AUTHKEYS: How to become a global moderator

AUTHKEYS: How to become a global moderator

Postby qreeves » 25 Feb 2012, 13:14

The system used in Red Eclipse for online community moderation is called "auth". We hand out keys to trusted users in the community who can then gain master access on any server, so that they can perform limited administrative functions in-game, such as kicking and/or banning cheaters/griefers/etc. This system only works if there are enough people out there with these keys who are actively playing the game.

I am now opening up this system for wider expansion:
  • People who already have keys are invited to give recommendations on who they think would make good moderators.
  • If you want an key, from this point forward you will need a recommendation from someone who already has one.
  • Please note: I do not give moderator access to people who ask for it without a recommendation from an existing moderator.
  • The existing moderatoer will need to contact me with their recommendation, and the email address of the person they are recommending.
  • As a moderator, you will be expected to deal with problems as they arise, and use your access with due care.
  • Misuse of access will result in immediate removal, no questions asked.
At this point, I would like to ask that anybody who already has a key to please pass on their own email address to me. If at a later point you need your key reset, or wish to recommend another person for auth, this will be the only method of verifying your identity. This ensures that the system remains secure and only those who are intended to have keys get them. If you have no other method of contacting me, you can do so through the forum.

The types of access levels you will see when playing, which also form the governing hierarchy for RE:
  • Creator - Basically gods. This is myself, cinta, or eihrul. They don't even need to ask before banning you.
  • Developer - Demi-gods. They are considered to be a core developer. Can do almost anything, and probably get me to global ban you in a heartbeat.
  • Administrator - The highest level of operator, can do most things and (eventually) add temporary global bans. Can most likely get you banned permanently.
  • Operator - Basic operator, can kick, mute, and ban, and change most settings. Has to report to an Administrator to deal with larger problems.
  • Moderator - The lower level of operator, can kick, mute, and ban, and change basic settings. Has to report to an Administrator to deal with larger problems.
  • Supporter - A special level to give recognition and thanks to those who have contributed to Red Eclipse in some way, but do not have higher access.
  • Player - This will (eventually) be a regular registered user, used for statistics and other neat things.
Quinton "quin" Reeves | Lead Developer, Red Eclipse | http://redeclipse.net/ | http://www.facebook.com/redeclipse.net
User avatar
qreeves
 
Posts: 1294
Joined: 17 Mar 2011, 03:46
Location: Queensland, Australia

Re: AUTHKEYS: How to become a global moderator

Postby Gingerbear » 26 Feb 2012, 22:32

Ok so I figured I'd post this here instead of pming you so everyone could have a clear understanding. But what is your take on auth users changing vars on others servers? I myself only change vars on Wazu servers (because I'm Wazu) or if I have permission from server owner to do so. I have changed the botoffset on servers that aren't mine so I could be at fault too.
Gingerbear
 
Posts: 50
Joined: 10 Aug 2011, 04:36

Re: AUTHKEYS: How to become a global moderator

Postby ZeroKnight » 26 Feb 2012, 22:39

As long as you have permission from the Server owners, it's fine. The only other case is if they are not online, YOU MUST ASK THE PLAYERS IF THEY WANT TO. Take a vote, and go with the majority. HOWEVER, the golden rule you should follow is to undo your changes when you are done. IE. just clean up after yourself.

Be kind. When you're done, use resetvars. All it does is simply restore defaults, and then re-exec the server's servexec.cfg, which will undo all of your changes.

If you cannot handle remembering and doing this, you have no business changing other server's vars around. It's only fair you revert your changes, since it's not your server. You wouldn't want someone messing with your carefully chosen setup, right?
It's a courtesy thing, really. That's all I wanted to say.

[EDIT]

If server owners are not comfortable with this, you can always change varslock to a different setting, which defines who can change variables on your server.

0 - Open. Anyone may change variables
1 - Master only. This basically limits it to allow Auth users, and server Admins to change vars
2 - Admin only. This prevents Auth users from changing vars, and limits it only to server Admins.
3 - Local only (or "no one") - Prevents all users, including admins from changing vars. Only the server owner who has local access to servexec.cfg may change vars
Last edited by ZeroKnight on 09 Jul 2012, 20:20, edited 4 times in total.
[ Github ][ WazuClan -- irc.wazuclan.com #wazuclan ][ Zero's Archive of RE Extensions, Scripts, WeapMods & More! ]
User avatar
ZeroKnight
 
Posts: 524
Joined: 08 Jun 2011, 01:24
Location: Ohio, United States

Re: AUTHKEYS: How to become a global moderator

Postby TheLastProject » 26 Feb 2012, 22:42

ZeroKnight, thanks for the writevars trick, that's great to know. I'm not planning on changing any vars myself, but it's still useful info, just in case.
(I agree with you thoroughly, by the way, it's what quin has told me to do when I asked him about how I should deal with that)
Hats, Afros, wings and raptor feet. This game is showing progress indeed.
TheLastProject
 
Posts: 432
Joined: 06 Nov 2011, 17:04

Re: AUTHKEYS: How to become a global moderator

Postby ZeroKnight » 26 Feb 2012, 22:51

No problem. I actually thought of it as I was writing up that reply :)
[ Github ][ WazuClan -- irc.wazuclan.com #wazuclan ][ Zero's Archive of RE Extensions, Scripts, WeapMods & More! ]
User avatar
ZeroKnight
 
Posts: 524
Joined: 08 Jun 2011, 01:24
Location: Ohio, United States

Re: AUTHKEYS: How to become a global moderator

Postby qreeves » 27 Feb 2012, 03:16

ZeroKnight {l Wrote}:As long as you have permission from the Server owners, it's fine. The only other case is if they are not online, YOU MUST ASK THE PLAYERS IF THEY WANT TO. Take a vote, and go with the majority. HOWEVER, the golden rule you should follow is to undo your changes when you are done. IE. just clean up after yourself. Try to avoid doing a resetvars, because that will wipe their custom changes.

I am perfectly comfortable with people changing variables on other servers, so long as the majority of players don't disagree (you may have trouble getting them to talk in an effort to get them to agree, but if you change something and they complain then that is a fair indication). There seems to be a bit of confusion on how "resetvars" works though; any custom changes to the server should be stored in "servexec.cfg", when issuing "resetvars" it will reset all the variables to default and then execute this config (this is also done when the server is empty to ensure the server is not left in this state). All I ask is that you issue this command before you leave (you don't need the whole writevars/exec deal).

ZeroKnight {l Wrote}:If server owners are not comfortable with this, you can always make it so that local admin (ie. you, the owner) ONLY, can change vars. I believe (correct me if I'm wrong, please) this can be achieved by setting sv_serveropen to 3 ("master only by 'auth' or admin")

Setting "sv_varslock" to 2 or 3 should suffice, orbitaldecay does this on the InstaFFA server (which actually makes me sad, because I can't set "rocketallowed 3", but it is his choice).

N.B. While I don't mind variables being changed, you need to be mindful when modifying bots with "botoffset"; this variable ignores team balance. If you wish to force a specific number of players you can use "botbalance X" (where X is the number of desired players, including humans). The default for this variable is -1 (which means, use the value of "numplayers" stored in the map), to turn off bots you should set this to 0.

That being said, I would prefer you not modify bots at all in public games; if you turn them off when playing less skilled players they will get frustrated because they can't kill anything (bots are, to some degree, noob fodder), and they are designed to keep a specific level of activity in a level (having only 4 players in a large map like colony would be boring). If you feel there is a problem with the amount of bots spawning in a map, then there is likely a deeper problem which needs to be corrected and should probably be raised with me.
Quinton "quin" Reeves | Lead Developer, Red Eclipse | http://redeclipse.net/ | http://www.facebook.com/redeclipse.net
User avatar
qreeves
 
Posts: 1294
Joined: 17 Mar 2011, 03:46
Location: Queensland, Australia

Re: AUTHKEYS: How to become a global moderator

Postby Gingerbear » 27 Feb 2012, 05:20

Ok thanks for clearing that up :)
Gingerbear
 
Posts: 50
Joined: 10 Aug 2011, 04:36

Re: AUTHKEYS: How to become a global moderator

Postby ZeroKnight » 27 Feb 2012, 17:50

qreeves {l Wrote}:There seems to be a bit of confusion on how "resetvars" works though; any custom changes to the server should be stored in "servexec.cfg", when issuing "resetvars" it will reset all the variables to default and then execute this config

Oh, I wasn't aware of either of those. That's extremely clever :)

qreeves {l Wrote}:Setting "sv_varslock" to 2 or 3 should suffice

Ahh, thank you.
[ Github ][ WazuClan -- irc.wazuclan.com #wazuclan ][ Zero's Archive of RE Extensions, Scripts, WeapMods & More! ]
User avatar
ZeroKnight
 
Posts: 524
Joined: 08 Jun 2011, 01:24
Location: Ohio, United States

Re: AUTHKEYS: How to become a global moderator

Postby Fallen » 11 Mar 2012, 19:42

My suggestions about 'auth':

Many times we (players with auth) see another players with auth wich is doing something wrong (like changing vars like they want etc.), and another game moderator can't do anything with that, so I think that there should be made 'New World Order' (few auth ranks):

- Dev - the highest one ONLY for devs - that rank should have access to ban/kick everyone
- Master Moderator - rank for really trusted moderators, wich really keep RE community nice, but they aren't devs - he should have access to kick/ban everyone below.
- Moderator - just trusted moderator with access to kick/ban everyone bellow.
- Trial Moderator - new players with auth, after a week (or more?) time of trial they will get Moderator rank, or if they fail more than once - just take his auth away - access to ban everyone, but not ranks above and admins.

Every rank ofc shouldn't have access to ban anyone with this same rank.
Sentenced to the Eternal Damnation...

BloodFrontier...

+++ Sorry for my English +++
User avatar
Fallen
 
Posts: 85
Joined: 26 Feb 2012, 20:45
Location: Poland

Re: AUTHKEYS: How to become a global moderator

Postby ClassyRain » 14 Mar 2012, 14:51

Fallen {l Wrote}:My suggestions about 'auth':

Many times we (players with auth) see another players with auth wich is doing something wrong (like changing vars like they want etc.), and another game moderator can't do anything with that, so I think that there should be made 'New World Order' (few auth ranks):

- Dev - the highest one ONLY for devs - that rank should have access to ban/kick everyone
- Master Moderator - rank for really trusted moderators, wich really keep RE community nice, but they aren't devs - he should have access to kick/ban everyone below.
- Moderator - just trusted moderator with access to kick/ban everyone bellow.
- Trial Moderator - new players with auth, after a week (or more?) time of trial they will get Moderator rank, or if they fail more than once - just take his auth away - access to ban everyone, but not ranks above and admins.

Every rank ofc shouldn't have access to ban anyone with this same rank.


There's only one teeny weeny problem with that -- auth players are people who never get banned because they never have reason to be banned...

Instead: we could have Dev (global admin), moderator (global master) and trial moderator (only can kick, can't do anything else including mod variables) and the existing user auth rank.
Last edited by ClassyRain on 14 Mar 2012, 14:57, edited 1 time in total.
ClassyRain
 
Posts: 26
Joined: 31 Jan 2012, 01:21

Re: AUTHKEYS: How to become a global moderator

Postby TheLastProject » 14 Mar 2012, 14:53

ClassyRain {l Wrote}:There's only one teeny weeny problem with that -- auth players are people who never get banned because they never have reason to be banned...

The fact that they haven't misbehaved before doesn't mean the power can't cause them to misbehave.
Hats, Afros, wings and raptor feet. This game is showing progress indeed.
TheLastProject
 
Posts: 432
Joined: 06 Nov 2011, 17:04

Re: AUTHKEYS: How to become a global moderator

Postby inpersona64 » 14 Mar 2012, 22:05

TheLastProject {l Wrote}:
ClassyRain {l Wrote}:There's only one teeny weeny problem with that -- auth players are people who never get banned because they never have reason to be banned...

The fact that they haven't misbehaved before doesn't mean the power can't cause them to misbehave.

You're absolutely right. I mean look at Caesar, or King Henry. All we can really do is hope that the appointed auths use their power with the greatest intention of good.
User avatar
inpersona64
 
Posts: 474
Joined: 01 Apr 2011, 18:19
Location: Eastern USA

Re: AUTHKEYS: How to become a global moderator

Postby ZeroKnight » 15 Mar 2012, 17:04

There's really not much of a problem here. If someone's abusing auth, you report them. Provide proof, or have quin/cinta investigate, and they get their auth removed.
If their are "bad" auth'ers, they'll appear in time :P
[ Github ][ WazuClan -- irc.wazuclan.com #wazuclan ][ Zero's Archive of RE Extensions, Scripts, WeapMods & More! ]
User avatar
ZeroKnight
 
Posts: 524
Joined: 08 Jun 2011, 01:24
Location: Ohio, United States

Re: AUTHKEYS: How to become a global moderator

Postby Architect » 19 Mar 2012, 02:01

Image
Architect
 
Posts: 83
Joined: 26 Aug 2011, 11:15

Re: AUTHKEYS: How to become a global moderator

Postby Gingerbear » 19 Mar 2012, 04:26

HA!^ It's just auth and its fine the way it is lol why is everyone trying to make some elaborate system?
Gingerbear
 
Posts: 50
Joined: 10 Aug 2011, 04:36

Re: AUTHKEYS: How to become a global moderator

Postby Architect » 23 Mar 2012, 17:23

you know my "thumbs down" was in reference to everyone complaining, ok, good
Architect
 
Posts: 83
Joined: 26 Aug 2011, 11:15

Re: AUTHKEYS: How to become a global moderator

Postby Blindman » 24 Mar 2012, 15:14

Call me old fashioned, but I believe the person responsible for running the server should be the one making the changes and approving them. After running enemy territory for years, I can assure you that if you give anyone the power to abuse, they will eventually abuse it, this is not to say they don't have the best of intentions, but one persons good intentions are another persons abuse. (present company excepted).
Blindman
 
Posts: 80
Joined: 22 Feb 2012, 05:10

Re: AUTHKEYS: How to become a global moderator

Postby inpersona64 » 24 Mar 2012, 16:40

Blindman {l Wrote}:Call me old fashioned, but I believe the person responsible for running the server should be the one making the changes and approving them. After running enemy territory for years, I can assure you that if you give anyone the power to abuse, they will eventually abuse it, this is not to say they don't have the best of intentions, but one persons good intentions are another persons abuse. (present company excepted).

While this is very much true, the whole global auth thing was created because server admins are probably not always going to be around 24/7. This system gives one the responsibility to administer justice when the person-in-charge is not present.
User avatar
inpersona64
 
Posts: 474
Joined: 01 Apr 2011, 18:19
Location: Eastern USA

Re: AUTHKEYS: How to become a global moderator

Postby Boognish » 27 Mar 2012, 16:32

Is there any way for a server to kindly back out of this program?
User avatar
Boognish
 
Posts: 40
Joined: 25 Mar 2012, 18:42

Re: AUTHKEYS: How to become a global moderator

Postby arand » 27 Mar 2012, 16:54

The How:
Boognish {l Wrote}:Is there any way for a server to kindly back out of this program?

The alternative currently is to not connect your server to the official master server at play.redeclipse.net
You can change this either via the -sm commad-line option:
{l Code}: {l Select All Code}
redeclipse-server -sm123.example.net
or via the servinit.cfg:
{l Code}: {l Select All Code}
servermaster "123.example.net"
Note that this will mean that other clients will only be able to connect to your server manually by IP, or if they configure their client to connect to the same alternative masterserver as your server.

The Why:
The reason for the global mod system is to make sure servers that are shown by default to all clients are, to the extent possible, nice to play on.
The play.redeclipse.net masterserver is paid and run by the team, and hence there is a sense of responsibility for it's content.
User avatar
arand
 
Posts: 211
Joined: 26 Mar 2011, 21:42

Re: AUTHKEYS: How to become a global moderator

Postby ClassyRain » 04 Apr 2012, 20:08

Boognish {l Wrote}:Is there any way for a server to kindly back out of this program?

Your server would be a target and a favorite place for troublemakers... You could just put a notice in the server motd telling auth'ers that you don't want your server messed with by them.
ClassyRain
 
Posts: 26
Joined: 31 Jan 2012, 01:21

Re: AUTHKEYS: How to become a global moderator

Postby TheLastProject » 04 Apr 2012, 20:35

Boognish {l Wrote}:Is there any way for a server to kindly back out of this program?

I believe there is also a way to prevent auth users from changing variables and only letting the server owner do this. I'm not sure which variable needs to be set for that though, perhaps someone else here can give that info.
Hats, Afros, wings and raptor feet. This game is showing progress indeed.
TheLastProject
 
Posts: 432
Joined: 06 Nov 2011, 17:04

Re: AUTHKEYS: How to become a global moderator

Postby qreeves » 04 Apr 2012, 23:23

{l Code}: {l Select All Code}
varslock 3
Quinton "quin" Reeves | Lead Developer, Red Eclipse | http://redeclipse.net/ | http://www.facebook.com/redeclipse.net
User avatar
qreeves
 
Posts: 1294
Joined: 17 Mar 2011, 03:46
Location: Queensland, Australia

Re: AUTHKEYS: How to become a global moderator

Postby ZeroKnight » 07 Apr 2012, 00:35

I think the role of an auth user needs more clarification. The intent is not to have free reign on someone's server and be able to change vars to their heart's content, it's to moderate. Just like a Forum Moderator, or an IRC ChanOP, RE Auth'ers keep order on the servers. If someone comes on to grief/crack/etc, Auth'ers are supposed to stifle them by removing them if they have to.

The reason they are able to change variables is how server "permissions" are currently set up. When an Auth user connects via the Auth system, he is given Master on the server ie. "claiming master". However, when you give a trusted user the password for your server ("adminpass"), they can use it to claim Admin.

In Red Eclipse, there are regular players, Masters and Admins. By default, Master users can change variables on servers (varslock 1), like Admins can. However, as quin mentioned, varslock 3 will prevent anyone from changing variables. Or, if you don't want to be that restrictive, you can use (and I recommend) varslock 2, which will restrict it to only your server Admins.

To conclude, Auth users aren't "meant" to be there to change vars, but they can if you let them. Use varslock to control who may change variables on your server. Auth users need to be around, because as mentioned, the master server is run by the dev team. If gameservers are full of cheaters and griefers, it makes the game look bad/unappealing to new users in the short-run, and degrade RE's general reputation and image in the long-run. In the FOSS community, not driving users away is a pretty crucial thing ;)

Hopefully that cleared things up for those confused/mislead.

[EDIT]
updated with corrections
Last edited by ZeroKnight on 09 Jul 2012, 20:26, edited 1 time in total.
[ Github ][ WazuClan -- irc.wazuclan.com #wazuclan ][ Zero's Archive of RE Extensions, Scripts, WeapMods & More! ]
User avatar
ZeroKnight
 
Posts: 524
Joined: 08 Jun 2011, 01:24
Location: Ohio, United States

Re: AUTHKEYS: How to become a global moderator

Postby Fallen » 07 Apr 2012, 08:42

I think that default server option should be changed to that authers will not be able to change vars. Most players will not know that there is var for that or smth, and some players changes only server name, description and few other basic things - without changing any vars etc.
Sentenced to the Eternal Damnation...

BloodFrontier...

+++ Sorry for my English +++
User avatar
Fallen
 
Posts: 85
Joined: 26 Feb 2012, 20:45
Location: Poland

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest

cron