XASECO2 Overview
Introduction:
XASECO2 is a server controller for TM² written in PHP using a MySQL
database. It does not support any older TM games, for those
you can use XASECO. The main XASECO2 program
xaseco2.php is merely a framework to handle communication with
the dedicated server, handle events, provide logging, and offer support
functionality. All user features and commands are provided by plugins.
Plugins:
XASECO2 runs fine with an empty plugins.xml list, it just
won't do very much. To provide user functionality, add files from
plugins/ directory to the list. Some plugins are essential, such as
plugin.localdatabase.php for communication with the database, while
many others are optional. However, some plugins depend on others being
present (sometimes in the correct order in plugins.xml), so it's best
to preserve as much of the default plugins.xml list as needed.
Configs:
Configuration files consist of .XML files in the main directory, as
well as some of the .PHP files in the includes/ directory. The most
important one is config.xml, containing many of the basic
settings, messages, and server and admin definitions. Other config
files are typically related to one specific plugin or set of plugins
(like RASP with rasp.xml and rasp.settings.php).
Database:
Using the MySQL database requires the plugin.localdatabase.php
plugin configured via localdatabase.xml. It stores information
about tracks, players, local records, all finishes, karma (or old
style) votes, player ranks, and more.
Help:
The main /help command provided by chat.help.php lists
all available chat commands in a chat message, while /helpall
generates a window that includes descriptions. Other plugins
sometimes include a help command (/helpdedi for Dedimania,
/helpvote for chat-based votes) and some commands include a
help option (e.g. /admin helpall, /list help, etc).
Players:
Player connects and disconnects are handled by the main xaseco2.php
program and relayed to plugins via the onPlayerConnect and
onPlayerDisconnect events. The /players command is provided
by the chat.players.php plugin, while chat.players2.php
provides a couple of related commands.
Local Records:
Local records are determined and stored by the
plugin.localdatabase.php plugin, and can be displayed
by the /recs command from the chat.records.php
plugin. Additional record rankings and listings are provided by
the chat.records2.php plugin, while chat.recrels.php
offers record relation commands. The maximum number of records
per track is defined in rasp.settings.php.
Dedimania Records:
Dedimania records are determined and stored on the central Dedimania site
by the plugin.dedimania.php plugin, and can be displayed by the
/dedirecs command from the chat.dedimania.php plugin.
Additional record rankings and listings, as well as record relations,
are provided by the same plugin. All related configuration options and
messages are provided in dedimania.xml (the maximum number of
records per track should be kept at 30). Detailed information can be
found in the v0.98 release notes.
Checkpoints:
Players can keep track of their relative performance at
each checkpoint with the /cps command, provided by the
plugin.checkpoints.php plugin. Normally it uses the player's
own (or any other) local record as reference, if checkpoints
are available for that record, and shows whether each crossing
is faster or slower in the CPS panel above the main racing time.
If the Dedimania system is enabled, the /dedicps command
can be used to compare the times with the player's own (or any
other) Dedimania record instead. Both settings are stored for all
players, and reloaded upon every visit. More information can be
found in the XASECO v0.93,
v0.98 and v1.06 release notes.
Anti-cheat checks:
When the plugin.checkpoints.php plugin is active, it also
checks checkpoints and finish times in several ways to reduce the
chances of cheated races resulting in local and Dedimania records.
See the XASECO v1.05 release notes
for more information.
Rounds:
When the plugin.rounds.php plugin is active in Rounds, Team
and Cup mode, a report with each player's finish time is shown after
each run. It serves no purpose in TimeAttack, Laps and Stunts mode.
Track Lists & Jukebox:
The plugin.rasp_jukebox.php plugin provides the /list
command to list, search for and select from the available tracks
with a wide variety of options. Players can pick any track from the
list that hasn't been played recently, and add it to a jukebox of
tracks that's given precedence over tracks from the regular server
rotation. This is controlled by a number of configuration settings
in rasp.settings.php.
MX (Mania Exchange)
Specific tracks can be downloaded and added directly from MX with the
/add command (in plugin.rasp_jukebox.php) and /admin
add command (in chat.admin.php). Searching on MX can be
done with /xlist, while the plugin.mxinfo.php plugin
offers commands to display track information. More information can
be found in the v0.95
release notes.
Karma:
Karma votes are an easy way for players to indicate via /++
or /-- commands whether they like or don't like a track,
provided by the plugin.rasp_karma.php plugin and configured
by settings in rasp.settings.php. Some details can be found
in the XASECO v0.89 release notes.
Ranks:
A player obtains a server rank by racing a minimum number (default 3,
configured in rasp.settings.php) of local ("ranked") records.
The average of a player's records over all server tracks determines
the ranking, managed by the plugin.rasp.php plugin with
plugin.rasp_nextrank.php providing a related command.
Stats:
Player stats are displayed by the /stats command
from the chat.stats.php plugin, while server
information is provided by /server, /xaseco2 and
/plugins from chat.server.php. Related plugins
chat.laston.php, chat.songmod.php, chat.wins.php
and plugin.track.php offer associated commands.
Tiered Admins:
The tiered admin system defines three ability levels: MasterAdmins
(specified in config.xml) who can run any admin command, and
Admins and Operators for whom the logins and abilities are specified
in adminops.xml. Typically, Operators are allowed to use
the fewest admin commands, and the abilities list extends beyond
the /admin command to special admin features of user commands
(such as jukeboxing tracks that were played too recently). Admins and
operators can be added and removed dynamically, or their abilities
updated, and adminops.xml will be automatically kept in sync.
See this table for the default list
of abilities, and detailed information can be found in the XASECO
v0.88 release notes.
Chat-based Votes:
Chat-based votes allow players to vote on actions that
regular CallVotes don't support, such as ending a round or
replaying a track. When enabled in rasp.settings.php, the
plugin.rasp_votes.php plugin disables CallVotes completely and
offers several voting commands that can be voted on with the /y
command (there is no /n counterpart), and also via the vote
panel provided by plugin.panels.php. Vote configuration is
done in votes.config.php, and detailed information can be found
in the XASECO v0.84 release notes.
Public/Private Messages:
The plugin.rasp_chat.php and chat.me.php plugins
offer a wide variety of commands to quickly shout out a message to
other players. Players' regular chat lines are logged and displayed
by the plugin.chatlog.php plugin. Private messages from one
player to another can be send with the /pm command, from an
admin to a player (Cc-ing all other admins) with /pma, and
from one admin to all other admins with /admin pm.
Muting/Ignoring:
Muting or ignoring implies that chat messages from a specified player
are suppressed and aren't readable for other players in the chat
window. Admins can maintain a global list of muted/ignored players,
which uses the built-in Ignore features. A simulated suppression
system is used when an individual player mutes another player using the
commands provided in the plugin.muting.php plugin. See the
XASECO v0.90 release notes
for more information.
Ban, Black- & Guestlist:
A number of /admin commands from chat.admin.php can be
used to warn (with a pop-up message) or kick players, and to punish
repeat offenders with a ban or blacklist. Bans work by IP address and
are tracked only by the dedicated server, and therefore get purged
by a server restart. Blacklists work by login and are stored in
the blacklist.txt file, and therefore persist across server
restarts. Logins on the guestlist can enter the server even when
the maximum number of players or spectators is reached or when the
server is passworded, and are preserved in the guestlist.txt
file. In addition to these built-in mechanisms, XASECO2 provides a
list of banned IP addresses in the bannedips.xml file that
also transcends server restarts, with more info in the XASECO v1.03 release notes.
Player access
Besides the above local server mechanisms, player access can
also be managed with the global blacklist, and with
access control by nation or zone. See the XASECO v1.09 release notes for details.
Lastly, the full Jfreu plugin (below) allows player limiting by rank.
Admin Commands:
Other /admin commands control the game flow (ending a round,
skipping to the next or previous track, restarting or replaying a
track), affect the server settings (player/spectator limits, panels,
etc), manage tracks and the jukebox, and much more. Security of the
admin commands and features against unauthorized use can be warranted
with a lock password and by specifying authorized IP addresses for each
admin login. See the XASECO v1.03
release notes for more information.
Idlekick:
Inactive players and, optionally, spectators can be kicked
automatically at the end of each track after a specified number
of tracks by the mistral.idlekick.php plugin. Configuration
settings are included in the plugin itself. Some details can be found
in the XASECO v0.90 release notes.
Auto TimeLimit:
With the plugin.autotime.php plugin enabled in TimeAttack mode,
the timelimit for each track is defined dynamically, based on the
track's author time and settings in autotime.xml. See the
XASECO v1.04 release notes
for details.
Jfreu:
The Jfreu plugins jfreu.plugin.php and jfreu.chat.php
provide a variety of features, including player connect/disconnect
messages, informational messages, rank limiting (with VIP
exceptions), bad word filtering, and more. The first two features
are also available separately in the jfreu.lite.php
plugin in case the rest isn't needed. They are configured via
jfreu.config.php and changed options are automatically stored in
the jfreu/jfreu.config.xml file. More information is available
in the XASECO v0.91 release notes.
Music:
The plugin.musicserver.php plugin offers support for playing
server controlled music instead of the default game music and,
optionally, even overriding a track's own song. The /music
command includes a simple jukebox feature as well as admin options,
and .OGG comments (ID3 tags) can also be displayed. Configuration
is done in musicserver.xml, and more information can be
found in the XASECO v0.99,
v1.02 and v1.04 release notes.
Custom Rounds Points:
With the plugin.rpoints.php plugin enabled, admins can select
alternative points systems in Rounds mode instead of the standard
10,6,4,3,2,1. Various common systems (like Formula 1 GP and MotoGP)
are included, and completely custom systems can be defined as well.
See the XASECO v1.04 release notes
for details.
Styles & Panels:
The main output window can be dynamically customized with a sizable
number of style templates from the styles/ subdirectory, managed
by the plugin.style.php plugin. The plugin.panels.php
plugin provides four panels: the admin panel to easily activate a
handful of the most commonly used admin commands; the donate panel
to easily initiate a donation with a variety of planet amounts; the
records panel to display a track's relevant records; and a temporary
vote panel to easily respond to chat-based votes. Each panel
can be dynamically customized with a number of templates from the
panels/ subdirectory. All players' style and panel preferences
are stored, and reloaded upon every visit. Detailed information can
be found in the XASECO v1.00,
v1.01 and v1.06 release notes.
Stats Panels:
Instead of the rank chat messages at the end of each track, a personal
stats panel can be displayed for each player during the scoreboard.
The stats are: server rank, record average, records total, wins total,
session play time, and donation total. Details are included in the
XASECO v1.06 release notes.
Message Window:
When enabled via plugin.msglog.php, the system message window
near the top of the screen can be used to temporarily display a
wide variety of global messages that normally flood the chat window.
These include new/improved/equalled records, record reports before
and after each track, rounds reports, Jfreu Info messages and several
more, all individually configured in their pertaining config files.
See the XASECO v1.02 and v1.03 release notes for more
information.
Planets:
Planet transactions are managed by the plugin.donate.php
plugin, allowing players to donate planets to the server, and
admins (with the appropriate ability) to pay planets to any other
login (including another server). More information is available
in the XASECO v0.99 and v1.01 release notes.
Copyright © 2007-2024 – Frans P. de Vries
<tm@gamers.org>
Last updated 02-Mar-2013