TPU is down while I investigate a series of disruptions and possible admin abuse. If these issues can be resolved, TPU will be back up in a few days. Otherwise, it's down for good. Sorry about this.

The developers of Forgotten Hope 2 recently released a new set of server files (version 2.5.776a). There are a few bug fixes and a few changes that should make crashing less frequent. I've installed the new version on the TPU BF2 server. Let me know if you notice any problems.

By popular demand, TPU is switching from DCX back to DCFinal on Tuesdays, until further notice.

Apparently, Ubisoft has dropped the always-connected requirement for its future PC games. It's difficult to be certain of the motive for this welcome change, but the recent public backlash against the UPlay DRM probably had something to do with it.

Whether this is an attempt to stem the tide of negative publicity, or a genuine rethinking of DRM policies, remains to be seen, but the full Sep 5 RPS interview with Ubisoft execs seems to show that opinions are divided. In any case, it is encouraging to hear that at least some of Ubisoft's management has finally realized that DRM is ineffective at preventing piracy, and only serves to annoy paying customers.

Sisko recently pointed me to a BF42 mod I hadn't previously heard of: Silent Heroes. It's modern combat, with choppers and other modern weapons, between Sweden and Norway. It includes several new maps (all based in the warring countries) as well as modified versions of many of the classic BF42 maps.

Most of the maps have co-op support (bots), so this mod would be a good fit for TPU.

So, let's hear it. What do you think about the idea of trying this mod on a future Wildcard Wednesday on TPU?

I'm starting to lose track of all the boneheaded blunders coming from Ubisoft.

The latest fiasco? Apparently their pointless DRM software - aka UPlay - includes a security hole so huge that it must be some kind of record. With this software installed on your Windows PC (required if you want to play any of their more recent games), your computer is wide open to attacks from any web site. No special hacking skills required. Immediate and complete access to your computer.

Luckily for Ubisoft, this particular hole was easy to fix, and they issued a patch right away. Of course, you have to install the patch to fix the hole. But there's a larger issue: if Ubisoft feels it necessary to force you to install their DRM crapware, they should really hire competent programmers. Who knows how many other holes exist in this software? I'll bet the black hat hackers are looking at the UPlay code right now, rubbing their hands together gleefully.

Anyone who's been reading this site for a while may remember that I previously recommended boycotting Ubisoft games for the PC. Needless to say, that recommendation has not changed.

Additional details:

• Slashgear
• Seclists

The Road To Rome map Baytown was causing client crashes, so I reverted the server map back to the original, basic TPU mods, bumping up tank and plane spawns, and it seems to be okay now. If anyone is still having problems with it, please let me know.

There was some discussion in the forums recently about how the TPU admins always top the stats, and how that may be discouraging to other players. As an experiment, I've adjusted the formula used to calculate the 'Points' column, which is normally how the list is sorted.

The old formula was:
(score/rounds_played)+(first*3)+(second*2)+third-tks+attacks+kdrate+rounds_played+(heals/rounds_played)+(otherrepairs/rounds_played)

The new formula, which gives more weight to team activities, removes double-counting of certain stats, and averages all numbers over the number of rounds played, is:
(score-tks+attacks+heals+otherrepairs)/rounds_played

To make this work, I had to increase the minimum number of rounds played for a player to appear in the stats from 1 to 10. Otherwise, the list was topped by people who only played a few rounds.

Take a look at the new points ranking and let me know what you think. I can make additional adjustments to the formula, and I can always bring the old formula back if that's what you all want. Don't forget that if you want to ignore the points sorting, you can click on any of the column headings to sort differently.

By the way, now Mojo is #1, Sisko is #2, Ryda is #8 and I (Boot13) am #35. But the margin is a lot smaller.

There's a new poll in the poll block that asks which DC mod you prefer: DCX or DCFinal. Scroll down and check the right column to find it. Sisko pointed out the pros and cons of each in a recent forum post and suggested the poll. So, check it out and vote on which mod you prefer.

Version 2.45 of Forgotten Hope 2 has been released. The new version has a TON of updates, including fixes for some annoying bugs and several new maps. The full details are on the FH2 web site.

I will be testing the new version over the next couple of days, and if all goes well, the TPU BF2 server will start running 2.45 soon after that.

UPDATE: The new FH2 server has a glitch with co-op mode, but I worked with some of the developers and they came up with a fix, so the TPU BF2 server is now running the latest FH2. Two maps were removed, and three were added.

The new client files - there are two this time - have been added to the Files and Links page.

Notable changes in this version include:

• Stg44 pickups removed from maps (boo), but G43 and Stg44 still available in kits
• lots of ticket/bleed changes
• jumping stamina drain removed
• bots can now apparently work with humans on artillery
• new bot strategies and fixes
• decreased rifle recoil
• added artillery direct fire
• improved plane handling
• improved player collision meshes (many)
• destroyable barbed wire
• new minimap icons for some big guns

UPDATE 2: there were problems with the number of tickets on some of the maps: a couple had too few tickets, while several had 9999 tickets. According to the developers, this is due to a bug in BF2. The solution was to change the number of tickets assigned for 16 player maps for all of the affected maps from 9999 to something more reasonable. I've done that for all affected maps, so the ticket numbers should make more sense now. These were all server-side changes.