[Shadowysn]

How do you get the info structure of a user message without trial-and-error?

I want to send a user message that is specific to one or two games.
But with the lack of info and my disliking in having to do extensive trial-and-error, usually I'd try to find info about it online or use a hook.

So far there haven't been any successful findings about it online.
I haven't used a user message hook yet, however since I read that functions that print information to either the chat, console, or hint messages don't work in those hooks, is there any other way?

EDIT:
I meant something like this:

PHP Code:

Handle usermsg = StartMessageAll("UserMessageThatIsNotReal");
if (usermsg != null)
{
    // code to pass on here
    // Let's just assume that UserMessageThatIsNotReal's info goes like this:
    // integer - determine the number of players that get chosen by the game
    // integer - what client index to start from
    // It would probably go like this:
    BfWriteByte(usermsg, 5);
    BfWriteByte(usermsg, -1);
    EndMessage();
    // I want to know the values and the assortment of them for a user message in L4D2 called 'Splatter' but
    // I have no idea what the assortment of that usermsg is, and how many values I have to pass
} 


And how did usermsg all tie to EngineVersion or a specific feature the game contains?

[Marttt]

I didn't understand what you want.

If you are trying to check which game is running you can use EngineVersion.

Code sample:

Spoiler

PHP Code:

static bool   g_bL4D2Version;
static bool   g_bLateLoad;

public APLRes AskPluginLoad2(Handle myself, bool late, char[] error, int err_max)
{
    EngineVersion engine = GetEngineVersion();
    if (engine != Engine_Left4Dead2)
    {
        strcopy(error, err_max, "This plugin only runs in the \"Left 4 Dead 2\" game.");
        return APLRes_SilentFailure;
    }

    g_bL4D2Version = (engine == Engine_Left4Dead2);

    g_bLateLoad = late;

    return APLRes_Success;
} 


In this case I suppose you know which games has the "Hint" feature for example.

This is done in the sourcemod basechat.sp

If you are trying to found what game has a feature or not, then I don't know how to achieve that.

[Shadowysn]

I have created another XY problem. Yet again.

Edited the first post.

[cravenge]

Taking the hunter call-out blocker plugin as an example, the game will not fetch those specific survivor dialogues related to seeing hunters in plain sight. Though I have no knowledge of how those user messages are read in order.

[hmmmmm]

For games with usermessages that use bitbuffers I don't know of any other way than reversing the binary in which they're sent/handled (which I believe L4D2 is one of)

Otherwise, for games with usermessages that use protobuf you can look at the protobuf files.

[asherkin]

"Splatter", "MeleeSlashSplatter", "MeleeClubSplatter", and "MudSplatter" all appear to contain just 1 byte which is the number of splatters to apply to the player.

[Shadowysn]

Originally Posted by hmmmmm For games with usermessages that use bitbuffers I don't know of any other way than reversing the binary in which they're sent/handled (which I believe L4D2 is one of) Otherwise, for games with usermessages that use protobuf you can look at the protobuf files.

Ah, okay then.

Originally Posted by asherkin "Splatter", "MeleeSlashSplatter", "MeleeClubSplatter", and "MudSplatter" all appear to contain just 1 byte which is the number of splatters to apply to the player.

Well, um, thanks for explaining the one user message I wanted.

I was actually trying to create a blood splatter particle, but I guess I can keep this in mind later down the line.

[Silvers]

I made a UserMsg Hooks plugin which can log all the different structures for different UserMsgs, and log/display the associated data. I would suggest using that to figure out unknowns.