Happy New Maps, uh I mean Year!

_FFC_

I took a couple hours today and found/setup maps for a couple completely NEW short 5-map rotations. Some of these maps are gorgeous (well, for CoD:UO they are) if you can run the eye-candy settings on maximum. So you might want to connect in early to get the downloads done, tho' the largest is only 5MB in size.

As usual, I put the smaller ones up front rotation-wise. A couple of the later ones are largish but were so good-looking I had to give them a try. I did HQ the largest one as that helps teams find each other more quickly and it has at least one working tank and an 88...didn't fully explore it.

One of the smaller maps only supports DM, which is okay on occasion especially to begin. Several of these maps have lots of "Crow roosts" and most all are fairly open so should play pretty well. I didn't test the multiplayer spawn points, guess we'll just see.

Also want to welcome Sgt. Schultz to the club; hope he can become a regular soon. And our old buddy RoadDoc might be joining us on occasion too, but he works weird hours as an EMT so who knows.

Anyway, hope you ALL had a great Xmas and have a safe and prosperous New Year!

Possible New Mod In The New Year

_FFC_









When I was troubleshoot'n the previous post mod problem I found out from the original MW mod author (Tally) that he's get'n ready to finally release this CoD:UO mod. Looks schwweet but dunno yet if it has any more to offer besides the fancy window-dress'n of the screens, models, etc. along with the weapon mods. Obviously those are stock maps in the demo screenshots. Will keep an eye on development and see what happens. If it appears to be "worthy" then should have time to test it out over the Xmas break.

Mod Weapons Return For The Holidays

_FFC_



A Merry Christmas

SAAAAAAALute

to one and all!



A few members have whin....umm....voiced their opinions about the stock weapons in CoD:UO. Guess we all got spoiled somewhat by the original "Modern Weapons 2" mod that we ran for quite awhile. So I put that back in today, and it should download in the usual manner...just make sure your downloads are turned on. I'll test it out when I get home. Crikeys, I really hate to give Hock his AK47 back (that's like hand'n O.J. a Ginsu gift card) but dammit I miss my M4A1 too!

I was also think'n of scheduling another "UO Marathon" event sometime during the Xmas week as quite a few folk usually are off then....I am. Might be my last hurrah for awhile depending on what works out with the job hunt in January.

On the weird side o'things, I've written several times to Randor after he wrote me on Nov 23rd in regard to rejoining our particular brand of insanity, but not one steenkn' reply. Hope he's doing okay....I yanked his chain AGAIN today.

Happy Holidays & Happy Frag'n!

_FFC_

















Well, it's almost Thanksgiving once again...my, my, how the time just shoots right on out the barrel these days. Hope you all have a safe and happy holiday!

And don't forget to showup for our "CoD:UO Marathon" this Friday afterwards. Gametime will start around 10:00AM MDT and run until whenever. I'll throw together a mix of maps and gametypes and of course we can always vote in our favorites as the mood strikes.

Frag ya l8r!

Mamba

Upcoming Marathon Prep

_FFC_

In prep for the upcoming "marathon" on the 24th I spent some time this weekend experimenting with other game types, specifically "Base Assault" and "Headquarters". Both are objective-based playing styles as explained below:

-----------------------------------------------------
Base Assault - BAS

Like the name implies, Base Assault requires teams to use heavy weaponry like tanks and artillery strikes to attack their opponent's bases and destroy them. On each map, both teams have bases they must defend and attack. Once a bunker takes enough damage, it is not destroyed, but exposed to infantry attack. To completely destroy a bunker, a player must sneak into the basement of an exposed bunker and plant an explosive. Then they must keep the other team from defusing the explosive so it will explode and destroy the bunker. A team wins either by destroying the most bunkers before time expires, or completely destroying all of the opposing team's bunkers.

Headquarters - HQ

Headquarters was added into the (CoD) game with the version 1.2 patch. The mode consists of teams of players attempting to capture radios which appear around the map. A radio is captured by standing by it when no enemies are nearby. The team who last captured the radio holds it and gains 45 points per 45 seconds. When the opposing team destroys the radio, or 4.5 minutes is up, a new, neutral radio appears elsewhere on the map. The winner is the team with the most points when time runs out. This in effect creates "mini-bases" or headquarters, in which one side will capture the radio and attempt to protect it by any means necessary. Given the fact that most radios are placed in locations ranging from an open field to abandoned homes, the defenders must come up with creative locations to settle in while the offensive coordinates their attack.

Upon being killed a player may have to wait up to 40 seconds to re-spawn (known as reinforced) depending on the time they are killed during the constant 45 second reinforcement countdown (being killed within the first 5 seconds a player is typically awarded another spawn). However if a radio is captured or destroyed the countdown is automatically reset with everyone "reinforced".

This waiting period encourages players to be more focused on gaining points and protecting their radio (as opposed to simply running around and killing opponents) as well as promoting teamwork.
-----------------------------------------------------

We're somewhat limited on what maps we can use for these types since not all maps support all gametypes. For example, the BAS type didn't appear until UO was released so the old CoD maps (of which we have many) don't support it. It IS a very cool gametype, without the spawn limitations of HQ but we're pretty much stuck with a subset of the stock maps (like Foy, Italy, etc) where armour is available. There are a lot more maps that support HQ so we'll have more of those in the rotation.

I think this will add additional dimension to our play, as it'll matter more if you work together to accomplish the objective in question rather than just the spawn/kill/die/spawn circle that exists in DM or TDM modes. I'll still mix in some standard TDM of course. I'll also extend the BAS and HQ map times as they'll take longer due to confusion, distance to travel, and so forth.

On a side note, I tried "fixing" that Azzem desert warfare map (the one that has all the extra text gar-bage debug info during play). I got that to work but for some reason it seemed unstable afterwards, so I put the original back. It'd be a good map for HQ mode but I got tired of f'n with it.

Once we get enough players online next time I'll throw in a HQ or BAS mode map on the fly so we can try it out. It's a little confusing at first but the good thing is the compass shows you where your objective lies....if you can survive get'n there and completing it!

Important! Weapons Changes

_FFC_

While the ZoXo Modern Weapons mod has some kewl features I'm rather frustrated with several of the weapons and the inability to easily remove or tone-down the TNT. I think it's time for get'n back to basics...and dammit I miss my Tokarevs. I pulled the mod this morning.

So here's the "important" part. This means you need to find the ..\Call of Duty\aweuo\w_ZoXo_vX_client.pk3 file on your system and delete it. Don't worry about keeping it; if we try a ZoXo mod down the road it'll be a newer one anyway. Note that if you don't get rid of this file you won't be able to get into the game!

As consolation I did up the grenades from 3 to 4 so that'll allow two tripwires per spawn...or one more death from Crow, depending. lol I also allowed flamethrowers and the versatile FG42 to both teams, but lessened the damage for the former...just to keep Hock from toast'n everything in sight. The flamethrower is a very heavy weapon and really slows your movement anyway...that extra grenade should help balance out any abusers; just toss a 'nade or two into the fire. And don't forget that the scoped weapons' view will "drift" a lot unless you are prone...as it should be.

I'm also entertaining the idea of another "CoD:UO Marathon" one weekend or holiday day later this month. Tess will be gone to CA around Thanksgiving so maybe one day then would work. Maybe we can experiment with a couple HQ mode maps. More on that later once I find out the holiday schedule.

October Wrapup Thoughts

_FFC_


First off, I want to welcome our new players for October:
C90Ghost
King Jo-Jo
Orc

Always nice to have some fresh blood splash'n the killing floor. ;-)

Also, if you have any interest in console gaming then checkout the movies for the upcoming "Call of Duty 3" release. Personally the only console shooter I care for is the "Halo" series but YMMV. There won't be any PC release for CoD3 and after all the problems with CoD2 I'm sure no one is surprised.

To keep CoD:UO kick'n, I'm look'n into what options there are for tweak'n the ZoXo MW mod. I like the new weapons...well some of them...and IMO it's good to have variety. When we get tired of these I may take out the weapon mod completely and go back to the stock ones for awhile...that should confuse the hell outta everyone. LOL
EDIT due to breaking news on this topic!:
Just found out that ZoXo released an updated MW mod so will work on that soon. Sounds like many improvements and balancing features...knock'n down the potency of the TNT and the Dragunov for one, and add'n in throwing knives, ability to Silence the music, modern uniform models, and more.

I found another CoD map site that has a pretty good selection of custom maps if not a great preview feature. So will try to download/review enough maps for another new rotation this week. Another possibility to freshen the gameplay would be to switch from our long-standing AWE mod over to something like "Heat of Battle". Same game, similar modifications but more focus on teamplay and tactical realism.

For something completely different there's always "F.E.A.R. Combat" of course.

To end, here's the latest DX9 info...I like to keep current on these updates primarily on my gaming PC since it could improve the game performance.

From dickybird over on the RGN forums:
I always DL from Softwarepatch as I find it faster than MS..

http://www.softwarepatch.com/windows/directx.html

Description
DirectX 9.0c will help improve multimedia experiences on most PCs. This latest version of DirectX offers improved security, updated graphics, faster frame rates, and support for massively multiplayer games. It also features more immersive audio when running and displaying programs rich in multimedia elements such as full-color graphics, video, 3-D animation and surround sound. If you had an earlier version of DirectX installed on your system, you will see little difference in available space on your hard drive following the installation. DirectX 9.0c will overwrite any earlier versions. This release also resolves a number of minor bugs and included security updates.

Important notes: This is the 'redist' version - all files are downloaded in one package (rather than an active download). DirectX is a crucial system component. It cannot be uninstalled without reinstalling your operating system (!). Released October 2006.

New CoD:UO Map Rotation

_FFC_

Been awhile since I could find any new UO maps. As a particular game gets older there are less mappers creating new maps for it...such is game life. I setup an all new 7 map rotation today. Haven't tested any of the maps yet and a couple may be too large, but hey at least they're new.

And BD if you're read'n this, get your pooter going again soon bro..we miss ya! Need one more regular F.E.A.R. player so me, Gonz, & Hock can have balanced teams.

Latest Modern Weapons Mod For CoD:UO!

_FFC_

After hear'n from Eagle the other day that there was a newer "Modern Weapons" mod out there, I tracked it down and installed it. It adds new submachine-guns, grenade-launchers, TNT (that'll pretty much take out your whole team...;), and so on. Weapon loadouts once again will differ per team.

The "w_ZoXo_vX_client.pk3" file will auto-download next connect. HOWEVER, first you need to delete the old "Modern Weapons" file, named zzz_modern_weapons_v2.pk3, from your ..\CallofDuty\aweuo folder; otherwise the mods will conflict and you won't get in. The new mod is a big file..about 42MB so it'll take awhile to download.
If you want to get a jump on things, you can download the new file from our FFC Gamefiles folder to the folder path mentioned earlier. You'll need to rename the file extension after download...I had to rename it from .pk3 to .zip so it would download. See the accompanying "w_ZoXo_vX_client.readme.txt" file for info.

Looks like the new guns and such should be fun so showup and try'em out!

F.E.A.R. Map Changes

_FFC_

In an effort to simplify things for everyone (including me), I made a page in the map folder on the redirect server where you can direct download any map file you need. Made sense to do this, and remove the AdditionalContent.zip file on my mambaville.com site since (1) the maps are already there in the redirect folder, and (2) I have a bandwidth usage quota on my site but not on the redirect site. I updated the F.E.A.R section in the Readme1st.txt file in our Gamefiles folder to reflect this change.

Speaking of maps....
I added a couple of veeeery kewl "old school" maps to the F.E.A.R. server today; "Hollywood2" and "VMan_Q3DM-A". The former is a remake of the classic "Hollywood Holocaust" map from Duke Nukem 3D and even includes soundclips from "the Duke" himself! It's quite the hoot if you ever played DN...I cut my 3DFPS game'n teeth on that game, on a 10base-T private local network we setup in our cube area back when I was a Desktop Tech. Ahhh...memories! lol
The latter map is another classic remake, but from the Quake 3 Arena game. It even has powerups, shields, etc. taken from that game and translated into corresponding F.E.A.R. objects! Very inventive and well done, but about a 40MB download...so better get that one ahead of time!!

And dunno if I should mention this but...
I also have another classic Duke map...one that pretty much made that game a nightmare for every prudish parent in the country in it's day, "Redlight District". The original was set in the Adult area of town and had scantily-clad pole-dancing girls, private booths for ummm....viewing, porn magazines and so forth. The younger male crowd loved it of course. This remake pulls NO punches, and while it doesn't have 3D dancing girls the mapmaker did integrate a lot of porn movie footage and "Girls Gone Wild" video...it's definitely a rated-X map.
For now I'm leaving this one outta the rotation. I think it would be rather..ummm..."distracting" to play anyway. But the layout is faithful to the original and it has the same kind of reproduced "Dukisms" found in "Hollywood2". Maybe if I throw this one in I should charge extra on the monthly donations...hahahaha

F.E.A.R. Expansion Out Soon!

_FFC_

The expansion pack for THE premier thriller 3D-FPShooter is scheduled to release next month, around October 24th. Below is a link to the demo (about .5GB in size) and one to more info:
http://tinyurl.com/ejhlw
http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/fear-extraction-point/708927p1.html
The download rate for the demo was run'n pretty slow so I got it off Usenet...in about 10 minutes. If you have trouble get'n the demo let me know and I'll make it available.

I've played the demo and as described in that second link, it's very much just a short sampler of some of the different aspects of the game; shadowing, lighting, slowmo, and so on. You do see more of Alma, the creepy psycho psychic little girl, along with new transparent wraith-like beings similar to the smokey wraiths from it's predecessor. The new chaingun is kewl but I'd hoped for more expansive gun effects when using it. Still, 300 or so rounds cut'n loose in a glass office area is quite spectacular! Click here to download a video (about 20MB) of that section of the demo, captured while running on my recently upgraded Hornet PC.

As for our CO-OP server, that's been running well and proving to be a lot of fun. I added in one new map today (DocksCOOP) and tweaked the rotation a bit. The latter still alternates between CO-OP and TDM maps.

F.E.A.R. CO-OP Changes

_FFC_

As it turns out that the CO-OP server mod will run the other gametypes (like our usual TDM) just fine, but not vice-versa, I'll just be running the CO-OP server from now on. Due to it using a different profile both on the server and the clients, you'll either need to move over the custom maps (kinda confusing to do), OR just download them again, all in the ZIP file I created.
You'll find the maps in the "AdditionalContent.zip" file found in this path in my Gamefiles folder...about 22MB. Info on what to do with them is in the accompanying readme file there.

You'll also find a new batch file that you can replace the old "Coop-Warfare_0.5.bat" with to start the CO-OP game and directly connect to my server. Just rename the old "Coop-Warfare_0.5.bat" found in your C:\Program Files\Sierra\FEARCombat path to something like "Coop-Warfare_0.5.bat.old" first, then put the new one in there. All I did was add the usual connect info to the new batch file. The regular CO-OP game shortcut references that batch file so no other changes are needed.
OR you could make a copy of your current CO-OP shortcut, change my new batch file extension from a ".bat" to a ".cmd" and change the Target line in the new shortcut copy to point to the ".cmd" batch file instead. That way you'd have the default shortcut that still starts the CO-OP client normally, and one new one that starts the CO-OP client and connects to my server. Up to you...

As for the CO-OP server, I've added in 3 new CO-OP maps and set the rotation up to alternate between CO-OP and TDM maps, for a total of 23 maps. So how do you know whether to all be on Team 1 or split between Team 1 and 2? Well, if there are AI "baddies" in the map, everyone should join Team 1. Otherwise, split teams and play TDM. Sounds more confusing than it is in practice. Just holler if you have questions/problems.

F.E.A.R. CO-OP Mod

_FFC_

Now this is looking interesting...a CO-OP mod that works with F.E.A.R. Combat! I'll play with this over the weekend and see if it's worthy but have read a lot of good things about it on the forums. You can download it here. You'll need to install a copy locally to play on my CO-OP server...be sure to install it to your FC (F.E.A.R. Combat) path IF you have both F.E.A.R. and F.E.A.R. Combat installed. Also note that you'll need to enter your FC CD key and configure your settings/controls/playername/etc again for this install since it uses a seperate profile.

Main Features:

-Support for up to 32 players on one server
-Supports ALL MP Game Types
-Additional Coop Mode
-2 New Weapons
-Lots of new Player models and skins
-11 Coop maps full of action ;)
-Lots of new insignias

The Changelog for version 0.5

-Fully compatible with the FEAR 1.07 Patch
-Fully compatible with FEAR Combat
-2 New Weapons (HC-3000 and CW1 Sniper Rifle)
-4 New Coop Maps: AIsylum, Underworld, Surface and AITech
-5 New Skins (Clown Mapes, ConcreteMan, PhotoMan, FleshGuy, GoreGuy)
-1 New Player Model: Krige
-Optimized all Player Models (fixed hitching camera)
-Fixed Font size of 1.07
-Updated Interface Including new Intro Clip (well, unfortunately it doesn't show up somehow)
-New Insignias
-Coop Warfare now creates a seperate user directory (CoopWarfare_User inside the game folder)
-Bunker COOP optimized and fixed scoring system
-Enhanced UI Game Mode settings for Coop (MaxWeapons can be changed, Respawn wait time can be set from 0 to 60 optionally)

F.E.A.R. Tips

_FFC_

Some of you've received your F.E.A.R. DVDs by now. I know Mufasa was having some problems get'n the game to run. I put some tech tip info in the Gamefiles folder here, in the FEAR subfolder. Hopefully that'll help out if any of you run into issues.

Performance-wise, there are a LOT of settings to play with if the game runs but is too choppy. It's a good idea to take things down to the minimum and run the test sequence included in the options, then note the final FPS info at the end. You should shoot for average figures of 30FPS or better, so may need to tweak here and there and run the test a few times. Personally I can't stand having the anti-alias turned off so have my FSAA set at 2X and sacrifice a few other perfomance settings.
And note that the usual recommendations (turning off your AV, kill'n other background processes and so forth) may help out too.

I'm also still tweak'n the map line-up on the server, as some of the maps are too large or complex. More on that once we've got some players in there to test the playability.

CoD:UO Marathon!

_FFC_

Don't forget, this Sunday (tomorrow as of this writing!) is the big ol' CoD:UO Marathon! We'll start around 10am and go until 6pm MDT or whenever we get too tired to frag anymore. So run out today and stockup on your favorite treats and libations to keep up your stamina tomorrow!


On a private note, looks like a good weekend for it here locally....rainy rainy weather.

FC Server Is Up!

_FFC_



w00t! w00t! I've figured out the basics of get'n a F.E.A.R. Combat (FC) dedicated server going, using a spare PC here at home (dual 833Mhz P3's, 1GB DDR333). I also found 3 smallish maps that, combined with a few of the smaller stock ones, should make for decent play even with 4 or less players. I have those custom maps served out from my usual redirect server so they download in a flash. I also have the FC server set "private" with our usual server password to connect.

Caveats:
Max players is set to 4 as this is on my home network. Might get by with 6 but will have to try that out if/when. Seemed to be doing okay with just me & Hock on there in testing but no idea yet how the lag is with more.

You'll need to either find the server (FFC_FEAR) in the in-game Internet list, OR create a "quick connect" (QC) shortcut. This is done in similar manner to what we did for the CoD games. Just make a copy of your FEARCombat shortcut, then add the following (minus the quotes, and substitute'n the real password for OurServerPassword) to the Target field like so, "+join mambaweb.homedns.org:27888 +password OurServerPassword". Just FYI, since my home network IP is dynamic it's best to use the DNS name as that should always have the current IP.

Unfortunately, creating a Favorite and using that DOES NOT WORK. You'll get a "wrong version" type message. No one seems to know why that is yet...hopefully there will be more info about that problem later on.

So for now, using the QC method is best. Do note that it is SLOW to connect this way for some reason...be patient...it can take a couple minutes before it even tries to connect.

Got Game?
So far I think Hock is the only one with F.E.A.R. Combat installed. As it's a HUGE download, I'll be mailing out copies to Mufasa, Crow and Floppo. The rest of you can go fish. hahahaha Or let me know if you need that kinda help. If we all like the FC experience we can then discuss the merits of adding it to our commercial host for an alternative to CoD:UO (I don't think anyone was too impressed with CoD2, and this one is free client-wise).

Here are some related F.E.A.R. links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g0J4T1RC2Q&mode=related&search=
http://forums.vugames.com/category.jspa?categoryID=2
http://www.3dactionplanet.com/fear/
http://www.feargame.net/wiki/
http://www.fearfusion.com/
http://feargame.net

Mambaville Server Changes

_FFC_

I moved my home-based website to a commercial host last week. I wanted to get the heavy traffic off my home network, and already had another need for my new SCRC chapter site too. So two birds with one shotgun and all that jazz.
My new hosting package doesn't include PHP support, so I setup a (free) domain name for my home site and will redirect any pages needing PHP, MySQL, etc., to there. Short of it is, IF you had a "Favorite" or whatever pointing to my gameserver monitor you need to update it. The new monitor address has been updated on the link here (right panel), and is:
http://www.mambaweb.homedns.org/statusmon/ffc_statusmon.php

Still have a few things to cleanup on my site after the move, but the important stuff (like the FAQ, pictures, etc.) are all working again.

Important! New Game Server Online

_FFC_

Our new game server is now online and I think everything is working okay, including the redirected downloads...I had to find space on one of my commercial servers for that. The barstards over at SX completely ignored (as usual lately) my complaints about the downloads being broken on our current server. I'll be writing them a rather pointed message in farewell soon, and they best not expect any more $ to close out that account. But as of this writing I've shutdown the SX server so you'll need to update your shortcuts and Favorites with the info below.

New game server: 69.28.220.78 (ForumFightersClub in the lobby listings)
Same password as before

We also have a new "team talk" server as part of the rental package, using Ventrilo instead of TeamSpeak. I added a monitor for it onto our FFC Server Monitors page, but it's only displaying properly for me in FireFox, not IE. I'm working on that, probably a Java or Flash issue. Just download the Ventrilo client and we'll try it out. I'd like to make that our preferred client since one of these days the TS server will go away...I don't pay for that one, it's just borrowed.

New Ventrilo server: 69.28.221.135 Port 3796
Same password as before

Let me know if you have questions/comments...otherwise, frag ya l8'er!

New Server Host Search

_FFC_

Following a recommendation from another GSA (game server admin), I am checking out a possible new host for our FFC server. IF it pans out (I sent them a few questions first), we can get both the game and a Ventrilo server for about the same price as what we were paying for the game server alone.
Providing all looks good, the plan will be to continue using our current crappy host, with the broken redirected downloads, etc, while I get UO setup on the new host. Then we can test things out and switch over when all looks good, without (hopefully) more interruption.
For now I'm not worrying about CoD2...seems to me it's still too buggy anyway, given the crashes we've experienced when trying new maps. I'll watch the feedback on it and we can look at it again down the road.
Of course, if you are bored with UO and want to suggest an alternative game this would be the time. Just keep in mind that most of us would have to purchase it more than likely.

New CoD2 Maps and CoD3 E3 Preview!

_FFC_

I updated the new map rotation for CoD2 today. I removed that small "Deadyard" map since it crashed on us last night. I also edited the "Durdon Cross" map file to remove the noisy rain and ambient effect sounds. I added "PST_Revolution" (a sniper arena) and "HellsKeep" (a spooky night rain map; I also removed the noisy rain sounds from that one). I then re-ordered the rotation to better balance the map types (sniper, CQB, sniper, etc). So you'll be doing a few more downloads next time. Hopefully all these maps will be stable...we'll see.

Here is a preview link to video from the E3 conference. Not much footage of CoD3 but the small taste is very impressive! Looks like Activision is step'n on up to the next level of realism. Bad news being that there is no PC release planned. Might be a reason to buy an Xbox 360 after all, tho' I really hate playing 3D shooters on consoles. :-(

Frag ya later...

CoD2 New Maps Finally!

_FFC_

Finally got five (what look to be) decent new maps for CoD2! One you'll recognize from the SP version (Silotown), another is a remake of the old CoD "MP_Harbor" map, and the remaining three are new. They played okay in testing, but who knows how stable they'll be once we get several players in there.....guess we'll find out.
So yes, the server is now running CoD2 again. If you haven't yet downloaded/installed the Breda map-pack (see email I sent last week) then you'll need to do so BEFORE connecting...trust me on this...it's about 45MB in size. Here's the link again: http://callofduty.filefront.com/file/Breda_MP_Maps;62383

Also, there IS a 1.3 patch out now for CoD2, BUT don't download it yet if you can avoid it as we are still wait'n on the Linux server patch to release...so we'll be at 1.2c for awhile yet.

Server Changes - IMPORTANT Please Read!

_FFC_

Our new deli-delight member in the freshmeat section (Floppo) is back in town and might be able to play UO again soon. Once I hear that he's got his mouse problems corrected I'll switch the server back to UO since he doesn't own CoD2.

Speaking of CoD2, I know having our FFC server at v1.0 has been a pain for those of you who play on the publics. We've also been having server crashes too often of late. I managed to track down the server Linux binaries for v1.2c today, and installed them. This broke our Raiders mod install (RCMODV4), so I had to upgrade THAT to the latest which is now RCMODV5. Sooooo...if you have not upgraded to CoD2 v1.2 or have downgraded to v1.0 in order to be compatible, go ahead and run the "Auto Update" found on the Main menu when you start the game and update to v1.2.

Once you have upgraded, go into the Multiplayer Options and turn PunkBuster "On", as the new version now supports it and is enabled on the server. Now when you connect to our FFC server you should automagically download the new RCMODV5 files. Note that it may take longer to connect...be patient. You may also see some "key authorizing" messages...again, be patient...you should eventually connect in. Sorry for the inconvenience, but that's how it goes with software....don't blame me...I just work here. I hope the newer patches help with the crashes but time will tell.

After successfully connecting and playing you can delete the old RCMODV4 folder & the files within if you want...this folder will be in the root of your local CoD2 folder.

Note that I've kept most of the mod settings the same as before. I left many of the ambient effects (smoke, fire, etc) turned "On" this time around as I want to see if those work any better now...I had those turned off in RCMODV4. I also turned on the "bleeding" system, so if you take a bad hit (25% or less health) you will make noises everyone can hear and bleed down an additional 10%...which could mean death. So either heal yourself quick (remember: you have 2 healthpacks that can be accessed via your "Use" key) or get health from a team-mate (same way) to stop the whining and damage effects!

I highly suggest doing your updates before game-time so you've got that outta the way. I'll be around off/on on TS this afternoon before game-time if you have questions/problems. As always, thanks for your support!

Welcome New FFC Member

_FFC_

After quite the weekend ordeal of get'n a new computer, take'n it back, get'n it again, rinse-lather-repeat, our good buddy Flowpo from the Forums finally got in "the game" last night. He chose an appropriate player name...fffreshmeat...lol. Tho' it looked to me like he was picking up on the action pretty quick...I think he'll fit right in. I still like the idea of plop'n him & Mufasa into say, "Pleasantville", and let'n them duke it out in a cage match. May the best man win!

Anyway, welcome aboard Flowpo!...may your gun never jam and your tripwires always trip.

Modern Weapons Mod

_FFC_

I installed the new Modern Weapons mod file that Eagle mentioned he ran across on another server (thanks Greg!). Looks like it does work properly, for both Allies & Axis teams. Only downside is that both sides get the same gun choices, so there is some loss of variety. On the upside this should balance out the mayhem...no more bitch'n about those crappy German weapons! ;-P

Just make sure you have "Downloading" turned ON as usual and it'll install into the AWE mod folder...it's about 7MB in size. I highly recommend you first remove the old file we've been using...that one can be found in your ..\UO folder and is named "zzz_modern_weapons.pk3". The new one will have the same name except it's the version 2 so has a "V2" in the name.

Not Much News Lately

_FFC_

Been awhile since I've posted...hmmm, so what's new in FFC land?May have a new player (BigDH) from the Forum. I know he's been on our UO server a time or two, tho' not heard from Dwayne lately (maybe his Mac got a virus..lol). Not caught him on TeamSpeak yet either, tho' I think he finally got that working.

The "Modern Weapons" mod that I added a couple weeks back is kinda crappy. I like the guns & sounds but it only seems to work for the British forces and sometimes the other Allies for the sniper rifle. Try'n to track down more info on it but may just pull it off the server.

STILL no decent patch release for CoD2. AV/IW is get'n almost as good a rep these days as the IRS and is almost as popular.

That's about it for now...

RO:Ost Review

_PC_

Here's a (from my playing experience) pretty good review of the game.

RO:Ost And You

_FFC_

RO:Ost (Red Orchestra:Ostfront 41-45) released yesterday and I had a few minutes to check it out in Practice Mode (local play with bots). Keep in mind that this is an Unreal Tournament-based game, so bots are the norm (and unfortunately rather stoooo-pid but better than nuttin) for practice.

Rather than trying to explain what RO:Ost is all about, I'll just say that it's a SFPS (Strategic First Person Shooter), yet is reminiscent of CoD:UO and CoD2 along with the BattleField series, having several tank campaigns. But the focus is realism and objectives...after all, that's how war is...the soldiers aren't supermen and the idea is to take or hold ground. For a good overview of what RO:Ost really is, read this page.

Now, I've already purchased the game and will be climbing the learning curve to play it effectively. While I've always loved the MoH and CoD series, there are times that I get tired of the twitch-muscle (spawn/shoot/die/spawn) playing-style which is so unrealistic. I don't necessarily want to give those up; just sometimes I need a change o'pace and a chance to use my brain for something other than wall paint. I've already checked with our server host and we can add RO:Ost into our list of games to switch between for the usual one-time setup fee. So the question is, do any of you have interest in a team-based realism-oriented WWII shooter like RO:Ost? Personally I think it'd be a kick in the shorts to have an occasional half-day "war" on a weekend. Let me know your thoughts, either here or on TS or via email.

F.F.C. Connect and Map Info

_FFC_

Connect Info

As players seem to have regular problems get'n their Filter set right in the Join Server screen, I created a .jpg file shot of that screen for reference. More info on viewing that pic can be found in the Readme.txt file in my Gamefiles folder (see link in right panel).

Map Info

Here's the scoop on our Call of Duty2 server maps. I yanked three of the really large ones: Stalingrad (mp_railyard), Brecourt (mp_brecourt), and Caen (mp_transtation). The first and second have the spawnpoints too spreadout and the last is just too sprawling with too many buildings to get lost in.

I left in El Alamein (mp_decoy) which is the dreaded "shotgun trench" map, but since it's a smallish map I made it CTF (Capture The Flag). You can easily see the 2 flags from a central point in the map so it should make for some frantic but fun play variety.

The current map rotation goes like this:

• mp_breakout Villers-Bocage, France
• mp_burgundy Burgundy, France
• mp_toujane Toujane, Tunisia
• mp_carentan Carentan, France
• mp_dawnville St. Mere Eglise, France
• mp_decoy CTF El Alamein, Egypt
• mp_downtown Moscow, Russia
• mp_farmhouse Beltot, France
• mp_leningrad Leningrad, Russia
• mp_matmata Matmata, Tunisia

..but I may turn on the randomizer later.

ALSO, I've installed 4 NEW MAPS onto the server BUT they are still "experimental". There is still no offical map editor from Activision/IW so these are maps taken from the CoD2 Single-Player version that have been hacked together. I can get them to load okay on the server but so far there is a problem (Gamestate packet error) if you connect in once one of those maps is running, even when you have the client-side map version. Since they only work okay if you are online when the map is rotated in, I'll leave them OUT of the rotation and rotate them in manually. We'll just have to see how it goes.

In order to try them at all, you DO require the client-side map pack .iwd file (about 70MB in size) beforehand. I suggest you go download them NOW (info can be found in the Readme.txt file in my Gamefiles folder) if you want to be able to try them out. There is NO auto-download on the server for this...another reason to bitch at Activision/IW. Anyway, just plop the downloaded map pack file into your Call of Duty2 ..\main folder with the other .iwd files. Again, I'm not going to load those maps in except manually...so this'll be something we co-ordinate via TeamSpeak.

Note that having this file on the clients means I gotta keep the server "Pure" setting to "0", thus you may need to change your current Filter settings (see Connect Info section above). Just FYI, the "Pure" setting variable exists to keep clients with stray mods from connecting to a server so should normally have a "1" value. I had to set it to "0" due to this experimental map pack...it's all kinda convoluted to explain, just trust me on this one. ;)

Red Orchestra..the CoD2 Killer??

_PC_

This looks like it could be "the next big thing" in WWII FPS games. Quite a few over on the CCA site (including host and master modder, Mike Nomad) are tired of waiting on Infinity Ward to fix the problems with CoD2 and are looking to RO to take it's place. I have to say that the background reading and the trailer do look good! I do like the fact that this is an evolved UT2.x mod and that it was developed by "free range" programmers who then went on to form a company (TripWire). Many gamers think that Activision/IW have gotten too corporate and forgotten their roots.

You can read all about it, the origins, and view the trailers at http://www.redorchestragame.com
...and as of the 14th you can put in your pre-order for the March release via Steam (I already ordered mine...$22.45...wish I'd only paid TWICE that for CoD2!).

What Is Starforce?

_PC_

Ran across a reference to Starforce copy-protection on the Boing Boing site. OMFG...had no idea there were so many (potential FFC interest) games on their "infection" list. I highly recommend all of you take a look at the known list AND do the check in your Hidden Devices to make sure this $#@! piece of crap isn't on your system! Checkout the "Boycott" link graphic on the lower right panel here.

Reflecting On The Past

_FFC_

Out of curiousity I searched through my old Forum posts and found this one. So that means the F.F.C. has existed "for real" (ie, on a real rented server) for well over a year now! Damn...have to mark this on my calendar so we can celebrate the next anniversary. lol

Looking back at our old archived blog, I noticed an Oct 2005 post o'mine that went like this:
"Oh, I did read some stuff about CoD2 and apparently CombatStats is gonna support it in the next version. The AWE pros weren't too hot about the release of CoD2...not impressed with the gameplay and seeing the switch from OpenGL to DirectX as a sellout to Micro$oft since the game will be a launch float for the Xbox 360. I'll reserve opinion for now...hope they're wrong."

To address some of that....I haven't been updating stats for CoD:UO mainly due to the player name changing. Frankly it's a PITA to manually do the stats updates anyway, and having to search/replace on player names when folk change'em on a whim just adds to it. Personally I don't care much about rankings, since it all depends on how much ya play more so than your skill. The stats are kinda interesting at times but now with the addition of CoD2 I'd have to maintain seperate tracking too. So unless someone really cares about them I'll leave this status quo.
As for CoD2 itself, yes there are some things to nitpick about it. Yes it sucks that IW (InfinityWard) sold us PC players out by releasing an Xbox360 port of CoD2 for the PC. Thus the key assignment weirdness and lack of OpenGL support. Which is why crank'n the graphics down (from DX9 to DX7) is pretty much a requirement for those of us without bleeding-edge hardware....I mean think about it...the Xbox360 is a triple core 3.2GHz "PC"....no wonder it can handle all those full-blown DX9 routines with no sweat!
IW also has yet to release a map-editor, thus the reason you won't see custom map files on our server or on the publics. Possibly this editor will be released with the rumored patch update due out this Spring. Meanwhile there are a lot of pissed off players and admins out there since this was supposed to be included on the DVD release.

So far, with the "Raiders" mod, I still like CoD2 a lot and am enjoying the better graphics and slight variations on the gameplay. I think it's great to be able to switch between it and UO...keeps things interesting. One can only hope that IW steps up to the plate and addresses some of the community complaints with a decent and stable patch in the near future.

More About CoD2

_FFC_

As you may've noticed, we're now playing CoD2 on a regular basis. Those of you who don't yet own the game (well...what's WRONG with you?? ;) should really pick it up....it's running in the $40-$50 range but is worth it IMO. Be sure to get the DVD version if you have a DVD drive. Not a lot new but the SP is very good, and the graphics are excellent (if your hardware is up to it) while the "Raiders" mod I've installed on the server adds quite a few fun twists.

We'll occasionally switch back to UO but having a blast with CoD2 right now. You can tell which game is running on the server (UO or CoD2) by checking my "FFC Server Monitor" page. Also, be sure to checkout the Tweakguides link as there are some helpful tuning tips for CoD2. Both links are found in the "links" section in the right-hand panel of this blog.

Oh, I did turn down some of the mod extras today (like weather effects, bombers and so on) to see if that reduces the hardware/bandwidth load for the laggy among us...you know who you are.

Edit: I took my own advice and played around with the Tweakguide settings. Man o'man!...improved my FPS (Frames Per Second) from a lowly 18 avg to a mighty 70 avg with peaks in the high 80's!! And this is at 1280x1024@75Hz with Antialias at 2X and most other graphics settings at Normal.
The secret? Change your Render Method Preference (under Options, Graphics) from Auto (or DX9) to DX7. To quote from the TG article "...basically DX7 mode has far less of the 'atmospheric' features of DX9 mode, but still looks fine nonetheless, particularly given the performance boost it provides." Whoa...they ain't kid'n on the boost! Moves smooth as butter now.
The other thing I did was change the COM_HUNKMEGS from it's lowly default of 160MB to 512MB (since I have 1GB of RAM). Best way to apply these settings is via a script, and detail on that can be found here. (That whole r_picmip routine didn't do squat for me but ya don't have to use it). I'm gonna see if I can find the vars for setting the Render Method so I can autoexec that each time I start the game....doesn't seem to keep the settings between game sessions.

CoD2 Mod now a GO!

_FFC_

Welllll..alrighty then! Spent hours & hours trying (and finally succeeding!..more on that uno momento) trying to get mods to work with the "Call of Duty 2" server setup. The AWE mod that we're used to is still beta and incomplete comparitively, and I just never could get it to work right.

Soooo, I put on my geek camo and went "mod hunt'n". Found the Raiders mod which has many of the same features and a few additions. Makes sense since it's developed and supported by many of the same folk that do AWE. I won't bore ya with the list of features...click on their graphic at the bottom of this post if ya want more details. But "the good stuff" like cookable 'nades, sprint'n, healthpacks (YES!), laserdot, secondary weapons, and so forth are back in style.

I'm still tweak'n here and there but most things are in place and look good! It does need to download a couple client-side files and I can't figure out how to redirect the downloads (yet) so live with the short initial DL when you connect. OR you can download the folder ahead of time, with the two client files there-in and drop that whole folder (keeping the "rcmodv4" name) into the root of your "Call of Duty 2" folder.

Personally, with the mod, I think CoD2 really ROCKS altho' it can't compete vehicle-wise with CoD:UO. So we may switch back/forth periodically. But IF you don't own CoD2 yet..well times a waste'n brother!

Frag ya later....M

CoD2 Up...Mostly

_FFC_

Finally got some attention from the hosting TS folk so have the CoD2 server up and running right now. I'll work on the AWE stuff later on but at least the server is private (same password to connect as our UO server) and I *think* the maps I left in the rotation aren't too largish.

Will be busy watch'n the playoffs this afternoon but maybe catch ya'll at the usual time later today?

GO BRONCOS!

Maps Maps Maps

_FFC_

I setup another rotation of a half-dozen mostly brand new maps (so new several had no player reviews yet...now that's NEW!). These are UO maps and a couple support jeeps and/or tanks! My thought is that we have enough regular players now to expand out to a little larger field of battle. Won't spoil the surprises for ya but these have some interesting twists and could be serious fun (now there's an oxymoron ;).

I'm also still looking for a way to limit the weapon loadouts (on a per map basis) to just pistols & satchels. Apparently not a lot of demand for that as haven't found anything solid yet. Just turning off all the other weapons don't work, as without at least one selection in the loadout you don't get in the game. Hmmmm....

Should be on a wee early again today...hope to frag ya then!

More More More New Maps!

_FFC_

As the previous new map rotation was well-received, I put together a second one of all new maps which we tried out for the first time last night. Had one map that was being "contrary" but got it working today (the Indust map). Sometimes the map filename does not match what the actual load name is, so I have to peek inside the file to get the correct name...such was the case with this one.

Anyway, after playing through most of them yesterday I adjusted the weapon-loadout for a couple. Waaaaay too many grenades fly'n in that small "Peak" map, and too much artillery in the "SideSnipe" one, so those got limited. Need to have at least some pretense of realism, wot?

Speaking of playing, really happy to see more players show'n up regularly along with the newer members (FATRGR), Mearmoff (now aka Hockaloogy), our old pal Kato, and Shooter (presumably released from the stockade ;). Think we actually had 8 players for awhile there...awesome!
For those of you who might be off work/school today, maybe we can have an early game as I may have to head down to Denver this evening. Meanwhile, hope you all had/have a Happy New Year!