SurfTimer Reworking

I'm reworking the surf timer now and I'm making this thread so you can discuss and suggest ideas.

This is what I have planned.

* There will be two map types, Linear and Staged. No surf timer on combat maps.

• - The linear map type will have a simple start and end.
  - The staged map type will have an X amount of checkpoints. To finish the map you do not need to go through all the checkpoints so shortcuts will be available

* There will be sections designated as bonuses.

• - When you enter a bonus, your overall time for both map types will be canceled. So bonuses will NOT be able to be used as shortcuts.
  - Bonuses will have their own timer and there will be a list for top surfers for a specific bonus, but not for each checkpoint.

* Surf Ranks will also be implemented

• - Each map will be scaled by difficulty which will result in harder maps rewarding more points for their completion.
  - Each checkpoint will probably give 1 point and upon completion, based on the number of checkpoints and difficulty of the map more points will be rewarded.
  - Each bonus will probably give (a number higher than a regular checkpoint) for its completion.
  - Based on your rank (top 1-10) for map records, you will receive more points, again based on the maps difficulty (However difficulty will not play a big role here because it is harder to reach rank #1 on an easier map than a harder one... Correct me if I'm wrong).

* Anti-cheating

• - Members found abusing admin to get faster times will be penalized (from suspension to loss of admin)
  - This will be a serious surf timer. Zero tolerance policy will be in affect regarding surf times and ranks.
  - Admins will be bound by their admin duty to report any cheating (of other admins or other players if seen, aka snitching)
  - Genuine problems with the surf timer that can be regarded to as cheating (or not) should be reported to me.

* Admin control of surf timer WILL BE LIMITED.

• - Only a select few admins will have surf timer, and those that do will all have lower level surf timer admin than me and evolv.
  - Surf timer admin is only needed to add new maps, it is not needed for anything else so there will not be tons of admins. 5 Max is what I'm foreseeing (which will include me, evolv)
  - Lower leveled admins will be able to add the timer to a new map and this newly added timer will be pending approval by a full surf timer admin (me or evolv once again) until which it will not affect surf ranks, however you will be able to surf it and record times.
  - Once a map's surf timer has been approved, lower leveled surf timer admins will not be able to change the approved positions. Lower leveled surf timer admins will also not be able to add new admins. The only thing lower leveled surf timer admins will be able to do is add surf timer to new maps until approval and remove player's surf times. Abuse of this will not happen because only a select few people will even have surf timer admin, so no one should worry about this.

* Things that will not be available that some may want

• - !teleport will be available but not !restart. !teleport will only be available on staged maps, will have a cool down of 15 seconds and will not be able to be used during the first 30 seconds of the round.
  - I realize that admins will be able to teleport themselves to the beginning of the map to restart it (which the anti cheat will not prevent) but this is not encouraged. Because whether there is a surf timer or not, teleporting out of a jail is cheating and count as abuse.

I'm going to try to make this surf timer as serious as I can, with not cheating abuse or anything so the surf times and surf ranks can reflect a person's skills accurately.

There also will be maps that are not surf timer friendly. For example surf_elements and any other map that does not require completion of all (or majority of the stages) or a map that does not have a specific end.

Discuss, Suggest, post possible issues with maps below. (Please explain the game play of the map because I haven't played every single one)

This sounds really good, thanks for putting a lot of time an effort into this.

Will there be certain maps devoid of checkpoints and used just in a linear fashion. For example surf_bob is extremely boring to surf level by level but when used with a Linear style (ksf timer, as opposed to egi) it is immensely fun.

What will our attitude be towards surf timer pro's, such as Morning, habitat, demon ect ect.
I'm obviously assuming they will be treated as any other surfer?

I agree with you on no teleport whoring by admins, I only do it myself on surf_bob because there is no jail and it's a pain in the ass to keep killing myself.

I think you should add an admin option to disable surf timer for certain people (like for me, I do not care for surf timer at all). That way if someone is no-clipping or teleporting, there won't be the chance of them getting in trouble.

Tick,

Checkpoints will be there only to give you points for reaching them (and record time taken to beat them), they will not dictate the overall timer. Once you leave the first checkpoint(start zone) your overall timer begins until you reach the very end. Even if your inside checkpoint 3, your overall timer is still ticking, but your checkpoint timer will be stopped and be ready for the next checkpoint.

Pro's: Everyone has a fair chance, no discrimination will occur.

Teleporting: Well yeah thats the beauty of having admin is having abilities that regular players don't have. They can't be abused but they must be used at the admin's discretion so it IS not cheating and it is not viewed as cheating

ryan, yes there will be a menu that will allow you to enable/disable the timer it self, hud timer and the amount of messages the timer spits out on ur screen, until you disconnect...

I'm hopping I can hook teleport/noclip commands so I can auto disable the timer for people that use these commands.

Alright cool, because that would be my biggest quarrel with it :]

i like these ideas;) i dotn get tho why we arent allowed to teleport...damages noone
the only thing i cant rly get friendly with is bonus getting an extra timer...i still think the timer should show how fast a map can be ended (meaning how fast jail can be activated) and not how fast someone can go through every single stage

Unfortunately I can't hook things activated through admin menus, so the whole anti cheat idea goes down the drain.

Aimz,
Teleporting leads to people having shorter times... You teleport your self to a further stage, finish the map and have a shorter time...

and total surf time should reflect the time it takes to surf through the stages. If you can use bonuses to complete the map its like using a detour and creates a whole different route. For example on maps like surf_lore, after a bonus you go directly to the end of the map.
As a result, regular stages are ignored and the surf time no longer reflects the amount of time it takes to surf "through the regular stages of the map" which is what it should do. Not all maps have bonuses so it would be unfair to make the surf time reflect different things in different maps.

My definition of total surf time = Time takes to surf through all the stages (through main route) not time to finish using additional routes the mapper added.

@teleporting: i was talkin bout teleportign to spawn;) and not to an other stage

well you said it earlier: this is not a surf-timer server its a surf server...so why do u want to have the times it takes a regular way? i mean on lore everyone is doin bonus who is able to finish anyway...the timer would just makem surf normal - that wouldnt fit to being a surf server...u make some1 take a route if he wants a time and not just let him surf and watch how long it takes to finish...thats my reasonign with that...

Yeah but making them do the levels at least stops people whoring it, the people who know it aren't so bad because they have respect for other players.
The guy who sits in spec, sees it and then farms the fuck out of it.