Call the FBI, I can't play my game!
The actual impact of DDOSing a Rust server is very low from a law enforcement standpoint. DDOSing, say, a US government agency's website that's used for emergency coordination during a natural disaster might provoke a more severe response. (Don't DDOS FEMA, people, it's an example.)
You may have a point here, but none the less DDoSing is illegal regardless. Local authorities being alerted to the attacks being rendered can actually do something about it, and in most cases will. Rather it's a slap on the wrist or sitting in jail for a 2 days...
DDoSing is considered illegal, and therefore is punishable by law.
Yes, I know... it's hard to prove. I understand this, but the point stands.
Edited:
I had goals and aspirations to have the most popular and widely enjoyed community Rust server around. Those plans have been derailed by factors outside of my control. Those of you that have played on my server know what kind of guy I am, and know that I have done the best that I could to provide a server that players, local to Denver or not, could enjoy without having to deal with hackers, cheaters, pre-pubescent trolls, post-adolescent trolls, and others whose aim is to ruin the experience of others due to their own self-loathing and hatred. Anytime someone has logged on my server with a preexisting VAC ban on their profile that occurred within a 365-day time frame, 98% of the time, I have banned them to protect the community. I am suspicious of people who have "Private" profiles and I watch them play the game until I am satisfied their motives are not malevolent. I have watched people who are accused of hacking and made a judgment call based on how they play.
I have been fair in every assessment all to protect and preserve the community I had hoped to shape. And we were winning. And we were coming into our own. To spur growth, I made a successful bid on TopRustServers.com for the top sponsored server on the list. We peaked at 91 players out of 100 on at once between Jan 31 and Feb 2. Somewhere along the way, I must have banned someone who was capable of launching a near-continuous large scale DDoS attack on my server. (This is all, of course, according to HFB, my provider) The interruptions to my server, despite server migration, a new IP, and DDoS protection, have been numerous and catastrophic. I submitted ticket after ticket to HFB Servers in hopes to remedy this problem quickly and painlessly. The communication between us has been sparse and the few emails that I have received have been less than helpful.
During this most recent attack tonight, and after submitting 2 tickets within 24 hours with response, I sent this email to the GM of HFB:
As you can see, I was a bit upset. Shortly, and in record fashion for HFB, I got this reply:
I read that as a corporate tailored way of telling me to go fuck myself. He seems to think that I had only one or two attacks, each lasting 5-10 minutes a piece, but that was only true in the first ticket I submitted. They would last from 5-10 minutes at a time, back to back to back to back. We had maybe a few hours respite from this nonsense. And then tonight, it continued. Constant severe rubberbanding, outrageous packet loss, and a server ping well into the high 100s to mid 200s.
His response, which told me that DDoS protection is useless since when the attacks occur, your server will still experience the same effects, only it won't crash. He proceeds to qualify and value his company's research and due-diligence in protecting against these attacks by telling me they have spent well over $2000. And then goes on to tell me to hit the road if I don't like what I HAVE PAID FOR.
I started to look for other providers but then I started thinking... If I relocate, get a new IP again, and even get the best of the best DDoS protection, what's to stop the attacks from happening? Nothing. They will keep happening, more than likely. And I'll be paying every month to run a crippled server. That is bad business sense. That is bad common sense. Ultimately, it's not me that loses out on anything material. I'll regain the money that I have paid into this hobby. I paid to provide others the chance to play this incredible game and grow with it. The ones that lose in this scenario are the 150+ players that would frequent my server. Whoever this anonymous cowardly, gutless, and spineless asshole is has completely ruined it for them with his DDoS attacks. This provider, with this reply to a PAYING customer, and a seemingly complete bankruptcy of business ethics and practice based upon my experience and others, has ultimately cost the Rust community a champion for their cause. I designed and printed cardstock flyers with my server info as well as a description of how to get the game. I worked out a deal with local game shops to have Steam wallet cards attached to each of the flyers to increase attention for the game. I was even working out an event with a local gaming arena to have a dedicated Rust night and local meetup for the server regulars to continue to raise awareness.
And I did it because I believe in and enjoy this game. And when you believe in something, you get behind it. You don't half-ass it, as the provider has done. And you don't try to destroy it, as the attacker has done.
So with that, I am leaning towards shutting down my server. I tremendously appreciate all of you that have played. But ultimately, it's just not worth the headache of trying to breathe life into a black hole. Maybe I'll start back up once the game is further along...who knows? As for now, I wish you all the best of luck.
Blucifer, let me show you the response I got from FPS Players... I think you should take your business there after the response I had received whilst searching through providers.
See below:
**NOTE** I snipped part of the response. His response was incredibly professional and well done.
Let me answer these questions for you.
1.) Yes, we do have DDoS protection on our data network.
2.) No we do not charge to have files reinstalled should they become corrupted. You will be able to reinstall them from actions panel in your admin control panel if needed.
3.) No, we do not charge any additional fees for DDoS protection.
4.) No, we do not have different levels of protection all networks are equally protected from DDoS attacks. And of course we provide the maximum level of protection free of charge.
5.) We do not allow .ddl files to be uploaded through FTP, however, if you contact us we can try to accommodate you.
6.) As far as equipment we have a variety of hardware. It would be impossible to give you an accurate indication of what hardware you would be running on until we've placed you.
7.) We do allow and prefer PayPal for invoice payment.
Thanks for choosing FPSPlayers.com and happy gaming!
If you have any other inquiries, don't hesitate to contact us.
After that, they earned my business in a heartbeat. I'll be transferring to them at the end of this month and giving HFB my middle fucking finger.