Community:

• Recruited 6 new members! Welcome allig4t0r, Zombakias, Patogy, Ivanosauros, Neonate and Hey_Blinkin
• Appointed new League of Legends game manager, [SpA]Ivanosauros

Website:

• Fixed graph width MrBlonde on the server status page
• Added first graphs for MrGreen on the server status page
• Added a page with the TF2 maprating results at http://services.specialattack.net/maprating
• Cleaned up the minecraft section on the frontpage to prepare it for new content (coming soon)

TF2:

• Had a TF2 management meeting
• In-game MOTD advertisements will no longer be shown at main servers
• Fixed "team switch" plugin not working (allows admins to switch players to a different team)
• Added map rating plugin to gather user feedback and adjust the map cycle accordingly (Currently only enabled on the vanilla servers)
• Added "win-panel" plugin to all servers, this plugin shows the best 3 players of the losing team
• Added experimental dustbowl 24x7 server at 85.17.60.96:30075
• Fix sd_doomsday map specific config, added mp_maxrounds 4 and mp_timelimit 15 to sd_doomsday.cfg
• Replaced spawntime changing plugin on bball2 servers
• Removed duplicate classlimiter plugin on bball2 servers
• Disabled SpA points on MvM servers due to a crash related to the MvM bots (code fix pending)
• Disabled Dynamic Maps Rotation plugin on MvM servers
• Disabled gScramble plugin on MvM servers
• Changed the round end win panel to reflect more information, arena style
• Added a plugin which displays the amount of ammo for the medic's healing target when the medic itself is 90% charged
• Added a plugin which sets the medic's übercharge at 75% if the medic is spawned during setup time
• Plugin sync fun server
• Replaced classlimiter plugin on main servers to the custom SpA edit. SpA points classlimiter immunity will soon be active again
• Fixed a bug in the classlimiter allowing 1 class less than actually was configured
• Applied TF2 update 1.2.3.2

KF:

• Updated KillingFloor servers to latest version

LoL:

• LoL forums were restructured; they're less cluttered and Ranked Teams forums have been created
• There is now a weekly LoL get-together every weekend, 9am-1pm gmt
• SpA group chat channel on PvP.net chat (inside the LoL client, that is). It's called "SpA"

Community:

• Added 2 new members to the tech team, [SpA]Blackhawk and [SpA]mbl111

Websites:

• Updated "contact us' page
• Removed legacy google ads and google analytics code
• Added experimental advertisements to the frontpage to replace Google's adsense
• Installed a new website usage tracking system
• Upgraded forum software to phpBB3 3.0.11

TF2:

•  Made pl_goldrush the default start map on an empty server (quickplay system)
•  Added MOTD advertisements. These advertisements will be disabled once the donation counter hits the required donation amount.
• Updated HLstatsX to version 1.6.18
• Updated servers to version 1.2.3.1

Bball2 changes (special thanks to allig4t0r for providing feedback)

• Configured launch cmd "+mapcyclefile" to prevent the server running different maps after an automatic update was applied
• Disabled respawn timers
• Fixed classlimiter not working correctly
• Changed map from ctf_bbal2 to ctf_ballin_sky
• Added new server, 85.17.60.96:26075 playing ctf_ballin_sky, 4 players, soldiers only, 2sec respawn

MC:

• SMP successfully migrated to MrBlonde (18/09/2012)
• First steps on making SpA points ready for MC
• First internal beta release Dayz mod

We are currently looking to recruit new tech team members.

Most of our past and present tech team members are people who either follow studies aimed at IT or work in the IT sector.

- Who are we looking for
We are looking for people who enjoy creating new features to be used by this community, to then be released to the public if it is generic enough. We are looking for students who study IT and are required to code applications, tools and other systems that will coincide with their studies. The required languages are programming/scripting languages such as Java, PHP, perl scripting, Python, etc etc. or people who are willing to learn new scripting languages such as Sourcemod's "SourcePawn" language.

- What do we offer
At SpA we are known to develop our own stuff by trial and error. We can offer you a live platform used by many gamers. Your tools, scripts and programs can be used by other server and community owners and will receive real feedback allowing you to develop your tools and programs for your studies and thus improve on your knowledge and skills.

- How we work
Often we just throw in idea's for new projects. It's up to you; the coder, if you want to do the available projects and how you want to do them and to manage your own time. You'll be left quite free in how you want to approach the project. We're also very open to any new idea's, alternative ways or suggestions for the open projects.

Some projects and idea's we have currently pending;
- Redesign of the SpA points system to support more games such as Minecraft
- New forum features & changes
- Website backend updates, new features & changes
- Better integration of existing systems
- Development of new systems for general use by gamers (not spa only)
- More ideas and brainstorming to come; you could be included

Interested? Then send me a private message on the forums, or a e-mail to saintk@specialattack.net.

Please include in the PM something about yourself, your current education, skills, scripting languages and future plans. If possible also include some example work of past projects.

SpecialAttack is now hosting it's own CS:GO Beta Dedicated Server. For more information go to the Official CS:GO Forum

Help Game Research Lab with their research on Free to play games. Click here for more information

SpA is currently looking for some talented designers. If you are interested click on this link

We are now running a GTA SA:MP server. Click here for more information

The TwistedChristmas 2 event runs from December 7-January 4th. There will be a free weekend this weekend on Steam from December 8th-11th. So in preparation we have 2 more Killing Floor servers running.

85.17.60.96:7907:7917 SpecialAttack.net ::  Santa
85.17.60.96:8007:8017 SpecialAttack.net ::: Little Helper

Both are set on medium length and normal

Have fun

We will now be running 2 x Vanilla servers and 1 x NoCritz

The two TF2 vanilla servers that are available are:
85.17.60.102:27025 Specialattack.net :: Dell Conagher:: Vanilla
85.17.60.102:27035 Specialattack.net :: Tavish DeGroot:: Vanilla

And the NoCritz is:
85.17.60.96:27025 Specialattack.net :: Mister Jane Doe :: No Critz

Replay coming soon to one of the vanilla servers

See you there

Hello Folks, it's that time of year again when people just seem to go mad. You know what I mean, instead of playing video games they just want to go see their families and hand presents to each other in the good spirit of ye olde christmas time.

Disgusting.

So I have kicked off a month long event to get you, my fellow SpAites away from your families and playing games locked away in your room, like you should be. This weeks theme is retro games, because we all love nostalgia, so head over to viewforum.php?f=205 for more details.

Until then.

Z.S