New server! Feel free to help.

[Piglet]

What's happening?

If you play here regularly you may have noticed that for the last month or two the gameplay has been much more smooth, as we've been running on a significantly more powerful rented machine.  We were using a virtual server on a much less powerful server previously.

As a result of this test I have arranged to buy our own physical machine and to have it hosted in a UK data-centre.

If you've got here from the game server, then you're about to play on the new machine It's still a work in progress. The machine needs a bit of performance tuning, and there will be an IP change early in the new year as it gets moved into its final position in the data-centre.

Are you willing to help?

This message is to ask that if you enjoy playing here that you consider donating a small amount (even £1) each month to help pay for the running costs. You can set up a one-off or a regular Paypal donation from the left donation button on this page. Please leave a message on the paypal donation page with your player name so we know who is helping.

I am quite happy to pay for all of the new machine, but if any of you would like to donate towards the cost of it feel free to make a one-off donation and let me know it's for that purpose in the message on the paypal donation page

[Piglet]

Oops! I forgot to unlock the thread.

"Thank you" to the first person to do a regular £1. I don't know your player name to say thank you directly.

[Plakatowy]

Hi, I just send some small money from myself, I hope we will keep the server online.

[Piglet]

Thanks!

The server's probably going to get some maintenance tomorrow (later today as it's after midnight here) to see if we can get it running a bit faster. There will be a down-time.

[THOR`]

I’ve set up a monthly donation of £15.

[Piglet]

Wow! Thanks. If more people prove willing to chip in small amounts monthly and we can cover the bills & have a little contingency for repair then I'll give you a shout to lower the amount.

Much appreciated!

[}TCP{Cloud]

Im donating 10 euro automatic monthly. :-)

[THOR`]

Wow! Thanks. If more people prove willing to chip in small amounts monthly and we can cover the bills & have a little contingency for repair then I'll give you a shout to lower the amount.

Much appreciated!

I’m happy with that, would be nice if we can get a bit of a buffer financially just in case something comes up.

Hopefully I’ll find some time to actually get on the servers myself, working shifts makes it a bit difficult to play as when I’m awake with some spare time isn’t always when the servers are populated

[KennyMC]

Are there other ways to donate? Something from my faraway Russia can’t throw a coin through PayPal, or I'm probably very dumb

[Jozz]

A fiver a month from me - as a bribe for making Contrast the default map 

[Piglet]

Ha! OK. You're not getting any argument from me on that. It'll take effect from the next full server restart.

[kops]

A fiver a month from me - as a bribe for making Contrast the only map 

Done.

[JP]

£5 a month for £∞ of fun. Sweet deal.

[tirofijo!!]

im so sorry i cant help for now, boyfriend credit card blocked for a year, but i will try to find a way.... a legal way jeje

[Piglet]

Absolutely no problem.  Any donations are gratefully received from those who have spare money and would like to put it towards helping.

There are other ways in which people can help if they would like to do so and have time:

For example, you could spot when there is a map playing which doesn't have server monitor images, take interesting screenshots of the game as it plays sharpen the image (for example in GIMP which is free), crop to 160x120 pixels and name them mapname_n.jpg  (where n is an incrementing number). Let me have them and I'll upload them to the monitor

Another example, you could try out new maps for ONS/VCTF/Freon and recommend them.

If you don't have spare money that you want to use in this way, don't have spare time to help, and just want to play...that's also fine.