OK, so I have gotten the automated scripts working (I think) and now I just got to update the admin systems to the latest revision. Then after some internal tests I can then get all the current admins and reserved slot users activated. After that it will be automated and you will get or lose your admin or reserved slot instantly based off your subscription status.

Once that is setup correctly I can then get the test server online in order to test the game server side. From there we can proceed to closed public testing.

Note that there will be some time before I can offer all the features that you guys used to have. Some features will be removed or replaced with new commands. For example there will no longer be rcon on the servers for most admins. However I will be creating special commands to replace the functionality. This will allow you to still effectively run current rcon commands without having actual rcon powers. The reason for this is logically to ensure better security on the server. Lots of other changes are part of the new admin system itself and will be covered in another thread as I get everything set up. Below though is a brief and rough preview of what to expect with the new system:

Instant Access: No more waiting a few days for ZERO to get around to adding you. Admins and reserved slot users will be activated instantly when payment is confirmed. Likewise they will be deactivated when payment stops.

Automated Lockout: I will be hard coding a list of "no admin" users. These are people who have been "banned" from having admin but are not banned from the servers. Currently I manually check these ids against a list and so it is a simple matter of just having the script check for me prior to adding users. If a user is on the list it will just not give them admin but instead reserved slot; however, the user will logically be charged the full admin price they signed up for. If users try to abuse this somehow just like the existing system I will just perma ban them from everything.

Admin Levels: This is going to be the big deal of the new admin system. There will now be 3 common levels of admin: default, upper level, and clan. The last two will likely have similar powers however the clan will have higher immunity levels. This is to ensure that some special types of admin powers and or authority are reserved to users who have earned it. A system for applying for and being accepted as an upper level admin will be created. This will also provide a path for users to "prove themselves" so to speak for future clan consideration. As these levels of admin will have varied levels of immunity it will enable admins at higher levels to use admin powers on those of a lower level. (The TOS will be changed to reflect all the new policies created by the new system btw.) This will finally solve the problem of "new" but sometimes even old admins breaking rules with no immediate recourse. Now admin or clan members of a higher level will be able to use powers against those lower level admins as if they were normal players. All of this is automated so that it is impossible to use admin on a user of equal or greater level. Issues of admin seniority as in map changes ect are planned to remain unchanged from how they are now. This admin level system is ideally designed to accomplish the following goals:

  • Provide a more logical and clear path to eventual clan membership
  • Establish clear roles for users wishing to contribute more to the community
  • Enable the outstanding contributions of users to the community to stand out and be commended.
  • Reduce the burden of ban reviews and appeals (more on this in another post/thread)
  • Reduce admin abuse
  • Provide a clear and effective system for maintaining order on the server between players and admins

Better Banning: Bans will be instantly posted on the website along with the reason a user was banned, the length and the banning admin. This will greatly help with processing unbans and tracking abuse. In addition a system for accepting and reviewing user submitted bans and admin bans that want to be upgraded to perma status will be created. This is designed to ensure that the users who are perma banned are ones that deserve it. This is also meant to finally make it so that others besides ZERO have the ability to ban users based off submitted demo evidence. This will be handled by a voting based system for upper level admins and clan members that will be detailed more in the future.

Better Unbanning: In addition to the info above better unbanning will be possible by also creating a similar voting system for dealing with appeals. This will provide a way for users to get unbanned by an admin other than the one who posted the ban whereas currently only ZERO can make that decision. In addition it will be possible for the banning admins to easily track their bans via the website and issue unbans making the process simple and easy.

Admin Tracking: Thanks to new automated systems it will be easier than ever to track admin activities and find abuse.

SourceMod Integration: As the new admin system is built right into SM it will enable the creation of internal plugins that I can develop to further enhance the servers by offering new admin abilities and other such options.

Perma is Perma: The servers will likely be linked in their ban lists so that if your perma banned your gone from all our servers. This will dramatically help improve the playing experience on the servers by keeping hackers banned from all of them.

Forum Integration: Special admin sections and other such options will be possible so as to give some users additional rights and access automatically.

Simple Web Access: Admins will be able to issue some commands like bans and unbans via the web without even connecting to the server.

Special Levels: In addition to the 3 main levels some other levels will exist at the same time. One of these will be the owner level which is for me a jig which is the highest. The other level, being the lowest is for admin abusers. This will remove some powers from their default settings and additionally enable all other admins to use powers on them. This should really help to keep abusive admins in line.