JA Mod V2.4 Build 7

Description
***Please note that the download link below is currently not working. Please download it from here instead!***

Wow, how time flies! It has been five and a half [i]years[/i] since the last JA+ version was reviewed on JKFiles!

But now Slider is back with the new and improved 2.4 version. Note that this is the [i]server side[/i] version! For the client side version, please download here.

But what is JA+? Well, if you don’t know what JA+ is you have probably living under a rock somewhere in the Dune Sea! JA+ is, at 374,727 downloads (as of writing), probably the most downloaded mod of any kind on JKFiles, bar perhaps the JK2 and JKA Official Patches.

As a server side mod, it allows the server admin to highly customise their server and has seen especially effective use for clan servers. I have seen its customisability and power first hand from my own time in a clan many years back. JA+ allows the server admin to give clan members various powers through the two admin ranks of 'Knight' and 'Council', such as the ability to ban or kick players who may be causing trouble, change the map, gametype and the ability to teleport oneself or other players to particular places in the map you are playing on. This was frequently used, as I remember it, on the original Jedi Academy map by Virtue, where the higher ranked clan members could use teleport to take themselves or other players to the secret council rooms that could not be gotten to any other way. Ahh memories! There is also the option in the .cfg files to have a 'message of the day' display when you get on the server, which is often used for announcements, or to display the rules of the server.

I should also mention the 'grappling hook', which is a very fun way to get around, especially to places in a map which might be difficult or time consuming to access ordinarily. ;) Note though that you will need the Client Side mod for the effects to display properly!

This mod, and its client side counterpart (which is amazing in its own right) deserve much longer reviews that it is practical to give, simply because of the sheer amount of features in them. I would strongly encourage any server admins, especially those that run a clan/guild server to download this and give it a try!

For the list of updates to v2.4, please see below!

~Nozyspy~

***Please note that the download link below is currently not working. Please download it from here instead!***

[quote]
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Server Side
What is new since v2.3 ?
More details on each feature in the whole documentation in japlusjaplus_doc
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- improvement of the cvar g_teamForceBalance(3, 2 , 1 or 0 default 3) : used to balance the number of players in each team.
if > 0, in team gametype except siege, at the end of level (timelimit, fraglimit, capture limit hit...etc ), the server will balance the teams for the nextmap based on player's scores.
the 1st ranked player go in a team, the 2nd in another, the 3rd in team of the 1st player, the 4st go in the other team,.....etc.....
if 0 , this is desactivated
if 1 : default basejka value : players can't join a team if it unbalances the number of players in each team.
if 2 :same as for 1 but, when a player disconnect, it may unbalance teams. So at respawn, the youngest connected player will be moved in the other team to balance the number of players.
if 3 : same as for 1 but, when a player disconnect, it may unbalance teams. So at respawn, the lowest or the best ranked player will be auto moved in the other team to balance the number of players depending on the team scores.

- High speed URL AutoDownload Redirect for needed Pk3 when connecting a server:
this feature enable players to download with high speed the needed pk3 files (like maps, npc, vehicles, sabers...etc...) to be able to play on your server.
new cvar jp_DlBaseURL ( URL default value "" ex: value "http://www.japlus.net/japlus/" )
// jp_DlBaseURL is the equivalent to your gamedata folder.
// so if your server have a pk3 test.pk3 under the base folder and if you want people to be able download it, your Website must contain
// this file at [jp_DlBaseURL]base/test.pk3 Exemple : http://www.japlus.net/japlus/base/test.pk3 .
// remember the server will only make player download the real needed files and not all files.
// PS : Player need the lastest JA+ Plugin 1.4 or above for this feature.
// example of working redirect with a lot of maps already uploaded : seta jp_DlBaseURL "http://japlus.newboyzgaming.com/files/"

- Wall ledge Grab improvement: you now must press 2 times the Jump button to grab the wall/ledge. So the wallLedge grab feature is now much more under your entire control.
you need the lastest plugin 1.4 or above for this improvement.

- jp_startMapVoteTimer ( integer in second default 60 ) : when a level start, player will have to wait this time before to callVote. This is ideal to prevent people from calling for exemple
a change of map just at entering the level because it tend to disconnect a lot of connecting players.

- jp_maxConnFromIP (integer default 2): max number of connections per IPs. It prevent your server from beeing attacked with a fake player Denial of Service.
the use of those kind of Server attacks can lag your server (based on quake3 engine) terribly and even crash it.
Since this DoS attack program was released ( i prefer not to say where to find it for evident reason), server owners reported that some immature players are more and more
using it to lag and crash servers.
This anti fake player system has been improved compaired to version JA+2.4beta2 in order to detect the most used tools to create fake players DoS attack.

- ingame level fix Editor (for wall glitches and map holes) : It is for both rcon users and normal allowed players.
** RCON USER :
-Rcon user can allow a player to access the ingame level fix editor with BlockWallGrantEditor.
-Rcon user can draw (with red lines) all created blocking boxes with BlockWallDraw.
-Rcon user can write and save the created blocking boxes in a file directly on the server with BlockWallWrite ( *_holes.cfg files).
** A Granted selected player must go in spectator to access the following cmds in order to edit the level fixes:
-Editing Blocking Boxes: BlockWallCreate (use it 2 times to define 2 opposite point/Corner Box Point), BlockWallDel (Delete the current boxes where the player is)
-Navigating through blocking boxes : BlockWallPrev, BlockWallNext (teleport the player from one box to another)
The Mod comes with a set of files already defining several fixes for CTF maps.

- dmflags cvar improved by adding the item DF_NO_FIXED_ANIMS . It controls the ability of fixing some weakness in animations allowing player to cross map brushes

- Non interference system now supports all weapons :
Big Improvement in the Non Interference system for private duel isolation and alternate dimension :
all the missiles, weapons fires, saber throw can now cross a players if he is not in the same dimension or not in duel with the missile's owner.

- Improvement of the grapple Hook System in order to give a more realistic feeling:
the hook rope is now cuttable with all missiles and saber throw.
A fuel system has been also added. Fuel is used to repair the cut rope or when you are pulled toward your hook and when the hook is firing. The more the hook speed is high and the more fuel is decreasing.
those new feature are controllable with the dmflags cvar with the Item DF_NO_REALISTIC_HOOK.

- jp_allowSamePlayerNames : improvement of this cvar in the way it searches for already in use player names. When this cvar is 0, it also prevents players from using blank names (invisible in console and scoreboard)

- Improvement in the new attacks management (gameplay and damages).
- new nice star wars models from neomarz parametered in the modelscale.cfg
- Improvement of the /ignore cmd : it now displays the list of ignored players when you type the cmd without any arguments.
- /clansay cmd added in order to speak to the clan channel directly using the game console.
(a new UI interface for all message modes is added in the JA+ plugin interface: you must bind a new key in the JA+ control menu
Look at Plugin Readme)
- the use of /kill suicide now gives the point to the attacker.

- jp_siegeItemTime ( time in minutes default 3) : if not 0, when a player is carrying a siege item (objective), he has this time to complete this partial objective before this item returns to its initial position

- jp_userInfoAntiSpam (integer default 3) set to 0 to cancel the antispam of fast user info change. It controls the number of max fast user info changed to prevent spamming which may lead to client disconnection. When a player is trying to make a denial of service with fast user info changed, the player will be blocked. For admins, set up a higher value if you meet issues with client desynchronization with the server.

-The memory server Pool size is increased.

- A silenced player cannot change his name any more.



- Fix : basejka exploit : Several ways of hacking a server giving full control over the whole server including the ability of getting and changing the rconpassword as well as corrupting remotly pk3 files at server side. This is a basejka exploit known to exploit the call vote cmds.
This is one of the most serious exploit seen related to quake3 engine. An attacked server has to be totally reinstalled when pk3 files are corrupted.
- Fix : the dedicated server has been patched (jampded.exe and linuxjampded) using q3infoboom (win0.1.3 / linux0.1.2a) and q3unban (0.1) patches of Luigi Auriemma . It is adviced to update those files on your servers.
- Fix : the basejka exploit allowing an attacker to crash your server using a malformed forcepower string.
-Fix : the banned player exploit allowing a banned player to remotly make a Denial Of service attack with reconnecting the server until its crash.


- Fix: the jp_pushAll 2 (CTF Flags Pushable/Pullable) is now fixed. A flag that is falling into a Pit will respawn correctly.
- Fix : correction of the bugs on the / model and the sabersNotUsuable in MP when jp_allowDmgSpeedScale is On (modelScale System).
- Fix: Some of the sabers lengths in the japlus_saber.pk3 were shorter than the basejka sabers. So it is now fixed.
- Fix: amprotected players are now unprotected when doing a melee kata.
- Fix : the vehicle basejka exploit when players could become invisible to others players.
- Fix : the possibility of using emotes to sometimes get up quickly.
- Fix : the kicked player bug when spectating a bot which is auto removed by the server (bot_minplayers). This bug is an old bug and was primeraly fixed in JA+ a long time ago. But not completly as it seems.
- Fix : the basejka siege exploit that enables player to hack and activate locked doors by blocking them once they opened them thanks to the teamallow feature.
- Fix: the basejka detpack, mines, missiles exploit (when changing team or disconnecting ) allowing team kill and siege objective team hacks.
- Fix: the basejka bug for g_teamForceBalance allowing people to bypass team balance protection when spectating a player from the supposed blocked team.
- Fix : you now can use /kill when amsilenced in team gametypes.
- Fix: the basejka bug ( with g_friendlyFire ON ) preventing player from fighting against a Grip from teamate by using push/pull
- Fix: the basejka bug where a player can carry an invisible CTF flag.
- Fix: the possibility to bypass the clanTag protection in Player name.
- Fix: the possibility of engaging duel while sleeped
- Fix: the hit box of player doing a static emote is now fixed. So it is now better also when you target a player with the crosshair
- Fix: the basejka bug when player can cross map brushes because of some animations exploits. It causes many problem for exemple when player hide with the flag in CTF outside of the map area. see the updated dmflags
- Fix : the basejka siege bug when a tech class player couldn't heal (+use button) a teamate whose player slot ID was 0 (other ID was working but not the 0 one)
- Fix : when an empowered player was switching to spectator, when he was coming back to game, he was loosing some of the force powers and the force level were not at max (level_3)
- Fix : the elevator bug allowing a player to crush another player by jumping into his head when this player is in another dimension or in isolation (private duel).
-Fix ; the trace for admin guns which wasn’t starting at viewpoint for people who don’t have the JA+ Plugin. But even with this fix, the JA+ Plugin is much more accurate.

- Fix : and also many other fixes at JA+ Client Plugin which can be seen in the dedicated Plugin readme.[/quote]