ok here is the issue I have found... ever since the 1.4 update for the game; everyone gets kicked from my map in a self hosted map test.

I can host any stock map without issue, but when trying to run a custom map it will kick anyone out that trys to come in unless I have the map hosted on a True paid for server. any ideas?

There are quite alot of new stuff but this probably the culprit:

scr_max_rank 

it defaults to 0, so in your config try 64 which is highest rank:

scr_max_rank = 64

This drove me mad the other day kicking my testclients and tring too find out why.
Have a look at RGN for more surpises http://forums.raidersmerciless.com/showthread.php?t=8868

As was posted over since the link above requires registration [rules]:

Just updating AWE5 with added changes from 1.4, i found a few new Dvars added but not communicated by Treyarch of course

Files touched in /raw/mp/gametypes/

* ctf.gsc
* sd.gsc
* _dev.gsc
* _gameobjects.gsc
* _globallogic.gsc
* _missions.gsc
* _rank.gsc
* _spawning.gsc
* _teams.gsc
* _weapons.gsc


- Vehicles:

In _globalogic.gsc i found this Dvar:

scr_vehicle_damage_scalar

Set to 1 by default

- Ranks:

From what i found in _globalogic.gsc and _rank.gsc it looks like server admins can now limit the max rank on their server, that might explain the players getting kicked with AWE5 right now. Dvar:

scr_max_rank

Set to 0 by Default

The function that kicks for not rank over what is set from _rank.gsc:

<br />
shouldKickByRank()<br />
{<br />
    if ( self getEntityNumber() == 0 )<br />
    {<br />
        // don't try to kick the host<br />
        return false;<br />
    }<br />
    <br />
    if (level.rankCap > 0 && self.pers["rank"] > level.rankCap)<br />
    {<br />
        return true;<br />
    }<br />
    <br />
    return false;<br />
}

- Spawning:

Found Dvars in _spawning.gsc:

scr_spawn_visibility_check_max

Set to 35 by Default

scr_ignore_spawn_visibility_check_max

Set to 0 by Default

Not sure what they do...Found more stuff again, someone ask why the Teammates in a squad didnt spawn near the Squad leader, well this seems to have been there but has now been tweaked, here is a lot of Dvars which were already in 1.3 but default value have been tweaked quite a bit:

* scr_spawn_randomness_range
* scr_spawn_objective_facing_bonus
* scr_spawn_friend_strong_influencer_score
* scr_spawn_friend_strong_influencer_score_curve
* scr_spawn_friend_strong_influencer_radius
* scr_spawn_friend_strong_influencer_length
* scr_spawn_friend_weak_influencer_score
* scr_spawn_friend_weak_influencer_score_curve
* scr_spawn_friend_weak_influencer_radius
* scr_spawn_squad_leader_influencer_score
* scr_spawn_squad_leader_influencer_score_curve
* scr_spawn_squad_leader_influencer_radius
* scr_spawn_enemy_influencer_score
* scr_spawn_enemy_influencer_score_curve
* scr_spawn_enemy_influencer_radius


All these were, euh .... not active before! Now they are, they added:

self enable_player_influencers( true );

I think that this was cut because of time restriction to get Retail out....

- Grenade Launcher Dude on S&D

Control time on Grenade Launcher to fire dudes on start of S&D

scr_grenadeLauncherDudTime

Default is 15sec.

Thanks Zeroy