- What is Netrek?
The short version: Netrek is a 16-player
two-dimensional graphical real-time battle simulation with a Star Trek
theme. A game is divided into two teams of 8 players (or fewer), who
dogfight each other and attempt to conquer each other's planets.
The long version: Netrek is the probably the first
video game which can accurately be described as a "sport." It has more
in common with basketball than with arcade games or Quake. Its vast and
expanding array of tactics and strategies allows for many different play
styles; the best players are the ones who think fastest, not necessarily
the ones who twitch most effectively. It can be enjoyed as a twitch
game, since the dogfighting system is extremely robust, but the things
that really set Netrek apart from other video games are the team and
strategic aspects. Team play is dynamic and varied, with roles
constantly changing as the game state changes. Strategic play is
explored in organized league games; after 9+ years of league play,
strategies are still being invented and refined.
The game itself has existed for over 15 years, and has a solid
playerbase, including some people who have been playing for nearly as
long as the game has existed.
All netrek clients and servers are completely free of charge, although
there are several people working on commercial netrek variants or
derivatives.
- It sounds interesting; how do I get started?
First, you need to get a client binary for your machine; read the
Netrek FTP List
to find an FTP site. The client should run on anything that
runs X Windows, and there are Windows and Mac OS X clients available.
You can play over a modem, but it will be slow. DSL, cable modems
and the like should provide good performance.
Once you have the binary, rename it to something logical like 'netrek'
and run it with 'netrek -m'. This will contact the Metaserver
to find a list of currently active games. Click on the game you want
to join; it might be a good idea to join an empty server to get used to
the controls before you get in a game with actual people. On most servers,
"*" will send in a practice robot if there is no one else in the game;
you can use the practice robot to practice aiming and dodging.
If you get a 'netrek: Permission denied' message, try 'chmod 755 netrek'.
After the game is over, try 'man chmod.'
- What's the difference between Xtrek and Netrek?
Xtrek is a precursor to Netrek. It has many of the same elements,
but it doesn't work as well because it isn't set up as a client-server
combination (it uses raw X protocol).
Netrek is sometimes called Xtrek. This causes much confusion.
This newsgroup really is dedicated to Netrek, but feel free to talk about
Xtrek if you want; many people here have played both.
- I've seen a game called Nettrek for the Macintosh; is that the
same thing as Netrek?
No. Nettrek is in the same family as Netrek (it's unclear which was
created first), but it's not the same game. It runs over AppleTalk
and doesn't have a whole lot of complexity. If you're interested in it,
the original version can be found in most net archive sites that support
Mac games. The most recent version is a commercial program called
"Nettrek 3.0 - The Real Version," and is published by Premiere Technology,
Inc.
- What platforms are supported?
Netrek was originally developed on Unix, and usable compiled binaries are
available for all major Unix-based OS'es. If you have a strange OS,
you may need to compile the freely-available source code.
There are now several different clients available for Windows machines.
There is a client for Macintoshes running Mac OS X, with XFree86
installed. It reportedly works well. If you are running Linux on
your Mac, there are several clients that should work.
If you are running Linux or FreeBSD on your IBM PC, there are several
clients available.
To find any of these clients, go to the Netrek FTP list at
http://inl.org/netrek/netrekFTP.html
and search for your platform name.
- I'm playing on my Mac/IBM PC/Amiga, but I can't seem to fit all the
windows on the screen. Is there a version that will run at 640x480?
Not really. To be comfortable, your monitor resolution needs to be
1024x768 or greater. The COW
client has a compile-time option to run in an 800x600 mode, but it
cuts down the amount of game space you can see on your tactical map.
It would theoretically be possible to play at 640x480, but you'd have
to chop things off pretty severely. Bottom line: get a better
monitor.
- I would like to start a new server; what kind of hardware will
I need?
The server should run on any major Unix-like platform. It has also
been compiled and run under the "cygwin" Unix emulation package under
Windows. It doesn't take much CPU power--it's possible to run a
server on an early Pentium. Good net connections are essential if you
want lots of players--your DSL or cable modem connection won't cut it.
Read the
Netrek FTP list to find out where you can get the server source.
Please get the permission of your sysadmins before setting up a
server. There is one ex-server-admin who was criminally prosecuted
for running a netrek server on a government machine. No joke.
- I'm trying to start a new server, and I'm having problems. Where
can I get help?
There are a bunch of somewhat dated server secrets
here.
You can also try posting to the newsgroup.
There's now a mailing list for server code maintainers,
vanilla-list@us.netrek.org.
Check out the Vanilla Server
development team web page.
- How do I get people to play my server?
Generally, people call up the Metaserver and try to get into
a game that already has people in it. If your school has a bunch of
people who play netrek, encourage them to use your server and people
from other places will begin to. If you don't have a local netrek
population, log on to the machine yourself and fight Hosers.
The other option is to modify the server enough that people are
interested in it for the novelty. Several of the more popular servers
have been created this way (Sturgeon and Paradise come to mind). Keep
in mind, if you do this, that you will attract weenies more than
serious players.
To get your server listed on the Metaserver, follow
the documentation file docs/metaservers-HowTo in the Vanilla kit, or mail
vanilla-metaserver@us.netrek.org
. Newer server code releases can be configured to automatically
contact the Metaserver and insert a new listing.
- I compiled the client source, but every time I try to connect to
a server it kicks me out or tells me to get a 'blessed' binary.
What gives?
It's possible to modify the client source to do lots of tedious tasks
(like aiming, dodging, that sort of thing) for you. Since this gives
you a big advantage over a mere human, netrek has a way of knowing whether
you have a client that was compiled by the netrek Gods or by you. If
you compiled it, netrek will assume it's a cyborg, and will kick you out
if it's not cyborg hours.
You might also run into this problem if you are playing behind a NAT
gateway or firewall. The netrek server initiates a "call-back" on a
random port, which fails in most such configurations. To get around
this, you can turn on a feature called UDP_PORTSWAP in your client.
Put the following in your .netrekrc file (or netrekrc on Windows):
If you're using the COW client:
portSwap: on
If you're using Paradise:
udpTryPortswap: on
Unfortunately, the actual syntax is client-specific; some Windows clients,
for example, don't modify the netrekrc--instead, you run "netrekp.exe"
instead of "netrek.exe". You'll have to consult your client documentation.
There are several different messages you can get when your binary
isn't what the server is expecting:
- "User binary failed to verify."
The server is expecting a standard blessed client; read the
Netrek FTP
List to find out where you can get one.
- "No customized binaries. Please use a blessed one."
You have an RSA client, but the key for your client isn't on the list.
Mail the server god if you think your key should be included.
- "You need a spiffy new RSA client for this server!"
You have a standard blessed client (or an unblessed client) but the
server accepts only RSA clients; read the
Netrek FTP List
to find out where you can get one.
If you are interested in playing a cyborg, get the source
from one of the
FTP sites and start hacking. It's probably not a good idea for new
players to use cyborgs; cyborg players get called lots of nasty names, and
they tend not to learn how to play the game (since their client is
doing most of the work).
- The game runs fine, but when the Netrek window comes up, I can't
type anything into it. How can I fix this?
This is a problem under a few older window managers (OpenWindows and
ovlwm, for example); it's netrek's fault, but you can fix it by adding
the line ".FocusLenience: True" to your
.Xdefaults file. Log out and log back in and it should work. Also,
sometimes moving the mouse cursor out of the netrek window and back in
will fix it.
- OK, the game runs fine and I found a server and logged in, but
there doesn't seem to be anyone else around. How can I find
a game with people in it?
Andy McFadden has written a nice little utility called Metaserver II
(based on METASERVER, written by ERic Mehlhaff) that will tell you
where there are active games.
telnet
metaserver.us.netrek.org 3520 lists all known servers and current
number of players. You can also try telnet metaserver.netrek.org 3521,
3522, 3523, or 3524 for more information.
There is now a WWW-based version of the Metaserver at
http://metaserver.netrek.org:1080
Most modern clients recognize a -m option; if you start the client with
"netrek -m", it will contact the Metaserver and put up a list of currently
active games.
The metaserver location has changed. The new location is
metaserver.us.netrek.org (the previous was
metaserver.ecst.csuchico.edu). Some clients still default to the old
metaserver; if you get an error trying to connect, try adding the
following lines to your .xtrekrc:
metaserver: metaserver.netrek.org
metaport: 3521
- OK, now I'm in a game with other people. What do I do?
The first thing you should do is bring up your message window (by
hitting '?') and your player list (by hitting 'L'). Most clients will
now do this by default. On some servers, you will be asked to respond to
a question to be sure you're reading messages; if you don't respond within
a certain amount of time, you will be automatically kicked out of the game.
Pressing a number key chooses your warp speed. The left mouse button fires
torpedos at your cursor, the middle mouse button fires phasers at your cursor,
and the right mouse button turns your ship towards your cursor. Hitting
'h' will bring up a help window with a list of basic commands.
There's a pretty good tutorial for new players at the
Netrek Home Page.
- When I'm playing the game, people keep sending messages to me.
How can I talk back to them?
On the bottom right-hand side of your main window you'll see two
long boxes. The top one is where messages like "Not enough fuel for
phaser" come up just before you die. The bottom one is the one you
use to talk to people. Move your cursor down there and type a character
to choose who to send the message to: 'A' for ALL, the capitalized
team letter for the team (i.e., 'F' for Federation), or the player
number for a message to a single player (i.e., 'c' to send to Rc).
Type your message and hit enter when you're done. Don't do this in
combat.
On most new clients you can also begin a message by tying the "M" key.
Exactly what this does depends on which client you're using; it will either
move your cursor down to the message window, or just change your cursor
into a text insertion bar. Either way, hitting "return" should end the
message and bring you back to normal game play.
- I would like to change what some of the keys do; for example, I'd
like 't' instead of 'T' to activate my tractor beam. Is there
a way to do this?
There are two ways: first, do a shift-O. This brings up the options
window. Near the bottom (or elsewhere, depending on your client) there is
a box for 'New keymap entries'. Move your cursor to this box and type your
new keymap entries. The format is , so 'tT' will remap
tractor beam to 't'.
Netrek also recognizes a .xtrekrc file; a 'keymap:' line in there
will allow you to map as many as you want. Format is the same
as above.
If you forget where you mapped a key, remapping it to itself ('ee', for
example) will reset that keymap. On some clients, the "h" help window will
display not only the defaults, but also your keymappings.
- How does the rating/promotion system work?
Do a shift-I on yourself; you'll see four ratings there, one for planets,
one for bombing, one for offense, and one for defense. The planet,
bombing, and offense ratings are measured in DI/hour; for each planet
you take, army you bomb, and player you kill you get a certain amount
of DI (which varies depending on the server)--the average amount per
hour is your rating. Your rating is equal to (your DI/your hours)/
(total DI/total hours); therefore, if you have a bombing rating of
2.0, you bomb twice as many armies as the average person on the server.
This is true for all ratings. All ratings are updated only in
t-mode.
Now do a shift-U. Listed there are the thresholds for each rank.
Your overall rating is your planets+bombing+offense. To make a rank,
you need to have the DI required for that rank, and your ratings need
to be above the rating required for that rank (i.e., to make Admiral,
you need 320 DI and your ratings need to be above 8.0). You can also
make a ranking by having ratings good enough for a level and twice
the DI you would need for the next level (So you can make Admiral
with ratings of 7.0 and 640 DI). This equation is recursive, so you
can also make it with 6.0 ratings and 1280 DI (which would take about
200 hours), or 5.0 ratings and 2560 DI (which would take 500). On some
servers the equation is recursive only once, so you can't make ranks on
8xDI.
Note that suggestions on how to improve the rating system occur
about twice a week in rec.games.netrek, and the general consensus
is that it isn't worth the hassle.
- I keep dying. How can I get better at the game?
The best way is probably to talk with someone who knows how to play.
There is also an archive of hints and suggestions on how to play
better; go to the Netrek
Home Page to check it out.
- What is 't-mode'?
T-mode is short for 'tournament mode.' To keep some integrity in the
database, ratings are calculated only when there are a certain number
of people in the game (actually, when there are a certain number of
people on two separate teams. On many servers, you need 4 players
on 2 different teams; 4 teams of 2 players won't do it). When
the game goes into t-mode, there will be a 't' flag in your list
of flags, and there will be a message like "Dan Quayle declares self
as Galactic Emperor and chaos breaks out!" When the game drops out
of t-mode (because someone quit), the 't' flag will disappear and
there'll be a "Dan Quayle is locked up and order returns to the galaxy"
message.
It's generally considered rude to bomb or take planets out of t-mode.
Some servers punish people for trying.
- What does DI stand for, anyway?
Destruction Inflicted. It's worth noting that, unlike most games, netrek
rewards people who inflict more destruction, not people who survive longer.
You actually get stronger when you die, and you usually get more DI.
You also tend to win more.
- What is UDP?
UDP is a network protocol that is much more lenient than TCP (which is
what netrek originally used). If you don't have a local server, using a
UDP client on a UDP server could reduce your lag considerably.
All mainstream clients now support UDP. Many thanks to Andy McFadden,
Netrek Guru, for implementing the UDP stuff.
- Some of the servers and clients are called 'RSA'; what does
that mean?
RSA is a way for servers to make sure that players are not using
cyborg clients. The RSA package generates a header file containing
a public and a private encryption key. These keys are compiled into
the client; the private key encrypts the data and the public key
decrypts it. The main advantage of RSA over the old reserved.c
method is that the server gods need know only the public key; the
RSA package can be kept in a few select hands. Also, if someone
breaks the protection on a certain private key, that key can be
turned off by the server god, and that specific client will no longer work.
- What is the INL (International Netrek League)?
The INL is the International Netrek League, a collection of teams from
around the world who periodically beat up on each other. The summer/fall
league is now accepting team rosters; see the
How To Join page to find a team or submit your rosters.
All INL administrative stuff is available from the
INL homepage.
You can get game statistics and schedules at
the INL Statboy Home Page.
Mail doosh@inl.org if you have
any questions about the INL.
- What is the INHL (International Netrek Hockey League)?
The INHL is a league for Netrek Hockey teams. Netrek Hockey is a variant
of netrek where ships use tractor and pressor beams to move a "puck" around.
The INHL home page is at
http://wolfeandlois.org/~wolfe/hockey/.
The league is run by the INHL council, who can be reached at
hockey-council@godzilla.des.ucdavis.edu.
The hockey home page is at
http://www.panix.com/~jasonlee/netrek/.
- What is the WNL (Weenie Netrek League)?
The WNL was a league started by a few people disgruntled with the INL.
It is now defunct.
The Weenie Netrek League home page may still be alive at
http://www.netrek.org/wnl/
- What is the Draft League?
The Draft League is an occasional league organized by various people.
The teams are all chosen in a single draft at the beginning of the
season; the idea is that this will create balanced games, and teams
where top players can help out newbies.
- Pickup games are full of twinks. How can I find games with
clued teams?
WARNING: These mailing lists are available so that clued
players can get together for high-quality games. If you are not yet a clued
player, you will probably be yelled at if you show up for a clue-pickup game.
If you aren't sure whether you qualify as "clue" or not, you don't.
The clue-pickup mailing list is for organizing INL-style clue games. You
can join by mailing
vanilla-clue-pickup-request@us.netrek.org with the word
"subscribe" in the subject line of your message.
The
list address is
vanilla-clue-pickup@us.netrek.org.
The euroclue mailing list is for organizing INL-style clue games for
European players. You can get information about the list, including
how to subscribe, at
http://enl.netrek.org/euroclue.html.
The Hockey mailing list is for organizing hockey games, as well as
discussing hockey strategy and changes to the game/league structure. You
can subscribe by mailing
majordomo@lists.panix.com with "subscribe hockey" in the body of the message.
The list address is
hockey@lists.panix.com.
Upcoming clue games are also posted on the
Netrek Hockey Home Page (http://www.panix.com/~jasonlee/netrek/).
- I have some ideas and/or bug fixes for the INL server;
where should I send them?
Mail the INL Council at
inlcouncil@csua.berkeley.edu.
- I'm looking at stats from a clue/INL game; what do all the
abbreviations mean?
The INL server records many statistics. A typical example looks like this:
Planets Armies Kills Deaths
----------- ------------------- --- ---Good-----Bad -------
Name team min tpt tpd tpb tab tac pad fao eao tof eck pck tek fck def acc
Mojo Riser F5 87 17 14 0 0 64 92 0 8 116 2 7 80 0 72 5
- Name:
- The player's name.
- team:
- The player's team and player number.
- min:
- Number of minutes the player was in the game.
-
tpt:
- Total planets taken.
-
tpb:
- Total planets destroyed (neutralized).
-
tpb:
- Total planets bombed.
-
tab:
- Total armies bombed.
-
tac:
- Total armies carried.
-
pad:
- Percentage of armies dropped. In this case I carried 64 armies,
dropped 59 of those (92%, on enemy planets or friendly planets needing
reinforcement), and was ogged with 5 (ow).
-
fao:
- Friendly armies ogged (blew up on the carrier AGAIN?).
-
eao:
- Enemy armies ogged (DOOSH!).
-
tof:
- True offense; a measure of how far away from the enemy homeworld you
were, compared to other team members. Lower is closer.
-
eck:
- Enemy carriers killed (see eao).
-
pck:
- Potential carriers killed (people with kills, but no armies).
-
tek:
- Total enemies killed.
-
fck:
- Friendly carriers killed (see fao).
-
def:
- Deaths by enemy fire.
-
acc:
- Actual carriers created; people who got their first kill from me and
picked up armies, or who got their second kill from me and picked up
3 or more armies.
Newer INL servers have a more comprehensive stat system; this information
will be updated soon.
- I just played a clue/INL game; where can I get the stats?
It depends on the server, but many of them get posted to
http://www.netrek.org/stats/
- How can I record and view recordings of netrek games?
The best way to view and record games is with the BRMH
client, version 2.3 or higher. Newer server releases can also
record games at the server level.
- Where can I get the most recent copy of this FAQ list?
You can either look in the back messages of
rec.games.netrek, or via the Web at
http://inl.org/netrek/netrekFAQ.html.
It's also in the Usenet archive at
rtfm.mit.edu.
- My GPA has fallen 25% since I started playing Netrek last
semester. How do you find time to do your homework and
still make Admiral?
Sorry, nobody's found an answer to this one yet. Just remember that
(GPA+kill ratio) is constant.