quick and hacky way to automatically start matches

mods/game/functions/init.lua

@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ function start_match(map) -- Start the match
 
 	map_data = place_map(map or "forest") -- default to forest if no map is specified
 		
+	core.after(3, function() -- add a few seconds to allow the map to be placed fully
 		assert(loadstring(map_data.scripts.on_start or ""))()
 		
 		core.chat_send_all(core.colorize("green", string.format("Match about to start in %d seconds!\nOpen inventory to change class!", map_data.start_time)))
@@ -162,6 +163,7 @@ function start_match(map) -- Start the match
 				set_player_mode(player, "normal")
 			end
 		end)
+	end)
 end
 
 function end_match() -- End the match

mods/game/main/init.lua

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 -- Main mod for SSG
 
 -- Variables
+automatic_start = {true, false}
 alive_players = {}
 map_data = {}
 spawn_pos = vector.new(-100, -9.6, -100)
@@ -32,6 +33,24 @@ core.register_on_mods_loaded(function()
 	end
 end)
 
+core.register_globalstep(function() -- automatically start a match every 30s
+	if (not automatic_start[1]) or automatic_start[2] then
+		return
+	end
+
+	local players = 0
+	for _, _ in ipairs(core.get_connected_players()) do 
+		players = players + 1
+	end
+	if players > 1 and match_state == "not_started" then
+		core.chat_send_all(core.colorize("lime", "-!- Automatically starting new match in 30 seconds"))
+		automatic_start[2] = true
+		core.after(30, function()
+			start_match("forest")
+		end)
+	end
+end)
+
 core.register_on_joinplayer(function(player)
 	core.place_schematic({x=-105, y=-10, z=-108}, core.get_modpath("main") .. "/schems/spawn.mts", 0, nil, true)
 	player:set_pos(spawn_pos)

mods/game/maps/maps/forest/map.lua

@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ local map_data = {
 	scripts = { -- "temporary" hack to ensure there's nothing on top of the map 
 		on_start = "for x=0, 154 do\nfor y=0, 16 do\nfor z=0, 146 do\ncore.set_node({x=x,y=53+y,z=z}, {name=\"air\"})\nend\nend\nend",
 		on_barrier_remove = "",
-		on_end = ""
+		on_end = "automatic_start[2] = false"
 	}
 }