Headless mode

[ximex]

Is this right to setup a "server" that runs Warzone without GUI? (see: #1395)
I couldn't get this running. It looks like a need a config file but couldn't find any documentation etc. Is there somewhere an example config etc? I would want to run a multiplayer online game with fixed settings

[past-due]

headless + autohost should work for that case, but I agree that the documentation surrounding autohost mode is woefully non-existent.

@maxsupermanhd Might be able to provide some example files (along with instructions on where to put them)

For more information you can examine static void loadMapChallengeSettings(WzConfig& ini), which is what is currently used to process the config files.

[vaut]

$ warzone2100 --headless --autogame --autohost=Poli-Eye-W-a.json

autohost/Poli-Eye-W-a.json:

{
   "challenge":{
      "alliances":2,
      "allowPositionChange":"true",
      "bases":"1",
      "map":"Poli-Eye-W-a-T1",
      "maxPlayers":5,
      "powerLevel":2,
      "scavengers":"false",
      "version":2
   },

   "player_0":{
      "position":5,
      "team":5
   },
   "player_1":{
      "position":0,
      "team":0
   },
   "player_2":{
      "position":1,
      "team":0
   },
   "player_3":{
      "position":2,
      "team":1
   },
   "player_4":{
      "position":3,
      "team":1
   }
}

UPD
For 4.2.0-beta1 and later, you need to use new preset

autohost/preset.json

{
  "challenge": {
    "alliances": 3,
    "bases": "3",
    "map": "Emergence",
    "maxPlayers": 10,
    "powerLevel": 2,
    "scavengers": 2,
    "version": 2,
    "name": "test spec",
    "spectatorHost": true,
    "openSpectatorSlots": 5
  },
  "locked": {
    "power": true,
    "alliances": false,
    "teams": false,
    "difficulty": true,
    "ai": true,
    "scavengers": true,
    "bases": true,
    "position": false
  },
  "player_0": {
    "position": 0,
    "team": 0
  },
  "player_1": {
    "position": 1,
    "team": 0
  },
  "player_2": {
    "position": 2,
    "team": 0
  },
  "player_3": {
    "position": 3,
    "team": 0
  },
  "player_4": {
    "position": 4,
    "team": 0
  },
  "player_5": {
    "position": 5,
    "team": 1
  },
  "player_6": {
    "position": 6,
    "team": 1
  },
  "player_7": {
    "position": 7,
    "team": 1
  },
  "player_8": {
    "position": 8,
    "team": 1
  },
  "player_9": {
    "position": 9,
    "team": 1
  }
}

Added two new parameters

    "spectatorHost": true,
    "openSpectatorSlots": 5

No need to use mods anymore.
Added a lot of room control options. For details on the possibilities, see here #2223 #2212

But you still need to separately take care of a lot of little things necessary for the stable operation of the server without the participation of people:
On the limitation of the maximum battle time.
About checking the availability of a room in the lobby.
On the exclusion of AFK players from the gathering room.
Etc

[vaut]

perl script for creating presets:
generateLvL.zip

Uses WMT to extract data from the map:
https://github.com/maxsupermanhd/WMT

[past-due]

It also supports the ability to "lock" various settings:

{
   // ..
   "locked": {
      "power": true,
      "alliances": true,
      "teams": true,
      "difficulty": true,
      "ai": true,
      "scavengers": true,
      "position": true,
      "bases": true
   }
   // ...
}

although only some are probably of use for multiplayer games (the config is also used for Challenges), as only the host (in this case the autohost) can change certain settings.

[maxsupermanhd]

We should actually move those to JSON5, it is more comfortable to use and has comments...

[vaut]

I forgot.
The game will close when the host sees the victory screen.
If the host is going to be an observer, you will need this mod to override the victory screen.
A mod that does what it needs:
#732
But recent changes have broken him.
I'll try to rebase the changes tomorrow.

[ximex]

What type of player is the autohost? It looks like as it is an AI as it does something but where is that defined? And is it possible without an AI?
But i got it running \o/

[vaut]

AI is connected with a key --autogame.
As far as I know, it is impossible to change the AI from.
Do you want to create rooms like in auto-rating in version 3.4.1 (PVP room and host doing nothing)?

This unfortunately doesn't work out of the box.
You need to do the following:

1. create a preset with an additional slot. (if the map is for two, there are 3 slots in the preset)
2. put the host (player_0) on the additional slot
   The host can already be started like this:
   warzone2100 --headless --autohost=Poli-Eye-W-a.json
   But the game won't end.
3. add the --autogame key.
   The game now shuts down when the host "sees" the win/lose screen.
   AI does not affect the game, since it does not have units and buildings
4. that the host sees the victory screen only after the game is over, add the mod
   Initial support spectators #732 (It's broken now, but I'm already busy rebasing this mod. )
   In the mod, it is necessary to uncomment lines 208 and 322