Loading SP maps in MP

[Tutorial]

category
General Half-Life 2/Other

description
Clue is in the name, read on.

keywords
load, loading, map, maps, mp, multi, player.

I was in the process of testing out different single player maps with my compiled mod. Also at the time I was learning the structure of how the source code was used and how it interacted with the solution file. I also noticed that there were problems loading single player maps such as d1_trainstation_01 in multiplayer mode. The game would just crash in the loading process with a memory error.

I had tried some combos in valve.rc like this:

maxplayers 1
map d1_trainstation_01
maxplayers 3

The idea behind that was to have the maxplayers 1 then issue a load and quickly change the maxplayers. This failed.

The solution was to use a savegame file from that map. In order to make the savegames I loaded into each chapter via singleplayer and made quicksaves then renamed them to something like this:

chapter01
chapter02
chapter..

Now, as you know you cannot load savegames in multiplayer if you load into the game then in the console change the maxplayers greater than 1 then load the savegame. But if you do this and put it in a cfg file:

maxplayers 1
load savegame
maxplayers 4

You could put this in in a cfg file and type in the console

exec cfgscript.cfg

This will successfully load the savegame.

The advantages of having a savegame to load up is that if your game crashes in the map in a certain part such as the Gman talking to you before you are loaded into the train or somewhere on a map you could make a quick save in single player after the crash point then load it up in via multiplayer. I found that most of the time my game crashes in the maps are when a choreograph scene occurs such as when barney tries to give you the crowbar in d1_trainstation_06.

I hope someone finds this useful:

--George P.S. Mouyios