This is both the forum and game FAQ.
Here are some answers to some common questions floating around the forum...

Forum FAQ:
- Q: How can I change my forum avatar?

A:Avatars in this forum are linked to a global site called gravatar.
By creating an account on Gravatar (making sure that you use the same email address as that you use on the forums), and uploading your custom avatar to their site, it should automatically synchronise the two accounts within a few seconds.

- Q: How does the text formatting work here?

A: The basic formatting information is displayed to the right of the text box you use to create a post, but here are the tags again:
Create a link: <a href="">Create a link</a>
Write some code: enclose your code within ` (commonly used for quoting other users also)
<strong>Write in bold</strong>: <strong>Write in bold</strong>
<em>Write in italics</em>: <em>Write in italics</em>
And lastly:<blockquote>Write inside a blockquote</blockquote> (this entire paragraph is in a blockquote)

- Q: My threads are being closed/posts being deleted - why?

A: Likelihood is you are breaking the forum guidelines.
These are the guidelines that both users and administrators should follow. At the end of the day, it is the admin team's discretion on whether a thread/post stays or goes (based on the guidelines).
Excessive arguing about the discretion in thread will likely provoke an admin to punish, so all complaints about such matters need to be presented and dealt with in an official manner through posting an aptly named thread in the Support forum.

- Q: How can I be a good user on the forum?

A: In one sentence: follow the forum guidelines.
In more than one sentence: keep thinking whether what you say is related to the topic and is not some junk and/or designed to provoke anyone. Keep threads as 'clean' as possible and make sure than any links to external websites are not advertising products or hacks of any kind.

- Q: How can I edit the title of my own thread?

A: Click on the 'edit' button by the original/first post you made, and change the title from there.

Game FAQ:
- Q: How can I change my ingame name?

A: Your ingame name is defined in the 'config.ini' file in your Ace of Spades installation folder.
So to change it, simply go to your Ace of Spades folder (often 'C:\Program Files\Ace of Spades'), then open the file 'config.ini'.
Inside there is the line 'name Deuce' - simply change 'Deuce' to the name that you want (remembering to keep a space between 'name' and the name you choose).

If you get permission errors, then you shall need to: copy all the contents out of 'config.ini', paste it into notepad, delete the original 'config.ini', now change your name in notepad as described above, save it onto the desktop as config.ini (remembering to make sure it's saved using 'All Files' option rather than '.txt' if using notepad), then copy/paste that desktop 'config.ini' back into your Ace of Spades folder.
Step-by-step video of this process can be found here (Thanks to Andrea for the video).

- Q: What is the purpose/goal of this game?

A: Ace of Spades is an FPS (First Person Shooter) with sandbox terrain. The goal is to capture, and return to your Command Post (marked as a team-coloured '+' on the map), the enemy Intel (marked as a square in the opposition colour).
By capturing, you increase your team's score and you receive the ability, for one minute, to see all enemy movements (as red circles on the map). You have limited ammunition on your player, but you can restock your supplies at your own Command Post.
You have two digging tools, a rifle and some grenades. The pick-axe is used to gather blocks, destroying one block at a time; the spade is used to destroy three blocks at a time (destroys the block you point at, plus the blocks immediately above and below it - useful for making tunnels).

- Q: How can I play the game on linux?

A: using WINE. Details on how to do this can be found on the Wiki.

- Q: How can I play the game on mac?

A: Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?8zhioibefcxb0ak
Unzip then right-click on the app and select "view contents" to access the config.ini file.
(Thanks goes to knottycorpse for creating the original app, and Pwaa for highlighting and updating it)

- Q: How can I remove the fog?

A: You can't, and it is considered a hack if you do so..

- Q: How can I change my controls?

A: Unforunately control-changing functionality has not been programmed into the game, however Ben Aksoy (the developer) has said that custom key bindings are on the agenda for future updates.

- Q: I cannot load client.exe, what is wrong?

A: Ace of Spades works by webpage sending information to 'client.exe' to load it automatically with the correct settings. This means that you can't just load 'client.exe', you must choose a server from the play page and let it load itself.
Currently there is no GUI (Graphical User Interface), however some members of the community have created their own alternative server browsers with nifty extra features, more notable ones being listed here.

It's back again, now tweaked for the latest version and incorporating feedback suggestions, here is the latest version of the first multiple ironsights pack. With the last pack getting into the hundreds of downloads, I figured with the new reskin update it would be only fair to update my ironsights pack and re-release it with a few tweaks and fixes. I should note that now lighting has been improved, the gun model couldn't always reflect what the light levels are at any given time, so I went with a bright finish like it has out in the open.

Each crosshair based sight now comes in two varieties: One with the crosshairs now expanded and filled out properly to avoid any jarring effect of zooming in and looking at the same sized crosshair, and one where it stays the same size.

Here is the description for the pack:

I've made a few different styled ones and have tested them out. They all work fine and will appeal to a wide range of players. Click under the names for previews.

CROSSHAIR ONLY:

Midair Hit
Wrecking Their Plans

The simplest of the lot. You get the zoom of ironsights, plus the aiming reticule from hip fire. Comes in two flavours- one with the crosshair magnified when zoomed in (so there's no mistaking it, and one where it stays the same.

BOLTLESS IRONSIGHT:

Surprise
Under Pressure

For those complaining about the bolt on the side, and the vertical line that blocks the aim from view, this slightly modified ironsight puts paid to both problems, and looks even more appropriate than ever with the new rifle design. You still have a sixth of the screen blacked out like the original. That's ironsights for you...

OLD SCHOOL SIGHTS:

No Quarter
A Close Shave

My personal favourite, this has all the features of crosshair only, but also includes the rifle pointing up from the corner. This allows for zoom without the gun wrecking your view, as seen in such pre-ironsight games as Goldeneye and Battlefield 1942. Previously modelled after the grey and brown rifle, it has been updated to reflect the new standard weapon.

Download the custom sights pack here.

Description:
Rebinds certain keys and buttons to make it easy to create simple maps in VOXED.
It's currently just a small AutoHotKey script.

Initial Feature Set:
*WASD movement (similar to in game, hold alt to access original features)
*Esc to minimize the editor, hold it down to exit
*Spray blocks with right click, hold shift at the same time to remove

Usage:
Run VOXED (Voxel Editor) and VOXED Companion at the same time and its features will be active.

Download latest version:
Source .ahk file and compiled .exe
If you're paranoid, read the .ahk file and run it yourself by installing AutoHotKey

Here is a small pack of 6 trees 4 sniper hideouts, and one called EMPTY.

The EMPTY one is what I use to start a new morel in Slab6. it is much easier than deleting that stupid default sphere before you start modeling.

For the new mappers out there, here is a fun project to get your feet wet.

Just run Aos on your own server, or on your favorite server...
Press F1 to save map file.
Open map file in voxxed, place the cursor where you want it, and press U, and load whatever prefab you want.
then press ALT-f3 and save your map!
That is it! now just package it and give to friends, or run it on your own server :)
Read the Voxxel help file for more info on placement.

It can be fun, AoS can generate random maps. So all you have to do is generate, log in , and save when you find one that looks cool.
Just adding a few trees and bases can really change the gameplay on a map.

Who knows, with just a few minutes of playing around you might design the next Pinpoint map.

http://www.alii3d.com/download/prefabs.zip

I present to you the SA80, complete with SUSAT scope in two flavours.

Model in Slab6
http://i54.tinypic.com/1f7ree.png

Ingame:
http://i53.tinypic.com/2j5xw5d.png

Simple Scope:
http://i53.tinypic.com/2uesftg.png

Complex Scope:
http://i52.tinypic.com/4pw7pv.png

______________________________
NOTE: To open the file, you need to use WinRAR/7Zip/Whatever. Installation instructions included in the folder.

Download (SA80 w/ Simple Scope):
http://www.mediafire.com/?186ryr976oo5622

Download (SA80 w/ Complex Scope):
http://www.mediafire.com/?t8grdmrmrj8cjq0

One thing I get most annoyed of is griefed-to-heck maps. People spend the time to build nice-looking, perfect maps, and yet some noob is going to run in there and mess everything up.

People build nice city maps, and after trying to join one all day, I find it nothing but colorful blocks and rubble. Many people are looking for a sanctuary where there are no griefers. How do we fight them? Votekicking hardly works.

My idea-Make a plug-in that allows custom VOXED maps that make them indestructible. That way, players can neither place, edit, nor destroy any map you create with the plugin. You can create a large, balanced map that no-one can change.

While the down-side is taking away in-game creativity, it can still make maps permanent and griefer-proof. I'd love to see this.

With the last pack getting into the hundreds of downloads, I figured with the new reskin update it would be only fair to update my ironsights pack and re-release it with a few tweaks and fixes. I should note that now lighting has been improved, the gun model couldn't always reflect what the light levels are at any given time, so I went with a bright finish like it has out in the open. Also of note are the crosshairs now expanded and filled out properly to avoid any jarring effect of zooming in and looking at the same sized crosshair.

Here is the description for the pack:

I've made a few different styled ones and have tested them out. They all work fine and will appeal to a wide range of players. Click under the names for previews.

CROSSHAIR ONLY:

Midair Hit
Wrecking Their Plans

The simplest of the lot. You get the zoom of ironsights, plus the aiming reticule from hip fire.

BOLTLESS IRONSIGHT:

Surprise
Under Pressure

For those complaining about the bolt on the side, and the vertical line that blocks the aim
from view, this slightly modified ironsight puts paid to both problems, and looks even more
appropriate than ever with the new rifle design. You still have a sixth of the screen blacked
out like the original. That's ironsights for you...

OLD SCHOOL SIGHTS:

No Quarter
A Close Shave

My personal favourite, this has all the features of crosshair only, but also includes the rifle
pointing up from the corner. This allows for zoom without the gun wrecking your view, as seen in such pre-ironsight games as Goldeneye and Battlefield 1942. Previously modelled after the grey and brown rifle, it has been updated to reflect the new standard weapon.

Download the custom sights pack here

Just read the instructions below, and you can be customizing your ironsights in less than 15 minutes. Its really easy to do, and having a personalized crosshair is way underrated:

- Go to http://www.serif.com/free-graphic-design-software/ and download the program DrawPlus. Its not a huge program so your download shouldn't take more than a few minutes.

- Open the .semi file in the Ace of Spades folder using the program.

- The gun in game is aligned along the middle of the image and about 15 pixels down from the top. Try making red dot scopes, crosshairs, or whatever you want.

- To export the file (essentially just saving it), go to File -- Export -- Export as Image. Make sure the image is 400x400 pixels, as that is the size of the original ironsights. Also, make sure to save the image as semi.png, and replace the file in the AOS folder with your new one.

- Enjoy it! It took me only about 15 minutes to get the accuracy spot on, just keep moving the center of your crosshair until you get it right.