Dedicated Server Methods

[TGYoshi]

I personally love programming custom and unique stuff for my server (In TM1). I also tried doing some unique stuff like own gamemodes etc.
Problem is that a lot of stuff is very limited. A lot of stuff can be done with crativity, but there just are some great boundaries.

We are unable to get a car's x-y-z position (or a range as it's moving very fast), speed and more stuff (as far I know). Games like hide and seek now have to work with the player being nice, switching team once 'found'.
We are unable to, for example, force a skin to all users, including the player itself.
We are unable to place elements on the screen (or manialinks in TM1) without them disappearing when hitting *. (I also hope TM2 works on scale combined with offset? The current interface is very weak and stretched..)
We are unable to change (or hide) some of the standard interface (why not all?), like checkpoint messages, bottom bar etc.
We are unable to change a car's abilities (Like giving it a boost from the server, let it slow down, more stuff..).
We are unable to generate/change tracks with an API (This isn't really dedicated server related, but you can generate random mazes or so using the API, putting it on the server).
We are only able to use the action keys 1, 2 and 3 (F5, F6 and F7) for manialink responses. Why not all or even non-function keys? (Not totally dedicated server related though)
We are unable to ........

It would mainly be great to give us abilities to do what we want, not being limited.
Of course can ladderpoint (or whatever the new system is) giving be disabled if the server gives boosts or so, that can be coded inside the server's code itself I think.

Thanks for reading .

[sebik]

It seems to be really good. Anyway some of the abilities like changing car speed by servers should be allowed under some conditions.
What do I mean?
Let's say... we have an league track on the server. WR (let's say 55 secs) seems to be unbeatable for player A. He usually reaches 1:05. Then the player A goes on his own server, uploads map there, sets /admin accel +50 and gets 0:50 eaisly beating WR.
How to prevent from those situaltions?
Set a variable like tm2_tweak = false or tm2_tweak = true. False value wouldn't allow to change car speed, abilities, etc (unless attached ones to a track in ManiaScript). True value would allow to make even like RPG modes for TM2. With tm2_tweak = false records would be able to estabish. Server with 'true' value would be the fun ones and they wouldn't have ability to send records and give ladder points to players.
Comment

[TGYoshi]

Take a look at my last sentence:

Of course can ladderpoint (or whatever the new system is) giving be disabled if the server gives boosts or so, that can be coded inside the server's code itself I think.

Same applies to world records or so, a replay can be send as well to validate if the server has given 'random' boosts.

The 'new' dedimania can require a replay to be send as well (small file), then just validating if a boost is used. Or maybe a 'Finished' callback argument that got a value true/false if it has got boosts. The first thing is of course the safest to use.

[TGYoshi]

Uberbump .