Brink dedicated servers detailed

Bethesda Softworks has released a detailed FAQ on Brink's dedicated server settings, including details on Steam pre-loading, and the variety of custom setting options you'll have access to.

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Bethesda Softworks has released a detailed FAQ regarding the dedicated servers for Brink. The servers will be standalone, so they won't require a full version of the game to use them, and you can download the server from Steam before release.

The servers will come with some basic settings that span different game modes, co-op challenges, and so on. But you can also set your own custom options, including team sizes, time limits, overtime, warmup rules, friendly fire, voice chat, Command Post buffs, rank restrictions, bots, and passwords. You can run several instances of the server on one machine, if you so choose. Bethesda is allowing third-parties to set up their own custom servers for customers too.

The company also plans to pre-load the game itself on Steam, but said it will share those details in the coming days. The game is set to release on May 10, so we should be seeing that info come sooner rather than later.

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  • reply
    April 29, 2011 9:30 AM

    Steve Watts posted a new article, Brink dedicated servers detailed.

    Bethesda Softworks has released a detailed FAQ on Brink's dedicated server settings, including details on Steam pre-loading, and the variety of custom setting options you'll have access to.

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      April 29, 2011 9:36 AM

      More games need this these days. Stand alone dedicated servers are the backbone of any MP game picking up and maintaining players.

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        April 29, 2011 9:51 AM

        i'm glad that this game seems to have some of that elusive pre release hype and traction that those dudes deserve (bethesda is doing a heck of a job compared to activison who kinda let them sink last time). the shack seems to be positively excited about this game and given that i would never buy a mp fps without dedicated server support i think we have some good shackbattles coming down the line.

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          April 29, 2011 10:19 AM

          whats sad and annoying for me is that I'm getting somewhere interested in this game, yet I have tf2 and have never played it.

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            April 29, 2011 10:56 AM

            Well jump in bro. Either one seems awesome. I have over 300 hours in tf2, but this has me excited for sure.

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            April 29, 2011 11:30 AM

            I would suggest just getting on the ground floor of Brink, that way you're starting on a level playing field with everyone else. TF2 has been out for 3½ years, and the skill gap between new players and those that have been playing since launch is pretty vast. Not that you can't jump into TF2 and have fun, it's such a well designed game, but starting fresh is always better than trying to catch up.

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        April 29, 2011 6:45 PM

        That and I'm glad that we're being treated like customers again instead of potential thieves.

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      April 29, 2011 9:53 AM

      Now that's how you do it!

      All go out and buy Brink to support those developer decisions!

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        April 29, 2011 5:59 PM

        This is like an inverse of the IWNet announcement. Of course, we all know how well IWNet worked for securing against cheaters (it didn't; cheaters were rampant), encouraging community (it discouraged it, enraging many clans), and providing a low-latency experience (bar graph pings, host advantage, etc.).

        Hopefully Brink will inspire more PC MP FPS developers to let go of the notion that "owning the entire online experience" would better promote the online experience than community-administrated dedicated servers. Sure, this approach means that the developer/publisher has complete control over pushing out DLC, but it also means that they have the burden of keeping up with cheaters, banning bad players, fixing bugs that can't be worked around since there's no such thing as a server admin, dealing with third-party dedicated server providers who are overprovisioned or sleeping at the switch, etc., etc., etc. With Splash Damage's approach with Brink, Steamworks means they have a marketplace for DLC, a centralized patching system, and an online authentication system with account banning for egregious cheaters, but the community can self-administer, self-configure, and not be imprisoned to the developer's schedule.

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          April 29, 2011 6:47 PM

          Agreed with everything, Arch. I've tried to play on IWnet a few weeks ago and it's still just as broken as before.

          West and Zampella better fucking shape up with Respawn. I think they had as much say with that crap as Activision did.

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      April 29, 2011 10:27 AM

      FPS GOTY as far as I can see.

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        April 29, 2011 10:51 AM

        Maybe you should wait to play it first before declaring it winner.

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        April 29, 2011 6:02 PM

        That would make this a very disappointing year.

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          April 29, 2011 6:03 PM

          that's what your mom said when she gave birth to you >:[

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            April 29, 2011 6:04 PM

            Even she has standards for declaring FPS GOTY.

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      April 29, 2011 10:45 AM

      I haven't been this anticipated for a game since Borderlands. Let's hope it ends up being MUCH better than Borderlands.

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      April 29, 2011 11:24 AM

      So does one need to actually be running Steam to run a dedicated server, or can you download it then copy it to wherever you want? I guess we'll find out soon enough.

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        April 29, 2011 12:05 PM

        what about the HLDS update tool ;)

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          April 29, 2011 12:11 PM

          If you can copy it once, you can do it again after you get the update from your steam client...

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      April 29, 2011 11:25 AM

      well, the games has pretty much what every MP FPS should have. a blast from the past. i like that

      not that I would expect anything less from a bunch of ex-Quaker players :)

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      April 29, 2011 12:36 PM

      It would be awesome if they used the Steam server browser

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        April 29, 2011 12:57 PM

        Has any non source game used it yet?

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        April 29, 2011 2:22 PM

        Killing Floor, Sin, Moonbase Alpha, Lead and Gold, Madball in Babo Invasion, Threadspace Hyperbol.

        I think the rest are Source or GoldSource games.

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          April 29, 2011 2:30 PM

          Sin Episodes was built in Source.

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            April 29, 2011 2:31 PM

            Yes, but Sin was built with the Quake 2 engine.

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              April 29, 2011 3:04 PM

              Did they update it when they bundled it with the purchase of Sin Episodes?

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                April 29, 2011 3:14 PM

                I believe Sin Episodes Emergence preorders got Sin 1 free, and they updated the multiplayer to use the Steam browser. I don't think Sin 1 was ever sold by itself on Steam.

                Episodes never had multiplayer at all. They talked about adding it after release, but they sold to Mumbo Jumbo before it ever happened.

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                  April 29, 2011 6:54 PM

                  Well, that was nice of them to update Sin for the Steam package.
                  Not sure when/if it changed, but I do know as far as I can remember Sin was fully bundled with Emergence so anyone who ever picked up Emergence got Sin on Steam, and it is still the only way to get Sin on Steam.

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          April 29, 2011 3:20 PM

          [deleted]

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      April 29, 2011 1:59 PM

      I'm extremely excited for this game, and have a lot of faith that it will be good.

      Judging by the "Get SMART" tutorial videos released last week, the game has nearly 100% of the Enemy Territory spirit at its core.

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      April 29, 2011 3:29 PM

      This game definitely has been working its way up my must buy list.

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      April 29, 2011 4:33 PM

      What a minute! A PC Developer allowing you to run a dedicated server on your PC? So there is LAN capability in this game? Has to be the first FPS since Call of Duty: World at War to give PC users the ability to Host/Dedicated Server for LAN gaming...

      This game will be purchased now! Thank You!

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        April 29, 2011 5:42 PM

        LAN play with Steam offline mode would be awesome; I hope they've considered that, seeing how the Internet connection at the last few QuakeCons has been crappy. "Oh great, we can't connect to Steam, therefore we can't play those games that forbid LAN play. I guess we'll fire up CoD4 or Quake 3!"

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        April 29, 2011 6:49 PM

        Actually Homefront does too. And personally, I've found the MP experience to be really good.

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      April 29, 2011 6:03 PM

      This is all fine and dandy. But... (I've said this in every Brink thread) ...the game doesn't look good at all.

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        April 29, 2011 6:37 PM

        In what way? It looks awesome to me, but I've been a fan since Wolf:ET.

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          April 29, 2011 8:52 PM

          Well, it just looks like they tried to adapt the ET format to the consoles. There are no vehicles and the levels are much smaller with only 16 players instead of 32. Then Splash Damage hasn't even fixed my main complaint with Quake Wars, which is the pitiful sounding weapons. I do like the SMART movement idea and even the art direction, but that's about it. The character customization is mostly superfluous. Then Splash Damage's marketing has been off putting. They sold the game as an integrated single player, co-op and multiplayer experience... but its the same as Quake Wars: the singleplayer is multiplayer with bots.

          So why should I buy this and not just play more Quake Wars? There is still a loyal following for Quake Wars and I can find a full server at any time with a good ping. I want this game to be good, but all I'm seeing is a good console shooter and an average PC shooter.

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        April 29, 2011 6:38 PM

        hey look you're wrong in another thread!

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        April 29, 2011 6:40 PM

        1/10

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        April 29, 2011 6:50 PM

        It looks like the feedback isn't great in terms of the enemies getting hit with weapons and maybe some other visual things, and the animations kind of look funny. Otherwise, it looks like it's going to be fun I think.

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        April 29, 2011 7:03 PM

        [deleted]

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          April 29, 2011 8:53 PM

          The animations for BF3 are very sexy.

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        April 29, 2011 7:07 PM

        The gameplay looks great, art direction aside.

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        April 29, 2011 7:24 PM

        sup buddy.

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        April 29, 2011 7:25 PM

        clearly you should continue to post in them

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      April 29, 2011 6:49 PM

      buying.

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      April 29, 2011 6:53 PM

      have they / are they releasing a demo?

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        April 29, 2011 7:06 PM

        Nothing on that front yet. At best, I wouldn't expect a demo until a week or two after the release. That is what they did for ETQW as I recall.

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      April 29, 2011 7:24 PM

      Hope my D2D preorder nets an early key so I can take advantage of the pre-loading. Can't wait for this damn game.

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      April 29, 2011 8:55 PM

      It's sad that having free dedicated server support is a news item considering its been a standard feature for over 10 years :/

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        April 29, 2011 11:18 PM

        1. Take away things that have been free for years.
        2. Charge to give them back.

        Congratulations, now you know how to be CEO of a major game company.

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          April 29, 2011 11:22 PM

          Woohoo!

          /me takes vacation and racks up a 14k cell phone bill

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