adskdev/random_asylum_addon

Purpose and Runtime

Random Asylum is a server-hosted Garry’s Mod gamemode focused on timed, round-based deathmatch where players receive random scripted weapons (SWEPs) whenever they spawn. It runs in Garry’s Mod’s Lua gamemode lifecycle, with separate server, client, and shared loading paths.

Entry metadata and gamemode registration are in:

• addon.json

• gamemodes/randomasylum/randomasylum.txt

• gamemodes/randomasylum/gamemode/shared.lua

Bootstrap and Realm Separation

The gamemode’s load boundary follows Garry’s Mod conventions: server initialization establishes authoritative gameplay logic, client initialization loads presentation code, and shared definitions bridge both realms.

• Server bootstrap: gamemodes/randomasylum/gamemode/init.lua

• Client bootstrap: gamemodes/randomasylum/gamemode/cl_init.lua

• Shared gamemode definition: gamemodes/randomasylum/gamemode/shared.lua

This separation is central: rounds, spawning, weapon assignment, and player state are server-authoritative; HUD rendering is client-side.

Round Lifecycle Controller

Round management is the primary control-flow coordinator. It governs waiting/start/end transitions, round duration, and minimum-player gating using server-configurable ConVars. At round completion it initiates map voting rather than implementing map selection internally.

• gamemodes/randomasylum/gamemode/round_management.lua

• gamemodes/randomasylum/gamemode/init.lua

Expected flow: server waits for enough players, starts a timed round, tracks its progress, ends the round, presents results, and hands off to MapVote for map transition.

Spawn and Random Weapon Distribution

The weapon subsystem applies the core game rule at player spawn: select eligible SWEPs from the server’s installed weapon collection and grant the configured count. It filters banned utility weapons and conditionally permits admin-only weapons.

• gamemodes/randomasylum/gamemode/weapon_system.lua

• gamemodes/randomasylum/gamemode/init.lua

This is an integration boundary with arbitrary installed SWEP addons: the gamemode consumes their registered weapon definitions but does not own their behavior.

Player State, Statistics, and Appearance

Per-player gameplay state includes round kills and deaths, which feed round results and HUD status. Appearance handling is isolated from combat and provides an admin-controlled model-change command.

• gamemodes/randomasylum/gamemode/player_appearance.lua

• gamemodes/randomasylum/gamemode/round_management.lua

The player model command is an administrative server control path, distinct from automatic spawn/round processing.

Client HUD and Results Presentation

The custom HUD is the client-facing projection of round state: remaining time, active-player information, and end-of-round results. It depends on state replicated or exposed from server-side round management rather than owning game decisions.

• gamemodes/randomasylum/gamemode/hud_system.lua

• gamemodes/randomasylum/gamemode/cl_init.lua

Killfeed behavior is deliberately external; the recommended Advanced Killfeed addon supplies that presentation concern.

External Dependencies and Operations

Garry’s Mod provides the Lua runtime, hooks, player/weapon APIs, ConVars, and networking facilities. The gamemode is distributed as a Steam Workshop addon and expects server operators to configure ConVars via console or server.cfg.

Map rotation depends on the external MapVote addon, invoked automatically after rounds. Optional audio, death-sound, spawn-protection, and killfeed addons augment behavior but are not part of the gamemode’s core architecture.