Alucard's server was an SSH-accessible server that provided a venue to play ADOM online, as well as allowing those games to be viewed and reviewed by other players. Because of the community aspects, as well as some convenient features such as savegame protection against crashes, the server was a popular venue for ADOM play.
Alucard's server is no longer available; the server was closed on June 9 2018[1].
The two servers were located at ancardia.us.to, and ancardia.uk.to (which is actually based in the Netherlands)[2].
How to Access the Server[]
Connecting via SSH[]
Connecting to the server requires an SSH client to access. Windows users will normally need to download a program such as PuTTY[3], since Windows typically does not include such features by default.
To play ADOM on the server, it is necessary to configure PuTTY in the following manner:
- In the PuTTY window, connection should be made to either 'ancardia.us.to' or 'ancardia.uk.to'. Port number should be 22 if it is not by default.
- Under the Windows tab, set Rows to 25 and Columns to 80.
- Under the Terminal tab, set Bell to None. Under Keyboard, set xterm R6
- Under the Features tab, set Disable application keypad mode
See the server readme[4] for more details on connecting to the server and modifying the fonts and color settings.
Linux and OS X users should open a terminal window sized to 80x25 and run "ssh <username>@ancardia.us.to" or "ssh <username>@ancardia.uk.to". Note that dark grey (such as walls) is invisible on Terminal.app before OS X Lion due to design issues; iTerm is rumored to work. In Lion, Terminal.app's colors are configurable.
Since there are SSH client apps available for Android devices, using these to connect to Alucard's server is one way of playing ADOM on an Android tablet or phone. One such app that can be used is ConnectBot — simply run ConnectBot, connect to <username>@ancardia.us.to or <username>@ancardia.uk.to on SSH port 22, enter the password for your account, and use the Force Size option in the ConnectBot menu to set the terminal to 80x25.
Quick Start[]
Grey has provided a pre-configured copy of PuTTY available here[5] that should allow the user to immediately run ADOM on the server.
Using the Server[]
Playing on your account[]
To start a new account, enter the username adom with password adom. This will prompt you to input a username and password. Once this is done, you will be able to access your account with your username and password.
Players wishing to access their savefiles, .flg/.slg/.vlg files, etc. must first activate their user directory. Activation of the user directory can be done at the main menu of the ADOM server after logging in, and then these files can then be found at the user directories here[6]
Players will have the option of playing with ADOM Sage, and can choose to play v. 1.0.0, v. 1.1.1, or any of the 1.2.0+ (pre)releases; currently, r59 is the latest available version. Players wishing to play 'closed' pre-releases of 1.2.0 will firstly be asked for the relevant authorisation details for downloading such versions to their own computers — the URL for closed release downloads, and the user name and password required. If the details provided are correct then the player will not be prompted again for them.
Through ADOM Sage, the game has featured elements such as star sign selection since before they became incorporated into the game itself. (Currently, though, a few features such as the aforementioned star sign selector are only available in ADOM Deluxe).
Special challenge games are recognized within the game, as separate modes — Brimstone Man, Lithium Man, Iron Man, Steel Man and Eternium Man. The player has the option to activate one of these challenges before starting the game; the rules of the challenge will then be explained to the player at the start of the game, and if the PC enters a location to which access is forbidden by the rules of the challenge then the player's game will be terminated by a forced crash.
Spectating[]
To spectate a game in play, connect to the server as above, and enter the username spectator with password spectator. This will provide a list of all games currently being played. While spectating a game, you can send messages to the player; this is done using an option on the menu for logged-in users, so you will need an account, and a second PuTTY window. For long discussions it is much more practical to use the ADOM IRC Channels, which many people who play on the server are also on. The monster memory prompt ("&") can be used by the player to communicate with the spectators. To stop spectating a game, press Ctrl-c-d
Only one game may be spectated at a time in a given PuTTY window; however, multiple windows may be opened to spectate games simultaneously. Note that spectating a game can increase the lag that the player experiences.
Watching Replays[]
To watch a replay of a game, log on as ttyrecplay with password ttyrecplay.
League accounts[]
The accounts league1, league2, and league3 are often used for Roman Republic Games or competitive games. Alternative accounts may be used on occasion as well. League accounts are forced to always use ADOM 1.1.1, have a separate high score table from normal games, have save directories that can be altered by league admins, and allow one-touch copying of configuration files from your normal account.
Troubleshooting[]
Crashes[]
The server will automatically back up savegames when you 'S'ave your game. If a fatal ingame crash occurs, such as the ingot bug, the server should restore your game from the last 'S'ave. It is advised that during long sessions of play on the server, or at any situation where a crash is possible, that the player 'S'ave their game so that a backup is created. There have been isolated reports of this not working; if you are very paranoid you are advised to manually check that the backup was generated (look in http://ancardia.us.to/adom_users/your_name/backup-111/).
If your Internet connection to the server dies, you should be able to resume the game without any trouble by just reconnecting. If the server's operating system dies eg. due to a blackout (doesn't happen too often), games may be lost if they were in progress at the time; the backup system works, but restoration needs to be performed manually by Alucard.
Assistance[]
Contact Alucard on the ADOM IRC Channels if you are experiencing problems with the server. For more information, consult the server readme[7] and the server thread[8].