[Feature]: Option to enable auto-reconnect to a known server.
Opened this issue · 3 comments
Describe the Problem
My main use case for Maptools is using it to run shared maps and shared newseeds in one or more large ballrooms at convention centers and academic centers. I usually bring my own wifi router, along with 6-12 laptops, and set up some laptops as GMs at a single GM desk, and then all other laptops as PC-accessible displays scattered throughout the rest of the ballroom, that players can walk up to and scroll around on. I don't normally have an internet connection for these laptops, because I don't need one.
The problem I have is that over the course of an entire 12-hour day using this system... eventually, laptops start to disconnect themselves. I'm never entirely certain why, but the most likely issue is a brief hiccup on the wifi. And then I have to check the chat messages at the GM desk, notice that a player PC has disconnected itself, remember where the PC with that name is located in the ballroom, fight my way through crowds to get it, and manually order that specific PC to reconnect to the only GM server that even exists on the WIFI LAN.
The Solution you'd like
This would be so much easier if there were just a checkbox I could click when connecting to a server, which specifically said something like "auto-reconnect to this server if connection is ever lost" or "Attempt auto-reconnecting for up to five minutes if connection is ever lost"
Alternatives that you've considered.
An alternative possibility would be to add a macro scripting option of some sort, which include commands to connect to server and triggers if connection was lost, so that I could write my own macro to force the PC's to reconnect on my own terms.
Additional Context
One of the main problems I have whenever one of my laptops drops connections is that it misses out on any chat messages that were posted during the time window when I was attempting to reconnect. Another thing that would help is an option for all chat messages to be automatically stored and re-sent in some way anytime a PC re-connects, so that everyone's chats always shows basically the same records.
Not really the solution you're looking for, but you might consider installing some sort of remote control software on the laptops, like RealVNC or Mesh. If the WiFi blip is momentary, you should be able to remote into the affected laptop afterwards to reconnect MapTool. Not perfect, but you can do it from your server without having to walk around the room.
(If you archive the chat messages somewhere, like on a lib token, you could also write an onCampaignLoad macro to retrieve them. If you want to get fancy with it, timestamp the archived messages so you can filter out anything already received.)
Might work... How do I save chat messages on a lib token? is there an event trigger for "chat message updates", or would I have to write a macro that both posts to chat, and saves a copy on a libtoken?
As far as I know, there's no way to trigger it from posting to the chat box, so you'd have to use a macro to post to the chat and save it at the same time. Which really shouldn't be that difficult, you just type in the message in an Input box or form instead of directly in the chat window.
I suspect someone (or several someones) with more experience will have other ideas that might be easier to implement, but I'm sure it could be made to work.