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lordnikon
rank 59
Posted:
Thu May 13, 2004 1:24 am
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Probobly more exciting than anything you'll hear at E3, Tribes Aerial Assault Dedicated Server software has now be released to gamers! At 9:54 PM EST on May 12th, AADS was officially released to the public.

Up until now the only dedicated server software in the gamer's control, was for Quake 3 Arena on the Sega Dreamcast. Every other online console game has had the central server or master list in control of the developers and the publishers. That is, until now...

If you have never played it before, Tribes Aerial Assault is an online title for the Playstation 2 console released early in the systems venture into online. It allows for 16 players online over broadband or dialup. The game was released with a central master list where you could host a full game off your Playstation 2, the console being the server. However TribesAA shipped with a few things missing, namely any means to communicate with your teamates. This posed enormous problems for online play. However a little over a year ago, key people from the games developers, Inevitable Ent., who were active in the community stepped forward. They sacrificed their personal time to make the TribesAA community what it has been for the past year and what it is today. So please take note, everything I am about to discuss has been done, by Inevitable Ent. developers in their spare time.

They began programming a Dedicated Server for TribesAA. Not only this, but they added features. Awsome features. Such critical elements as the chat-test menu, which allows all users to use over 135 pre-set voice & text phrases while playing on Dedicated Servers. Allowing you to communicate with your teamates in everyway. Phrases such as, "Hi", "Good Game", "Repair our Generators", and such taunts such as, "Eat my plasma!". Pretty much anything you would need to say to communicate could now be done with this chat-test menu. They furthered development on the servers fixing numerious polygon glitches such as trees with poor collision detection, as well as adjusting vehicle speeds, weapon damage ratios, and even adding a WHOLE new E.L.F. Turret to the quagmire map. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Most recently they added 2 whole new controller configerations that are downloaded by entering words to your buddy list, and joining a server. Adding all new functions such as tossing weapons, packs, and even the flag to other teamates on the fly.

The great thing about TribesAA is, it does not go through sony's DNAS authentication system. Now your probobly asking yourself, "How is that a good thing? Can't people cheat?" Well first of all, since the game doesn't go through DNAS, and the master server list is managed at Sierra on servers which host master lists for a myriad of PC games....TribesAA will never go offline. If sony decides to change or alter their authentication system, many games will be left unplayable online. TribesAA will be around for a long long long time. Now your still probobly wondering about cheats. Well security measures have been put into place on AADS servers which prevent cheating from happening. Also auto-kick functions were added for when user's personal score value falls to far into the negative. This is to prevent users coming into a game, and destroying one's own team's generators. The AADS servers are cheat-free.

This server software is now available in a public form, dubbed, Public AADS (Aerial Assault Dedicated Server). Gamers are now able to host their OWN dedicated Tribes Aerial Assault Servers with all the preset phrase perks and features that AADS allows.

This is a huge landmark in online console gaming. This will prove to developers that putting the control in the hands of gamers is what forms long lasting, rich, diverse, online gaming communities. Now I did say this news is good for the online console gaming community as a whole, didn't I? Well if you're un-aware, Inevitable Entertainment, and the same network programmers that have done all this for the TAA community are currently working on a blockbuster online FPS for the PS2 and XBOX game systems coming out this fall. Inevitable are the developers behind Area 51.

If you are an avid TribesAA gamer and wish to get involved and host your own server with all the advanced features AADS provides please visit the following URL:
http://aads.gamerplug.com

If you have never played Tribes Aerial Assault before, and wish to explore this game for the first time, look it up at a local gameshop. You can currently find TribesAA going for 10-20 dollers new or used. If your interested in getting involved in tournaments and clans, please visit the following locations:
http://www.gamerplug.com/tribesaa/
http://www.teamwarfare.com

(Note: I posted this same information at gamespot.com's forums as well hopefully some people take notice. I really think this news should be headline news across all gaming news website, unfortunatly I fear it won't. I'm going to try and really get it out there though.)

  _________________
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Apple
rank 23
Posted:
Thu May 13, 2004 4:29 am
quote : #2
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Posts: 463
I read it all even though I know this stuff.

Two things:

Expert Controls are more of an "Unlocked" than a "Downloaded"

Tribes won't be around for just a long time. You can configure a LAN with Tribes. i.e. With tunnelling, Tribes will NEVER die. Few people realize this part.

Very good article. It SHOULD be headline on all game sites.
 
martianviking
rank 9
Posted:
Thu May 13, 2004 12:07 pm
quote : #3
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Posts: 107
Excellent news. It is a little unfortunate that there isn't a console-only Linux port available, but honestly I'm not looking a gift horse in the moutth.

This is very welcome news, and I applaud the efforts of all those that made it happen.
  _________________
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satoshi
rank 21
Posted:
Thu May 13, 2004 12:22 pm
quote : #4
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My question is: In Tribes 2, you can run server side mods just by modifying the scripts (they end in .cs). If they have those scripts in this Public AADS release, then that means that people can make their own, limited mods!
 
Apple
rank 23
Posted:
Thu May 13, 2004 2:12 pm
quote : #5
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Posts: 463
Erm... it doesn't quite work that way satoshi, but you can admin easier and therefore in a sense make up your own games I guess.
 
satoshi
rank 21
Posted:
Thu May 13, 2004 2:59 pm
quote : #6
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Posts: 403
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Apple wrote:
Erm... it doesn't quite work that way satoshi, but you can admin easier and therefore in a sense make up your own games I guess.


damn, that really takes a lot of fun out of hosting a server then..

On my servers I would always jack the MPB's speed up a lot, and give it infinite booster. It would also be invincible (same with the Shrike, high speed and invincible armor). Then again this wasn't really a regular server, it was a construction server (very fun mod for Tribes 2), and there was no fighting, so faster vehicles weren't unfair or anything.

I also downloaded a nifty script that allows the admin to toggle on/off a superjump abiliity, and even take away all jetpacks. Too bad you can't do that with T:AA...
 
Apple
rank 23
Posted:
Thu May 13, 2004 3:19 pm
quote : #7
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Posts: 463
SOme of that is possible, but not for the public.
 
DietGarfield
rank 11
Posted:
Sat May 15, 2004 10:08 am
quote : #8
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Posts: 174
If anyone needs help hosting, either go to www.aads.gamerplug.com , or me. not apple... he doesnt care about anyone else Mad Sad
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lordnikon
rank 59
Posted:
Mon May 17, 2004 11:34 am
quote : #9
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Posts: 2839
Type: NTSC-U/C
DietGarfield wrote:
If anyone needs help hosting, either go to www.aads.gamerplug.com , or me. not apple... he doesnt care about anyone else Mad Sad

HAHAHAHA
  _________________
The most effective, in this war?
The Bydo have it... and they control it.
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