I run multiple KF servers. So far each server keeps it's own list of banned players in the configuration .ini file. Is there any way to share the ban info between all of the servers? Manually copying them is getting to be a pain. I'm thinking there has to be a way to put the banned players into a master ban file.
Master Ban file?
- Thread starter PrimeEvil
- Start date
Out of interest what are the banned guilty of? This is not a prejudgemental post I am just interested by other server admins experiences. My ban list is over 250 now and grows every day mainly because the server is FF (which can create its own special problems). And the fact that I log onto the guilty's Steam profile after banning them and ban all their friends who own KF as well even if they've never been on the server. I prefer a proactive approach. It creates such harmony.
Sounds a bit extreme man.
My ban file isn't very big, but I was just looking for a way to keep my bans in sync across all servers. I'm planning on adding a third server in the near future. It would be handy to not have to manually enter bans on all three servers.
Typical bans on my server are for racism, or complete disrespect for other players. While there are other reasons for me or the other admins to ban players, we generally only do so for the two reasons above.
My ban file isn't very big, but I was just looking for a way to keep my bans in sync across all servers. I'm planning on adding a third server in the near future. It would be handy to not have to manually enter bans on all three servers.
Typical bans on my server are for racism, or complete disrespect for other players. While there are other reasons for me or the other admins to ban players, we generally only do so for the two reasons above.
Dude banning "friends" of banned players is too much.
Why should another player get banned, just because someone on his friends list was being stupid and got a ban.
While the player that got banned deserved it, His "friends" do not.
I only have 2 bans on my server.
Both of them for the player making racist comments.
90% of the time, I find just logging in as Admin and telling them to behave works, and if not a kick or session kick, gives them a bit more time to think things over.
I know it's your server, so your rules.
However I think banning players on peoples friends list is too harsh.
As looking at the steam stats for killing floor at it's peak there was 1,154 players (as at 01:00 BST), and 250 bans is nearly a quarter of all the players today...
Why should another player get banned, just because someone on his friends list was being stupid and got a ban.
While the player that got banned deserved it, His "friends" do not.
I only have 2 bans on my server.
Both of them for the player making racist comments.
90% of the time, I find just logging in as Admin and telling them to behave works, and if not a kick or session kick, gives them a bit more time to think things over.
I know it's your server, so your rules.
However I think banning players on peoples friends list is too harsh.
As looking at the steam stats for killing floor at it's peak there was 1,154 players (as at 01:00 BST), and 250 bans is nearly a quarter of all the players today...
I've found griefers patrol in feral packs. It's quite common to have two griefers either causing trouble or retalitory tking if their chum got killed accidently. So its a pro active step. Unfortunately it is a large number of bans but its for the best in the end and the well behaved players get a high quality KF experience now most of the time.
Only too true sadly.
There are still plenty of players to around, even with a large ban list and even running a 24/7 friendly fire server. Given we cant be online 24/7 to police the server its the best working alternative.
It is evident that I'm not going to get an answer to my question here. Apparently everyone would rather go off in a completely different direction from what the post intended. Why does this have to turn into an argument over what criteria people use place a ban?
Thanks, but no thanks guys!
Thanks, but no thanks guys!
I asked this question up in the RO forums, but no responce there either. Perhaps over in the unreal wiki or unreal admin boards?
Perhaps it can't be done?
Perhaps it can't be done?
I tried to dig through the unreal wiki and was unable to find anything. The closest I got was a mutator called UTAN. It looked like it might work for what I want to do, but unfortunately the official site doesn't seem to exist anymore. Not to mention that it's not whitelisted. The whitelist prohibits me from trying most mutators. Unfortunately I have found that a server that doesn't run perks get little to no traffic.
I may have a little time on my hands this week. If I can find it, I'll give it a try.
If it works, we can always ask them to whitelist it.
It would be an effective tool and tremendous time saver for admins with multiple UE servers.
edit* UTAN servers officially went down in June. Still no sign of any mutator that would work. Perhaps leaving a post for someone to write one over in the unreal forums? I can't find my way around over there to well.
Floyd
If it works, we can always ask them to whitelist it.
It would be an effective tool and tremendous time saver for admins with multiple UE servers.
edit* UTAN servers officially went down in June. Still no sign of any mutator that would work. Perhaps leaving a post for someone to write one over in the unreal forums? I can't find my way around over there to well.
Floyd
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Basically the bans are stored as an array in Engine.AccessControl and the values in the INI file (in this case list of bans) simply populate this array like any other globalconfig variable. So there is no way to even move the bans into a separate file!
In order to do something more complicated like hooking it up to an external database you'll need to code your own server actor to do this.
UTAN actually stored the bans centrally on their servers and the server actor they wrote replaced the built in Engine.AccessControl with a version that checked the player's details agains this central database.
Since I assume you were looking for something that would syndicate to a database etc under you control I doubt this is what you were looking for but anyway UTAN is long dead so the point is moot.
Also I understand the project was bedevilled by technical performance problems (fundamental design stupidity of having hundreds of servers query the central db instead of distributing it p2p) and political problems of the nature of which I'm sure you can guess (picture a load of power hungry self-appointed "super admins" arguing over the keys to the biggest UT2004 syndicated bans system...)
Further as part of the power hoarding attitude the UTAN server actor itself was closed source (i.e. they stripped the unrealscript which is unfortunate because we could otherwise cannibalize parts of it for KF) and was reputed to do a lot of dodgy things beyond its supposed remit like giving the UTAN admins powers on _your_ server.
</Rant about UTAN>
We run 8 KF servers now so I have every intention of developing a simple server actor that syncs bans with a shared MySQL database, with extra points for a PHP web frontend ala sourcebans.
Notwithstanding a few complications like ensuring performance, DDoS-proofing it and the fact that the unreal mysql client is a buggy PoS I'll probably have something to open source within the month.
Of course if anyone with the expertise is willing to help out or indeed someone far more competent wants to take this idea off my hands please do get in touch
In order to do something more complicated like hooking it up to an external database you'll need to code your own server actor to do this.
UTAN actually stored the bans centrally on their servers and the server actor they wrote replaced the built in Engine.AccessControl with a version that checked the player's details agains this central database.
Since I assume you were looking for something that would syndicate to a database etc under you control I doubt this is what you were looking for but anyway UTAN is long dead so the point is moot.
Also I understand the project was bedevilled by technical performance problems (fundamental design stupidity of having hundreds of servers query the central db instead of distributing it p2p) and political problems of the nature of which I'm sure you can guess (picture a load of power hungry self-appointed "super admins" arguing over the keys to the biggest UT2004 syndicated bans system...)
Further as part of the power hoarding attitude the UTAN server actor itself was closed source (i.e. they stripped the unrealscript which is unfortunate because we could otherwise cannibalize parts of it for KF) and was reputed to do a lot of dodgy things beyond its supposed remit like giving the UTAN admins powers on _your_ server.
</Rant about UTAN>
We run 8 KF servers now so I have every intention of developing a simple server actor that syncs bans with a shared MySQL database, with extra points for a PHP web frontend ala sourcebans.
Notwithstanding a few complications like ensuring performance, DDoS-proofing it and the fact that the unreal mysql client is a buggy PoS I'll probably have something to open source within the month.
Of course if anyone with the expertise is willing to help out or indeed someone far more competent wants to take this idea off my hands please do get in touch
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I am by no means an unreal scripting expert (I know NOTHING!)....
with that in mind...
El Muerte's ServerAds has/had the ablitity to read an text file from a web source (or from local IP) to "update" the messages in the .ini. (I don't know the terminology well enough to explain it fully)
Would it not be possible to do something similar with a ban list?
I realize it wouldn't sync all servers with a ban made on another server, but even just the ability to edit a single file and to be able to update each server's banlist individually (through a webadmin type of page) without having to stop the server it would be nice.
with that in mind...
El Muerte's ServerAds has/had the ablitity to read an text file from a web source (or from local IP) to "update" the messages in the .ini. (I don't know the terminology well enough to explain it fully
)Would it not be possible to do something similar with a ban list?
I realize it wouldn't sync all servers with a ban made on another server, but even just the ability to edit a single file and to be able to update each server's banlist individually (through a webadmin type of page) without having to stop the server it would be nice.
We run 8 KF servers now so I have every intention of developing a simple server actor that syncs bans with a shared MySQL database, with extra points for a PHP web frontend ala sourcebans.
Notwithstanding a few complications like ensuring performance, DDoS-proofing it and the fact that the unreal mysql client is a buggy PoS I'll probably have something to open source within the month.
Of course if anyone with the expertise is willing to help out or indeed someone far more competent wants to take this idea off my hands please do get in touch
Bump. Did this ever happen?
this sounds liek a good idea..hope someone can come up with somethig... i run 6 servers and its a pain manually adding the bans for each one via webadmin or shuting down and editing ini...