Meat Hook PCS is currently running on the Dead Men Walking clan server.
If you want to know more about the goals and origins of Professional Counterstrike, as well as the original US-based PCS server, go to Network 42 (http://www.xlii.com) for the full deal.
THE FAQ
What should I be doing on your server?
Complete your objective. If you are supposed to be playing defense, then back up your defensive team! IE: Guard the hostages and/or bomb points, or exits for VIP levels. If you are supposed to be playing offensive, then stay with your offensive team, or group if your offense is using a multi-group offense strategy.
Get the hostages rescued, bomb planted, or VIP out of the hostile area.
Can I camp?
In many Half-Life mods, camping will get you kicked pretty quickly from most servers. In CounterStrike, camping is almost required, depending on the team you are on. The offensive team can NOT camp, but this doesn't mean you need to rush head-first into the enemy territory. You can take your time, plan your strategy, and wait in given areas for tactical reasons. You can not grab an AWP and hop in the darkest corner near your start waiting for the enemy to show. If you are the defensive team, it is your JOB to guard either the bomb point or hostages. Some may call this camping, but you need to stay close to your target area.
Is bunny-hopping allowed?
NO. No exceptions. Bunny-hopping will get you banned VERY quickly. Although as of 1.4, bunny-hopping is no longer working.
Is grenade-spamming allowed?
NO GRENADE SPAMMING. This means you can not repeatedly buy grenades and throw them. There is a ONE HE GRENADE MAXIMUM allowed per round. The buytimes on the PCS server have been shortened anyway to help resolve this problem.
Can I give the Server PW to my friends?
You should not be giving out the server password to ANYONE without prior permission. In most cases we will welcome new players, but we want to keep a handle on it so we don't get innundated with players who don't understand, or want to follow, our concepts.
Is cheating allowed?
You shouldn't even be asking this. No. Cheating is not allowed, anyone caught cheating will be banned for life. There are no grace periods, no warnings. You cheat, you're gone.
How do your stats work?
Stats are generated in realtime, and include the last 7 days of gameplay. Once you have been in here a week, your stats will start to change day to day based on old data being rotated OUT of the system. This is done so players, as they get better, will not be hampered by their old stats.
Many players have a period of time where they have to get used to the style of play on PCS, and they generally suck when they first arrive. :-) We don't want that haunting them forever. Bonus points are awared primarily based on completing objectives. This means rescuing hostages, planting bombs, defusing bombs, assassinating the VIP, etc. The more objectives you complete, the more bonus points you get. Also, weapons have a "weighting" system which increases (or decreases) your bonus depending on the type of weapon used.
What is objective oriented teamplay?
Short answer? Teamplay is when you work as a TEAM to complete your objectives. Your focus should be completing your objective with as little loss of life on your team as possible. Your priority should be helping your teammates first, objective second, and taking out the enemy last. If you see your teammate being attacked, and you are in a position to help, but also have the opportunity of getting a couple kills, you should help your teammate and let the kills go for later.
Why? If both you and your teammate survive, you are in a better position to complete your objective. When you are playing offense, you should be covering your team, you should be sticking WITH your team. And you should absolutely repond when your team cries out for backup. There are a lot of different tactics that are used on the server, and your duties will vary based on who you are playing with. When you have a teammate exposed, as in planting a bomb in an open area, you should ALWAYS be in a position to see ANY area at which an enemy could cause damage to your mate.
You should not be behind crates or doors waiting to ambush anyone that tries to take our the bomb planter, you should be right with him, watching for enemies BEFORE they kill him, not after. Discussion on teamplay and tactics are always going around in the mailing list and in the Forums area on this site.
How do I get to be a member of Meat Hook PCS?
You don't need to have years of experience to play here. You only need to have the proper attitude and focus on teamplay. See the link at the end of this topic.
I'm a relative newbie, can I still play on Meat Hook PCS?
Of course. Newbies are welcome, but they are bound by the same rules as the more hardened players. Follow the rules, back up your team, and complete your objectives. Most people on the server accept newbies pretty well, but you MUST be open to learning from the people who have better skills. They WILL try to teach you. Listen, learn, and be happy. Newbies that don't learn will be removed from the server.
Can I swear and use foul language?
Swearing and foul language in general is frowned upon. There are players in this server that are fairly young, as well as older players who just don't want to see (or hear) your effing and blinding. If you are offended by someone's language, say something. If they continue, e-mail an admin. If they can't participate in a clean game, they don't need to play here.
Where do I download your maps?
All the maps used on MH PCS are on general release or can be obtained from your favourite map server. There is an ftp area for all the maps on the server (not just the current rotation), as well as various map-packs.
The current map rotation can be seen here (http://www.deadmen.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=85).
Are there other Professional Counter-Strike servers?
As of the time of this FAQ, there is one other Professional Counter-Strike (PCS) server - Network 42, as mentioned right at the top of the page. N42 are, without question, the guv'nors - without them, there'd be no MH PCS, and nor would I have been able to shamelessly lift vast swathes of this FAQ. Their plans are to compile a set of PCS server config files, rules, and an ethics statement for people to launch their own PCS community servers. Contact Apophis directly from the N42 site if you want more information about this.
Is there other information I should read?
Absolutely. One of the first documents you should read is the alt.games.half-life.counterstrike FAQ file. It is the FAQ from the newsgroup that many of the PCS players come from. In addition to the newsgroup rules and regulations, there is substantial information about configuration and customization of Counter-Strike as well as solutions to common problems. It also provides additional information about Teamplay and objectives. The FAQ can be found at //www.aghlcs.com.
What should I do if someone else has the bomb?
ALWAYS escort the bomb carrier and/or hostages. This should be a WHOLE TEAM effort. You getting kills is NOT as important as the team completing the objective. This is something I am going to be watching closely from now on. I know I don't like playing with people who don't know how to teamplay, and I know many others don't like it either.
When you are covering a teammate planting the bomb, you shouldn't be looking AT your teammate, you should be looking away from him, towards entrances to the room/area. You should NOT be hidden behind a door that enters into the bomb point, as an enemy can stand inside it and shoot at your bomb-planter and you will not be in a direct position to defend him. In all probability, your teammate will die trying to plant, you will take out the enemy, and you will plant. This isn't teamplay. This is ME-PLAY. YOU should be sacrificing yourself before the bomb planter...
What should I do if I have the bomb?
BOMB CARRIERS; when you enter into a bomb point, get over there and plant. Your team is there to cover you. If a firefight starts, you should STILL be trying to plant. Let your team do their job while you plant. Once the bomb is planted, join in the defense of the target until the bomb explodes. Die there if you have to. But that bomb HAS to go off. No excuses.
Any advice with Hand Grenades?
DO NOT THROW GRENADES AHEAD OF YOUR OWN PLAYERS. If you are the 2nd or 3rd person in line, and your team is engaged in an assault, do not throw flash grenades up there. You will blind your own team and they will die. The middle of a firefight is not the time, nor the place, for grenades.
How do I know where to go?
Identify your team leader, and follow him, or do what he says. In order for a team to work well together. When following, stay in line. Don't try to push your way around your teammates and/or leader. When the leader stops, unless they make motions to move forward and/or tell you to. Don't go running out hurling grenades. You can sneak up on your enemy all you want. But it only takes ONE person to try and be a hero and start throwing grenades at unknown targets to ruin the element of surprise.
Sign up here (http://mailman.crosswired.org.uk/listinfo/mh-pcs) to get the server address and password.