The future of Consistency Checking (and Serverside Mods)

SecuritySecurity Join Date: 2005-01-07 Member: 33133Members, Constellation, Squad Five Blue
edited October 2012 in Server Discussion
<div class="IPBDescription">Will it be fixed? Serverside mods over Steam Workshop ONLY?</div>How come consistency checking is <b>still</b> using the actual server files to check against client files, effectively preventing serverside modding that way?
It should be fairly easy to use fixed checksums or include an extra folder with vanilla files, for consistency checking to validate with.

Will it be fixed to affect clients only, or is it actually planned to control serverside mods that way, by forcing the usage of Steam Workshop & Whitelists?
Individual changes to Steam Workshop mods by server operators are impossible.

If intended, that would be pretty restrictive for NS2 as self proclaimed <b>"most moddable game ever"</b>.
The usage of Steam Workshop should be an option, not a requirement. And Consistency Checking should <b>not</b> interfere with serverside modifications at all.

Also, why not make consistency checking more user friendly, like TF2's sv_pure? Forcing modified clients to load vanilla files, instead of kicking them.

Some clarification about intentions and future plans would be nice.
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Comments

  • WilsonWilson Join Date: 2010-07-26 Member: 72867Members
    It is sort of like sv_pure, only you need to use the workshop in order for it to work, since there are no backup files to fall-back to if you overwrite them.
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  • SecuritySecurity Join Date: 2005-01-07 Member: 33133Members, Constellation, Squad Five Blue
    I'd appreciate an official answer. :]
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  • ZEROibisZEROibis Join Date: 2009-10-30 Member: 69176Members, Constellation
    Right now you can not even run custom maps without having your server delisted by default. As it stands right now you can mod the server but if you do maybe your going to be talking a walk in the river with some cement shoes, at least this is how it feels.

    The current system of dealing with mods in general is not very welcoming. However, I believe that currently they are so focused on dealing with optimizations and critical engine work that they do not have time to work on this issue right now. Hopefully in the coming weeks they will have time to address the issues with modding and allow this game to be the mod friendly environment that it was intended to.

    Look at how popular mod friendly games like CS:S are. Players are not stupid they can identify from a vanilla experience and a modded one. Perhaps this was logical at launch to protect the payers that have no idea what ns actually is but in the weeks going forward that should no longer be an issue.
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  • MaxunitMaxunit Join Date: 2005-02-01 Member: 39414Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    Generally, you could go a different route and modify the server as you do on Source Engine Games, I think.

    There is Metamod: Source and Sourcemod for Source Engine games to implement mods, but this is a route, we shouldnt be forced to go to be able to implement usefull mods like DAK or NS2Stats without our servers being marked as modified.

    I'm sure, that UWE will implement the Whitelist again and will approve one or another mod again to be on the Whitelist, so that you can install it on your server without being "Community Content" marked.
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  • SecuritySecurity Join Date: 2005-01-07 Member: 33133Members, Constellation, Squad Five Blue
    Dev response on this matter would still be appreciated. :]
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  • AngeluszAngelusz Harmonic entropist Join Date: 2003-07-10 Member: 18072Members, Forum Moderators, Constellation, NS2 Playtester
    They have responded to this matter in other threads. The gist of it: They're not going to "whitelist" any mods, as that would mean that they take responsibility for code they do not manage themselves.

    I can't say anything about the future, but this is how it stands right now.
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  • MigeMige Join Date: 2005-03-19 Member: 45796Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    These mods wont be answer, with mods you can still use a "little cheats". Only solution is to use server files so better use FTP access to upload most critical client files
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  • RegnarebRegnareb Join Date: 2007-08-26 Member: 62008Members, NS2 Playtester
    Security wrote: »
    Individual changes to Steam Workshop mods by server operators are impossible.
    It is, just download the mod and modify it.
    Security wrote: »
    Also, why not make consistency checking more user friendly, like TF2's sv_pure? Forcing modified clients to load vanilla files, instead of kicking them.
    This too, if the server does not want you to modify any model, you will have the official default models o NS2 even if you changed them.

    One server variable to disable all mods on the client, a real sv_pure, would be really great though.
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  • AngeluszAngelusz Harmonic entropist Join Date: 2003-07-10 Member: 18072Members, Forum Moderators, Constellation, NS2 Playtester
    Relevant comment by Max, as addendum to my earlier message: http://forums.unknownworlds.com/discussion/comment/2090525/#Comment_2090525
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