diff --git a/src/component/string.cpp b/src/component/string.cpp
index 00fda69..4fd7744 100644
--- a/src/component/string.cpp
+++ b/src/component/string.cpp
@@ -3,10 +3,159 @@
 
 #include "gsc.hpp"
 
+// lua/lstrlib.c
+#define MAX_FORMAT	32
+#define L_FMTFLAGSF	"-+#0 "
+#define L_FMTFLAGSX	"-#0"
+#define L_FMTFLAGSI	"-+0 "
+#define L_FMTFLAGSU	"-0"
+#define L_FMTFLAGSC	"-"
+
 #include <utils/string.hpp>
 
 namespace string
 {
+	namespace
+	{
+		// lua/lstrlib.c
+		const char* getformat(const char* strfrmt, char* form)
+		{
+			const auto len = std::strspn(strfrmt, L_FMTFLAGSF "123456789.") + 1;
+			if (len >= MAX_FORMAT - 10)
+			{
+				throw std::runtime_error("invalid format (too long)");
+			}
+
+			*(form++) = '%';
+			std::memcpy(form, strfrmt, len * sizeof(char));
+			*(form + len) = '\0';
+			return strfrmt + len - 1;
+		}
+
+		// lua/lstrlib.c
+		const char* get_2_digits(const char* s)
+		{
+			if (isdigit(static_cast<unsigned char>(*s)))
+			{
+				s++;
+				if (isdigit(static_cast<unsigned char>(*s)))
+				{
+					s++;
+				}
+			}
+
+			return s;
+		}
+
+		// lua/lstrlib.c
+		void check_format(const char* form, const char* flags, int precision)
+		{
+			const char* spec = form + 1;
+			spec += std::strspn(spec, flags);
+			if (*spec != '0')
+			{
+				spec = get_2_digits(spec);
+				if (*spec == '.' && precision)
+				{
+					spec++;
+					spec = get_2_digits(spec);
+				}
+			}
+			if (!std::isalpha(static_cast<unsigned char>(*spec)))
+			{
+				throw std::runtime_error(utils::string::va("invalid conversion specification: '%s'", form));
+			}
+		}
+
+		// partially lua/lstrlib.c
+		std::string format_string(const gsc::function_args& args)
+		{
+			std::string buffer{};
+			size_t va_index = 1;
+
+			const auto fmt = args[0].as<std::string>();
+
+			const char* strfrmt = fmt.data();
+			const char* strfrmt_end = strfrmt + fmt.size();
+
+			while (strfrmt < strfrmt_end)
+			{
+				if (*strfrmt != '%')
+				{
+					buffer.push_back(*strfrmt++);
+				}
+				else if (*++strfrmt == '%')
+				{
+					buffer.push_back(*strfrmt++);
+				}
+				else
+				{
+					char form[MAX_FORMAT]{};
+					const char* flags = "";
+					strfrmt = getformat(strfrmt, form);
+
+					switch (*strfrmt++)
+					{
+					case 'd':
+					case 'i':
+						flags = L_FMTFLAGSI;
+						goto intcase;
+					case 'u':
+					case 'p':
+						flags = L_FMTFLAGSU;
+						goto intcase;
+					case 'o':
+					case 'x':
+					case 'X':
+						flags = L_FMTFLAGSX;
+					intcase:
+						{
+							check_format(form, flags, 1);
+							const auto value = args[va_index].as<int>();
+							buffer.append(utils::string::va(form, value));
+							va_index++;
+							break;
+						}
+					case 'f':
+					case 'F':
+					case 'e':
+					case 'E':
+					case 'g':
+					case 'G':
+					{
+						check_format(form, L_FMTFLAGSF, 1);
+						const auto value = args[va_index].as<float>();
+						buffer.append(utils::string::va(form, value));
+						va_index++;
+						break;
+					}
+					case 'c':
+					{
+						const auto value = args[va_index].as<int>();
+						check_format(form, L_FMTFLAGSC, 0);
+						buffer.append(utils::string::va(form, static_cast<char>(value)));
+						va_index++;
+						break;
+					}
+					case 's':
+					{
+						const auto str = args[va_index].as<std::string>();
+						buffer.append(str);
+						va_index++;
+						break;
+					}
+					default:
+					{
+						throw std::runtime_error(utils::string::va("invalid conversion '%s' to 'format'", form));
+					}
+					}
+				}
+			}
+
+			return buffer;
+		}
+	}
+
 	class component final : public component_interface
 	{
 	public:
@@ -34,6 +183,14 @@ namespace string
 				const auto char_ = static_cast<char>(args[0].as<int>());
 				return std::string(1, char_);
 			});
+
+			gsc::function::add("parsehex", [](const gsc::function_args& args)
+			{
+				const auto str = args[0].as<std::string>();
+				return static_cast<unsigned int>(std::strtoul(str.data(), nullptr, 0x10));
+			});
+
+			gsc::function::add("string_format", format_string);
 		}
 	};
 }
diff --git a/src/component/userinfo.cpp b/src/component/userinfo.cpp
index 402970f..3d0442f 100644
--- a/src/component/userinfo.cpp
+++ b/src/component/userinfo.cpp
@@ -72,6 +72,19 @@ namespace userinfo
 		{
 			userinfo_overrides[client].clear();
 		}
+
+		void* client_connect_stub(int client_num, int script_pers_id)
+		{
+			const auto res = utils::hook::invoke<void*>(0x4FAFB0, client_num, script_pers_id);
+
+			if (res == nullptr)
+			{
+				const scripting::entity player = game::Scr_GetEntityId(client_num, 0);
+				scripting::notify(*game::levelEntityId, "direct_connect", {player});
+			}
+
+			return res;
+		}
 	}
 
 	void clear_overrides()
@@ -88,6 +101,7 @@ namespace userinfo
 		void on_startup([[maybe_unused]] plugin::plugin* plugin) override
 		{
 			sv_getuserinfo_hook.create(0x573E00, sv_getuserinfo_stub);
+			utils::hook::call(0x573042, client_connect_stub);
 
 			plugin->get_interface()->callbacks()->on_player_connect(clear_client_overrides);
 			plugin->get_interface()->callbacks()->on_player_disconnect(clear_client_overrides);