Add mod support (eg ISMC) as an option for Sandstorm Server

[0xlord]

User Story

As an upcoming Insurgency Sandstorm server owner, I want to have an option for lgsm to automatically deploy ISMC as a mod onto the gameserver so that installation will be simplified and especially beginner Ins:Sand server owners can set it up more easily. Also ISMC is becoming the driving force for Sandstorm which would solidify Linux with lgsm as a solid decision.

Basic info

• Distro: [Ubuntu 20.04][Debian 9][CentOS 8]
• Game: [Insurgency: Sandstorm]
• Command: Maybe installflag?
• LinuxGSM version: not implemented yet

Further Information

https://insurgencysandstorm.mod.io/ismcmod1
Mods are loaded through mod.io. It would be advisable to have further options for additional mods like Improved AI, server info, and maps:
https://insurgencysandstorm.mod.io/improvedai
https://insurgencysandstorm.mod.io/motdreworked
e.g. https://insurgencysandstorm.mod.io/sultan-of-drugs

Could imagine a config file which gets filled with either workshop or mod.io ids/links for downloading stuff and put onto the server as a complete new feature on supported gameservers.

Further Reading

Anything needed to know for mod installation on Sandstorm is added here: https://insurgencysandstorm.mod.io/guides/ismcmod-installation-guide

The mods/startmap needs to be loaded as startup argument. But this could be done by a config variable which needs to be set. This also could be a vanilla map as an easy default. Admins could change that to mod maps they've added.

A great documentation about how to add maps and include them is given by this map description: https://insurgencysandstorm.mod.io/sultan-of-drugs

Thanks for the work guys, let me know if I can be of any help.

[0xlord]

Somehow the distro:CentOS tag wasn't set But I don't know it it is actually needed though..

[Verstand3n]

I just went through the process of adding ISMC to my freshly installed lgsm INS server:
here is what I had to do:

add Mod.io token to Engine.ini as described here: https://docs.linuxgsm.com/game-servers/insurgency-sandstorm
add Mod.io ID for ISMC Stable (150867) to Mods.txt (also explained in the lgsm docs above)
add ISMC modname (ISMCarmory_legacy) to my startparameters in my instance.cfg at the end:
-mods ModDownloadTravelTo=${defaultmap}?Scenario=${defaultscenario}?Mutators=ISMCarmory_legacy
so the complete line, starting from _default.fg looks like this:
${defaultmap}?Scenario=${defaultscenario}?MaxPlayers=${maxplayers} -Port=${port} -QueryPort=${queryport} -hostname='${servername}' -log -mods ModDownloadTravelTo=${defaultmap}?Scenario=${defaultscenario}?Mutators=ISMCarmory_legacy

The documentation on hosting an ISS server with mods (or any changes for that matter) is not the best and it is not really explained in detail what the parameters do. Best infos I got so far was when talking to an ISS dev on the ISS discord and some ISMC people on their respective discord.
The above startparameters seem to work for me after doing some basic testing.

From my observations on a coop server it seems that only map variants played as security work. trying to confirm that in ISMC discord (/edit: They confirmed it). This took me a while to figure out and seriously sabotaged my testing (server starts with Sec map -> ISMC; mapchange to Insurgents map -> vanilla).
If my obervation is true I would suggest to use a custom MapCycle.txt that only holds Checkpoint_Security map variants if you are running a ISMC coop server like I do. If you have multiple instances you can use the startparameter:
-MapCycle=MyOtherMapCycle
(https://insurgencysandstorm.mod.io/guides/server-admin-guide -> MapCycle)

so hopefully some people can validate my findings and add whats missing.
Next step would be to add the information to the docs.
After the frustration I had with getting this working, looking at what combinations are possible with mods and thinking about how fast information changes for these configs/mods are outdated/broken I am really wondering if it is worth it to invest time into a deployment method for lgsm. especially since once you have the correct information you can deploy your INS ISMC server within a few minutes.

I am now gonna go look at more INS mods on mod.io to go ahead and break my server again :D

[BenColeAu]

Following all of the above I'm having troubles getting my server to run Mods, I cannot see any download on the server side to get the mods to launch