Oups. Didn't really think about that aspect,
I just thought I'd show what I thought of as acceptable (as in not disruptive) modifications.
But your absolutely right, of course. Thanks!

Well - the example setups make the server behave 100% regularly per default,
just that with something like @fraglimit 25 a master player can make the game end then,
or with @noquad 1 make the quaddamage not spawn on the next match, say, metl4 in ffa/default.
Or because you want more time on the next capture map than just 15 minutes, you might say @timelimit 20 and start your match with as much time as you find necessary (I believe I capped it at 1 day though - LOL - and server empties will leave you a grace period to reconnect ... but then it'll reset to sane defaults again).

Also: for info like "Why is this server in MM:2 (LOCKED)!?" ...
with @MOTD "This Is A Tournament" the MOTD can reflect it for while the server doesn't do an auto-reset to sane defaults (upon server empty and grace period elapsed).

There's a rather fuzzy margin between what is allowed to be done on servers connecting to the (official) public network .. and what's frowned upon.
In this case I just wanted to upload some modding fun and emphasize the constraints a serious mod should impose upon itself (e.g. don't mess up the game you're lucky to've found allowing you this fun).

TC is actually in regular contact with eihrul about their servers (and all the code used) and have "special dispensation".

The point is that if you're just budding into modding sauerbraten you should be extra careful not to get off on a bad start by making the community angry at you messing up games just because you took your "crazy code change" online.

As far as I know, the line is "doesn't affect gameplay". If you cross that (e.g. make ammo unlimited), then that's when you have to stop using the main master server.

Though the mod in this particular mode is kind of straddling the line... The only thing that'd really affect gameplay (in my mind) would be the Quad on/off option. Everything else is really more like administration.

..because it was a time I was still exploring different aspects of the code and .. then .. apparently was focused on the server-side of things. On the one hand I was contemplating how and what to give in to the hands of the person actually running the server - but on the other hand I was thinking about augmenting the master-player system - I never pursued this (in this form) though beyond what you have here :-P

... there is only sanctioned beta-testing.
You can create a MOD (not using the regular network) - if it convinces eihrul or Aardappel then they might give you similar dispensation as The Conquerors got ... but there's no gray-zone really ... only non-modded servers are allowed on the masterserver, registering there is a privilege, not a right.

Is the code for the master server available anywhere? I've been thinking about setting up a mod-oriented master server somewhere...

.. there's been this perl script around for a while now available from Hungerburg .. it is not what the official masterserver is running. That seems to be closed source, AFAIK it's a servlet itself (meaning Java). Also there is a masterserver written for the Micro$oft side of the PC world - it's available from AssaultCube-CVS.

HTH

This MOD is hopelessly outdated ..
.. but the source-patches are there, so you could import (with a lot of manual work!) and re-compile yourself ;-)
Since this didn't have a lot of response when I published it I've actually dropped development of this.

how do i do that?

WIKI:modding guide

read my previous comment ...