Rust Servers

07
Dec
2017

The RP Store – Good News Bad News

Zilch and I have been having discussions for the last 2 weeks about the /s Rewards Points store.

We know there are exploits, and we know there aren’t enough items for sale or to sell.  So on top of everything else we have going on (there’s a LOT of under the cover things happening right now), we’re going to take some time out to completely redo the store.  We have to warn you that it’s a real PITA to work on it due to the overly complicated way the developer implemented it – it really needs a re-write to make it easier to work quantities and prices out.

We’re going to need at least a shared spreadsheet to hack it all out and make any sense of it.

So we’ve decided to take all the /s stores offline for 1 week (at least – it might take a little longer) while we sort it all out.  Starting with the wipe tonight.

With any luck we’ll get it all done in the next few days and it will be back online NEXT Thursday 14th December.  We’re very sorry, but it’s just something that REALLY needs to be done.

Good News – we’re fixing the /s store.
Bad News – we’re taking it offline until it’s done.

You can leave thoughts and comments about this on the forum here.

https://gamekeeper.io/community/threads/open-for-comments-on-the-s-reward-points-store.111/

-PPlank

Posted by PPlank in Rust Servers
07
Dec
2017

Rust Building 3.0

Here:-

https://www.rustafied.com/updates/2017/12/5/building-30-what-you-need-to-know

Lots of interesting things going on with half height walls etc, but probably of most interest to base builders are the Tool Cupboard (TC) changes.

Two statements are of interest here.

#1 – Only 1 tool cupboard per building.

“Buildings are now defined by any foundation that snaps with another, and any blocks connected to said foundations.”

#2 – Privilege radius based on blocks, not cupboards.

“Building privilege is now based on the building blocks instead of exact radius around the cupboard. That means the placement of the cupboard inside the building has no impact on that structures exact build privilege area. Rather, the building itself defines the radius of build privilege”

My initial conclusion from these two statements:-

It seems that with clever honeycombing and a single TC placed anywhere within your base, you can protect all of it.  In theory (we won’t know until the update hits tonight) you could build an 8 storey building with a single TC at the top inside a honeycomb and protect your entire base.  ONLY IF they’ve also changed the way the TC influence spreads down (a single block I believe) and as they’ve said nothing about that, again we won’t know until the update hits.

Also, if I’ve read it correctly, they don’t seem to have put a limit as to how big your base is either (have I missed that?), it seems to be a case of because “Buildings are now defined by any foundation that snaps with another, and any blocks connected to said foundations.”  So as long as you’re using building blocks like foundation steps to go up and down hills, then IN THEORY (at the moment) you could build one massive base all over the side of a mountain and protect it all with a single TC tucked away somewhere.

Then the raiders would have to find it to get anywhere.

However…  It might not be all one-sided in favour of the base builder.  It may also be a case of raiders being able to “orphan” parts of a low sprawling base by blowing out foundations in certain areas and disconnecting some of the foundations from the TC.  They would know as they would suddenly be able to build in the orphaned area.  If this is possible, the raider could then begin to work out the general area where your TC is located.

One things for certain, either it’s all going to get really interesting and breathe some life into base building… or it’s a complete cock up with some of this stuff working and some not.

We’ll know in the next day or so.  What’s your money on?

-PPlank

Posted by PPlank in Rust Servers
27
Nov
2017

Banning Clan LShot from GameKeeper

UPDATE 24th Jan 2018: Screenshots from Discord at the end of this post.

Here’s the thing. As admins, we don’t want to ban ANYONE. We’ve only ever had to ban 26 people, and FOUR of those were last night when we banned Clan LShot.

(Once we ban, it’s permanent. No appeals process. It would be a waste of our time.)

We want players to join one of the servers we’ve spent a LOT of time setting up, and then enjoy themselves.

We’ve set up some reasonable rules, the main one being to protect us admins from time wasters. And when I said we’ve spent a lot of time setting up the servers, I mean HUNDREDS of hours. And it’s ongoing. We never stop. So we don’t have time for any bullshit.

“Oh help me admin. I’m pathetic and I can’t help myself.”

That kind of thing. This game is hardcore. It’s Rust. You’re going to continuously get your arse handed to you on PvP. If the main PvP server is too much, we’ve set up a smaller (and so far quieter) PvP2 server, and also a PvE server with PvP zones at monuments for those that like to mainly build.

The PvE server is the best of both worlds. You get to build (mostly) in peace and you get to learn the game mechanics if you’re new. You don’t get raided. Then when you want a bit of action, you visit one of the monuments and shoot bots and other players. It can be a lot of fun. I prefer PvP myself, but I also finally get it with PvE too – at least the way we’ve done it.

The rest of the server rules are there to protect ALL players on the servers and to add a bit of civility to everything.

And that’s all good and fine until you get toxics join. Arrogant bastards. They don’t read the rules. Or they don’t think they apply to them. Or they think they’re not very good rules and ignore them.

We can spot the toxics almost right away – sometimes even from comments in the console when we’re not even actually IN the game. (Yeah, always watching.) Up until now we’ve given them a chance and told them to read the rules and given them a bit of slack.

Clan LShot are the last players we do that for.

Because here’s something even more interesting.

When we ban the toxics (remember we don’t want to ban ANYONE), we get donations. It’s like the other players want to reward us for keeping the servers clean.

So that’s what we’re going to do now. We see a toxic, we ban them. No hesitation.

Here’s a short video explaining why Clan LShot were banned.

 

UPDATE 24th Jan 2018:

So this just happened.  Why are people like this?  All I can think is they were hoping we’d bite and then they’d have something on us.  The thing is, we take what we do seriously and we’re not scumbags.

And the DM to me.

 

Posted by PPlank in Rust Servers
24
Nov
2017

Rust Half Height Walls

Coming soon to Rust are the long overdue half height walls.  Why FacePunch do a lot of things is beyond me, but when they removed the half height floor block months ago was a real puzzler as it immediately limited and removed a lot of cool base designs.

But with introduction of half height walls, you can now make your own half height floor blocks.  Expect some clever (read: “sneaky”) base designs again.

From Rust dev blog 187:-

Building 3.0
André Straubmeier

This week I pretty much completed the new building system. I started by allowing foundations to snap to each other at a vertical offset of half a wall. Then I added half height walls that can be used to even out that offset on the higher floors. With half height walls and a floor you can of course also construct your own half height block – if you’re still nostalgic for this long removed building block type.

 

Posted by PPlank in Rust Servers
22
Nov
2017

Rust Decay Settings

This is a small extract from this forum post on Rust Server Decay. If you have anything you want to add or if you think decay isn’t working how I’ve described it, then please do so on the forum.

-PPlank.

We’d hoped not to have to add decay to the Rust servers after we removed it late last year, but the sheer amount of entities that were being created recently because players have been leaving temporary non-twig structures everywhere means we have no choice. If players could be relied on to clean up after themselves (it’s a raid tower rule) then it wouldn’t be a problem, but we have no reliable way of enforcing this. (We DO know whose structures they are, but knowing if they’re still active is another matter and is fairly time consuming to us.)

So decay is back (at least for the time being) in an attempt to keep the entity count down, and the servers as lag free as possible. As there’s quite a lot to read and understand, I’ve summarised the decay we’ve applied to the servers as tl;dr and then given a full explanation. The decay is NOT as bad as default Rust decay and can be avoided by the use of Metal or Armoured (TopTier) bases.

All hours described below are real time hours, not game hours.

tl;dr

Twig: 2 hour reset timer. Total Decay in 10 hours with or without Tool Cupboard (TC).
Wood: 12 hour reset timer. TC – Decays in 40 hours. No TC – Decays in 20 hours.
Stone: 18 hour reset timer. TC – Decays in 60 hours. No TC – Decays in 20 hours.
Metal: 18 hour reset timer. TC – No Decay. No TC – Decays in 100 hours.
Top Tier: 24 hour reset timer. TC – No Decay. No TC – Decays in 100 hours.

You can read more and reply on the forum:-

https://gamekeeper.io/community/threads/decay-settings-on-all-gamekeeper-rust-servers.95/

Posted by PPlank in Rust Servers
11
Sep
2017

Worst Rust PvE Admin Ever

So yesterday I spent maybe 8 hours on and off coming up with a plan for (thanks for the help Ollie!), and configuring PvP zones on certain monuments on the PvE server, just to add a little interest for the players there. I discovered something interesting about the way you could identify zones which should make it relatively easy to add the same monuments as PvP each wipe – I think about 20-30 minutes total.

In other words I was doing what admins should be doing.  Testing, tweaking, making the server better.

Then.  While I was still working on it.  This tit.  Note that he has over 3,000 hours on Rust, so should know better.

(20:43:40) | [Better Chat] [vip-] [RTV] [BA(R)] ASUS(MIS): admin in discord
(20:43:48) | [Better Chat] {Admin} PPlank: I’m here.
(20:43:54) | [Better Chat] [vip-] * * * * * * * * * * * Mikejuh GameKeeper.io: oh hi xD
(20:43:57) | [Better Chat] [vip-] [RTV] [BA(R)] ASUS(MIS): XD
(20:43:59) | [Better Chat] {Admin} PPlank: In and out of rcon etc.
(20:44:00) | [Better Chat] [vip-] [RTV] [BA(R)] ASUS(MIS): finally
(20:44:04) | [Better Chat] {Admin} PPlank: Making changes.
(20:44:07) | [Better Chat] [vip-] * * * * * * * * * * * Mikejuh GameKeeper.io: lol nice
(20:44:14) | [Better Chat] {Admin} PPlank: What’s up?
(20:44:24) | [Better Chat] [vip-] [RTV] [BA(R)] ASUS(MIS): pplank not good
(20:44:26) | [Better Chat] [vip-] * * * * * * * * * * * Mikejuh GameKeeper.io: but there was an atenax3 that was stealing loot from the tank i shot
(20:44:43) | [Better Chat] [vip-] [RTV] [BA(R)] ASUS(MIS): he steal my items and ta mere too
(20:44:55) | [Better Chat] [vip-] * * * * * * * * * * * Mikejuh GameKeeper.io: and harvested it aswell, (s)he did that earlier today aswell
(20:45:02) | [Better Chat] [vip-] [RTV] [BA(R)] ASUS(MIS): its he
(20:45:08) | [Better Chat] [vip-] [RTV] [BA(R)] ASUS(MIS): POLISH ONION
(20:46:04) | [Better Chat] {Admin} PPlank: I’m not really sure what I can do about that other than say be more careful.
(20:46:16) | [Better Chat] {Admin} PPlank: If you have airdrops, build an airdrop base to put them in.
(20:46:26) | [Better Chat] [vip-] [RTV] [BA(R)] ASUS(MIS): XD
(20:46:30) | [Better Chat] [vip-] * * * * * * * * * * * Mikejuh GameKeeper.io: how can you be more careful if someone loots your heli or tank crates?
(20:46:44) | [Better Chat] [vip-] [RTV] [BA(R)] ASUS(MIS): pplank
(20:46:46) | [Better Chat] [vip-] * * * * * * * * * * * Mikejuh GameKeeper.io: he came when he heard the explosion
(20:46:51) | [Better Chat] [vip-] * * * * * * * * * * * Mikejuh GameKeeper.io: of the tank
(20:46:52) | [Better Chat] [vip-] [RTV] [BA(R)] ASUS(MIS): u can come in discord?
(20:46:53) | [Better Chat] {Admin} PPlank: If another player nips and loots say the Bradley that you’ve shot down, that’s #justrustthings
(20:46:57) | [Better Chat] {Admin} PPlank: I’m busy.
(20:47:02) | [Better Chat] {Admin} PPlank: This is a non-issue.
(20:47:03) | [Better Chat] [vip-] * * * * * * * * * * * Mikejuh GameKeeper.io: so must be living nearby, nothing that can be done against it
(20:47:16) | [Better Chat] [vip-] * * * * * * * * * * * Mikejuh GameKeeper.io: lol…
(20:47:18) | [Better Chat] {Admin} PPlank: Nope. Live somehwere else. Big map.
(20:47:26) | [Better Chat] {Admin} PPlank: It’s RUST!
(20:47:48) | [Better Chat] {Admin} PPlank: Survival etc. I know this is PvE, but you can still get killed easily.
(20:48:17) | [Better Chat] [vip-] [RTV] [BA(R)] ASUS(MIS): i got for him special gift
(20:48:23) | [Better Chat] {Admin} PPlank: Come up with better strategies to prevent other players from taking advantage of you.
(20:48:40) | [Better Chat] [vip-] * * * * * * * * * * * Mikejuh GameKeeper.io: i guess i’ll be checking houses then and demolish his…it’s rust after all
(20:48:49) | [Better Chat] {Admin} PPlank: Whatever.
(20:49:15) | [Better Chat] [vip-] * * * * * * * * * * * Mikejuh GameKeeper.io: worst admin ever on a pve server, i wish you good luck <DISCONNECTS>
(20:49:19) | [Better Chat] {Admin} PPlank: I mean PvE is a LOT easier then PvP…
(20:49:28) | [Better Chat] {Admin} PPlank: Well he’s banned.
(20:49:36) | [Better Chat] {Admin} PPlank: Lifetime across all servers.

Look.  To anyone reading this.  We say quite clearly in the rules both on this site and the in-game rules…  “We don’t take sides.  We don’t get involved.”  It’s because we’re busy doing REAL admin work to make the servers better.  We’re not running a fucking day care center for special snowflakes.

And we REALLY have no time for idiots like this.  Things didn’t go the way he thought they should, and he immediately started crying for mommy.

Yes, we are here to listen, give advice, and help.  But…  Do your bit too…

Read the rules.

Do not accuse or whine about other players without good reason or proof.

Or we WILL ban YOU.

-PPlank

Posted by PPlank in General, Rust Servers
05
Aug
2017

Server #2 Now PvE

After seeing quite a few new players leave GameKeeper due to being raided, and realising that some people just like to build, AND new players just want to learn the game in peace, I decided we’d try #2 as PvE for a couple of wipe cycles. If people like it then I’ll leave it like that permanently.

Link to GameKeeper Rust #2 PlayRust.io map.

So far after just two days since wipe, I’ve seen some new regulars who seem to be enjoying this. Hopefully it will be popular and I’ll be able to leave it like that.

Well. Not quite. At the moment all I’ve done is switched a Rust toggle to PvE, but I’d like to make it better than that. There are a couple of plugins that I’d like to install which make PvE servers closer to PvE than just changing a FacePunch supplied toggle, so I’m going to do that.

The only problem is, it looks like a lot of configuration tweaking, so I’ll have to spend some time doing that on a test server before deploying it to the live one. It might be a couple of weeks before I can even look at it, so please bear with me. 🙂

-PPlank

Posted by PPlank in Rust Servers
27
Jul
2017

Sleeping In Water Now Damages You

As the Rust devs don’t seem to be in a hurry to fix this exploit, we’ve now made it so that if you go to sleep in water, you start taking damage.

The rate we’ve set is you lose 1 HP every 144 seconds. Doing a bit of maths means you will lose 100 HP in 4 hours and wake up dead. This means if you get accidentally disconnected due to EAC or a bad internet connection and you happen to be in water at the time, you won’t be immediately killed. No, it will happen much more slowly and painfully than that.

Of course if your bad connection continues we can’t help that, it’s just too bad, sorry.

So unless you intend to be on the servers a LOT, don’t sleep in the water any more.

Posted by PPlank in Rust Servers
14
Jun
2017

Rust Server 1 Port Change

EDIT: We’ve now changed the port and map location back to the original.

As a test…

We’ve changed the port of Rust Server #1 FROM 28015 TO 28035 in an attempt to stop random freezes.

PlayRust.io map Server #1

Recent updates by FacePunch have been randomly causing freezes on Rust servers. They thought they’d identified (and fixed) it as a fault with the navmesh used by the Animal AI but we’re still seeing server #1 freezing regularly. Server #2 seems to be okay.

It’s quite bizarre. RCON doesn’t disconnect and the PlayRust.io map seems to be fine too, but the game server itself is doing nothing. As soon as we close the console the RCON tool throws an error and the PlayRust.io map disconnects too. The last message we get when terminating the process is an EAC error.

As we think that *maybe* (who knows?) some naughty person out there is doing an EAC check on servers, and which as a byproduct freezes them. As #1 runs on the standard Rust port, then changing ports may stop the freezes.

We don’t know for sure, but we think it’s at least worth a try.

Posted by PPlank in Rust Servers