Table of Contents

This guide covers the following paragraphs:

1. What is HostServ?
2. Basics for users
   1. How to use a title
   2. How to set a new title
   3. Valid HostServ user commands
3. Advanced options for network affiliates
   1. What are grouphosts?
   2. Getting started as a grouphost owner
   3. Actions the invited user must take
   4. Valid HostServ group administrative commands
   5. Requesting a grouphost

1. What is HostServ?

HostServ is a bot, exclusively provided by GameSurge. Its key functionality is to provide customized titles for our users. In addition some of our network affiliates can benefit from customized fakehosts (“grouphosts”), which makes it easier to identify members of the organization and maintain a professional appearance on GameSurge.

2. Basics for users

2.1 How to use a title

The first question is: why should I use a title anyways? First of all it just looks pretty cool as most people use the standard accountname.user.gamesurge hostmask. A title will change the .user. part into something different, for example 1337. This way you can personalize your hostmask and find other users who share the same interest as you. Our advice is to always make sure that you are using one as it will hide your real IP and thus protect your privacy, no matter if you are using the standard title or a custom one.

There are basically 3 ways to hide your IP and activate the title:

/AuthServ SET AutoFake 1

This is the preferred and most easy method as it automatically hides your real IP whenever you authenticate to your account, no matter where you authenticate from.

/umode +x

This command has to be used everytime you connect when AuthServ Autofake is not enabled. You should add this command to your client’s perform when you do not use AuthServ’s autofake setting.

(For mIRC users:) //mode $me +x

This command is not really used anymore as it has been effectively replaced by /umode +x.

Please make sure that you are always hiding your IP address as it increases both your privacy and internet security.

2.2 How to set a new title

There is a list of titles which you can find here: http://gamesurge.net/titles/. Choose the one you like and then use /msg HostServ title <xyz> on the network, where "xyz" represents the title you would like to have.

For example: /msg HostServ title 1337 would grant you the title 1337 (yourname.1337.gamesurge).

Please note you may only change your HostServ title once per 30 days, however you can always use /msg HostServ title * to get the default title again (yourname.user.gamesurge).

Currently we do not add new titles upon user request, please do not ask in #support for new ones.

For the brave users there is a special command that gives you a random title: /msg HostServ randomtitle. It will randomly assign you one of the titles from the list.

2.3 Valid HostServ user commands

The following commands are available to all our users on the network who are authenticated to their AuthServ account: (also obtained by using: /msg HostServ help)

• about: Information about HostServ
• accept: Accept a group custom host invitation
• help: This information
• randomtitle: Have HostServ assign you a random title from the list
• refresh: Reset your fakehost, or group host. Does not work for titles
• remove: Remove your fakehost and/or any invitations. Does not work for titles
• title <title>: Set a custom title from the list at http://www.gamesurge.net/titles/

3. Advanced options for network affiliates

3.1 What are grouphosts?

HostServ grouphosts are customized fakehosts accessible by users invited by the owner of the grouphost. Upon accepting the invitation to a grouphost the users’ AuthServ account will be automatically updated to reflect the grouphost. They typically have the following format: account.staff.organization or account.admin.organization. Their main purpose is to help identify official staff members of such organizations and naturally help maintain a professional image.

3.2 Getting started as a grouphost owner

The command /msg HostServ status will show you the currently granted grouphost format, the maximum amount of users that may use the grouphost, the number and account names of users currently using the grouphost and the number of users with invites pending.

Users can be invited by using /msg HostServ invite <nick/*account>. You can either provide the nickname (/msg HostServ invite <nick>) or the AuthServ account name (/msg HostServ invite *<account>). Note: using the account name will prevent the user from getting automatically notified about the invitation. You must in that case manually inform them.

You can check the currently invited users by using /msg HostServ invitations.

If you want to revoke an invitation you can use /msg HostServ delinvite <account>. Please note that you have to provide the account name without an asterisk (*).

To remove a user from your grouphost use /msg HostServ deluser <account>. Please note that you have to provide the account name without an asterisk (*).

3.3 Actions the invited user must take

The invited user will receive the following message: "You have been invited by <Grouphostowner> to have the custom host USER.xyz.xyz"

At this point the user still has his/her old hostmask. To accept the new group hostmask he/she has to use /msg HostServ accept. After doing so the new hostmask will be set on his/her account.

3.4 Valid HostServ group administrative commands

The following commands are only available to Grouphost Owners:

• delinvite: Delete an invitation from your group
• deluser: Remove your group custom host from a user
• invite: Invite a user to use your group custom host
• invitations: Get a list of active invitations
• status: Get status information about your group custom hosts

3.5 Requesting a grouphost

Grouphosts are awarded on a case-by-case basis and only by the Affiliate Liaison Manager. They are in general reserved for network affiliates, however exceptions are occasionally made for other organizations. You can find an overview of the requirements and the request procedure here.

Last Revision: 11/09/2010