Joining a Server

Joining a Server

This page is for players, and for operators who want to know what their players see.

Finding a server

Open Multiplayer on the Project Avalanche menu. The server browser has four tabs:

Tab	What it lists
Internet	the project's server list
LAN	servers on your own network that turned LAN discovery on
Favourites	servers you marked with Y
Recent	servers you joined

Key (pad / keyboard)	Does
LB / RB (Q / E)	change tab
A	connect
X	filters and sort (not full, not empty, no password, mode, this version only)
Y	favourite on or off
BACK (V)	refresh
LT / RT (Z / C)	page
R3 (F)	search by server or player name; terms such as mode:race or tag:alps, ~ to negate
START	connect to an address (host:port; port 27450 when none is given)

The details pane shows the server's drop or map, description, rules, players, the size of its downloads, what it lets your own mods do, and whether your mods' scripts run there. A server whose downloads are over your limit is greyed and says why.

Links. In the launcher's Options, Server links → "Open avalanche:// links with Project Avalanche" lets a link such as avalanche://connect/203.0.113.7:27450 open the game. The game asks before it joins.

Connecting

1. Password. A server with a password opens the on-screen keyboard.
2. The server's key. The first time you connect to an address directly, your game remembers the server's identity key in known_servers.txt in your Project Avalanche folder. If that server later shows another key, the game refuses it: "the server at … presents another identity key than the one trusted before … If its operator replaced the key, remove the line for … from … and join again; otherwise someone may be between you and the server". Servers from the Internet tab are checked against the key the server list gave.
3. Downloads. If the server runs resources, a DOWNLOADING popup shows each resource and its size ("in the cache" for what you already have), then "Checking the files" and "Comparing your content with the server's". Cancel stops the download; what has arrived is kept for the next try.
4. Held joins. A server's scripts may hold your join for a moment (up to two minutes), with a message such as "The server holds your join: …".
5. Then the level loads. In a round-based mode a player who joins during a round watches it and rides the next one.

Your settings

Options → Multiplayer, used from the next server you join:

Setting	Default	What
Server Downloads Up To	2 GB	the most one server may make your game download (64 MB to 8 GB)
Resource Cache	8 GB	how much the shared download cache keeps (1 to 64 GB); the least recently used files go first
Servers' Scripts	on	whether the client scripts of servers' resources run

Downloaded files are kept in ResourceCache in your Project Avalanche folder and shared by all servers, so joining again downloads only what changed. A file whose bytes do not match what the server announced is never used.

Your own mods on a server

The server decides what your installed mods may do there (Client Mods on Servers). When a server switches some of them off, the chat says so when you join: "This server switches your mods off: …" or "This server switches your mods' simulation changes off: …". They come back when you leave.

Why a join is refused

Message is about	Meaning
the version	the server runs another version of Project Avalanche
the password	missing or wrong ("Wrong password: try again")
a full server	no free slot
a ban	the operator banned your player id or address; the popup shows the reason and when the ban ends
content that differs	your game's content for the server's level is not the server's (often a mod that changes the rules; leave it out or switch it off)
the server's scripts	a script of the server refused you, with its reason
too many joins	wait the time the message names
a download over your limit	raise Server Downloads Up To or skip the server
a blocked file	the server's resources hold a file the project's blocklist names

In the level

• Pause (START): Resume, Players, Settings, Leave Server. The ride goes on under the menu.
• Players: everyone in your instance with their rider, status and ping. X mutes a player for this session.
• Chat: T on a keyboard, the left stick's click on a pad (eight quick-chat lines on a pad).
• Change Equipment from the ready screen takes you to the equipment screen while you stay connected.
• Nothing from a server ride changes your career: no badges, medals or progress.