Analytics

Understanding player behavior and server performance is key to growth.

Server Metrics

Key metrics to track for server health:

• Concurrent Players: Peak times and retention.
• Frame Time: Server performance latency (keep under 50ms).
• Error Rate: Script errors per minute.
• Economy Stats: Total cash flow, richest players.

GameEvents

FiveM provides the gameEventTriggered event which captures native game actions (damage, kills, vehicle entry).

AddEventHandler('gameEventTriggered', function(name, args)
    if name == 'CEventNetworkEntityDamage' then
        local victim = args[1]
        local attacker = args[2]
        local isFatal = args[6] == 1
        
        if isFatal then
            print('Kill detected: ' .. victim .. ' killed by ' .. attacker)
            -- Send to analytics endpoint
        end
    end
end)

Sentry (Error Tracking)

Sentry is excellent for tracking Lua errors in real-time.

1. Create Project: Sign up at sentry.io  and create a “Node.js” or “Other” project.
2. Install SDK: Use a resource like sentry-fivem or simple HTTP reporting.
3. Global Error Handler:

-- Client-side error catching
Citizen.CreateThread(function()
    local originalTrace = Citizen.Trace
    Citizen.Trace = function(data)
        if string.match(data, "Error") or string.match(data, "SCRIPT ERROR") then
             TriggerServerEvent('log:sentry', data)
        end
        originalTrace(data)
    end
end)

Plausible (Web Analytics)

For your server’s website or Tebex store, Plausible provides privacy-friendly analytics.

• Lightweight (< 1KB).
• No cookies (GDPR compliant).
• Track conversion rates for whitelist applications.

Custom Logging (Discord/Database)

For gameplay analytics (who robbed the bank, who sold drugs), log to a database or external API, NOT just Discord webhooks.

Why Database?

• Searchable: SQL queries allow you to find patterns.
• Retention: Discord limits message history searchability.
• Visualization: Connect Grafana to your SQL DB to visualize economy inflation.

INSERT INTO analytics_events (event_type, player_id, metadata, created_at) 
VALUES ('robbery_start', 'char:123', '{"bank": "fleeca_01"}', NOW());

Best Practices

• Don’t spam Discord: Webhooks have rate limits. Use a queue system or batch logs.
• Anonymize Data: If sharing stats, hash IPs and identifiers.
• Act on Insights: If analytics show 50% of players quit during the tutorial, fix the tutorial.