We're creating a UK-based gaming event aimed at a passionate, PC-focused audience. The first PC Gamer Weekender will take place at the Old Truman Brewery in Brick Lane, London on the weekend of 5-6 March 2016. Earlier this year, we surveyed our Twitter followers on the type of PC gaming-based event they'd like to see, and the PC Gaming Weekender is the result of that. Here's a taste of what we're planning for this exciting event, which will host 10,000 gamers across two days.

Gaming Floor

Hardware Zone

PC Workshops

Community

Meet up with the people you play with online, or just come and say hello to people who love PC gaming as much as you. You'll also have the chance to ask the PC Gamer team of complex, handsome and intellectual experts your burning questions about PC gaming.

And more to be announced!

Tickets will be on-sale later this year, and the ticket purchase will come with a free game courtesy of great value bundle and Steam key retailer BundleStars.com. Look out for much more information on the PC Gamer Weekender on PCGamer.com soon.

For information about how to book space at the event, please email kevin.stoddart@futurenet.com.

Set up a dedicated gaming server for the most popular games

Don t let your computer s parts off the hook just because they were swapped out in an upgrade; put them back to work! Half of the top-ten most-played games on Steam come with the option to customize your entire gameplay, right up through running your own dedicated server. Are you going to sit back and play the game how somebody else envisioned it, or are you going to grab the goat by the horns, run your own server, and make it personal?

Why run the server on your LAN instead of remote hosting (rental server)?

There are many reasons why people rent a server from a remote provider; ranging from bandwidth availability, dedicated support, or even to eliminate any latency advantages between player and host.

Remote hosting can sometimes be a headache. Some server rental hosting services don t consistently update the site s server software for many days after a game update rolls out. By hosting the server yourself on a separate machine, you re able to take command and update it as soon as you like, and the cost is only in the electricity required to run the system. All you need is to save the parts you replace when you upgrade, and build a new system out of it. Sure, it may be old tech, but most dedicated servers for games don t require a lot.

What is the benefit of running your own dedicated server?

A dedicated server is often more stable than the game client itself. If something goes wrong on your gaming machine and you need to close the game or reboot your system, those that are connected to the server can still play and enjoy the game.

Remote Management (VNC)

Sometimes, the built-in server admin tools for games aren t enough. That s where remote management comes in. There are many options to remotely control the server. The most popular VNC program is TeamViewer, followed by the Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection.

For modern Windows systems, there is the option to use the free Remote Desktop Connection software from Microsoft. RDC lets you connect to another computer using login credentials as if you were physically at the computer. As reported at Windows Central (http://www.windowscentral.com/you-do-not-need-activate-windows-10), Microsoft has loosened their grip on un-activated copies of Windows 10.

To find out more about the Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection, visit Microsoft s RDC page: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/remote-desktop-connection-faq.

Voice Chat Servers

Maybe you re playing a multiplayer game that doesn t allow for private dedicated servers. Voice chat has come to be an expected feature of most multiplayer games these days, and server requirements have changed very little in the past decade. If you can stream on Twitch or even video chat on Skype, you have more than enough bandwidth for hosting a voice chat server for your guild/clan/group. Assume no greater than 64Kb/s per user connected (10 users = 640Kb/s upload needed).

Common Games

Minecraft

Obtain the server software from the official site at (http://minecraft.net/download). This program will create additional files and folders in the location that you run it from. It is advised to run it from a new folder (e.g., D:\Minecraft Server\)

When you first run the server, it will create the following: /logs/, eula.txt, and server.properties. Open eula.txt, read it (if you wish), then change the last string from eula=false to eula=true, and save it.

Run the server again and the rest of the server files will be generated.

Edit server.properties using a text editor such as notepad, and make any changes you need. For a full list of what each property does, visit the wiki: http://minecraft.gamepedia.com/Server.properties

Note/change the port setting for router config: server-port=25565 (default line 11).

Steam-based games

Check if the game you want to host is on the list of dedicated servers on Steam: https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Dedicated_Servers_List.

This list will provide information on whether you can obtain the dedicated server software by using the SteamCMD program, or from the Steam Client. It will also indicate if the game allows for anonymous login or if you have to purchase the game in order to access the dedicated server software.

SteamCMD

SteamCMD is a command line program that allows you to install software such as dedicated servers without the need to install the Steam Client (https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/SteamCMD).

Use of SteamCMD assumes that you know the app ID of the program you wish to download or update.

The easiest way to use SteamCMD to install your dedicated server is to use SteamCMD-GUI (https://github.com/DioJoestar/SteamCMD-GUI/releases). This program allows you to select all of the desired variables and then install in one click. It even allows for running most Source servers. Usage of the SteamCMD-GUI tool is fairly straightforward. You will need to install the SteamCMD program separately before use; there is a quick button in the GUI tool to do this.

For Steam games with dedicated server software that does not have its own independent app ID, check in the game s installation directory: (SteamInstall or SteamLibrary)\SteamApps\common\(Game Name)\ or at the game s website or wiki.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Acquisition: SteamCMD only, Anonymous-allowed. App ID: 740. Installation over SteamCMD-GUI works well, but running the server will require that you become acquainted with the intricacies of the Source Dedicated Server Software (srcds.exe), which runs all Source engine servers.

For CS:GO Dedicated Server beginners, the pyr0s-csgo-server-launcher (http://code.google.com/p/pyr0s-csgo-server-launcher/) batch file mostly automates the server configuration and launch, making it easy to step into running your own CS:GO server.

If you want to further customize your server, we recommend reading further on CS:GO Dedicated Server configuration at the Valve Developer wiki (https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Counter-Strike:_Global_Offensive_Dedicated_Servers).

ARK: Survival Evolved

Acquisition: SteamCMD and Steam Client. App ID: 376030 (note: this is not listed on the DS list page). All other guides will say to download app ID 346110, which requires steam login on SteamCMD and game purchase.

This server is best managed using the free Ark Server Manager (http://forum.arkservermanager.com/). This program will manage just about every aspect of the server, including SteamCMD installation and updates. Ark Server Manager uses the 376030 ID, meaning that you do not need to worry about entering your logic credentials to a third-party program. If you do not wish to use a GUI to run the server, the unofficial wiki for the game provides the best information on how to set up the server manually at http://ark-survival-evolved.wikia.com/wiki/Dedicated_Server_Setup.

This server does use a relatively high amount of resources.

Team Fortress 2

Acquisition: SteamCMD Only. App ID: 232250. As a Source game, the configuration is similar to CS:GO; support is more limited, though. We recommend that users new to running a TF2 server visit the wiki page to get started quickly. Unlike CS:GO, this server is a breeze to run from the SteamCMD-GUI program, as the majority of settings that you will want to modify will be located in the server.cfg file (you will need to create this file in the \tf\cfg\ folder in the TF2-DS installation. An easy-start example of this file is listed on the wiki: https://wiki.teamfortress.com/wiki/Dedicated_server_configuration#Example_Server.cfg_for_TF2_dedicated_server ).

Space Engineers

SteamCMD, Steam Client, Automatically downloaded with game client to \DedicatedServer(64) and in .zip form in \Tools\ App ID: 298740.

Launch SpaceEngineersDedicated.exe as Administrator (or just click the [Run as Admin!] Button inside the program) from the folder that best fits your system: DedicatedServer for x86 or DedicatedServer64 for 64bit.

If you want to run the server strictly in console mode only, then select Local / Console and [Continue to server configuration]. This will let you set up the server parameters just as you would in the client, but with a few more fancy tricks.

If you want to launch the server as a system service with the configuration window open (not required for server to start or stay running), then click [Add new instance] and give a name to the service so that you can recognize it. If you run a new service instance, it will automatically configure to run when windows starts. You can add many services; each is able to control many different world saves and settings.

Terraria

No separate App ID; automatically downloaded with the game client. You can obtain the server software from the developers without downloading the game, as well as a third-party GUI tool for the server—visit the official Terraria Wiki Server page for more information: http://terraria.gamepedia.com/Server.

Terraria App ID: 105600—requires SteamCMD login to download.

Make sure you install the prerequisite software: XNA Framework 4.0 and .NET 4.0 Framework (Win10 needs only XNA).

Edit the serverconfig.txt to your liking and run start-server.bat; the server program is very straightforward and easy to use for anyone who has played the game.

For a dedicated server on a separate machine, it is advised to ignore the steam launch option for this game, as it will only work if TerrariaServer.exe is launched via Steam Client (uses the Join Game function from user interactions to bypass port forwarding).

Router Configuration

Port Forwarding

If you aren t familiar with port forwarding, or have questions regarding setting up port forwarding on your router, find specific information for your setup at http://portforward.com.

Default ports:

Teamspeak: UDP in (voice) 9987, TCP in (file transfer) 30033, TCP in (serverquery) 10011, TCP in (TSDNS) 41144.

Source Dedicated Servers (CS:GO, TF2, etc.): 27015 (TCP/UDP), 27020 (UDP) Note: add in any other ports you may use for additional servers (e.g., 27015 for CS:GO, 27016 for TF2, etc.)

Terraria: 7777

ARK: Survival Evolved: 7777, 27015, 32330

If your router supports dynamic DNS, it is advised to set that up. If not, there are alternative methods.

Dynamic DNS (DDNS)—hosting your dynamic IP at a domain name

Instead of handing out your IP address to friends, give them an easy-to-remember domain name built to always correctly point to your IP address. Most games allow for domain name connections instead of IP addresses.

Dyn (formerly DynDNS) shut down free services in 2014, leaving many home users to go find a new provider. Luckily, many other companies have stepped up to the plate to welcome those looking for a free, simple Dynamic DNS service for their projects. Some modern routers even come with an account to their proprietary DDNS hosting that you configure on your router directly.

Here s a short list of free services that you can use for your home server:

FreeDNS (https://freedns.afraid.org/)

DtDNS (https://www.dtdns.com/)

DuckDNS (http://duckdns.org/)

No-IP (https://www.noip.com/)

EntryDNS (https://entrydns.net/)

Get Building!

Many of us upgrade our computers and wonder what to do with the parts that we just replaced. It s very often the case that those parts end up collecting dust on a shelf or in a box. It s time to put them to good use by turning them into another rig. If you've ever had other people connect to you to play a game, you've hosted a server. Using dedicated server software on a remote machine is just the same, except that you're freeing up system resources.

A week after confirmation that Rocket League will get special Chivalry: Medieval Warfare flags and decals, comes news that Payday 2 will get a similar (though more substantial) crossover. Dubbed the Gage Chivalry Pack, the $4.99 DLC adds all manner of medieval weaponry to Payday 2, which is great, because now you can shiv robbers with swords instead of, you know, shooting them.

Available on September 10,  the video above features cops and robbers smited by swords, shields, spears, crossbows and maces. More definitively, you get three ranged weapons, one throwing weapon, four melee weapons and masks, as well as new achievements, patterns and materials. Why not, I guess.

There was a bit of consternation in the lead up to Dark Souls 2 concerning fast-travel: some were annoyed that it would be available at the beginning of the game. I think it worked well for Drangleic's more sprawling, less compact map layout, but many (let me stress many) disagree. So it's interesting that designer Hidetaka Miyazaki has confirmed that fast travel will work similarly in Dark Souls 3.

Game Informer got the scoop on several new Dark Souls 3 tidbits. Miyazaki also confirmed that weapon durability will be tweaked again, as he believes there's probably a nice middleground between the systems found in Dark Souls and its sequel. Meanwhile, summoning and invasions will work the same as in DS2 (ie, the series won't be inheriting Bloodborne's bell mechanics), though match-ups won't be determined by Soul Memory anymore, but rather Soul Level. It worked that way in the original Dark Souls, and is arguably better and fairer.

Elsewhere, NG+ will mirror the more substantial additions and changes seen in DS2, while hidden walls will need to be hit with a weapon rather than triggered with an interaction button. There are more details over here. None of them are gamechanging, but if you're a Souls fan they'll probably matter to you.

Wes got his hands on the Dark Souls 3 Gamescom build last month. "I can t say that Dark Souls 3 felt new and exciting, but I can imagine some small tweaks to the formula pulling me into this one for another hundred hours next year," he wrote.

The announcement of the Star Wars Battlefront beta that's coming in October also included a mention of a new game mode called Drop Zone, and a promise to reveal more about it in the future. And the future, as the saying goes, is now.

Drop Zone is similar to a King of the Hill mode, in which teams do battle to capture a control point and then defend it from their enemies. But the control points in Drop Zone are pods that fall from the sky, and the trick is that teams won't know where they'll be until they land. EA said the mode "is all about action and quick thinking": Pods must be defended, but teams who stick to them too tightly risk getting hammered by an Orbital Strike.

"This goes hand in hand with our design philosophy behind many of the game modes in Star Wars Battlefront," Lead Level Designer Dennis Br nnvall said. "We re promoting the idea of a fast, action-packed game where you need to be mobile and think on your feet. Camping doesn't really pay off."

Victory will go to whichever team captures five pods, or controls the most when the ten-minute time limit is up. The process of claiming them is brief, but if neither team is able to hold one long enough to get the job done, another pod will drop, giving them something else to fight over (and presumably breaking the stalemate). Once captured, pods will open up to provide "Power Pickups" to the team that claimed them, but again, there's an element of risk: While you're waiting around for one to open, other pods, possibly containing better stuff, will still be dropping.

Star Wars Battlefront is set to come out on November 17.

"The world is breaking." These words, uttered by a heart-achingly weary voice, haunted my every moment in The Banner Saga 2. Even with the thunderous roar of PAX Prime raging in the background, I felt completely absorbed by the bitter struggle playing out on the monitor before me. The Banner Saga 2 might be a direct continuation of the story told from the first game, but it also presents a refined version of the same turn-based combat and caravan management elements. Though it will take more time to know for sure, there were few complaints that I had from the first game that weren't addressed in some form by my short tour through this bleak and savage land.

The demo I played picks up only weeks after the events of the first game. If you've never played The Banner Saga, I strongly suggest doing so before venturing into its sequel because it was clear how much of its narrative hinges on the events and choices of the first game. While I'll avoid spoiling the finer details of the story, the general gist is that the world is quickly approaching its end. A black tide of monsters called Dredge have come pouring out of the north, washing over the human and giant-like Varl settlements, pushing those who refuse to fight and die further south. Meanwhile, cataclysmic events continue to shake the world, making the journey of The Banner Saga's heroes even more dire.

The first game, while gorgeous and memorable, was spoiled somewhat by a rather shallow combat system that often felt repetitive. The team at Stoic seem keen to show that they have been listening to player feedback because each of the fights I encountered during my time with the demo introduced more and more new features into the combat.

The biggest addition is several new enemy types. While I was only shown a few, with the promise of more appearing in the final game, each of them had a significant impact on the turn-based combat. In one battle, dog-like Skulkers swept in from my flanks, howling before turning invisible to prepare for painful surprise attacks. During that fight, more and more monsters continued to arrive to battle until the odds were hopelessly out of my favor. That's when The Banner Saga 2 sprung one of its new surprises: altered victory conditions.

Battles in the first game were primarily a "kill everything in sight" affair, but The Banner Saga 2 aims to cultivate tension and develop the story during combat. When a new type of Dredge shambled out onto the field, the terms for winning shifted to killing that new target to cause the others to flee. As more and more Dredge continued to flood the screen, my desperate bid to slay the leader before being overwhelmed became a lip-biting gambit.

Additional enemies aren't only one way Stoic is looking to improve battles. Destructible objects have been added, which adds a new layer to maneuvering your heroes and funneling enemies. There is also a much greater level of narrative scripting taking place, blurring the lines that separated the first game's story and combat. These moments are often influenced by choices you made before the fight, and watching them play out—often helpless to prevent them—was always painful. During the against-all-odds fight with the Dredge, a choice I had made earlier in an attempt to give me an edge resulted in the death of a named character. Despite the fact that I had only been playing for half an hour, I felt gutted.

The Banner Saga 2, like the first, is one of the most beautiful games I have ever played, and its adherence to an aging animated aesthetic gives its world a sense of timelessness. It's apparent that Stoic isn't merely content to continue the epic story but is also working hard to address the issues that marred the first game. While the story undoubtedly carried the original, The Banner Saga 2's improved combat already seems to be giving it a run for its money.

It's not quite as lucrative as some of top tier esports tournaments, but the makers of the old-time RTS Grey Goo are holding a series of tournaments that will culminate in a championship showdown at PAX South, with a $75,000 prize pool up for grabs.

A "preliminary open tournament" is already underway, pitting registered participants against one another in ranked online matches to earn position on the 1v1 leaderboard, which was reset on September 3. The top 16 players will be invited to take part in the first qualifying event, set for September 26, with the next four locked in as alternates. The preliminary tournament will continue through the following two qualifiers, being held on October 24 and November 21, so anyone who didn't make the cut the first time around can continue fighting for admission.

The top four finishers at each qualifier, as well as eight wild card qualifiers, will be invited to throw down for all the marbles in San Antonio, Texas, the location of PAX South, which runs from January 29-31, 2016. First place prize at the main event is $10,000, followed by $5000 for second, $2500 for third, and $1500 for fourth; the top four finishers in each qualifier will also earn prizes from $200 to $1000. In a nice touch, competitors' travel and lodging costs will be covered by Grey Goo publisher Grey Box and interactive production company Six Foot.

Ten large may be relative peanuts when compared to the $6.6 million earned by the winners [no spoilers!] of The International 2015, but—and I say this with all due respect—I imagine the competition isn't quite as stiff as it is in more established esports, either. And since all pre-PAX qualifiers are being held online, it's not like you've got anything to lose, right? Details, rules, and a signup link for the Grey Goo Tournament Series are up now at greygoo.com.

Even the game s staunchest defenders, whom I count myself amongst, are happy to admit that high level Hearthstone is a bit of a weird thing, given how big a part luck has to play. Whether it s the order your deck is drawn, or the RNG effects integral to cards like Unstable Portal and Ram Wrangler, the result is that the most skilled player often won t win. And when you see moments like this in the final of a major tournament, the inevitable response from chat is to spam esports! and casinostone in recognition that real winner was randomness.

(For what it s worth, I think that if you put Deathlord in your deck, this is the exact risk you know you re running, so there s little point complaining when the worst case scenario comes to pass.)

But you also get games like the one I ve embedded above, which took place this weekend as part of the North American Last Call qualifying tournament for this year s BlizzCon, where a $250,000 prize pool will be up for grabs. It s a Mage mirror match between Andrey Reynad Yanunk, founder of team Tempo Storm, salt lord, and occasional PC Gamer contributor, against the less well known Rage.

Whilst Reynad was running a fairly standard Freeze Mage list, which relies on stalling out the game until lethal damage can be administered by a barrage of burn spells, Rage s deck was an Echo Giants build, (including the new Frost Giants which get cheaper the more you use your hero power), which aims to win the game by spamming cheap 8/8 minions. Both strategies depend on the game going long, and it did—with the players drawing their entire decks as it went to the wire.

What makes the match a brilliant watch are the mindgames as it gradually dawns on Reynad that he s not facing another Freeze variant, followed by the mental gymnastics from both players as they try to calculate the likely fatigue damage and play around what cards each other might still be holding. Interestingly, the game doesn t turn on big RNG swings, and is instead decided by careful piloting of the matchup and some pretty complicated maths. On several turns, the correct play is to play nothing at all. This tweet from one of Blizzard's watching community managers sums it up perfectly...

Trying to understand that last match between @TempoReynad and @rage_hs #RoadtoBlizzCon pic.twitter.com/8Uu4RPT4Bp

— Whirthun (@CM_Whirthun) September 6, 2015

Obviously none of this means that plenty of Hearthstone games aren t decided by big RNG swings, but I think a game like this one shows how deep the thought involved in Hearthstone can be, and goes some way to explaining why the competitive scene continues to grow explosively. It s also worth noting that the play calling from Frodan and current BlizzCon champion Firebat was brilliant throughout, keeping viewers up to speed with the decisions the players were wrestling with. GGs to all involved.

The ability for mobile gamers to team up and build to their heart s content in a single Minecraft: Pocket Edition map has been around for a while. However, now owners of the Windows 10 Edition Beta of Minecraft can jump into the multiplayer fun as well, presumably bringing Android, iOS, Windows Phone, and Windows 10 customers together in a virtual world for the first time.

The news arrives via Xbox Wire, which reports that the v0.12.1 update will open the world up to five players on a smartphone, tablet, or desktop. There's a catch, however: These players must be on the same local network. The report also states that the update will allow Windows 10 Edition Beta players to team up with four other Windows 10 customers via Xbox Live.

According to the report, the mobile version of Minecraft will have better touch controls, updated controller support, and an updated controller mapping screen. The mobile apps will even get the enhanced weather effects that made their debut in the Windows 10 version, such as directional rain and snow accumulation.

In addition to plenty of new goodies to build and potions to brew, you ll now be able to encounter golems and ocelots, and even explore the Nether. Finally, this update brings the ability to sneak and sprint in Pocket Edition, the report states.

Back in July, Mojang and Microsoft announced that the Windows 10 version of Minecraft can be acquired for free. The catch is that customers will need to have already purchased the Java-based version on the PC or Mac platforms. To install the game, customers must first log into their Minecraft account, hit the redeem button, and then sign into their Microsoft account.

Microsoft purchased Minecraft developer Mojang back in September 2014. The studio said that owner and founder Markus Notch Persson was the majority stock owner and didn t want to own a company of such global significance.

Over the past few years he s made attempts to work on smaller projects, but the pressure of owning Minecraft became too much for him to handle, the studio said at the time. The only option was to sell Mojang. He ll continue to do cool stuff though. Don t worry about that.

The Windows 10 version of Minecraft launched on July 29, the same day Windows 10 was made available to the general public. The Pocket Edition first made its debut on Android with support for Sony s short-lived Xperia Play gaming phone back in October 2011.