Let's go on step by step.
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1) Get the Game
It's a big honor and very nice of you if you still own the original English (or German) 'Vangers' CD from I-Magic. According to statistics, more often discs appear to be either broken or lost somewhere in the past. And since the game has been released back in 1998, today there is almost no way to get it back. Nowhere to download, even nowhere to buy. So the best and the only available decision is to get the copy of the game from someone who owns it.
While we ourselves still can't find the suitable place in the Internet to put the game there for all interested to download, you can write me via ICQ in order to ask me to give you last official English version 1.3 (restored from ripped 1.0). Because it is original, you'll anyway need the disc to play music, otherwise you won't be able to enjoy the great soundtrack during the game. Besides, there is CD check, but it can be turned off if you run ROAD.EXE with special parameter, /&^.
So, if you want to get Vangers - you can drop me a message to ICQ: 6384094 - then I'll try to provide you with my version 1.3.
2) Remember the Great Experience
If you haven't played Vangers for a long time, it would be better to start again in the single mode so as to recall all that you probably forgot. And, of course, to enjoy the game once more!
3) Register with Server
However, nothing prevents you from playing online during intermission of your single mode adventures, so your next step should be registration with our server. To do that, send private message containing your login and password to our admin and then he'll register you as soon as he'll be able. Later you will have to use this information when logging in to the server.
Note: Login and password can only consist of letters and/or numbers. No spaces allowed! Clan members can also use brackets.
Note: It is highly recommended to add (eng) postfix to your nick/login, so it will look like James(eng). This will allow everyone at the server to identify you as foreign English-speaking player. It is important because most of our players are Russians.
Registration itself prevents anyone from using your nick in the game without your password. Also it allows server to gather statistics about your playing and gives you the right to participate in all future official competitions.
4) Check Your Version
While waiting for registration, you are already able to check your connection to the server and even start playing, but you'll face some inconvenience like you won't be able to create your own game properly. However, you can join existing game if there is one (usually at the appointed time) and just have fun.
There is one more important detail except registration, though. You must have appropriate version of the game (client), or you won't be able to play on our server at all, because it's much different from that one you can find in your game's folder. In order to implement new multiplayer game modes, features and bug fixes, we need to modify not only the server, but also the client. So periodically we release updates - they are called "zMod". At the moment zMod exists only for Russian version, because there are still not enough foreign users - thus there is no reason for spending much time working on English zMod.
For now, all you need for playing on our server is official Vangers 1.3. If you have an older version, you have to update it by installing the patch. It is available for download from official site.
5) Configure Multiplayer
Multiplayer settings are simple. To play online, you click "Multiplayer" button in main menu, then "Join Server", "Internet".
Host name is: vangers.pp.ru.
Server port is 2197 by default - our server has the same, so don't change it!
Then you should click OK and join existing game by clicking its name, or create your own by clicking "New Game on vangers.pp.ru" button. Then you'll be prompted to enter you nick, password and choose your mechos color.
Note: If you are not registered with our server, you can write any password or leave its field blank. So make sure you are.
Note: Avoid using yellow color for your mechos. We leave it for our Game Masters.
6) Play Online!
After joining the game you'll find yourself in "Server Info" menu. It shows game name, game mode (click it to view current game parameters) and offers set of possible actions. You can view various results by clicking "Hall of Fame" or "Current Game" buttons, but they are inaccurate: our server gathers its own exact statistics. There is also "Player Setup" menu, where you can change the color of your mechos, and "Start!" button - by clicking it you'll immediately enter the game world. Usually you are not allowed to do it so early; first, click "Chat" button. You'll enter chat room where you can talk with other vangers.
In the upper part of the screen you can see "Mute all" and "Clear log" options. On the right there is team list (All, Yellow, Orange, Blue, Green) and player list. Click on team name to write team-only message, or player's nick to write private message to him. Click "All" option to write messages to all. In the lower part of the screen you see text field with your nick - here you can type and send your own messages. Remember, message length is limited to the length of the text field.
Note: Russian text is not supported in English version of the game. You can't type in it, you can't read it: there is just no font for it.
Usually, the multiplayer game on our server starts with call-over. Type "z" when you'll be prompted for it in chat screen. After you'll see big "CTAPT !!!" message, click "Start!" button in the lower part of the screen to begin playing.
Sometimes, multiplayer game starts with call-over on the outside, at the start place specified before. Line up for the start and watch the chat screen. Type "z" when you'll be prompted for it; after you'll see big "CTAPT !!!" message, close the chat and go for victory!
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In principle, that's all basic information you need to know to start playing on our server. But we strongly recommend you also to check out other useful threads such as Game Types and FAQ to become acquainted with some features of our playing.