@faatal
good morning,
I am very disappointed TFP refused to talk about multiplayer last night and simply refused to answer questions in their stream last night:
1) For 3.0 dedicated servers: are Custom Mode gameplay settings enforced by the server, or can clients keep their own local Custom Mode values after joining?
2) Can a PvP server force client gameplay settings like damage, loot, AI, progression, and movement rules in 3.0?
3) Will modders/admins be able to read the final effective 3.0 Custom Mode settings from GamePrefs/GameStats/server logs on dedicated servers?
The way they always refuse to talk to the multiplayer community whether its pve or pvp is a direct reflection on thier stupidity and lack of reality towards their customers and players who have kept this game going for years and who held the game together just as much as modders have if not more over the last decade.
The concerns regarding the 3.0 stream from a PvP server administrator's viewpoint extend beyond the mere addition of numerous new sandbox and custom-mode settings by The Fun Pimps. While increased player choice is not inherently problematic, the issue arises from the fact that many of the displayed settings are not merely cosmetic. They have a direct impact on gameplay systems that are crucial for dedicated multiplayer servers, particularly those focused on PvP.
The stream presented various settings across multiple categories, including Player, Entities, World, Resources, Crafting, Traders, Tasks, and Miscellaneous. These settings encompass aspects such as jump strength, crouch speed, stamina consumption, stamina recovery, gravity, experience point multipliers, skill acquisition, death penalties, drop-on-death regulations, loot availability, resource yield, crafting expenses, trader pricing, quest limitations, base skill points, enemy damage, entity damage, block damage, zombie speed, vehicle damage, and other options that influence gameplay.
For single-player or local co-op modes, these features primarily serve as sandbox elements. However, for dedicated PvP servers, they prompt a significant inquiry:
Who possesses the ultimate authority over the values: the server or the client?
This question is critical because a PvP server fundamentally depends on server authority. The server must serve as the definitive source of truth regarding movement, damage, progression, economy, quest access, loot, crafting, trader regulations, and world rules. If a client can retain local custom-mode values upon joining a dedicated server, or if the server fails to effectively override or reject incompatible values, these settings could become a potential avenue for exploitation.
This concern is particularly pertinent for anti-cheat mechanisms. The logic behind anti-cheat systems relies on stable assumptions. For instance, movement detection is based on a known jump ceiling, gravity behavior, stamina model, crouch speed, and permissible movement range. Damage detection is predicated on established damage multipliers. Furthermore, economy and progression verifications are based on known experience points, loot, quests, trader interactions, and crafting regulations. Should version 3.0 permit any of these variables to differ per client, or if the server does not adequately expose the necessary information, it could undermine the integrity of the game.
