IRC Guide

Introduction
Step 1: Choose your name
Step 2: Server setup
Step 3: Connecting... please wait...
Step 4: Registering and identifying
Step 4 1/2: Intermission
Step 5: Automatic fun
Step 6: Advanced setup
Step 7: Channel registration and usage
Step 8: Channel option
Info 1: Channel info
Alternative 1: Online IRC

Introduction

This page provides a guide for initial configuration of mIRC, an IRC client program. It's long and boring...but it won't take more than 10-15 minutes to read it, depending on how quick you catch on.
For a game such as The Last Knights (TLK) it's very vital to be informed of a lot of things such as when there's a strike force or how to build an army, etc.

Let's begin.

Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is basically yet another chat program but it has some advantages over other chat programs such as MSN, AIM, ICQ, etc.

Primarily you're in Chat rooms, called channels, but there are still possibilities for private messages and more advanced features such as direct connect messaging and direct connect file transfers.
A lot of TLK/KnC alliances have channels on IRC where many players use it as a critical tool of communication!
Because TLK/KnC doesn't own a server (yet/anymore), we mostly use Gamesurge as the main server. We have a big channel (tlk-news) where every moment 100 people or more talk and discuss tactics etc. The channel was made by CaseCls and TNSe has made a bot resulting in us being able to follow the battles without having to check the battle result every time.

It's highly recommended to get mIRC and chat on IRC. It's free to use, with an evaluation period of 30 days. The program will continue to function after that period ( After a couple of second u can click on continue) so basically it's free forever.

First go to www.mirc.com and download the latest version of mIRC.

Install it and run it (for people not ready to download a program yet, I offer a guide for chatting through a java program on the internet. For that check at the very bottom of this document).

Please do not go ahead of the instructions, this document will guide you through everything you need to setup and simplify your IRC experience.

Step 1: Choose your name

Before we can start with chatting, we need to configure your first mIRC settings so you can get on the network.

When you run mIRC for the first time it will automatically open up the options-window. For those of you who are click-happy and started playing before reading, you want to be in the topmost Connect category. In front of you are 4 blank boxes: Full name and Email address can be real or fake. Other users will be able to see your fullname and the name on the email address (the part before the @), so consider your privacy before entering something but you can't leave them blank.

Nickname and Alternative are important. This is the name you will use on IRC. I would recommend using something similar to your TLK/KnC name so it will be easy to identify yourself. Alternative will be used if your first choice is already in use.

Do not check the boxes for invisible mode or new server window, these are not needed.

Step 2: Server Setup

After choosing your names click on the orange sun/star looking thingy.

This will bring up the network list and subsequent server list. The Gamesurge network is a relatively big network, and if it is not included in the list, we'll have to add it.

Click Add. A new window will appear with several boxes that need to be filled in.

Description: Gamesurge
IRC Server: irc.gamesurge.net
Port(s): 6667
Group: Gamesurge
Password: Leave this blank

This part is very important! This information needs to be filled in accurately or else you won't get on the proper channels.
Double check that you have it right and then click Add.

Step 3: Connecting....please wait...

Now that Gamesurge is in your server list, select Gamesurge in the network box and click Connect to Server.

It will take a moment to connect, so be patient. You'll know you're connected when a whole bunch of text scrolls through the Status window, I'll explain the status window later, but it is the only open window besides the options window.

Once connected you are on the gamesurge IRC network and can access all channels on the network. Before we get into that though, we need to get you secured.

Note: You might want to go to another server at one point. There is a simple command for it: /server –m irc.servername.net
You do however need to know the full server name in order for this to work.
Another way to get another server is to go to file in the upper left corner, then do “recent servers” and then click on “new server window”. You will now have a blank window. Next, go to file again, then go to select server and the option window will popup. Choose a channel from the list, and if it is not in there, add it like you might have done gamesurge.

Step 4: Registering and identifying

Our first option is to register your nick. Note that this is not that important, you can do it later too. Make sure you are using the nick you want on IRC! If it is not, type /nick WhateverNickYouWant. Once your nick is what you want it to be, we need to go to the gamesurge site.
Note that spaces in your nickname are not allowed

To register, go to http://www.gamesurge.net/createaccount/. There you will see 4 blank squares.
The first is account name, this will be the name you will use to register, this does not mean that you will always have to use this name, more on that later.
Email address is obvious, confirm mail is just retyping your email address.
Then the “Word in box above” is just entering the word you will see in the “human input validation”. This seems hard, but when you are on the site, it is all obvious. After that, press “create”.
After this, you get a message saying: “Your account has been registered successfully, and an email has been sent to the address you provided.”
Next step is going to your email. You will have gotten a mail almost instantly and if not, try looking in your bulk or unwanted emails. Open the mail.

You will get 2 things:
Account name: yourname
Password: 0ugJY2cF(this is an example)

Now go back to IRC, in the open window, type /authserv auth name password

You will get this message: AuthServ- I recognize you. This means everything is going great.

Now the pass you will have gotten will suck so let's change it. In the window press: /authserv pass oldpass newpass
-AuthServ- Password changed.

Now you're all set.
Next time you log in, do /authserv auth yournickname yourpassword
If you are successful from now on every time you connect to the network you will have to tell Gamesurge/authserv that you are you by identifying yourself to him with the following command, using the same password you used to register.

/authserv auth name password

Note that the name needs to be the registered nick, wich isn't always the nick you're using.

Step 4 1/2: Intermission

Oh, before you go any further, stop by and say hi.

/join #tlk-news
/join #mtlk-news

The # symbol is important, all channels start with a #, it identifies the name as a channel and not a nick.

See you there. On the right side of the window is a list of names of other people in the channel. Don't be depressed if nobody says hi or responds to you, you'll find a lot of people that do not close mIRC and become 'Idlers'; people who are not at their PC. Hang around as long as you can, you never know what you might get involved in.

Note: you might want to be warned just in case, sometimes it can get really hard in an IRC channel, people who can't stand each other can start flaming on each other. you need to use a bit of common sense and don't take everything personally, most people are just bored.

When using the /join #channelname you can go to every channel you wish. For example you can go to the public channel of a friend or country. Remember that spaces are not allowed in the channelname.

When you are in a country on TLK, it usually has an IRC channel. So ask for the channel name or find it in Your Friends and then do /join #channelname
Sometimes it will have a password, this is no big deal, just do:
/join #channelname password
A space between the channelname and the password.

Now you're all set as semi-beginner on IRC.

Step 5: Automatic Fun

mIRC has a section in its options to run commands when you connect to any given network.

So lets open your options. You should be looking at the same connect box you were on when you connected to the network. On the left of this window you'll see several categories: ‘Connect', ‘IRC', ‘Sounds', ‘Mouse', etc. Beside each one is a + symbol. Click on the + beside ‘Connect' to expand it's subcategories. Choose Options then click on Perform.

This odd little window will be your salvation from constantly having to identify yourself and join your favourite channels. First, we have to add Gamesurge to your list of servers to use Perform on Connect commands. Click Add, scroll down the alphabetical list to Gamesurge, select it, and click Ok. In the Network box, select Gamesurge. In the big blank box below you can enter any number of commands you want done when you connect to Gamesurge.

Lets start simple, you can always go back later and add more. Use the following set of commands filling in what you need to personalize it.

/nick name - Enter your IRC name here that you'd like to use. In the odd case that you are using a different nick when you connect, it will change it for you to avoid any headaches.
/authserv auth name pass - use the password and the name you registered with
/join #tlk-news - this will join the TLK/KnC public channel

Click Ok and voila, you're done!

Another way of joining certain channels at startup is using the !uset autoinvite on command. This will only work when you are added as a user on the channel. The command will make sure that everytime you authenticate yourself chanserv will invite you to all the channels where you have set this option to on. When you have "autojoin on invite" on in your mIRC options, you'll automatically get into all the channels you want to be in. When you don't want to be autoinvited to a channel anymore use the !uset autoinvite off command to turn the option off for that channel.

Step 6: Advanced Setup

These items are optional, but still recommended if you have some time.

You can use the connect options box to connect to Gamesurge every time, or you make it as easy as two clicks.

Close your options box if it's open. Take a look at the set of buttons that are on top of your chat window(s). There's a green /a button. Click on that. Don't get all twisted at the sight of what's there...we're not going to edit anything, just add something.

First go to the Popups tab. No this isn't relative to advertisements appearing or being blocked, so take a sigh of relief.
Popups on mIRC are the list of things that appear when you right-click on things. We need to add something to the items that appear when you right-click in the status window...so go to view up at the top and select Status.

Everything in here is a bunch of geek-talk that you probably won't ever use. Those of you who don't plan on becoming advanced users can delete everything in this box without harming a thing. Whether you clear it or not, we're gonna add something to the very top (Yes, the order does matter).

Above everything add these two lines, exactly like they are here.

Connect to...
.Gamesurge:/server irc.gamesurge.net

Go ahead with confidence and click Ok.

Now head back to your status window and right click somewhere in the body of the window. You should have an option for Connect To... Below it, there should be Gamesurge. Click on Gamesurge, it will connect you to the Gamesurge IRC network without using your Connect options box.

Step 7: Channel registration and usage

If by any chance you want to make your own channel, you need to know how to register it in order to secure it. I'll show you step by step how to do it.

First thing you need to do is be sure you have a registered nick, otherwise you won't be able to register a channel. For registering a nick, go to step 4. After you're done with that, go to: www.gamesurge.net.

You need to log in to the site first with your registered nick, so go to “login” u can find it at the top right corner. You might want to tick off “remember me”, it makes you auto log in when you open the site.
Note that you should not do it on a public computer, because other people then have access to your account.

Next step is registering a channel. First go to mIRC,after connecting to gamesurge (see step 2/3/6) pick yourself a channel by doing /join #channelname.
If you are alone in the channel, and you do not see chanserv (see info 1), you can register it. Go to the site, log in and in the upper right corner press “channel registration”.
Note: you must have ops (the @ sign) in order to be able to register a channel, if you do not have that, you can not register it, do /hop to get @ if you're alone, or ask someone with @ to give you @.
You will then see 4 white boxes.
1. Channel: put the channel name in it.
Note: do not forget the # before the channe name
2. Website: (optional, I never do it and it's not necessary)
3. Brief purpose: say what your channel is for. i.e.: channel to hang out with friends etc.
4. Full description: say what your intentions are with the channel, what you're planning to do etc.
Note: the last two are intended for the gamesurge administrators, to see if you have good or bad intents with the channel, like a channel to “badmouth some ethnical group” will never be allowed.

After you filled in the nessesary fields, press submit. You will get a message saying your channel will soon be activated etc. Now wait a good 10-20 minutes and your channel will have chanserv in it and you will be ready to begin securing and modifying your channel (see step 8)
Note that you need to be authenticated with gamesurge in order to be the owner of that channel, if you do not auth(step 4), you will not be opped and won't be able to modify it.

Step 8: Channel Options

Now that you have made your own channel, you are set to modify it a bit. If you rather do it by yourself, go to http://www.gamesurge.net/commands/ and look at what you can do. If you want to read the guide, i will give you the basics.

1. Setting a topic

The topic is something everyone sees when they enter your channel. It is ment to explain to the guests what your intent is with the channel. To change it, double click on the channel window, and in “topic history”, type what your topic should be. If your happy with the chosen topic, press ok, or leave the window open and check the following options I'll explain below.

2. Security

There are a lot of ways to protect your channel. The most important one is secret. It makes your channel invisble when someone whoisses you (see info 1) and that way unwelcome guests can't come in and disturb you. Only people you give the channel to, can enter it. To set it secret: double click on the channel window and tick off the box with secret next to it.

Another way to secure it, is to set a password on the channel, that way they can only get on the channel by pressing /join #channel password. If they don't know the pass, they won't get in. To set a key/password, double click the channel window again, and next to the word “key”, type the desired password.

You can also secure it by ticking off the “invite only” box, this means that a person can only get into the channel if he/she is invited by you or another op. To invite someone use !invite name or /msg chanserv #channel invite name.
Note: If the invited people leave, they will need a new invitation to rejoin the channel time and time again.. that's why it is not recommended to put invite on, since it is not very user friendly.

Moderated is also a way to secure your channel. Moderated means only people with “voice”, “op” (see info 1) can talk in your channel. And people only get voice or op if an op gives it to them, People who are misbehaving can get silenced by moderating it and taking voice away.

The other options aren't that important and can be asked about on irc. The most important ones I have shown you.

Note: For basic commands, check (info 1)

Info 1: channel info

First of all, what I have posted here is not that important, so if you are beginner, feel free to move to the next chapter. If you are interested in what gamesurge/IRC can offer feel free to read further.

1. CHANSERV

Chanserv is a bot, provided by the server gamesurge, It makes using a channel a lot easier. It's in every channel that's registered, helps secure it and the rooms have more options. For those options read on.

2. WHOIS

Whois is a way to get information of any player that is in the room you're in. The command is /whois name and when you've typed that, you will get details on the user you whoissed.
i.e.
MP_burner is blederdebl@rebmalim.user.gamesurge * bleh
MP_burner on @#tlk.sportsbar @#TLK-News @#hail-ane +#FKAC-Beta @#caribou-clan @#Bluff-Point
MP_burner using *.GameSurge.net The GameSurge IRC Network
MP_burner is logged in as rebmalim
MP_burner End of /WHOIS list.
I will go through it step by step
1. MP_burner is blederdebl@rebmalim.user.gamesurge * bleh: this is the persons ip. If you are registered you can hide your ip, like here, but I'm not going into that now.
2. MP_burner on @#tlk.sportsbar @#TLK-News @#hail-ane +#FKAC-Beta @#caribou-clan @#Bluff-Point: This lists the channels this person is in. He's on other channels, but they are secret so I can't see them (see step 8 nr 2). The @ and + show what level he is, more on that later.
3. MP_burner is logged in as rebmalim: this is his registered name.

3. GENERAL INFO

If you see a channel you might see @, + and nothing in front of a name, this is the access they have been given. @ is highest access, and make the person able to change things in the channel, like topics or access of others. + is voice, voice is the ability to speak in a channel, even if it has been moderated (see Step 8 - security for that). Nothing is standard and means you can talk unless it has been moderated.
Note: there are different levels of operators (@) as well. But this is beyond the scope of this guide.

4. COMMANDS

Gamesurge has a wide spread of commands, but i will give the frequently used ones here.

!topic text: sets the topic of a channel (need to be op for that.)
!addpeon name: gives someone lvl 100, this means automated voice.
!clvl name number: gives someone more or less access, the numbers go from 1-500, 500 being highest access, 1 being lowest. You can only clvl people with a lower level than yourself and can only give out levels up to your level minus 1. Changing of levels is only allowed to userer with a level of 300 or more (masters)
!k name: this kicks someone out of a channel, he can however return after a kick.
!kb name: this kicks someone off a channel and bans him so he can't return.
!setinfo text: this makes you say something whenever you enter the channel you made a setinfo. You need to be lvl 100 minimum(addpeon) to be able to make a setinfo.
!op name: this makes the selected person a temporary op. After he leaves the channel the op is taken away, unlike clvl which is not temporary.
!voice name: this gives the person temporary voice.
!uset autoinvite on: will get you invited into the channel where you set this option. Each time you authenticate to ChanServ it'll invite you to all channels where you put this option to on. Can only be used if you have 100 clevel in the channel.
!users: this makes you see all the users (peoned and opped) in the active channel.

That's about it, there are more commands, you can find them on www.gamesurge.net/commands/.

Alternative 1: Online IRC

Ok, for people not ready to download a program yet, and for those not willing to read the guide right now, I'll give a quick guide to the internet based IRC. This will however only allow you on the gamesurge server.

The first thing you need to do is go to the gamesurge site: www.gamesurge.net.
Then let your mouse go over “community” then you will see a list, the second option is “chat now”, Click it.
Now just wait a few seconds, it takes a while. After that you see a java loading, again wait a few seconds.
When the loading is done, you will see a channel with some text in it, this is not important.
What you do next is, in the white box below where you can type things, to choose your name. Do this by typing /nick yournick. Your name will then change to the preferred nick.
Now let's find a channel. The command for channels is /join #channelname note that the # is nessesary and without it will not work. So first go to /join #tlk-news. Then you will be in the tlk chatroom. For problems you can always ask people there.

If the java is not working, you will have to download java. Do this at http://java.com/en/download/index.jsp.

Final note

If you are experiencing any difficulties connecting, send an email to: milamber in the TLK/KnC forum or an email to morenightwish@hotmail.com

This manual is not copyrighted. You may copy it, print it, scan it, do whatever you like with it (this however is NO toiletpaper). But i would appreciate a mentioning when posting it somewhere, a lot of work went into this.

Cool channels you might like to go to with a lot of tlk-players:
/join #mtlk-news
/join #TLK-News

If you want to get to know the wide range of gamesurge commands, www.gamesurge.net has some useful userguides.

Have fun using irc and I hope to see you all in one of the public channels.
Thx to spacecow for correcting my mistakes, they were enormous.
Thx to Twisted and rosbos for giving it a third opinion.
Thx to unknownsoldier for grammatical and spelling help.
And Thx to you for reading it.

Greets rebmalim