Player Join Disconnect And AntiStack Lifecycle

Player Join Disconnect And AntiStack Lifecycle

This page maps how a player enters, reconnects, leaves and gets persisted in the Chernarus source mission. It complements Lifecycle wait-chain, AntiStack database extension audit, Networking and public variables and Respawn/death lifecycle.

Scope And Source Files

Source mission: Missions/[55-2hc]warfarev2_073v48co.chernarus.

Area	Source refs
Engine connection hooks	initJIPCompatible.sqf:60-66 registers spawned onPlayerConnected and onPlayerDisconnected handlers.
Client join request	Client/Init/Init_Client.sqf:410-456 sends/retries RequestJoin; :759-760 sends player-object registration; :960-962 sends CLIENT_INIT_READY.
PV registration	Common/Init/Init_PublicVariables.sqf:16 registers RequestJoin; the client HandleSpecial path carries join answers.
Join authorization	Server/PVFunctions/RequestJoin.sqf:10-89 checks stored team, launch-side and AntiStack skill before sending join-answer and storing side.
Connect bookkeeping	Server/Functions/Server_OnPlayerConnected.sqf:41+ creates or updates WFBE_JIP_USER%UID, funds, wfbe_uid and wfbe_teamleader.
Disconnect cleanup	Server/Functions/Server_OnPlayerDisconnected.sqf:31-175 deletes client objects, restores AI/group state, saves funds, clears commander/delegation and writes AntiStack side/score state.
Launch-side raw PV	Server/Module/AntiStack/clientHasConnectedAtLaunch.sqf:1+ records WFBE_PLAYER_%UID_CONNECTED_AT_LAUNCH.
Supply player object list	Server/Module/supplyMission/playerObjectsList.sqf:1-29 maintains WFBE_SE_PLAYERLIST for supply mission lookup; Chernarus source and maintained Vanilla Takistan now keep the update index outside the loop, but disconnect cleanup still does not prune stale rows.
AFK intersection	Client/FSM/updateclient.sqf:28-31,117-160, Client/Module/AFKkick/monitorAFK.sqf:24-30, Client/Module/AFKkick/handleKeys.sqf:11-15, Server/Module/afkKick/initAFKkickHandler.sqf:9-12, BattlEyeFilter/publicvariable.txt:1-2.

Identity Model

The audited server paths use UID as the durable key, player/group objects as the live team ownership surface, and owner IDs for targeted replies/locality. Player names are log labels, not authority keys, and no profileName use was found in the scoped lifecycle paths.

Identity key	Main use	Source evidence
UID	JIP records, previous side, funds, disconnect persistence, AntiStack score/list storage.	Server_OnPlayerConnected.sqf:27,42,65,70,79,93,101; Server_OnPlayerDisconnected.sqf:39,48,125,128,129,133,157,164,170,174,175
Group/object	Team leader ownership, object cleanup, commander/delegation cleanup and special-request context.	Server_OnPlayerConnected.sqf:45,56,64-66; Server_OnPlayerDisconnected.sqf:32,45,57,68,79,93,102,117,125,128,129
Owner	Targeted ACKs, supply-value replies and locality changes.	clientHasConnectedAtLaunch.sqf:4,15; Server_PV_RequestSupplyValue.sqf:4,8; Server_SetLocalityOwner.sqf:10,13

This is why reconnect hardening should re-check UID and object identity at the point of cleanup, not only at the start of Server_OnPlayerDisconnected.sqf.

Join Paths

The client derives sideJoined from side player early in Client/Init/Init_Client.sqf. If teamswap protection is active and mission time is past the early-launch grace window, the client sends RequestJoin and waits up to repeated 30-second cycles for WFBE_P_CANJOIN.

When the join request path is skipped at launch, the client instead publishes WFBE_CLIENT_HAS_CONNECTED_AT_LAUNCH = player. The server records WFBE_PLAYER_%UID_CONNECTED_AT_LAUNCH = side _player and ACKs the owner with WFBE_P_HAS_CONNECTED_AT_LAUNCH_ACK. The client ACK receiver stores the full public-variable event tuple (_this) into WFBE_P_HAS_CONNECTED_AT_LAUNCH_ACK, not only the boolean payload, so consumers that only need truthiness work but future code should not assume the variable is a plain bool (Client/Module/AntiStack/hasConnectedAtLaunchACK.sqf:1-7).

For JIP/reconnect, Server_OnPlayerConnected.sqf waits for server init, matches groups by UID in playableUnits, assigns wfbe_uid and wfbe_teamleader, and creates or updates the WFBE_JIP_USER%UID session record.

Slot And Side Surfaces

Side identity is split across several layers. Do not treat any one of them as the whole authority model:

Surface	Evidence	Meaning
Playable slots	mission.sqm playable unit blocks.	Engine/editor side selection and slot availability.
Client side cache	Client/Init/Init_Client.sqf:5-9,221-223	The client sets sideJoined / side text from side player.
Server team objects	Server/Init/Init_Server.sqf:465-501	Server groups/teams carry wfbe_side, UID and teamleader state.
Join gate	Server/PVFunctions/RequestJoin.sqf:17-89	Team-swap and AntiStack checks decide accepted side for JIP/reconnect.

Team Identity And Teamswap Guards

RequestJoin.sqf is the main teamswap gate. It checks:

• WFBE_JIP_USER%UID_TEAM_JOINED, which records a previously accepted side.
• WFBE_PLAYER_%UID_CONNECTED_AT_LAUNCH, which records the launch-side signal.
• AntiStack skill data when AntiStack is enabled.

Successful joins store both WFBE_JIP_USER%UID_TEAM_JOINED and STORE_SIDE. The handler is mostly idempotent, but repeated client retries can still duplicate logs and database writes because the server handler does not explicitly de-duplicate in-flight requests.

Disconnect Cleanup

Server_OnPlayerDisconnected.sqf sleeps for 0.5 seconds, then:

• Deletes WFBE_CLIENT_%UID_OBJECTS.
• Finds the player team by wfbe_uid.
• Restores the player unit to the original group if needed.
• Saves funds into WFBE_JIP_USER%UID.
• Clears wfbe_uid and wfbe_teamleader.
• Clears AI delegation and commander state when the disconnecting team owned those roles.
• Stores AntiStack score diff and STORE_SIDE NONE when AntiStack persistence is enabled.

The sleep gives Arma time to settle disconnect state, but it also creates a race window. A fast reconnect for the same UID can overlap with stale cleanup, so future hardening should confirm the team variables still match the disconnecting UID before clearing them.

Commander disconnect is intentionally only a cleanup edge here. The commander ownership, UI reaction and no-auto-reassignment caveat live in Commander/HQ lifecycle.

AntiStack Persistence

AntiStack enabled mode stores join side, samples score frequently, flushes periodically, and persists score diff on disconnect. Disabled mode avoids the score DB save on disconnect, but first-join side-swap protection and launch-side signals still influence join decisions.

Disconnect persistence is currently fire-and-forget: Server_OnPlayerDisconnected.sqf:151-176 calls the DB wrappers but does not act on failure return codes. If the extension is slow, missing or malformed, a disconnect can look clean in mission flow while persistence silently fails.

The periodic player-list flush prefers confirmed join side from WFBE_JIP_USER%UID_TEAM_JOINED. If that does not exist but a launch-side record exists, the current code uses the launch record only as an existence check and sends current side _x, not the stored WFBE_PLAYER_%UID_CONNECTED_AT_LAUNCH value (AntiStack/flushLoop.sqf:32-40). That distinction matters for teamswap/side-audit fixes.

Use AntiStack database extension audit for the wrapper return-shape risks and external A2WaspDatabase dependency. This page owns the lifecycle edges around when those calls happen.

Raw Public Variable Edges

Several lifecycle signals use global variable names rather than UID-scoped variable names:

• WFBE_P_HAS_CONNECTED_AT_LAUNCH_ACK
• WFBE_CLIENT_HAS_CONNECTED_AT_LAUNCH
• WFBE_C_PLAYER_OBJECT
• AFKthresholdExceededName
• CLIENT_INIT_READY

Owner-targeted sends reduce some blast radius, but the names themselves are shared. Future hardening should prefer UID/payload-scoped values where possible and validate sender/player ownership in handlers.

The launch-connect path is especially important because the client publishes a player object through WFBE_CLIENT_HAS_CONNECTED_AT_LAUNCH, and the shipped BattlEye filter only covers kickAFK. Treat launch-side storage as client-pushed until the handler validates sender/UID/side/object consistency.

BattlEye asymmetry is deliberate in the shipped tree: BattlEyeFilter/publicvariable.txt contains only 5 "kickAFK", while AFKthresholdExceededName, WFBE_CLIENT_HAS_CONNECTED_AT_LAUNCH and WFBE_P_HAS_CONNECTED_AT_LAUNCH_ACK are unfiltered mission public variables. Do not describe the included filter as broad lifecycle hardening.

AFK Kick Intersection

AFK enforcement is client-local and currently has two live paths:

• The client FSM path reads WFBE_C_AFK_TIME, whose current Chernarus parameter default is 15 minutes (Rsc/Parameters.hpp:44-48). updateclient.sqf converts it to seconds, marks WASP_AFK, warns players during the final 10 minutes, switches to per-30-second hints while more than 120 seconds remain, then per-tick second hints under 120 seconds. When elapsed inactivity exceeds the threshold it logs locally and publishes kickAFK, which the in-repo BattlEye publicVariable rule is expected to kick (Client/FSM/updateclient.sqf:28-31,117-160; BattlEyeFilter/publicvariable.txt:1-2).
• The older AFKkick module is also started by client init (Init_Client.sqf:256-264). It uses keypresses to reset a minute counter, publishes AFKthresholdExceededName and calls failMission "END1" after WFBE_CO_VAR_AFKkickThreshold = 30 minutes (monitorAFK.sqf:19-30). The server handler only logs the reported name (initAFKkickHandler.sqf:9-12).

For public hosting, treat AFK as client UX plus BattlEye/logging signals, not a fully server-authoritative enforcement model. The dual-path shape is also a maintenance risk: future cleanup should decide whether the old AFKthresholdExceededName/failMission path is still wanted or whether the BattlEye kickAFK path should be the single owner.

Patch-Ready Findings

Finding	Evidence	Patch shape
WFBE_SE_PLAYERLIST update index bug	Source Chernarus and maintained Vanilla Takistan now have _i = 0 before the loop at playerObjectsList.sqf:17.	Source and maintained Vanilla propagated; smoke reconnect/JIP replacement. Disconnect removal/update behavior for stale UID rows remains patch-ready.
Disconnect delete-then-setPos contradiction	Server_OnPlayerDisconnected.sqf:102 deletes _old_unit; :122 later calls _old_unit setPos.	Decide whether the unit should be deleted or relocated, then keep only one behavior. Verify in RPT because deleted-object setPos behavior may be engine-sensitive.
Stale supply player rows	playerObjectsList.sqf:31-35 appends when no valid match updates; Server_OnPlayerDisconnected.sqf does not remove WFBE_SE_PLAYERLIST rows.	Add UID-based disconnect cleanup and ignore/null-prune stale object refs before supply completion lookup.
Stale disconnect cleanup race	Server_OnPlayerDisconnected.sqf:128-129 clears wfbe_uid / wfbe_teamleader after a 0.5-second delay.	Before clearing, confirm the variables still match the disconnecting UID and old player object.
Raw lifecycle ACK names are global	Lifecycle ACK/request names above are not UID-scoped.	Use payload arrays or UID-scoped state; validate owner/player when Arma 2 OA gives enough context.
Launch ACK stores the event tuple	hasConnectedAtLaunchACK.sqf:4-6 assigns _this to WFBE_P_HAS_CONNECTED_AT_LAUNCH_ACK, while clientHasConnectedAtLaunch.sqf:13-15 publishes boolean true as the payload.	Normalize the ACK receiver to _this select 1 or document tuple truthiness wherever it is consumed.
Join and launch ACK retries are unbounded	Init_Client.sqf:416-430 resends RequestJoin every 30-second warning cycle until WFBE_P_CANJOIN; :442-456 repeats WFBE_CLIENT_HAS_CONNECTED_AT_LAUNCH until WFBE_P_HAS_CONNECTED_AT_LAUNCH_ACK.	Add bounded retry/backoff and a clear degraded-server message/log path so missing PV handlers do not leave clients in an endless retry loop.
Launch-connect side signal is client-pushed	clientHasConnectedAtLaunch.sqf:1-15 records side from the client-published player object and owner-targets the ACK.	Validate sender/UID/side/object consistency before storing WFBE_PLAYER_%UID_CONNECTED_AT_LAUNCH; log mismatches once per UID.
Player-list flush does not reuse stored launch side	flushLoop.sqf:32-40 sends confirmed WFBE_JIP_USER%UID_TEAM_JOINED when present, otherwise checks for a launch record and sends current side _x.	Decide whether the DB player list should represent confirmed accepted side, current engine side or stored launch side, then make the fallback explicit.
AntiStack disconnect writes are unchecked	Server_OnPlayerDisconnected.sqf:151-176 calls store-side/score wrappers and ignores return codes.	Log failures, consider one bounded retry and expose degraded persistence in the AntiStack audit/performance state.
AFK has two active client-local enforcement paths	Init_Client.sqf:256-264 starts the older monitorAFK.sqf path, while updateclient.sqf:28-31,117-160 also runs the parameterized kickAFK BattlEye path.	Pick one canonical AFK owner or deliberately document the two-stage policy. If keeping both, align thresholds, warning cadence, logging and disconnect validation.
AFK PV trusts a name string	AFKthresholdExceededName carries the client-reported name and kickAFK carries a client-formatted name string.	Send [player, uid, name] or derive from owner where possible; log mismatches rather than trusting the string.

Validation Checklist

• First join with teamswap protection enabled and disabled.
• Launch players on both sides; verify launch-side ACK is owner-specific.
• Temporarily suppress the join/launch server reply in a test copy; verify clients get bounded diagnostics instead of an infinite retry loop.
• Fast disconnect/reconnect with the same UID; confirm no stale cleanup clears the new team record.
• Supply mission player-object list updates the matching UID row after reconnect; stale-entry removal is still a separate hardening task.
• Commander disconnect clears commander state exactly once.
• AntiStack enabled/disabled disconnect paths both avoid wrapper errors.
• AntiStack enabled disconnect path reports DB write failure instead of silently treating it as success.
• Launch-connect spoof attempt with mismatched object/side is ignored and logged.
• AFK timeout logs the correct player and cannot be spoofed by another client.

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