in hosting a public server right now, I just want to see what my map looks like in BZ Flag. Thanks for the help

[z[h]ero]

The "start server"-feature for testing/playing a map is buggy on windows, it doesn't work on my system, too. So I assume, you use windows?

Anyways, I loaded BZ Flag so I could see what my map is like to drive around in with a tank. ... I just want to see what my map looks like in BZ Flag.

In order to "test"/"drive around on your map":
Either you manually use BZFS in combination with an own-config, for more information see:
http://my.bzflag.org/w/BZFS
http://my.bzflag.org/w/BZFS_Command_Line_Options
Or an alternative and easy solution would be to use BzwTestLauncher: http://my.bzflag.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=11785

[zaphod]

very simple
1. place your map in the "worlds" folder (don't forget the .bzw suffix)
(on a mac/unix: /Users/xxx/Library/Application\ Support/BZFlag/worlds)
2. start your bzflag client
3. hit "Join Game"
4. select and hit "Start Server"
5. make your settings
6. move down to "World Map" and select "your" map with the arrow key
7. go back to "Join Game" by hitting the "esc" key
8. and now "Connect" and you're locally on "your" map

[Pirate]

I have looked all over for a "worlds" folder and I can't find one. I created one but that didn't work either.

[z[h]ero]

Wait, in your first post you told us, that you already did try out the "start server" feature, and you selected your map there, and it didn't work, right?
Your first post:

I went to "start server", went down to maps, found that my one was there (made me very excited ) and used that and started the server. Then I tried to join and it said "error connecting to server." I tried with a random map and it worked fine.

But simply answer the questions if you want to get better help. So are you using windows? (Cause then it's no wonder that the "Start server" feature won't work like I already told)

[Pirate]

Wait, in your first post you told us, that you already did try out the "start server" feature, and you selected your map there, and it didn't work, right?
Your first post:

I went to "start server", went down to maps, found that my one was there (made me very excited ) and used that and started the server. Then I tried to join and it said "error connecting to server." I tried with a random map and it worked fine.

But simply answer the questions if you want to get better help. So are you using windows? (Cause then it's no wonder that the "Start server" feature won't work like I already told)

Oh sorry, I was going to say, yes I am using windows, but I forgot. I have linux so should I try with that?

[z[h]ero]

No problem.

...I have linux so should I try with that?

Yep. (The "start server" feature worked on my linux, in contrast to windows)
Good luck.

[blast]

If your map is Capture The Flag and you don't have all four bases, the Start Server launcher will fail because it trys to enable all teams. Basically, bzfs complains that there isn't a base for those teams, and exits. If this is the problem, then my launcher tool will also not work. You'd have to modify the map file to specify only the teams you want to play via an 'options' block and the '-mp' setting.

I can provide more help if you determine that this is the problem.

[Pirate]

z[h]ero, I couldn't get it to work on Linux but thank you very much for all your help. I think it was because the file was in the wrong place or something. But anyway doesn't matter now because I got it to work on WIndows

Blast, I tried your Start Server launcher thingy earlier and couldn't figure it out. So after your post I tried it again and it worked woot. It is CTF yes and there are only two teams so I guess that was the problem. It doesn't work by doing the "start server" thing but it doens't matter because I have the test launcher. Anyway what I did was to put in the green and purple bases and it worked fine. Tyvm for your help.

OK, so how do I set the map to only allow teams red and blue?

[Bambino]

For a red and blue team CTF you have to have a options block in the map file
do this in the map file:
-mp 0,#,0,#,0,# the # is where you put the number of players per team. and the observer.

[blast]

The teams for the -mp setting are as follows: rogue,red,green,blue,purple,observer.

Replace each word with the number you want to allow, like the example sniper15 gave. Then you can add it to your map file with an options block. A map file is just text, so you can open it up with notepad and add this:

Code: Select all

options
  -mp 0,10,0,10,0,8
end

That would give you 10 red, 10 blue, and 8 observers.

[Pirate]

All sorted out! Two teams red and blue, working fine. Bots don't know how to jump which is a shame but nvm the program was made for testing maps not playing on them. Thanks a lot for your help.