Quickstart for #openttdcoop Public Server
How to join, and what to expect
! Be sure to read through the entire page
If you were pointed here, and ask questions about things covered here, it is likely you'll be sent back here again

The Essentials

These articles are, well, Essential basic knowledge for joining #openttdcoop games

• OpenTTD Manual
• Public Server
• IRC
  In addition to just connecting to the IRC channel, it would be wise to pay attention to the 'topic', as it is often updated with FAQ info about the current game on the Public Server.
  The topic is usually shown in the main chat window upon channel joining, and at the top of the chat window in most GUI clients.
• Cooperation
• Ruleset
• Guides:Glossary
• Communication
• Naming conventions

Game Progression

Another important point, is knowing at what Stage you are joining the game.
Games progress in 'Stages'. You can usually see the current stage from the 3rd part of the IRC topic (e.g. "Stage: Planning")

1. Stage: Looking
   This usually doesn't last long so tends to be skipped from the IRC topic. It represents the point where first joiners are taking a look at a new game and working out where stuff is.
2. Stage: Moneymaker (MM)
   Quick and dirty set-ups for making lots of money to fund plans and main construction. Usually coal trains or long distance PAX aircraft. See also: Game Start and Moneymaker.
3. Stage: Planning
   This stage happens after the main MM is settled and running. An isolated spot on the map is picked and signposted for plans. Each player that wants to set up a plan cordons off a space and signs it with "!plan /{name}". See also: Planning.
4. Stage: (Planning &) Voting
   After a few plans have been created, voting commences. A voting board is set up, and people sign their name according to the vote style.
   Normally, voting is for the plan you like the most, but occasionally the New Votesystem is used.
   New plans can still be added during this stage.
   This stage lasts until there is a clear winner, either by obvious vote count, or, if voting is close after several hours (or overnight), declared by common agreement between active members.
5. Stage: Building
   Once voting is done, coop really goes into action. Everyone pitches in and starts building the required backbone sections to make up the core of the network (as per the accepted plan). Placement signs and purchased land are often used to help mark complex sections.
   See Guides, Junctionary (for ideas) and most of the rest of the wiki for everything else. Or, when in doubt, ask.
6. Stage: Finalising
   Finally, once everything is connected, and jams have been removed (for the most part), and everyone starts to get mildly bored, the game gets finalised. Any major problems are fixed, nothing new is added. (Think 'feature-freeze' in software development.)
   This stage lasts until an archive entry is made and a new game is picked, agreed on and uploaded and the server updated.

The Stage can also be set (and often is) to a miscellaneous event, as an explanation as to current server events. When the stage is set to one of these, it is generally unwise to wander into the server as normal. Some examples of these stages are;

• Awaiting new map
  This usually happens after Finalising or before the Moneymaker stages, while we wait for a new (and suitable) map
• Offline / Crash
  Usually followed by a reason or brief explanation of the current situation

Getting In Game

Now that the basics are out of the way, you'll want to get in-game:

• First off, jump into IRC and make yourself known.
• The topic will tell you which nightly we are currently using (e.g. "PSG #123 (r*****)"), along with other useful news and/or announcements.
  Be sure to read this, as it saves people repeating themselves.
  You can get this yourself from OpenTTD, or you can use the Bot Commands to give you a link:
  

  !dl lin|lin64|osx|win32|win64|win9x

  (Pick one as appropriate)
  Several other options to help manage your OpenTTD instances are also available on the bot, use " !dl " by itself to find out all available options.
  One of these you can use is AutoUpdater under Win32.

How to get BaNaNaS content

• You'll also want the GRF Pack, which contains the bulk of the NewGRFs used.
• Most games usually contain one or two GRFs from BaNaNaS
  If you don't have the newest version of that GRF, you will see 'NEWGRF MISMATCH', simply get the correct version from the in game system (see picture)
  See also: http://wiki.openttd.org/wiki/index.php/Online_content
• Once you've got all that together you can boot up OpenTTD, search for the server and join. But before you do, be sure to set your player name, you can do this in the top right of the server browser, or if you forget to, by pressing the 'tilde' key ( ` - it's to the left of 1, above tab, although this may vary according to keyboard layouts ) and using
  

  name MyName --e.g. name Bob

• You can find our server on the advertised servers list, or directly by using 'Add Server' and entering "ps.openttdcoop.org"
• On connection to the server, you can join as a regular player, or as a spectator (recommended if you're brand new to coop). Both options will prompt you for a password.
  

!password

• Before you do anything else, be sure to read the signs as soon as you join the server -- they will list any specific tasks, goals and quirks for that game.

See Also

• A Newbie Guide To #openttdcoop - A good guide to how to start getting involved with the #openttdcoop games