Anniversary Bash 16
 

Less than 2 months remaining! I suppose I could handle this again if no one else is willing to. Zepect has agreed to lend one (or two if needed) servers for the upcoming bash.

The big question this spring, just like last time is whether or not should we make the event plus only and include levels that use AS or other plus-features in the level lists.

The battle section seems even more desolate to me than it did last year. The CTF side is slightly better still, as usually, but the truth is that both lists are going to be mostly old classics if we stick to the traditional 15-20 levels sized level lists. However we could spice them up a bit more if we add in some plus only levels.

Any thoughts?

I think it should allow non-Plus users.
Also, if I get around to it, I might try to make a couple of levels for the Bash. Who knows, they might even be good?

Or, we could have a separate server for non plus players. Or, just have a plus levels time, idk.

I really should at least finish some battle and ctf levels of mine.

Fuck that noise. Almost every level now requires Angelscript.

I'll take your word for it(Haven't been downloading levels for a while, and I generally only play SP anyway).
If we can, though, I think we should go with Treylina's suggestion.

Well, I'd say it's time to go Plus-only this year. It'll be fun to play levels utilizing AngelScript with oldies and newbies alike.

You could install a 2nd non-Plus server that works like the old JJ2 Help Server. Just hosting a level that points the scarce of oldies to the Plus download.

My proposed suggestions for the AB16 level list -

battle: Gloom
ctf: Stronghold

Gloom was already in the previous bash.

Just make it plus-only. People who care about AB will probably know where to get plus, and it allows for a more exciting level list. And AS allows for all kinds of things that could make an event like this more fun.

Fair enough.

Cool! I'll be there during AB! :)

Also releasing a level soon, had fun in building stuff.

It's a month or so until the bash. What's going to happen? I think it's time to start preparing soon.

The only disadvantage of running plus-only is that if you don't run plus-only, some features of JJ2 automatically break.

If you host a server and allow non-plus users to join, they get a false impression that JJ2 hasn't been updated since 2008.

The only features that plus-only off breaks is angelscript, iirc. And joiners spectate on is incompatible with plusless users, but who would ever want to use that in a bash server? Though that matters if it's a scripted level beyond a pallette edit.

Why are there still players not using plus? X_X

Besides the LK-Avalon guys S_S

Actually, if a level uses MP3 music, it crashes vanilla JJ2.

The unfortunate thing is that the most commonly found version of TSF -- in my experience anyway -- is the LK Avalon version.

Oh.

Darn. I figured it was a less common oddball. That's no good :/.

Only if a plusless user has the MP3 already. If you don't have the specified plus-only music file, it doesn't crash. If vanilla players don't bother downloading plus, I'd doubt they'd know how or bother with downloading music files either. And no, plusless users cannot download music from JJ2 servers.

Many of the LK avalon players who only have this version cannot speak english at all, only Polish. Most plusless players are stuck in the language barrier or don't chat at all, or simply don't see plus worth it, or they won't bother figuring out or won't bother downloading a real version of JJ2. Therefore they are very disconnected from the actual part of the JJ2 community.

To be honest, I couldn't give a care less for these kind of players anymore. Not only are they terribly skilled players (the majority just walk, stand and shoot idlers), but they haven't contributed anything. Even many plusless players (yes, some had a compatible version, but some refused to tell me what version of JJ2 they had) who do understand English, whenever I told them about plus and how to get/install it, they were very ignorant or reluctant. 9 times out of 10.

Hmm... That's not the way it worked when I was a nonplusser(It's possible that I accidentally put some MP3s in my cache folder among the piles of other music files, but I doubt it).

I tested this just now by transferring a mp3 to my 1.23 plus and attaching it to a level, then joining the server with vanilla TSF. It didn't download the music so it didn't crash.

So who's compiling the list would be a start... ;P as someone aptly said it's starting in a month

I'm looking forward; Your levels are always interesting in some way imo.

Also, I'm making a ctf level. It's nearly finished, so it'll probably be in ab16.

I will appear in the bash and I have one level almost ready too. Also volunteering to help with the pack thing!

I'll gladly compile a list (with Snooze).

Ok, I've got an idea how it should be hosted;

The main AB server (which would likely be plus only) should be hosted on an alternate port. This means whenever plusless users try to join, they will get redirected to a general help server, hosted on a port that works for vanilla too. I'm not sure if it still works if the said server they try to join has plus only mode on, but I know redirections happen.

The help server would have a level that says something like "You may have been redirected. To join the bash you must have JJ2+. Download here: (link)". I'm not too fond of the camel help server level, since it's a bit too vague.

Some stores are still selling vanilla JJ2 for CD. İm not sure why the stores dont update their JJ2 but they probably need to sell their software before they upgrade it online - unless you do custom installations of plusifier on every CD which is already prə>packaged. The cost vs reward of upgrading to plus from 1.21, 1.22 or 1.24 just isnt there for the people who sell the game in stores.

You can't really put plus onto a JJ2 CD....maybe unless it was bootlegged. JJ2 is out of print so the copies are sold second-hand. Besides, I doubt those who are concerned about selling products are going to be like "Oh is there a patch/mod for this?.

Edit: Sniped. That was a waste of five minutes.

Anyway, Treylina's right.
KRSplat, please think about your posts a bit more before posting them.

You're wrong about that Treylina. I run JJ2 plus on my IPC from a custom-installed HDCD boot disc. I don't see why I should have to sail it overseas just to explain to you that concept. If you want to purchase a CD copy of JJ2+ I want to make copies of the disc that contains it as a platform game. But you would have to order

I... this... wait...

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/E1RwD30.png[/IMG]

are you a wizard

----------------

Anyway, about the bash. Are we doing an additional 20th Jazz1 anniversary, like we did on the 10th? I'd be totally down with that

Thanks for using jargon, just to make understanding you even more difficult. If you want to make a point, you need to look at simplifying (aka getting to the point) and research before spouting nonsense posts.

HDCD - afaik, all I found is that it was audio storage.

From your complaining that stores don't sell an updated JJ2, you'd have to make a point how to get plus and an updated version of JJ2 onto the original disks. Though I'm not even sure if that's legal either, since you're tampering with an already set product, and plus isn't even official.

And no, using a different disk to put JJ2 on and selling it doesn't count. That's bootlegging.

Even though, my third point still stands out reguardless.

Gee...why am I bothering anymore. I start to think you're set out to confuse everyone.

I would also be down with that.

You may not know or understand my reasoning for copying the disc - it's intended as a backup copy of the PC OS .

The system's able to extract files from executables . It's not necessary to actually run JJ2 from the CD. It's just useful to use the CD as a reflection of the PC OS . That allows you to run JJ2 without using too much energy on your hard disc.

By HDCD I mean 4-dimension audio decryption. It has a program to add variables to the beats per minute in the audio decryption. Also it contains high-resolution graphics and visuals.

Let's not waste any more time here discussing a solution for running JJ2+ so convoluted that only KRSplat would use it.

KRSplat, do you by any chance use your own custom distribution of Linux as your primary OS?...

Anyway, do we have any idea what time the bash will start and end?

Same as every year. 12th April.

In reality yes, but only when I run computers - right now I'm developing Windows for MS, I study Visual Basic and have a MS developer's license, so I do use a modified version of Linux but it's not so far off as to call it my primary OS. My primary OS for computing is Red Hat Linux - but the virtual OS is Windows 8.1.

KRSplat, nice. :) Sounds fun.

Also, Loon, I meant time of day, but I guess it's a bit early to know...

Last years Bash started on 16:00 GMT.

Details for this year would come from the one willing to host the event. ;)

@Robo4900, Might be my fault, 'Date' and 'Time' are two totally different things.