sm-zombiereloaded-3/docs/old/zr_3.0_release_notes.txt

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                         Zombie:Reloaded Release Notes

              Targets plugin version 3.0.0 Beta 1, 2009.07.25
                          Written by Richard Helgeby

                           Last modified: 2009.12.11

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Release Notes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is a major release and it do break compatibility with older configuration!
Clean install of configuration files and reconfiguring is recommended.

A lot of work is put into this plugin. The entire plugin is completely recoded
with lots of improvements and fixes.

Our code base have expanded at least five times compared to version 2.5.1
(source have reached 30 000 lines total). Of course, made with optimizing in
mind. This is, as far as we know, the biggest SourceMod plugin ever made!

We also hope Zombie:Reloaded will be a good learning resource for new or
existing coders to find out how certain things are done. The code is well
structured and documented with comments explaining almost what every line do.

In addition we try to make this a quality release with a well tested release
and a full user manual. Read the user manual for details on how to use or
configure individual features. Better quality and less time spent on support
gives more time for us to do more.

UPDATE: See "zr_3.0-b2_release_notes.txt" for changes in Beta 2.


Richard Helgeby &
Greyscale


OVERVIEW OF MAJOR CHANGES
---------------------------

* New configuration style. Configuration files and CVARs are also validated so
  errors and invalid values are caught early.

* Expanded class system with support for human classes and additional
  attributes like setting transparency on player classes, effects or other
  special behaviour.

* New weapon configurations that support knock back multipliers per weapon and
  custom weapon groups for easy restriction.

* Market feature for pre configuring or buying equimpents and weapons from the
  oposite team, also outside the buy zone if allowed in configuration.

* Improved knock back with support for scaling based on different modules. Now
  it's possible to fully customize knock back behaviour.

* Volumetric features. Define areas in maps and do certain stuff to players in
  those areas based on a selection of features like the anti-camp.

* Improved teleport settings. Delays and limits separated per team.

* Admin menu. Configure certain settings in-game, do generic commands like
  infect, spawn and teleport.

* Cookies. This plugin is using the cookie system of SourceMod so player
  preferences can be saved until next time they connect.

* New logging system that is fully customizable. Makes it possible to decide
  what stuff to be logged by setting generic logging flags and applying module
  filters.


CONFIGURATION CHANGES
-----------------------

Configuration settings are validated when the plugin starts. The plugin will
stop, use defaults or disable features if there are invalid values. Also a
warning is logged in the SourceMod error logs.

The validation prevents unexpected or invalid behaviour in the plugin. Dealing
with errors or warnings in error logs helps a lot troubleshooting eventual
issues in the plugin caused by incorrect configurations.

It's also possible to specify the path of configuration files. This can be used
in combination with map configs, so it's possible to have different
configuration sets per map.

Support for post map configs is made. These are configs executed after the
plugin and its features are loaded. Some settings can only be changed or
overridden after loading. Those commands must be placed in post map configs.


IMPROVED CLASS SYSTEM
-----------------------

There's a lot of new features in the class system. The major change is that
it's made for multiple teams (humans and zombies). Now human classes can be
made. It has support for extended team filtering where admin-only and mother
zombie classes can be made.

In addition any attribute on one or more classes can be modified in-game, which
expands the possibilities in combination with map configs. This makes it easier
to improve the map balance by adjusting attributes like health, knock back and
running speed.

One of the new features is transparency on players. There are also immunity
modes (but it's currently a incomplete feature) that could implement slow
infection that requires zombies to stab multiple times with its knife before
the humans get infected, or stab them to death (turning into a zombie).


IMPROVED WEAPON SYSTEM
------------------------

The new weapon system lets makes it possible to do more than just restricting
weapons. Now it's possible to set knock back multipliers per weapon.

Hit groups can also be configured with knock back multipliers, or disable
damage on certain hit groups completely.

There's also a new market feature which is a custom buy menu with all available
weapons, including from the oposite team. It's also possible to buy weapons
outside the buy zone if the server admins enable that setting.

Weapon selections can be pre configured and even saved using cookies so they
can be quickly bought on next spawn or on next connect to the server.


CUSTOMIZING KNOCK BACK
------------------------

The knock back is based on three factors that are multiplied into the effective
knock back:

    - Class knock back. This is the main value.

    - Weapon knock back. Set knock back scale values per weapon.

    - Hit group knock back. Customize or completely disable knock back scale
      per hit group.

With these factors it's possible to fully customize knock back.


VOLUMETRIC FEATURES
---------------------

(Currently in development)

This is a brand new useful feature where custom defined areas in maps can do
certain stuff on players. These are the available features:

    - Anti-camp: Slay or warn players that stay too long in a certain area.
      Useful in unfair camping places, or to avoid glitches in maps.

    - Modify class attributes.

    - Restrict weapons. Takes away ammo, and gives back when leaving area.

    - Modify ammo modes.

    - Modify knock back set on players or knock back in hit groups.

    - Teleporter.

Features that modify settings will be reverted when players leave volumes.
Example of usage is to only allow pistols in tubes, use the anti-camp to hurt
humans camping in a certain unfair place, or fine tune knock back for a area in
the map.


TELEPORTER
------------

The teleporter is improved with more settings like these:

    - Deciding when players can teleport per team, before or after mother
      zombie.

    - Setting teleport delays per team.

    - Limiting number of teleports per team.

    - Abuse protection: Automatically aborting a teleport in progress if the
      player moves a certain distance (configurable).


ADMIN MENU
------------

A menu for admins with basic commands to configure certain settings in-game
or do generic commands. That is:

    - Infecting players.

    - Spawning players.

    - Modifying weapon restrictions.

    - Modifying class data.

    - Configuring log messages.


LOGGING SYSTEM
----------------

The logging system is based on logging flags and filtering that gives full
control of what log types and events to be logged.

There are a few generic log events and settings, like these:

    - Core events: Executing config files, error messages, etc.

    - Game events: Admin commands, suicide prevention, anticamp kills, etc.

    - Player commands: Commands executed by non-admins: zspawn, teleport, class
      change, etc.

    - Debug messages, if any. Usually only developers use this one.

    - Debug messages with more detail. It may cause spam, but this can be
      avoided in combination with module filtering.

    - Ignoring log events caused by server commands (console), like from map
      configs.

    - Logging to admin chat: A copy of the message is also logged to admins.

In addition a module filter can be enabled. Only log messages from modules
listed in the filter is logged, other are ignored. Except fatal errors, those
are logged anyways.

The logging system is made this way so server admins can monitor activity in
Zombie:Reloaded whithout reading spammed log messages.