Service server
The TeamSpec service server is the online service every copy of TeamSpec connects to. It is proprietary software run by the TeamSpec team and is not distributed, so it cannot be hosted by players. Matches themselves are played on game servers (see Hosting a game and Server browser); the service server handles the parts of the game that reach across all of them.
What it does
- Matchmaking: finds you a match through Quick Play.
- Items: keeps your Inventory and the items you own.
- Trading: runs trades between players.
- Global chat: carries global chat and the online player list.
- Replays: holds replays of dedicated server matches for you to download.
- Updates: tells the game when a newer version is out.
You sign in to it through Steam automatically when the game starts. There is nothing to set up.
When it can't be reached
While the game is not connected to the service server, a red pulsing icon shows in the top left of the screen, under the logo. Hover over it to see Cannot connect to TeamSpec Service Server and, when the game knows it, the reason.
Without the service you can still play: the Server browser, hosting your own game, the Level Editor and offline play all keep working. Quick Play, global chat, the player list, trading and inventory changes wait until the connection comes back. The game keeps retrying on its own, and the icon disappears as soon as it reconnects.
Troubleshooting
Start with the reason in the icon's tooltip:
| The tooltip says | What to do |
|---|---|
| Steam could not vouch for this account | Make sure Steam is running, you are signed in, and Steam is not in offline mode. Restart Steam if it is. |
| The service turned this build away | Your copy of the game is out of date, or is a version the service no longer accepts. Update the game through Steam and restart it. |
| Can't reach the service, or it stopped answering | Check your internet connection, and that a firewall or antivirus is not blocking TeamSpec. If your connection is fine, the service may be down for maintenance; wait a few minutes. The game reconnects by itself. |
If the icon stays for a long time while everything above checks out, restart the game. If that does not help, the service is most likely having an outage; check the TeamSpec community channels for news.