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First off...WELCOME HOME RoadDog! Hard to love them Patriots but we're still glad to have ya back on our server. Looks like we lost LaPua and maybe Jimbo...neither has been around in a long while.
Been a looong dry spell for COD4 maps, but quite a few new ones are finally showing up on the publics now. I have one (mp_subway) loaded on our server. That's the good news.
The bad news is:
1) Most of the custom maps are LARGE, both player-wise and in download size (20-40MB).
2) It'll still be quite some time before the really talented map developers get experienced with the tools and we see "quality" maps appear. Right now the ones I've seen are rather primitive.
3) Compounding things is the fact that our server host is still using that $#@! "shared base install" model, which means I had to submit a support ticket just to get that one new map loaded. Their Tech guy told me they will probably be going back to a standard setup....well, DOH! I should hope so. But for now if you want new maps go play publics. If you see any really good ones (quality, but smaller) then note the map name and I'll watch for it.
4) The ONLY way to host custom maps is by running a mod on the server. So that means no rank and no custom classes....have to pick your guns/perks each time. Some of the mod community is trying to figure a way around this but for the present that's how it works. SO...I'm loading the stock "modwarfare" mod that comes with the game. Nothing fancy is configured for it so hardcore, normal, oldschool, etc. mode game play looks the same.
That's it for now.
_FFC_This mod is now working and I tweaked out the settings somewhat today; didn't have time yesterday so the duration times and such are fixed. Plus most larger maps will be daylight, and the night maps will not be quite as dark. The mod can't run in "Hardcore" mode yet, since that would disable the fulltime UAV map and healthbar, and you really need the former on the night maps.
I figure we can run this mod (and maybe others) on occasion to break the routine a bit. At least until decent new maps start showing up.
Here are the 1.3 features (note that 1.4 is in the works):
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- Enables *Night time* for all stock maps
- 3 Levels of night mode
- Nightmod can be set by map in tnmod.cfg so that a rotation can have night/day maps
- Laser sight (only for smg, pistols, assault rifles)
- Modded range, size, laser will disable if no nightmod
- Weapon drops if hit in arm/hand
- Added Tear Gas Grenades (will replace flashbang if used)
- Added detailed obituaries messages: Weapons, Hit Location, Range
- Stock obituary can be switched off
- 2D & 3D icons can be turned off (or on except "KILL" icon on sab/sd)
- Spawn Protection (redone)
- Modded MykMod v4 (modified) for Bandages & Bleeding
- Healthbar ( won\'t show on Hardcore Mode)
- Modded HardPoints messages
- Modded Welcome message
- Rotation messages
_FFC_
Another new year has arrived in F.F.C. land....hope everyone survived New Year's Eve and has recovered from too much party'n. We were busy watch'n the grandkids most of the weekend and the holiday, due to their other "Papa" being in the local hospital and passing away shortly before the new year arrived. A sad end to a (in many ways) sad year.....let's hope 2008 is great by comparison!
Not much news server-wise. Hope to see several new maps release this quarter for CoD4. I know there are a few new mods in the works. I'm already play'n with the "Tactical Night" mod and may get that working on our server (with a limited map rotation) later this week. I have it working on my home test server but our FFC server is being stubborn....I managed to hard crash it and had to submit a TS trouble ticket to get it back online. Our server host uses a "shared" file model for CoD4 and locks down most of the files and command line changes so it's very limiting to work with in comparison for mod addons. But once I get it working it'll be easy to switch the mod in/out as desired.
There should also be an initial beta AWE mod release very soon for CoD4. Not sure what all will be in that one but it's the same style mod that we ran on CoD:UO and CoD2. I'll also need to do some testing with how having a mod installed affects the server "rank" status. So it'd be a good idea to regularly backup your player profile as I mentioned in an earlier post...just in case. Note that you may need to install .NET 2.0 if the backup program doesn't run for you.
