Difference between revisions of "Crafting Server Appeal and Good Appearance"

From Armagetron
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[[Image:Ctwf.jpg]]
 
[[Image:Ctwf.jpg]]
  
The server name consists of 8 different color codes, it changes from letter to letter. It's not a smooth color gradient, but a contrast. It obviously symbolizes the craziness of the server and the clan behind it, but it also refers to the 'weird maps' that are mentioned in the server options. CTWF is a very successful server, and i believe that the name is part of it.
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The server name consists of 8 different color codes, it changes from letter to letter. At the same time its order is repeated in every word. It's not a smooth color gradient, but a contrast. It obviously symbolizes the craziness of the server and the clan behind it, but it also refers to the 'weird maps' that are mentioned in the server options. CTWF is a very successful server, and i believe that the name is part of it.
  
  

Revision as of 16:44, 14 November 2010

You have a server and you want players to play there. There are some things you should pay attention to when you set it up. I found most of this self-explaining and one thing i like about Armagetron is the big variety of things you can do with a server.

How to properly season your server name

There aren't a lot of things you can do wrong with your server's name. Of course it shouldn't be too long, and you better don't have tons of servers with the same name. This is regarded as spam and leads to a ban. Servers that belong together can be grouped optically, just by using a similar prefix or a color code which is repeated. You don't have to use any color codes. The most important thing for a good server are its genuine physics.


Wildwest.jpg


Let's start a small design analysis with CTWF:

Ctwf.jpg

The server name consists of 8 different color codes, it changes from letter to letter. At the same time its order is repeated in every word. It's not a smooth color gradient, but a contrast. It obviously symbolizes the craziness of the server and the clan behind it, but it also refers to the 'weird maps' that are mentioned in the server options. CTWF is a very successful server, and i believe that the name is part of it.


Welcome Messages

Would you call this a proper welcome message? It doesn't tell you anything about tbe server you just entered except that its admin has an infantile humour.

Welcome.jpg

Server Options

If you happen to use your server logs for an IP Finder, you should point it out in the server options. Good servers often have a short description of the most important settings (rubber, zones, big/small arena, score or time limit, speed, team size...) or a humorous slogan (CTWF: There's like all these weird maps man!)

Ping Limits

A ping limit is a bad idea. Who knows what players you will never meet because you obstruct your server's door? Imagine Xyron would be banned from all sumo servers.


Server Rules

´j.jpg


I don't like servers with a long list of rules that are not predefined by the settings. While settings are always valid, regardless if they are popular or not, rules have to be enforced by server admins and moderators. If the mighty people of your server interfere too often, some players will stay away completely (see: Playing Open). However, all of this is my personal opinion and it's your choice what you do with your server. However, rules belong in the server options and the welcome message. Nobody likes to be kicked for "deliberately closing" (or "drawing", "rimming", "stabbing" and all these other pseudo crimes).

Our internet society isn't so rotten that you have to add good behaviour to the rules. But it can have a positive effect on the server's climate if admins are there to handle your players' issues and to ensure that they don't dare to insult or to teamkill others.