N00b training for my mod

[ChromeAngel]

For several years i've been working away on my Warhammer 40k themed teamplay mod for Source, Exterminatus.

The entities I designed for the mod were planned with flexibility in mind, so mappers could create a wide variety of missions, to keep the game play fresh without needing extra coding. A side-effect of this is that nearly all the maps play differently. This frequently leaves players that are new to the mod confused as to what they are supposed to be doing.

Can you guys suggest any easy ways of training n00bs in what they need to do to win in Exterminatus?

[Armageddon]

Offer a tutorial section?

Though it's good to have diverse missions I'd suggest making some basic gamemodes that you can manipulate the maps around, it's a lot easier for new players, besides do you want each map to play like a completely different game? Consistency is good.

[Duke Nukem]

A little singleplayer step-by-step developing missions or a playable tutorial map.

[Ich 666]

Loading screens telling them what theyre supposed to do in that gamemode.

[ChromeAngel]

Loading screens telling them what theyre supposed to do in that gamemode.

I like this idea, it's about the only time when players will read what given to them. Is there any way for the client to know what map it's loading before it's loaded, so it can pick the right loading screen for that map?

[ChromeAngel]

Offer a tutorial section?

Though it's good to have diverse missions I'd suggest making some basic gamemodes that you can manipulate the maps around, it's a lot easier for new players, besides do you want each map to play like a completely different game? Consistency is good.

I may have to do something like that. I had been shying away from it because of the need to rebuild all the maps around a new mode.

[zombie@computer]

Loading screens telling them what theyre supposed to do in that gamemode.

I like this idea, it's about the only time when players will read what given to them. Is there any way for the client to know what map it's loading before it's loaded, so it can pick the right loading screen for that map?

no, but you can code a 'prediction' (eg by making a trigger_changelevel report the new mapname before it starts loading the new level) but the times you can actually predict the new mapname there usually is only limited loading time (not enough to warrant a loading screen anyway)

[ChromeAngel]

Loading screens telling them what theyre supposed to do in that gamemode.

I like this idea, it's about the only time when players will read what given to them. Is there any way for the client to know what map it's loading before it's loaded, so it can pick the right loading screen for that map?

no, but you can code a 'prediction' (eg by making a trigger_changelevel report the new mapname before it starts loading the new level) but the times you can actually predict the new mapname there usually is only limited loading time (not enough to warrant a loading screen anyway)

I've had some success getting this working so far, ( you can try it for yourselves at 40ksource.com ). It works fine when my game rules can pre-warn the client about loading of the map (via map voting or the normal map cycle), However I have 2 problem cases:
1) When you create a listen server from the game menu.
2) The server op kindly hosting servers for my mod runs server plugins that change the map after the round ends.

I've tried making my loading screen implement IGameSystem, but even the PreLevelInit calls to them are far too late for a loading screen.

Can you guys suggest any workarounds for this situation?