Misconceptions and Help

Alright, I feel the need to make this post since it seems to be a recurrent excuse to the question: What killed Deva? Even though we partly went over this last summer, quite a number of you are still really quick to make the accusation that what killed Deva was the switch to ASSS. For tl;dr, scrap that philosophy and ask yourself How can I help?.

Posted Image

First of all, what is ASSS?
It's a server intended to replace and improve upon the functionality of subgame and bots.

Why did we switch to it?
If you're thinking that we switched to it to be innovative and pioneers of SubSpace... then you're wrong. We switch to it on three different premises. The original reason why Hallowed be thy name had been working on it was to provide a better solution for the frequent bot down times we were having between 2006-2007. Essentially, it was for stability. The second reason was because no one else would host the bot. XDOOM was the only one hosting it; I don't have the means, and no one else was available when we needed them. Bots have become a dying cause. The third and final reason was out of necessity. After SSCI went out, there were no other SSC hosts. Snrrrub, who only hosts ASSS, kindly offered and I'm grateful to him for helping save Deva.

Move back to Subgame!
Moving back to Subgame won't change a thing. Mervbot is a lost cause now with little to no developpers. Considering Devastation's plugins were unconventionally designed in C#, that leaves no developpers at all, and without a reliable and accessible host, there's no way to have the bot reliably hosted. So basically, moving back to Subgame would gain nothing. You'll have a map, flags, and that's about it.

Posted Image

So what killed the population?
Simply put, a lot of factors did.

We've been running ASSS for about a year, but even less if you include the fact that I was hosting the bot for half of that time. The population died much earlier than the switch itself. Deva's population did nothing but dwindle from the 30-mark we were able to achieve in 2006, and by 2008, it basically dropped close to nil. The reason is primarily due to inactivity. Both XDOOM and tm_master were, out of obligations and real life duties, unable to tend to the zone as much, and by the end of summer, XDOOM officially left the zone. By this time, I would say, the only remaining staff was myself and very periodic Gibbit, and I think Sri as a bot op. The zone suffered a blow because no one was able to actively promote the zone or work on it, a lot of former players left all at once, and the playerbase was not sufficient enough to support itself.

Rather than continuing to play the blame game, for which we're all to blame, you should be asking how you can help. I've said this before, I'm not a one man show. Mapping, bases, graphics, ideas are all a great start. Promoting, hosting events, engaging other players to come visit the zone. Just because we're on ASSS doesn't mean you need to know how to code - this has never changed.

Posted Image

How to submit maps/bases?
Maps and bases should conform to Devastation's general appeal. Don't copy other zones or material from them. We like colour, bases with a lot of space to maneuver, maps that aren't entirely bland or perfectly symmetrical. Don't make bases too long, otherwise it's too discouraging for players. Just use an editor like DCME and upload your map here in a new thread or send it to me in-game via ?sendfile <mapname.lvl>, or upload it to your private arena if you have one (?putmap <map.lvl>). If you prefer email, send your file(s) to Posted Image.

How do I become mod?
I'm going to be blunt, if I never see you in the zone, don't count on it. But first and foremost, ask tm_master. As long as he's around, he'll still be the primary person to go to about becoming staff. He knows how to add staff, so don't let him tell you that he doesn't. If you have to remind him, the quick way is to have him private message you with the command "/?setgroup -p mod" (replace -p with -a if it's for a single arena only). You can also post on this topic to be reviewed and considered.

As a mod, you need to set an example to other players. Promote the zone and have fun. Don't abuse of your powers or ruin the gameplay for others. If you don't know what you can do, type ?commands to get a list of available commands, and type ?c <command name> to obtain a description of what a specific command does.

Posted Image

How can I help write modules/plugins?
If you prefer to work with bots, you're free to do so and design plugins and events for them, and run them on your own. Just contact me and we can hook your bot up to work with the zone. (Yes, bots still work on ASSS, who would've guessed? http://www.ssforum.n...tyle_emoticons/default/blum.gif)

As for modules, since they're an integral part of the server, mistakes could lead to zone crashing so you need to debug them and assure that they're safe to use. I won't teach you how to write a module, for that you'll need to visit the server forum and asss wiki for more information, guides, and tutorials. If you need specific headers to integrate with other Devastation features like buyables and credits, just get in contact with me. If you need help understanding or debugging your module, or have a few questions, feel free to ask me or ask on the server help forum. Just note that I will not do all the work for you (as harsh as that may sound).