Running A Clean And Llama Free Server
SuicideDog
Join Date: 2002-11-10 Member: 8104Members
Join Date: 2002-11-10 Member: 8104Members
Most ops don't know running a clean and llama free server is possible without a lot of work, but it's it does take a little. In order to do it you need to run some kind of admin tool. I personally use Clanmod and Adminmod. Clanmod's strong point is that it has a nice on screen menu system that is easy to use and can do just about all the admin commands you'll ever need, but has almost no support for custom pluginsl. Adminmod is very powerful and has good plugin support, but every command must be typed (unless someone out there has created a menu system I haven't heard about). I run both and use the best parts of each one. There are a numerous documents on the various forums that will tell you how to install and configure both of these admin tools. Most admin tools have built-in features like anti-swear, anti-text msg flood. These are an absolute must for a good clean server. Just about all admin tools add-ons will have standard features like slap, kick, ban, gag, bury, admin messaging and a whole slew of commands that I'm not going to type.
The reason I say you need one is that they allow you to quickly do any of the above commands with just a few keystrokes that would take mins. to type out in the status screen with the rcon password entered. (For those of you that run one of these admin tools.. can you imagine all the keystrokes it would take to do something simple like switch the users between teams??).
Using an admin tool allows you to quickly dispense with llamas and then go about your gaming business. This also keeps the enjoyment level up for all the other players (except the llamas you just dealt with of course).
Of course I must mention that their ARE other admin tools out there. I mentioned these two because I personally have used them. I hear great things about AMX and I'm planning on looking at it soon. I would love to get input on what ppl have to say about it. Not to mention other admin tools that I haven't heard about.
BEGIN RANT...
People like playing on my server because the admins and I will boot llamas (after a good warning or two) with out hesitation. Nothing is worse than having a llama that is there to just screw with people. I have enough fun just playing the game the way it was intended to be played (especially this MOD). I will boot players for being offensive or being a llama.
Some people ask: "You are running around killing things in a VERY violent game, why should you worry about people swearing/slurs?" Well for two reasons.
1) I personally don't like swearing, to me is serves no purpose. I've heard every swear, and racial/religious/sexual slur ever spoken, TWICE, and I don't need to hear them anymore. Most of the players who come to my server feel the same way about it, they don't want to hear it.
2) Since this is a video game, children will play this game. I'm not saying that they won't hear most of these words anyway, but on a unrestricted server you'll see/hear it about every 2 seconds which in my opinion is a bit much. But for the children, the real thing I block is the slurs of any kind. I insta-kick on first offense, and perma-ban on second offense. Those are never appropriate in any situation.
BTW: I'm a United States Marine - honorably discharged, so I really have heard them all twice if not more.
END RANT...
Anyway, I would like to start a post that lists servers that have the same type of rules I enforce on my server.
Clanmod can be found at <a href='http://www.unitedadmins.com' target='_blank'>http://www.unitedadmins.com</a>
Adminmod can be found at <a href='http://www.adminmod.org' target='_blank'>http://www.adminmod.org</a>
The reason I say you need one is that they allow you to quickly do any of the above commands with just a few keystrokes that would take mins. to type out in the status screen with the rcon password entered. (For those of you that run one of these admin tools.. can you imagine all the keystrokes it would take to do something simple like switch the users between teams??).
Using an admin tool allows you to quickly dispense with llamas and then go about your gaming business. This also keeps the enjoyment level up for all the other players (except the llamas you just dealt with of course).
Of course I must mention that their ARE other admin tools out there. I mentioned these two because I personally have used them. I hear great things about AMX and I'm planning on looking at it soon. I would love to get input on what ppl have to say about it. Not to mention other admin tools that I haven't heard about.
BEGIN RANT...
People like playing on my server because the admins and I will boot llamas (after a good warning or two) with out hesitation. Nothing is worse than having a llama that is there to just screw with people. I have enough fun just playing the game the way it was intended to be played (especially this MOD). I will boot players for being offensive or being a llama.
Some people ask: "You are running around killing things in a VERY violent game, why should you worry about people swearing/slurs?" Well for two reasons.
1) I personally don't like swearing, to me is serves no purpose. I've heard every swear, and racial/religious/sexual slur ever spoken, TWICE, and I don't need to hear them anymore. Most of the players who come to my server feel the same way about it, they don't want to hear it.
2) Since this is a video game, children will play this game. I'm not saying that they won't hear most of these words anyway, but on a unrestricted server you'll see/hear it about every 2 seconds which in my opinion is a bit much. But for the children, the real thing I block is the slurs of any kind. I insta-kick on first offense, and perma-ban on second offense. Those are never appropriate in any situation.
BTW: I'm a United States Marine - honorably discharged, so I really have heard them all twice if not more.
END RANT...
Anyway, I would like to start a post that lists servers that have the same type of rules I enforce on my server.
Clanmod can be found at <a href='http://www.unitedadmins.com' target='_blank'>http://www.unitedadmins.com</a>
Adminmod can be found at <a href='http://www.adminmod.org' target='_blank'>http://www.adminmod.org</a>
Comments
Personally, i wont go near a server that doesnt allow cussing.
A very good reason for any/all of your decisions is..."My server, *MY* rules!"
I believe I know someone who wrote an adminmod scrpt...here is a link to the forum.
<a href='http://forums.firearmsmod.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24337' target='_blank'>http://forums.firearmsmod.com/showthread.p...&threadid=24337</a>
You will have to change a few things since its configured for FA, but it should be easy to do.
BTW.. thats for the link Disturbed I'll check it out.. if I convert it .. I'll post it
it does go up to 100% for like 2 secs on a map change tho.
BTW.. thats for the link Disturbed I'll check it out.. if I convert it .. I'll post it<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I *could* turn on a word filter on my server. but kids or not, i don't believe in censoring ppl unless they are flooding. If the kids and the *adults* want to cuss i could careless. I'm not thier parents and therefore i have no responsabilty to play dad to anyone. And if i remember, there is a little thing called the first admendment. I would be a hippocrit ranting about free speak but then censoring my server.
I may have heard 1x, 2x, 3x ......... but it doesn't matter. Let them do it IMO. Did all my schooling in a public school, 2 more years in a community college (lots of rangers, marines, and other branches in there. Yes, lots and lots of cussing), And now i'm in a "real" college, and some of the girls there are downright repulsive because of thier language. But just because i don't like it, doesn't give me the right to force my opinions onto everyone else. When someone starts getting carried away admin_gag <nick> works just fine. But thats only if they are directing the cursing into somone's direction uncontrollably.
these are just my opinions and reasons and in no way ment to flame anyone. So no hard feelings.
<span style='color:red'>*** Even censored, this still manages to offend me somewhat *** NUKED ***</span>
I'd be displeased indeed (I'm speaking of the censor). Does cursing make me feel big and grownup? Nope. It's part of the fun of the game, imho. Frankly, if a little kid gets warped because of something I said during a game of NS, it's entirely his own fault.
EDIT: Ok, two of the 3 obscenities in my sentence got through the filter....I actually had to change them to make my point.
However, since I've started doing that, my play experience in my server has improved dramatically, for two apparent reasons:
1. Language, in general, morphs into something more professional and game-focused. Players don't spend time sitting around cussing each other for whatever stupid reasons they come up with, as they did before. Now the chat line is far more signal and far less noise - much better relay/give commands, status, etc. It makes for a better information exchange in my opinion.
2. (Most Important) - Lamers who won't play on a server they can't cuss on don't play on my server, and I LOVE it! The overall maturity and seriousness of the players on my server has gone way up since I got rid of the kids and other immature lamers who insist on using that kind of language.
So, to server operators, I say: Please, make sure there are at least some servers that allow foul language because they act like flypaper, attracting the lame players I don't want anyway.
To the players who have posted in this thread saying they won't go near a server that censors language, I say: Great! I therefore don't need to worry about you showing up on my server (for long), and that's something I'm happy about.
If you're a server operator who's frustrated by the immature and/or lame nature of your players, I'd suggest trying this type of language control - it does wonders to clean up your server and keep the level of play high!
That managed to offend you? It wasn't directed to anyone! Good grief.
** Be nice **
It's a great idea and all, but honestly, when does a marine with their leg chewed off say something like "command, looks like I'm a missing a leg over in sector 3...would be nice if you could send some assistance at some point."
It really disturbs me that some people think that language is actually a determining factor in gameplay - sure, there are a lot of idiots and little kids running around screaming various obscenities, but to say that people who curse are just too stupid/whack/whatever to even play? Please. Self-love in private is alright, but that's just going too far.
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It really disturbs me that some people think that language is actually a determining factor in gameplay - sure, there are a lot of idiots and little kids running around screaming various obscenities, but to say that people who curse are just too stupid/whack/whatever to even play? Please. Self-love in private is alright, but that's just going too far. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I don't think that's the point we are trying to get across here. The point we are trying to get accross here is that alot a people find it distracting to hear it and a waste of time to read it. None of the previous posts ever implied that you, or anyone else for that fact, were to stupid to play. The only thing I saw some people implying is that if you have to rely on swearing as your only means of expressing yourself, then you should pick up a dictionary. Now if you need throw a slur at someone to make yourself feel better about yourself then that's another story. (BTW I'm not saying you do.. I mean the general public)..
You may feel that not allowing profanity and slurs removes from the realisim of the game but.. how real is this GAME suppose to be?
Anyway.. I think this topic is getting away from it's original intention.. I was hoping some people would have told me about there experinces running these admin tools as well as other ones that I haven't got a chance to look at.
Once all is worked out with the CPU problem you bet I will run it. It adds *** in the place of the swear word..quite nifty.
But back on the topic of good form on servers. There is another good reason to limit the bad lanuage on (at least our server) the fact that many of us our adults like me have kids running around the house while I play. So when i said I don't mind so much swearing in text...I certainly do in voice comm due to me not using headphones and all voice comm coming thru my speakers. I hate getting that look from my daughter as she looks at me funny because she just heard some 12 year old say **** ***
So on my server I defintly limit bas voice comm manners. Anyone else in this position?
EDITED:
found it .. <a href='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=8&t=11677' target='_blank'>http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/in...=ST&f=8&t=11677</a>
it's about 2 or 3 posts down.. I don't know how true it is though.
Well:
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->To the players who have posted in this thread saying they won't go near a server that censors language, I say: Great! I therefore don't need to worry about you showing up on my server (for long), and that's something I'm happy about.
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Just because I believe that cursing on my server is allowed, I become a "llama", someone just too lame to play. I mean, come on. Not everyone curses like a 11-year old who just learned "**obscenity**" - to most people, it is NOT the only way to express oneself...but it IS one of the ways.
I wouldn't count myself amongst the "llamas" that are referred to with this post, nor would I assign anyone to this group of loser "llamas" just because they curse in an online game. imho, this bespeaks a great deal of arrogance.
I'll give you people some advice ... instead of filtering swearing to attract the middle-aged white Christian crowd, try finding some people online, password your server, and invite them, or other players you think are skilled to play. No matter how clean-mouthed a pubber is, he is still a pubber, and won't be anywhere as good as someone who plays to win.
The guy at my paintball field, in his speech before we go out to play, always says something like
Keep the swearing to a minimum. We can't really enforce this because me and the staff are known to swear it up ourselves from time to time. Just don't take all those swears, string em together in one big sentence, and throw them at your opponent's wives, mothers daughters, aunts, nieces, whatever.
I think that would apply here as well.
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Good example.
Once again you are reading things into what people are saying. I still don't see how what you quoted from that other post says you or anyone else is stupid or a llama. What I read is that since you won't be playing on clean servers like mine and his.. it's just means there will be less work being an admin and letting people know that it's a non-swearing server, which I am also happy about. I didn't put up a server cuz I'm a contol freak.. I put it up because I wanted a good clean place to play that gave me good ping times (I found clean but not good ping times). Most people don't have a problem about the no swearing once I let them know the first time.
People that must swear aren't llamas.. they just aren't welcome on my server. To set the record straight .. what I consider a llama is someone that is distruptive to the game play by doing things like text spamming, being a TK'er (structures on the marine side), cheating, giving away teammate positions/plans on purpose in order to get teammates killed.. and things like that.
When you first replied to my post I didn't consider you a llama, just someone with a difference of opinion. Unforturely that has now changed because you had to go and say something so lame that I had to read it again to be sure you really typed it. When you said:
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->instead of filtering swearing to attract the middle-aged white Christian crowd<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I had to laugh. I'll have you know that I have people who are all races, regligions and ages on my server. Everyone is welcome as long as they aren't biggots. They enjoy the clean environment and a lot become regulars.. I am in the process of upgrading my server to allow more people on it because it's always full.
When you said:
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->and won't be anywhere as good as someone who plays to win.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
It's funny that you say that.. I've played on both types of servers and I don't really find any difference.. if anything I would have to say with the clean server people work together better. But it may just seem that way because I enjoy myself better on a clean server.
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I am in the process of upgrading my server to allow more people on it because it's always full.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Well, there's a way to take advantage of the "reserved slots" feature for AdminMod. You can use it to go over the max capacity of the actual servers (e.g 33/32 or 45/32 or even 100/32 which was the highest I reached before framerate issues developed and the server became unstable) But the only way you can do it is if you can create a script where it give ppl the only power to have a reserved slot on the server always add more than you can. The other problem is space, because on the TFC server that I attempted this had only 2fort on and there were ppl actually stacked on top of ppl which was amusing for about 30 mins. you can imagine the chaos on such a small map, heck, you'd get around 30 frags per nade if such a thing was attempted on it. In terms like these you GOTTA get a T3 server or something, because such a high amount would blow even the best of DSL and Cable to bits, and it could shred anything that doesn't have a GeForce 3 3D card and above to bits.
Oh good grief. It wasn't intended literally. Now you are exhibiting the exact behavior that you are trying to deny. I know it's hard to convey sarcasm and other subtle forms of speech across the internet, but seriously, sometimes people are so dense I'd be better off just posting a "rolling-eye" smiley.
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->It's funny that you say that.. I've played on both types of servers and I don't really find any difference.. if anything I would have to say with the clean server people work together better. But it may just seem that way because I enjoy myself better on a clean server.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You might want to try a private clan match sometime (not that I'm in a clan, because I'm not...) - since the players play together on a regular basis, it elevates the gameplay to a completely different level from anything you'll find in a public server.
Which is elitism in it's own way, I would suppose. Ah well, you have your little filter to make you feel superior, and I play exclusively on a private server to make me feel superior. Done and done.
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That's really what I hate on my server - the problem is to do foul language filtering, you really need some kind of expert system/AI to figure it out correctly.
I really don't have a problem with somebody who just spent 10 minutes trying to sneak up on a hive, gets killed by a skulk ambush, and cries "Oh Sh*t!!" or some such exclamation of frustration/anger. When that was all that was going on on my server I really didn't consider filtering much.
Then the personal insults started. Once I had read a few posts like: "You F****** N*****, I'm gonna R*** you up your A**" and crap like that I not only banned (permanently) the person saying that kind of thing, but I immediately put the filtering in place.
I figure, it's worth translating a few "Oh Sh*t" exclamations as the cost of filtering out such incredibly abusive, racist, intolerable language. Left unchecked, that kind of language can really spoil the whole atmosphere very quickly.
I guess one solution is to just ban everyone that starts doing that kind of thing as soon as it starts, but unfortunately I'm the only admin on my server so far so I'm not around enough to enforce that kind of policy. Once I've had players for a while and can trust some folks and perhaps have admin coverage 80%+ on my server in general, maybe I can remove the filtering and rely on admins to be the "AI" that decides what's truly appropriate/acceptable language.
Until then, it's all gotta go...
HLSW and 5 trusted people with the rcon password works pretty well - not only do we have a database of everyone who plays on the server (with HLSW), you can monitor, kick/ban, change maps and so forth with a few clicks.
We had HLGuard but it caused random crashes, so until it becomes more compatible, we will probably stick with wide admin coverage.