Server Browser

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Revision as of 21:57, 10 November 2010 by DennoCoil (talk | contribs) (Tags bar)
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The server browser in Team Fortress 2.

The Steam Server Browser is the most important part of any of Valve's multiplayer games. It allows a player to search and choose a map\game mode of there choosing as well as adding various filters to refine searching. Unlike the browsers used in other Source engine games, the Team Fortress 2 Server Browser has a couple unique features like server blacklisting and maximum players per server filter.

Top Button Row

Internet

A queued list from Valves master servers that automatically generates a list of available servers. Servers that don't meet one of the filters below is temporarily purged from the list. The list is not generated in real-time unless Quick refresh or Refresh all is pressed. Normal filter options are shown.

Favorites

A specific server can be added to the Favorites list by right clicking the server name in the broswer and clicking Add server to favorites. The server will not show up if it's taken off the favorites or is unreachable. Normal filter options are shown.

History

A list of the current status of all the recent servers a player has visited. Servers can be deleted from the list by right clicking the servers name and left clicking "Remove server from history". Normal filter options are shown.

Spectate

 Normal filter options are shown.

Lan

Looks for a server running on a local network. Normal filter options are shown.

Friends

Shows what specific servers a players friends are in right now. Normal filter options are shown.

Blacklisted Servers

List of unjoinable servers, usually here because of a bad player experience. Servers can be placed on the list by right clicking the name and selecting Add server to blacklist. A blacklist count appears next to the server count in the main window to show that the server is available but automatically purged from the list. Only the server name and blacklist date is shown.

The bottom includes three new options.

Import Servers From File brings up a file browser to open a txt file containing a list of IP addresses to be blacklisted.

Add Current Server adds the server you are connected to onto the list.

Add a Server lets you enter the web address or IP address of the server.

Main Browser Window

The top of the list of the server window shows a bar that can be toggled to filter servers alphabetically, numerically, and by icon.

Password Protected

A picture of a golden lock is shown to acknowledge that a password is need to enter said server.

VAC Secure

A shield showing the the server is secured with Valves Anti-Cheating technology. It is not a guarantee that other players using unwanted software tampering will join, but is a deterrent against said players with the warning that detected tampering will result in a permanent account ban.

Server list

Displays the name of all available servers as the list is updated.

Game

Show what type of game is in play. Normally says Team Fortress 2 as the main game, but modded games like Freeze Tag and Prop Hunt will show up instead.

Players

Shows the current number of players and the maximum number of joinable slots in a server.

Map

Displays the current map being played.

Latency

Displays the relative ping when server was accessed.

Tags

Shows what tags has been assigned by the server. This is used to some effect to show what features are enabled in a server and to filter out servers that don't have said features. Tags can be anything from alltalk, nocrits, friendlyfire, etc.

Bottom row

These are the filters that can narrow server searches into a tight group of similar servers.

Tags bar

Adding certain words or tags to this bar allows a player to refine searching by special features of listed servers. The first box can be selected to show include or do not include for the following tags in the following box. The middle box is where a player will put down tags, separating each tag by a comma , with no spaces. The third box that says Add common tags... is a popup box that shows a list of the most commonly used tags.

Game

Map

Max player count

Simplified list

Latency

Location

Anti-cheat

Server not full

Has users playing

Is not password protected

Filters button

Quick\Stop refresh

Connect