Quake3 in-game browser listing

Post by **nexus024** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 7:38 pm

My game server sends out heartbeats to the master server(like any server that is set to dedicated 2). These heartbeats tell the master server that it is an active game server and it then adds the servers ip to a list. This list is then displayed when a client refreshes his/her game browser. The problem is that eventually the game servers address will travel so far down this list that it will eventually take forever before it pops up in the browser.

What I am assuming needs to be done is to somehow make the master server clear my game servers address out of the list so it can be re-added back at the top. I know this can somehow be done because another admin that runs a q3 server has some type of script that does just that. His server is re-added to the master server list every two hours so it never drops too far down the list. Around 2 hours after his server was added i notice that his server completely drops out of the list... 5-10 minutes later it is back at the top of the listing.

Does anyone understand how the master server works in regards to listing game servers addresses or how I might implement what was stated above?

Post by **nexus024** » Sat Oct 07, 2006 8:20 pm

Anyone?

Post by **BigMoneyJim** » Sat Oct 07, 2006 8:56 pm

Crud. I had a long reply typed then accidentally closed the browser.

In short, your complaint seems to be that your server takes a few more seconds to show up presumably because the browser is parsing serverinfo in the order in which it receives the list from the master browser.

My reply is that I don't know of a way, but if there is a way and many people start to use it like you want to then it will but a cumulative extra load on the master browser that will be problematic.

By the way, I have Team Arena and use its browser because it's much faster and has a couple of handy extra features. Others use a 3rd-party game browser that doesn't suffer the problem you decry. I'm toying with the idea of making and distributing a Q3A mod that would make your problem not a problem, but no telling if I'll actually follow through.

Post by **nexus024** » Sat Oct 07, 2006 10:02 pm

Yes, well unfortunately my server is baseq3 and almost everyone that connects uses the in-game browser.

In short, your complaint seems to be that your server takes a few more seconds to show up presumably because the browser is parsing serverinfo in the order in which it receives the list from the master browser.

Once the server is added to the master server list it will stay on top of the list for about an hour then after that it travels far down the list. We are not talking about a few seconds but a couple hours that it can't be seen in the browser.

Post by **BigMoneyJim** » Sat Oct 07, 2006 11:02 pm

nexus024 wrote:Yes, well unfortunately my server is baseq3 and almost everyone that connects uses the in-game browser.

Actually it doesn't matter what browser you use; it will change to the correct game type when connecting. Still, I agree most don't have TA, and based on the next comment I'm not sure I'm talking about the same problem you are, anyway.

Once the server is added to the master server list it will stay on top of the list for about an hour then after that it travels far down the list. We are not talking about a few seconds but a couple hours that it can't be seen in the browser.

Okay, I hadn't experienced that, probably because I don't regularly run servers.

If you don't find an answer here you might try at a place where you know server admins would be. I see Q3AS has a forum, albeit extremely low traffic. I know you're not using their mod, but I just thought you might find admins in the know there.

EDIT: Is it possible you're maxing out your bandwidth and generating high pings as a result? I'm browsing the source code and there appears to be a 5-second limit hard coded. If the browser doesn't get a ping response in 5 seconds it will give up on that server. (ref: line 1001 & 1002 code/q3_ui/ui_servers2.c from id-released 1.32b GPL code.)

Post by **nexus024** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 5:21 am

I actually am running q3as mod but as a baseq3 server. It isn't a bandwidth issue as I have never maxed out my providers bandwidth.

Post by **nexus024** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 5:22 am

I really need to talk to someone who understands how the master server works. It is becoming apparent that no one that visits this forum has that knowledge.

Does anyone know of other popular quake3 forums?

Post by **dzjepp** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 6:05 am

I don't understand your question. Servers normally get arranged in the in-game browser via lowest pings. Other servers that ping lower than you (to other people) will get bumped in front of your server.

Post by **nexus024** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 5:17 pm

The master server has a list of game servers. When you first start up your game server and a heartbeat is sent to the master server you are added to its list.(ie added to the top of the list) What you are referring to is how the user sorts the list of game servers that have been added to the master list.

Post by **dzjepp** » Sun Oct 08, 2006 5:47 pm

Ah I see. Tis what happens when you don't run any game servers. :icon32:

I'm positive there are at least a few people on this forum that know the answer, but they are probably busy/not logging-in lately, etc. this forum isn't as popular as it used to be a few years back.

Post by **nexus024** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 12:58 pm

Does anyone have an understanding of how the master server works?

Post by **nexus024** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 8:14 pm

no one?