wrote:

we'll see if your skills are as big as your mouth (is that possible?)

I find it amazing that structured adult debate is classed as running my mouth off. I think what you mean is you do not like anybody disagreeing with you? This is a very immature attitude to have and a weakness on your part.

Let's break this down into it's component argument's and address each one individually. Maybe this way we can add some structure to this otherwise appalling debate and resolve some issue's in an organised mature fashion?

Punk Buster
(Enable or Disable)

Punk Buster offers administrator's of Quake 3 server's a feature rich set of tool's to use ranging from server administration to cheat detection, whilst there will always be new cheat's that PB cannot detect when compared to the range available it detect's most and is constantly updated to combat new ones. Using Punk Buster is like having a bank account it is always a juggling act between resource management that being the server's bandwith and hardware, versus the scale and depth you use the tool's provided. Over use versus your capability and it will be detrimental to the performance of the server and the game for the connected client's.

The overall positive role Punk Buster can play in providing a good standard of cheat detection and server management does make it worth while for the dedicated community administrator's to plough some time into researching the maximum possible use they can get out of the tool's provided whilst still maintaining playability.

Or you can take the other route and decide not to implement any Punk Buster regime at all and plough all your server resources into the game itself allowing you to have the maximum number of port's open per pox, or player slot's per game. This is ok if you want this kind of standard of online play but to have less port's / slot's per box and invest a little h/w and b/w into a well rounded set of Punk Buster check's is a far better compromise and is a far more superior way of maintaining standard's and managing server's for the community.

The Newbee Element

If the core element of administrator's that support a community used the above as a formula for setting up the bulk of community server's then the majority of server's that would be populated would be Punk Busted server's, they would be there to help and guide the player's through the easy task of updating Punk Buster. On the other hand if all they provide is server's without then they set the standard upon which new player's play.

Guides, link's to information etc it's all there available on the net for people to play using Punk Buster, this information is also extensively available for server administrator's as well.

Summary

If the main supporter's of community server's had given some consideration for the quality and standard's of online play rather than quantity then this community would be in acompletely different position. The bedrock of standard's were set by the community administrator's the help and information was there for all to use so there is, was and always will be a far greater case for having server's checked with PunkBuster. The bulk of player's are not new player's and as such are well versed in the use of PunkBuster, it's quirk's and tweak's.

It is because of all the above reason's I still stand by the fact that the key server administrator's deliberately set up from day one a less than desirable standard upon which to build a gaming community. Using tried and tested well maintained anti cheat software at the root of any community is a good standard to have and maintain. Of course it is your choice not to use it but you cannot deny that the standard's you set are sub standard and set a poor example. The overall setting of EX+ quality and standard's should radiate from here out, I should not have to be here telling you what the better standard's are.

The sad part is the server administration standard's hardly reflect the quality of the modification or the game upon which it resides.

Bullet Point's

1) The case for Punk Buster Enabled far outweighs the case for having it disabled.

2) Even Balance maintain their tried and tested anti cheat software free of charge for use by community administrator's.

3) Even Balance and Punks Busted provide a wealth of information and support for communities and players alike.

4) Punk Buster maintains a check on most cheat's, new ones are found and dealt with.

5) The current server setup and administration standard's set by the main EX+ server administrator's is less than desirable.

6) The quality and standard's presented to the community by the key player's in the EX+ world should radiate out from here as an example to the community.