Server ´´crashes´´ after map changing

[BuffaloBill]

Hello.

I usually have a problem with a map change. Sometimes when I move from one map to another, server just stops working. I stick in a main menu while it is trying to connect. This server disappear from server list at this moment and only appear after 7-10 minutes. When it happens I am forced to go to another server and make votemap there, or wait. It happens even when I make a votemap, playing alone or playing with friend. I always play on EU servers.
Do you know what can be the problem ? Should I just ignore it and take it as part of hardcore gameplay ?)

 

[Kanta]

There's really no consistent way to avoid this problem, it seems to depend on server uptime, amount of players, and the maps you are traveling to and from. As part of my own set of rules I always disconnect before the server automatically disconnects me and on particularly complicated or crash prone maps like the_wall>the_wall2 I make sure I am the only player present when changing level. That seems to prevent it fair consistently but like I said there really is no concrete way of avoiding this.

It's probably worth waiting for a developer to give a more informed response, too.

 

[BuffaloBill]

There's really no consistent way to avoid this problem, it seems to depend on server uptime, amount of players, and the maps you are traveling to and from. As part of my own set of rules I always disconnect before the server automatically disconnects me and on particularly complicated or crash prone maps like the_wall>the_wall2 I make sure I am the only player present when changing level. That seems to prevent it fair consistently but like I said there really is no concrete way of avoiding this.

It's probably worth waiting for a developer to give a more informed response, too.

Well, at least I know I am not the only one. And yes, even if I play with my friend it happens quite a lot. Anyway, if there is nothing we can do, I will assume that it makes a game more challenging!

 

[Thothie]

That, eh, sadly, about covers it.

The game doesn't always disconnect players proper to avoid the potential hang, due to Valve implementing some anti-AMX griefing security tweaks, which broke our system for that. Dedicated servers will shut down completely between maps by default, come next patch, which will hopefully put an end to that and mitigate the "goo in memory" that tends to build up over time and lead to it, among other fun things.

*sigh* Yes, MSC will always have "charm".

 

[Kanta]

Dedicated servers will shut down completely between maps by default, come next patch

Nothing to this effect can be done right now, and how exactly does there need to be a patch to achieve this affect? I would never have thought that the game itself would be able to completely restart a server, I figured that would involve some external program or script.

 

[Thothie]

It doesn't. It just saves, writes out the destination map to crashed.cfg, closes down proper, and assumes you have a restarter. Most restarters will restart the HLDS instantly, in the event of a normal shutdown. This can be disabled with a cvar should the behavior not be desired.

Both Solokiller and MiB nixed some "loose" bits involved in transitions, but it's the most surefire method available. Some things still stick to the client, however (some of which are engine side), and yeah, not figured a way to auto-restart the client in order to fix that for the reasons you're alluding to (nor a way to auto-reconnect that doesn't involve that wonky recon.cfg countdown).

I did recently discover that a bit more of our DLL is active than I thought, when the client isn't connected, but not sure if it's enough for us to get that kind of control. For the most part, when the client disconnects, MSC isn't active, and you're entirely at the mercy of the Half-Life engine. Sadly, much like the server, when it's not shut down, the client engine also remembers things it shouldn't when it reconnects, leading to things like this.