INX game servers blog

The required Team Fortress 2 update is now live.  Please run
hldsupdatetool to receive it.  The specific changes include:

Source Engine:
Improved particle performance on multi-core machines.
Added FOV slider to Options | Video | Advanced for all games (moved
there from TF2’s multiplayer options)
Fixed surround sound initialization problems with new speaker modes
defined in Vista.

Team Fortress 2:
Added Goldrush.
Added Character Info and Loadout to the main menu.
Added 39 Medic achievements.
Added unique Medic items:
- The Blutsaugher, The Kritzkrieg, and The Ubersaw.
Added new attack animations to most melee weapons.
Added new speech for the Heavy and Demoman.
Added Stopwatch mode to Tournament mode.
- Automatically used on Attack/Defense maps.

Teleporter effect no longer shows up on invisible or disguised Spies.
Spies disguised as their own team can now capture control points.
Increased force taken by pipebombs by bullets and explosions
Target ID hud is now colored red or blue to match the spectator target.
Tournament mode no longer ends matches early if the time limit is nearly
up when a new round starts.
Fixed exploit where clients could start benchmark mode on servers.
Fixed drowning exploit that allowed players to regenerate health.
Fixed reload exploit that allowed plays to fire instantly after
switching weapons.
Fixed flamethrower bug where a player flush against a wall couldn’t be
lit on fire from the front.
Fixed invulnerability overlay not drawing if the invuln player was
previously on fire.
Fixed “times used” entry in teleporters maxing out at 32.
Fixed rare client crash on level change during control point capturing.
Minor fix to stat gathering to prevent players using sv_cheats to easily
garner achievements.

For mapmakers:
- Mapmakers can now directly place the tf_gamerules entity into their
map. Fixes Hammer thinking the inputs to it are broken.
- Mapmakers can now place Engineer buildings directly into a map, with
an option for them to be invulnerable.
- Added “AddRedTeamScore” and “AddBlueTeamScore” inputs to
tf_gamerules.
- Added “SetRequiredObserverTarget” input to tf_gamerules. Force
spectators to use the specified viewpoint.

Granary:
- Added setup time logic, and gates to the middle.
- Fixed an overlay alignment bug on one of blue’s gate signs.
- Minor lighting fixes in red/blue spawns.

2Fort:
- Added medium ammo and health to basement hallways.
- Added small ammo and health to top of spiral.
- Fixed a clip brush exploit outside blue sniper deck.
- Fixed number “2″ overlay on front of red base not being assigned to
the brush face.

Jason

The following tutorial will talk you through setting up Fast Downloads through the sv_downloadurl cvar for Counterstrike Source.

I’m assuming already that you have a working knowledge of FTP / adding maps to your game server, and have uploaded any custom maps to your game server, and they’re working ok.

1. Set up web hosting

First, you need to get hold of some web hosting, free or paid. If you are an INX customer, you can currently (as of April 2008 at the time I write this!) set up free web hosting on your control panel.

In this tutorial, I’ll assume you are using our free web hosting.

Connect via FTP to your free web hosting.

Navigate to the public_html folder.

Here we are going to copy exactly, the structure of your game server. You’ll need to create new folders, and subfolders. When you’ve finished, the directory structure should look like this:

public_html
– srcds_l
—-cstrike
——maps

The rest is simple. Upload your custom maps (including all the files that they come with) to your maps folder.

Warning:

If you want to add skins, sounds etc, then these also need uploading, again, using exactly the same structure as your game server.

2. Editing server.cfg

The easiest way to do this is via the file editor on the INX Control Panel.

Go to the file editor, and select to edit server.cfg.

Let’s imagine your free webspace URL is ‘http://mydownloads.inx-gaming.co.uk’. If you have uploaded your folders and files correctly, you should be able to load and see:

mydownloads.inx-gaming.co.uk/srcds_l/cstrike

So, copy and paste the following into server.cfg:

sv_downloadurl “http://mydownloads.inx-gaming.co.uk/cstrike/”
sv_allowupload 1
sv_allowdownload 1

Obviously, substitute in your URL that you’ve setup

Finally, reboot your server!

If you’ve done everything above right, it should work fine.

Are you a current customer? Have any problems? You can contact our support team – http://support.inx-network.com

If you aren’t a customer and would like a game server with fast downloads, then you can order a game server via our website.

www.inx-gaming.co.uk

Enjoy

Well for my first blog I thought I’d start with a contentious issue – Call of Duty 4 Mapping !

The CoD Community has always benefitted from the dedicated individuals willing to make new maps for gamers to play. Way back (as it seems now) at the start of the year the tools were released for CoD4 and immediately there were protests. The beta release to the selected few had been leaked and wasn’t working for many; the official release came out but there were many new mappers eager to get started who didn’t have a clue what to do (and the Wiki wasn’t ready), and, those old time CoDders (like myself) wanted all the old maps reworked for Call of Duty 4.

The eagerness of the new mapping army quickly turned to frustration when it was found that many of the new maps were bug-ridden, not properly tested, had files incorrectly constructed and wouldn’t work with a lot of the mods (such as AWE) giving nasty red screens. Then there was the competition.

Great ! cried all the mappers, eagerly rushing to complete their maps for the 31^st March deadline. The customer face of Infinity Ward – known as “fourzerotwo” – promised “special prizing and opportunities” and there was a plethora of map releases especially right up to the deadline ……. which then came and went and no news from Infinity Ward.

Days went by into April and then …… an announcement ! A Map Pack, downloadable for … XBOX owners ! Uproar followed until finally on 23^rd April Infinity Ward announced – A Mapping Contest ! So what had happened to the original contest ? Well, forgotten apparently. The new contest has just provoked even more uproar as it is divided amongst countries, some of which (like Ireland) apparently can’t even enter the competition. There is so much legal jargon in the T&C’s that mappers don’t even understand what they’re signing up to and a great debate on who actually owns a map that has been developed with tools provided by Infinity Ward.

And yet XBOX owners are happily downloading their extra content (for which they pay) which is producing millions of dollars in revenue and PS3 versions are on the way.

Now given that there are still new maps being made for vanilla CoD, CoD UO and CoD2, now several years after these games were released, you really would think the makers would show a bit more interest in the PC gamers and mappers wouldn’t you ? Oh well, that’s just big business I suppose. Us poor old PC gamers really can’t compete when it comes to consoles can we ? The fact that there’s in excess of 12,000 Call of Duty 4 server for the PC gamers obviously counts for nothing and the likes of INX are wasting their time offering us nice gameservers to play on.

Still, as long as I can still play on a Pavlov map, who cares ? Oh, and the latest competition ? No-one knows the end date so I guess the mappers will be making maps for ever !

- Darkstar

Happy very belated Easter all

I didn’t receive any Easter Eggs this year, I’m far too old for that kind of stuff. Anyone wanting to send some chocolate through to me can do so through our contact page Anything, to get me away from Call of Duty 4. It’s far too addictive

One thing I’ve been thinking about over the Easter break, is how do people choose a game server provider? Back in the day (/me gets out tweed hat and pipe) it was a relatively easy task. When we started five years ago, you had three, perhaps four providers at max to choose from.

As the price to rent dedicated servers has decreased, so has the number of game server hosts. Again, at risk at sounding an old git the first dedicated server we rented was £100 a month, and we paid £100 setup. That was for a Pentium 4 2.4 with 1GB RAM

Many dedicated server providers have in turn, completely ignored that power and space costs are around 5x + what they were 2-3 years ago. But that said, servers are now way more power efficient, so you get more bang for your buck You can now pick a dedicated server 4x as powerful for less than £70 a month. Granted, we don’t rent dedicated servers anymore. In fact, we rent them out to lots of smaller GSP’s and clans. But, basic fact – cheaper dedicated servers = more game server providers!

The majority of game server hosts rent these cheap dedicated servers. Now the hardware itself has to come at a catch right? So very often that dedicated server is no better quality than a cheap desktop stuck in a rack. Stick a copy of Windows XP on it (naughty, naughty) and bang a control panel on.

HAI, I’m A GAME SERVER HOST<3

You then have game server hosts that invest in quality hardware, quality network infrastructure, and try and keep those middle men down.

So, tip #1. Ask your game server host, is your next Call of Duty 4 server going to be hosted off someone’s second hand desktop PC? Or are they running nice business class hardware. While the cheap end makes it easy to host at daft prices (we’ve seen below 50p a slot!), it isn’t going to give you and your clan / community the quality it deserves.

If you go into town, and you want a service, whether it be paying cash in at the bank, getting something horrible removed from your foot at a chiropodist, or chewing on a muffin…in a coffee shop, you know their opening hours, yah?

It’s not like they can shout, “Er hai, eat your muffins 24/7″ and lie about it. Because if you had the hankering at 2am for a chocolate chip, and you found they were closed, they’d get found out.

It’s a lot easier on the internet. I’ve seen web hosts, game server hosts claim the funniest of things.

‘We’re 24/7 because my MSN is signed in all day’ – Erm, come again. My msn is signed in 24/7, but you certainly wouldn’t want to catch me on there before I go to bed.

We’ve seen one-man-bands who go to college / school / work all day claim to be 24/7 -We answer all emails within 24/7′.

Continuing the rather enjoyable food theme of this article, please, don’t be such a donut! That’s not 24/7 support. It’s not even part time.

Good support would be 9-5. And that means, always someone logged in 9-5. Excellent support is 12 hours, i.e. 10-10. INX and a few other game server providers properly manage it. Amazing, theoretical support is 24.7 support, which we haven’t yet seen a GSP claim, and live up to Although like any professional internet service provider, we monitor all our equipment 24.7. And if something breaks, we don’t hang around to fix it.

So, tip #2 - Find a host that’s good with support, but honest with support. Because there’s far too many bullsh*tters out there.

And for our final tip, I shall try and keep off the thoughts of food, as its a recipe for disaster. Oops, ok, it’s Friday, I finish work soon and I have pizza to look forward too

How long as your new potential new gaming server host been around? 5 years (we and a few others have ), 5 months? 5 weeks? 5 minutes? There are so many fly by nighters. Going on the point above, how long do you think a small host can survive on unrealistic pricing margins. Every week or so we see a host disappear, along with customer’s hard-earned pre-paid money.

While age isn’t everything (as someone with a younger girlfriend, I wouldn’t so much agree, but that’s not suitable for a company blog) it’s not a bad indication of how long a potential host will stay around to look after you.

Tip #3 – wisdom comes with old age.

Until next time, enjoy your weekend’s gaming

- Olly

Crysis is one of those games which PC suppliers look forward to. There’s one game release every year which triggers the games community to rush out and spend all of their hard earned (or for those under 18 kindly donated) cash on a brand new super computer, the likes of which non gamers (I speak of non gamers theoretically since they’re becoming increasingly hard to find) have never seen before, so that they stand around and gaze at the new beast with that unique blend of trepidation and awe which only expensive technology can evince.

The back of the Crysis box states that you need the following to run it on an XP machine (with Vista you need higher specification – these are shown beside XP’s in brackets):

Processor: 2.8 GHz (3.2 GHz)
Memory: 1.0 Gb (1.5 Gb)
Hard Disc: 12 Gb (12Gb) – my install was 6.03Gb but then I didn’t install the additional programs on the disc or the French, Czech, and Polish language packs which are ticked by default. When you install this game make sure to uncheck these.
Graphics card: NVidia GeForce 6800 GT or greater, ATI 9800 Pro or greater (Radeon X800), 258 Mb.

However, Hellgate London wasn’t available for me to play (the spec of which is closer to my laptop) so I ended up playing Crysis instead on my portable beast which clocks in at:

Processor: 1.66 GHz
Memory: 1.0 Gb
Hard Disc: 60.0 Gb
Graphics card: GeForce Go 7600 128 Mb

So I need to point out that, even on the lowest settings for all of the options, it still churns and rocks and grass are visibly streamed as I approach them (I put this down to my “low” spec laptop not the game). But I will say this: even on the lowest settings, it looks lovely. The HUD comes in four colours, all of which make it look downright sexy, the models are detailed and the textures are among the most detailed that we’ve seen in games. The AI really brings the Korean soldiers to life and makes this open world a really hostile one – when you waltz into a defended area it throws enemies at you relentlessly. The game gives you four different modes to act in (which are accounted for by, believe it or not, your suit): armour mode (where your health recovers), speed mode (where you can zip past enemies), strength mode (where you can leap high into the air), and cloak mode (where you are invisible for a period of time). So it’s a bit like a free-roaming Halo 3 but, thankfully, without the stupid enemies with the annoying voices. But there are limits to the free-roaming – I tried to swim out to a boat in the distance and was promptly fed upon by a beautifully detailed pair of sharks. Ah well.

This isn’t so much of a review since I haven’t completed the game yet, it’s more of a “first impressions”. But I can tell you this: if you have a beast of a gaming rig then you owe it to yourself, and your machine, to buy this. You will be staggered (even my grandma commented on how beautiful the scenery was). Rest assured, I will post a full review when I have completed Crysis.

On my proper gaming rig.

- John

john AT inx-gaming DOT co DOT uk

Hosting a Call of Duty 4 game server with INX? Having to pay out for a costly piece of webspace for your map downloads? Why not get a Call of Duty 4 game server with INX?

We’re putting together a free map repository system, in the lead up to the release of the Download Core 4. Any Call of Duty 4 server customer can get free hosting for their maps by contacting support

The whole fast download thing with Call of Duty is a quite a pain in the arse, so why not move your COD 4 server over to INX so we can take the hassle out for you?

Sometimes, old games are better than their later sequels. I was trying to play UT3 with a friend recently, and sadly it became obvious that, in some ways, Unreal Tournament 3 just isn’t as good as the original UT was. Here’s why:

1. The multiplayer often doesn’t work out of the box, (and when patched requires port mapping).

While port mapping isn’t a problem to a lot of us, it is to lots of others. You shouldn’t need to be technically adept to be able to play UT online against your friends. Given that the Unreal Tournament franchise was effectively born of fans wanting to play Unreal online this is a real disappointment.

2. Face!

The favourite multiplayer map, Facing Worlds, is making a noticeable non-appearance. UT2004 had two versions of this map, a modern one and the classic one. I refuse to believe that no one on the Epic Level Design team thought “Hey, why don’t we include this level that has always been a favourite among fans and that is simply iconic to a huge chunk of them.” If they thought it they should have said it and if they said it they should have been listened to. While on the subject of levels…

3. Not enough maps

The maps that are included in the box are all great, but you’ll be disappointed if you expect it to compare the volume of maps in the UT GOTY edition. Expecting heaving contribution from the modding community is almost a given, but leaning on them this heavily isn’t giving the gamers enough variety and doesn’t meet the high bar set by earlier games from the UT series.

Don’t get me wrong, UT3 is a great game, but these issues really do stain the game for me. When I’ve made a UT3 Face I’ll be sure to make it publicly available through INX, until then I’ll go and have a go on UT.

- John

Play nice. Play Face.

Your child wanting that 18 rated game!

This is just coming from experience, and still narks me when I think about it. Was a few months back a relative came over with his swanky Xbox 360 (which I am jealous of cos I STILL don’t have one!) and I saw him playing a game. Me being naturally interested in games (And Xbox deprived) I am to games like bees are to honey so I swung on in there and wanted to have a go.

The game revolved around you stealing and driving cars and doing tasks of taking out people with various types of weapons (I think you know which one game I’m talking about here!). I was staggered to learn he had managed to obtain this game and so I interrogated him by how he managed to get this game.

Me: “Hey lil dude, what you got there, oohh Xbox 360, me wants to have a play!!”
Relative: “Sure!”

(Not like the poor kid has a choice mind you, I swoop in like a hawk and nab the controller off him! And after few mins of playing I’m just a bit concerned…)

Me: “Eh, Dude, this game is a bit violent no?”
Relative: “It’s cool though, you get to shoot people and steal cars and stuff!”
Me: “But eh… it says on the packet it’s an 18 rate…”
Relative: “Yeah?”
Me: “You’re 11 years old!!”
Relative: “Yeah???”
Me: “well how in hell did you buy the game!?!?!”
Relative: “Oh, *Insert grown up person of age 18 and over here* bought it for me for my *Insert special event here!!*”
Me: “WHAAAA???!!??” *shakes fist of rage*

Now usually I’d be shaking the parent/relative vigorously, asking them why and what in their right mind are they doing, but unfortunately they weren’t available!

But one thing I have to say is this…

IT’S AN 18 RATED GAME FOR A REASON!!!!

>_< <—- Yes I am pulling that face as I type this!

I mean you wouldn’t give alcohol or cigarettes to a child now would you? The same reasoning should be applied to the games rating system. If they’re not of age, then don’t buy it for them. It is common sense after all.

And you hear on the news “games blamed for child violence on others” etc etc. Well, how did they get their hands on the game in the first place? I would assume that game stores and sellers have the sense not to sell an 18 or even a 15 rated game to someone who looks underage to play it. Do they even ask you for ID when you’re buying a game and you happen to look younger? (I got asked once for ID when buying lotto tickets, 16 is the legal age, I was 21 at the time! Ha! I find that quite flattering *n_n*)

But then there is the internet. Children can seemingly buy games with ease with their own pocket money just as long as they have an account and a bank card, then it’s all hunky dory. They get the game. No questions asked.

It’s good that the rating system is going in for an overhaul. But i just hope thye don’t go too overboard with it, as in for example, take a good game like Super Mario series and put it a rating of “12″ because it contains “Mild head stomping of animals, pyromania and drug induced growth by mushroom eating” !

Sometimes I hear “But it’s only a game Sooz, kids play on them all the time! What’s the fuss?” You are kidding me!?? What kids’ game do you know that takes you where you have to slice baddies with a overly sized sword or makes you go on a gun totting killing spree to say the least? Games aren’t just for kids, they’re for us adults too and with the market focus widening it’s audience, all the games are varied in nature.

I think exposing a child to that kind of violence and adult related content at such a young age just desensitizes them to a degree that what they do and play holds no value in the game or in real life. Kids are growing up far too fast. Let them be innocent for a while in their lil fluffy safe haven bubble until they fully understand the values and morals of life.

- Suzie

Being a woman myself i grew up on games, I’m not your A typical gal who looks goes nuts on shoes and hats and clothing. (Only when I need to! ) But a lot of the time growing up, weight has always been an issue and magazines and the media, don’t exactly help in telling a young girl growing up what is “normal”. When I say norma lI mean healthy, a bit of meat and bone on you, not so thin that a stiff breeze could blow you over! You see what I mean? So I look at magazines at my workplace. They’re all tall and thin. And now the size zero phenomena is hitting the UK (size 4 in the UK). Magazines, adverts, billboards. Flat chested, no boobs, no bum, legs like twigs and arms to match.

And since us women are obsessed (including myself) with our weight, it’s all weight loss pills, miracle diets that make us prick up our ears and get easily reeled in by it all. We’re all surrounded by this media and there’s no way of getting away from it. Now, computer games, being part of this media, is also a source of influence for the modern day child, but how about the modern day woman? You may sometimes hear men going “PHWOAR!! Her boobs jiggle”, the average woman saying “*Gasp* But that’s sexist!” I kinda look at it and go “Hmm that’s actually quite impressive but is it necessary in game-play or enhance the game-play experience?” Fair enough the game is promoting “realistic physics” but if you’re viewing the game-play as a FPS or an over the shoulder 3rd person, then what’s the point? But compared to what women are faced with the advertisement media, promoting emaciated looks and thin shapeless bodies, at least over sexed women in games have body shape.

Now some glamour-zons may say to me “But Sooz, they’re not real, they’re not real people.” Neither are the faces and bodies you see in adverts. They’re all artificial in some way and no doubt they have had touch ups done here and there! At least in games they show you “yeah this is a man’s ideal of what game women look like” but you rarely get to see that kind of thing in the main stream media. It’s even my ideal that women should have boobs (at least!) and a curvy figure and be healthy looking (Unless she’s a zombie of course!) But in all fairness, you don’t actually get to see many thinner woman or larger ladies who have more to love (Stick thin zombies don’t count, nor do the Jabba the Hut variety mutant of the female kind!). Maybe games companies should make women with different body shapes, like larger woman or slimmer women characters which play a substantial plot in the game. At least it would level the playing field and make it more realistic, and isn’t that what nearly all games companies are aspiring to do? Not every woman has the same body type. Everyone is different, but everyone should be healthy! So all in all, at least Computer games are promoting “meatier” woman, and not woman you just want to buy a sandwich for! I’m glad that games do promote curvy figured women, at least I don’t feel pressurised to “fit in” while I play.

Suzie

Lock and load guys!

gamepolitics.com reports that gamers are forming protest groups in order to exert political pressure on developers. I decided to take a look down the list and subject each of them to harsh judgement. Why? Because I do that.

1. Boycotting Battlefield: Bad Company

Sarcastic Gamer are calling for a boycott of Battlefield: Bad Company on the basis that Electronic Arts plan to sell extra weapons over XBox Live. Selling extra content for games isn’t new (enough people raged when it was done with Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion), but it’ll be interesting to see how this one pans out. At the time of writing over 540 people have responded, almost all saying that they won’t shell out for it.

It’s worth noting that, when you have convinced someone who has bought every previous incarnation of a game not to buy your latest one, you have clearly gone very badly wrong somewhere along the line.

2. Boycotting Rockband

Not a happy day for EA – UK gamers are furious at the £180 price tag on the full kit of Rockband (in the US it’d cost about £85). This price hike seems difficult to justify, and no one from EA has yet attempted to.

3. Missing Replacement XBox 360

It’s difficult to encourage people to boycott a console that they’ve shelled out hundreds of pounds for and fortunately the consumerist aren’t trying to do that. But they are rightly drawing attention to a case of Microsoft being sloppy – in this instance they didn’t send a replacement XBox but did send an invalid tracking number for a package that never arrived. In the consumerist’s latest article they recommend that the complainant take the matter to the small complaints court.

It’s important that as consumers we look out for our own interests. Fanboy rage, no matter how impotent it may seem, is important and does get heard. If you have a complaint against a video game company do write to them, and if they ignore you do write to the consumerist, sarcastic gamer, gamesindustry.biz gamepolitics.com, or us! If you want to get heard by other gamers and members of the games industry just kick up a fuss on our forums.

John

john@inx-gaming.co.uk

Play nice. After all, it’s your money.