AA-Console

Hi,

I've created a little tool called AA-Console, which provides a live overview of the experience level of racers on multiple servers at once.

I plan to keep this dropbox folder updated with the latest version:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2i5xmhq5lqgrck0/RbvM2zaOKR

Edit(I forgot to mention, so I edit this here): the program was written in Java, and it requires *Java 7* installed. If you install Java 7 runtime environment now, be sure to opt out of the browser toolbar (yuck, Oracle). And when your browser asks if it should enable java plugin, just decline. They say it's not safe.

Here's how it looks at the moment, when I open all the MRc servers:



Good thing is that you can arrange the internal frames any way you like. For further help, click on the Help menu item (from the menu which appears when you right click on empty background).

Why this tool? AA servers had (still has) a returning multiple-account crasher, who joins many accounts at once on many different servers at the same time, and crashes races hours to end! As it turns out, this guy has been doing this for a very long time (at least a year), because he uses accounts registered months ago.
Well, you know, God has a big Zoo, and the fence is low.
I don't have to tell you, what does (OMG, WHAT DID!) it do with the level of normality on the servers.

At first, I opened up many host progress windows (e.g. this one: http://www.lfsworld.net/pubstat/live_progress.php?host=%5BMRc%5D+Rallyx ) on the screen, to track his movement, arranging windows and changing back and forth with the Remote Player was very hard.
JoRuss came up with the idea to "federate" the servers view, he did a web version, and I started this pet project.

This tool was essential to reveal the whole extent of this phenomenon (even if the solution to the problem is more difficult, but being worked on).

Anyways, that's it about the background. Even if it's not used regularly, or for hunting down crashers, I think it can provide an interesting and unique perspective of the servers.

Enjoy!

hello szaboaz
looks like a good tool and il give it a try,il say thankyou beforehand, ive been learning to do some programming myself(c++ and outgauge and insim ect) so appreciate the work done.
thankyou and il give some feedback shortly
greatly appreciated
MRc bish

good little application, is this something that you will/can build up even more over time with other stats as i with stats like wins added it would be even greater,im going to run this on my 2nd monitor from now on,thankyou

Thanks for the feedback.
I was thinking about displaying more racer stats, but I considered screen "real estate". I mean I tried to make it as compact as possible, because "overview" was my main goal.


Maybe, when I click on a name, a little internal frame (just like the host frames) should appear with more data. Then, when I click on another name, the frame remains at the same place, but the data changes.

Or it could work like a "modal" "dialog" window, with an OK button, which needs to be pressed before you can get back to the main screen...

Ill take a look at it too, seems nice and handy at first sight!

Hi, I've created a new version of AA-Console. (See the dropbox directory link in the first post.)

Nothing has changed internally, so it works the same. The only difference is that this version is an .exe file (still requires Java!). This makes it possible to put it into any directory, and create a desktop shortcut to it. (I didn't like to keep the previous version's .jar file on the desktop, because the save file was also created on the desktop.)

The exe file also has nice shiny AA icons (thanks JoRuss), so it's not the standard Java icon anymore.


If you decide to use this version instead of the previous one, be sure to put your current QuickSpec.save file in the same directory where you put the new "QuickSpec 2013-03-17.exe". This way, you don't have to open and arrange the host windows again.

Enjoy!

I still use it (mostly to stalk people, to see which server has the most fun racers ) Its a great little program. Thanks for sharing it here!