Minecraft

I realize it has been awhile since I posted an update here, or been active on the server, but I'll have to ask your forgiveness. The past few months have been rather hectic, with earning my bachelors, buying my first home, moving, getting married, and going on our honeymoon.

At this time, the Minecraft server is the only TorvServ server that is currently operational, although there is an affiliated organization that I am working with that will soon be launching an Arma II Insurgency server.

I have been looking into other options, and I am currently mulling over a couple of things in my mind. I believe that Starforge, (http://starforge.com,) will be a good game to run a server for, and I am very excited watching for a multiplayer-capable release to be available.

The debate, however, is where to host that server. I can either attempt to reorganize some personal servers and try to fit it in on one of those, OR bump the Minecraft server off into retirement. I am wondering how many people are currently using the Minecraft server, or plan on starting/getting back into it.

I would of course preserve a backup of the map, so that it could be re-instated at a future date if needed. This is a big step...the Minecraft server was the flagship of Torvserv, and has been the only server to run continuously since even BEFORE I had a name for this community.

So that's the situation; I don't feel like people are using it very much, and if that is true, I would like to be able to utilize that hardware for other purposes. Any opinions or comments that you would like to be heard can be submitted with the comment form under this post, or via the "Contact Admin" link at the side of this page.

Cheers all!

Downtime

Servers will be going down shortly for unscheduled maintenance. Shouldn't last more than a few hours at the most. I will post here when they come back up. EDIT: They are back up now.

DayZ

Been playing some DayZ recently, and recording some videos, (when I remember to.)

Here are a couple of the more memorable ones.

And finally, our "oh shit" moment as we crashed our chopper...

TorvServ Update

Just a brief update on what is going on with TorvServ. The Minecraft server is still running along just fine, no issues. The DayZ server had to be changed from US 348 to US 1561, due to an assignment conflict, but it is still running, and is very popular. Several people have found our website via the DayZ server, and one actually emailed me asking if he could buy DayZ server hosting from me, so I know that I must be doing something right with the hosting.

I am still working with our hosting company on their Minecraft hosting platform, and we are very close to a release date. If anybody is interested in getting into the Beta test of the platform, you can contact me using the link on the right side of the page to let me know.

In the future, I still plan on running a Starforge server, whenever they get around to releasing a solid multiplayer build for it. There is supposed to be a new Alpha build sometime within the next week or so, so that is definitely something to look into.

Happy gaming to all!

Torval
Administrator

Service is restored

It looks like our connection issues have been resolved and everything is up and running again at this time.

Thank you for your patience during this outage.

Unplanned Outage

We are currently experiencing an unplanned outage. Our hosting company is working on the issue at this time.

I apologize for the loss of service; we hope to have everything operational again soon.

DayZ - Ultimate Zombie Mod Server Created

TorvServ is now hosting an officially whitelisted DayZ server.

DayZ is an ultra-realistic zombie-mod for ARMA II: Combined Ops. The TorvServ server is "US 348," and can be found via the server browser.

Users interested in DayZ should check out their main page, http://dayzmod.com/

Here is a gameplay video:

If you want to play, you'll want to purchase "Arma II: Combined Ops" to get started. Here's a Steam link.

http://store.steampowered.com/sub/4638/

Go play!

StarForge; New Pre-Alpha Build Released

StarForge has released their second pre-Alpha built, version 0.1.1. Seems to be much more optimized and playable than the first one, (at least on my machine.)

As a recap, I have been following this project for awhile now, and I fully intend to setup a nice server for it whenever they manage to write and release dedicated server software.

So....you should go check it out!

http://starforge.com

Minecraft Snapshot Updated

The Minecraft Snapshot Testing server has been updated to snapshot 12W24A, the latest snapshot at this time. It is still available at the same address as before, which is 76.72.166.254.

Server Downtime + Maintenance

Starting on Sunday 17th June 22:00 EST, and going for 2 hours, there will be a downtime for our servers. This is planned maintenance on the part of our hosting company in order to upgrade software on their back end. There should not be any data loss or issues associated with this, but the servers will be down for that time window, and possibly a bit longer if there are issues with the updates.  


Thank you for your patience in this matter. 


EDIT: I have no idea why this text is highlighted all of a sudden, and I'm not sure how to undo it. Regardless, its an important announcement, soooo....thanks Blogspot, for helping me to highlight this matter. 


Now don't do it again. Ever. 

Added "No More Room In Hell" Servers

I put up a couple of "No More Room In Hell" servers for the time being. This is a zombie-type mod for Source; it can be found via Steam and via Desura, and requires a Source-based game to install. The servers can be found via the Steam server browser, either in-game or from the Steam program. They are labeled "#1 TorvServ XYZ," and are very easy to spot.

I am still waiting for more news as to the status of the multiplayer server version of StarForge, and I will be putting up that server as soon as possible.

Decommissioning Terraria Servers

I am taking down the Terraria servers at this time. I am not deleting the maps or anything, just shutting down the servers. No one has logged into them in quite some time, (by my calculations, at least a month,) and I have other things that I can do with that box. If there is a need in the future to bring them back online, I will be able to.

StarForge

I just received news of a new game that seems like it would be a good fit into our server cluster earlier today. The game, called StarForge, is a mix of Starcraft, Minecraft, Halo, and a dozen other genres, (with RPG elements,) all rolled together. Here is a reveal trailer for it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNLONygiL0Q

The best part, is that this game is free to play, as well. So no fees or payments to make. Currently it is only in an EARLY alpha build, and only supports a limited single player mode. I will be monitoring this games development, however, and setting up a multiplayer server for it as soon as possible.

Currently the best way to download it is via torrent; here is a link to the early single player alpha demo.
http://thepiratebay.se/torrent/7314636/StarForge

So go check it out, and keep watching back here for the release of our multiplayer server!

New Users!

We recently worked out a deal with a friend of mine who was also running a Minecraft server. In order to boost our traffic and to improve the performance and accessibility of his server, we decided to import his world, Firetree, over into our server. Please welcome our new guests, (and their world,) to our server next time you see them online. Their world is accessible via the "Firetree" warp; please remember to respect all of their creations and maintain the same standards of conduct that we apply on all of our other worlds.

Battle for Wesnoth Server Added

For right now, a Battle for Wesnoth server has been added. It is currently at the same IP address as the Terraria server, but on port 15000. You can jump on anytime you like and create a game, but you will have to invite someone else to get online and play with you.

The game is free to download from http://wiki.wesnoth.org/Download

If we get enough interest and interaction with this, we'll keep the server around. We are still taking other idea suggestions as well.

Torv

New Game Options?

So, the Terraria servers have been getting VERY little traffic recently, (although the Easy mode server has gotten a bit of an upswing over the past few days,) and I have begun looking at options for other games that I may be able to host servers for that people would be interested in.

I would not necessarily have to turn off the Terraria servers to run a new game server; I may be able to run them simultaneously. Depends on what games. So if you have any options, (or know of a game that you think we should look into,) please post it in the comments here, or on the Google Plus page for the group, or you can send me a message via the "Contact Admin" page here on TorvServ.com.

Thanks for your support! Happy gaming!

Torval/Adam

Added a "Contact Admin" Page

I have added a page for people to contact myself, (the Administrator,) with any issues, comments, or questions that they may have regarding our gaming servers. This is a part of my ongoing effort to improve the community and player base of our servers.

In addition, please continue to invite your friends to the server! We have gotten 3 new members within the past week or two, and I'd like to continue that rate of growth!

New Plugin Added

As a consolation prize for having to wait for the new Minecraft version again, I have added a couple of mods to the server.

The first is one that allows you to fly a mine cart like a helicopter, or to pilot a boat like a submarine. Its fairly simple; the mine cart must run off of a dead-end track, (and you must have coal in your inventory for fuel,) and then you use the Shift key to give it lift and motion in the direction you are looking. It gets finicky occasionally, and precise control can be had by holding the Shift key for a brief time before letting it go.

As for the boats/submarines, they are controlled as normal, with the exception that pressing shift will give you a downward motion. In addition, your breathing time underwater is significantly extended while you are in a "submarine," but be careful you don't run out of coal; your submarine will stop, as will your air supply!

Oh and chickens can fly.....as can some pigs. And a TINY percentage of spiders....have fun with that. ;)

Torval

Minecraft updated to 1.2.4

Minecraft has been updated to 1.2.4 from 1.2.3. This change incremented the protocol version, so the "old" version of bukkit is no longer valid. They are working on a fix, and this is a fairly minor update, so there shouldn't be much delay.

In the meantime, you can use the alternate client, (http://www.mediafire.com/?lf57wvvkfy3fw5n) and a 1.2.3 JAR file.

I will post again when the server has been updated.

Server Updated to 1.2!

The server has been updated to 1.2, and the test server has been removed. You may now connect with the standard Minecraft client.

Enjoy the new features!

Migration Complete!

The migration has been completed! The new servers are up at their new addresses, (listed on the right side of this page,) and are operational at this time. As far as I can tell, there should have been no data loss during the transfer, so everything should be just as you left it. Considering that this is our 5th migration, I would guess that I've got it down pretty well by now.

Again, the reason for this move was to gain better server hardware, and a bigger network pipe. The hardware is much better, we now have 100 times the bandwidth, (went from a 10mbit pipe to a gigabit pipe,) and we gained a gigabyte worth of RAM as well.

So.....go play!

Cheers,

Torv

Migration Beginning Soon

We will be migrating our server to another host shortly. The game itself should not go down for a little while more, and when it does, the downtime should not last more than 30 or 45 minutes. The map may go down before that time, in preparation for the move.

I will post the new address here and update the sidebar with the correct one as soon as I know it. This move should benefit us greatly, as we will be moving onto superior hardware, and to a geographically closer location, (for the majority of our users, at least.)

Cheers,

Torv

UPDATE: Minecraft server will be at 76.72.166.253, and the Terraria servers will be at 76.72.166.254, on the same ports as before, (7776 Easy, 7777 Hard.) Terraria servers are down right now, and the Minecraft servers will be going down before too long.

Intermittent Network Issues

Server appears to be experiencing intermittent network issues. So far, I have not been kicked from the game because of it, it just throws a lag spike in occasionally. I am currently attempting to diagnose this issue, and will update this post when I find a solution. I am also engaging our hosting company on this one.

To re-cap, you can still play, it just lags occasionally. If it shows up as unavailable in the Server browser, go ahead and try to connect anyway; it should work. Will post back later.

Cheers,

Torv

UPDATE: Network issues appear to be solved, and I am discussing possibly performing an advantageous migration at this time, as well. Would result in much better performance, if we end up doing it. At this time, the servers are up, and I will keep you informed.

Yo, I Heard You Like Games...

...so I put games in your games so you can game while you game!

We have added an area to our server that we are calling "The Game Room" for now. Currently, we have a Spleef Arena and there is a brand new Battleship game in progress. This area can be accessed via a rail line at the spawn point. We will be adding more games to this area in the future, as well. If you have an idea for a game, please let a Moderator know, and we will see if we can find a way to fit it into our existing infrastructure.

TorvServ 1.2 Testing Server Added!

We have added a new server so that we can test out the new features of Minecraft 1.2. This server is running the vanilla version of MC 1.2.3, and is in creative mode. It can be accessed at 108.60.143.138:25567, and the default spawn point is within about 100 blocks of a nice jungle biome. Hopefully this can help to satiate you while we wait on Bukkit to be updated.

Go tame some cats!

-Torv

Minecraft 1.2 is Out!

Minecraft version 1.2 is officially out! Full list of changes can be found on the Dev Blog but a brief summary is here:

New jungle biome
Added ocelots
Added cats
Added iron golems
New AI for mobs
Tame wolves can have puppies
Villagers will have children if there is room in their village
New map height limit (256 instead of 128)
New items and blocks
Doors have been updated so that double-doors work better with redstone
Added rare drops for mobs
Many other minor tweaks and fixes

As is our usual system, the server will NOT be updated until Bukkit receives its update so that we can maintain all of our plugins. The link for a download of the alternate launcher is listed below...using it to download the latest build will obviously give you Minecraft 1.2, but you will have to use a 1.1 client to connect to our server.

Minecraft Launch Switcher

Happy crafting! I will keep watching Bukkit so that we may update our server as soon as possible.

Live Streaming Added

I have added a section to this website for Live Streaming of our servers. Any large live-stream events will be publicized in advance, but you can also use the page to view past streams and other interesting videos from our server. The link is on the right side of the page; check it out!

Terraria Server Addition

I have realized that there is a disparity in the levels of the players who are utilizing the Terraria server. Unfortunately, not all of our users are ready for Hardmode yet, and so our recently Hardmode'd server is not the most welcome of places for them.

In light of this, I have opened up a new Terraria Server that is to be easy-mode only. It will not be hardmoded; and if it ever is hard moded, we will reset the map and start another easy mode map. This will give players a chance to start out new characters and get them leveled up, and get good equipment, and then they can move over onto the Hard mode server.

The new server is at the same address as the old one, but on port 7776. Enjoy.

Recent Developments

Since this is a community-sponsored server, I wanted to keep everyone informed of the things that are happening on the back-end, as it relates to our hosting company.
Recently, I have entered into a partnership with our hosting company as a consultant, and I am providing them with some assistance in a project they are working on. I cannot divulge the details, but I will say that at this time I no longer require donations in order to keep the servers up and running.

I wanted to let you all know about this in the interest of full disclosure; I know that some of you are good enough to donate towards keeping the server online occasionally, and I did not want you to be under the impression that you were donating to keep the server online when in fact our server costs have been reduced to a point that this is unnecessary, (as of this week,) for the time being at least.

Any of you that wish to cancel your automated donations may feel free to do so through Paypal. I will still accept donations, if you feel that you want to chip a little bit in for the time I spend managing the server, but I did not want anybody to think that I was cheating or begging for money for illegitimate reasons.

Happy Crafting! :)

We're on Google+

Just created a new Google+ Page to hopefully get some more community interaction going on, and get some feedback on what else we should expand into. The link on the right side of the page here can take you to it, or let you circle it automatically. Additional link is included below.

Click me! I'm the link!

Server Updated

Server has been updated to 1.1; all users can begin using the default clients to connect again. All plugins appear to be working just fine with the new Bukkit version, so you can all go enjoy the new features of 1.1, (enchanted bows, anyone?)

In addition to that, TorvServ has expanded yet again. We now host a Team Fortress 2 server in addition to our Minecraft and Terraria servers. It can be found by searching for "TorvServ" in the server list, or by going to "Favorites" in the server browser, clicking "Add a Server" and inputting its IP address, (which is on the right side of the page here.)

The TF2 server is bot enabled, so if its empty when you join it, enough bots will spawn to give you a full game.

Go play!

SOPA Blackout Day

I won't be blacking out this site because of SOPA, (let's face it; all of the 6 people that use this site already know about SOPA,) but I will post this little reminder to go find the contact information for your government representatives and tell them NOT to pass SOPA. This information can be obtained today by going to Google.com, or Wikipedia.com or Reddit.com....any of these sites are blacking out their pages, and posting links to get you in touch with your reps.

Ban Notice

The griefing insta-ban is in effect. User CubeSkater has been banned for defacing Ladyvulcansniper's work on her hotel and for theft of materials. User Muisya has been banned for the destruction of public property; specifically the rail lines. User jeroende2e has been banned as an alternate name for Muisya, based on information obtained from chat logs, (and translated out of Dutch.) Verified stolen materials have been returned to their rightful owner. Appeals can be made to torvserv at gmail dot com.

Minecraft Client Update

Minecraft has been updated to 1.1; a couple of new things have been added, such as bow enchantments, spawn eggs for creative mode, sheep now regrow wool after eating grass....a full list can be found on the dev blog.

The important part for us is that now that we cannot update until Bukkit has been updated. Otherwise, we lose access to our locking chests, our map, and our permissions system. For this reason, I have decided not to update the server to 1.1 yet.

So, what does this mean for you? It means that if you have already updated your Minecraft, (or you are wanting to, to check out the new features,) you will have to use the alternate launcher in order to play Minecraft v1.0.1, rather than 1.1.

http://www.mediafire.com/?lf57wvvkfy3fw5n

I have linked the alternate launcher above. Simply download it, launch it, scroll down, and select "Show All" and download the file "Minecraft Final 1.0.0." This version will allow you to play on the server; simply select it near your logon details at the first screen of the launcher. If you use the regular Minecraft launcher and let it update, you can then play single player, (or multiplayer on other servers,) with the most recent version, (1.1,) but you won't be able to connect to OUR server with the latest version.

Server Advertised

I have advertised the server on the Minecraftforum.net forums, in order to hopefully help raise traffic and help grow our community. The post is over at http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/932978-torvserv-established-smp-server/.

Hopefully, we will be getting in some new players soon, and I just wanted to let everybody know about the new possible arrivals. If you have any problems with someone griefing or otherwise bothering you, screenshot it, (F2,) and let a mod know. Otherwise, lets get ready to welcome some new players!

Possible Difficulties

It seems that at least one of our users has had difficulty connecting to the server recently. What worked for her was to delete the server from her server list, and re-add it. I did not have this issue, however I have noticed that attendance has been down recently, and so figured I would post this here in case anybody is having problems.