Request: Deathrun plugin on the servers

worMatty

Repacking Evangelist
aa
Jul 22, 2014
1,257
999
Hello, there.

I would like to test my deathrun map work on the servers.

What is Deathrun?
Deathrun maps are longish, linear maps with lots of traps dotted along the path from the start to the finish. Each round, one randomly-chosen player is put on the blue team and the rest of the players are put on the red team. The red team needs to get to the end of the map without being killed, and the blue player needs to stop them by triggering the traps by hitting buttons (or using the +use keybind if the server allows it). Deathrun uses arena mode, so players only have one life, and maximum round lengths should usually be around six minutes. If all red players are killed, the blue player wins. If at least one red player makes it to the end and triggers the round win, then red win.

An example Deathrun map...

The most efficient deathrun server configuration is to leave class health and speed alone, prevent the runners (red team) from choosing Scout, and force melee weapons only. Weapon bonuses and advantages from melee weapons are restricted. In essence the only abilities available to a runner are running, crouching and jumping and the only differences between classes are speed and health (discounting other stuff like model, voice lines and height). The Scout is unavailable to runners because their speed helps them rush ahead out of reach of the activator (blue player) too easily, and their double jump ability renders most jump hazards harmless. On the server I used to play most on, the activator was forced to be a Scout every round for consistency and to give the chosen player a little hand getting back and forth between traps. tf_avoidteammates_pushaway is set to 0 so team mates don't collide and interfere with each other.

Some servers like to let players use primary and secondary weapons. This can add some extra stuff to the experience but it also needs a lot of work restricting a bunch of weapons and abilities to prevent exploits and trap skipping. Things like sticky bombs and rocket jumping is obvious, but there's also stuff like the Dead Ringer, medigun, Detonator and parachute. So for testing it's best to leave them all turned off.

A lot of servers use the VSH plugin but there are simpler alternatives. VSH can serve well for Deathrun but it has some extra stuff like custom models and voice lines, music, etc. that are just bloat. A basic Deathrun plugin doesn't need to do much, needing only to take care of the team player numbers, activator selection each round and melee weapon forcing. The TF2 arena logic takes care of everything else.

Thanks very much!
 

RataDeOrdenador

L5: Dapper Member
Oct 12, 2015
230
105
Sounds pretty interesting,and I saw that video/map a long time ago. In my opinion it's one of the best DR maps around... for now,maybe?

I'm not into the DR-shenanigans,but I would love to play/test your map ASAP. o3o
 

Frosty Scales

L2: Junior Member
Mar 22, 2015
93
30
Yes please! Deathrun never gets enough attention around here
 
May 25, 2015
390
307
I had an idea about how to make a deathrun map that doesn't require a plugin. It means there need to be some rebalancing to the base gamemodes and maps, since there will most likely be infinite respawns and multiple people on both teams. But I think it would be very doable.
 

Izotope

Sourcerer
aa
May 13, 2013
698
764
We should all email Valve to implement the dr_ map prefix for loading screens and add tf_logic_deathrun or tf_logic_onevsall that handles the basic things.
 

Jethro

MUSty Complainer
Nov 2, 2009
287
281
I think perhaps if you were to test maps like this you'd end up having to do it at the end of an imp or a special test just for it, as I feel you'll probably have a lot of dumb people going "wtf why are we testing this instead of real maps". Not my sentiment, of course, but you'll have a lot of asshats complaining.
 

worMatty

Repacking Evangelist
aa
Jul 22, 2014
1,257
999
There might be a couple of people who ask that question but it could be out of genuine interest. If the staff here agree to test Deathrun maps, then the maps shouldn't be treated as joke maps. A lot of time and thought goes in to them. They are very unusual but we give room for unusual game modes quite commonly. I wouldn't like deathrun maps to be tested at the end of a session as a matter of course as their pacing and trap design is based on a full server.
 

Izotope

Sourcerer
aa
May 13, 2013
698
764
the maps shouldn't be treated as joke maps.
I respect all deathrun maps that are not just plain dev-textured corridors with barely-functioning and balanced traps.
An example of such a bad map would be dr_factory, flawed, boring and ugly.
We need more deathrun maps like dr_timetravel or dr_safety_first, just to name a few, that are well designed both aesthetically and technically.
 

Viemärirotta

sniffer
aa
Feb 5, 2016
1,013
590
Deathrun is one of popular "custom modes" like surf and bhop. Deathrun deserves some entities, so all Deathrun maps don't need to run on plugins.
 

worMatty

Repacking Evangelist
aa
Jul 22, 2014
1,257
999
So, you've had a couple of years to think about it. Can we please test Deathrun maps?