Being that this game is pre-alpha a lot of the built in features that will make this game easy to run on servers come full release are not yet available. Admins running servers need to make several changes and verify a bit of information before we are able to successfully run your custom map on one of our servers. For me at least, this generally means that unless your map looks really well done, chances are I am not going to bother with the process of setting it up on my server. Ive wasted hours setting up maps that ultimately were flawed and or had issues that forced me to take them down.
So being that, you as a map maker can help us server hosting guys by doing a few simple things that will ensure a broader distribution of your map on customer content servers. The vast majority of the information we need, you as the map maker already have. We really need 2 big pieces of information, 3 if you want to be generous.
1. The file path! When you cook your map, the file path of where to find the map information is based on where you saved the map within YOUR UT folder. Some mappers try to stick to a standard of /Game/Content/RestrictedAssets/Maps/CTF-Example.umap. Others however will follow their own structure path like /Game/Content/CTF-Thorns/CTF-Thronsv999129.umap. When we are setting up our servers to run your map, we NEED to know this path. We can determine it using several outside methods, but ultimately if you just posted that path when you post your map, it would save us a ton of time.
2. A valid http download site. Please do not post links to download your map using dropbox or have the file in a zip folder. The map is already compressed in the .pak no need to zip it further. When we setup our servers, we need to create a redirect statement that tells people joining our server to play your map exactly where they can download it from. The majority of people use https://redirect.mpforums.com/ut4/, its free and fast. So when you post a link in your post to download your map, please try and use this hosting service or something similar. If we cant go to http://website/something/ctf-yourmap.pak and download it, we cant host it on our server using your link. If we need to click on a link similar to an acceptance agreement, we cant use the link. Which means we then need to rehost your map somewhere else to use it on our server.
3. The third one I dont expect many people to have but if you do its a nice extra help. Every map hosted on a server needs an MD5 hash calculated for it. This is used so that a client can tell if they have the exact same version of a map on a server. If the hash on the server matches the hash for the file they have, they dont download it. If they dont match, they download the file. There are some easy and free programs available, I personally use "WinMd5". This takes just a few seconds to run but again, if you include this with your map when you post it, it saves me time and makes me more likely to host your map.
So here is an example of what we need when hosting a custom content map:
RED=FILE Path on the computer where your .umap was stored when the .pak file was created.
GREEN= The name of the .pak file after its been cooked.
ORANGE=The web URL where people can go to download your file, make sure you DONT include the http/https in the this line.
BLUE=The MD5 Checksum, calculated based on the .pak file of the map.
MapRotation=/Game/RestrictedAssets/Maps/CTF-MAPNAME/CTF-MAPNAME
RedirectReferences=(PackageName="CTF-MAPNAME-WindowsNoEditor", PackageURLProtocol="http", PackageURL="ut.rushbase.net/payback/CTF-MAPNAME.pak", PackageChecksum="1dd9d691d72e7348769d4e513b68011d")
If you provide the information in exactly this format when you post a map, it will take me all of 2 minutes to include your map on my hub. If you dont do this, unless you have a really good looking map with lots of good reviews, chances are most server admins will just skip over it. We are getting a lot of new maps posted daily, the map making community could literally save the server hosting guys hundreds of hours a week by posting this simple information that they already have.
For the rest of your post regarding your map, lots of pretty pictures and descriptions along with design insight is great.
Relevant Links:
https://redirect.mpforums.com/ut4//
http://www.winmd5.com/
**Update**
It seems some people are having trouble understanding the file path and why it is needed. When UT cooks a map it creates a snapshot/archive folder of all the content that is used to build that map. All this content must reside within the "Content" folder of UT. So it doesnt matter what hard drive or what name you used for your UT folder, all that matters is the file structure after the "Content" folder.
For example I have the UT Editor installed here C:\UnrealTournament\UnrealTournamentEditor\UnrealTournament\Content\. That means everything I use to build a map, will be stored within the UT file structure somewhere inside the "Content" folder. For example C:\UnrealTournament\UnrealTournamentEditor\UnrealTournament\Content\MYMAP\MyMAP.umap. In the world of UT everything that it ever uses to present the world, things like textures, static meshes, maps and so on, must live inside the "Content" folder. So as far as UT is concerned, it doesnt care where you install the game or the file path that exists before the "Content" folder. All that matters it that "Content" folder and whats inside of it. So when you cook a file, you create a pak file that is nothing more than a compressed archive of all the static meshes, textures, umaps that are used to create the map. All of this stuff exists within the "Content" folder. So to save space/time and how the game is programmed that means C:\UnrealTournament\UnrealTournamentEditor\UnrealTournament\Content\ = /Game/.
So lets use an example
I have a map that I am working that I have saved locally at this location:
C:\UnrealTournament\UnrealTournamentEditor\UnrealTournament\Content\MYMAP\MyMAP.umap
When I cook the map, the only thing UT cares about is what is inside the Content folder. This includes things like static meshes, textures and the .umap file itself. All those things are cooked into the pak file. So looking below, the Italics parts dont matter to the server admins or to UT, what matters is the bold part.
C:\UnrealTournament\UnrealTournamentEditor\UnrealTournament\Content\MYMAP\MyMAP.umap
So once the map is cooked, I need to know how do I find that umap file within the .pak file. Since it only cares about the path once inside the content folder the path to that I need to tell my server on where to find the umap is
/Game/MyMap/MyMap.umap.
If for example I saved my map to the following location
C:\UnrealTournament\UnrealTournamentEditor\UnrealTournament\Content\RestrictedAssets\Maps\MYMAP\MyMAP.umap
Then to tell the server where to find the umap I would use
/Game/RestrictedAssets/Maps/MyMap/MyMap.umap
C:\UnrealTournament\UnrealTournamentEditor\UnrealTournament\Content\ = /Game/
It doesnt matter where you installed the game or what your file path looks like on your computer. All that matters is that you tell us the file path after the content folder. The admins need to be able to tell the server where to find the .umap file inside the .pak file. This file structure is a copy of your file structure on your computer that exists after the "Content" folder. That is why we need you to tell us how you structured the pak file.
So being that, you as a map maker can help us server hosting guys by doing a few simple things that will ensure a broader distribution of your map on customer content servers. The vast majority of the information we need, you as the map maker already have. We really need 2 big pieces of information, 3 if you want to be generous.
1. The file path! When you cook your map, the file path of where to find the map information is based on where you saved the map within YOUR UT folder. Some mappers try to stick to a standard of /Game/Content/RestrictedAssets/Maps/CTF-Example.umap. Others however will follow their own structure path like /Game/Content/CTF-Thorns/CTF-Thronsv999129.umap. When we are setting up our servers to run your map, we NEED to know this path. We can determine it using several outside methods, but ultimately if you just posted that path when you post your map, it would save us a ton of time.
2. A valid http download site. Please do not post links to download your map using dropbox or have the file in a zip folder. The map is already compressed in the .pak no need to zip it further. When we setup our servers, we need to create a redirect statement that tells people joining our server to play your map exactly where they can download it from. The majority of people use https://redirect.mpforums.com/ut4/, its free and fast. So when you post a link in your post to download your map, please try and use this hosting service or something similar. If we cant go to http://website/something/ctf-yourmap.pak and download it, we cant host it on our server using your link. If we need to click on a link similar to an acceptance agreement, we cant use the link. Which means we then need to rehost your map somewhere else to use it on our server.
3. The third one I dont expect many people to have but if you do its a nice extra help. Every map hosted on a server needs an MD5 hash calculated for it. This is used so that a client can tell if they have the exact same version of a map on a server. If the hash on the server matches the hash for the file they have, they dont download it. If they dont match, they download the file. There are some easy and free programs available, I personally use "WinMd5". This takes just a few seconds to run but again, if you include this with your map when you post it, it saves me time and makes me more likely to host your map.
So here is an example of what we need when hosting a custom content map:
RED=FILE Path on the computer where your .umap was stored when the .pak file was created.
GREEN= The name of the .pak file after its been cooked.
ORANGE=The web URL where people can go to download your file, make sure you DONT include the http/https in the this line.
BLUE=The MD5 Checksum, calculated based on the .pak file of the map.
MapRotation=/Game/RestrictedAssets/Maps/CTF-MAPNAME/CTF-MAPNAME
RedirectReferences=(PackageName="CTF-MAPNAME-WindowsNoEditor", PackageURLProtocol="http", PackageURL="ut.rushbase.net/payback/CTF-MAPNAME.pak", PackageChecksum="1dd9d691d72e7348769d4e513b68011d")
If you provide the information in exactly this format when you post a map, it will take me all of 2 minutes to include your map on my hub. If you dont do this, unless you have a really good looking map with lots of good reviews, chances are most server admins will just skip over it. We are getting a lot of new maps posted daily, the map making community could literally save the server hosting guys hundreds of hours a week by posting this simple information that they already have.
For the rest of your post regarding your map, lots of pretty pictures and descriptions along with design insight is great.
Relevant Links:
https://redirect.mpforums.com/ut4//
http://www.winmd5.com/
**Update**
It seems some people are having trouble understanding the file path and why it is needed. When UT cooks a map it creates a snapshot/archive folder of all the content that is used to build that map. All this content must reside within the "Content" folder of UT. So it doesnt matter what hard drive or what name you used for your UT folder, all that matters is the file structure after the "Content" folder.
For example I have the UT Editor installed here C:\UnrealTournament\UnrealTournamentEditor\UnrealTournament\Content\. That means everything I use to build a map, will be stored within the UT file structure somewhere inside the "Content" folder. For example C:\UnrealTournament\UnrealTournamentEditor\UnrealTournament\Content\MYMAP\MyMAP.umap. In the world of UT everything that it ever uses to present the world, things like textures, static meshes, maps and so on, must live inside the "Content" folder. So as far as UT is concerned, it doesnt care where you install the game or the file path that exists before the "Content" folder. All that matters it that "Content" folder and whats inside of it. So when you cook a file, you create a pak file that is nothing more than a compressed archive of all the static meshes, textures, umaps that are used to create the map. All of this stuff exists within the "Content" folder. So to save space/time and how the game is programmed that means C:\UnrealTournament\UnrealTournamentEditor\UnrealTournament\Content\ = /Game/.
So lets use an example
I have a map that I am working that I have saved locally at this location:
C:\UnrealTournament\UnrealTournamentEditor\UnrealTournament\Content\MYMAP\MyMAP.umap
When I cook the map, the only thing UT cares about is what is inside the Content folder. This includes things like static meshes, textures and the .umap file itself. All those things are cooked into the pak file. So looking below, the Italics parts dont matter to the server admins or to UT, what matters is the bold part.
C:\UnrealTournament\UnrealTournamentEditor\UnrealTournament\Content\MYMAP\MyMAP.umap
So once the map is cooked, I need to know how do I find that umap file within the .pak file. Since it only cares about the path once inside the content folder the path to that I need to tell my server on where to find the umap is
/Game/MyMap/MyMap.umap.
If for example I saved my map to the following location
C:\UnrealTournament\UnrealTournamentEditor\UnrealTournament\Content\RestrictedAssets\Maps\MYMAP\MyMAP.umap
Then to tell the server where to find the umap I would use
/Game/RestrictedAssets/Maps/MyMap/MyMap.umap
C:\UnrealTournament\UnrealTournamentEditor\UnrealTournament\Content\ = /Game/
It doesnt matter where you installed the game or what your file path looks like on your computer. All that matters is that you tell us the file path after the content folder. The admins need to be able to tell the server where to find the .umap file inside the .pak file. This file structure is a copy of your file structure on your computer that exists after the "Content" folder. That is why we need you to tell us how you structured the pak file.
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