mfrx.kicks-ass.net

So you want to run your own server? Good, read on...

(Its not finished and it may be wrong - dont blame me)

If you have a problem - post ;)

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mfrx
FierceBot Author & DMQ Addict
http://mfrx.kicks-ass.net
http://dmq.geeky.cc

Leased line is of course the best option for running a server from home, however in the UK, it will set you back 10000 pounds per year  After that, SDSL provides the best upload speeds but is still expensive (170+ pounds per month).

So for the rest of us - cable or ADSL? IMHO opion it doesnt really matter as long as its not AOL. If you have AOL and you are gaming online then unlucky you  The real choice depends on where you are - in the UK cable tends to be faster and more reliable than ADSL - in the US, I have been told the opposite is true. The best thing to do is to google alot and ask people local to you about their experiences (if you can get them to run speed tests (see below) then thats even better). My research shows that in the UK your best bet is Blueyonder or NTL for cable (depending on your area) or Nildram for ADSL.

One final note is to stay away from satellite connections - great for bandwidth but not so great for latency (or ping).

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mfrx
FierceBot Author & DMQ Addict
http://mfrx.kicks-ass.net
http://dmq.geeky.cc

If you dont already have a firewall - why not? At the very least you should have a software firewall and a hardware firewall is strongly recommended. Running a server will attract attention from the idiots of the Internet Community - make sure they cant do any damage - or at least make it hard from them

As long as you have a firewall or router - you will need to forward ports so that the outside world can see your server. If you do not know how to forward ports then read your manual or visit www.portforward.com. You will need to know your server's IP address. If you are running Windows, you can find this by clicking on "Start" and "Run..." type "cmd" and press return. Now type "ipconfig" this will print a few lines - we are only interested in the one that says "IP Address". Make a note of it (its probably somethings like 192.168.0.1).

You will need to forward port 27010 (UDP) to your server's IP - this is for Steam (which will let people see your server in various browsers). You also need to forward port 27015 (UDP) to your server's IP - this is the default port for the server.

Check out this thread if you need to configure your PC to use a static IP (or if you dont know )

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mfrx
FierceBot Author & DMQ Addict
http://mfrx.kicks-ass.net
http://dmq.geeky.cc

First point is that if you have a dialup connection - stop reading and give up on your dreams of hosting a server  Second point is to ignore your ISP. Unless you are fortunate enough to have a leased line, then the chances are that you do not have guaranteed upload and download speeds. The bandwidth available to you limits the amount of slots (players) that you can support so its quite important that you know what is actually available.

Use an online utility to check your bandwidth. If you have Java installed, you can use www.adslguide.org.uk or google for another. Keep a note of the upstream actual speed result (or the downstream if that is lower).

It is wise to check your bandwidth a few times during the day and on different days a use the lowest result. This is recommended to account for busy periods when your bandwidth will become lower.

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mfrx
FierceBot Author & DMQ Addict
http://mfrx.kicks-ass.net
http://dmq.geeky.cc

Each slot (or player) on your server will use approximately 5KB/s (40kbps) upload and download (which is why the lowest of these is the one that we are interested in).

So to find out how many slots you can have, divide your bandwidth in KB/s by 5.

As an example, if your ISP says that you have 256kbps upload then in reality that is probably 200kbps. Divide your actual bandwidth in kbps by 8 to find your bandwidth in KB/s (200/8 = 25). So following our example, you could host a 5-slot server. If you are playing on your server then you can host a 6-slot server because you wont be using any bandwidth.

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mfrx
FierceBot Author & DMQ Addict
http://mfrx.kicks-ass.net
http://dmq.geeky.cc

I dont run a linux server (yet) so I cant comment on that although Im sure that Linux will provide better performance than Windows. What I can comment on is the Windows family of Operating Systems.

Use a server OS (windows Server 200*) or Windows XP. The memory management is far superior to other members of the family.

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mfrx
FierceBot Author & DMQ Addict
http://mfrx.kicks-ass.net
http://dmq.geeky.cc

When it comes to hardware - the bigger the numbers - the better  However, DMC uses the Halflife engine which isnt really that intensive on RAM or CPU. I believe that an 8-slot server will run on a 500MHz CPU with 256MB RAM. Personally, I have run an 8-slot server on a 1.5GHz Centrino with 512MB RAM and an Athlon 2600 with 1GB RAM. Neither of these systems ever went over 5% CPU usage except for once when running a badly designed map. The most reliable server that I play on is the -=[BaF]Old Skool DMC=- UK Master server which runs on Dual Athlon MP 2100 CPUs with 3GB RAM (last time I checked).

It is possible to run a server on the same computer as you use for playing however, unless you have a very powerful computer, you will experience lag.

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mfrx
FierceBot Author & DMQ Addict
http://mfrx.kicks-ass.net
http://dmq.geeky.cc

HLDS stands for Half Life Dedicated Server. This is the program that actually runs the server. Download the installer from www.steampowered.com (look for "Windows HLDS Update Tool")

1. Save the file to "C:\DMC\" - you will need to create the directory.
2. Create another directory called "C:\DMC\Server1\"
3. Now browse to "C:\DMC\" and double click on "hldsupdatetool.exe". Click on next until it prompts for the destination folder browse to "C:\DMC\Server1\" Click on Next twice. Now choose your region and keeping clicking next until you can click on finish.
4. Open a command prompt (Start, Run, type "cmd", press return) and change directory to "C:\DMC\Server1\" (type "cd C:\DMC\Server1" and press return)
5. Now to download all the files needed to run the server type "HldsUpdateTool.exe -command update -game dmc -dir ."
   1. You may get an error such as:
   2. "Unable to update: renamed HldsUpdateTool.exe but the file is still there"
   3. I believe this is due to the way that windows locks files.
   4. The way to fix it is to rename "HldsUpdateToolNew.exe" to "HldsUpdateToolNew2.exe"
   5. Then run "HldsUpdateToolNew2.exe -command update -game dmc -dir ." 
   6. The downloading will take some time so go and make a cup of tea
   7. Once the download is complete, you should see "HLDS Installation up to date"
   8. Press return and close the command prompt.
   9. Well done, you have now installed DMC. To start your server just double click on "hlds.exe"
   10. If your server is on the same LAN as your gaming PC then you should be able to play on your server by starting DMC and clicking on the "LAN" tab. Then double click on your server to join the game
   11. Check my DMC server browser to ensure that other people can see (and join) your server. It is refreshed every 10 minutes so you may need to go for another cup of tea.

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mfrx
FierceBot Author & DMQ Addict
http://mfrx.kicks-ass.net
http://dmq.geeky.cc

1. Create a shortcut which includes some startup options (Right click on your desktop, goto "New" then click on "Shortcut").
2. Click on browse and navigate to "C:\DMC\Server1\hlds.exe". Click on OK, then "Next", type a name for the shortcut - like "Server 1337". Click on Finish.
3. Now right-click on the shortcut and click on "Properties". The target box should say "C:\DMC\Server1\hlds.exe".
4. Add the following to the target box: "-console -game DMC +port 27015 +hostname "Server 1337" +map dmc_dm2 +maxplayers 8 -autoupdate"
   1. -console ensures the the server starts in console mode - not in GUI mode (this helps reduce system resources)
   2. -game DMC tells the the to start and run DMC
   3. +port 27015 tells the server which port to use (you will need to change this if you play on the same PC as the server or if you want more than 1 server on the same computer).
   4. +hostname "Server 1337" - this is what shows up in server browsers and is the name of your server.
   5. +map dmc_dm2 this is the map that will load initially
   6. +maxplayers 8 ensures that no more than 8 people can connect to your server (adjust this according to your bandwidth)
   7. -autoupdate will try to update whenever needed
   8. The main configuration file for the server is "C:\DMC\Server1\dmc\server.cfg". Open it with notepad (or your prefered text editor) and change the line that says "hostname "Deathmatch Classic"" to "hostname "Server 1337"" (or whatever you want to call your server.
   9. "C:\DMC\Server1\dmc\motd.txt" is the message that is displayed to clients when they join your server - you may want to change this to say Hi or lay down the rules.

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mfrx
FierceBot Author & DMQ Addict
http://mfrx.kicks-ass.net
http://dmq.geeky.cc

Players get bored of standard maps (unless we are talking about CSers in which case dust seems to be enough  To add maps to your server, copy the .bsp file to the "C:\DMC\Server1\dmc\maps\" directory. Many maps have additional resources such as sounds or graphics. You can use resgen to create .res files.  Download it here: http://www.thezproject.org/projects.php?pid=2. .res files need to be placed in the "C:\DMC\Server1\dmc\maps\" directory - the purpose of .res files is to tell the server which files to supply to the client.   If you do not have .res files, your clients will probably crash - so its quite important to have them.  If you use "resgen", it can check that you have all the resources needed for a given map which will help the stability of your server.

To use resgen:

1. Download it.
2. Extract the contents of the .zip file "C:\DMC\resgen"
3. Open a command prompt (Start, Run, type "cmd", press return) and change directory to "C:\DMC\resgen\" (type "cd C:\DMC\resgen" and press return).
4. Type "resgen -d C:\DMC\Server1\dmc\maps -e C:\DMC\Server1\dmc -g -o" and press return.
1. "-d C:\DMC\Server1\dmc\maps" tells resgen to search for any maps (.bsp files) in the dmc\maps directory and to try to create .res files for them.
2. "-e C:\DMC\Server1\dmc" tells resgen where the mod is located so that is can check for all the needed resources.
3. "-g" displays the contents of generated .res files and also alerts you to missing resources.
4. "-o" overwrites any existing .res files.
5. You may use "-f C:\DMC\Server1\dmc\maps\mapname.bsp" instead of "-d C:\DMC\Server1\dmc\maps" to generate a .res file for a specific map.
6. If you use custom sounds or models on your server and want to force players to download them, you may use .rfa files - read the resgen manual.txt for information on this.

To increase client download speed:

1. Get some webspace - you will probably have to pay for this as even unpopular servers can use over 10GB transfer per month.
2. Upload your entire DMC directory to your website.
3. If you uploaded to the root of your website and your website is "mfrx.kicks-ass.net" then add "sv_downloadurl http://mfrx.kicks-ass.net/dmc/" to your server.cfg.  (No that is not the one I use, so dont try to steal my bandwidth :p).

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mfrx
FierceBot Author & DMQ Addict
http://mfrx.kicks-ass.net
http://dmq.geeky.cc

DMQ is faster, with easier movement than DMC. Read about DMQ at dmq.kicks-ass.net. DMQ also supports modes such as Arena, Duel and 2on2

To install DMQ first, download both the "Windows DMC.DLL" and "Required Files" from dmq.kicks-ass.net.

Extract the "Windows DMC.DLL" to "C:\DMC\Server1\dmc\dlls\" and the "Required Files" to "C:\DMC\Server1\"

If you want to use the same config as my server, download my mode.cfg files.

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mfrx
FierceBot Author & DMQ Addict
http://mfrx.kicks-ass.net
http://dmq.geeky.cc

Adminmod is an extremly useful tool which allows you to add fun plugins to your server aswell as kicking and banning unwanted players. Adminmod includes, and relies on, MetaMod. Between them they provide the functionallity to add fun plugins such as the ability to make players glow, bury them for being bad, add bots to your server and much more. Download Adminmod from www.adminmod.org.

Once you have downloaded AdminMod, extract the zip file to a directory.
Browse to the AdminMod directory (wherever you extracted it too) and double click on "install_admin.vbs"
Follow the installation instructions - you should get a message saying that AdminMod has been minimally installed.
Now is a good time to copy the "scripting" directory from "Adminmod" to "C:\DMC\Server1\dmc\addons\adminmod\" (this is needed to compile and install plugins at a later date).

Check out my plugins.  You will need plugin_mfrx_vote so that clients can change mode in DMQ.  plugin_mfrx_details forces clients to use detailed textures (if they can run them).

You can read how to install and use my plugins in my AdminMod and MetaMod Forum.

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mfrx
FierceBot Author & DMQ Addict
http://mfrx.kicks-ass.net
http://dmq.geeky.cc