<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1106" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hello everyone!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I have just finished testing the latest versions of
the server administration tool and client programs and I think they are
stable to release for beta testing. The latest programs contain all
of the fixes and changes I mentioned earlier, as well as the new TK
monitor. I will be assembling some additional documentation for both
over the next day or so in order to fill everyone in on all the new
changes. Since the paint isn't dry yet, I figured I would take a minute
and outline how the Team Kill logic works in its current form.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>TK Monitor features</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>================</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>- custom message templates with insert
codes</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> The messaging system has been
altered to use insert codes to allow for greater flexibility and ease of
use. Codes like <KILLER> and <VICTIM> allow for more
possibilities when creating message text. Insert codes are also completely
optional.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>- kick, kick/ban, and ban modes of
operation</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> The administrator can choose one
of three operating modes, each with its own independent threshold
setting. Kick simply kicks the TK'er, kick/ban kicks the TK'er until the
kick threshold has been reached and then the ban logic is activated, and the ban
mode bans TK'ers. Currently, TK's are logged for each player by IP
address and are remembered until the map changes, TK kicks are remembered
until the server quits, and TK bans are permanent. TK counts are
maintained as long as the current map is in play, even if players
disconnect and reconnect, or change their names.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>- automatic IP ban logging</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Any time that a player is banned
by the TK monitor, the IP address is logged in the ban.cfg file. The tool
is also capable of allowing IP and name ban information to be manipulated
using the client program in real-time. Manually editing the ban.cfg file
is no longer necessary but is still an option.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>- multiple message strings</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> The server messages are all
customizable and can even be suppressed if desired. Below are the current
defaults:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> TK_MSG = TEAMKILL:
<KILLER> killed teammate <VICTIM>!!!<BR>
TK_KICK_WARN_MSG = <KILLER> will be kicked after <CHANCES> more
violations.<BR> TK_KICK_LAST_MSG = <KILLER> will be
kicked if another violation occurs!<BR> TK_KICK_MSG =
<KILLER> has been kicked for violating team kill
rules.<BR> TK_KB_WARN_MSG = <KILLER> will face being
banned after <CHANCES> more kicks.<BR> TK_KB_LAST_MSG =
This will be the last time <KILLER> is merely
kicked!<BR> TK_BAN_WARN_MSG = <KILLER> will be banned
after <CHANCES> more violations.<BR> TK_BAN_LAST_MSG =
<KILLER> will be banned if another violation occurs!<BR>
TK_BAN_MSG = <KILLER> has been banned for violating team kill
rules.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> The server configuration file
has descriptions of what each one does and when it is used. The TK_KICK_*
and TK_BAN_* messages are used by the kick and ban modes respectively. The
TK_KB_* messages are used when the kick/ban logic is enabled and are displayed
right after the player has only a single chance remaining before disciplinary
action is taken to minimize message clutter. </FONT><FONT face=Arial
size=2>In order to side-step the need to use items like "offense(s)" or
"violation(s)" in messages, I have split the different messages into two
separate entities. The TK_*_WARN_MSG variables are used
when there are multiple chances left, and the TK_*_LAST_MSG variables are used
when there is only one chance remaining. I wanted to not only give
everyone as much flexibility as possible, but also to make it as slick as I
could.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>- server monitor logging option</DIV>
<DIV> In order to thoroughly test the TK logic, I had to
insert a bunch of code to print out information when certain events
occurred. After using it for a while, I decided to make it an option in
the configuration file. MONITOR_LOG and MONITOR_LOG_FILE are two options
that can be set to activate and specify filename respectively. The output
is comprised of almost every raw game server log entry with monitoring data
included. Each monitor log entry starts with "**" and different types of
messages have a different third character to make it easy to grep for errors,
other messages, or monitor output only.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I have spent a lot of time testing and watching the logs to ensure that no
innocent players are ever accused of team killing, and the results have been
excellent. So far I have had ample traffic on the server and no false TK
messages have resulted. Anyone else who is interested in testing the TK
detection logic simply needs to enable the monitor log without enabling team
damage. That's how I tested it. Once you are confident that the
death messages are being processed properly, you can enable the TK
monitor.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>I had originally planned to
implement some additional features based on the suggestions I have
received, but I decided it might be better to release the programs for
testing and see what the consensus is after other admins have had a chance to
fiddle with them. While I'm working on the documentation for the new
program changes made to both the server and client programs, I'm interested in
hearing any comments, questions and suggestions that there may be. This
will help me make any last minute changes that might be needed as well as ensure
the documentation covers the majority of questions admins will
have.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2>I'll be releasing the beta to any of the
original beta testers who are interested in trying it. Assuming everything
goes well, I'll release it to the general public after that. Thanks again
to everyone who has helped me with this project so far. I'm definitely
looking forward to the feedback on this new version.</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2>Shockwave</FONT></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>