er... registering a server using an API key for my last post.  Whoops.

On Wed, Feb 5, 2014 at 6:52 PM, Fletcher Dunn
<fletch...@valvesoftware.com>wrote:

> There are some changes coming that TF2 server operators should know about.
>
> CHANGES TO QUICKPLAY
> -------------------------------
>
> The next TF2 update will make two changes to quickplay:
>
> * "Show servers" button.  This runs the ordinary quickplay search, but
> instead of joining the server with the highest score, it presents the user
> with an ordered list of about 20 servers and lets them pick.  This gives
> players much of the convenience of quickplay by finding servers with a good
> ping and players on them, but also an easy way to express a preference over
> the map, server community, etc.
> * We've added an advanced options page that allows players to opt into the
> most commonly-requested non-vanilla rules changes: nocrits, maxplayers, and
> instant respawn.
>
> There are no more scoring penalties for maxplayers or rule changes; your
> server either matches their search criteria or it doesn't.
>
> At this time, we are keeping the default quickplay option to Valve
> servers.  However, note that if a player wants to find a server with any of
> the supported modifications, then they must land on a community server,
> since Valve servers do not run with these settings.
>
> We've updated the quickplay policy to more clearly specify what sorts of
> server modifications are allowed in quickplay:
> https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=2825-AFGJ-3513
>
> STEAM GAMESERVER ACCOUNTS
> -----------------------------------------
>
> Gameserver accounts are now a Steam feature.  The feature is currently in
> beta.
>
> Using a steam gameserver account provides one important advantage right
> now: client favorite lists are keyed by the Steam account if present.  This
> means that you can move your server to another IP address, and clients who
> have your server in their favorites or history will follow you to your new
> location.
>
> CREATING AN ACCOUNT:
>
> Creating an account is currently only possible via WebAPI.  (Remember,
> this feature is currently in beta.  We'll add a nicer interface for this
> soon.)  Make a HTTPS POST request to the following URL:
> https://api.steampowered.com/IGameServersService/CreateAccount/v0001/
>
> The POST arguments should be:
>   appid=440 (for Team Fortress)
>   key=<your WebAPIKey>
>
> <your WebAPIKey> is the WebAPI key associated with the user account that
> will own the server accounts. See http://steamcommunity.com/dev for how
> to get one of these.  (WARNING: Make sure and keep this key secret.  This
> key is an authentication token in some respects and makes it possible to do
> certain actions on your behalf.  Don't feed the key into anybody's nice
> convenient web page that automates this.  With your WebAPI key they could
> impersonate you for some actions.  If you don't want to go through the pain
> of making a WebAPI call, just wait until we have a nicer interface
> implemented.)
>
> The output of the WebAPI will be the (permanent) SteamID of your
> gameserver, and a login token.  The login token is a random string of text
> that allows you to actually login to your account.
>
> You can view a list of the servers owned by a user account by making a
> HTTPS GET call to:
> https://api.steampowered.com/IGameServersService/GetAccountList/v0001/?key=
> <yourkey<
> https://api.steampowered.com/IGameServersService/GetAccountList/v0001/?key=%3cyourkey
> >>
>
> LOGGING IN TO YOUR ACCOUNT (TF only for now):
>
> Once you have a gameserver login token, you can specify your login
> credentials on a Source engine server by executing this console command
> sometime before it loads the first map:
>
> sv_setsteamaccount <login token>
>
> The server output should make it clear when you are using a Steam
> gameserver account and when you are logging in anonymously.  (The ordinary
> gameserver login that has always been used.)
>
> Remember, for now you will need to login to both your Steam gameserver
> account and also your TF account.  The two accounts are not related.  The
> TF account is the one that determines quickplay eligibility, and the Steam
> one does favorites migration.  Eventually we will remove the TF accounts
> and only use Steam gameserver accounts.
>
> HOW FAVORITES MIGRATION WORKS:
>
> In the next few days we will release an updated Steam Client beta that
> knows how to migrate favorites.  On the client, each favorite has an
> IP:port and a gameserver account.  The account might be empty --- that will
> of course be the case for all previously existing favorites.  Periodically,
> a client will try to sync up the favorites list IP:port addresses and
> accounts.  If there is an IP:port without an associated account, it will
> ask the master server for information about that address.  If a server is
> running on that address and logged into an account, the client will record
> the account.   Once the client has an account associated with the favorite,
> the account becomes the primary key and will not change.  Instead, we will
> periodically try to refresh the address from the account.  (Again, this is
> done by querying the master server, and it depends on your server bring
> logged into the account and running on the address.)  The client always
> caches the last known IP:port of a favorite, even though the account ID is
> the main "key".  That way, if Steam is down, or the gameserver is down, it
> will used the cached IP:port.  All of the above applies to history as well
> as favorites.
>
> In the future, when a client adds a favorite or history item, the account
> will be recorded immediately.
>
> If you know you have many clients that have your server in their favorites
> or history, then you should not move your server yet.  You need to give
> clients time to logon with new Steam client binaries and get their favorite
> entry linked up with your account.  We'll let you know when you can try out
> migrating favorites, as well as when the feature is active in the public
> client and all users have it.
>
> QUESTIONS?
>
> Since Steam gameservers are a Steam feature, all of the above will apply
> to all Steam games.  (Provided that the game exposes a method for the
> gameserver to log in to an account.)  Eventually, the TF2 gameserver
> accounts will be going away and replaced with these accounts.  For now,
> they are separate.
>
> Any further questions about the quickplay changes or gameserver accounts?
>  Please direct them to this list so that all answers will be public.
>
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-- 
Ross Bemrose
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