Nepenthe 18-2 ONS Server FAQ

[Flitterkill]

Nepenthe FAQ

 

Welcome to the /-=GC=-/ 18-2 ONS server known as Nepenthe!

 

BASIC STUFF:

 

72.51.60.245

 

18players

2 spectators

 

Ver. 3369

 

No superweapons

ONSPlus

UAdminMod

UTStatsDB (OLStats as serverside package) [http://www.expeditiary.com/nepenthe/index.php] *DOWN*

Sustained pings of 200 and over auto-kicked

 

 

Minimum players=8

Bots are *skilled*

 

Netspeed=10000

Tickrate=30

 

CONTENTS

 

1) What UT2K4 game modes are on here?

2) alt.map?

3) So what are the numbers for Nepenthe?

4) Any other settings?

5) No superweapons? Why? That is teh suckage.

6) What are the specs on the box?

7) What version of the UT server are you running?

8) So why only 18 and 2? With those specs...

9) Minimum players? How many bots? What are they set to?

10) Are there reserve slots?

11) Who are the active server admins?

12) So is /-=GC=-/ a clan? I see that spam about you guys recruiting.

13) So can I recruit for my l33t ONS clan here?

14) Ok, I want to join because...

15) Now that I joined, can I put on the /-=GC=-/ tag

16) My old name won't fit with the /-=GC=-/ tag. Help!

17) What if I just want to play on the TWL league and ladder stuff with you?

18) Hey! I want to be an admin! What do I have to do?

19) If I do all that, can I be an admin?

20) I got banned from the UT servers? Why?

21) What are these standards you keep talking about?

22) Why any of that? You guys are way uptight...

23) I want the ban lifted. Please?

 

 

 

1) What UT2K4 game modes are on here?

 

Strictly ONS, a mix of primarily standard maps and a few alt.maps.

 

2) alt.map?

 

3rd-party maps. You might see beta maps, Limited Edition maps, standard maps remixed, etc. on Nepenthe -/-=GC=-/ tend to prefer medium to large ONS maps with no single node choke point)

 

3) So what are the numbers for Nepenthe?

 

18 players plus 2 spectator slots.

 

4) Any other settings?

 

Yep:

 

No Superweapons

UAdminMod

ONSPlus

UTStatsDB (w/OLStats) *DOWN*

Sustained pings of 200 and over auto-kicked (for more on this - see the stucked post in the forum entitled "So you think you have lag...")

 

5) No superweapons? Why? That is teh suckage.

 

Really? Actually, no, it's not.

 

When someone with no skill can take a redeemer and blow up nodes it prolongs matches that should have been decided (and finished much sooner) based on skill. This is not a point for discussion on this server.

 

 

6) What are the specs on the box?

 

Opteron 285 in Chicago, IL, USA connected to Looking Glass backbone

 

We swing with vipers-servers.com (Hi Tom!) - Let me tell you, it is a pleasure dealing with one guy (and only one guy) - esp. when all he does is UT servers.

 

 

 

7) What version of the UT server are you running?

 

ver. 3369

 

We *had* 3355 on for awhile but like many groups hosting UT ONS servers, we found that on our previous servers there was a approx. 15% bump in cpu usage which gave us a whole lot of lag even at 18 players. So we, like everyone else with a clue (who are running servers larger than 16 players), we reverted to 3339. This is mainly an ONS thing as ONS is so brutal on CPUs that any performance increase you can squeze out is done.

 

The recent (last?) patch to 3369 fixed many small ONS gameplay matters, and as ONSPlus requires it, so to do we now require 3369 client-side.

 

8) So why only 18 and 2? With that hardware can't you make it bigger?

 

26-2 *WAS* our sweet spot. At this point in the UT2K4 life cycle, we are gonna save some dime, hunker down, maybe pickup a few new GC members (like you!) and come out of the gates hard with UT2007. As of August 2006 we are dropping from 26 to 18 players.

 

Naturally, the hardware can easily handle 32 players - we just ain't paying for it

 

 

9) Minimum players? How many bots? What are they set to?

 

Minimum players is 8.

 

Bots are set to *skilled* (which is 4 on an 8 point hardness scale - 8 being godlike)

 

 

10) Are there reserve slots?

 

Yep - /-=GC=-/ members bump out the last to join the server when the server is full. If you play here all the time and don't like getting bumped, joining GC is a way to get a reserve and solve that problem.

 

11) Who are the active server admins?

 

I'm glad you used the word "active". There are many who hold admin status on the UT servers, however, CS:S, WoW, and other games have taken thier toll on the GC UT Ranks but there is conserable new blood in /-=GC=-/ now.

 

I, Flitterkill/-=GC=-/, am the lead server admin in control of server settings, maps, etc. I of course also have admin powers in game.

 

Many other /-=GC=-/ do as well, though not all /-=GC=-/. Remember, we are a coalition of sorts - admin here is also admin on our multiple CS:S servers as well and vice-versa.

 

12) So is /-=GC=-/ a clan? I see that spam about you guys recruiting.

 

We are and yet we are not.

 

The best way to describe GC is more like a club/loose organization. A club that is chiefly concerned with high quality play on public servers in an idiot-free environment. As such, we kick in dime for public servers and then set standards for those servers (as it is our dime)

 

When you join GC, and there are no tryouts or anything, you are joining the overall community which is here to support servers that are conducive to good gaming. In other words, you join to support servers where the smack talk is minimal, in-game names are clean, voice chats are not filled with 14 year olds who learned new words at school, etc.

 

Trust me when I say we are not prudes or all up in the Bible and such (though some are and what's wrong with that? - GC is a very *BIG* and *DIVERSE* community) - in fact, when I teach (Flitterkill is a university professor type person ) I would venture to say that my language does not meet GC standards, but see - that's the point: our standards are in place to ensure that strangers can come online and play the game in a civil and safe environment and enjoy themselves without having to deal with all the above nonsense - and once you stick around and are no longer strangers - do we hunker down and make a private server so we can blither and swear in a jovial manner? No - we keep it going in the publics getting more strangers to become regulars and then members. If we make exceptions for the people we know and GC members, the end result is the same server environment you get anywhere else on the net - people who know each other using pubbers for cannon fodder and insult target practice because its "thier" server - and that's fine - but not us.

 

Servers come, servers go, but the community stays the course and we add (and drop) servers for various game types based upon community needs, wants, and finances. You also have a community of like-minded folks in which to hook up with in other games we don't provide servers for (see WoW, Everquest, etc...)

 

That is what joining GC is about.

 

Out of all of the people registered on the forums, only a fraction have decided to truly join GC. Of that number, only a fraction play UT on a regular basis (most play CounterStrike or other games we don't provide servers for [WoW for ex.])

 

Of *that* fraction, even though we all sport the /-=GC=-/ tag, only a few play on the TWL ladder and league. In fact, we used to be not bad - we peaked at 6th on the ONS ladder twice. Hey now - 5th as of August 2006 (it helps that many of the top flight ONS teams have all but gone...)

 

Being a member of /-=GC=-/ does *not* mean you have to be a part of any of the TWL (or other) activites we participate in. It also does *NOT* preclude you from joining or having a clan of your own.

 

13) So can I recruit for my l33t ONS clan here?

 

Yes, but kinda no, but really yes.

 

We would prefer that you do not overtly recruit pubbers here - we'd rather they join us on our TWL travails!

 

The key word is overtly. If you see someone you'd like to check out, invite them to your own public servers or private servers for a chat. It is considered poor ettiquette to recruit on other people's (read: clans) public servers.

 

However, we really are only a club of sorts which puts us in a grey area. Which is to say that ultimately you can, but we might let you know it is bad ettiqute and even tell you to knock it off if we (/-=GC=-/) are in the server at the time and your recruiting is taking away from game play, etc.

 

Unless...

 

If you *joined* GC, you could recruit to your heart's content! We could even hook you up with your own forum space, etc. Of course, your clan would still need to adhere to general GC guidelines (our standards regarding names, attitude, etc.); but yes, you could recruit all you wanted to. On the CS:S side there are multiple clans that use GC servers as thier base of operations.

 

FYI, regardless of our yes you can, no can't but really you can stance on recruiting here one thing is *not* permissable. Do *NOT* join a game and spam in the text channel that your clan is recruiting. An admin will ask you to stop that and if you persist, enjoy the kicking and or banning that ensues. Spam in-game sucks as much as it does in email, IM, etc. We deal with it accordingly.

 

 

14) Ok, I want to join because I:

a.) want to play on the league/ladder

b.) want a reserve on the servers

c.) I play here all the time, I figure its the least I could do.

 

Great!

 

At the moment GC membership including email, FTP, unlocking the coalition member-only forums, reserves on ALL GC SERVERS (inc. our CS: S ones) and 24/7 access to our private practice/match server Temerity is $50 for one year!

 

Just so you know, its for the best to join the forums, introduce yourself, or at least make yourself known as a regular to the folks swinging the /-=GC=-/ tag before throwing your money down. If you figure joining GC makes it easier to break the server rules regarding language, names, etc. you'd be wrong. As a member you are now a standard bearer for what GC stands for. Get out of line and we will kick/ban you (yes you, GC member) and keep your money! Then again, if you are joining, I doubt it would be to so you could break the rules.

 

Also note that when you wear the /-=GC=-/ tag, you are representing the overall community with your standards of play (I'm not talking ability here). Pubbing in other non-/-=GC=-/ servers is fine, we all do it, but *lots* of folks know us and word will get back to us if someone wearing the tag is behaving in a very non-/-=GC=-/ like manner.

 

15) Now that I joined, can I put on the /-=GC=-/ tag - even if I want nothing to do with the TWL league/ladder stuff?

 

Absolutely - please do! Pubbers see the /-=GC=-/ tag as an indication that decent/good/non-idiot players are in the server, and then they join the servers to play which means when you join a GC server that is empty people will soon be joining you, and then they start coming back, and then they are here all the time, and then they want to join GC, and then they do, and then they wear the tag, which attracts pubbers to the server...

 

16) My old name won't fit with the /-=GC=-/ tag. Help!

 

That is a limitation of the in-game menu system. It appears to have a limit of 24 characters or something like that. Open up your user.ini file and enter the name manually - it will fit fine that way or just hit the tilde key in-game to bring up the console then type in: "setname whateveryouwant" (sans quotes) and you are set.

 

17) What if I just want to play on the TWL league and ladder stuff with you?

 

You still need to join GC. If we approach you on the servers and ask you to hook up with us TWL-wise it is because you:

 

a.) Demonstrated that you at least don't suck, and are actually pretty good at playing ONS (esp. team-wise)

 

b.) Demonstrated through your regular appearance on our servers that you *get* what GC is about, even if you haven't joined yet.

 

We don't have to approach you for you to join GC *and* play in the TWL with us. We try to field our best players in the matches but even if you are teh suckage come practice with us and get better - chances are you will see playing time regardless!

 

18) Hey! I want to be an admin! What do I have to do?

 

a.) Be a regular known to /-=GC=-/ folks on our UT servers

b.) Be consistant in upholding GC standards -

c.) Join the forums and post up once in awhile

d.) *Join* GC!

e.) Be a member of GC for a vague period of time (couple of weeks at least)

 

19) If I do all that, can I be an admin?

Maybe but right now we are kinda set admin-wise - not to mention there are some other folks who have been in the GC UT2K4 community for a long time I would likely approach first...

 

20) I got banned from the UT servers? Why?

 

You violated one, some, or all our standards.

 

Take your pick:

Having an in-game name that is against our standards

Swearing over voice channel

Swearing, racist, etc. chat text

Evading language filters on purpose

Unsportsman-like play

Generally griefing, complaining about non-existant hax, etc.

Impersonating other /-=GC=-/ members

etc.

 

Of course, on top of all the above, you were likely warned repeatedly by the admin to change your ways and either you ignored him or her outright or pushed back thinking that you have the right to do whatever you feel like on a "public" server.

 

Most times you will be warned before you are kicked/banned; occasionally not.

 

 

21) What are these standards you keep talking about?

 

Go here for the overall view.

 

Cliffnotes version:

 

Screen names should not have swear words in them.

Same thing for religious stuff (pro-God, anti-God, pro/anti-any religion)

Same thing for sex stuff.

Same goes for political stuff.

For all the above, goes the same for voice and text chat in-game.

Keep the smack talk to minimum.

And yes, we are aware of the urban dictionary, nice try.

 

 

22) Why any of that? You guys are way uptight...

 

Not really. Trust me. We just realize that when you let that stuff in, it becomes less about the game and more about people blithering about sex, politics, religion, etc. We don't need or want that here. If that's your thing, take it to the other public servers out there. Us? We'd rather be playing the game. If you feel the need to insist on doing any of the above, an admin will be around shortly to kick/ban you from our servers. Keep in mind, we are all adults on this side of the fence and we *CHOOSE* to have these standards - debating us about how UT is a mature-only rated game and that "we aren't all children ya know" will get you no where - look at the *six* (7?) CS:S servers we have going (and trust me, they are really rigid over there rules-wise) - that's a lot of money flowing in to pay for all these servers - we got to be doing something right...

 

Go ahead and read THIS FORUM POST for our GC UT2K4 server standards including gameplay style, etc.

 

23) I want the ban lifted. Please?

 

Read this.

 

Instead of posting in the got banned forums (which are now embedded in the CS:S forums) - just go ahead and plead your case here in the UT pub forum

 

An admin will be around to help you shortly.

 

 

Have fun folks!

 

-Fk

 

FAQ last edited by Flitterkill/-=GC=-/ August 2006