Thank you for choosing to use my chat plugin, I hope you like it.

I'll do my best to offer support on my discord: https://discord.gg/DnZXGaqAgm

Sections:

1: Free Vs Premium

2: Mysql Setup Instructions

3: Plugin Setup Instructions

4: Discord Bot Setup Instructions

5: Customizing Chat

6: Internationalization

7: Random Tips

8: FAQ's

############## Free Vs Premium ##################

I'm not trying to make money off of this, but it is nice to feel appreciated for the efforts.

So I have a pretty cheap and fair system in my humble opinion.

The chat is free to try and test, and it will work for small clusters (Less than 20 players on entire cluster)

But if you have not upgraded it will revert to vanilla Ark chat whenever 20 players log in.

The price is $40 per machine.

############## Mysql Setup Instructions ##################

First you need to install the database where all the messages are stored. This plugin uses MySql.

There are many services that will run a MySql database for you, but I personally recommend using MySql Workbench

https://dev.mysql.com/downloads/workbench/

Follow the setup and install the mysql server as a service. Set your root password during setup. (Remember the database name)

Next you will open up the MySqlWorkbench program and connect to your new database.

Once connected use the Navigator on the left side, select the Administration tab on the bottom, then click on Users and Privleges

Add a new user, (IMPORTANT!!!) Set the Authentication Type to Standard, set your username and password (Remember these MySql credentials)

Next in the "Limit to Hosts Matching" you have a couple choices,

Depending on if you have maps on multiple computers and if you are running the DiscordBot on the same machine or not.

If 1 machine only: set to "localhost"

If more than 1 machine: set to "ip.address.1,ip.address.2" Obviously with the correct ip addresses...

If testing and having issues, try setting to % to allow for any IP (this is unsafe)

############## Plugin Setup Instructions ##################

Now you can start setting up the plugin, I'm assuming you already have a running ArkServer with ArkServerAPI installed.

(The download comes with a KalsCrossChat.dll and a KalsCrossChat.dll.ArkApi, the second one is not needed for a first time install and can be deleted)

Move the KalsCrossChat folder to "ShooterGame\Binaries\Win64\ArkApi\Plugins\KalsCrossChat"

Open up the config.json, for bare minimum setup you only need to set the "Mysql" section

It should be something like:

"Mysql": {

"MysqlHost": "localhost", (Or ip address of mysql database if its on a different machine)

"MysqlUser": "", (Username you created in mysql workbench)

"MysqlPass": "", (Password you created for that user)

"MysqlPort": 3306, (Port is almost always 3306)

"MysqlDB": "" (What you named the database when installing it)

}

IMPORTANT NOTE: YOU ONLY NEED 1 MYSQL DATABASE

This means that if you have maps on other machines, or running discord bot from a different machine that they should all point to the same place for mysql!!!!

You should be able to start your ark server now, it should say "Loaded Plugin Kals Cross Chat"

If you have not upgraded the plugin it will also say something like:

11/04/20 16:57 [KalsCrossChat][info] Cross Chat Limited to 20 players on the cluster until you upgrade.

11/04/20 16:57 [KalsCrossChat][info] CROSS CHAT HWID: 'abcdefgh-ijkl-lmnop-qrst-uvwxyz01234'

Sometimes it doesnt print this out, instead you can use the rcon command "getChatHwid"

You will need the HWID to upgrade the plugin.

Thats it, chat should be working now!

If the plugin did not load please look at the Troubleshoot or FAQ sections of this readme.

For customizing the colors/icons/tags in chat please look at the Chat Customization section.

############## Discord Bot Setup Instructions ##############

Please note: The discord bot can be run on the same computer or a different one if needed.

This can be helpful for users with a host that wont let them upload the .exe file.

Just move the KalsCrossChat.exe and discordConfig.json to the computer you want to host the discord bot on

Then make sure to point the Database at the right IP address, there should only be 1 MySql server.

The discord bot does a few different things:

1: Two way cross map global chat into a discord chat

2: Two way cross map tribe chat into the players OWN DISCORD SERVER/CHANNELS

Players will need to invite the bot to their discord, create a tribe chat channel, link the channel to tribe (ON EACH MAP)

3: Live TribeLogs into discord

You MUST have another installed plugin (TribeLogRelay: https://arkserverapi.com/index…/ark-tribe-log-relay.161/)

Setup is the same as tribe chat but with a different command

4: ServerStatus channels if you want them

(basically a voice channel named "Rag: 25 Players Online" and constantly updates to be correct)

5: Live PlayerList if you want it, this should go in a channel that users can see but not talk in

(Basically a discord embed showing each server and its current players, constantly updated to be correct)

6: RconCommander will allow you to send Rcon commands to any or all of your maps

This should go in a channel that only trusted admins have access to, it currently has no permission checking for rcon commands.

7: RolePermissionSync will let you sync discord Roles and ArkPermissions

You have to choose which direction to sync, not both ways (this would create a never ending loop, will give an error)

The setup for the Discord Bot is a little bit more complicated.

First go to: https://discord.com/developers/applications

Create a new application, something like "ArkChatBot"

Click on Bots on the left side, then create a new bot, something like "ArkChatBot" doesnt have to be same, but can be

The bot should have a section called "Client ID" with a copy button, this is your BotId, you will need it later.

Click on Bot on the left side, there will be a section called "Token" with a copy button

Copy the Bots Token and put it into discordConfig.json under "Token"

Next use the "BotId" from earlier and create a link that looks like this:

https://discord.com/oauth2/aut…_id=YOUR_BOT_ID_GOES_HERE

Go to this link and invite the bot to your discord server

Save this link, players will need to use it if they want to set up TribeChat or TribeLogs in their own discord.

Next go to discord, click the settings gear icon, then in Appearance scroll to the bottom in the Advanced section.

Turn on Developer Mode and exit the settings menu.

This gives you the option to "Copy Id" when you right click on a discord Server, Channel, User, Role

First right click on your discord server, copy Id then fill it into discordConfig.json under "HostServerDiscordId".

Next create a channel for global chat, then copy its ID into GlobalChatChannelId

Its recommended to put this channel into slow mode, and to restrict it to a VerifiedPlayer role that you will set up soon.

Create a private admin only channel for Rcon Commands and set the Id in "RconCommands"."ChannelId"

Create a new channel (or use an existing server info channel) that players can see but not talk in

Copy the ID into the "PlayerList"."PlayerListChannelId"

Go into server settings, roles, Create a new VerifiedPlayer role. Copy its ID into SteamLink.RoleIdToGive

optional: Let this role and not everyone talk in the GlobalChatChannel

For the RolePermissionSync, you can set that to

"RolePermissionSync": [],

and come back to that later.

But basically the RoleId and the PermissionGroup name should match up

then you choose how you want it to sync:

"Option1_AutoGivePermissionIfHasRole": true/false,

"Option1_AutoRemovePermissionIfMissingRole": true/false,

"Option2_AutoGiveRoleIfHasPermission": true/false,

"Option2_AutoRemoveRoleIfMissingPermission": true/false,

You can only use 1 of the 2 options. You can choose either piece of it.

Last you need to set up the "Database" section

I'm sorry that this is not named the same as it is in the config.json, it should have been but too late now to change it

This needs to point to the same MySql database as the plugin.json does.

Again, ONLY ONE MYSQL DATABASE

############ Customizing Chat #############

You can customize chat to make it unique to your server a few different ways.

Example:

☺ [MapName] <Tag> (SteamName) CharacterName [TribeName]: ChatMessage

You can configure:

who gets what tag, the color of the text

who gets which icons

the color of the character+steam name

the color of the tribename

the color of the map name

the color of the chat message

When configuring colors, please remember

Colors are in RGBA% format, so "1,0,0,0" = "100%, 0%, 0%, 0%" = "255, 0, 0, 100%" = Red The 4th number is transparency

You can add as many or as few entries into the Tags, ChatColors, and Icons sections as you want,

"Tags": [],

"Icons": [],

"ChatColors": [],

is a perfectly valid config.

############ Internationalization #############

In both the config.json and the discordConfig.json you will find a Messages section

You can change these to change the text your players will see

This can be helpful for customization or translation and it should work for all languages/letters.

Please remember to keep the same number of {} when changing messages in config.json or the server will crash.

############ Random Tips #############

The plugin allows for RandomTips, but you can turn it off by setting RandomTips.ShowRandomTips to false in config.json

A random tip will show up every X mins displaying a random 1 of the configured messages.

But players can mute these by doing commands:

/hidetips & /showtips

Tips can have a FirstMsg and an optional SecondMsg

You can use /n in the message for new line if needed.

############ Mutes / Ignores #############

The plugin includes admin mutes, word blacklist, and player ignores.

First an admin can mute a player by using ingame cheat command or RCON

kmute STEAMID MINS Mins can be -1 for infinite

kunmute STEAMID

Second, players can be restricted from saying certain words, and even temp muted if they try.

to do this set these settings:

"UseWordBlacklist": true,

"IgnoredLettersForBadWords": " .*_-",

"AdminImmuneToMuteAndSpamDelay": true,

and update the BadWords.txt, each line is a restricted word

Third, players can ignore each other

To do this a player can wait until someone that annoys him says something, then use

/ignore

they will be given a choice of options like:

Pick a number of who to ignore [1-3]:

1 - BeachBob: Hi guys

2 - FriendlyPlayer: Welcome to the server!

3 - AnnoyingHoe: spamspamspam

then use /ignore 3

"You are now ignoring AnnoyingHoe, use /unignore if you would like to change this"

/unignore

Pick a number of who to unignore:

1 - AnnoyingHoe

/unignore 1

"You are no longer ignoring AnnoyingHoe"

############ FAQ's #############

1. My plugin isnt loading, it says:

a: "1114 Error" -> This means there is a syntax issue with your config.json like a missing " or , or [ try using jsonlint.com to find the issue.

b: "Connection Error" -> Plugin cannot connect to mysql, double check the credentials in the MySql section

make sure that the mysql user has this ip in the "Limit to Hosts Matching" section in Mysql Workbench

2. Everything is running but my messages in discord dont go ingame and my messages ingame dont go to discord

You might have set up more than 1 mysql database and discord and ark are talking to 2 different places, double check these match.

3. How do i set up the colors?

Colors are in RGBA% format, so "1,0,0,0" = "100%, 0%, 0%, 0%" = "255, 0, 0, 100%" = Red The 4th number is transparency

4. What order does the config look at Admin, Everyone, SteamIds, TribeIds, Permissions?

Great question, we check Admin, SteamIds, Permissions, TribeIds, Everyone

5. Whats a ServerKey,Label?

The ServerKey is used internally to uniquely identify each map, it defaults to the mapname like "Aberration_P"

You can overwrite this if you have more than 1 of the same map by adding "ServerKey": "Ab2", into the 2nd ab maps config

The Label is what is shown to players and in discord for the map name, this can be short name or just chopping off the _P or whatever you want.

6. How do icons work?

If any of the options in the Icons section match you get that icon, if not you get the maps DefaultIcon, if thats empty you get no icon