Hosting Tips for Timesplitters Future Perfect on Xlink Kai

Timesplitters 2 and Timesplitters Future Perfect are now both only able to played online through LAN tunneling programs like XLink Kai.

TS2 never was online. TS:FP had online, but its online servers were taken down. TS2 and TS:FP both have LAN modes, so they can be played online with LAN tunneling programs like Xlink Kai.
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lazyhoboguy
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Hosting Tips for Timesplitters Future Perfect on Xlink Kai

Post by lazyhoboguy »

Hosting Tips for Timesplitters Future Perfect on Xlink Kai

A handful of the people on this site and I have been playing Timesplitters: Future Perfect with LAN tunneling (Xlink Kai) for years. We usually use the settings listed below when hosting as we find it makes things more fun. Of course this is partly a matter of opinion, but with these settings the most people usually seem to be happy.
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Our Most Played Game Mode= Deathmatch

Deathmatch is the game mode we play most times as it is fun with small player counts as well as big ones. These are the settings we use with it.

Hosting options for Deathmatch mode through LAN

Score Limt: None
Score Method: Kills-Suicides
One Shot Kill: No
Time Limit: 10 mins
Always Start with Gun: On
Display Radar: Off
Character Abilities: Off
Powerups: Off
Announcer: On
Music: Recommended
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Map Suggestions
The cool thing about this game is that even if you only have 3 people there are many maps that are still fun.

This game really wont be fun for very long if you have 2 players. The only maps that will work decently for that is sniping maps. Siberia is the only sniping map really (unless you have mapmaker sniper maps of your own). After a couple rounds, 1 vs 1 sniping gets old very fast.

But if you manage to get a third player the game is a blast as there are a ton of maps that are fun with 3 people.

Maps for 3 players

Chinese
Disco
Mars Prison
Subway
Mexican Mission
Training Ground
Siberia (if you all feel like sniping)

Work fine with as little as 4 players, but funner with 5 or more

Spaceport
Venice
Temple

middle sized maps, probably want at least 5 people

VR
Hotel

Maps we rarely play, so can't say yet what is a good player count for sure

Vietnam (a pretty big map)
Bunker (middle sized map, seems like would be ok after 5-6 players?)

extremely large map! wouldn't try it unless you have near 8 players

Zeppelin
Hosting Custom Mapmaker Maps
Usually it is not a good idea to host a custom mapmaker map as your first map for a LAN tunneling game session. People usually want to play the maps they already know for awhile and if you force them to play custom mapmaker maps they can often get annoyed. Even if people say they will play your custom mapmaker map, they may still really be annoyed that you didnt start the night off with a normal game map (believe me, I have had this happen lol). So if you want to host custom maps, its a good idea to do so after you have already played some of the game's developer made levels. That way people will be more apt to try something new.

The creator of a mapmaker map obviously has a huge advantage over other players because he knows every inch of the map. So this can piss people off if you host them without asking. So just ask people if they feel like playing a mapmaker map before you do and everyone stays happy haha.

Also, keep in mind the size of your custom maps in relation to the player count that night. If you have some really gigantic awesome map it won't matter much if you only have 2 other people to play it with. It will just get boring since everyone will spend most of the game searching for other players.

Another thing to keep in mind is that mapmaker maps with lots of big open wide spaces tend to make the frame rate drop.

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Weapon Set Suggestions
The developers really love to stick proximity mines and magchargers into their weapon sets. The problem with these 2 weapons is that they make the game get really frustrating and they really can ruin the balance of the gameplay.

Magchargers are very annoying to have in the weapon set since they can shoot through walls. The secondary function of the weapon shows you every enemy location and lets you zoom in and snipe them through walls. It is way too easy to do so, which results in people walking through the level and repeatedly dying moments after spawning since they are defenseless against people camping in corners of the map with the magcharger.

Proximity mines can be every annoying because like the magcharger they encourage camping. Most times when this weapon is available people toss them all over the place on all entraces to the room and simply wait there until someboy walks into their mines. Even when they don't do this, the mines really break up the gameplay as you are focusing on the combat in the game and its way to easy to miss the mines and randomly die by stepping on one of the dozens of mines that have been tossed around the level.

Because these 2 weapons have such a negative impact on the gameplay, we tend to make sure that we never pick a weapon set that contains either. This can be difficult though because lots of recommended weapon sets for maps contain them and even some random weapon sets you can choose do.

So to help people pick out the weapon sets without these weapons, here are some lists:

The only maps whose recommended weapon sets do not contain Magchargers or Proximity Mines are:

Venice
Temple
Disco
Mars Prison
VR
Mexican Mission
Training Ground

These maps' recommended weapon sets have either Magchargers or Proximity Mines (So don't pick the recommended weapon sets for these levels)

Vietnam: proximity mines
Hotel: proximity mines
Subway: proximity mines
Zepplin: magcharger
Siberia: magcharger
Spaceport: proximity mines
Bunker: proximity mines and magcharger :o

Other Weapon Sets without Magchargers or Proxmity Mines (can use on whatever level you want)

Assorted
Plasma
Conventional
Retro
Rockets
Doubles

Other Weapon Sets to avoid:

Neon (has magcharger)
Explosives (has proximity mines)

Fauch
Level 3: The Not Very Fast and the Perturbed
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2011 7:03 pm
Xlink Kai Setup?: yes
Xlink Kai username: Le_Faucheur

Re: Hosting Tips for Timesplitters Future Perfect on Xlink K

Post by Fauch »

I feel that mag charger may not necessarily be a problem. on dev's maps, yes, but on some cleverly built map, it could work just fine.

I think the best if you put a mag charger in your map, is if there are a few stuffs behind which you can take cover and shoot through (if the map is just a big room with no cover, there is no point in putting mag chargers) but you can't camp. though, I have yet to try with other players if that really works that well.

virtual tileset should be considered, since only the magcharger can shoot through virtual windows. that way you can use the advantage of the weapon, but people will still be able to see you.

I wouldn't use mag chargers for a team oriented map where you know from where the opponents will come.


prox mines were for me the most annoying weapon when I played online, for the reasons you explained. though, when playing against bots, prox mines aren't really an annoyance and can usually be easily avoided, but online, lag often caused them to turn completely invisible which made them the most unfair weapon. actually, I'm not sure how that weapon could work well for human matches.

another weapon that can cause problem is the remote mine, it's also very camper friendly.

VR is just fine for 3 people, the rooms are large, but there's only 3 of them.
I was playing several matches against bots on bunker recently, and it seemed to be one of the most action packed map. or at least, the one where it is hardest to survive. in another hand, there are many paths so it's easy to miss other players. this is probably the best map for team play, and in this case, 6-8 players is fine. in dm, finding the good balance between nothing is happening and so chaotic that's it's unplayable could be tricky.

the annoying thing about zeppelin imo is the roof area. it's not as interesting as the rest of the map and just contributes to make it huge. if everyone stayed indoor, you wouldn't need that many players.


what are your thoughts about elimination? that's what I usually play against bots. having to not die forces you to play more cleverly. but most devs maps aren't good for it as it is so easy to camp. deathmatchs with deaths making you lose points is a good idea too. I just think it's kind of silly when someone is declared winner whereas he got killed more than he killed.
(gmt+2)

lazyhoboguy
site admin
Posts: 1766
Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2010 9:23 pm
Xlink Kai Setup?: yes
Xlink Kai username: lazyhobobum
Location: west coast usa
Contact:

Re: Hosting Tips for Timesplitters Future Perfect on Xlink K

Post by lazyhoboguy »

Perhaps the magcharger would be ok in a custom map if the map was designed around using it, but for the maps that come with the game it is horrible.

Recently we have played Bunker more and found that even with only 4 people in deathmatch it can be fun. It is really fun with shotgun focused weapon sets because of all the fast turns on the map.

I forgot about elimination. That could be fun to try online, but like yoiu mentioned I worry about that mode encouraging camping.

Fauch
Level 3: The Not Very Fast and the Perturbed
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2011 7:03 pm
Xlink Kai Setup?: yes
Xlink Kai username: Le_Faucheur

Re: Hosting Tips for Timesplitters Future Perfect on Xlink K

Post by Fauch »

I would rather avoid shotguns / flare guns on bunker (though flare guns take maybe a bit more skill to kill?) as it is kind of matter of chance, especially with no radar, who will get in the back of the other player and kill him, leaving him no chance to retaliate. I thought it was frustrating because it's particularly hard to watch your back on this map.
(gmt+2)

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