[CrimsonGT]

The Blackbox Tools

Description:
The Blackbox Tools are a set of small but effective administrative tools designed to allow complete control of your server. Seperated into multiple plugins to allow you to choose only what you do and do not need, but all combining into one main section on the sourcemod admin menu for quick access. All tools are completely designed with the Orangebox Engine as an utmost priority, however some are customized to attempt to cater to server admins from other game servers as well.

Modification:
The admin camera plugin allow an administrator with the "kick" flag to spectate a connected player while never having to change teams. You can simply access the option to spectate a player at any time through your admin menu, through console if desired with the syntax bb_observeclient <userid>, or through chat with !bb_observeclient <userid>.

Warning: This is NOT intended to be a replacement for spectating players for aimbot hacking.

How it Works:
When you choose to observe a client, a camera is created and attached to this player for 60 seconds. It is attached to their eyes, so you can see what they see, although it is not the same as being in first person. To break free of the specate mode, you can simply fire your weapon and be released from this view. The camera will be disabled, and completely removed from the map. This is to prevent a build up of camera entities from multiple administrators using them, or even spectating multiple players often.

Upcoming Features:

• Built in option to change the spectating mode. (First person, Third person, Freecam Mode)
• Built in option to change the duration of the spectate time.
• CVAR to change the required admin flag for Usage.
• Admin Protection mode to disable damage on the admin while using the spectator mode. Also set them into an invisible state to prevent them from being attacked.

This plugin should work in any game based on the Source engine. It has only been tested on Team Fortress 2 currently, so bug reports and feature requests are completely welcomed.

*Edit*

This has been tested and works with Left4Dead as well.

[exvel]

no translations support?

[CrimsonGT]

I will add that to my todo list, and try and get it done today.

[retsam]

Does this plugin lock onto players automatically? Like mani admin has auto observe, locks onto same player as they die, respawn etc.. If it doesnt, it would be sick if you could have it do that.

Thats one thing sourcemod severely lacks.

[CrimsonGT]

I actually have not tried locking on to a player and then having them die. I only was able to test it very early on with FlyingMongoose to make sure this method worked at all, then I used bots to test the release on tf2/l4d.

I will test it later and see about that. Really this plugin is intended for short term observations at the moment. Basically to check if a players AFK, speed hacking, possibly wall hacking, purposely friendly firing, etc. I will see what I can do about it staying with them through death/spawn etc.

[{7~11} TROLL]

is this kinda like the amx_spectate plugin for amx mod x servers?

[CrimsonGT]

Im not sure, do you have a link? A search on the amxx approved forums for "spectate" returned 166 results.

[CrimsonGT]

Originally Posted by retsam Does this plugin lock onto players automatically? Like mani admin has auto observe, locks onto same player as they die, respawn etc.. If it doesnt, it would be sick if you could have it do that. Thats one thing sourcemod severely lacks.

I just tested it out and it does do this. Basically when the player dies, the camera sits where they last were, then reattaches to them when they spawn. Only thing I dont like is the first person view can really suck due to the bobbing of the client's eyes. I plan to release a large update to this tommorow, which will include different view modes in addition to first person.

[retsam]

Serious, so it does already lock onto players already? If so thats freaking sick, and this is a plugin admins have needed for a long time.

Another idea I had between last night and today was, how bout you make it so thats its not only added to admin menu, but make it so the public can utilize specing people as well.

At least a cvar maybe which would allow or disallow the public players to use it. But it would be SO GREAT if public players were able to utilize this for specing potential hackers......

I am a server admin and I cant tell you how annoying it is even for myself to try and make a demo on someone cause when they die you gotta click around again to find them again etc...I can only imagine for players as well.

It would be nice if you had a command such as !spec or !spectate or something similar, that brings up a menu for players to pick who to spectate on.

Also, it looks like the plugin only adds a camera for 60 seconds? How bout some longer options than that? Like, 60(1 min), 180(2 mins), 300(5 mins), 600(10 mins)? Just an idea.

Anyways, I would just love to see a plugin dedicated to helping admins and players make demos and spectate players....Its something that mani has had forever and sourcemod has not.

Since I am busy lately, I have not had time to actually try this plugin yet so forgive me for anything that I may be saying that it might already do lol.


PS: Yes, I know you said in the main post its not intended for spectating aimboters and such but, it should be.

[CrimsonGT]

Well when you actually try it out, you will see why. Right now since the camera is parented to the players eyes it bounces up and down as they run/shoot/etc. which can make it difficult to see what they are aiming at. I will be adding different attachment modes though to take care of that tommorow hopefully.

I definitely plan on adding duration to the menu, so you can choose how long the camera stays for. 60 seconds was just a number I pulled out of wherever and threw in there for the time being to get responses and critiques and see where to go with it.

I could certainly make it so players could use it. Problem I saw with that was I imagine a lot of players would just play with it, watch enemy players, see where they are, whats going on where, etc. For example, in L4D since boss zombies count as bots, you can spectate them as well (even though they dont have attachment points so the camera is at there feet).