More robust linbolods?

I use linux and happily run linbolods. However, I realized it could use some features.

These may or may not also apply to the windows users, I cant comment on winbolods since I don't use windows.

Heres a list of features I personally would be happy to see on the server side.

1. Client booting (haven't you ever wanted to boot a user?)

2. Client banning ((by IP/mask perhaps?) just in case they don't take the hint the first time?)

3. Ability to broadcast messages to users via a command like 'say'.

4. Logging/Display of messages from users (and who the messages were sent to perhaps?)

5. Logging/Display of formed and broken alliances. (userA has allied with userB, userB has broken alliance with userA, etc.)

6. A 'status' or 'info' command to show who is connected, and their IP (the IP is needed for idea #2 above). Maybe even show some info about the server like the current map, and a quick summary of which options are being used (port/gametype/etc.)

7. It would also be handy if any logged messages were easy to parse with a script. This would make dumping them into a statistics webpage easier.


-Moe

Each player's IP address used to be displayed on the winboloDS screen when they joined..
"PlayerA (64.x.x.x) accepted into game"
but thats changed with 1.11. As far as everything else, I'm sure you're not the first one thats wanted these features but you might be the first to actually request them formally.

Firstly, I think featureful is a better word then robustness in this situation. Then again, maybe featureful isn't even a word :)

Secondly, all things in time but here are some things to think about...

These may or may not also apply to the windows users, I cant comment on winbolods since I don't use windows.

The server operations and options are identical. The one additional item that linbolods has is the ability to send signals to lock/unlock and quit the game. (SIGUSR1, SIGUSR2, SIGINT respectively)

Heres a list of features I personally would be happy to see on the server side.

1. Client booting (haven't you ever wanted to boot a user?)

One consideration for this, is how would this affect game rankings? For example if I suddenly started to lose I could easily kick them from the server and win.

2. Client banning ((by IP/mask perhaps?) just in case they don't take the hint the first time?)

This would be useful. I don't know which path would be the prefered option, a straight drop on everything from the banned host akin to a firewall or let them know they have been banned. Similarly people probably would like these all saved to configuration files...

3. Ability to broadcast messages to users via a command like 'say'.
4. Logging/Display of messages from users (and who the messages were sent to perhaps?)
5. Logging/Display of formed and broken alliances. (userA has allied with userB, userB has broken alliance with userA, etc.)
6. A 'status' or 'info' command to show who is connected, and their IP (the IP is needed for idea #2 above). Maybe even show some info about the server like the current map, and a quick summary of which options are being used (port/gametype/etc.)
7. It would also be handy if any logged messages were easy to parse with a script. This would make dumping them into a statistics webpage easier.

These are all relatively simple to add. For option 4 would only public messages be logged? Logging private alliance messages would give an unfair advantage to people running servers.

Anyway look for some/all of them in releases down the track...

moeser wrote:

I use linux and happily run linbolods. However, I realized it could use some features.
...
3. Ability to broadcast messages to users via a command like 'say'.

This will definately be in the next release.

1. Client booting (haven't you ever wanted to boot a user?)
One consideration for this, is how would this affect game rankings? For example if I suddenly started to lose I could easily kick them from the server and win.

If the game is being monitored by a server for statistics/rankings purposes, it might be prudent to fire off a message to the server and let it know the person was booted. Then the statistics server could decide how to handle it. For example, if that user isn't even registered on the statistics server, the message can be safely ignored.

2. Client banning ((by IP/mask perhaps?) just in case they don't take the hint the first time?)
This would be useful. I don't know which path would be the prefered option, a straight drop on everything from the banned host akin to a firewall or let them know they have been banned. Similarly people probably would like these all saved to configuration files...

Maybe just send a packet informing the user that theyre banned, and include the ban reason? Other than that, any incoming packets from that address should be ignored since theyre probably a hostile user. Older clients of course wouldn't know what to do with the packet, but newer ones could display it in a message box or something similar.

3. Ability to broadcast messages to users via a command like 'say'.

This will definately be in the next release.

Good to hear it! Being able to talk to the users is always helpful. :)

-Moe