[Dedicated] ServerSide settings, no grass and such

Doolittle made this little tool for ArmA back in the days, I don't know if he's still active, but anyway, I took his concept and adapted to ArmA2. Originally intended for my server, I guess I can make it public.

EDIT June 16th 2010 : : New release has changed the installed files and addon requirements on server. People already using this should re-read the description below :)

Goal

This addon is to be installed only on your server.

It requires Extended_Eventhandlers, that are included in CBA (on your server only, once again, clients don't need these addons, they can run Vanilla ArmA2 or whatever addon permitted)

It will, at each mission startup, send a string to each client containing scripting code. This code will be executed on every clients, even clients connecting after mission startup.

This code will be executed for every mission

Installation

Uncompress in main ArmA2 directory of server, it'll create in the main directory a serverSide subfolder and 2 .sqf files :

ArmA2\globalscript.sqf

ArmA2\serverside.sqf

ArmA2\serverSide\Addons\serverSide.pbo

Launch the server with -mod=@CBA;serverSide

Utilization

globalscript.sqf file contains the code that will be sent to all connected machines, in the format :

"
<Code to execute>
...
" call WHIS_createLogicCode;

This file is in readable format at the root ArmA2 directory

It can be modified before launching the server.

From this code, you can execute on each client commands independantly of the mission played, using commands that should only have a local use, like setting the grass level of detail, view distance, or printing regular hints and messages.

serverside.sqf contains a script that will be executed exclusively on the server. Handy to separate server and client sides of things :)

Examples

Here are some examples of globalscript.sqf coding for various uses :

* Disabling grass and forcing view distance on clients

* Having regular hint advertisement on player's screen

* Disabling 3rd Person View only for infantry, enabling 3rd Person View only when in vehicle

Download and feedback

The ServerSide Addon now has a Dev-Heaven project space, for bug reporting, help and further suggestion:

http://dev-heaven.net/projects/serversidescripting/wiki/Wiki

You can get latest versions when they come out on the Files area of the DH project space :

http://dev-heaven.net/projects/serversidescripting/files

Report bugs and wishlist on the Issues pages

http://dev-heaven.net/projects/serversidescripting/issues

Versions

1.1 : Added CBA and postInit_XEH usage, now works on any island

1.0 : Initial release, Chernarus only

Future

I'm going to concentrate on adding new features in globalscript.sqf and serverside.sqf. Next target is releasing a server-wide anti-TK feature.

Credits

Doolitle for the original concept.

CBA crew

Sickboy for advice and permanent help

Kju for advice and permanent help

Mikero and Killswitch for easing workload on Linux server

ArmaLiga.de for the excellent infantry 3rd person view system

What's:

while {true} do {

hint ""TeamSpeak Server IP :X.X.X.X:8767"";

sleep 10;

hint ""InGame VoIP activated on server, Caps Lock to use"";

sleep 10;

hint ""use ingame chat with /, change your channels to be heard!"";

sleep 300;

};

....?

A permanent in-game messaging system. I use it to advertise from time to time the TS IP address, and tell things for newcomers :)

Ahh okay, so I can just take the globalServer.sqf file and place it in the addons folder to our server?

-sorry for bump, posted in the wrong forum somehow...-

In your main ArmA directory, you should have :

globalServer.sqf

noGrass directory, containing an "Addons" directory with a pbo in it

Modify the globaServer.sqf to suit your needs.

Launch the server with parameter -mod=noGrass

I have problems to download it, please reupload it to another server. Thx.

Looks like dump.no is unavailable. Will sort that out asap

Hosting changed to filefront, it should be OK now, check OP. Sorry for the long delay

Beware I changed the filename and instructions

sorry if this is a dumb question - but would this allow me to force people joining my server to use a mod such as afp's minimal crosshair - even if they don't have it installed?

easily, no.

With a bit of heavy investigation on how to check client-side the existance of a class specific to your addon (if any) and forcing client disconnection, perhaps

A permanent in-game messaging system. I use it to advertise from time to time the TS IP address, and tell things for newcomers

I don't think that many players like this sound. As far as I know there was a command like 'hint' but without sound( hintSilent? ). I would be better, I think.

Thanks for the tip, hintSilent doest indeed exist, it's a new ArmA2 command though, apparently.

Thing is, the globalServer.sqf file is plain text for any admin to modify it at will. It's the purpose of the tool, you do what you want to

Still cant get this too work,, any ideas... no grass wont work and neither will the messages. :(

i had this same problem but if you put the setterraingrid 50; into your missions init file it will disable grass

yeah i realise that, but wanted to be able to set it globally if poss, and the messages would have come in handy, Thanks anyway Hyrax

Doesnt loop the text!

What does the mod actually do?

I have no clue

Yeh it doesnt quite work :)

Looks like I missed some posts during my holidays!

Right : This addon is made to execute code on every client connecting to your server. Code is stored on the server, and is injected on client PC and executed when the client connects.

Download the addon, extract into your server's main ArmA2 directory, it will create a serverSide directory and add a globalServer.sqf file into your server's ArmA2 main directory.

Launch the game with a "serverSide" mod (with parameter -mod=serverSide)

The code executed in every client PC is in the globalServer.sqf file in you server's main ArmA2 directory. It's the whole part between "" in the .sqf file.

Why execute code on clients? Well, tons of reasons, mainly to execute command which, if executed on server, would have no effect on clients.

I used it to :

- execute

setTerrainGrid 50;

on every client to remove grass on the client PCs without having to modify every mission manually to do so (the code is executed whatever the mission played)

- Execute a regular loop on clients making regular hint to indicate my TS Server's IP address and other various message, this regularly (not only once on client connection)

And yeah, it does work :)

Looks like I missed some posts during my holidays!

Right : This addon is made to execute code on every client connecting to your server. Code is stored on the server, and is injected on client PC and executed when the client connects.

Download the addon, extract into your server's main ArmA2 directory, it will create a serverSide directory and add a globalServer.sqf file into your server's ArmA2 main directory.

Launch the game with a "serverSide" mod (with parameter -mod=serverSide)

The code executed in every client PC is in the globalServer.sqf file in you server's main ArmA2 directory. It's the whole part between "" in the .sqf file.

Why execute code on clients? Well, tons of reasons, mainly to execute command which, if executed on server, would have no effect on clients.

I used it to :

- execute

setTerrainGrid 50;

on every client to remove grass on the client PCs without having to modify every mission manually to do so (the code is executed whatever the mission played)

- Execute a regular loop on clients making regular hint to indicate my TS Server's IP address and other various message, this regularly (not only once on client connection)

And yeah, it does work :)

Thanks for the heads-up on this mate but it's just not working. I still get grass in MP games.

My Arma2 server folder is as follows. Root of the folder has a 'serverSide' folder which contains an 'Addons' folder and inside that a 'serverSide.pbo' file.

'globalserver.sqf' also sits in the root of my Arma2 server folder.

The globalserver.sqf file contains 'setTerrainGrid 50;

My server startup batch file contains -mod=serverSide

Where am I going wrong?

You setup looks ok. Strange. Can you check your server's arma.rpt for any error message that may come from, say, syntax error in the .sqf I provided?

You setup looks ok. Strange. Can you check your server's arma.rpt for any error message that may come from, say, syntax error in the .sqf I provided?

Ignore me, was looking at the start of the file, ahem :)

Right, got an error...

2009/08/24, 19:40:25 Error in expression <[] spawn {

//game settings, setTerrainGrid 50 remov>

2009/08/24, 19:40:25 Error position: <//game settings, setTerrainGrid 50 remov>

2009/08/24, 19:40:25 Error Invalid number in expression

2009/08/24, 19:40:25 Error in expression <[] spawn {

//game settings, setTerrainGrid 50 remov>

2009/08/24, 19:40:25 Error position: <//game settings, setTerrainGrid 50 remov>

2009/08/24, 19:40:25 Error Invalid number in expression

At the end is fine

** scratches head **

any other mod running at the same time?

At the end is fine

** scratches head **

any other mod running at the same time?

Clean install of Arma2, patched to 1.3 with the 1.3 arma2 server executable.

The only extras are MP missions that i've added. Nothing else.