
Challenge ProMode Arena: Maplists
---------------------------------
Date: 12 May 04

Below is a quick description of how to use maplists.
The example here is for an FFA server.


ffamaps.txt
-----------

# Example of the format of the text file used for specifying maps under
# Challenge ProMode Arena for Quake3.
#
# Format:
#
#	<mapname> <min_players> <max_players> <scorelimit> <timelimit>
#
#	Note: a missing or < 0 value for either of the limit fields
#	means use current server settings

pro-q3dm6  0 14 25 20
cpm9       4 14
cpm14      4 99
q3dm1      0  4 20 20
q3dm17    99 99 20 20

# etc

The map queue will only load a map if its min/max active player counts on
the current level are within its bounds. Otherwise, the map will NOT be loaded.

There's a useful trick to the min_players field shown in the dm17 entry:
since you can't have 99 people on a server, the map will NEVER be rotated to
automatically, but it stays in the maplist and IS available for voting.

Maps that are in the rotation are shown in green in the maplist.
Maps that are NOT in the rotation but can be voted in are shown in yellow.

If the min_players field is set to -1 the map is "banned" and can't be
loaded by anything short of an RCON, even if map restrictions are off.
This is very handy for some of the more atrocious 3W maps, where you can't
just delete them because they're bundled into a single PK3 with other maps
that you might actually want to play.

If map_restrict is 0 (the default), any "suitable" maps for the current
mode will automatically be added to the maplist, but excluded from the
rotation (i.e. they're added as if specified as "min_players 99").
There's no need for a map_autoload cvar: it's implicit in map_restrict 0.
Note that "suitable" is determined by the presence of a correctly-specified
"arena" script for the map. Ironically, none of the original id maps actually
qualify :P, though the later "pro" maps are fine. See the notes at the end
of this file for more information.

If a server is empty for mode_idletime minutes, the first map in the list
will be rotated to automatically. It should be a popular/common map for
quick pickup games when people connect initially.

Also, if a [mapname.cfg] file exists, the settings in it will be applied
automatically when the map is loaded AFTER the mode settings take place:
this is how we set CPM1A to default to 5-second weapon respawns.


Appendix A - Fixing Broken Maps

If you want to sort out the original id maps, create a "scripts"
subdirectory in baseq3, containing a file called idmaps.arena. The contents
of that file should look something like this:

{
map  "q3ctf1"
type "ffa team ctf"
}
{
map  "q3ctf2"
type "ffa team ctf"
}

etc. Yes, the id CTF maps really do have FFA and TDM items.  :)
You can also use this file to fix up pro-q3dm6 if your server allows CA:

{
map  "pro-q3dm6"
type "tourney ffa team arena"
}

(Most RA3 maps are similarly lacking, which shouldn't surprise anyone :P
and can be fixed the same way).

Alternatively, you can just add the maps to the appropriate maplist
explicitly, which will also let you select them for auto-rotation etc.
Up to you.  :)
