Monitoring player locations

[Badjr]

So i'm currently playing the DW20(v1.0.14) pack. And i'm attempting to create an island roughly 6000x8000 for a kind of mini-game on the server I'm on.
I would like to be able to put a map of the island up on CC advanced monitors, no help needed on that part; but I would also like to show player locations on the island on that map. Preferably down to the chunk they are currently in, if not better; but even a 9x9 chunk area would be fine, since that would roughly be the size per pixel of the fully zoomed out map.
Any ideas on how I could implement this would be quite helpful.

 

[Bomb Bloke]

I'm not aware of anything that can do this, but CC 1.6 will be introducing PDAs - computers you can carry around with you. A beta is available, but although it gives you access to these new systems, they don't have modem functionality yet and the build as a whole isn't stable at all.

But in theory, you should be able to rig up scripts for them which periodically perform a GPS reading then send the result off to your map server.

The obvious catches are that you'll need a LOT of GPS servers set up (something like four per 350 square map units), along with relay servers as well (assuming you aren't inclined to devise one script that can provide both services), and of course the co-operation of your players in carrying the PDAs around and not pulling your servers out of the sky / altering their code / etc.

 

[Tristam Izumi]

Won't a player with OP status using OPIS be able to see players based on the chunks they keep loaded? Not sure how easy it will be to keep track of who is which loaded area, but it's something.

 

[rhn]

No clue where one would even begin with using it ingame(if at all possible), but you can at any time monitor players positions using the /chunkloaders map. Don't know if its at all possible to export the coordinates of players from that map and then import them into CC somehow.

Or as an alternative I suppose you could use those player detector blocks from... forgotten the mod name, set the range to cover a chunk or nine and wirelessly send the redstone signal in.
Or with a bit of ingenuity you could just set up some simple redstone devices(redstone torch+wireless redstone?) that by default will send in redstone signals when loaded, and then write some crazy code to locate the player based on which chunks are loaded.

 

[Neirin]

You could set up a vanilla player detector (use a snow golem with a piston+pressure plate rig) at a sufficiently shallow depth that they will detect a whole chuck of the surface.You won't be able to tell who is activating it, but you can tell where every player is.

EDIT: obviously, you'd have to wire the player detectors into wireless redstone and use that to update your map.

 

[Badjr]

No clue where one would even begin with using it ingame(if at all possible), but you can at any time monitor players positions using the /chunkloaders map. Don't know if its at all possible to export the coordinates of players from that map and then import them into CC somehow.

Or as an alternative I suppose you could use those player detector blocks from... forgotten the mod name, set the range to cover a chunk or nine and wirelessly send the redstone signal in.
Or with a bit of ingenuity you could just set up some simple redstone devices(redstone torch+wireless redstone?) that by default will send in redstone signals when loaded, and then write some crazy code to locate the player based on which chunks are loaded.

The issue with this is I am going to be using the island as my base, and I will have chunk loaders all around the island for areas that need to stay loaded constantly.

You could set up a vanilla player detector (use a snow golem with a piston+pressure plate rig) at a sufficiently shallow depth that they will detect a whole chuck of the surface.You won't be able to tell who is activating it, but you can tell where every player is.

EDIT: obviously, you'd have to wire the player detectors into wireless redstone and use that to update your map.

Is there a way to do this that would be unaffected by chunk loaders?

 

[Neirin]

The issue with this is I am going to be using the island as my base, and I will have chunk loaders all around the island for areas that need to stay loaded constantly.


Is there a way to do this that would be unaffected by chunk loaders?

The beauty of the vanilla player detectors is that they are based entirely around the proximity of a player. Mobs only move if they are within a certain distance (I want to say like 32 blocks?) from a player regardless of whether they are loaded or not.

 

[YX33A]

I wish I could be more helpful, but this does seem interesting. Not my cup of tea normally, but still cool.
The only thing I know of for this sort of thing is player detectors. Now, not all player detectors are made equal. Vanilla ones are brilliant, but mods just allow things to get better and better...

There is of course Mini-map mods that could, in theory, do what you want. Zan's might be a good first choice, as you can configure the radar to show pretty much just one thing if you really wanted to. Enable player tracking with it and zoom way out. Need to be in game and whatnot, but what difference does that make if you're going all 1982 on them?
Second thing is a CCTV style mod. Those are rare these days, but IIRC RotaryCraft has something like that. No idea how it works(or how well), but that's not in DW20s pack IIRC.

 

[Reika]

I wish I could be more helpful, but this does seem interesting. Not my cup of tea normally, but still cool.
The only thing I know of for this sort of thing is player detectors. Now, not all player detectors are made equal. Vanilla ones are brilliant, but mods just allow things to get better and better...

There is of course Mini-map mods that could, in theory, do what you want. Zan's might be a good first choice, as you can configure the radar to show pretty much just one thing if you really wanted to. Enable player tracking with it and zoom way out. Need to be in game and whatnot, but what difference does that make if you're going all 1982 on them?
Second thing is a CCTV style mod. Those are rare these days, but IIRC RotaryCraft has something like that. No idea how it works(or how well), but that's not in DW20s pack IIRC.

The CCTVs were removed 8 months ago due to issues with world corruption.

 

[apemanzilla]

Hmmm... Well, Open Peripheral's sensor peripheral can detect players and their positions, though I highly doubt the sensors have a range that large. Maybe there's a config.

 

[Badjr]

The beauty of the vanilla player detectors is that they are based entirely around the proximity of a player. Mobs only move if they are within a certain distance (I want to say like 32 blocks?) from a player regardless of whether they are loaded or not.

This could work and I could likely have the logic to pinpoint the player using multiple setups and seeing which ones are being triggered.

Hmmm... Well, Open Peripheral's sensor peripheral can detect players and their positions, though I highly doubt the sensors have a range that large. Maybe there's a config.

This could work, and the numbers aren't an issue. I could set up hundreds of thousands of them on my island to track players. My only issue with this is that OpenPeripheral has removed the pattern for thin wire in the current version. So I would need one of the OPs on the server to set up some kind of exchange for thin wire to act as crafting; which wouldn't be very easy at this point in time.

 

[apemanzilla]

This could work, and the numbers aren't an issue. I could set up hundreds of thousands of them on my island to track players. My only issue with this is that OpenPeripheral has removed the pattern for thin wire in the current version. So I would need one of the OPs on the server to set up some kind of exchange for thin wire to act as crafting; which wouldn't be very easy at this point in time.

Hmm... Maybe IC2 trade stations?

 

[Badjr]

Hmm... Maybe IC2 trade stations?

No the issue isn't the method, it's not having any OPs on, classes started back up recently everybody is busy

 

[Merendel]

You could use Ars magica seer's stones. not too expensive and will emit a redstone signal when a player is near. lesser focus is about a 7-8 block detection radius while the standard focus is about 15-16. pair that with wireless redstone and you could tell what chunks had a player in them. If you really wanted to you could pair them with keystones to detect individual players although you'd need 1 seers stone per player you wanted to detect and 1 configured keystone per seers stone, that will get pricy fast.

 

[Badjr]

You could use Ars magica seer's stones. not too expensive and will emit a redstone signal when a player is near. lesser focus is about a 7-8 block detection radius while the standard focus is about 15-16. pair that with wireless redstone and you could tell what chunks had a player in them. If you really wanted to you could pair them with keystones to detect individual players although you'd need 1 seers stone per player you wanted to detect and 1 configured keystone per seers stone, that will get pricy fast.

This idea could work. Resources aren't a big issue for me, but this would require me to set up a large number of nexus. Although, since my island world is eternal day, I won't have any problems with having tons of light nexus under the base level of my island. As far as transmitting location, i'm going to have a number of computers for that. Each chunk will have a computer, grouped into sectors, then possibly grouped again, and sent to my mapping computer to decode the signals and display them on the map.

 

[Merendel]

you wouldn't necessarily need a nexus for each one. indefinite length running sure but a single mana battery per seer's stone would probably keep it running for a long time, possibly months. How you initially charge the batteries is up to you, a light nexus takes a couple hours to charge a single one while you could charge up a dark nexus one off a mob spawner(or the moo farm) very quickly. I went the dark nexus route for seting up a gateway system on my last server map and could charge 10 batteries at a time in the moo farm at maximum rate. One advantage of going batteries is it would make it easier to hide the tracking system. Haveing a nexus every 20 blocks or so would be an eyesore.

 

[Badjr]

you wouldn't necessarily need a nexus for each one. indefinite length running sure but a single mana battery per seer's stone would probably keep it running for a long time, possibly months. How you initially charge the batteries is up to you, a light nexus takes a couple hours to charge a single one while you could charge up a dark nexus one off a mob spawner(or the moo farm) very quickly. I went the dark nexus route for seting up a gateway system on my last server map and could charge 10 batteries at a time in the moo farm at maximum rate. One advantage of going batteries is it would make it easier to hide the tracking system. Haveing a nexus every 20 blocks or so would be an eyesore.

I was planning on having the all of the nexus underground and relaying them up through a mana battery. I really prefer systems that require no outside assistance after they're running, so this way I wouldn't have to change out the batteries ever. The detectors will also be underground, hopefully after I test them a bit to see if they'll still work underground.

 

[YX33A]

I was planning on having the all of the nexus underground and relaying them up through a mana battery. I really prefer systems that require no outside assistance after they're running, so this way I wouldn't have to change out the batteries ever. The detectors will also be underground, hopefully after I test them a bit to see if they'll still work underground.

They work if loaded and within range, so don't worry about it not finding them if they are within range. Now, as for powering them, that's even easier, as previously stated, using a Light Nexus gets power for jack all, and the Dark Nexus is a mob grinder. Keep in mind the dark nexus has a bunch of... odd effects. It's usually nothing major, but still, be careful with them if they are getting full.

As for actually getting the power there, essence conduits, linked correctly, can power your whole island from one central location, assuming no chunks unload. Not as ideal as mana batteries, but they aren't that great unless you need a way to store spare essence, and if you're powering an island with of seer stones, it may be a bit hard to get a essence stockpile anywhere...

Also, as a reminder, if it has a keystone in it, it can be bypassed by(no signal) if someone with a keystone set to the same pattern is in someone's pockets. Great for debugging, bad for actually keeping track of EVERYONE on your island. As an interesting side note, the Rune of Debugging is a valid rune for Keystones...

 

[apemanzilla]

This is a very ambitious project - 6000 x 8000 area covered by seers stones is.. Let see:
Seers stones = 7x7 to 8x8 area (49 to 64; 56.5 avg)
6000 x 8000 island = approx 48 million
48 million / 56.5 = 849,557.5 seer's stones.

So yeah.

I tested with an Open Peripheral sensor and got around a ten block range (not sure if it changes based on conditions) which is a little better than seer stone w/ lesser focus, and can pick up a LOT more info (inventory items, names, mobs...) but also takes more setup (network cables, computers, etc)

I think the easiest way would be to have a server admin install DynMap and try to find/create a CC program that can access DynMap and convert it into a map for a CC monitor.

 

[rhn]

Its a shame you don't have Random Things. You could just place some Entity Detectors and crank up their radius to cover several chunks.

EDIT: Nvm, just tested it and the Entity Detector has a max range of 10 blocks :/