Armagetron Advanced - User contributions [en]

PlayingGettingStarted

2008-07-21T10:49:05Z

T1:

{{Sections}} 

This document attempts to give the minimal set of knowledge required for a player to enjoy the game.

= Getting ready to play =
Once you start ArmagetronAd, the game will be launched in fullscreen. To be able to follow this document, press "f" to toggle between fullscreen and windowed mode.

== Select your preferred languages ==
Once the game is started, you will be asked to select your preferred language. Use the right and left arrows to change it. The secondary language is used when a translated text cannot be found in the primary language. Once selected, use the up and down arrows to move to Accept and press return.

== Hardware detection ==
A screen indicate the 3D hardware found. It us usually properly detected, so feel free to press return to continue. Even if not detected properly, you will still be able to play the game.
You should now be at the main menu, labeled "Armagetron Advance" with the items "Game", "Player Setup", "System Setup", "About" and "Exit Game". Remember this menu, it will be the navigation reference.

== How to move in the game ==
Before launching into play, here is the minimal keys you will need to know:
*To turn left, press either z, y or w
*To turn right, press x
*While playing, you can always activate the menu by pressing ESC. To stop playing, navigate to "Leave Grid"
*To navigating back to the main menu after leaving the grid, press ESC once more.
Most keyboards in the world, should allow you to use the left most letter on the bottom row of your keyboard to turn left, and the second left most key to turn right.

== Start playing ==
In its basic form, the game will present you with battling AI. Avoid colliding with the various walls and use the trace you leave behind you to trap and kill the AI. After a few battles, leave the grid and return to this document.
To start playing, from the main menu:
*Select the first item, labeled "Game", and press enter.
*Select the first item, labeled "Local Game", in the new menu, and press enter.

= Rubber and Grinding =
Battling AI at near constant speed is quite a challenge, but barely allows to overtake a fleeting enemy or to seal another in a closed area for them to die. These strategies and more are enabled through the usage of rubber and the technique of grinding. Together, they constitute the base of the play.

== [[Rubber]] ==
Rubber allows you to press yourself to a wall, preventing you from crashing into it for a very short period.

Rubber allows a cycle to near itself to a wall, as if a cushion was laid before it. Press too hard on the cushion and you hit the wall. Turn while you are pressing on it, and you will yourself tightly placed against the wall, leaving little place for someone to follow.

Each time a cycle uses this cushion, its rubber reserve are consumed. If it reaches its limit, it hits the wall it was pressing on. Coming to a wall at greater speed with consume rubber faster, as pressing to end up tighter with the wall. Normally the cycle will regenerate its own rubber reserve with time.

== Grinding ==
Running a cycle parallel to nearby traces and sometimes walls will accelerate the cycle. The closer you are, the greater the acceleration you get. Useful when attempting to overtake an enemy. Driving between 2 traces will provide greater acceleration.

Use your gained speed advantage promptly, as with time your cycle will return to its regular speed. Each turn you make will further slow you.

== Learning Rubber and Grinding ==
The default setting of the game give very little rubber. To help you experiment with rubber, we will raise its limit. We will also lower the basic speed for the cycle so you can more carefully observe how rubber is consumed and practice grinding walls.

To change game settings, the console is used. The console is a simple text input field that allows you to redefine all the parameters of the game. It is accessible both during play and in any menu. To activate the console, press either the ^ key or the ` key. The text "Con:" should appear the bottom of the screen. There, type the parameter to affect followed by the value desired. The console is case insensitive, so typing "Cycle_speed 10", "cycle_speed 10" or CYCLE_SPEED 10" will produce the same result.

Now activate the console and write, without the quotes:
"cycle_speed 10"
This will reduce the speed at which the cycle tend to move, giving you more time to think and maneuver. Feel free to adjust to your preference.

The rubber meter is presented on the lower left part of the screen when you are playing. Note that by default the bar goes from 0 to 1, quite a small reserve of rubber. To change this, you will need to pass the command "cycle_rubber" (without the quotes) followed by a number.

Activate the console and write, without the quotes:
"cycle_rubber 10"
This will raise the rubber available to all the cycles. Feel free to adjust to your preference.

Once you have changed the cycle_speed and cycle_rubber settings, practice pressing your cycle agains traces and wall, and getting acceleration by grinding them. In the basic setup, no acceleration is gained from grinding the outer rim even though rubber is consumed when you press on it. Experiment and learn from those settings, but do not to used to them. Such a generous amount of rubber is not often seen on multi-player games.

It is to be noted that setting changes through the use of the console are not saved. When restarting the game, the original values will be restored.

=Zones=
Zones are the game elements used in ArmagetronAd. As zones can offer perculiar behavior, this section will give you a rough introduction to them.

== Win and Death Zones ==
The win and death zones offers instant win and instant death to any cycle who enters them.

To try them, you will be required to load a new map. To do this, from the console type map_file followed by the name of the map to be used. In this instance, the file name is AATeam/demo/win-1.aamap.xml, so at the console, type "map_file AATeam/demo/win-1.aamap.xml", without the quotes. If you dont have this map already on your system, the game will attempt to download it automatically, so you should probably be connected to Internet when you attempt this.

On the next round, the arena should hold a green win zone and a red death zone. Experiment with either zones. Note that for your convenience that there are no AI, as they are too subject to the zones. Also, your trace is not of a finite length, allowing you move freedom of movement.

== Conquest Zones ==
Zones can be configured so it is not the action of entering them that produce the effect, but rather by the cycle being inside the zone, often or a certain amount of time.

Using the console, type "map_file AATeam/demo/conquest-a-1.aamap.xml". This will load a map containing a single zone. You have to pass a total of 12 seconds in it in total to conquer it. As you conquer it, you should see it turning faster and faster onto itself, giving you a visual representation of the state of the conquest. Once conquered, the zone collapse and the round is won.

Now load the map named "AATeam/demo/conquest-b-1.aamap.xml". This time, your conquest of the zone gets eroded with time, meaning that if a partially conquered zone is left alone for a while, it will return to its original status and you will have to re start the conquest. Do not worry, the conquest rate is in your favor at a rate of 4:1. It would take 4 seconds outside of the zone to loose the conquest generated from 1 second inside the zone. Experiment with this zone until you are comfortable with the conquest and decay concepts. Note that when totally left alone, the zone simply turn at its lowerst original rate, indicating that the conquest of this zone has been reset to nothing.

This time the zone is configured in a way that it is the natural decay of the zone that conquers it. Left alone, the zone will naturally conquer itself and you will lose. To prevent this, passing time inside the zone will actually annulate the decay. Again, the odds are in your favor in a 4:1 rate. Each second passed inside will annulate 4 seconds of natural decay. So keep on your guards and do not wander too far. This map is named "AATeam/demo/conquest-c-1.aamap.xml".

In multi-player setups, the following names can be encountered:
- Fortress: Each team have to defend their own zone while trying to conquer the enemy's. The decay usually move the status of the zone toward non conquered.
- Sumo: Multiple zones surimposed with decay set to conquer the zone. Each player has to fight the other players for some space under the common zones in to prevent his own zone of being conquered, or face certain death.

= Multi player =
Beside rudimentary AI, the ArmagetronAd games allow you to compete again other player on the same computer, on a LAN or over Internet.

== Connecting to a LAN server ==
For the main menu, navigate to "Game". There select "Network Game" and then "LAN Game". The game will query the local network (LAN) for any server, and present them in a list.

It is possible to use the client to host a server. From the list of local servers, click on "Host Game" and then "Host Network Game". Your copy of ArmagetronAd will allow you to server as a server for other to connect to, while letting you join in the action. The server will run until you exit the menu.

== Connecting to an Internet server ==
For the main menu, navigate to "Game". There select "Network Game" followed by "Internet Game". The application will start querying different servers from all around the world and present you with a list of servers with a few details. It is strongly advised that you read the short description presented for each server at the bottom of your screen. It often gives you valuable information about the server you are about to join.

Selecting one will connect you to it. More information might be presented to you during the connection operation. Read it carefully as it often describe the type of game you are about to try. And dont forget to communicate with the other players present using the chat capacity of the game, available on the 's' key.

Internet access is of course required for this.

== Type of play ==
The dynamic of the game will be decided by the settings in use. These settings and resulting combinations are too various to cover here. Also, when connecting to a LAN based server or an Internet based one, the server will decide of the configuration.

One rough categorization is possible: Free for all versus Team Play.

When in doubt, do not hesitate to communicate with the other players. Chat capacity is associated with the key 's'.

=== Free for all ===
In this type of play, all the players compete against each others. It is left to you to make the best use of your cunning, reflexes, experience and even ad-hoc alliances to raise yourself to the top.

=== Team Play ===
In this type of play, cooperation between members of a team will usually produce better results than having everybody trying to accomplish the same goals. Often, individualism will actually harm your team mates, and incite their fury toward you. Be observant when joining a server, your team mates might be relying on you and ignoring them might cause great troubles.

AVE Schedule

2008-03-25T14:05:38Z

T1: Undo revision 21374 by CnadaRorer (Talk) - Spam

{|- style="width: 100%"
| style="background: lightgray;" |'''AVE Fort''' |[[AVE| Home ]] |[[AVE_Schedule| Calender]] | [[AVE2| Sign Up]] | [[AVE3| Rules]] | [[AVE4 | Teams]]

AFL Previous

2008-03-20T22:43:05Z

T1: Undo revision 21353 by TrercAlorl (Talk) - Spam

{{AFLTbl}}

Here's information of historical interest to anybody interested in the history of the Armagetron Fortress League.

== July, 2007 ==

* [[AFL_Schedule|Schedule]]
* [[AFL_Spring_2007_Results|Regular Season Results]]
* [[AFL_Spring_2007_Playoffs|Postseason]]

Server Administration Guide

2008-03-20T14:01:51Z

T1: Removed spam caught up in previous edits

Setting up a server for Armagetron Advanced isn't terribly difficult, but there are a few things you need to consider when you do it. Taking a few minutes to figure out what you're trying to do will save you a whole lot of headache/heartache later on when people start playing your server.

== Starting out ==

Before you consider what OS you're going to use, what version of the game to run, and so forth, you should figure out a few basic parameters of the server. Here are some you should consider.

=== Private or Public? ===
The setting <code>TALK_TO_MASTER</code> is off by default. To make your server public (available on the master server list), you must turn on this setting. If it is off, players will only be able to connect to your server through the [[Server Bookmarks]] using your IP address. If you are connected to the internet through a router, normally used so that multiple computers can share the same internet connection, you will also need to open a port.

More information on both of these topics is available below.

=== Moderated? ===

Armagetron Advanced supports a limited but expanding set of in game administration commands(in 0.2.8, it will be a fairly comprehensive set). The catch is that you can only have one administration password. So in order to make moderators on your server, all you have to do is give out the administration password.

The alternative is to use the voting features that are intended to allow players to moderate the server as they see fit.

You can go either way, of course. It's entirely up to you.

=== Round or Match ===

There are plenty of ways to setup scoring on a server. A common setting is one point for each kill. While this scoring method encourages competitive play, it's not always desirable. On some servers, just surviving to the end of the round is quite an accomplishment, and you may wish to reward players for doing so. Too much of a reward will encourage players to just screw around instead of fighting.

You should also consider if you even want the standard gladiator-style fighting. It's certainly possible to set up scoring to allow for different games, such as [[Roulette]], and to encourage different playing styles. So just take a few minutes to think about it. It'll pay off in the end, because the default game server settings aren't necessarily the most popular scoring rules, and unless you really want the default scoring, you could lose most of your audience in the first two hours of operation if you didn't think about scoring.

== Requirements ==

=== If you fall short ===

If you cannot meet the requirements to host a server yourself (or simply don't want to leave your computer on 24/7), don't despair! There are companies that specialize in hosting colocated servers-- you can use many of them (such as [http://www.sevenl.net/ SevenL] or [http://www.vr.org VR Hosted]) to host an Armagetron Advanced server. If you don't have the expertise or want to bother with maintaining a full Linux server, you can get hosting specifically for Armagetron from [http://lightfoot.dashjr.org lightfoot.dashjr.org] without needing to setup anything.

=== Hardware ===

Hardware requirements are fairly small. The game itself will only need around 10MB of RAM or so, more for more players. So whatever the minimal requirements for your target operating system will usually suffice. It is important to make sure that the game will not have any of its parts swapped to disk, just like with any other server, but memory usage is minimal.

CPU requirements are also pretty slim. Again, whatever the requirements for your target operating system will likely suffice. A common number provided for a server CPU is a 600mhz Pentium II or greater. Some popular servers have run on as little as 800mhz AMD Duron! Starting in 0.2.7.1, it is possible to limit the framerate of the simulation itself. This gives several important traits to the game. First, it makes it play nicely even on a computer that runs other tasks (such as a web server). It also provides for more stable gameplay. Finally, it allows you to tailor the simulation for your hardware, so on a smaller CPU, you should consider limiting the framerate of the simulation to improve gameplay.

=== Network ===

The size and speed of your network connection is more than likely going to be your first and most serious performance bottleneck. Generally you'll want to consider that each player connected requires about 6KB/second of upstream bandwidth. So for 16 players, you'll need 96 KB/sec of upstream bandwidth. This doesn't consider any other bandwidth usage on your network, such as web browsing from a different machine. Use MAX_CLIENTS to limit the number of players accordingly.

More information is given for both of these topics in the [[Advanced Server Administration Guide]].

== Setting Up ==

So now you've figured out what kind of server you want and how you want people to play on it, and you want to know how to set it up and optionally make it available on the master server browser. Setting up is fairly straightforward.

If you do not wish to bother with setting up a server yourself, and be left to simply administrate your server, [http://lightfoot.dashjr.org lightfoot.dashjr.org] provides managed hosting for Armagetron servers-- you can just configure it how you like using a simple web interface and be ready to play.

=== Install the Server ===

First you need to install the server. It's common to think of any given "server" as a special machine built by old women in third-world countries, but actually, a "server" is just any machine that makes a "service" available to other users. In this case, you're going to install software on a computer, possibly your desktop computer, that will make a game service available for other users to use.

So first you need to acquire the package called "armagetronad-dedicated". If you're using Linux, get one that says "linux" on it. For Windows, get the one that has ".exe" on the end of it. For Mac OS X, there's one with a ".dmg" extension for you. Usually the CPU architecture and OS are embedded in the filename, so pick the right one and install it.

We won't go into too many details here about installation, consult the regular documentation for how to install the server for your architecture.

=== Test the Server ===

After installing the server, the first thing you should do is test it. So start it up. If you're in Linux, you will want to become the superuser and type, in a terminal, "/etc/init.d/armagetronad-dedicated start". If you're in Windows, find the icon in your Start menu and click it. If you're in Mac OS X, open the application Terminal which can be found in Utilities in the Applications folder. Type "cd " there (without the quotes) and drop the folder containing the dedicated server on the window. You should now see something like "cd /Users/username/Desktop/Armagetron\ Advanced\ Dedicated/ " if the folder is located on your desktop. Run it by pressing enter or return. Once you're in there, run ./armagetronad-dedicated to start the server. Then fire up a client and see if you can connect to it as a LAN game (under Network Game). If you can do this, then you have successfully tested the server. Now you need to shut it down. In Windows, go to the console window for the server (it opens when you start the game) and type "QUIT". In Linux, just do "/etc/init.d/armagetronad-dedicated stop". In Mac OS X, you type "quit" in the Terminal window like in Windows, after which you can close the Terminal window.

== Public Servers ==

If you want to host a server at home. You have to open UDP port 4534 in your firewall and possibly forward the port from your router to the PC running ArmagetronAd (and is hosting a game).

=== Firewalls ===
*Windows XP: Either your firewall will ask you if you want ArmagetronAd to open port 4534. You can also follow [http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308127 these instructions] use name: "Armagetron Server" the port is UDP 4534 (leave TCP blank).
*ZoneAlarm: TODO: popular? should it be added ?
*Mac OS X: Go to System Preferences ? Sharing ? Firewall. One way to let all traffic through is turning it off, but you may not want to do that. If you decide to leave/turn it on, look for a button labeled “Advanced…”. If it exists, go there and ensure “Block UDP Traffic” is not checked. If it doesn't exist you have an old version that never blocks any UDP. For the curious: this is a limited GUI to ipfirewall.
*Linux: TODO Lucifer ? Link to a site ?

=== Port forwarding ===

If you have a router with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_address_translation NAT], you'll want to forward a port to your server so others can reach it. Armagetron uses the UDP port from configuration option SERVER_PORT, which is 4534 by default. You'll probably want a forwarding entry that looks like:
* Local/internal address: <your server's IP address>
* Protocol: UDP
* Local/internal port: <SERVER_PORT>
* Remote/external port: anything should work, but <SERVER_PORT> is common.

It is important that your server's IP address never changes. You can manually choose an address outside the address pool used by DHCP, or an address that is unlikely to be assigned (e.g. if the lowest available address is always assigned, you can use an address ending with 100), or disable DHCP altogether and configure everything manually. [http://www.portforward.com/ http://www.portforward.com/] has more info on that.

If you can't figure it out, consult your router's manual. You can also look for help at the aforementioned [http://www.portforward.com/ http://www.portforward.com/], which has tutorials for many routers, and a forum. It doesn't have an Armagetron entry (yet), but it has been found that [http://www.portforward.com/english/applications/port_forwarding/F-22Lightning3/F-22Lightning3index.htm F-22 Lightning 3's] port range contains Armagetron's default port, so if you're absolutely clueless you can go with that.

==== Dynamic external IP addresses ====

If you have a dynamic external IP address, you can use a service like DynDNS's [http://www.dyndns.com/services/dns/dyndns/ Dynamic DNS] to map a name to your IP address. When your IP address changes, a small updater program will send the new address to DynDNS and update the address associated with the name. You should set the setting SERVER_DNS to the name you registered to ensure clients and the master servers can keep track of you when your IP address changes.

=== Secure the Server ===

There isn't really a lot to do here, but you should consider how you want to secure the machine. If you think it will be necessary to ban certain players, then a firewall is your only option. Since ArmagetronAd 0.2.8.x you are able to ban IPs.
For older versions you can use a firewall that allows you to deny connections from users by IP address. It's not foolproof, but it's the only thing possible until we have player authentification.

Contrarily, if you do not want internet players to be able to use your server, you will need to make sure your router prevents such players but making the port mentioned above inaccessible through the router.

== [[Configuration Files]] ==

At this point you should have a good idea of what kind of server you're going to run and you should also have a working server running, but you don't yet have the server you set out to build. Now you need to configure the server itself.

The server is very flexible. As of the 0.2.8 release, you have pretty complete control over the simulation, and you also have some settings that you can configure the game rules a bit. So now all you need to do is make the settings, right? Wrong. :) First you need to understand how the settings are loaded and in what order.

=== Examples ===

Note: These examples first appeared in one of the release candidates for 0.2.8. Depending on what version you install, you may not have all of them, or even any of them. The final 0.2.8 release will have them for all platforms, however.

Several example files are provided to help you get set up and running quickly. These files contain snippets of settings that range from simple adjustments to cycle physics to more complex snippets that encapsulate complete game rules. So if you've played a server that you really enjoy and you'd like to use it as a base to build your own server, you can look to see if any of the example snippets provide the settings you're wanting.

Some of the snippets are named from the servers they came from. When you see this, it is because the file contains a fairly complete set of settings to make a server exactly like the server where the settings originated. Others are named after a specific action. These may have originated in a server, or they may not have originated in a server. If they came from a server, you can read the comments in the file to see which server they came from.

Each example snippet is built with the intention of being included in your <code>settings_custom.cfg</code> file so you don't have to copy and paste the contents in order to use them. Be warned, however, that the example snippet you've picked may be changed in an upgrade. This will happen periodically when the game engine changes in a way that renders the settings snippet in a different fashion than it was intended, and the changes will be made to attempt to bring that file back to the same feel of play as it originally had. If you want to use those upgrades to your benefit, then you can and should go ahead and include the snippet file as shown. If you want to insulate your server from such upgrades, then you'll need to copy and paste the contents of the file into your own <code>settings_custom.cfg</code>.

Examples:

To make a fortress server, add this line to <code>settings_custom.cfg</code>:

<code>INCLUDE examples/fortress_soccer.cfg</code>

To add a death zone to your server, you can add this line:

<code>INCLUDE examples/death_zone.cfg</code>

To add a single-use booster in place of the brake, you can use:

<code>INCLUDE examples/single_use_turbo.cfg</code>

Some of the example files may modify the same settings that others modify. When two examples conflict in this fashion, the one that is listed last will override all others. So place the one you wish to have persist at the end.

If you'd like to taylor the settings after you've included them, place your own settings after the relevant include lines. In fact, you should place all of your additional settings after all includes in order to ensure that no new included file will override your own settings.

=== Making your own Settings ===

The most common settings to change affect game logic, scoring, and some basic simulation such as cycle speed, acceleration, and so forth.

==== Simulation Settings ====
;EXPLOSION_RADIUS
:Blast radius of cycle explosions. Set to 0 to have no explosion radius (obviously).
;WALLS_LENGTH
:Cycle trail length. Set to -1 to have infinite trails.
;WALLS_STAY_UP_DELAY
:Cycle trail stay up this long after the cycle's destruction, measured in seconds.
;SPEED_FACTOR
:Cycle speed factor. Increase this by two to double the speed
;CYCLE_RUBBER
:This affects grinding. Higher numbers allow players to get closer to walls before crashing. It's intended to be used solely to correct for lag, but it's usually not used that way.

==== Map Settings ====
;ARENA_AXES
:Sets the number of possible driving directions (used only when map is axes-independent, otherwise the map overwrite this value)
;MAP_FILE
:This describe how to retreive a map. It uses a special syntax to allow to describe the location of the map on the local disk and a possible list of network based location, such as web url, where to retreive the file. The syntax is "[./][directory[/directory[...]]]/filename [(fulluri[; fulluri[; fulluri[...]]])]". By default, missing files are looked up by the client on the central resource repository. If one of more URI are given in the MAP_FILE, they will be queried before going to the resource repository.

==== Game Rules ====

;SCORE_WIN
:Points you gain for being last one alive. Also known as "camping points"
;SCORE_SUICIDE
:Points you gain for every stupid death (race into the rim/your own wall). It is added, so negative numbers are appropriate here unless you want to reward people for being stupid.
;SCORE_KILL
:Points you gain for everyone racing into your wall.
;SCORE_DIE
:Points you gain for every time you race into someone else's wall. Like SCORE_SUICIDE, you should make this a negative number unless you want to reward people for sucking.

;LIMIT_SCORE
:Score limit. When a player reaches this score, the match ends and that player wins. Ties are resolved by playing another round until one player has more points than the rest.
;LIMIT_ROUNDS
:Max number of rounds to play. When this is reached, the highest-scoring player is named the winner.
;LIMIT_TIME
:Max time (in minutes). When this is reached, the highest-scoring player is named the winner of the match.

Here is a pretty common setup:

<pre>
SCORE_WIN 0
SCORE_SUICIDE 0
SCORE_KILL 1
SCORE_DIE 0

LIMIT_SCORE 10
LIMIT_ROUNDS 40
LIMIT_TIME 30
</pre>

This is the scoring system used on servers like Swampland, the old Tigers Network servers, and the goshdarn clones that are floating around. It basically means you have to get 10 points by killing other players to win the match. Breakfast in Hell used a variation:

<pre>
SCORE_WIN 0
SCORE_SUICIDE 0
SCORE_KILL 1
SCORE_DIE 0

LIMIT_SCORE 1000
LIMIT_ROUNDS 40
LIMIT_TIME 7
</pre>

You still had to kill people to win, but the match was limited to 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, a winner was declared. The Crack Pipe still uses these settings at the time of writing but may change in the future.

'''This isn't a complete list!'''

There are a whole slew of configuration items available. Since the config items are the same as console commands, you can see a pretty complete list on the [[Console Commands]] page.

== Finishing Up ==

The last thing you need to figure out is usually the first thing you know. Do you want this server to be known by the master server? If so, you need to add this line to your settings_custom.cfg:

<code>
TALK_TO_MASTER 1
</code>

Note: in previous versions, this was the default, but as of 0.2.8, the default will be to not talk to master. You will have to manually set that, so make it the last thing you do before starting the server up for play.

You will also likely need to set <code>DEDICATED_IDLE</code> to 0. If you're in Linux and you're using the init script, then you probably don't have to worry about it, because the init script will restart the server automatically. But if you're not in Linux, you'll need to place this in your settings_custom.cfg:

<code>
DEDICATED_IDLE 0
</code>

If you want your server to be known on the internet, you will probably need to open a port in your router. The default port is 4534, and you need to open it for "udp". Instructions on how to configure this on your router are beyond the scope of this document, you should consult your owner's manual for further information.

Of course, when that's all done, you need to start the server. Use the same procedure already referenced.

== Conclusion ==

This article is the basic "How to setup a game server" article. After reading through this article and getting your server running, the best thing you can do is to play your server for awhile, talk to other administrators, and so forth. Find out what people want, or figure out what you want. Tweak your settings however you'd like, it's your server. When you feel like you've got the hang of running a server, check out the [[Advanced Server Administration Guide]] for more cool things you can do with your server.

In the meantime, have fun!

[[Category:Server/config]]

Server Administration Guide

2008-03-20T13:56:59Z

T1: Undo revision 21193 by OrvinOlic4 (Talk) - spam

eldrontar
Setting up a server for Armagetron Advanced isn't terribly difficult, but there are a few things you need to consider when you do it. Taking a few minutes to figure out what you're trying to do will save you a whole lot of headache/heartache later on when people start playing your server.

== Starting out ==

Before you consider what OS you're going to use, what version of the game to run, and so forth, you should figure out a few basic parameters of the server. Here are some you should consider.

=== Private or Public? ===
The setting <code>TALK_TO_MASTER</code> is off by default. To make your server public (available on the master server list), you must turn on this setting. If it is off, players will only be able to connect to your server through the [[Server Bookmarks]] using your IP address. If you are connected to the internet through a router, normally used so that multiple computers can share the same internet connection, you will also need to open a port.

More information on both of these topics is available below.

=== Moderated? ===

Armagetron Advanced supports a limited but expanding set of in game administration commands(in 0.2.8, it will be a fairly comprehensive set). The catch is that you can only have one administration password. So in order to make moderators on your server, all you have to do is give out the administration password.

The alternative is to use the voting features that are intended to allow players to moderate the server as they see fit.

You can go either way, of course. It's entirely up to you.

=== Round or Match ===

There are plenty of ways to setup scoring on a server. A common setting is one point for each kill. While this scoring method encourages competitive play, it's not always desirable. On some servers, just surviving to the end of the round is quite an accomplishment, and you may wish to reward players for doing so. Too much of a reward will encourage players to just screw around instead of fighting.

You should also consider if you even want the standard gladiator-style fighting. It's certainly possible to set up scoring to allow for different games, such as [[Roulette]], and to encourage different playing styles. So just take a few minutes to think about it. It'll pay off in the end, because the default game server settings aren't necessarily the most popular scoring rules, and unless you really want the default scoring, you could lose most of your audience in the first two hours of operation if you didn't think about scoring.

== Requirements ==

=== If you fall short ===

If you cannot meet the requirements to host a server yourself (or simply don't want to leave your computer on 24/7), don't despair! There are companies that specialize in hosting colocated servers-- you can use many of them (such as [http://www.sevenl.net/ SevenL] or [http://www.vr.org VR Hosted]) to host an Armagetron Advanced server. If you don't have the expertise or want to bother with maintaining a full Linux server, you can get hosting specifically for Armagetron from [http://lightfoot.dashjr.org lightfoot.dashjr.org] without needing to setup anything.

=== Hardware ===

Hardware requirements are fairly small. The game itself will only need around 10MB of RAM or so, more for more players. So whatever the minimal requirements for your target operating system will usually suffice. It is important to make sure that the game will not have any of its parts swapped to disk, just like with any other server, but memory usage is minimal.

CPU requirements are also pretty slim. Again, whatever the requirements for your target operating system will likely suffice. A common number provided for a server CPU is a 600mhz Pentium II or greater. Some popular servers have run on as little as 800mhz AMD Duron! Starting in 0.2.7.1, it is possible to limit the framerate of the simulation itself. This gives several important traits to the game. First, it makes it play nicely even on a computer that runs other tasks (such as a web server). It also provides for more stable gameplay. Finally, it allows you to tailor the simulation for your hardware, so on a smaller CPU, you should consider limiting the framerate of the simulation to improve gameplay.

=== Network ===

The size and speed of your network connection is more than likely going to be your first and most serious performance bottleneck. Generally you'll want to consider that each player connected requires about 6KB/second of upstream bandwidth. So for 16 players, you'll need 96 KB/sec of upstream bandwidth. This doesn't consider any other bandwidth usage on your network, such as web browsing from a different machine. Use MAX_CLIENTS to limit the number of players accordingly.

More information is given for both of these topics in the [[Advanced Server Administration Guide]].

== Setting Up ==

So now you've figured out what kind of server you want and how you want people to play on it, and you want to know how to set it up and optionally make it available on the master server browser. Setting up is fairly straightforward.

If you do not wish to bother with setting up a server yourself, and be left to simply administrate your server, [http://lightfoot.dashjr.org lightfoot.dashjr.org] provides managed hosting for Armagetron servers-- you can just configure it how you like using a simple web interface and be ready to play.

=== Install the Server ===

First you need to install the server. It's common to think of any given "server" as a special machine built by old women in third-world countries, but actually, a "server" is just any machine that makes a "service" available to other users. In this case, you're going to install software on a computer, possibly your desktop computer, that will make a game service available for other users to use.

So first you need to acquire the package called "armagetronad-dedicated". If you're using Linux, get one that says "linux" on it. For Windows, get the one that has ".exe" on the end of it. For Mac OS X, there's one with a ".dmg" extension for you. Usually the CPU architecture and OS are embedded in the filename, so pick the right one and install it.

We won't go into too many details here about installation, consult the regular documentation for how to install the server for your architecture.

=== Test the Server ===

After installing the server, the first thing you should do is test it. So start it up. If you're in Linux, you will want to become the superuser and type, in a terminal, "/etc/init.d/armagetronad-dedicated start". If you're in Windows, find the icon in your Start menu and click it. If you're in Mac OS X, open the application Terminal which can be found in Utilities in the Applications folder. Type "cd " there (without the quotes) and drop the folder containing the dedicated server on the window. You should now see something like "cd /Users/username/Desktop/Armagetron\ Advanced\ Dedicated/ " if the folder is located on your desktop. Run it by pressing enter or return. Once you're in there, run ./armagetronad-dedicated to start the server. Then fire up a client and see if you can connect to it as a LAN game (under Network Game). If you can do this, then you have successfully tested the server. Now you need to shut it down. In Windows, go to the console window for the server (it opens when you start the game) and type "QUIT". In Linux, just do "/etc/init.d/armagetronad-dedicated stop". In Mac OS X, you type "quit" in the Terminal window like in Windows, after which you can close the Terminal window.

== Public Servers ==

If you want to host a server at home. You have to open UDP port 4534 in your firewall and possibly forward the port from your router to the PC running ArmagetronAd (and is hosting a game).
=== Firewalls ===
*Windows XP: Either your firewall will ask you if you want ArmagetronAd to open port 4534. You can also follow [http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308127 these instructions] use name: "Armagetron Server" the port is UDP 4534 (leave TCP blank).
*ZoneAlarm: TODO: popular? should it be added ?
*Mac OS X: Go to System Preferences â Sharing â Firewall. One way to let all traffic through is turning it off, but you may not want to do that. If you decide to leave/turn it on, look for a button labeled âAdvancedâ¦â. If it exists, go there and ensure âBlock UDP Trafficâ is not checked. If it doesn't exist you have an old version that never blocks any UDP. For the curious: this is a limited GUI to ipfirewall.
*Linux: TODO Lucifer ? Link to a site ?

=== Port forwarding ===

If you have a router with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_address_translation NAT], you'll want to forward a port to your server so others can reach it. Armagetron uses the UDP port from configuration option SERVER_PORT, which is 4534 by default. You'll probably want a forwarding entry that looks like:
* Local/internal address: <your server's IP address>
* Protocol: UDP
* Local/internal port: <SERVER_PORT>
* Remote/external port: anything should work, but <SERVER_PORT> is common.

It is important that your server's IP address never changes. You can manually choose an address outside the address pool used by DHCP, or an address that is unlikely to be assigned (e.g. if the lowest available address is always assigned, you can use an address ending with 100), or disable DHCP altogether and configure everything manually. [http://www.portforward.com/ http://www.portforward.com/] has more info on that.

If you can't figure it out, consult your router's manual. You can also look for help at the aforementioned [http://www.portforward.com/ http://www.portforward.com/], which has tutorials for many routers, and a forum. It doesn't have an Armagetron entry (yet), but it has been found that [http://www.portforward.com/english/applications/port_forwarding/F-22Lightning3/F-22Lightning3index.htm F-22 Lightning 3's] port range contains Armagetron's default port, so if you're absolutely clueless you can go with that.

==== Dynamic external IP addresses ====

If you have a dynamic external IP address, you can use a service like DynDNS's [http://www.dyndns.com/services/dns/dyndns/ Dynamic DNS] to map a name to your IP address. When your IP address changes, a small updater program will send the new address to DynDNS and update the address associated with the name. You should set the setting SERVER_DNS to the name you registered to ensure clients and the master servers can keep track of you when your IP address changes.

=== Secure the Server ===

There isn't really a lot to do here, but you should consider how you want to secure the machine. If you think it will be necessary to ban certain players, then a firewall is your only option. Since ArmagetronAd 0.2.8.x you are able to ban IPs.
For older versions you can use a firewall that allows you to deny connections from users by IP address. It's not foolproof, but it's the only thing possible until we have player authentification.

Contrarily, if you do not want internet players to be able to use your server, you will need to make sure your router prevents such players but making the port mentioned above inaccessible through the router.

== [[Configuration Files]] ==

At this point you should have a good idea of what kind of server you're going to run and you should also have a working server running, but you don't yet have the server you set out to build. Now you need to configure the server itself.

The server is very flexible. As of the 0.2.8 release, you have pretty complete control over the simulation, and you also have some settings that you can configure the game rules a bit. So now all you need to do is make the settings, right? Wrong. :) First you need to understand how the settings are loaded and in what order.

=== Examples ===

Note: These examples first appeared in one of the release candidates for 0.2.8. Depending on what version you install, you may not have all of them, or even any of them. The final 0.2.8 release will have them for all platforms, however.

Several example files are provided to help you get set up and running quickly. These files contain snippets of settings that range from simple adjustments to cycle physics to more complex snippets that encapsulate complete game rules. So if you've played a server that you really enjoy and you'd like to use it as a base to build your own server, you can look to see if any of the example snippets provide the settings you're wanting.

Some of the snippets are named from the servers they came from. When you see this, it is because the file contains a fairly complete set of settings to make a server exactly like the server where the settings originated. Others are named after a specific action. These may have originated in a server, or they may not have originated in a server. If they came from a server, you can read the comments in the file to see which server they came from.

Each example snippet is built with the intention of being included in your <code>settings_custom.cfg</code> file so you don't have to copy and paste the contents in order to use them. Be warned, however, that the example snippet you've picked may be changed in an upgrade. This will happen periodically when the game engine changes in a way that renders the settings snippet in a different fashion than it was intended, and the changes will be made to attempt to bring that file back to the same feel of play as it originally had. If you want to use those upgrades to your benefit, then you can and should go ahead and include the snippet file as shown. If you want to insulate your server from such upgrades, then you'll need to copy and paste the contents of the file into your own <code>settings_custom.cfg</code>.

Examples:

To make a fortress server, add this line to <code>settings_custom.cfg</code>:

<code>INCLUDE examples/fortress_soccer.cfg</code>

To add a death zone to your server, you can add this line:

<code>INCLUDE examples/death_zone.cfg</code>

To add a single-use booster in place of the brake, you can use:

<code>INCLUDE examples/single_use_turbo.cfg</code>

Some of the example files may modify the same settings that others modify. When two examples conflict in this fashion, the one that is listed last will override all others. So place the one you wish to have persist at the end.

If you'd like to taylor the settings after you've included them, place your own settings after the relevant include lines. In fact, you should place all of your additional settings after all includes in order to ensure that no new included file will override your own settings.

=== Making your own Settings ===

The most common settings to change affect game logic, scoring, and some basic simulation such as cycle speed, acceleration, and so forth.

==== Simulation Settings ====
;EXPLOSION_RADIUS
:Blast radius of cycle explosions. Set to 0 to have no explosion radius (obviously).
;WALLS_LENGTH
:Cycle trail length. Set to -1 to have infinite trails.
;WALLS_STAY_UP_DELAY
:Cycle trail stay up this long after the cycle's destruction, measured in seconds.
;SPEED_FACTOR
:Cycle speed factor. Increase this by two to double the speed
;CYCLE_RUBBER
:This affects grinding. Higher numbers allow players to get closer to walls before crashing. It's intended to be used solely to correct for lag, but it's usually not used that way.

==== Map Settings ====
;ARENA_AXES
:Sets the number of possible driving directions (used only when map is axes-independent, otherwise the map overwrite this value)
;MAP_FILE
:This describe how to retreive a map. It uses a special syntax to allow to describe the location of the map on the local disk and a possible list of network based location, such as web url, where to retreive the file. The syntax is "[./][directory[/directory[...]]]/filename [(fulluri[; fulluri[; fulluri[...]]])]". By default, missing files are looked up by the client on the central resource repository. If one of more URI are given in the MAP_FILE, they will be queried before going to the resource repository.

==== Game Rules ====

;SCORE_WIN
:Points you gain for being last one alive. Also known as "camping points"
;SCORE_SUICIDE
:Points you gain for every stupid death (race into the rim/your own wall). It is added, so negative numbers are appropriate here unless you want to reward people for being stupid.
;SCORE_KILL
:Points you gain for everyone racing into your wall.
;SCORE_DIE
:Points you gain for every time you race into someone else's wall. Like SCORE_SUICIDE, you should make this a negative number unless you want to reward people for sucking.

;LIMIT_SCORE
:Score limit. When a player reaches this score, the match ends and that player wins. Ties are resolved by playing another round until one player has more points than the rest.
;LIMIT_ROUNDS
:Max number of rounds to play. When this is reached, the highest-scoring player is named the winner.
;LIMIT_TIME
:Max time (in minutes). When this is reached, the highest-scoring player is named the winner of the match.

Here is a pretty common setup:

<pre>
SCORE_WIN 0
SCORE_SUICIDE 0
SCORE_KILL 1
SCORE_DIE 0

LIMIT_SCORE 10
LIMIT_ROUNDS 40
LIMIT_TIME 30
</pre>

This is the scoring system used on servers like Swampland, the old Tigers Network servers, and the goshdarn clones that are floating around. It basically means you have to get 10 points by killing other players to win the match. Breakfast in Hell used a variation:

<pre>
SCORE_WIN 0
SCORE_SUICIDE 0
SCORE_KILL 1
SCORE_DIE 0

LIMIT_SCORE 1000
LIMIT_ROUNDS 40
LIMIT_TIME 7
</pre>

You still had to kill people to win, but the match was limited to 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, a winner was declared. The Crack Pipe still uses these settings at the time of writing but may change in the future.

'''This isn't a complete list!'''

There are a whole slew of configuration items available. Since the config items are the same as console commands, you can see a pretty complete list on the [[Console Commands]] page.

== Finishing Up ==

The last thing you need to figure out is usually the first thing you know. Do you want this server to be known by the master server? If so, you need to add this line to your settings_custom.cfg:

<code>
TALK_TO_MASTER 1
</code>

Note: in previous versions, this was the default, but as of 0.2.8, the default will be to not talk to master. You will have to manually set that, so make it the last thing you do before starting the server up for play.

You will also likely need to set <code>DEDICATED_IDLE</code> to 0. If you're in Linux and you're using the init script, then you probably don't have to worry about it, because the init script will restart the server automatically. But if you're not in Linux, you'll need to place this in your settings_custom.cfg:

<code>
DEDICATED_IDLE 0
</code>

If you want your server to be known on the internet, you will probably need to open a port in your router. The default port is 4534, and you need to open it for "udp". Instructions on how to configure this on your router are beyond the scope of this document, you should consult your owner's manual for further information.

Of course, when that's all done, you need to start the server. Use the same procedure already referenced.

== Conclusion ==

This article is the basic "How to setup a game server" article. After reading through this article and getting your server running, the best thing you can do is to play your server for awhile, talk to other administrators, and so forth. Find out what people want, or figure out what you want. Tweak your settings however you'd like, it's your server. When you feel like you've got the hang of running a server, check out the [[Advanced Server Administration Guide]] for more cool things you can do with your server.

In the meantime, have fun!

[[Category:Server/config]]

Armagetron Fortress League

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{{:AFL_Blurb}}

== Armagetron Fortress League ==

The AFL is a seasonal competition that runs as a round-robin tournament. The regular season consists of a series of games with each team playing every other team followed by the playoffs, culminating in the ultimate championship. It will run in the fall and spring of each year and two champions will be crowned every year.

League competition, for anybody who's not sure, is that style of play where you play regularly scheduled games against a known list of teams. At the end, your team gets ranked against the others, and you play for a championship title.

In the community, we have had a number of good tournaments, but the one thing they all had in common was that they ran more or less in one day. While this is fine for a tournament, it is fundamentally different than league play. League play adds a new dimension to the competition. It requires you to be at your best as often as you play, to watch the schedule and practice with your team. One week your team might decide it needs to work on its best defense because it's playing the top-ranked team. The next week you might switch out your goalie so your regular goalie can go push a grudge against someone on the other team. There's drama, excitement, love, loyalty, honor, and all the other stuff that makes an epic.

That epic has finally come to Armagetron, and some would say it is overdue for its arrival.

== Summer Competition ==

This summer, in the month of July, we intend to run an abbreviated season. It will run for the 4 weeks of July, with a miniature playoff going down in August sometime. The schedule is being worked out now, we'll have more information on it as it becomes available. For now, we're planning on no entry fee, teams will have to follow all rules even though the scheduling will not be able to pit every team against every other team twice as is planned in the longer seasons. The winner gets to say they won.

== Fall Competition ==

The league's official startup will be in the fall of 2007. The fall season will require an entry fee which will go to pay any expenses incurred by the functioning of the league. The fall season will be a complete season, where every team plays every other team twice. It will be a round robin tournament, essentially, where the regular season is the seed round for the knock-out portion of the tournament. We are planning for the playoffs to consist of the top 8 teams from the regular season, and we hope to expand to 16 teams asap, but we'll probably never exceed 16 teams in the playoffs. Instead, we'll find some other way to rank teams so that there are 16 for the playoffs.

It will no doubt be a lot of fun, so get your teams organized and get ready.

== Discussion of the Entry Fee ==

I hate to have such a fee, but I think that for the league to survive and grow, some way of collecting money to make certain expenses will be required. We hope to use the money to first provide trophies of some sort (t-shirts are planned currently) for winners of various awards, secondly provide quality servers for the competition, and thirdly to compensate league organizers for their time spent organizing and maintaining the league. Fourthly, if some large corporate sponsorship were to occur, as with other leagues, profits would be shared with the teams themselves as well as server administrators who have volunteered their servers for the competition. Teams are free to seek their own sponsorships, of course. The entry fee will be for the whole team, not for each player. So a team that only manages to put 6 people on their roster will pony up the same fee that a 10-person team pays. I'm sorry for the disparity here, we'll try to keep the actual fee as low as possible, just remember that we want to build a long-lasting league, and I'm not convinced it can be done without some money coming in to finance the league.

AVE Schedule

2008-03-20T13:40:16Z

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{|- style="width: 100%"
| style="background: lightgray;" |'''AVE Fort''' |[[AVE| Home ]] |[[AVE_Schedule| Calender]] | [[AVE2| Sign Up]] | [[AVE3| Rules]] | [[AVE4 | Teams]]

Servers

2008-03-20T13:37:44Z

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This is a list of current servers, in alphabetical order. To see a list of old servers that no longer exist but were interesting enough to write about, visit the page about [[Old Servers]].

== [http://crazy-tronners.com/portal.php Crazy Tronners Wild Servers] ==

Nice fortress servers with completly different [http://crazy-tronners.com/ladders_new.php ladder system]. Over 90 various maps are rotating in 12 rounds at [http://crazy-tronners.com/servers.php?map=wild Crazy Tronners Wild Fortress] (CTWF). [http://crazy-tronners.com/servers.php?map=cat CTWCatfight] (1v1) and [http://crazy-tronners.com/servers.php?map=dog CTWDogfight] (2v2) are fortresses with custom maps (fake walls, speed hells, chico's rides, race, octagons and many many more) greate for challanges. All placed in Europe.

== ~|DarkSyndicate|~ Arena ==

High rubber Settings

The right place to test your skills. Fast server with high rubber settings. The 100mbit connection did the rest to make the server that popular. Specifications:

*server running armagetron 0.2.8.2
*standard arena
*walls last until you die
*explosions on a wall make gaps to get through
*no winzone activated
*server admins are ~|DS|~segv

== Flynn's Arcade - .:Avl:. Clan Server==

Flynn's Arcade aims to be similar to the actual movie game grid, with emphasis on maneuvering skill, not just speed and rubber (although high speeds are quite possible). Settings include relatively low rubber, moderate speed and acceleration, infinite walls, and a turbo instead of brakes on one server, and good brakes and slow speed on the other server. Brake server is sometimes used for clan training. Servers are run by .:Avl:.C10ud:. (formerly ianthetechie). Homepage is http://flynnsarcade.net/

== [[GP-Clan server]] ==

Low rubber, not infinite, rim makes speed.
Fun to test your LR skills.

== [[Ion]] ==

Ion is a test server hosted by zero. It allows players to test out new server settings and maps without having to use their own server. For more information, please contact [[User:zero]].

== [[MicroBusCity]] ==

This server has long walls and high speeds. There are moderate brakes here. This server is a standard gladiatorial-style arena where you are expected to kill or be killed. Server settings change at the end of every month, but MBC is always winzone-friendly.

== Norms Place ==

A classic style server with friendly people. This server combines the best aspects of classic and fast play minus any bugs or much hated lag. To be among the best here you need skill and a range of strategies; however all are welcome whatever your ability.
For server stats, FAQ and links visit [http://normsplace.de]

== Race Server ==

This is the first server of its kind, but the setup is simple: You all start at about the same position of a long narrow alley with many obstacles in it. Whoever arrives first at the other end and hits the winzone there gets declared the winner — if anyone makes it there, that is. Many different obstacles that are tricky to escape, small killzones, sticky rim walls, a passage where the alley gets even narrower or splits, killzone- only rounds, the ability to lay mines to get rid of your followers and the turbo make this server an experience you don't want to miss!

== [[RaceToWinzone]] ==

You drive on the server a genuine running — head at head — with a speed from 0 to > 700. Obstacles will try you there to stop. The level are labyrinth-well-behaved however without erring courses. One must also never the way seeks to separate to simply only loose-race. There are different types of level. Times an obstacle run, times goes it through narrow tunnels, times must you try between the barks to drive. Adrenalin impacts are guaranteed.

== Race From Death Zone ==

Similar to any race server, get to the end first, and hit the win zone. Just here, if you slow down, or make a wrong turn, you smash into the death zone, that is quickly expanding behind you.
With an arrange of different maps and brake to boost, it is a very fun server.
To see server stats and maps, visit [http://www.freewebs.com/racefromdeathzone Race From Death Zone Website]
This server is run by Aang.

== :(SX):_OZZY ==

Small grid, high speed. It is also a standard gladiatorial-style arena. This server is run by Swampy.

== [[Swampland]] ==

This server offers shorter walls and moderately high wall acceleration. It is also a standard gladiatorial-style arena. This server is run by Swampy.

== The Lobster Cage and The Lobster Tub==

The Lobster Cage consists of a Medium/Small Grid, Endless Walls, Moderate Speeds, with Moderate Acceleration. Rubber Is slightly above average. The Lobster Tub is a combination of the server settings of In Limbo, Shrunkland, and The Lobster Cage to make one pretty swanky server. Both have a single use turbo instead of a brake. They also are the first official Armagetron servers to have their own Public Teamspeak Server.

These servers are ran by Dr Joe Tron(Lobster Cage/Tub) and Gomes(Teamspeak Server)

== [[~"XzL.Clan Server]] ==

This server is similar to MicroBusCity. It has high speed, non-infinite walls, and the scoring is based upon core dumps making this server more challenging. This server also has a quickly expanding deathzone that loves to eat your lightcycle.

== | Nano's Playground | ==

A very unique server with several different settings configs. Currently this includes classic nano (default), snake hunt mode (fighting style gameplay with very short tails), brake boost chico, trapdoor madness (very high wallshrink), tail madness (very high NEGATIVE wallshrink), and Durka Durka Nano Land (a midget version of DDL)

== Wild West Servers: ==
''Sumo, Team Sumo, Sumo Treasure Island, Fortress, Fortress Shootout, Wild Fortress
Capture the Flag, Capture the Flag Shooting, CTF Labryth, Multi-Mode, Cockpit''

A set of low rubber servers to meet many style preferences. These servers are hosted in Atlanta, Georgia on Dual AMD MP 2800+ CPUs. For server stats, who's playing, and forums visit http://www.lagtest.net

AFL Calendar

2008-03-20T13:35:56Z

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{{AFLTbl}}

This is the entire calendar for the AFL and contains everything currently scheduled.

'''''All times listed are London time, not UTC! London Time is currently UTC+1 because of daylight savings.'''''

<div id="googlecal" style="">[http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=davefancella.com_vlfi4psoqnf7ff07vlpdl6dmdk%40group.calendar.google.com view calendar]</div>

You can also get this calendar in some other ways:

* [http://www.google.com/calendar/feeds/davefancella.com_vlfi4psoqnf7ff07vlpdl6dmdk%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic XML]
* [http://www.google.com/calendar/ical/davefancella.com_vlfi4psoqnf7ff07vlpdl6dmdk%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics ICAL] - For embedding into your own calendar program.

AFL Calendar

2008-03-17T12:12:51Z

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AVE Schedule

2008-03-17T12:10:54Z

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{|- style="width: 100%"
| style="background: lightgray;" |'''AVE Fort''' |[[AVE| Home ]] |[[AVE_Schedule| Calender]] | [[AVE2| Sign Up]] | [[AVE3| Rules]] | [[AVE4 | Teams]]

AFL Previous

2008-03-17T12:09:45Z

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IFC

2008-03-17T12:09:01Z

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{{:IFC_Blurb}}
== The Incam Fortress Competition ==

The IFC dreams to become a part of the [[Tronic|Tron International Competition]]. Actually, in his first come out, the IFC wants to subject players to a new perspective of fortress. In fact [http://www.armagetronad.net/ AA] played in incam confuses most of the times who plays. The game become hard as for a newbie as for a "pro". In this flattening of skills the good thing is that everybody can play and have fun. This competition tries to underline how respect and honour are first ingredients for a nice fair play and skills only a technical knowledge to share. For this reason teams will be formed in game and not with a previous sign up. The team will take the name from its captain, chosen in a warming up match. The IFC will take place in the way "one night, one server", even if it dreams to be as big as ladle, improbably there will be a lot of players in this first try. We all hope to have a good game. I invite everyone who cares to improve this page and related and, why not, the English grammar too. :)

This competition has been discontinued for long time, but now i would like to make it run again. It has been nice the first times, I hope it will be so nice next ones. So we just have to fix a date and time, and then go!
[[User:Rain|Rain]] 08:48, 13 January 2008 (PST)

{{IFCtbl}}
[[Category:IFC]]
[[Category:Events]] [[Category:2007/05/27]]

Server Administration

2008-03-14T17:07:29Z

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{{Sections}} 

Here you will find various guides to creating and administering game servers.

== [[Server Administration Guide]] ==

Basic guide for setting up a game server. This is your first and hopefully last, resource when you decide to run your first Armagetron Advanced game server. It will walk you through setting up the server, making it available on the internet, basic game and physics settings, and it will set you loose. You should at least read it, even if some of the material strikes you as being particularly basic. It is intended to be used by a fairly computer-literate person who has very little or no knowledge of server operations of any sort.

== [[Advanced Server Administration Guide]] ==

So you've been running a server for awhile and now you'd like to do more with it? Maybe you've found that there are some punk-ass players out there that you really want to kick off your server? Maybe your players are asking for more, and you're saying "Hell yeah!" but you don't know what to actually do about it?

== [[Remote Moderation]] ==

So you want your server moderated but you have to explain how to kick and ban remotely to everyone that you want to help moderate it. Well, send them to this page!

== [[Console Commands]] ==

A complete list of console commands.

== Making the server run as a service in Windows NT (2000/XP) ==
This is probably one of the easiest things to do for amateur admins. You start by editing the config files located usually (C:) Drive under Program Files and inside the Armagetron Dedicated Server folder. Once you alter those to your liking, create a shortcut on the desktop for the armagetron dedicated server.exe file. Click it ands you should have DOS prompt window show up that spews out text about what is exactly happening to and inside the server, you can mimimize it and not worry about it hanging for freezing. This is probably one of the easiest ways to run a server. '''Except that this isn't running as a service.'''

'''Drawbacks of running a server with Windows:''' Due to the intense graphics the GUI windows uses. The computer may sturr up some lag for players. It is highly suggestive that if you run a windows server, make sure you have a higher end model computer and a fast connection.
*TODO: Check if [http://www.codeproject.com/system/xyntservice.asp| XYNTservice] can be integrated into the code or used to run win32 dedis as services. Is the absense of a server console a problem ? the server does not have a console as it's run under another users accounts and there is no way in windows (AFAIK) to access it. We might send a message to the service ? --[[User:Joda|Joda]] 10:56, 19 March 2007 (CDT)

{{Sections}}

IFC

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Armagetron Fortress League

2008-03-14T17:04:24Z

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Servers

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AFL Previous

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T1: Replacing page with '{{AFLTbl}} Here's information of historical interest to anybody interested in the history of the Armagetron Fortress League. == July, 2007 == * Schedule * [...'

AVE Schedule

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T1: spammity spam spam

{|- style="width: 100%"
| style="background: lightgray;" |'''AVE Fort''' |[[AVE| Home ]] |[[AVE_Schedule| Calender]] | [[AVE2| Sign Up]] | [[AVE3| Rules]] | [[AVE4 | Teams]]

AVE Schedule

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T1: Reverted edits by CnadaRorer (Spambot); changed back to last version by Jonathan

{|- style="width: 100%"
| style="background: lightgray;" |'''AVE Fort''' |[[AVE| Home ]] |[[AVE_Schedule| Calender]] | [[AVE2| Sign Up]] | [[AVE3| Rules]] | [[AVE4 | Teams]]

IFC

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T1: Reverted edits by BocbaSvipa (Spambot); changed back to last version by Rain

IFC

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AVE Schedule

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{|- style="width: 100%"
| style="background: lightgray;" |'''AVE Fort''' |[[AVE| Home ]] |[[AVE_Schedule| Calender]] | [[AVE2| Sign Up]] | [[AVE3| Rules]] | [[AVE4 | Teams]]

Armagetron Fortress League

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AFL Calendar

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Playing the Game

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{{Sections}} 

This is a page to talk about stuff for players. I didn't write anything because I know you all are just dying to write all your secrets in this wiki. ;)

= [[The Object of the Game]] =

A brief introduction to Armagetron Advanced.

= For Beginners =

== [[The Basics]] ==

A guide for players new to the game that want to improve their abilities.
Start playing with the basic moves. Those are Left, Right and Brake. When you are good at that, you can start thinking about adding bindings to your settings so you can make 180° turns.

== [[Building Your Skillset]] ==

A top-level how-to that explains the base set of skills needed and gives some pointers on how to develop those skills. By focusing on skills and leaving tactical discussions to other articles, a new player will have a way to evaluate their overall progress in the game.
Play opponents who are better than yourself so you learn from them. It might be frustrating if you lose all the time but don't worry... Every kill is a lesson

== [[Teamplay]] ==

Learning to play in a team. Also, why good behavior is important in this and any other internet activity.

= Game Concepts =

A discussion of important game concepts.

== [[Rubber]] ==

What is rubber, anyway? I have a gauge for it, but what does it mean?

== [[Scale]] ==

What is the scale of the arena? How fast am I really going? How long are my walls, if not infinite?

= Tricks and Tactics =

== [[Player Tricks]] ==

A page that discusses specific tricks or moves. Tactical discussions aren't to be found here, this is all special moves that get you points!

== [[Single Player Tactics]] (Against AIs) ==

My best advice is to box them in. Once you have done that the AI cant get out unless your wall dissapears.

== [[Multi-Player Tactics]] ==

Via internet or LAN.
Play real life opponents from all over the world.
Think about attacking while defending or vice versa...
Try to outsmart your opponent or just surprise him.
Make traps, speedkills,...
To learn about these thing you might consider to spectate a match or play it.

Also, read [[Advanced_Tactics]].

== [[Team Tactics]] ==

For all types of game, here's what you need to know to win or lose without pissing off your teammates.

== [[:Category:Fortress_Tactics|Fortress Tactics]] ==

This is different enough from [[Team Tactics]] to get its own page. Most team tactics apply here, but fortress tactics put a whole new take on things.

== [[Animated Tactics]] ==

Watch and Learn!

= [[Moviepacks_list|Moviepacks]] =

A canonical list of moviepacks and other modifications available.

= [[Grid Games]] =

Sometimes players like to play games that are a bit different than the regular game. Maybe you've seen it and you thought they were camping? Maybe you've tried to play along and had a spot of trouble? Read here to find out all about it.

= [[Game Variations]] =

These are settings that allow for different game play styles or modes.
Click on the title for further details.

= [[Chat Features]] =

Page about chat features that come with 0.2.8.0 servers.

= [[Camping]] =

Camping is a skill you need to learn...
Camping is being caught in a box where you cant get out from, you twist and turn to stay alive. If the game has infinite walls its just staying alive. But if the walls aren't infinite you can camp so long till you find a way out.
Camping is not the same as escaping.

= [[Clan]] =
Sometimes good players team-up and start (gangs) groups. Some examples: {USA}, Death By Distraction, Status Clan, Speeders, Xlz, DarkSyndicates, Lords Of Destruction, Stealth, Six Dragons, NiNja, Noob, NoClan, AST, Global Players, Avalanche, ... Most clans have minimum standards of behavior and ability that must be met before a new player can join them. Check with the clan you're specifically interested in before attempting to join a clan.

There is also a growing group of players that dislike clans for various reasons. Ironically, many of these players have been offered to join various clans and turned the offer(s) down.

= [[Lag]] =

Lag is a myth, but heres some information on how you can minimize it.

= [[Frames Per Second]] =

FPS is the number of frames pass your screen in 1 sec.
It is possible to play with an FPS around 40 or higher. Anything lower makes your screen go shaky.
The more moves you and/or other players make the faster the FPS goes down. ( for more exp. players: i'm talking about digging and multiple bindings.)

= [[Console]] =

Using the console.

Press the tilde key.

= [[Effects and Display]] =

A guide to video effects and display.

= [[Customizing the game]] =

Changing the look and feel of the game: installing [[Moviepacks]], changing cycle colors etc.

= [[Playing Maps]] =

Your complete guide to installing a map into Armagetron Advanced and configuring the game to play it for you. It does not include how to make a map, you'll need to saunter over to [[Extending Armagetron Advanced]] for that.

= [[Subcultures]] =

Some servers like to segregate from the rest. Learn here why, how to connect to them and how to add servers and new subcultures.

= [[Authentication for Players]] =

Make your servers never forget about you again.

{{Sections}}

File talk:Grinding.png

2007-07-19T18:35:57Z

T1: Reply to Jonathan

FYI, "its" is a valid word and it should have been used here (can't easily fix it myself because it's a raster image). If you can't decide, consider how "it is" would fit. Maneuver/manoeuvre = American/British English, [[Armagetron Advanced Wiki:Policy#Language|neither of which is preferred]] over the other on this wiki. —[[User:Jonathan|Jonathan]] 10:08, 19 July 2007 (PDT)

:Very true! Sorry, my bad. I've changed the image to reflect this. <tt>=)</tt>
:Re: Maneovre - Darn! I did check around with British & American dictionaries on the web as I wasn't sure if there was a spelling difference between the two, but I couldn't find anything pointing to the spelling 'Maneuver' being correct (I was strapped for time being at work, tut tut); as it turns out I've just come home and Firefox here tells me you're absolutely right, D'oh. btw, I was aware that there was no preference here, and I only adjusted the spelling as I was adding links on the same page. I'll have to check more thoroughly in the future! Thanks for the heads up. —[[User:T1|T1]] 11:35, 19 July 2007 (PDT)

Building Your Skillset

2007-07-19T16:05:28Z

T1: Added links to Grinding page, some minor spelling fixes.

This article is for new players that want to get good at the game. It provides a path to follow and discusses the basic set of skills that are needed to play the game. Even older players can benefit from this article, and are invited to contribute their collected wisdom.

== Server Selection ==

Obviously, you're going to select servers on which you have low pings. The main settings to be concerned with are wall size, rubber, base speed, acceleration, and point awards. Some servers have brakes, others don't, so to build the most portable skillset, you need to work without brakes. I suggest unbinding your brake key while learning.

Each server, due to its settings, is going to emphasize a different part of your skillset. High rubber means heavy grinding. Infinite walls give a distinct advantage to mazing, and so forth. So to start, you should make sure you're playing several different servers that you can reach with a reasonable ping. You should also play servers that you have a really nasty ping on, so you can learn how to account for lag into your tactics.

=== Recommended Servers ===

Here are some servers that will help you to build specific skills. This is not a recommendation of fun servers or an endorsement of any particular server, however. Some of these servers have very specific audiences and some have very wide audiences. You will pick the ones you find the most fun based on your own tastes, this list is focused on servers that are good for building particular skills.

* Swampland - Open grid combat, emphasizes speed and manoeuvring. For European players, this server is excellent practice in high ping conditions.
* Swamplords in Shrunkland - A small grid with long walls emphasizes mazing and close combat
* Tigers Network Classic - Brakes, low cycle acceleration, and infinite walls emphasize close combat. For American players, this server is excellent practice in high ping conditions.
* MicroBusCity - The intersection of Tigers and Swampland, this server is fast and with long walls. Point awards are based on survival rather than killing. This server emphasizes speed and manoeuvring, and will help to develop the ability to switch between close combat and open grid fighting.
* Sumo - This server emphasizes close combat and mazing by placing each cycle in a ring with up to 3 other cycles. If you venture out of the ring for too long, you will die. You must survive in the ring. It is geared towards practicing to play the goalie position on a team-based fortress server, but the skills practiced are generally applicable to any close combat situation.

It's a common myth that playing locally will enhance your skills for internet games. I recommend not doing that if your ultimate goal is to play over the internet, because lag is a big enough part of the game that playing locally will affect your skillset negatively; you won't learn to account for lag.

The main areas (as I see them) that you need to work on are [[Grinding]], Fast and Slow manoeuvring, Duelling, Zoning, and Camera Control.

== [[Grinding]] ==

Grinding is such a basic part of the game that it's inarguably the first area for you to focus on. If you can't grind well, you can't accelerate well, it's as simple as that. Grinding can be defined as "Getting as close to the wall as possible without crashing, and turning so that you are running parallel to the wall". This is for any player's wall as well as the grid wall, with the player's walls giving you acceleration in the deal. In order to grind, you approach a wall and actually hit it. At the moment of contact with the wall, there will be a slight pause before your cycle explodes into pieces. The length of that pause is determined by your speed and the amount of rubber available. When you have run out of rubber, you explode. So the longer you wait before turning, the closer you will be to the wall after you turn. But if you wait too long, big bada boom.

Grinding is also a tactic, as well as a basic manoeuvring skill. As a tactic, it's fairly straightforward. To seal someone in a box, you have to grind the open points on the box, closing the box. To drive someone into a corner (any corner, not necessarily the grid corners) you have to grind both sides of the corner, leaving one side with enough space for the player to reasonably get in it and sealing the other side so they can't turn without hitting your wall. Grinding as a tactic can be effective, but is also easily defeated by better grinding, so while you need to build this skill first, it's a skill you should work on intermittently on its own. Instead, focus on working grinding into the rest of your tactics, where it will serve you best.

More information can be found on the [[Grinding]] page.

== Speed ==

Speed confers a strong advantage to a person who can manoeuvre at high speeds, but a tactical advantage can also be gained by being good at low speed manoeuvring, especially against someone who depends on speed and is therefore likely to have a weakness in low speed manoeuvring. As you pick up speed, it becomes harder to grind any wall you approach, because the magical period during which you have struck the wall but haven't crashed is reduced in time, requiring faster moves to make the grind.

Speed isn't used as a standalone tactic, generally. It is part of every move you ever make, however. A speed kill is generally associated with a pretty simple kill that you earned through the advantages conveyed by high speeds, but the kill itself is usually very basic in nature. If your speed is high enough compared to the bike you've targeted, it is possible to build all four sides of the box around that bike before they escape and/or attack you directly.

To build skills at different speeds, you want to work in both an open grid and a pretty confined grid. The open grid will give you plenty of opportunities to work on grinding at high speeds, and the confined grid will give you plenty of opportunities to work on manoeuvring at high speeds in close quarters. The open grid will also give you an area in which to work on building a high speed and maintaining it. Reaching a high speed is generally pretty easy, but staying at a high speed is harder because as you get faster you have to grind more to stay fast.

=== Building Speed With a Launcher ===

One of the best ways to build up speed is by constructing a trail pattern that I call “The Launcher”. I’m not exactly sure if this manoeuvre has a name or not, but I’m going to call it the launcher until I hear otherwise :D...

The basic manoeuvre goes like this. First, you head straight in one direction for a little bit- the longer you make it, the faster you will come out. Once you have gone far enough, do a 180 and follow your trail back almost to the end. Next, do a 180 into your last wall like you are going to box yourself. Then do a 180 towards the wall you are grinding now which will take you out of your box and shoot you out a lot faster then you went in. Note that this will shoot you in the opposite direction of your ﬁrst turn, so you could either turn the direction opposite your desired ﬁnal orientation, or you could throw in another 180 outward before you do the inward 180. It sounds kind of confusing when I write it out, but it is really easy once you get the hang of it. (By the way, don’t even try this if rubber is less than 6).

You can make many variations on this as well, like grinding the launcher wall multiple times to build up more speed, or you can make a very short launcher to help escape an enemy that is faster than you. Another technique that many speed players favor is to start oﬀ a round by going about halfway to the center of the arena and constructing a launcher to build up speed for the initial clash. You will see launcher-like trails all over the grid and you should learn to incorporate these techniques into your game eﬀectively.

== Manoeuvring ==

Manoeuvring and mazing are shades of the same skills. Mazing can be defined as manoeuvring at close quarters, but that's not entirely accurate. Manoeuvring is as much navigation as it is simple turning. The right moves can be found to kill everyone at any speed in any situation, so this is easily the most important skill you need to build. It's also the most basic skill of the game, so you will always be working on it.

Manoeuvring as a tactic comes in three flavors: mazing, attack, and defense. Mazing is both an attack and a defense, and there's a fine line between a good mazer and a damn camper. Building a maze is tricky because it requires you to create paths that will confuse anybody who enters it, but still allow you to get out. Some players are easily suckered into mazes, others will go in to get you, and still others won't go in at all, preferring to fight in the open grid.

Manoeuvring for attack is all about putting your wall in front of someone before they can turn away from it. You don't necessarily have to cross their line to get them to hit your wall. A little subtlety will go a long way in this regard. Tricking players to turn into your wall is generally more reliable (and harder) than just crossing their path.

Manoeuvring for defense is all about putting walls in places to prevent someone from attacking you or allowing yourself a way out.

== Zones ==

Zoning is what you might expect it to be if you've ever played a zone defense in any regular sport. The grid itself is made up of several zones. As walls get laid down, several zones will appear. Generally speaking, you can expect the zones to appear in a predictable fashion, even though all players on the grid will behave unpredictably. Being able to play the zones is comprised of knowing how to take advantage of each zone to attack someone, and knowing how to manoeuvre into and out of each zone consistently.

Each cycle also has several zones around it that interact with the zones of the arena, and with each other's zones. Each attack you make will be initiated first from your cycle, then through a specific zone around your cycle, through the grid zone that the two cycles are in, and through/across a zone around the target cycle, and finally ending at the target cycle.

On a simpler note, defending that requires initiating some sort of action is about closing your zones to the other cycle. The easiest way to do it is to turn around and run, but it's not the only way.

Working the zones is key to using zoning in your tactics. Like any other sport, zoning can be de-emphasized. But like the other sports, doing so opens up weaknesses. Zoning is most used in team play, when understanding the interaction of the zones is vital to killing other cycles without killing your teammates.

On the whole, zones get tighter and smaller as more players enter the grid, so your zone-based tactics will need to be different depending on the number of players on the grid.

Zoning is a complex topic. It is also a very low-level topic, since most of what's conceptually a zone in play is handled by a part of your brain that you're not conscious of. Most players either have only a rudimentary understanding of zones or none at all, yet they still consider zoning in their attacks and defenses. If you want to consider the phrase "zone of influence", from military jargon, during your play, then that's probably all you need to do unless you're a hopeless taxonomic freak.

== Camera Control ==

Camera Control is all about being able to look around you so you know what's going on. It can be a hard skill to acquire, but it is an essential skill. Glance controls are the ones most used, because they give you the ability to look around and then return back to a regular view. There are other camera controls, such as zooming, and camera switching. You will need to find a combination of controls that works for you and then practice it. You will need to be able to switch views as instinctively and as easily as you turn your head while walking.

== Duelling ==

Duelling is obviously the skill that is used when it is you against one other cycle. The tactics change for one cycle versus many cycles. Duelling and jousting are similar, the difference between that jousting usually involves both cycles turning away and having to go back to the end of their traces to face each other again. This resembles medieval jousting quite a bit, actually. Duelling involves knowing the other player well enough to know how to attack them. Some players are better attacked by defending yourself instead and letting them screw up. Other players are better attacked in a straightforward fashion. Still others can only be defeated with subtlety and trickery. And still others only give you a few seconds to make an attack, and if it doesn't succeed you're dead. Duelling as a skill can be de-emphasized safely, if you're willing to sacrifice a point at the end of each round when it's just you and one other cycle. On servers that provide point awards just for being the last one standing (also known as the Camper Reward), you will have to duel the last enemy alive.

== Keyboard Layout ==

Choosing your keybindings is pretty tricky. In any discussion of keybindings, I find that most people have completely different keybindings. How your hands work together is important. I would suggest that piano players and expert typists should put left-hand moves and cameras on their left hand, literally, and right-hand moves and cameras on their right hand. As a guitar player, I find putting moving on my right hand and cameras (and score) on my left-hand works very well. It's important to remember that you can bind the same action to multiple keys. This brings us to double-binding versus non-double-binding. I don't want to get into it as a tactic or skill, but choosing your keybindings is integral to choosing your game. It's also a subject you should revisit periodically and see if you can make your keybindings better.

Like I suggested at the beginning, I recommend unbinding your brake for starters. You can bind it later and work it into your skillset, but there are distinct advantages conveyed on the player who can play without brakes that can't be denied. Some servers don't have brakes at all, others make their brakes an accelerator. Even among servers that have brakes the effect of the brake varies widely. Players also vary widely in their opinion of the brake. As a result of all of this, the skillset that is most portable amongst servers is the skillset that doesn't depend on any specific brake effect and can also easily assimilate the server's brake settings. After you've gotten fairly good and find yourself winning a few rounds by skill rather than luck, then you might consider binding the brake key and learning how to use your brakes on the servers that have them.

==Internal Resources==
[[Animated Tactics]] Watch and learn!

[[Category:Getting Started (tactics)]]

Grinding

2007-07-19T15:52:15Z

T1: New page on Grinding, and (hopefully I haven't missed anything!) everything that accompanies it - note: 'Slingshot' needs adding to the Glossary

'Grinding' is used to describe a specific manoeuvre in Armagetron Advanced, and is usually the only way to make your cycle accelerate in-game. Due to this, grinding is one of the most important basic tactics to learn if you are going to gain any advantage over your opponents.

== The Definition of Grinding ==

Grinding is the act of driving your light cycle in a parallel direction close to a wall, in order to gain from the wall acceleration effect. The closer your cycle is to the wall you are grinding, the faster you will accelerate. If your cycle is close enough to the wall you're grinding that it 'rubs' against the wall, sparks and a sound effect will accompany the grind.

== Where Grinding Originated ==

The concept of driving a light cycle close to a wall to gain speed can be seen in Tron [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084827/] the movie released in 1982, and has been an integral part of Armagetron since it's inception. The term 'grinding' however seems to have come about through popular use, but is as much a part of common terminology now as the grid itself.

== How to Grind ==

[[image:grinding.png|thumb|''Fig. 1'' An example of grinding]]

Grinding tends to be easier in an online game, where [[rubber]] aids in driving as close as possible to a wall. In a local game configured for very low rubber though (in the absence of [[lag|network latency]]), grinding is a much more difficult skill to master.

=== An Example ===

''Fig. 1'' right, gives a theoretical example of grinding against an opponents wall:

# Red travels in a straight line in one direction, and blue drives their cycle at right-angles towards red's cycle wall.
# At the very last moment, blue turns in the same direction as red, leaving as small a gap as possible between himself and red's wall.
# Blue now benefits from the acceleration effect of 'grinding' against red's wall, and will eventually overtake the red player if they continue in parallel.

=== Grinding Hazards ===

Although the acceleration gained from grinding is undoubtedly very beneficial in a game where your only weapon is the trail left behind you, it does decrease the amount of time that you have to react to certain situations. In the example given above, if the red player suddenly turned to the right and [[Glossary#Boxing|'boxed in']] the blue player, blue would have far less time to both see the turn and to react to it in time to avoid driving into the resulting perpendicular wall. For this reason, grinding an opponents wall and trying to overtake them is tantamount to [[Glossary#Core Dump|in-game suicide]].

=== Grinding More Than One Wall ===

The effect of wall-acceleration can be amplified by grinding between two walls. This is sometimes called a [[Glossary#Slingshot|slingshot]] and players can often end up gaining a huge speed boost using this method, allowing them to quickly box in other players.

=== Grinding the Rim/Outer/Grid Wall===

Some [[Glossary#Map|maps]] may have acceleration enabled on the grid walls too, allowing players to grind the outer wall of the grid to gain speed. This speed boost can also be compounded by grinding 'outside' a cycle wall, up against the grid wall.

=== Grinding Inconsistencies ===

It is only possible to gain speed from the closest wall to your cycle, another parallel wall to the one you are grinding ''on the other side of the wall to your cycle'', will not bestow any extra speed.

This does have an interesting effect in servers that have a large factor of outer wall acceleration set, and you should be wary. If a wall that you're grinding that is is close to the rim wall suddenly disappears, you'll experience a huge and unexpected increase in speed from the rim wall.

== Grinding in Team Games ==

Not only is grinding an essential skill when attempting to best an individual opponent, but it must also be employed in a team game, where a faster team can easily overrun a slower one. In a team game, you should always attempt to grind at the start of a round to give your team the benefit of speed.

Further information on this and other tactics can be found on the [[Teamplay]] page.

== The Relationship Between Grinding and Rubber ==

As grinding against a wall often requires very precise timing, [[rubber]] can play a big part in getting closer to a wall. Rubber effectively allows you to drive your cycle 'deeper' into the wall (See [[digging]]), and gain a better grind.

Depending on server settings, this effect is often used over and over by players to create a slingshot for themselves by repeatedly turning 180 degrees against a wall and grinding deeper and deeper against it. In earlier versions of the game, this could sometimes lead to a player 'breaking out' of the playing arena into the limbo beyond, however this bug has been fixed since version 0.2.7.0 of the [[Glossary#Game Client (or Client)|client]].

== See Also ==

* [[:Category:Game Concepts|Game Concepts]]
* [[Rubber]]
* [[Teamplay]]

== External Links ==

* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084827/ Tron (1982)] on [http://www.imdb.com/ the Internet Movie Database]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMY1FaOKF-0 Tron Light Cycles clip] from the movie Tron on [http://www.youtube.com/ YouTube]

[[Category:Game Concepts]]

File:Grinding.png

2007-07-19T14:08:28Z

T1: Top down graphic depicting a blue light cycle grinding against a red trail

Top down graphic depicting a blue light cycle grinding against a red trail

Windows Installation

2007-07-18T14:58:22Z

T1: Added installation steps - still some content to do

Installing Armagetron Advanced under Windows is a fairly straight-forward process, as an installation wizard is provided with the setup package. You should already have the required setup file/s for installing Armagetron (available from the [http://www.armagetronad.net/ Main Project Website]), and it is assumed that you have the necessary user rights for your user profile to install applications under Windows 2000 and later.

If you have problems installing Armagetron and the answers are not provided here or on the [[FAQ]] page, please try the [http://forums.armagetronad.net/ forums], or our [[IRC Channel]].

== Step-by-Step Installation for Version 0.2.8.2.1 ==

# Find the location that you downloaded the setup package to and double-click the file icon, setup will start
# Select your preferred language from the list box and click OK
# Read the introductory text and click Next >
# Read the GNU General Public License and if agreeable, click I Agree
# Choose an install location for Armagetron, either by typing it into the box, or by clicking Browse... and navigating to the directory. Unless you know that your programs are installed in a different location, the default installation location will be correct.
# Click Install, the setup package will now install all of the necessary files, create an Armagetron Advanced program group in your start Menu and create a shortcut on the desktop.
# If you wish to run Armagetron Advanced right away, click Finish, otherwise untick the box and click finish.

== Post-Installation ==
<<TODO>>

Installing the Game

2007-07-18T13:18:42Z

T1: Fleshed out page a little

{{Sections}} 

Armagetron Advanced is available for a number of different operating systems, and sources are also available if needed.

== Where to Download Armagetron Advanced ==

The very latest installation packages for Armagetron can be found under the DOWNLOADS section of the [http://www.armagetronad.net/ Main Project Website]. The 'Automatic Download Assistance' section on this page should point you to the correct package for your Operating System.

Dedicated Server packages are also available from the aforementioned page.

== Installing the Game ==

=== for Windows ===

Please see the [[Windows Installation]] page.

=== for Gentoo Linux ===

Please see the [[Gentoo Portage Overlay]] page.

=== for Mac OS X ===

Please see the [[Mac OS X Installation]] page.

== Setting up a Server ==

Please see the [[Server Administration]] section.

Wiki Structuring Project

2007-07-18T11:59:02Z

T1: Added link to Etiquette_and_Protocol

This little corner of the wiki is where we talk about and plan the structure of the wiki itself. It's used by editors and admins and anybody else interested to order and organize the information so that it will be the most useful it can be. If you're just a content writer, it's helpful for you to participate over here, but not required. There are folks around here that will go over what you did and place it in its right place so you can focus on writing new content.

== Informational Structure ==

The information on the wiki is of several topics, described here. Below this list each topic is discussed in more detail on how it should be organized.

;Installing the Game
:Documentation of various processes needed to install the game.
;Playing the Game
:Documentation of the game itself and the game client used by players.
;Server Administration
:Documentation of the game from the standpoint of running a server, and documentation useful to server administrators. There is some overlap here with ''Playing the Game''.
;Extending Armagetron Advanced
:Documentation for extenders, people who want to make new graphics/sound/whatever.
;Development Docs
:Documentation written by and for the Development Team, part of their regular work cycle.
;Project Docs
:Political-type documentation by and for the Armagetron Advanced Project Members. Includes organizational documentation, project goals, etc.
;Tournament Hub
:There is a tournament hub that has sprouted up in the last months that needs to be either spun off to its own website or incorporated more fully into the structure of the wiki.

Every article needs to be associated with categories, one or several. If the article applies to any specific versions of the game, it should be put in those categories. Only public releases should have versions, with a special version, in the Playing the Game section. However, in Development Docs, we may need to categorize for releases that don't yet exist. If the article does not apply to any specific version of the game, it should be put in a general version category, possibly called "All Game Versions". The article needs to be in its parent's category, most articles have parents. Finally, we'll need some top-level categories that reflect a slightly different informational structure. These top-level categories should be built with an eye towards allowing people to reach articles quickly when they already know what they're looking for.

=== Playing the Game ===

This is the User Manual for the game. The goal for this section is simple: everything a player needs to know to play should be here. So it should include tactical and strategic articles, documentation for how to use the client, install extensions, and so forth. How-to articles should also be here. The top-level page that is linked from the portlet should contain an article and a table of contents that together constitute the table of contents in a book and the introduction. The article text needs to tell a user summary information for each section to guide him to the area he needs to know. The entire Playing the Game section should *only* document public releases. If a code hack is required, it should appear at most as a footnote in this area. Keep in mind always that this section should only document the game client, it should never document the server. When information here is also needed for the server, it should be put on its own page and transcluded in both places.

This list shows the structure that should exist under [[:Category:Playing the Game]]:

* [[:Category:Getting Started]] - Basic guide to downloading, installing, and playing a local game, ending with a discussion of internet play. [[The Object of the Game]] needs to be factored into the top-level Getting Started page. Category name: Getting Started
** [[The Basics]]
** [[Teamplay]] - article needs to be updated to reflect that it is for people brand new to the game
* [[:Category:Program Documentation]] - Complete, canonical documentation for the game client *only*, but should include how to use the game client to host a network game. Category: Program Documentation
** [[:Category:Client Features]] - How-to information, such as "how to install a moviepack", "how to change player colors", "how to use in-game chat". Feature by feature, a separate page for each with detailed discussion including screenshots. The top-level page here should be a Category: special type page. Category: Client Features
*** Player Settings
*** [[Chat Features]] - This will need to be referenced in the server administration section, but should be documented here as it is a player feature
*** Network settings
*** [[:Category:Camera]]
**** [[Custom Camera]]
**** [[Camera Glance Keys]]
*** Configuring the client to play specific game variations
*** Discussion on how to use client settings and the console to construct your own game variant
*** Others as needed (insert your topics here), but stay focused soley on "how can I do <this> with my game client?"
*** [[Console]]
*** [[Effects and Display]]
*** [[Customizing the game]] - This page needs attention. It probably needs to be broken up into smaller bits that are transcluded here and elsewhere.
*** [[Playing Maps]]
*** [[Moviepacks]]
** [[:Category:Client Reference]] - Complete UI reference, appendix-style, with screenshots. Every menu item and possible choice needs to be documented here. Categories should be used to distinguish between 0.2.8-series and 0.3.0-series. The top-level UI reference page should be a Category: special type page.
* [[:Category:Game Concepts]] - detailed discussion of the concepts that drive the game and most affect players. These should be understandable by non-technical people although they can and should contain technical details. Categorize with Game Version.
** [[Lag]]
** [[Rubber]]
** [[Scale]]
** [[Frames Per Second]] - article needs to be updated to discuss simulation FPS as well
** [[Grid Games]] - Games people play that are *not* supported in settings so they can't be considered variations
** [[Game Variations]] that are currently supported and known about in a public release. May require additional external scripts, but may *not* require building a patched client.
** [[Camping]]
** [[Etiquette_and_Protocol|Etiquette]]
** [[Clans]] - page doesn't exist yet
** [[Glossary]] of terms
** [[Double Binding]]
* [[:Category:Tactics]] - Ongoing discussion of strategies. All articles under this section need to be put in the category for the game client version to which they apply. Multiple categories can be used. In this manner, old tactics that become less useful in newer versions can be phased out and ultimately cleaned up or moved to a historical section. We don't need to differentiate between "strategy" and "tactic" yet. Maybe eventually, but not right now.
** [[:Category:Getting Started (tactics)]] - Top-level discussion for new players
*** [[Building Your Skillset]]
*** [[The Basics]]
** Single-player tactics vs AIs (currently an empty section on the wiki)
** [[Multi-Player Tactics]] - should include both multi-player local and multi-player network tactics. Each article should be put in the server category in which it belongs. If the server it's associated with no longer exists, it should be also be included in a category that indicates the tactic may be obsolete because the server no longer exists (called "Dead Servers" or something like that). This specific page needs to be moved into a Category: special page.
*** [[Advanced Tactics]]
*** General Tactics
*** General articles about tactics
*** Swamplords
*** Tigers Classic
*** Armagoshdarn
*** SP
*** MBC
*** Generic Sumo
*** Specific Sumo servers
*** Specific Game Variations not specific to a server
*** Others (you know what goes here)
** [[:Category:Team Tactics]] - As with Multi-Player tactics, categories for servers with an additional category to mark that the server doesn't exist anymore.
*** General [[Team Tactics]] - page needs work
*** [[:Category:Fortress Tactics]] - page needs editing to reflect new structure
**** [[Fortress_Tactics_offense|Offense Tactics]]
**** [[Cutting]]
**** [[Fortress_Tactics_defense|Defense Tactics]]
*** CT Tactics (tactics useful on CT Fortress)
*** Other Team Tactics that make sense
*** Specific Team Game Variations not specific to a server

=== Development Docs ===

These are pages that the developers write. The purpose of these pages varies depending on the content, some of them are historical pages, some are pages that serve to communicate to other developers how specific parts of code should be used. There is also a group of articles that start here and end up under the [[Playing the Game]] hierarchy. Those articles are the developer's documentation for new features. Developers should try to categorize their feature documentation and write the documentation itself in such a way that it can easily be moved into the other sections in the wiki when a release is finally made that contains that feature. If a feature changes substantially between unstable releases, then two or more pages may be required, one for each version. That's up to the developer to determine, but after the page is moved into another part of the wiki, it is considered "open season" for editing and other contributors should then go in and flesh out the documentation, add additional useful information, and so forth. So for feature documentation, there should be a flow from Development Docs into Playing the Game, Server Administration, and Extending Armagetron Advanced.

Otherwise, no structure is imposed on this part of the website. It's intended to be used by and for developers, and is available for others to view and participate if they desire, but otherwise this part of the wiki is intended for communication amongst the developers.

== Moderation and Editing ==

Mostly I have nothing to say about this, not sure it belongs on this page. :)

== Trash Cleanup ==

Nothing really here either, just that we need to work out how we're going to mark pages for deletion and/or factoring those pages' content into other pages before deletion.

For pages frequently spammed, we should protect them so only registered users can edit them to reduce the amount and frequency of spam posts. At least trying this to see if it lessens the amount of spam mod work.

Etiquette and Protocol

2007-07-18T11:57:51Z

T1: Added category, to comply with Wiki Structuring Project

Good behavior is essential in any social activity, but sadly many people have convinced themselves that good behavior on the internet is not required. In this article, we'll talk somewhat in depth on why good behavior on the internet is important, and specifically what constitutes good behavior in an internet game of Armagetron Advanced.

== Why it's important ==

Some of you reading this might think that we take this game too seriously. Perhaps you should consider what is considered acceptable in a friendly basketball game at the park. If you were to punch one of your teammates in the nose, would that be considered acceptable behavior? Humans build social structures and search for ways to socialize with one another and the internet is no exception to this. There are only two differences in internet gaming and face-to-face gaming:

* Anonymity - You are anonymous until you choose not to be. Some degree of anonymity can be achieved in face-to-face gaming, but the internet provides more inherent protections of identity.
* No physical contact - While there is no physical contact or interaction, there is an avatar of your presence. This avatar, a light cycle, is endowed with movement and senses that you control and use and is capable of receiving injury. I suspect that when the psychologists get around to studying it, they will find that the emotional damage of a virtual punch in the nose in an internet game is identical to the emotional damage of a face-to-face punch in the nose.

These two differences and the fact that it is "just a game" are often cited as reasons people can and should misbehave. Let's go into this in a little more detail.

== Just a Game ==

It is just a game, and in the end you can disconnect from the server and go pursue other activities if you don't like what's going on. But it is a falsehood to think that there is nothing serious in a game. Humans game, it is a fact of life. Scientists have observed play behavior in most mammals that extends well into their adult years, including humans. Philosophers explore the importance of gaming every day, but it doesn't take a PhD in anything to understand a few basic facts of gaming.

First of all, games develop real life skills. Even internet games! Armagetron Advanced is a great way to practice and build assertiveness. In order to be successful, you must be assertive. It is unique in this regard, especially compared to the likes of CounterStrike and some other internet games. In those games, it is possible to hide somewhere and pick people off from a distance, accumulating points in the process and ultimately winning. In Armagetron Advanced, this is just not possible. The mechanics of the game prevent you from "camping" and picking off players. To get points, you have to go out and earn them, which requires the ability to be assertive.

Another real life skill that is developed by Armagetron Advanced is the ability to think quickly. The ability to think quickly requires being able to analyze few bits of information (possibly insufficient bits of information), make a decision, and act on it. A decisive player will inevitably defeat an indecisive player.

Self-confidence, while not being a skill, is a trait that is developed as well. The more you play well, do well, and win, the more confidence is built. When you leave the game feeling confident, assertive, and decisive, you leave the game a better person than you started.

The ability to play on a team is a crucial life skill. Some of us work on development teams, groups of geeks working together to create programs. Others will go on to be on management teams or scientific teams. All players will eventually or have already penetrated fields that require them to be able to function as a member of a team. As a matter of fact, playing on a team server in Armagetron Advanced emphasizes team play.

When you put all of this together in an environment that is fun and competitive, you wind up with a game that is more than just a game, and people will quite naturally take it seriously. Most players find that the combination of real life skills and traits that are required to be a good player and the level of competitiveness found on most servers make for a very fun and enjoyable experience. This is not to be taken lightly! The fact that it's "just a game" that takes place on the internet is irrelevant. If you play basketball at the YMCA, you will be doing exactly the same things as you are doing here.

== Good Etiquette ==

Generally, good behavior consists of good sportsmanship. There is a certain amount of trash talking that is considered acceptable after you have earned it. There is no amount of trash talking considered acceptable for first-time players. Personal attacks are never considered acceptable, while self-deprecating humor is generally well-received. You might be quite surprised the first time you see a well-respected player say "You suck" to another well-respected player. You might be inclined to follow through with "You both suck". It would be unfortunate, they will probably target you for it. This is somewhat expected, however. The two players talking trash know each other and have likely been playing together for some time, so the insult means something different between them. This is normal, expected human behavior. After playing awhile, you might notice that the player who said "You suck" to one player doesn't say it to many players. There are those on the grid who deliver insults that are actually compliments in the grand tradition of tough love. And like the grand tradition of tough love, a certain familiarity with the person is required before you can enter into it.

The above paragraph is actually the exception, and not the rule. Generally, people are very well-behaved. If you see someone do something that was very good, say so! If you see someone do something that's not so good, it's usually ok to comment on it in a humorous manner. These are real people who make real mistakes and like to laugh it off, respawn, and go kick some ass.

It's easier to talk about what behavior is generally unacceptable than it is to talk about what is acceptable, because most unacceptable behaviors are acceptable in certain circumstances and at certain times. It might strike you as being hypocritical, but it's really very natural. The golden rule will be enforced, so you need to follow it.

Good sportsmanship is a requirement of all players, however. You don't have to say "Good match" after every match, but it's generally not a good idea to say "Bad match" after any match. You should acknowledge that the other players have played their best and be respectful of that fact, even if you do so in a humorous light. For example, there is someone who says, after losing a match, "Grrrrrr....ats!". That is humorous, and respectful, and expressive of the fact that the guy lost and he's not happy about it. But if you said "Fuck you you noob you're not good enough to win", expect a kick vote to go against you.

A kick vote should be interpreted as "Let's all kick this guy's ass" and is comparable to the other players in the park ganging up physically and violently on one person to make him leave. This is a double-edged sword. The person who initiates a kick vote needs to be pretty certain that a successful vote will make the environment better, by kicking someone who's chat-spamming, or teamkilling, or something like that. If you do it just because you don't like someone, well tough cookie nookie. As one person says, the kick menu is not a toy.

If you're generally polite, and even your cut-downs are fun and of a friendly nature, you will be accepted. While this is a pretty tight and small community, we're not an exclusive lot. We want new people to come in and enjoy the game. We want new challenges. We also want more points. So invite yourself in, have some fun with us, and we'd like to have you around. Just remember that just because we're playing an internet game is no reason to be an ass. Unless you're just an ass and there's no hope for you, but we'll straighten you out.

This game appeals to people of all ages. The youngest player I've personally encountered was 8, while the oldest was in his 60s. There are a lot of players hovering around 30 years old. Maturity levels differ, in some cases quite dramatically, but since we all realize we're here to have fun and be competitive, this is not usually an issue. Be reasonably tolerant of others, and they'll be reasonably tolerant of you.

It's just the golden rule, isn't it?

== What To Do ==
The internet is anonymous, and there are many jerks in the world. Unfortunately, they have access to computers. If one plays enough Armagetron, there will invariably be an instance in which someone
*curses at you
*threatens you
*is generally abusive.

====What should a player do in these circumstances?====

Well, there are different ways of handling a problem like this. If you have enough people siding with you, start a kick vote. But what if its one on one? The easiest thing to do is to realize that whoever is being abusive doesn't actually know you. He is most likely a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll troll]. Most trolls will shut up if you don't pay attention to them. Easiest way to do this is to silence them, via the player police menu. Most likely what will happen, unfortunately, is that you will engage them. This is generally the wrong thing to do, unless you have to stomach for some serious insults and bashing. I recommend not to do this.

====What if the person is not a troll, and he seems serious?====

First thing, don't be scared. People seem to think they can physically threaten people over the internet. Well, don't be freaked out if they do. Apologize if you think you have done anything wrong, and if you don't feel comfortable, leave the room. Or, if you want to keep playing, silence him. I (Raoul Duke) have only seen one death threat in my experience.

[[category:Game Concepts]]

Glossary

2007-07-18T11:53:51Z

T1: Added glossary terms.

The following alphabetised list summarises some of the terms used by players for gaming in general, as well as Armagetron-specific jargon.

=== Boxing ===

Boxing is simply driving a wall completely around another player, so he can't escape and will eventually run into it. Some players like to create a tight [[Glossary#Sealing|seal]] on their exit from this manoeuvre by [[Glossary#Digging|Digging]] a wall, other players like to give their victim a small chance of escape and do not [[Glossary#Sealing|seal]] the box completely.

=== Camping ===

Camping is generally defined as the deliberate avoidance of confrontation by working an area of the grid away from other players, and therefore needlessly prolonging a match. [[Glossary#Boxing|Boxing]] yourself into an area of the [[Glossary#Game Grid|Game Grid]] in order to 'camp it out' is seen as very dishonourable.

See [[Camping]]

=== Capture the Flag (CTF) ===

Capture the Flag is a game mode in which opposing teams try to return the enemy's flag to their own zone, whilst defending their own flag. Complex strategies can unfold, with individual players defending their own flag, [[Glossary#Spawn Point|re-Spawning]] core dumped players by driving through their own zone and defending the player currently holding the enemy flag.

See [[Capture the Flag]]

=== Core Dump ===

To 'de-rez' or kill an opponent on the Game Grid, by causing them to drive into a wall.

=== Cutting ===

Cutting is the simplest way of attacking an enemy [[Glossary#Zone|Zone]], essentially driving your cycle through the gap between the goalie and the end of his wall, 'Cutting' him off.

See [[Cutting]]

=== Digging ===

Although technically a misuse of the [[Glossary#Rubber|rubber]] mechanics in Armagetron Advanced, it is essential to understand the basics of digging in order to survive on the [[Glossary#Game Grid|game grid]]. Digging refers to the use of a players [[Glossary#Rubber|Rubber]] reserves to get as close as possible to a wall without dying, before turning to grind.

See [[Digging]]

=== Double / Triple Binding ===

The act of associating multiple keys to the same action, such as turning. By pressing multiple keys in succession it is possible to execute very tight turns.

See [[Double Binding]]

=== Fortress ===

Fortress is a game mode, in which opposing teams try to overwhelm and 'capture' each other's zones. This game mode is very often played in two teams, with one or two players defending their [[Glossary#Zone|Zone]] while the others attack the enemy.

See [[Fortress]]

=== Game Client (or Client) ===

The game client is the software that allows you to play Armagetron Advanced, and is most often simply called 'the game'. It takes user input from the keyboard, and displays a graphical representation of what is happening in the game to the screen. The game client also has a large number of different settings, allowing for different input configurations, detail settings, player profiles, etc. Plus the ability to connect to a [[Glossary#Server|server]] on the internet, allowing for on-line play against other human opponents from around the world.

See [[Installing the Game]]

=== Game Grid ===

The playing area that a game of Armagetron takes place within. This could be an size and shape depending on the current [[Glossary#Map|Map]].

=== Ganking ===

'Ganking' is a relatively recent term, used most often in [[Fortress]] games when a zone is overrun by outnumbering the defence, eg. three attackers versus one defender. This tactic relies on the server settings allowing a zone to be taken by force of numbers.

=== Grinding ===

The act of running very close to a cycle trace or sometime an arena wall to benefit from the wall acceleration effect. A sound effect and sparks will normally accompany a grind.

See [[Grinding]]

=== Kick ===
Kicking is when you vote to get rid of a player because they are causing a nuisance. Occasionally, a kick vote will be used maliciously by some players, however this rarely succeeds and in fact often backfires. Player kicking is disabled on some servers.

See [[Etiquette and Protocol]]

=== Lag ===
Lag is the perceived time delay between making an action and seeing the result on the screen. In a local game, this delay is imperceptible, however online games are subject to network latency, as well as numerous other factors.

See [[Lag]]

=== Map ===

A map contains the configuration and layout of the [[Glossary#Game Grid|Game Grid]], and can change numerous settings including the shape and area of the Game Grid, wall positions, player [[Glossary#Spawn Point|Spawn Point]]s, number of [[Glossary#Axes|Axes]], [[Glossary#Zone|Zone]] sizes and positions, etc.

See [[Map Making]]

=== Rubber ===
Rubber is a mechanism that helps to account for [[Glossary#Lag|Lag]], where time is artificially slowed as your cycle approaches walls, this allows you to react to a situation that would ordinarily have already happened and killed you. If a cycle exceeds its rubber limit at any time, it is considered to have crashed into a wall. Rubber is normally regained at a steady pace.

See [[Rubber]]

=== Server ===

The computer (or software that resides on it) that 'serves' game information to [[Glossary#Game Client|game clients], this acts as a hub for game clients to connect to and play a game with each other. In the context of Armagetron Advanced, the term server usually refers to the 'dedicated server' version of the game, that allows [[Glossary#Game Client|game clients]] to connect and play, but does not allow direct play through a local interface.

See [[Server Administration]]

=== Spawn Point ===

A point on the [[Glossary#Game Grid|Grid]] where a player 'blinks' into existence. In some game modes it is possible to revive or 're-spawn' dead players at their spawn points, whilst in others play continues and players re-spawn in the next round.

=== Team-Kill (TK) ===

A Team-Kill is when a player kills a team-mate, this is usually unintentional although it can have repercussions if not apologised for.

=== Zone ===

An area of the [[Glossary#Game Grid|grid]] surrounded by a coloured, semi-transparent, passable wall; sometimes corresponding to a team's colour which denotes ownership. Zones can serve multiple purposes, such as fortress areas, win zones and death zones, and are 'activated' by keeping your cycle within them (Zone activation can involve the collapse of a zone, such as in the [[Fortress]] game type, or the capturing of a flag, seen in the [[CTF]] game type).

[[Category:Game_Concepts]]

Glossary

2007-07-18T11:34:45Z

T1: Added glossary terms, some minor grammatical correction.

The following alphabetised list summarises some of the terms used by players for gaming in general, as well as Armagetron-specific jargon.

=== Boxing ===

Boxing is simply driving a wall completely around another player, so he can't escape and will eventually run into it.

=== Camping ===

Camping is generally defined as the deliberate avoidance of confrontation by working an area of the grid away from other players, and therefore needlessly prolonging a match. Boxing yourself into an area of the Game Grid in order to 'camp' it out is seen as very dishonourable.

See [[Camping]]

=== Capture the Flag (CTF) ===

Capture the Flag is a game mode, in which opposing teams try to return the enemy's flag to their own zone whilst defending their own flag. Complex strategies can unfold, with individual players defending their own flag, [[Glossary#Spawn Point|re-Spawning]] core dumped players by driving through their own zone and defending the player currently holding the enemy flag.

See [[Capture the Flag]]

=== Core Dump ===

To 'de-rez' or kill an opponent on the Game Grid, by causing them to drive into a wall.

=== Cutting ===

Cutting is the simplest way of attacking an enemy [[Glossary#Zone|Zone]], essentially driving your cycle through the gap between the goalie and the end of his wall, 'Cutting' him off.

See [[Cutting]]

=== Double / Triple Binding ===

The act of associating multiple keys to the same action, such as turning. By pressing multiple keys in succession it is possible to execute very tight turns.

See [[Double Binding]]

=== Fortress ===

Fortress is a game mode, in which opposing teams try to overwhelm and 'capture' each other's zones. This game mode is very often played in two teams, with one or two players defending their [[Glossary#Zone|Zone]] while the others attack the enemy.

See [[Fortress]]

=== Game Client (or Client) ===

The game client is the software that allows you to play Armagetron Advanced, and is most often simply called 'the game'. It takes user input from the keyboard, and displays a graphical representation of what is happening in the game to the screen. The game client also has a large number of different settings, allowing for different input configurations, detail settings, player profiles, etc. Plus the ability to connect to a [[Glossary#Server|server]] on the internet, allowing for on-line play against other human opponents from around the world.

See [[Installing the Game]]

=== Game Grid ===

The playing area that a game of Armagetron takes place within. This could be an size and shape depending on the current [[Glossary#Map|Map]].

=== Ganking ===

'Ganking' is a relatively recent term, used most often in [[Fortress]] games when a zone is overrun by outnumbering the defence, eg. three attackers versus one defender. This tactic relies on the server settings allowing a zone to be taken by force of numbers.

=== Grinding ===

The act of running very close to a cycle trace or sometime an arena wall to benefit from the wall acceleration effect. A sound effect and sparks will normally accompany a grind.

=== Kick ===
Kicking is when you vote to get rid of a player because they are causing a nuisance. Occasionally, a kick vote will be used maliciously by some players, however this rarely succeeds and in fact often backfires. Player kicking is disabled on some servers.

See [[Etiquette and Protocol]]

=== Lag ===
Lag is the perceived time delay between making an action and seeing the result on the screen. In a local game, this delay is imperceptible, however online games are subject to network latency, as well as numerous other factors.

See [[Lag]]

=== Map ===

A map contains the configuration and layout of the [[Glossary#Game Grid|Game Grid]], and can change numerous settings including the shape and area of the Game Grid, wall positions, player [[Glossary#Spawn Point|Spawn Point]]s, number of [[Glossary#Axes|Axes]], [[Glossary#Zone|Zone]] sizes and positions, etc.

See [[Map Making]]

=== Rubber ===
Rubber is a mechanism that helps to account for [[Glossary#Lag|Lag]], where time is artificially slowed as your cycle approaches walls, this allows you to react to a situation that would ordinarily have already happened and killed you. If a cycle exceeds its rubber limit at any time, it is considered to have crashed into a wall. Rubber is normally regained at a steady pace.

See [[Rubber]]

=== Server ===

The computer (or software that resides on it) that 'serves' game information to [[Glossary#Game Client|game clients], this acts as a hub for game clients to connect to and play a game with each other. In the context of Armagetron Advanced, the term server usually refers to the 'dedicated server' version of the game, that allows [[Glossary#Game Client|game clients]] to connect and play, but does not allow direct play through a local interface.

See [[Server Administration]]

=== Spawn Point ===

A point on the [[Glossary#Game Grid|Grid]] where a player 'blinks' into existence. In some game modes it is possible to revive or 're-spawn' dead players at their spawn points, whilst in others play continues and players re-spawn in the next round.

=== Team-Kill (TK) ===

A Team-Kill is when a player kills a team-mate, this is usually unintentional although it can have repercussions if not apologised for.

=== Zone ===

An area of the [[Glossary#Game Grid|grid]] surrounded by a coloured, semi-transparent, passable wall; sometimes corresponding to a team's colour which denotes ownership. Zones can serve multiple purposes, such as fortress areas, win zones and death zones, and are 'activated' by keeping your cycle within them (Zone activation can involve the collapse of a zone, such as in the [[Fortress]] game type, or the capturing of a flag, seen in the [[CTF]] game type).

[[Category:Game_Concepts]]

Server Administration Guide

2007-07-18T10:12:37Z

T1: Reverted edit by 69.120.15.178 made on 17:56, 3 March 2007 (spam)

Setting up a server for Armagetron Advanced isn't terribly difficult, but there are a few things you need to consider when you do it. Taking a few minutes to figure out what you're trying to do will save you a whole lot of headache/heartache later on when people start playing your server.

== Starting out ==

Before you consider what OS you're going to use, what version of the game to run, and so forth, you should figure out a few basic parameters of the server. Here are some you should consider.

=== Private or Public? ===
The setting <code>TALK_TO_MASTER</code> is off by default. To make your server public (available on the master server list), you must turn on this setting. If it is off, players will only be able to connect to your server through the [[Server Bookmarks]] using your IP address. If you are connected to the internet through a router, normally used so that multiple computers can share the same internet connection, you will also need to open a port.

More information on both of these topics is available below.

=== Moderated? ===

Armagetron Advanced supports a limited but expanding set of in game administration commands(in 0.2.8, it will be a fairly comprehensive set). The catch is that you can only have one administration password. So in order to make moderators on your server, all you have to do is give out the administration password.

The alternative is to use the voting features that are intended to allow players to moderate the server as they see fit.

You can go either way, of course. It's entirely up to you.

=== Round or Match ===

There are plenty of ways to setup scoring on a server. A common setting is one point for each kill. While this scoring method encourages competitive play, it's not always desirable. On some servers, just surviving to the end of the round is quite an accomplishment, and you may wish to reward players for doing so. Too much of a reward will encourage players to just screw around instead of fighting.

You should also consider if you even want the standard gladiator-style fighting. It's certainly possible to set up scoring to allow for different games, such as [[Roulette]], and to encourage different playing styles. So just take a few minutes to think about it. It'll pay off in the end, because the default game server settings aren't necessarily the most popular scoring rules, and unless you really want the default scoring, you could lose most of your audience in the first two hours of operation if you didn't think about scoring.

== Requirements ==

=== If you fall short ===

If you cannot meet the requirements to host a server yourself (or simply don't want to leave your computer on 24/7), don't despair! There are companies that specialize in hosting colocated servers-- you can use many of them (such as [http://www.sevenl.net/ SevenL] or [http://www.vr.org VR Hosted]) to host an Armagetron Advanced server. If you don't have the expertise or want to bother with maintaining a full Linux server, you can get hosting specifically for Armagetron from [http://lightfoot.dashjr.org lightfoot.dashjr.org] without needing to setup anything.

=== Hardware ===

Hardware requirements are fairly small. The game itself will only need around 10MB of RAM or so, more for more players. So whatever the minimal requirements for your target operating system will usually suffice. It is important to make sure that the game will not have any of its parts swapped to disk, just like with any other server, but memory usage is minimal.

CPU requirements are also pretty slim. Again, whatever the requirements for your target operating system will likely suffice. A common number provided for a server CPU is a 600mhz Pentium II or greater. Some popular servers have run on as little as 800mhz AMD Duron! Starting in 0.2.7.1, it is possible to limit the framerate of the simulation itself. This gives several important traits to the game. First, it makes it play nicely even on a computer that runs other tasks (such as a web server). It also provides for more stable gameplay. Finally, it allows you to tailor the simulation for your hardware, so on a smaller CPU, you should consider limiting the framerate of the simulation to improve gameplay.

=== Network ===

The size and speed of your network connection is more than likely going to be your first and most serious performance bottleneck. Generally you'll want to consider that each player connected requires about 6KB/second of upstream bandwidth. So for 16 players, you'll need 96 KB/sec of upstream bandwidth. This doesn't consider any other bandwidth usage on your network, such as web browsing from a different machine. Use MAX_CLIENTS to limit the number of players accordingly.

More information is given for both of these topics in the [[Advanced Server Administration Guide]].

== Setting Up ==

So now you've figured out what kind of server you want and how you want people to play on it, and you want to know how to set it up and optionally make it available on the master server browser. Setting up is fairly straightforward.

If you do not wish to bother with setting up a server yourself, and be left to simply administrate your server, [http://lightfoot.dashjr.org lightfoot.dashjr.org] provides managed hosting for Armagetron servers-- you can just configure it how you like using a simple web interface and be ready to play.

=== Install the Server ===

First you need to install the server. It's common to think of any given "server" as a special machine built by old women in third-world countries, but actually, a "server" is just any machine that makes a "service" available to other users. In this case, you're going to install software on a computer, possibly your desktop computer, that will make a game service available for other users to use.

So first you need to acquire the package called "armagetronad-dedicated". If you're using Linux, get one that says "linux" on it. For Windows, get the one that has ".exe" on the end of it. For Mac OS X, there's one with a ".dmg" extension for you. Usually the CPU architecture and OS are embedded in the filename, so pick the right one and install it.

We won't go into too many details here about installation, consult the regular documentation for how to install the server for your architecture.

=== Test the Server ===

After installing the server, the first thing you should do is test it. So start it up. If you're in Linux, you will want to become the superuser and type, in a terminal, "/etc/init.d/armagetronad-dedicated start". If you're in Windows, find the icon in your Start menu and click it. Then fire up a client and see if you can connect to it as a LAN game (under Network Game). If you can do this, then you have successfully tested the server. Now you need to shut it down. In Windows, go to the console window for the server (it opens when you start the game) and type "QUIT". In Linux, just do "/etc/init.d/armagetronad-dedicated stop".

== Public Servers ==

If you want to host a server at home. You have to open UDP port 4534 in your firewall and possibly forward the port from your router to the PC running ArmagetronAd (and is hosting a game).
=== Firewalls ===
*Windows XP: Either your firewall will ask you if you want ArmagetronAd to open port 4534. You can also follow [http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308127 these instructions] use name: "Armagetron Server" the port is UDP 4534 (leave TCP blank).
*ZoneAlarm: TODO: popular? should it be added ?
*Mac OS X: Go to System Preferences → Sharing → Firewall. One way to let all traffic through is turning it off, but you may not want to do that. If you decide to leave/turn it on, look for a button labeled “Advanced…”. If it exists, go there and ensure “Block UDP Traffic” is not checked. If it doesn't exist you have an old version that never blocks any UDP. For the curious: this is a limited GUI to ipfirewall.
*Linux: TODO Lucifer ? Link to a site ?

=== Port forwarding ===

If you have a router with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_address_translation NAT], you'll want to forward a port to your server so others can reach it. Armagetron uses the UDP port from configuration option SERVER_PORT, which is 4534 by default. You'll probably want a forwarding entry that looks like:
* Local/internal address: <your server's IP address>
* Protocol: UDP
* Local/internal port: <SERVER_PORT>
* Remote/external port: anything should work, but <SERVER_PORT> is common.

It is important that your server's IP address never changes. You can manually choose an address outside the address pool used by DHCP, or an address that is unlikely to be assigned (e.g. if the lowest available address is always assigned, you can use an address ending with 100), or disable DHCP altogether and configure everything manually. [http://www.portforward.com/ http://www.portforward.com/] has more info on that.

If you can't figure it out, consult your router's manual. You can also look for help at the aforementioned [http://www.portforward.com/ http://www.portforward.com/], which has tutorials for many routers, and a forum. It doesn't have an Armagetron entry (yet), but it has been found that [http://www.portforward.com/english/applications/port_forwarding/F-22Lightning3/F-22Lightning3index.htm F-22 Lightning 3's] port range contains Armagetron's default port, so if you're absolutely clueless you can go with that.

==== Dynamic external IP addresses ====

If you have a dynamic external IP address, you can use a service like DynDNS's [http://www.dyndns.com/services/dns/dyndns/ Dynamic DNS] to map a name to your IP address. When your IP address changes, a small updater program will send the new address to DynDNS and update the address associated with the name. You should set the setting SERVER_DNS to the name you registered to ensure clients and the master servers can keep track of you when your IP address changes.

=== Secure the Server ===

There isn't really a lot to do here, but you should consider how you want to secure the machine. If you think it will be necessary to ban certain players, then a firewall is your only option. Since ArmagetronAd 0.2.8.x you are able to ban IPs.
For older versions you can use a firewall that allows you to deny connections from users by IP address. It's not foolproof, but it's the only thing possible until we have player authentification.

Contrarily, if you do not want internet players to be able to use your server, you will need to make sure your router prevents such players but making the port mentioned above inaccessible through the router.

== [[Configuration Files]] ==

At this point you should have a good idea of what kind of server you're going to run and you should also have a working server running, but you don't yet have the server you set out to build. Now you need to configure the server itself.

The server is very flexible. As of the 0.2.8 release, you have pretty complete control over the simulation, and you also have some settings that you can configure the game rules a bit. So now all you need to do is make the settings, right? Wrong. :) First you need to understand how the settings are loaded and in what order.

=== Examples ===

Note: These examples first appeared in one of the release candidates for 0.2.8. Depending on what version you install, you may not have all of them, or even any of them. The final 0.2.8 release will have them for all platforms, however.

Several example files are provided to help you get set up and running quickly. These files contain snippets of settings that range from simple adjustments to cycle physics to more complex snippets that encapsulate complete game rules. So if you've played a server that you really enjoy and you'd like to use it as a base to build your own server, you can look to see if any of the example snippets provide the settings you're wanting.

Some of the snippets are named from the servers they came from. When you see this, it is because the file contains a fairly complete set of settings to make a server exactly like the server where the settings originated. Others are named after a specific action. These may have originated in a server, or they may not have originated in a server. If they came from a server, you can read the comments in the file to see which server they came from.

Each example snippet is built with the intention of being included in your <code>settings_custom.cfg</code> file so you don't have to copy and paste the contents in order to use them. Be warned, however, that the example snippet you've picked may be changed in an upgrade. This will happen periodically when the game engine changes in a way that renders the settings snippet in a different fashion than it was intended, and the changes will be made to attempt to bring that file back to the same feel of play as it originally had. If you want to use those upgrades to your benefit, then you can and should go ahead and include the snippet file as shown. If you want to insulate your server from such upgrades, then you'll need to copy and paste the contents of the file into your own <code>settings_custom.cfg</code>.

Examples:

To make a fortress server, add this line to <code>settings_custom.cfg</code>:

<code>INCLUDE examples/fortress_soccer.cfg</code>

To add a death zone to your server, you can add this line:

<code>INCLUDE examples/death_zone.cfg</code>

To add a single-use booster in place of the brake, you can use:

<code>INCLUDE examples/single_use_turbo.cfg</code>

Some of the example files may modify the same settings that others modify. When two examples conflict in this fashion, the one that is listed last will override all others. So place the one you wish to have persist at the end.

If you'd like to taylor the settings after you've included them, place your own settings after the relevant include lines. In fact, you should place all of your additional settings after all includes in order to ensure that no new included file will override your own settings.

=== Making your own Settings ===

The most common settings to change affect game logic, scoring, and some basic simulation such as cycle speed, acceleration, and so forth.

==== Simulation Settings ====
;EXPLOSION_RADIUS
:Blast radius of cycle explosions. Set to 0 to have no explosion radius (obviously).
;WALLS_LENGTH
:Cycle trail length. Set to -1 to have infinite trails.
;WALLS_STAY_UP_DELAY
:Cycle trail stay up this long after the cycle's destruction, measured in seconds.
;SPEED_FACTOR
:Cycle speed factor. Increase this by two to double the speed
;CYCLE_RUBBER
:This affects grinding. Higher numbers allow players to get closer to walls before crashing. It's intended to be used solely to correct for lag, but it's usually not used that way.

==== Map Settings ====
;ARENA_AXES
:Sets the number of possible driving directions (used only when map is axes-independent, otherwise the map overwrite this value)
;MAP_FILE
:This describe how to retreive a map. It uses a special syntax to allow to describe the location of the map on the local disk and a possible list of network based location, such as web url, where to retreive the file. The syntax is "[./][directory[/directory[...]]]/filename [(fulluri[; fulluri[; fulluri[...]]])]". By default, missing files are looked up by the client on the central resource repository. If one of more URI are given in the MAP_FILE, they will be queried before going to the resource repository.

==== Game Rules ====

;SCORE_WIN
:Points you gain for being last one alive. Also known as "camping points"
;SCORE_SUICIDE
:Points you gain for every stupid death (race into the rim/your own wall). It is added, so negative numbers are appropriate here unless you want to reward people for being stupid.
;SCORE_KILL
:Points you gain for everyone racing into your wall.
;SCORE_DIE
:Points you gain for every time you race into someone else's wall. Like SCORE_SUICIDE, you should make this a negative number unless you want to reward people for sucking.

;LIMIT_SCORE
:Score limit. When a player reaches this score, the match ends and that player wins. Ties are resolved by playing another round until one player has more points than the rest.
;LIMIT_ROUNDS
:Max number of rounds to play. When this is reached, the highest-scoring player is named the winner.
;LIMIT_TIME
:Max time (in minutes). When this is reached, the highest-scoring player is named the winner of the match.

Here is a pretty common setup:

<pre>
SCORE_WIN 0
SCORE_SUICIDE 0
SCORE_KILL 1
SCORE_DIE 0

LIMIT_SCORE 10
LIMIT_ROUNDS 40
LIMIT_TIME 30
</pre>

This is the scoring system used on servers like Swampland, the old Tigers Network servers, and the goshdarn clones that are floating around. It basically means you have to get 10 points by killing other players to win the match. Breakfast in Hell used a variation:

<pre>
SCORE_WIN 0
SCORE_SUICIDE 0
SCORE_KILL 1
SCORE_DIE 0

LIMIT_SCORE 1000
LIMIT_ROUNDS 40
LIMIT_TIME 7
</pre>

You still had to kill people to win, but the match was limited to 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, a winner was declared. The Crack Pipe still uses these settings at the time of writing but may change in the future.

'''This isn't a complete list!'''

There are a whole slew of configuration items available. Since the config items are the same as console commands, you can see a pretty complete list on the [[Console Commands]] page.

== Finishing Up ==

The last thing you need to figure out is usually the first thing you know. Do you want this server to be known by the master server? If so, you need to add this line to your settings_custom.cfg:

<code>
TALK_TO_MASTER 1
</code>

Note: in previous versions, this was the default, but as of 0.2.8, the default will be to not talk to master. You will have to manually set that, so make it the last thing you do before starting the server up for play.

You will also likely need to set <code>DEDICATED_IDLE</code> to 0. If you're in Linux and you're using the init script, then you probably don't have to worry about it, because the init script will restart the server automatically. But if you're not in Linux, you'll need to place this in your settings_custom.cfg:

<code>
DEDICATED_IDLE 0
</code>

If you want your server to be known on the internet, you will probably need to open a port in your router. The default port is 4534, and you need to open it for "udp". Instructions on how to configure this on your router are beyond the scope of this document, you should consult your owner's manual for further information.

Of course, when that's all done, you need to start the server. Use the same procedure already referenced.

== Conclusion ==

This article is the basic "How to setup a game server" article. After reading through this article and getting your server running, the best thing you can do is to play your server for awhile, talk to other administrators, and so forth. Find out what people want, or figure out what you want. Tweak your settings however you'd like, it's your server. When you feel like you've got the hang of running a server, check out the [[Advanced Server Administration Guide]] for more cool things you can do with your server.

In the meantime, have fun!

[[Category:Server/config]]

Wiki Structuring Project

2007-07-18T09:56:49Z

T1: Added Glossary link

This little corner of the wiki is where we talk about and plan the structure of the wiki itself. It's used by editors and admins and anybody else interested to order and organize the information so that it will be the most useful it can be. If you're just a content writer, it's helpful for you to participate over here, but not required. There are folks around here that will go over what you did and place it in its right place so you can focus on writing new content.

== Informational Structure ==

The information on the wiki is of several topics, described here. Below this list each topic is discussed in more detail on how it should be organized.

;Installing the Game
:Documentation of various processes needed to install the game.
;Playing the Game
:Documentation of the game itself and the game client used by players.
;Server Administration
:Documentation of the game from the standpoint of running a server, and documentation useful to server administrators. There is some overlap here with ''Playing the Game''.
;Extending Armagetron Advanced
:Documentation for extenders, people who want to make new graphics/sound/whatever.
;Development Docs
:Documentation written by and for the Development Team, part of their regular work cycle.
;Project Docs
:Political-type documentation by and for the Armagetron Advanced Project Members. Includes organizational documentation, project goals, etc.
;Tournament Hub
:There is a tournament hub that has sprouted up in the last months that needs to be either spun off to its own website or incorporated more fully into the structure of the wiki.

Every article needs to be associated with categories, one or several. If the article applies to any specific versions of the game, it should be put in those categories. Only public releases should have versions, with a special version, in the Playing the Game section. However, in Development Docs, we may need to categorize for releases that don't yet exist. If the article does not apply to any specific version of the game, it should be put in a general version category, possibly called "All Game Versions". The article needs to be in its parent's category, most articles have parents. Finally, we'll need some top-level categories that reflect a slightly different informational structure. These top-level categories should be built with an eye towards allowing people to reach articles quickly when they already know what they're looking for.

=== Playing the Game ===

This is the User Manual for the game. The goal for this section is simple: everything a player needs to know to play should be here. So it should include tactical and strategic articles, documentation for how to use the client, install extensions, and so forth. How-to articles should also be here. The top-level page that is linked from the portlet should contain an article and a table of contents that together constitute the table of contents in a book and the introduction. The article text needs to tell a user summary information for each section to guide him to the area he needs to know. The entire Playing the Game section should *only* document public releases. If a code hack is required, it should appear at most as a footnote in this area. Keep in mind always that this section should only document the game client, it should never document the server. When information here is also needed for the server, it should be put on its own page and transcluded in both places.

This list shows the structure that should exist under [[:Category:Playing the Game]]:

* [[:Category:Getting Started]] - Basic guide to downloading, installing, and playing a local game, ending with a discussion of internet play. [[The Object of the Game]] needs to be factored into the top-level Getting Started page. Category name: Getting Started
** [[The Basics]]
** [[Teamplay]] - article needs to be updated to reflect that it is for people brand new to the game
* [[:Category:Program Documentation]] - Complete, canonical documentation for the game client *only*, but should include how to use the game client to host a network game. Category: Program Documentation
** [[:Category:Client Features]] - How-to information, such as "how to install a moviepack", "how to change player colors", "how to use in-game chat". Feature by feature, a separate page for each with detailed discussion including screenshots. The top-level page here should be a Category: special type page. Category: Client Features
*** Player Settings
*** [[Chat Features]] - This will need to be referenced in the server administration section, but should be documented here as it is a player feature
*** Network settings
*** [[:Category:Camera]]
**** [[Custom Camera]]
**** [[Camera Glance Keys]]
*** Configuring the client to play specific game variations
*** Discussion on how to use client settings and the console to construct your own game variant
*** Others as needed (insert your topics here), but stay focused soley on "how can I do <this> with my game client?"
*** [[Console]]
*** [[Effects and Display]]
*** [[Customizing the game]] - This page needs attention. It probably needs to be broken up into smaller bits that are transcluded here and elsewhere.
*** [[Playing Maps]]
*** [[Moviepacks]]
** [[:Category:Client Reference]] - Complete UI reference, appendix-style, with screenshots. Every menu item and possible choice needs to be documented here. Categories should be used to distinguish between 0.2.8-series and 0.3.0-series. The top-level UI reference page should be a Category: special type page.
* [[:Category:Game Concepts]] - detailed discussion of the concepts that drive the game and most affect players. These should be understandable by non-technical people although they can and should contain technical details. Categorize with Game Version.
** [[Lag]]
** [[Rubber]]
** [[Scale]]
** [[Frames Per Second]] - article needs to be updated to discuss simulation FPS as well
** [[Grid Games]] - Games people play that are *not* supported in settings so they can't be considered variations
** [[Game Variations]] that are currently supported and known about in a public release. May require additional external scripts, but may *not* require building a patched client.
** [[Camping]]
** Etiquette
** [[Clans]] - page doesn't exist yet
** [[Glossary]] of terms
** [[Double Binding]]
* [[:Category:Tactics]] - Ongoing discussion of strategies. All articles under this section need to be put in the category for the game client version to which they apply. Multiple categories can be used. In this manner, old tactics that become less useful in newer versions can be phased out and ultimately cleaned up or moved to a historical section. We don't need to differentiate between "strategy" and "tactic" yet. Maybe eventually, but not right now.
** [[:Category:Getting Started (tactics)]] - Top-level discussion for new players
*** [[Building Your Skillset]]
*** [[The Basics]]
** Single-player tactics vs AIs (currently an empty section on the wiki)
** [[Multi-Player Tactics]] - should include both multi-player local and multi-player network tactics. Each article should be put in the server category in which it belongs. If the server it's associated with no longer exists, it should be also be included in a category that indicates the tactic may be obsolete because the server no longer exists (called "Dead Servers" or something like that). This specific page needs to be moved into a Category: special page.
*** [[Advanced Tactics]]
*** General Tactics
*** General articles about tactics
*** Swamplords
*** Tigers Classic
*** Armagoshdarn
*** SP
*** MBC
*** Generic Sumo
*** Specific Sumo servers
*** Specific Game Variations not specific to a server
*** Others (you know what goes here)
** [[:Category:Team Tactics]] - As with Multi-Player tactics, categories for servers with an additional category to mark that the server doesn't exist anymore.
*** General [[Team Tactics]] - page needs work
*** [[:Category:Fortress Tactics]] - page needs editing to reflect new structure
**** [[Fortress_Tactics_offense|Offense Tactics]]
**** [[Cutting]]
**** [[Fortress_Tactics_defense|Defense Tactics]]
*** CT Tactics (tactics useful on CT Fortress)
*** Other Team Tactics that make sense
*** Specific Team Game Variations not specific to a server

=== Development Docs ===

These are pages that the developers write. The purpose of these pages varies depending on the content, some of them are historical pages, some are pages that serve to communicate to other developers how specific parts of code should be used. There is also a group of articles that start here and end up under the [[Playing the Game]] hierarchy. Those articles are the developer's documentation for new features. Developers should try to categorize their feature documentation and write the documentation itself in such a way that it can easily be moved into the other sections in the wiki when a release is finally made that contains that feature. If a feature changes substantially between unstable releases, then two or more pages may be required, one for each version. That's up to the developer to determine, but after the page is moved into another part of the wiki, it is considered "open season" for editing and other contributors should then go in and flesh out the documentation, add additional useful information, and so forth. So for feature documentation, there should be a flow from Development Docs into Playing the Game, Server Administration, and Extending Armagetron Advanced.

Otherwise, no structure is imposed on this part of the website. It's intended to be used by and for developers, and is available for others to view and participate if they desire, but otherwise this part of the wiki is intended for communication amongst the developers.

== Moderation and Editing ==

Mostly I have nothing to say about this, not sure it belongs on this page. :)

== Trash Cleanup ==

Nothing really here either, just that we need to work out how we're going to mark pages for deletion and/or factoring those pages' content into other pages before deletion.

For pages frequently spammed, we should protect them so only registered users can edit them to reduce the amount and frequency of spam posts. At least trying this to see if it lessens the amount of spam mod work.

MediaWiki talk:Sidebar

2007-07-08T19:47:25Z

T1: Request to change FAQ link

== FAQ Links ==

Now that the multi-farious FAQs have been incorporated into one page ([[FAQ]]), could the links on the sidebar be changed to point to the new page? --[[User:T1|T1]] 12:47, 8 July 2007 (PDT)

HostingFAQ

2007-07-08T19:39:30Z

T1: Content incorporated into centralised FAQ page and redirect added.

#redirect [[FAQ]]

PlayingFAQ

2007-07-08T19:38:42Z

T1: Content incorporated into centralised FAQ page and redirect added.

#redirect [[FAQ]]

Spoon-2/Challenge Board

2007-07-06T21:25:22Z

T1: Undo revision 19308 by 68.42.168.178 (Talk) - link spam

{{Spoon-2}}

The Challenge Board is designed to make the pairing of teams easy for Sunday 5th November. Place the name of your team on the appropriate Challenge Board for the server settings and game-style you wish to play in. There may be a choice of servers to allow predominantly American teams an opportunity to play in a low-ping grid.

* Finals 9pm GMT
* Semi Finals 8.15pm GMT
* Quarter Finals 7.30pm GMT

All Challenge Boards will be locked at 0:00 am GMT on the day of the event Sunday 29th October.

=== Fortress Challenge Board ===

* Team 1 is...
* Team 2 is...
* Team 3 is...
* Team 4 is...
* Team 5 is... [[Tronic Monkeys]] _tm
* Team 6 is...
* Team 7 is...
* Team 8 is...

;Quarter Finals 7.30pm GMT
:Team 1 challenges Team 2 on Z-man's Tournament Fortress
:Team 3 challenges Team 4 on AST Fortress
:Team 5 challenges Team 6 on 2020 team challenge
:Team 7 challenges Team 8 on LOD Lords of Destruction Fortress Server or Wildwest - Fortress

;Semi Finals 8.15pm GMT
:Team 1/2 challenges Team 3/4 on Z-man's Tournament Fortress
:Team 5/6 challenges Team 7/8 on Wildwest - Fortress (bugfarm)r or team challenge

;Finals 9pm GMT
:Team 1/2/3/4 challenges Team 5/6/7/8 on Z-man's Tournament Fortress

=== Speeders Challenge Board ===

* Team 1 is...
* Team 2 is...
* Team 3 is...
* Team 4 is...

;Semi Finals 8.15pm GMT
:Team 1 challenges Team 2 on Speeders
:Team 3 challenges Team 4 on ?? server

;Finals 9pm GMT
:Team 1/2 challenges Team 3/4 on Speeders

=== Provisional Brackets ===

Each category will have following table filled in before the event so players know where who they will be playing against.

{| border="2" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" rules="all" style="margin:1em 1em 1em 0; border:solid 1px black; border-collapse:collapse; font-size:95%; empty-cells:show; text-align:center;"
! colspan="2" | Quarter Finals !! colspan="2" | Semi Finals !! colspan="2" | Final !! | Winner
|-
| colspan="2" style="border-bottom:3px double" | 7:30 PM GMT || colspan="2" style="border-bottom:3px double" | 8:15 PM GMT || colspan="2" style="border-bottom:3px double" | 9:00 PM GMT || style="border-bottom:3px double" |
|-
|team 1 || ?
| rowspan="2" | team 1/2 || rowspan="2" | ?
| rowspan="4" | team 1/2/3/4 || rowspan="4" | ?
| rowspan="8" | team 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8
|-
|team 2 || ?
|-
|team 3 || ?
| rowspan="2" | team 3/4 || rowspan="2" | ?
|-
|team 4 || ?
|-
|team 5 || ?
| rowspan="2" | team5/6 || rowspan="2" | ?
| rowspan="4" | team 5/6/7/8 || rowspan="4" | ?
|-
|team 6 || ?
|-
|team 7 || ?
| rowspan="2" | team 7/8 || rowspan="2" | ?
|-
|team 8 || ?
|}

This will be filled out throughout the competition for each category.

{{Ladle-5}}

Spoon-2/Challenge Board

2007-07-06T16:04:43Z

T1: Undo revision 19299 by 201.37.170.38 (Talk) - Pointless spam

Glossary

2007-07-06T16:04:02Z

T1: Corrected heading heirarchy

Glossary

2007-07-06T16:03:13Z

T1: Fleshed out terms and descriptions

FAQ

2007-07-06T14:51:05Z

T1: Restructuring FAQ page

A number of Frequently Asked Questions about Armagetron Advanced are answered here, with some links to more detailed information.

Please read this list carefully if you are experiencing difficulty with Armagetron, as it is highly likely that someone has had the same problem and already discovered a solution. If your question is already answered here and you ask it again, don't be surprised if you get an abrupt or downright rude response - don't take it personally, it's just that our time is precious.


= Important Notes Regarding the FAQ =

While this list covers a large number of questions, it is by no means exhaustive. If your question is not answered here, you might try posting it on the [http://forums.armagetronad.net/ Armagetron Forums] or in our [[IRC Channel]]. We do try to give the best answers to any questions asked pretty much regardless of anything else, however be aware of the following guidelines if you are thinking of asking a question:
* Stupid questions will not garner a good response, use common sense. "Why can't I get color on my walls?" would be much better asked as "How do I have a cycle and wall color that are different from each other?".
* Provide as much information as possible relevant to the question, "Why doesn't my server work?" would be better asked as "My server starts, then stops. Here's the errors from the console. Any idea why it's shutting down right away?".
* Further guidance can be found in the article [http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html How To Ask Questions The Smart Way]. ''(Note that these pages are in no way affiliated with Armagetron Advanced and therefore they can't answer your question).''

For the most part, if you can't ask the question in the smartest possible way we'd rather you ask the best way that you can, rather than live in the dark and suffer. Even if you're an idiot, we still want you to be a comfortable idiot.

If you think that your question is in fact a bug report and you've only just started with the game, the chances are it's not. We'll not pretend the game is bug-free, but it is very stable and efficient. The chances that a new player to the game has discovered a previously unknown bug in a stable release are very, very slim. Astronomically slim, in fact. In any case, if you wish to continue thinking you have done so, please start with a question that describes what you see and ends with, "Is this expected behavior?". That's much more likely to get a satisfactory response than, "This game sucks! It has this bug and that bug and it just doesn't work. I downloaded it today for the first time on my Windows box, do you not care about Windows?". Also, since you suspect you found a bug, include all the information a bug report should have. If you're unsure about this, please consult the article [http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/bugs.html How to Report Bugs Effectively] for the best results. (''Note that the author of this page is in no way affiliated with Armagetron Advanced, and therefore will reject any bug reports you send him about our program.'')

Finally, this FAQ, like all FAQs, is a work in progress. If it's not as big as you're used to seeing, it's because it's probably a younger FAQ than you're used to seeing. That's ok, we'll add to it over time, and it'll get bigger and bigger until the server explodes with so many frequently asked questions that all of the developers decide to pitch in and buy a Caribbean island. Mmm, coconuts.


= About Armagetron Advanced =

== What is Armagetron Advanced? ==

Put succinctly, Armagetron is "A Tron clone in 3D". An more detailed explanation can be found on the [[About]] page.

== What is a client? What is a server? What's the difference? ==

Simply put, the game client is the program you run on your computer. The game server runs on somebody else's computer. The difference between the two is like the difference between, say, a lawyer and his client. The lawyer would be the server, the one who knows all about law and stuff. So the difference is just like in real life where the terms come from. The client requests a service from someone who serves. In our case, that service is a game that is served from a machine running a program called a "server", but if you requested the same service from a person in a casino, you'd still be running a game client.

== My client can be a server, though, it says so right here. ==

That's not a question. In any case, the game client can act as a server if you press "Host Game" from the Internet Game menu. So technically the client is a client/server hybrid, but let's not get too technical.

== So are all game servers just clients where people pressed "Host Game"? ==

No. This is where people get really confused, even to the point where they complain to server operators for doing exactly this thing. No, most, if not all, game servers available through the master server run a special version of the program that has no graphical display, and no player can play on directly. That is the server, commonly called a "dedicated server". You can run one too, if you like. Server operators chose to run this instead of the regular game client because it has a number of modifications that make it work better as a regular server, just like a mail server or a web server. It is more convenient and makes for a more reliable game server to do so.


= Running the Game Client =

== Where can I download Armagetron Advanced? ==

That depends on what version you want to get. The current stable version is always available [http://www.armagetronad.net/downloads.php on the main web page] or [http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=110997 sourceforge]. The latest testing version on [http://beta.armagetronad.net AABeta]. o 3.2 So, should I get the latest stable or latest development version?

== Ok, but there are still so many different files to get, which one is right for me? ==

See [[FAQ#Terminology]] for choosing between Client and Server download. If in doubt, choose the Client. If you're running a PC with Windows, get the exe format, GCC or VC6 should not matter (please report it if only one of them works for you). If you've got a Mac, get the dmg; there is a special build available for versions 10.2.8 of OS X. If you're running 32 bit Intel Linux, get the x86(_32) "package". If you're running 64 bit AMD Linux, get the x86_64 "package".

== I'm running Linux, but don't know whether it is 32 or 64 bit. How can I find out? ==

On a console/terminal, type

echo $MACHTYPE

If the output starts with x86_64, you have a 64 bit system. If it starts with i386, i486, i586 or i686 or possibly just x86 or x86_32, you have a 32 bit system. For anything else, we don't provide binary packages, you have to build from source. If the output is blank, the method failed. Then, see whether you have got the directory /usr/lib64 on your system. If yes, you have a 64 bit system, if no, it's 32 bit.

== Ok, I've got the file, but how do I install it ==

=== ... on MS Windows ===

Find the exe file you downloaded from the question and answer above this one and double click on it. Answer all dialog boxes with Yes/Next/Finish, whatever applies. On Windows XP, when you first run the game and try to connect to the Internet, a firewall warning may pop up; set it to allow access.

=== ... on Max OS X ===

Mount the dmg file, and drag the Armagetron Advanced application to your hard-drive.

=== ... on Linux/Unix ===

That depends on the distribution you are running. Check out the [[Linux Distribution Field Report]] for details.

=== I'm working on a Linux PC administered by someone else and don't have the root password, can I still install the game? ===

Yes. The "package" binary files can install everything in your home directory. If you have to build from source, proceed as in the last FAQ,
but pass '--prefix=$HOME/usr' to ./configure and run the game later with
'~/usr/bin/armagetronad', or run the game from the build directory with 'make run'.

=== I run a non-Linux UNIX or Linux on hardware not supported by your binary packages or the binaries don't work, how do I install from source? ===

Basically, you fetch the .tbz2 source archive and do the following as the superuser root

tar -xjf <path to the tbz2 source archive you just fetched>
cd armagetronad-<VERSION>
./configure
make
make install

The configure script will tell you what you are missing. In this mode, you always need the 'development' packages of our dependencies on most distributions.
The [[Linux Distribution Field Report]] may have some hints. Ask us if you get stuck.


= How to Play =

== Woah! This is scary, what do I do? ==

The first thing you will be presented with when starting the game is a 'splash screen', pressing any key will then present you with the main menu, which is fairly self-explanatory. If you get stuck on anything in the menus, leave the menu selection highlighted for a short while and an explanation will pop up at the bottom of the screen.

== What are the controls? ==

All of the controls are completely configurable from the menu system in-game.

== What do things like rubber, grinding and double binding mean? ==

See the [[Glossary]] page for more information on these terms.

== Ok, I just got 'core dumped', how do I get better at this? ==

The first place to look for more information is the [[Playing_the_Game]] page.


= Customising the Game =

== How do I use a map? ==

Read [[Playing Maps]], and please try to tell us why this question is asked so often and followed by "I read the whole wiki!".

== What are moviepacks? ==

Moviepacks are downloadable packages that completely change the look of the game. Applying a moviepack to your client can change wall and floor textures, cycle models, trail colours, etc.

== How do I find / install a moviepack? ==

Read [[Customizing the game]].


= Hosting a server =

== Which should I run? The client in hosting mode, or the dedicated server? ==

Generally this depends on how long you want the server to run at a time. If you just want it running when you're playing, run the client in hosting mode, it's easier to deal with. If you're running at a LAN party, you might also want to run the client in hosting mode. But if you want to run a server that operates on the internet, reports to the master server, and runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (8 days in a leap week), then you should run the dedicated server.

== Where are the server sources? ==

The server sources are the same as the client sources. You compile a server from them by giving the additional command line option '<tt>--disable-glout</tt>' to <tt>./configure</tt>.

== How do I start a dedicated server? ==

See the [[Server Administration Guide]] for more information.


= Troubleshooting =

== Your Game Client ==

=== ArmagetronAd takes most or all the CPU time, how come? ===

AA takes all the CPU time it needs to simulate and render the scene as fast as you'll allow it to. There are two conditions under which that makes it take almost everything that is available:
* You set your graphics card driver not to wait for VSync. AA will then run at the highest possible framerate and therefore also use all the CPU time available. If you enable the FPS display in the HUD options and it shows more than 100 FPS, then that's your problem.
* When it tells your video card driver to update the screen now, the driver goes into a special CPU-hogging mode until the command is completed, even though all it does is sit around and wait. Both NVidia and ATI drivers are guilty of this. In the "Performance Tweaks" submenu of the graphics settings, there is the "Flush" menu item where you can tweak AA to not issue the problematic command (with possible side effects).

=== ArmagetronAd is unplayable on my AMD Dual Core X2 System (might affect other Dual Cores) ===

Symptoms:
* The console displays "Timer hick up"
* FPS are usually ok (above 30).
* Might only occur in network games
* Game performance is very bad

At least three solutions for this problem are available:
* To fix this problem use your TaskManager to set ArmagetronAd.exe's cpu affinity to a single CPU.
* Disable Cool & Quite in BIOS
* Install the necessary Microsoft Hotfixes and depending on your System you might have to update your bios and drivers too.

Links (TODO replace links with links to better instructions!):
* [http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;896256 Microsoft Knowledge base Article about Q896256]
* [http://www.amd.com/en-us/Processors/TechnicalResources/0,,30_182_871_13118,00.html AMD Dual Core Optimizer] The fix is similiar to Microsofts, but only fixes a small part of it. The Microsoft patch also addresses power saving bugs (in Windows XP).

* Details: Armagetron Advanced 0.2.8.x(?) or later uses the high precision timer on Windows if available. (TODO confirm) This can be a problem on the new Dual Core Systems or malfunctioning Multiprocessor System. The Timer of each core runs at different speeds which results in a jumping timer! The AMD X2 Systems are affected because they have two separate timers for each CPU (Intels Core Duo CPUs share a single timer). The AMD X2 Systems are only affected with Cool & Quite power saving enabled otherwise both cores have the same timer speed. The Windows kernel schedules Armagetron Advanced between both cores which results in a jumping timer form Armagetron perspective.

== Your Server ==

=== I've started the dedicated server, but I don't see it listed in the master server. What's wrong? ===

You need to add the line

TALK_TO_MASTER 1

to your configuration files to publish your server on the internet. The server needs to be up one or two minutes before it can appear in the server browser, the master server checks whether it is reachable before it gets published.

=== I did that, but my server still is not listed. What else can be wrong? ===

Get your server's IP address; if it is running on the same computer you use for browsing right now, check http://www.whatismyip.com to get it. Fire up the Armagetronad client, enter the internet server browser, wait half a minute, exit the server browser, enter it again, and look for your server's IP. If it appears (having the list sorted by server name my pressing "right" once helps), you really want to ask the question '[[FAQ#I see my server's IP in the master server browser, but it says "Unreachable". What's wrong?|I see my server's IP in the master server browser, but it says "Unreachable". What's wrong?]]'. Otherwise, this is the right section for you. This is also the right section if you see your server just fine, but nobody else does.

If your server is connected to the internet via a router box and not directly via a "modem" of sorts, it is likely that network packages from the internet can't get to your server because the router blocks them. You need to tell your router to forward UDP port 4534 (or whatever SERVER_PORT is set to) to the server. On http://www.portforward.com, there are nice instructions how to do that for a lot of router models. If the UDP port 4534 thing confuses you, just follow [http://www.portforward.com/english/applications/port_forwarding/F-22Lightning3/F-22Lightning3index.htm these instructions for a different game] that uses a similar connection method. Of course, you need to find out what router model you have, some under-the-table-crawling and cable following may be required for that if you can't remember what you bought or got the router from your ISP.

=== My server still isn't listed. This sucks, it's hard to find out where the problem is. What can I do? ===

See [[Server_Administration_Guide#Firewalls|Short Firewall Troubleshooting]] and [[Server_Administration_Guide#Port_forwarding|Short Port Forwarding Troubleshooting]], if this does not solve your problem, read on.

You can ask people to connect to your server directly by giving them [http://www.whatismyip.com your IP] and the port your server is running on. A perfect place to ask is our [[IRC_Channel|IRC]] channel(#armagetron on irc.freenode.org) because you'll get a real-time answer there. Less perfect is the support section of the [http://forums.armagetronad.net forums]; you'll need to make sure your server is up and running when people read your post, which can be well 48 hours after you post it. If people can't connect to your server that way, it means you probably need to set up port forwarding (see last question) correctly.

=== Gaaa! This FAQ is useless! Can't YOU help me get my server up? ===

Sure. Post your trouble on the support section of the [http://forums.armagetronad.net forums]. Be sure to

* describe exactly what you already tried, and please don't just say "everything the FAQ told me"
* state [http://www.whatismyip.com the IP] your server is running on, we need that to check the master server's logs
* state your port if you modified SERVER_PORT
* state your server's name, others need that to check for your server in the browser
* post the complete output of your server from the moment it is started

Without that information, we can't help you.

Setting up a server is complicated sometimes; don't be too shy to admit you didn't understand some part of the process. A lot of trouble comes from people silently skipping steps they don't understand.

=== I see my server's IP in the master server browser, but it says "Unreachable". What's wrong? ===

Probably, the answer is "Nothing is wrong". A bug in some routers or the NAT specifications (at least, that's how Z-Man sees this) causes the response to the server query packet used in the server browser to come from the LAN address of your server, not the public address it was sent to. The packet gets ignored then. A workaround will be available in 0.2.8.3, but right now, that means most people can't see their own servers. Come to the IRC channel (#armagetron on irc.freenode.org) and ask people there if they can see your server.


= When All Else Fails =

== My question has not been answered, where do I go now? ==

The first place to try is the Armagetron Support section on the [http://forums.armagetronad.net/ Armagetron Forums], where a great many problems have been discussed and solved. Please remember to read the [http://forums.armagetronad.net/viewtopic.php?t=1360 welcome post].

Alternatively, you might like to see if there is anyone around in the [[IRC Channel]].

Remember, you are the one requesting help, so be polite.

== What should I do to increase my chances of getting help? ==

First off, there's a particularly useful 'Search' facility, which is linked to at the top of all forum pages. It is easy and powerful to use, and often will turn up an answer without any delay.

Secondly, provide enough correct information. This is a simple task that will save a lot of trouble for anyone trying to help you.
* What operating system are you running?
* Which version of the client / server are you having problems with?
* What error messages do you get?
* If starting up a server, what's your [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_address IP address]?
* ... and so on.

== What is this IRC channel thing? ==

Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is a type of real-time internet 'chat room', where group communications can take place in different rooms or 'channels'. For more information and how to use the Armagetron channel, have a look at the [[IRC Channel]] page.

[[Category:Game Help]]

Talk:Main Page

2007-07-06T09:40:02Z

T1: spam

Any particular reason your locking everything? I thought it was for players to edit and add stuff they thought people should know?

--TiTnAsS

----

I locked exactly two pages, the main page, and the page that explains why I locked the main page. ''--Lucifer''

----

Yarr, but why was the other one locked? O_o

--TiTnAsS

----

So nobody could edit it? Maybe you could read it and find out, that way I don't have to type the reason twice. ''--Lucifer''

----

Just a reminder for Luci: make the lag section. Also, can we get a game mode section?

-- TiTnAsS

----

You're getting a Miscellaneous section, and periodically when complete sections develop from it then we'll worry about how to link them in, right?

Also, a player's guide. You can talk about lag and game modes there. Makes sense, right? Server Admin Guide, Player Guide.

''--Lucifer''

----

Yup, sounds good.

-- TiTnAsS

----

How about having the wiki policy on the front page?

-- TiTnAsS

----

Is that so people who post to the talk page of the front page will remember to leave their name and a horizontal line?

Other than that, it doesn't really belong here. A feed of newest pages would be better. I'll look at what wikipedia uses for their front page, that's along the lines of what should be here. ''--Lucifer''

----

I'm sry i actually thought i did..

- TiTnAsS

----

Can we get rid of that News section and make it a link, the each day put the date and the new news? We would put the new news on top, but never delete the old, and if there wasnt any news just say No significant news today. That would be cool to be able to look back on past news and stuff. (in the following i wasnt sure how to color text, but the "IMPORANT" would be red :). The kind of news that would go here is:

== News ==

IMPORTANT: 1/1/06:
New ArmagetronAD version 1.0.0 "Bacchus" has been released. It
includes all of the following fixes and features:
blah blah blah...

----

12/9/05:
Lucifer has been elected President of the United States, ALL
REJOICE! Now cannibalism is legal!

----

12/5/05:
Tigers Network has returned! Its back with better settings
then ever, some of the new settings include: new flying cycles,
a statue in the middle dedicated to Tank Program and an all new
moviepack!

[[User:TiTnAsS|TiTnAsS]] 19:08, 29 October 2005 (CDT)
----

Go read the MediaWiki docs and figure out how to do it and I'll be happy to do it. I tried already to get it to show a feed of latest articles, I'd like that and about 4-5 news items. I think that would be cool. --[[User:Lucifer|Lucifer]] 19:37, 29 October 2005 (CDT)

----

- [[User:Nemostultae|nemostultae]] 20:15, 29 October 2005 (CDT)

----

We don't need special commands to do it, ill make one and you can revert if you guys dun like it okey?

[[User:TiTnAsS|TiTnAsS]] 21:27, 29 October 2005 (CDT)

----

Why oh why. Hm. Yeah, we do need special commands to do it. Ideally, each news item would be a separate, detailed article, and we'd just feed the headlines and summaries to the front page. Over time, doing it manually becomes very difficult to maintain, and eventually makes it impossible to do certain things with the news. Pretty frustrating.

--[[User:Lucifer|Lucifer]] 21:29, 29 October 2005 (CDT)

----

check how it is now, i think that is fine for now. Or at least give it a try? it wont be to much of a pain to maintain... besides i like the colors :).. if not ill put it back :/

[[User:TiTnAsS|TiTnAsS]] 21:44, 29 October 2005 (CDT)

----

We're on the same page for what it looks like, but you're going to have to trust me that a manually-edited feed is a pain to maintain. Here, look at this:
http://jameshoward.us/Main_Page

Also, dark colors on light or light colors on dark, but never light colors on light. Reason? Visually impaired people can't read them at all. Except for the really blind, who use a screen reader, but I imagine those folks aren't likely to be playing the game in the first place.

--[[User:Lucifer|Lucifer]] 21:51, 29 October 2005 (CDT)

ok so here are my suggestions for the main page. if this is the first page that potential new players visit, which it should be, then there should be several screen shots, and possible some art and a title of some sort other than Main Page. ---''raoul''

----

It's not actually supposed to be the first page potential players visit, we have a new website for that. This is for people already playing, and for new players who have found the game and played it and want to learn more.

--[[User:Lucifer|Lucifer]] 03:34, 30 October 2005 (CST)

----

on the main page, How about putting pictures of light cycle with long trails and having quotes from players written on the trails?

(pinkbike)-(trail)better then Bottled water-nemo(/trail)

(purplebike)-(trail)try the crack pipe-luci(/trail)

etc etc

-- Your_mom

* Sure, upload the graphics (link in the toolbox on the lower left) and come back here and put the filenames and I'll take care of it. --[[User:Lucifer|Lucifer]] 18:36, 2 November 2005 (CST)

* what size should they be? i have it at 915x35 wxh of course should the tail be shorter/longer? and what colors--Your_mom
** Try not to make the width more than 200px unless you really need a few extra pixels. A hard limit of about 275. Then whatever height you need. Colors? I don't know, pick some. :) Also, can you make one with alpha instead of cycle color? And without text on the trail? I could use that at some point to use dynamic colors and text. :) --[[User:Lucifer|Lucifer]] 19:19, 2 November 2005 (CST)
*** http://wiki.armagetronad.net/index.php/Image:Bikewht.png i have different colored ones is this what we where looking for --Your_mom
*** I don't know, is that what you were thinking? That's about the width you generally want on a web page where you need to intersperse text with the graphics, but is it what you were thinking about how it should look? --[[User:Lucifer|Lucifer]] 19:59, 2 November 2005 (CST) (P.S. if you use <nowiki>~~~~</nowiki> for your signature, your wiki username and a timestamp will be put there instead)
***[[image:Biketest1000.png|left|]] can you right over top of that inside the wiki?, think that would be ok?, yeah it wasnt the look i was going for, but this is slightly better -- [[User:Your mom|Your mom]] 20:21, 2 November 2005 (CST)
**** The cycle's kinda small. Maybe a larger cycle? It's ok if the cycle size doesn't quite go with the wall size, that makes the picture more cartoony anyway. I know you can associate text with an image, but I don't know if you can specify whether to show the text on top or on bottom of the picture. --[[User:Lucifer|Lucifer]] 20:25, 2 November 2005 (CST)

http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image#Putting_text_in_an_image.2C_superimposing_images.2C_e.g._for_locator_maps http://wiki.armagetronad.net/index.php/Image:Bikex5.png
-- [[User:Your mom|Your mom]] 20:57, 2 November 2005 (CST)

<div style="position: relative">[[Image:Bikex5.png]]
<div style="position: absolute; left: 35px; top: -3px">
{| style="background:transparent"
|-
| <em style="color:white;font-style:normal">testing this is for the weaks- blah blah</em>
|}
</div>
</div>

if i knew how to change font size and color it might look better-- mom
* Looks like you've just about got it. Here's a little trick that might come in handy, though. Say you put two spans right next to each other with no distance between them. Make one have in the background the cycle and the first part of the wall, and put a   in the foreground. However many &nbsp's you need to make it fit. Then in the other put a tile-able background that is the rest of the wall. Then you should be able to put text in such a way as to stretch the second span so cover the whole phrase, within reasonable sizes of phrases. --[[User:Lucifer|Lucifer]] 22:02, 2 November 2005 (CST)
** I dont quite follow -- [[User:Your mom|Your mom]] 22:17, 2 November 2005 (CST)
----

Heh, when you figure it out tell me, i wanna post one in ym names link. It'll say "THE DRUMMER FROM ''''''DEF LEPPARD'''''' ONLY HAS ONE ARM!!"-Blood Hound Gang.. lol

[[User:TiTnAsS|TiTnAsS]] 18:59, 3 November 2005 (CST)

----

Hows that luci still look/sound like a good idea? i can post different color bikes. finished testing for now. - [[User:Your mom|Your mom]] 22:07, 2 November 2005 (CST)

<div style="position: relative">[[Image:Bikex5.png]]
<div style="position: absolute; left: 33px; top: -3px">
{| style="background:transparent"
|-
| <em style="color:white;font-style:normal"><font size="1">"thedrummerfromdeafleaperdonlyhasonearm!"-bhg</font></em>-tna
|}
</div>
</div>

-mom again

----

Luci, i caught my mistake before you did, check my user info >.<..
lol

[[User:TiTnAsS|TiTnAsS]] 22:10, 3 November 2005 (CST)

* I saw that, but you still didn't catch it before I did. :) --[[User:Lucifer|Lucifer]] 22:58, 3 November 2005 (CST)

== the main page ==

1
could you add a section to do with the history
as in
who designed the game
something about the film
that kind of thing?

2
what on earth is
extending armagetron advanced
meant to mean?
as a newbe
must i click on it to understand it?
surely the title is meant to mean something
before i click on it?

3
the game is simple
and startup for me was supersmooth
given the amount of energy generated from playing
(
i mean
we love getting on the grid
)
the wiki mainpage
could be a little more embracing
i have been around here a few times
and it is a little tricky to work out where is what
.
you know
something like:
newbe introduction page
that kind of thing
simple

== Internal community chat ==

Message for Luke-Jr in reply to http://forums.armagetronad.net/viewtopic.php?t=9921 ...

There already exists an IRC-S2S-XMPP gateway solution, but it requires quite a
bit of work getting the ircd to go with it. Have a look at http://about.psyc.eu/Gateway

But, if you don't need to connect things with an IRC network, then you
can simply use the builtin XMPP and IRC servers. You can access channels
by IRC and MUC at the same time. That you get at http://www.psyced.org

----

User:T1/monobook.css

2007-07-05T18:47:46Z

T1: New page: body { font-family: verdana !important; }

body { font-family: verdana !important; }

Talk:Wiki Structuring Project

2007-07-05T16:06:39Z

T1: /* FAQs */ - continuation of discussion

<ul id="sitenotice_nav" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-image:
none;-moz-border-radius-topright: 1em;-moz-border-radius-topleft: 1em;
-moz-border-radius-bottomright: 1em; -moz-border-radius-bottomleft: 1em;
background:#F1F1CB;margin:7px -2px -2px -2px;padding:0;">
<li>[[Installing the Game]]{{Drop Down:Installing the Game}}</li>
<li>[[Playing the Game]]{{Drop Down:Playing the Game}}</li>
</ul>

===Templates===
{| border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="2" style="background:pink; color:white" align="center" width="50%"
|'''[[Playing the game]]''' || '''[[Server administration]]''' || '''[[Extending armagetron advanced]]''' || '''[[Development docs]]'''
|}

{| border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="2" style="background:yellow; color:grey" align="center" width="50%"
|'''[[getting started]]''' || '''[[program docs]]''' || '''[[game concepts]]''' || '''[[stratagies and tactics]]'''
|}

{| border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="2" style="background:cyan; color:white" align="center" width="50%"
|'''[[lag]]''' || '''[[rubber]]''' || '''[[grinding]]''' || '''[[fps]]'''
|}

I propose we use templates like this to help organize
Anyone else have any better ideas for formating templates like this,in other words a beter way to format and make these kind of wiki/html tables look nice?--[[User:Your mom|Your mom]] 18:58, 28 August 2006 (CDT)
* What you've got (only cleaned up and made to look really freaking nice), category breadcrumb moved to the top, or this: http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/MenuTabs --[[User:Lucifer|Lucifer]] 19:33, 28 August 2006 (CDT)
* Im all for the menutab idea if we could get that working --[[User:Your mom|Your mom]] 21:03, 28 August 2006 (CDT)
** Well, I installed it but didn't manage to get it working well. Fool with it if you like and see if you can make sense out of it. --[[User:Lucifer|Lucifer]] 07:58, 29 August 2006 (CDT)
***<code><br /><div id="header"><br /><ul id="primary"><br /><br /><li>X&lt;/li&gt;<br /><li>Y&lt;/li&gt;<br /><li>Z&lt;/li&gt;<br /><ul id="secondary"><br /><br /><li>A&lt;/li&gt;<br /><li>B&lt;/li&gt;<br /><li>C&lt;/li&gt;<br /></ul><br /></ul><br /></div></code><p>It's simply broken in a weird way, and I can't help but notice that BB repeats itself too often. Bad behavior indeed. —[[User:Jonathan|Jonathan]] 10:27, 29 August 2006 (CDT)</p>
**** That's new, probably fallout from the upgrade. Bad Behavior didn't used to repeat itself. Hmmm.... Maybe Bad Behavior hasn't been completely updated to 1.7 and I should check for a new version... --[[User:Lucifer|Lucifer]] 13:32, 29 August 2006 (CDT)
**** 2 things. :) There isn't an updated Bad Behavior extension, i.e. there's one extension that's supposed to work for all supported MediaWiki versions. The second is that I looked at the bad behavior log and it's definitely working, that is, unless you like mexican internet pharmacies and find them to be ontopic on this wiki, heh. A patch that fixes this weird behavior of Bad Behavior would be welcome, but I looked at the extension itself and it'll probably take a bit to fix, like maybe a real knowledge of how extensions in MediaWiki work. --[[User:Lucifer|Lucifer]] 13:47, 29 August 2006 (CDT)
** One more thing before I go to class. We have the [[Template:Sections|Sections template]] already, which for some reason or other prints the current page as bold instead of a link. It's just a list with simple formatting, we could start with some templates that go under it and just work on those incrementally until we wind up with something like Your_mom suggests. --[[User:Lucifer|Lucifer]] 13:54, 29 August 2006 (CDT)
***Not just that template: <code><nowiki>[[Talk:Wiki Structuring Project]]</nowiki></code> → [[Talk:Wiki Structuring Project]] —[[User:Jonathan|Jonathan]] 17:58, 29 August 2006 (CDT)
***heh i was wondering why editing links wasnt working about a minute or so before you posted that--[[User:Your mom|Your mom]] 18:26, 29 August 2006 (CDT)
**You cant link to catagories inside of a table so i guess this wont be happaning unless im doing something wrong...Mabey redirect pages idk--[[User:Your mom|Your mom]] 21:23, 1 September 2006 (CDT)

{| border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:lightgrey; color:white" align="center"
|[[:Category:Getting_Started]] || [[rubber]] || first cell should be a link to a catagory then rubber(second) then this(3rd)
|}
***Congratulations, you successfully added this page to the [http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Category category] Getting Started, and gave the impression that it's broken outside of tables. —[[User:Jonathan|Jonathan]] 21:57, 1 September 2006 (CDT)
**** Do it like this: <nowiki>[[:Category:Getting_Started]]</nowiki> Note the colon before Category, that lets you link to a category page without putting the current page in the category. --[[User:Lucifer|Lucifer]] 22:10, 1 September 2006 (CDT)

* What about this extension? It would let us make one single template that contains all navigation. http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/ConditionalMenus_Extension --[[User:Lucifer|Lucifer]] 22:15, 1 September 2006 (CDT)
** Ok, I installed that, let's see how it looks. :) --[[User:Lucifer|Lucifer]] 23:40, 1 September 2006 (CDT)

* How about this one? http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:CategoryTree It's already there, because it's in the svn repo for mediawiki, but I need to upgrade to at least 1.8 (we're on 1.7.2 right now) to use it. I'm intending to go all the way up to 1.9 next week, so this isn't a problem. We could replace the Sections menu on the left with it if it looks good enough that way. We could probably replace all the links on the left with it. --[[User:Lucifer|Lucifer]] 18:53, 17 February 2007 (CST)
** Or this? http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:CSS_Dropdowns I'm partial to this last one myself. --[[User:Lucifer|Lucifer]] 19:00, 17 February 2007 (CST)
===Catagories===
A good way to organize

== FAQs ==

It seems there's an '''[[FAQ]]''' page, a '''[[hostingFAQ]]''' page (Linked to from the Wiki navigation sidebar) and a '''[[playingFAQ]]''' page (Linked to from the Wiki navigation sidebar), without any mention in the [[Wiki Structuring Project]]. These pages all seem fairly similar in content and layout, and I would even go as far as saying their content duplicates a lot of the information in '''[[PlayingGettingStarted]]''' and '''[[Server_Administration_Guide]]'''.

Would it be more sensible to have a centralised FAQ page containing more general FAQ's, with links to the '''[[Server_Administration_Guide]]''' and '''[[PlayingGettingStarted]]'''? Or is the intention to keep the FAQs pertaining to Playing and the Client completely seperate from FAQs regarding hosting a server?

-- [[User:T1|T1]] 06:48, 5 July 2007 (PDT) ''[[user:T1|T1]] likes making links bold, MWAHAHA!'' <tt>;)</tt>

*Maybe they could all be merged into one page, and the links in the sidebar made to link to the “chapters” in the master FAQ? BTW, if you like bold, I suggest you add <code>#bodyContent a { font-weight:bold !important; }</code> to your [[User:T1/monobook.css|user styleheet]] <tt>:-)</tt>—[[User:Wrtlprnft|Wrtlprnft]] 07:02, 5 July 2007 (PDT)

: lol, I could add that to my user stylesheet but then I wouldn't be subjecting everyone else to it! - (jk. Don't worry, it was only a passing fad! <tt>:)</tt> ) Shall I start restructuring the FAQ page in that case? -- [[User:T1|T1]] 09:06, 5 July 2007 (PDT)

Talk:Wiki Structuring Project

2007-07-05T13:48:34Z

T1: Question regarding FAQs