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Since there are so many talented map makers here. I am wondering if anyone here has found a great way to test a map for multiple players.

Some maps I've seen test if there is only 1 player then its game over, and others test to see if there are players in any slot other than player 1.

There are Pro's and Con's to the methods that I've seen thusfar, however I was in hopes to find a way to test a map and see if multiple players are playing it with the least effect on the game. So players in game doesn't realize its being done.

A trigger like this could make it easier to make maps with better scripted Computer AI to counter the active players, or make the map more/less difficult in some ways.

Trigger

Description:

[Test for Players]

Players:

¤ Player 1

¤ Player 2

¤ Player 3

¤ Player 4

¤ Player 5

¤ Player 6

¤ Player 7

Conditions:

¤ If Current Player Controls At Least 1 Men

Actions:

¤ Add 1 Custom Score for Player 8

This is my best idea, and from there triggers could be written based on the number of custom score player 8 started with. If the map required custom score for something else, this could be done first then a switch activated to retain the 'difficulty' or the purpose of this trigger test.

Any thoughts? Comments, or Ideas?

There are millions of ways to do it. Yours is quite good though.
You could have all 8 players and add a death count instead

Yeah, I'm sure there are alot of ways to do so. I often use this type of a trigger to increase the difficulty of my maps when more people play them. So my map will never really be a walk in the park, but hopefully won't be too much for a player of moderate-advanced skill.

One thing I've often encountered is the 'newb' effect. Where people don't like a map because they don't understand or don't want to understand how its meant to be played. Most people who play my map Merchants 3 either love or hate it because of that.

If the person understands the map, and knows what its objectives are (reads the in game tutorial, or mission briefing) they can do well. I've observed on two different occasions where a total newb Hero, and a total newb Merchant have beat a team of two heros and a merchant that were part of my Tester group when I was with the newbs. The map wasn't rigged, and the testers knew the terrain just as good as I did if not better (since they get to play much more than I did at the time).

ADDITION:


and before anyone thinks that I'm dissing new players in this previous post, I'm really not. I enjoy new players to my map when they give it a fair try and know how to read. Only when the new player types in 'This Map is Gay' or 'U R Dumb' or 'This Map is Dumb' then leave, is when I dislike someone. They never give the map a chance, and are unwilling to play a game that is good and new.

Anything wrong with

Trigger

Conditions:

¤ Current Player commands at least 1 unit

Actions:

¤ Set death count to 1

So you can go beyon what you need and see which players are in game.

Just make the conditions "Always".

I normaly use the score for the current player and use "set" instead of add. Pretty much the same thing as DT's but it has a preserve trigger.

Then it constantly checks without lagging your game. To check the amount of players you use a condition that checks deaths for the force. Like this

Conditions:
-Force 1 suffers exactly 5 deaths of dude.
Actions:
-Display Text "So there are 5 players eh? ha ha ha im physic"
-Preserve Trigger

Oviously you wouldn't want to do that action but its the idea that counts. The point is that when you check deaths for the force even though each player only has 1 death it adds them all together when checking for a group.

Just use the trigger "always in your trigger DT


Damit Bolt head you beet me to it!

I suppose then, the unit tested for your death trigger would be an invalid unit to use on the map. Especially if it was to constantly check how many players were playing on the map? Or am I misunderstanding how the trigger would work. Its getting late and my mind is getting a bit foggy

Uhh yeah the unit i refered to as "dude" can't be a unit that you can die during the game.

yeah, thats what I thought. I always try to avoid limiting my ability with a map. By not using unit death counts I allow myself to use every unit possible for some purpose. On some maps I even had to use critters for a purpose(despite not wanting to).