What is VDM?
Vehicle Deathmatch (VDM) refers to the act of using a vehicle as a weapon to intentionally ram, kill, or injure other players without proper roleplay justification. In FiveM roleplay servers, VDM violates fundamental server rules and disrupts the roleplay experience players seek.
Why VDM Matters
Roleplay servers operate on the principle of realistic interaction. When a player deliberately rams their vehicle into others without roleplay context, it:
- Breaks immersion for all participants
- Prevents meaningful story development
- Creates unfair gameplay advantages
- Leads to player frustration and server population decline
Common VDM Scenarios
Clear VDM Violations:
- Driving onto sidewalks to hit pedestrians
- Ramming stationary vehicles at traffic lights
- Using vehicles to block hospital entrances
- Intentionally causing head-on collisions
Gray Areas Requiring Context:
- Police pit maneuvers during pursuits
- Gang-related vehicle attacks with prior roleplay
- Accidental collisions during races
- Emergency vehicle responses
Technical Implementation: Anti-VDM Systems
Server-Side Detection Script
-- resources/anti-vdm/server.lua
local vdmWarnings = {}
local VDM_THRESHOLD = 3
local DAMAGE_THRESHOLD = 50
RegisterServerEvent('vdm:checkCollision')
AddEventHandler('vdm:checkCollision', function(targetId, damage, speed)
local source = source
-- Validate input
if not targetId or not damage or not speed then return end
-- Check if damage and speed exceed thresholds
if damage > DAMAGE_THRESHOLD and speed > 30 then
local identifier = GetPlayerIdentifier(source, 0)
-- Initialize warning count
if not vdmWarnings[identifier] then
vdmWarnings[identifier] = 0
end
vdmWarnings[identifier] = vdmWarnings[identifier] + 1
-- Log incident
local logData = {
attacker = GetPlayerName(source),
victim = GetPlayerName(targetId),
damage = damage,
speed = speed,
timestamp = os.time()
}
TriggerEvent('vdm:logIncident', logData)
-- Take action based on warnings
if vdmWarnings[identifier] >= VDM_THRESHOLD then
DropPlayer(source, 'Kicked for VDM violations')
vdmWarnings[identifier] = 0
else
TriggerClientEvent('chat:addMessage', source, {
args = {'^1[WARNING]', 'VDM detected. Warning ' ..
vdmWarnings[identifier] .. '/' .. VDM_THRESHOLD}
})
end
end
end)
Client-Side Monitoring
-- resources/anti-vdm/client.lua
local lastCollision = 0
local COLLISION_COOLDOWN = 5000 -- 5 seconds
Citizen.CreateThread(function()
while true do
Citizen.Wait(0)
local playerPed = PlayerPedId()
if IsPedInAnyVehicle(playerPed, false) then
local vehicle = GetVehiclePedIsIn(playerPed, false)
if GetPedInVehicleSeat(vehicle, -1) == playerPed then
if HasEntityCollidedWithAnything(vehicle) then
local currentTime = GetGameTimer()
if currentTime - lastCollision > COLLISION_COOLDOWN then
local speed = GetEntitySpeed(vehicle) * 3.6 -- Convert to km/h
-- Check for pedestrian collision
local coords = GetEntityCoords(vehicle)
local closestPed = GetClosestPed(coords.x, coords.y, coords.z,
5.0, 1, 0, 0, 0, -1)
if DoesEntityExist(closestPed) and IsEntityAPed(closestPed) then
local targetPlayer = NetworkGetPlayerIndexFromPed(closestPed)
if targetPlayer ~= -1 then
local damage = GetEntityHealth(closestPed)
TriggerServerEvent('vdm:checkCollision',
GetPlayerServerId(targetPlayer),
damage, speed)
end
end
lastCollision = currentTime
end
end
end
end
end
end)
Server Configuration
FiveM server.cfg additions:
# Anti-VDM Configuration set vdm_enabled true set vdm_max_warnings 3 set vdm_damage_threshold 50 set vdm_speed_threshold 30 set vdm_log_incidents true set vdm_webhook "https://discord.com/api/webhooks/YOUR_WEBHOOK_HERE" # Ensure anti-vdm resource starts ensure anti-vdm
Best Practices for Server Administrators
1. Clear Rule Definition
Create specific VDM rules in your server documentation:
Rule 2.1 - Vehicle Deathmatch (VDM) - Using any vehicle as a weapon is prohibited - Exceptions: Authorized police tactics, sanctioned events - Punishment: 1st offense - Warning, 2nd - 24h ban, 3rd - Permanent ban
2. Staff Training Protocol
Train moderators to identify VDM:
- Review damage logs
- Check player speed at impact
- Verify roleplay context exists
- Document evidence (clips, screenshots)
3. Player Reporting System
-- Simple reporting command
RegisterCommand('reportvdm', function(source, args, rawCommand)
local targetId = tonumber(args[1])
local reason = table.concat(args, ' ', 2)
if not targetId or not reason then
TriggerClientEvent('chat:addMessage', source, {
args = {'^1[ERROR]', 'Usage: /reportvdm [player_id] [reason]'}
})
return
end
-- Create report ticket
local report = {
reporter = GetPlayerName(source),
reported = GetPlayerName(targetId),
reason = reason,
timestamp = os.date('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S'),
status = 'pending'
}
-- Store in database or send to Discord
TriggerEvent('vdm:createReport', report)
end, false)
Common Implementation Challenges
False Positives
- Lag-induced collision detection
- Desync between players
- Legitimate accidents
Solution: Implement grace periods and context checking:
-- Check if players are in active scenario local function isInActiveRP(playerId) -- Check database for active scenarios -- Return true if player is in police chase, race, etc. end
Performance Impact
Monitor script resource usage:
-- Add to fxmanifest.lua resource_monitor_mode 'yes'
Integration with Popular Frameworks
ESX Framework
ESX = nil
TriggerEvent('esx:getSharedObject', function(obj) ESX = obj end)
-- Add VDM violations to player record
RegisterServerEvent('vdm:recordViolation')
AddEventHandler('vdm:recordViolation', function(targetId)
local xPlayer = ESX.GetPlayerFromId(source)
MySQL.Async.execute('INSERT INTO vdm_violations SET identifier = @identifier, timestamp = @timestamp',
{
['@identifier'] = xPlayer.identifier,
['@timestamp'] = os.time()
})
end)
QBCore Framework
local QBCore = exports['qb-core']:GetCoreObject()
-- Integration with admin menu
QBCore.Commands.Add('checkvdm', 'Check player VDM history', {{name = 'id', help = 'Player ID'}}, true, function(source, args)
local Player = QBCore.Functions.GetPlayer(tonumber(args[1]))
if Player then
-- Fetch VDM history
MySQL.Async.fetchAll('SELECT * FROM vdm_logs WHERE citizenid = @citizenid', {
['@citizenid'] = Player.PlayerData.citizenid
}, function(result)
TriggerClientEvent('qb-admin:client:showVDMHistory', source, result)
end)
end
end, 'admin')
Testing Your Anti-VDM System
Automated Test Suite
-- tests/vdm_test.lua
local function testVDMDetection()
-- Simulate collision event
local mockData = {
attacker = 1,
victim = 2,
damage = 75,
speed = 45
}
TriggerEvent('vdm:checkCollision', mockData.victim, mockData.damage, mockData.speed)
-- Verify warning was issued
-- Check if log was created
-- Confirm webhook was triggered
end
Performance Metrics
Track system effectiveness:
-- Database schema CREATE TABLE vdm_metrics ( id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY, date DATE, total_incidents INT, warnings_issued INT, players_kicked INT, false_positives INT );
Conclusion
VDM prevention requires technical implementation, clear rules, and consistent enforcement to maintain quality roleplay environments in FiveM servers.