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Easy server seeding

 
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NTolerance
Administrator


Joined: 13 Jul 2005
Posts: 1044

PostPosted: Wed Dec 18, 2013 5:44 pm    Post subject: Easy server seeding

UPDATE

Ignore the small text at the bottom. The script contained therein is no longer necessary! Recently we were able to increase the idle timeout so that seeders don't get kicked, so seeding is even easier now. Just join the game and minimize it. Carry on with your other work on your computer machine. w00t!


We've been working on ways to make seeding the server easier. Until a game gets going, it's good to simply idle in the server to help it appear in the server browser. In order for our BF4 server gametype to be "Normal" and not "Custom", we must accept the default idle kick setting of five minutes. Obviously this makes it hard to seed the server.

Enter AutoHotkey. We can use an AutoHotkey script to send a key to the BF4 window every few minutes so that you don't get kicked while seeding. You can idle and leave your computer, or continue to use other programs while idling. Here's how to set it up:

1. If you have AutoHotkey installed, download this file. If not, simply download and run bf4-seeder.exe from here.
2. Join our server.
3. Press ALT+ENTER to make BF4 run in a window.
4. Resize your BF4 window and make it small so that you can work in other programs.
5. Run the AHK file that you downloaded in step 1.

Every 290 seconds the script will quickly switch to the BF4 window, send the "1" key, and then switch back to the previously active program. Press F12 to temporarily disable the script, or right-click on the green system tray icon to exit the script.

This script is new and might have some issues, so let me know if you find any and we'll try to fix them.


Last edited by NTolerance on Sat May 31, 2014 12:25 pm; edited 6 times in total
Dynamite Dan
Deputy


Joined: 19 Jun 2004
Posts: 4299
Location: Blackburn, Lancashire, UK

PostPosted: Wed Dec 18, 2013 5:54 pm    Post subject:

Excellent work NT, ill keep trying my copy out.
NTolerance
Administrator


Joined: 13 Jul 2005
Posts: 1044

PostPosted: Wed Dec 18, 2013 6:33 pm    Post subject:

Dynamite Dan wrote:
Excellent work NT, ill keep trying my copy out.


Download the one from my post - it's been updated!
Ryderstorm
CH Administrator


Joined: 19 Apr 2004
Posts: 2332
Location: Greensboro, NC

PostPosted: Fri Dec 20, 2013 11:45 am    Post subject:

I love me some AHK, i use it for much stuff.

Did you try using ControlSend to send the keystrokes directly to the window? That way it wouldn't have to activate the window and switch back and forth.

http://www.autohotkey.com/docs/commands/ControlSend.htm

I never thought to make an AHK script talk, that's brilliant!
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NTolerance
Administrator


Joined: 13 Jul 2005
Posts: 1044

PostPosted: Fri Dec 20, 2013 1:52 pm    Post subject:

Ryderstorm wrote:
I love me some AHK, i use it for much stuff.

Did you try using ControlSend to send the keystrokes directly to the window? That way it wouldn't have to activate the window and switch back and forth.

http://www.autohotkey.com/docs/commands/ControlSend.htm

I never thought to make an AHK script talk, that's brilliant!


I did. Ideally we could send keys without switching windows, but BF4 doesn't respond to ControlSend. There was a test script someone on the AHK forums made to see if a given game will respond to ControlSend but it didn't work for BF4.
Dynamite Dan
Deputy


Joined: 19 Jun 2004
Posts: 4299
Location: Blackburn, Lancashire, UK

PostPosted: Fri Dec 20, 2013 6:36 pm    Post subject:

NTolerance wrote:
Dynamite Dan wrote:
Excellent work NT, ill keep trying my copy out.


Download the one from my post - it's been updated!



It works a treat now Smile I set my game to run in borderless, seems to do the job
NTolerance
Administrator


Joined: 13 Jul 2005
Posts: 1044

PostPosted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 8:18 pm    Post subject:

I've updated the OP with the latest version of this script which works more reliably and makes it easier to use your computer while you help to seed the server.
Super Wabbit
CH Administrator


Joined: 18 Apr 2004
Posts: 3667
Location: Raleigh, NC

PostPosted: Thu Mar 13, 2014 10:18 am    Post subject:

This works great!

How I Seed:
I usually get home after work between 7pm and 8pm EST and one of the first things I do is run NT's anti-idle script and hop on the server. Now I'm free to cook my dinner and do some chores. On the weekends, I usually hop on mid-afternoon and idle. I'm not a my computer, I may not even be at the house. I've also fired up anti-idle to seed and went to the pub for a couple of hours only to come back to a full server. With enough seeders, the server will fill up fast.

Even if you can't play that night, I invite you to hop on the server to help with seeding. Once we get enough people on the server we will manually kick you if you're still idle.
Kapak
Old Fogies


Joined: 05 Jul 2004
Posts: 3288
Location: Quebec, Canada

PostPosted: Fri Apr 04, 2014 6:07 pm    Post subject:

I'll try this when I'm at home and not using my computer.
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