Soft Nick Tracking & Alias Prevention (Anti-Unnamed, Admin-Friendly)

[tibazera]

Introduce a soft identity tracking system to mvdsv that records nickname changes per session, adds cooldown logic, and provides admins with better visibility of player aliases — without forcing fixed nicknames or authentication.

The goal is to reduce “Unnamed” behavior and nickname abuse while preserving QuakeWorld’s flexibility and culture.

Problem

Nickname changing is often used to:

Hide player identity

Confuse opponents and spectators

Evade admin monitoring

Abuse combat situations (nick swap after key frags)

Current mvdsv behavior allows unlimited nickname changes with no context or traceability, making moderation difficult and unreliable.

Hard solutions (forced authentication or fixed nicknames) are often rejected by the community and reduce casual player retention.

Proposed Solution

Implement a Soft Nick Tracking System that:

Logs nickname changes per connection/session

Applies non-punitive cooldowns

Exposes alias information only to admins

Adds optional demo (MVD) metadata support

This system assists admins instead of enforcing strict identity control.

Key Features

1. Session Identity (Internal Only)

On client connect, generate a temporary Session ID using a combination of:

IP + port

Client GUID (if available)

Initial userinfo hash

This ID is:

Invisible to players

Reset on disconnect

Used only for correlation/logging

2. Nickname History Tracking

Maintain an ordered nickname history per session:

Jonas (join)
James (03:12)
Mike (03:17)

Each change is timestamped and stored internally.

3. Controlled Nick Change Logic

Nick changes are allowed, but regulated:

First change: allowed

Second change: allowed with warning + cooldown

Further attempts:

Player can revert to a previous nickname

Or wait until cooldown expires

Example server message:

“Nick change detected. To avoid confusion, please wait 5 minutes or revert to a previous nickname.”

Cooldown duration should be configurable.

4. Admin Alias Visibility

Introduce admin-only commands:

/whois

Output:

Current nick: James
Session aliases: Jonas → James
Connected time: 14m

This allows admins to quickly identify nickname abuse patterns.

5. Soft Suspicion Flag (Optional)

Track nickname behavior heuristics:

Frequency of nick changes

Nick changes during combat

Nick changes shortly after frags

Generate a soft suspicion score:

NickBehaviorScore: 3/10

No automatic penalties — score is for admin awareness only.

6. MVD / Demo Integration (Optional)

Embed nickname history into MVD demos:

Header metadata:

NickHistory: Jonas | James

Or timeline events:

nick_change Jonas -> James @03:12

This improves demo review, casting, and post-match analysis.

7. Optional Public Transparency (Configurable)

Server cvar:

sv_nicktrack_public 0/1

If enabled, scoreboard may display:

James (aka Jonas)

Disabled by default.

Configuration (Suggested CVARs)
sv_nicktrack_enable 1
sv_nicktrack_cooldown 300
sv_nicktrack_max_changes 2
sv_nicktrack_public 0
sv_nicktrack_log 1

Benefits

Reduces Unnamed behavior without bans or forced auth

Preserves QuakeWorld’s open nickname culture

Improves admin moderation accuracy

Enhances demo clarity

Minimal impact on casual players

Non-Goals

No permanent identity enforcement

No mandatory authentication

No automatic punishments

No public shaming or exposure by default

Compatibility

Backward compatible

Can be disabled entirely via cvar

Designed to coexist with Authenticate and existing admin tools

Conclusion

This proposal provides a balanced, soft-control solution to a long-standing QuakeWorld issue.
It improves transparency and moderation without compromising player freedom or server accessibility.