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FuzzyFish

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Just realized the central server has been down for a day, no one even noticed. :oldshock:
 

Thothie

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Feh, I woulda noticed, if I ever had the chance to play... The trickeling flow of players if very thin these days. :/
 

Thothie

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Apologies for unannounced down-time. I had to skedaddle with the laptop, for I needed a portable DVD player for an evening, and my fall back laptop lacks that capacity. Be back up in just a few moments.

edit: Make that 'in an hour or so' - gotta do some winderz updates.

edit2: Sorry, winderz update did something stupid, namely, putting the EULA notification window BEHIND IE so I didn't notice I had to click on it. So I had to start the update process all over again, done now. Setting up server.
 

Kuroneko

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Thothie said:
edit2: Sorry, winderz update did something stupid, namely, putting the EULA notification window BEHIND IE so I didn't notice I had to click on it. So I had to start the update process all over again, done now. Setting up server.

The only EULA I know of in windows update is with the GDI detection tool or some such...but thats only with SP1/0 why are you using such an old version of windows?
 

Thothie

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It's SP2, all the latest patches. It gives me an EULA every time I use windows update - and it does that on every puter I've ever used it on. It's their 'if this update makes your computer explode we're not responsible - and don't distribute this / cover our ass' EULA (although I think it only does it for certain updates). I just forgot and didn't notice it was sitting there, doing nothing for three hours, since it popped up behind the browser. ;)
 

Kuroneko

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Thothie said:
It's SP2, all the latest patches. It gives me an EULA every time I use windows update - and it does that on every puter I've ever used it on. It's their 'if this update makes your computer explode we're not responsible - and don't distribute this / cover our ass' EULA (although I think it only does it for certain updates). I just forgot and didn't notice it was sitting there, doing nothing for three hours, since it popped up behind the browser. ;)

You started an update and immediately walked away? You should prolly use Automatic Updates on full :p
 

Thothie

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Disabled as many unnecessary services as possible to provide as many resources as possible for the HLDS, so I had to do it manual. That P4 laptop is running basically naked, and it still can barely handle MSC.

Although I have it disabled on my desktop as well - or rather - set to notification only - as automatic tends to download updates I don't want. Also tends to bitch at me about restarting my computer when I it's not convenient to do so - nor have the pop-up.
 

Thothie

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Server down until Fuznet is back up + a few hours.
 

FuzzyFish

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Fixed, I'm hopefully I'll get the rebuilt (READ: Slower) server up and running. I don't have another powersupply able to run that existing board.
 

Thothie

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Alright, too many people bitching about there being a lack of consistant [FN] servers, so I'll put the server back up.

Frankly, I don't really want to. I've had the laptop back for a day now, and I kinda put it off, as I'm sick of using my P2 Laptop, when I have this P4 here. I'm also getting tired of slowly killing my P4 laptop - they aren't designed to opperate 24/7 like desktops are... But I suppose it's under warranty.

If there's no update that allows me to run the HLDS in the background on the desktop (as I used to run both WW and MS1.35 10 player servers in the background, with no system-wide CPU issues), then I will eventually close the server for good. I've almost enough pieces for a sperate box, but I'd also have to add a wireless hub, or some such, as I can't think of an aesthetic way to place another box in my office. (Yes, I've gotten to that age where I actually care what my office looks like.)

Suffice to say, I'm sick of dealing with it, and the server's days are likely numbered.

I'll try to update the restarter and make an HLDS self installer to help encourage people to make their own.
 

Red Cell

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Thothie said:
Alright, too many people **** about there being a lack of consistant [FN] servers, so I'll put the server back up.

Frankly, I don't really want to. I've had the laptop back for a day now, and I kinda put it off, as I'm sick of using my P2 Laptop, when I have this P4 here. I'm also getting tired of slowly killing my P4 laptop - they aren't designed to opperate 24/7 like desktops are... But I suppose it's under warranty.

If there's no update that allows me to run the HLDS in the background on the desktop (as I used to run both WW and MS1.35 10 player servers in the background, with no system-wide CPU issues), then I will eventually close the server for good. I've almost enough pieces for a sperate box, but I'd also have to add a wireless hub, or some such, as I can't think of an aesthetic way to place another box in my office. (Yes, I've gotten to that age where I actually care what my office looks like.)

Suffice to say, I'm sick of dealing with it, and the server's days are likely numbered.

I'll try to update the restarter and make an HLDS self installer to help encourage people to make their own.

So that's it. It's over. Goodbye Thothie's server. You have brought fun and joy to 100's of gamers.

RIP
 

Thothie

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Server been up and down for numberous reasons... Don't depend on it being around, really - hence the signature change.

However, today, and for the next few days, I'm testing the new restarter. So, believe it or not, I'd *appreciate* it, if you'd crash it. Not that you could tell the difference, it's so damn laggy.

Server should come two-three minutes after crashing, if all is working well.
 

Thothie

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Many of you have noticed that my pathetic server is now the unofficial beta-test server.

To make use of some of the items/spells on the server, you will have to go to the server website and download the latest SC.DLL as described in the server MOTD:
http://www.thothie.com/ms

Please backup your current SC.DLL first. (If you fail to heed that warning, as I know some of you will, the January SC.DLL is also on the website.)

This SC.DLL is not 100% stable. Those who play on my server are guinea pigs used to discover why. :) If I get a 100% stable SC.DLL, I'll recommend it for the official patches page.

ATM, the issue I'm trying to trouble shoot is Keledros crashing. Done a bunch of stuff to prevent it in the May 20th patch (this morning PST) - so if you can get a good team of level 20's to assault him again, please do. He may drop a new spell for you (but you'll need the SC.DLL on your client to use it, and it may not work on servers not running the SC.DLL.)

The changelog is too massive to list (there's a partial list on the official patches page), plus a lot I can't list without major spoilers - but here's a list of some of the major bits:

- Shields Work (May need some nerfing)
- Blizzard, Lightning Storm, Firewall, and Volcano all work (properly)
- New spells currently available: Poison, Fire Ball
- Blizzard Raises Ice skill, Poison Raises Affliction
- Ice shield blocks 50% of all incoming damage for ~30secs, for 50 mana - this stacks with armor and shield effects. Ice Shield also works on pets.
- Summoned pets do damage (Summoned Pets Skill is based on SC)
- Summoned pets respond to commands (hunt, follow, kill, status, vanish - and a few other commands unique to each monster) - must use NPC speak, and must be in range.
- Summoned Rats upgrade to summoned Giant Rats at SC 8 (doing something similar for skeleton later)
- All known quests should now function
- Healing rate is now 5% of your max health, 20% of your max mana per tick (minimum 2pts/4pts). This means everyone should heal at about the same rate regardless of level. Also hoping this discourages character deletes from mass potion haulers / lag from rejuv abuse. You will not be able to heal for a few moments after being struck.
- Mana pots should be more useful, though I keep forgetting to actually test that. ;)
- Anti-spam system to prevent No Free Edict errors (refined as of 5/20)
- 99.9% MS 1.35 Compatible (note: some old MS maps also require wad files not found in MSC, and map behavior may still be quite buggy.)
- MANY bugged treasure chests fixed, there are many items out there you may have missed. (Largely due to [=>] != [>=]) :)
- Elven swords each uniquely named (and sword_bastard, is now actually a bastard sword, instead of the weakest elven sword under the wrong name)
- Search the sewers for some new friends. :)

-> Beware there is an eight spell limit (working on this, may have new spell casting method entirely)

Mappers should read the full change log on the patches page. There are now time and weather control features available.

There's also a new ms.dll running on the server (hence the 'dev_h') - but there are no changes to speak of there yet - it's basically testing the recompile for solidity.
 

Thothie

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05.22.06 Ultra-Beta SC.DLL

Major changes:

The biggest change is the difference to the spell system. These defeat the eight spell limit and allow me much more freedom to add the upcoming spells...

There are now two types of spell items you can get, plus a special container called "SpellBook"

Type One: is Spell Page Scroll. These can be activated, and doing so instantly summons an effect that grants you the proper spell, if you have sufficient Spell Casting skills. Once the spell expires, the scroll returns to your inventory, and it maybe used again afer a short recharge period. Each spell sphere (ie. affliction,fire,lighting,divination,etc) has its own effect. (The fire sphere effect, maybe a little frightening)

Spell pages can be stacked in a SpellBook for easy reference. These are available at reasonable prices at most magic shops. The basic spells are also available in this form in such places - and others - at not so reasonable prices.

Type Two: Is the old style spell scroll, now called a Tome. A Tome allows you to permanently memorize the spell to your Slot #2 list, as per the old style spell system. You are still limited to eight slot #2 spells, however, you can have as many Spell Scroll Pages as you wish.

In the future, I may introduce 'one shot scrolls' (or 'expendable scrolls') which will be spell scrolls of various spells, that only allow you to cast once, and then vanish, never to return. These will, however, lack level restrictions.

There's lots of other changes, too numberous to list, but that's the big one that may need adjusting too, hopefully not too confusing... I'm open to changes/suggestions,etcs, as always.

Other minor things of interest to look at:
- Glow changes color and radius with SC level
- Increase mana consumption and healing rate of Rejuv to help reduce 'Rejuv lag'
- Fixed some problems with skeles getting stuck (at least partially)
- Icewall is almost a legitimate spell now (doesn't trap players, monsters attack it)
- Longsword/bastardsword animations more or less fixed, need to make them parry still
- You can find a dwarven axe for sale, rather easily... Bet ya can't guess where. ;)
 

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Thothie for king!

Oh, and there are a few bugs I found in the other beta (maybe not necessarily the ultra-beta)

-You can't put backpacks on. Threw everything off me then tried, said I can't put it on (for whatever reason I don't know)

-Crashing happens when armor is to be dropped then picked up again, regardless of armor type. Sometimes this doesn't occur, but when you try to put on removed armors it crashes.

I personally think something's wrong with my comp, because I remember having one hell of a fun rampage with people around the cities (with my dark and leather armors) in your server without crashes

In all thothie, you are a friggin God (disposable scrolls FTW...like Slash'EM...damn that game is fun)
 
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