Hit Limit
Urban Dead is configured so that only 160 hits to the main map.cgi script are allowed per day from any one IP address. This was done to prevent the server overloading as people check their characters' status without moving them, and has the side-effect of discouraging zerging. The value of 160 is chosen so that one can play up to three characters' daily AP allocation (24 hours * 2AP/hr * 3 = 144 AP) (the extra 16 hits accounting for logging in, returning from checking profiles, etc.).
Warnings are given when less than 10 hits remain for the current IP.
Players who donate to contribute towards the server cost can have the IP limit lifted for one character per US$5 donated. Donated-for characters can access the map.cgi script as often as they choose. Additionally, the hits a donated-for character makes do not count towards the hit limit for that IP. (Thus if a user plays characters A, B, and C, and A has been paid for, characters B and C have 160 hits to divide up between themselves.)
There is also a 300 hit/day limit per character which has donated, with the same 10-hit-remaining warning. This comes out to one hit every 5 minutes or so per 24 hours.
Hits include
- Any character action (including those that cost multiple AP) adds 1 hit
- Manufacturing a Revivification syringe is the sole exception to this, and counts as 20 hits
- Logging in
- Refreshing the map.cgi page
- In areas with 50 or more players, hitting [list player names] will count towards the limit since it refreshes map.cgi
Hits do not include
- anything wiki related
- Logging out
- The FAQ page
- The News page
- The Profile pages
- The skills pages
- Although for the last four, loading map.cgi when returning to game does count (Pressing the 'return to city' button)
- A simple way to avoid this is to either open these pages in new windows or tabs and closing them when finished, or to use your browser's "back" button to prevent reloading map.cgi
- Although for the last four, loading map.cgi when returning to game does count (Pressing the 'return to city' button)
Various ways of avoiding the limit exist -- switching computers, re-connecting to the Internet (for those whose ISPs allocate a new IP each time) or using proxies will all work. Proxies are recommended for those with ISPs (such as AOL) which use a narrow range of IP addresses for all their customers, and thus quickly use up their allocation on Urban Dead.
The counter is reset every night at midnight UK local time, currently GMT. UK local time moves forward one hour (British Summer Time) between the last sunday in march and the last sunday in october (will be 28 March - 31 October 2010).
