diff -Nurd -Xfreeciv/diff_ignore freeciv/server/stdinhand.c nov30+spyoncmds/server/stdinhand.c
--- freeciv/server/stdinhand.c	Sat Dec  1 00:34:24 2001
+++ nov30+spyoncmds/server/stdinhand.c	Sat Dec  1 00:34:50 2001
@@ -1167,7 +1167,7 @@
       )
   },
 
-  {"endgame",	ALLOW_CTRL,
+  {"endgame",	ALLOW_HACK,
    "endgame",
    N_("End the game."),
    N_("This command ends the game immediately.")
@@ -1176,8 +1176,12 @@
    /* TRANS: translate text between <> only */
    N_("remove <player-name>"),
    N_("Fully remove player from game."),
+   /*
    N_("This *completely* removes a player from the game, including "
       "all cities and units etc.  Use with care!")
+    */
+   /* note: cannot be used once game has started due to problems with
+      player renumbering - make it ALLOW_HACK once this is repaired - rp */
   },
   {"save",	ALLOW_HACK,
    /* TRANS: translate text between <> only */
@@ -1483,8 +1487,6 @@
   if (send_server_info_to_metaserver(1,0)) {
     notify_player(0, _("Open metaserver connection to [%s]."),
 		  meta_addr_port());
-    cmd_reply(CMD_METACONN, caller, C_OK,
-	      _("Metaserver connection opened."));
   }
 }
 
@@ -1497,8 +1499,6 @@
     server_close_udp();
     notify_player(0, _("Close metaserver connection to [%s]."),
 		  meta_addr_port());
-    cmd_reply(CMD_METACONN, caller, C_OK,
-	      _("Metaserver connection closed."));
   }
 }
 
@@ -1550,8 +1550,6 @@
   } else {
     notify_player(0, _("Metaserver infostring set to '%s'."),
 		  srvarg.metaserver_info_line);
-    cmd_reply(CMD_METAINFO, caller, C_OK,
-	      _("Metaserver info string set."));
   }
 }
 
@@ -1567,8 +1565,6 @@
 
   notify_player(0, _("Metaserver is now [%s]."),
 		meta_addr_port());
-  cmd_reply(CMD_METASERVER, caller, C_OK,
-	    _("Metaserver address set."));
 }
 
 /***************************************************************
@@ -1661,8 +1657,6 @@
   pplayer->ai.control = !pplayer->ai.control;
   if (pplayer->ai.control) {
     notify_player(0, _("Game: %s is now AI-controlled."), pplayer->name);
-    cmd_reply(CMD_AITOGGLE, caller, C_OK,
-	      _("%s is now under AI control."), pplayer->name);
     if (pplayer->ai.skill_level==0) {
       pplayer->ai.skill_level = game.skill_level;
     }
@@ -1680,8 +1674,6 @@
       assess_danger_player(pplayer);
   } else {
     notify_player(0, _("Game: %s is now human."), pplayer->name);
-    cmd_reply(CMD_AITOGGLE, caller, C_OK,
-	      _("%s is now under human control."), pplayer->name);
 
     /* because the hard AI `cheats' with government rates but humans shouldn't */
     if (!game.is_new_game) {
@@ -1761,8 +1753,6 @@
 
   pplayer->ai.control = 1;
   set_ai_level_directer(pplayer, game.skill_level);
-  cmd_reply(CMD_CREATE, caller, C_OK,
-	    _("Created new AI player: %s."), pplayer->name);
 }
 
 
@@ -1792,8 +1782,6 @@
   sz_strlcpy(name, pplayer->name);
   server_remove_player(pplayer);
   if (caller==NULL || caller->used) {     /* may have removed self */
-    cmd_reply(CMD_REMOVE, caller, C_OK,
-	      _("Removed player %s from the game."), name);
   }
 }
 
@@ -2459,8 +2447,8 @@
   if (pplayer) {
     if (pplayer->ai.control) {
       set_ai_level_directer(pplayer, level);
-      cmd_reply(cmd, caller, C_OK,
-		_("%s is now %s."), pplayer->name, name_of_skill_level(level));
+      notify_player(0, _("Game: Player '%s' now has skill level '%s'."),
+		pplayer->name, name_of_skill_level(level));
     } else {
       cmd_reply(cmd, caller, C_FAIL,
 		_("%s is not controlled by the AI."), pplayer->name);
@@ -2470,12 +2458,10 @@
       pplayer = get_player(i);
       if (pplayer->ai.control) {
 	set_ai_level_directer(pplayer, level);
-	cmd_reply(cmd, caller, C_OK,
-		  _("%s is now %s."), pplayer->name, name_of_skill_level(level));
       }
     }
-    cmd_reply(cmd, caller, C_OK,
-	      _("Setting game.skill_level to %d."), level);
+    notify_player(0, _("Game: AI players now have skill level '%s'."),
+		name_of_skill_level(level));
     game.skill_level = level;
   } else {
     cmd_reply_no_such_player(cmd, caller, name, match_result);
@@ -2668,11 +2654,9 @@
       char *reject_message = NULL;
       if (!settings[cmd].func_change || settings[cmd].func_change(val, &reject_message)) {
 	*(op->value) = val;
-	cmd_reply(CMD_SET, caller, C_OK, _("Option: %s has been set to %d."), 
-		  settings[cmd].name, val);
-	if (sset_is_to_client(cmd)) {
-	  notify_player(0, _("Option: %s has been set to %d."), 
+	notify_player(0, _("Option: %s has been set to %d."), 
 			settings[cmd].name, val);
+	if (sset_is_to_client(cmd)) {
 	  /* canonify map generator settings( all of which are int ) */
 	  adjust_terrain_param();
 	  /* send any modified game parameters to the clients --
@@ -2697,9 +2681,6 @@
       if (!settings[cmd].func_change_s
 	  || settings[cmd].func_change_s(arg, &reject_message)) {
 	strcpy(op->svalue, arg);
-	cmd_reply(CMD_SET, caller, C_OK,
-		  _("Option: %s has been set to \"%s\"."),
-		  op->name, op->svalue);
 	if (sset_is_to_client(cmd)) {
 	  notify_player(0, _("Option: %s has been set to \"%s\"."), 
 			op->name, op->svalue);
@@ -2743,7 +2724,7 @@
   Handle "command input", which could really come from stdin on console,
   or from client chat command, or read from file with -r, etc.
   caller==NULL means console, str is the input, which may optionally
-  start with SERVER_COMMAND_PREFIX character.
+  start with SERVER_COMMAND_PREFIX character
 **************************************************************************/
 void handle_stdin_input(struct connection *caller, char *str)
 {
@@ -2813,6 +2794,18 @@
   i=strlen(arg)-1;
   while(i>0 && isspace(arg[i]))
     arg[i--]='\0';
+
+
+  if (commands[cmd].level > ALLOW_INFO) {
+    /*
+     * this command will affect the game - inform all players
+     *
+     * use command,args instead of str because of the trailing
+     * newline in str when it comes from the server command line
+     */
+    notify_player(0, "%s: '%s %s'",
+      caller ? caller->name : "(server prompt)", command, arg);
+  }
 
   switch(cmd) {
   case CMD_REMOVE: