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Server info...

Want help in running a persistent server? Want to setup a gaming session? Look no further!

Post Sat Feb 08, 2003 2:34 am

Server info...

FYI, the game comes equiped with two seperate pieces of installs. One for a client, one for a server. You can choose to install one or both from the get go. Running both on a normal system does take up a lot of bandwidth and is not recommended by me or Digital Anvil for that matter. The best case scenerio is to have a stand alone computer running only the server software on a large pipeline. If you want to play on your own server, then try do so from another networked computer via LAN (if you have the resources). I played both on mine and it did okay, but it wasn't the best of perofrmances. When I didn't run the server software and connected to another server, it was very smooth going.

The server software by default will connect to a global server that holds all the other server from around the world. These servers will list such things as IP's / names / ping times / a "visited" column / Other (for whether the server admin has turned on player killing or protected with a password.).

Server Admins have the rights to kick and / or ban people from their server. They can type in server messages you can see before you connect and seperate "news" you see once you make a connection. Generally, these two places will indicate where the server might be located and what the system specks are for the server. But this is completely up to the server admin what is in there. Server admins can also speak directly with players/ systems / the whole univerese. Suggstion, if you see a message pop up from the CONSOLE, best acknowldge it!! This can be done by hitting the "Y" and then arrow up until you see CONSOLE. I've never been able to initate a conversation with a CONSOLE, it was always me getting pinged first.

Multiplayer server stability can vary widely from one to the other in regards to performance. Factors such as distances from you and real pipeline bandwidth used are the biggest factors. Some might be running through firewalls, some may not. Firewalls don't prevent people from connecting to a server, they actually provide the portal so the can. Not required on all systems!! I ran mine with very little custom confuration needed, but without my firewall, I could not connect to the global server. NAT's seems to dictate that issue.

Servers can be connected via directly link if an IP is published somewhere. this is problematic on systems that do not have static IP's of course. Roaming IP's are not conducive to having a lot of people on all the time if the server dumps. The global server does go down from time to time and connecting via direct IP is the solution.

I made add more info to this later. Enjoy.

Post Sat Feb 08, 2003 2:56 am

Sweet! Thanks for the info stinger!

Post Sat Feb 08, 2003 11:25 am

Does it have a in-game browser or must we connect via GameSpy Arcade?
Stinger, I don't know on what server are you planning to run, that is TLR only or a public server. Can you enlighten us?

Post Sat Feb 08, 2003 12:19 pm

It has an ingame browser

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United SL Modelers¸
Administrator for World Of Gamers
Webmaster for Red Faction World

Post Sat Feb 08, 2003 12:25 pm

Kinda like BF1942 right?
I remember a screen from the beta that showed the ingame browser, dont know where.

Also, do I have to install the server version when the only time I want to create a game is when I play a little one on one with my brother on our home LAN ?
I cant run a server online because my connection is way too slow.

Post Sat Feb 08, 2003 11:16 pm

@Stinger
I am sitting behind a Router. Do you know if any ports need to be forwarded if I just play as a client? (If that is the case what ports will that be?)

Post Sat Feb 08, 2003 11:51 pm

@Peet-Air

That's a good question. We never tried that in testing. Chances are you'll still need to run the server on one machine or the other, but you can make it not connect to the internet and essentially run it as a LAN connection. That many of us did.

@Thelamon

This can be dicey sometimes. Some people have no problems with using routers. some do. It has to do explicitly with the factors involved with the way you connect. Not everyon utulizes the same exact protocol to connect to the internet. We may have to see when it comes out to really troubleshoot that issue. There is some excellent information in the manual on configuring MP connections. Hopefully, that will answer the majority of the techncial side of things. If not, I'm not going any where soon and will do whatever it takes to get you or anyone else on-screen with the rest of us. The more the merrier I always say and leave no one behind.

Post Sun Feb 09, 2003 2:00 am

I tested the beta on a friends pc who was behind a router, we made no settings and FL got the list server in just a few seconds, so in theory there should be no problems.

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United SL Modelers¸
Administrator for World Of Gamers
Webmaster for Red Faction World

Post Sun Feb 09, 2003 8:38 am

but it would all depend on the router... some of them have no built in firewall.. some have weak firewalls... and some have very strict firewalls.
it will come down to firewall settings and the ability to configure them

...Just a random thought from a random mind

Post Sun Feb 09, 2003 1:05 pm

There should be only 2 ports that need to be opened in your firewall for FL, ask Sting for the ports i cant remember them

-----------------------

United SL Modelers¸
Administrator for World Of Gamers
Webmaster for Red Faction World

Post Mon Feb 10, 2003 6:51 pm

This isn't good news to me...

What your saying is tthat when running a server it's not recomended that i play on it?

That puts a new wrinkle on it...Well, i don't mind running when i'm not there.
It would be nice to do both though...I'll definetly check it out.



I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the darkness at Tan Hauser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time like tears in rain. Time to die.

Post Mon Feb 10, 2003 7:10 pm

Generally speaking, if I were running my server and I used the client software to connect to a different server than my own, things were just fine on both mine and my playability on the other server. If I connected to my own, then lag was experienced by all.

Nature of the beast. I plan to not play very much on my own server during the "hot times." I'll play on another one to afford people the luxury of reduced lag when they're connecting to mine.

Post Tue Feb 11, 2003 9:24 pm

I have a very lightly loaded (virtually no load nights and weekends) T-1 line on which to hang a dedicated, 24/7 server. The machine I have available for this duty is a P3-800 w/512MB of RAM. I will upgrade the box if necessary, but would prefer not to if it isn't.

Is there any information available yet on the processing power needed at the server end? For most games it is usually less than that required by the client machines since the graphics processsing overhead is removed. Any advance information would be appreciated as I would like to have the server ready to roll when Freelancer hits the shelves!

SkyRipper

Post Tue Feb 11, 2003 9:38 pm

Are you asking for minimum specks? Sound to me like your computer hardware would be just fine to run the server software. T1 line huh...I think I like you being part of the fmaily already!

If you have any specific concerns about expected load, email me if you wish or post your questions here and I'm sure if I can't answer them...someone can.

Post Wed Feb 12, 2003 12:49 am

Thanks for the information, StingerI I'll set it up as it is when the time comes and see how it works, then. I can always upgrade later, if appears the processor isn't up to the task.

Having the T-1 is great for gaming servers. It simply handles the email and FTP duties at my 12 person office, so it's loafing most of the time.

The sad part is that I have to use a Dialup at home. The backwoods town I live in has no DSL or Cable Modem available now or in the near future. Maybe I'll set up Freelancer on my office workstation (not the machine the server will run on) and at least hook in to the servers via the T-1 now and then to see what a FAST connect is like.

I do have one other question. Is the CD required to be in the drive for a dedicated server to run? This has been the case with some Microsoft products (notably the Mechwarrior series) and is real pain when you want to run a server remotely like I do, and still be able to play at home.

Like many others here, I am a huge Privateer fan and have been waiting a long time for this release. It's going to be a tough month of waiting! I look forward to getting to know the folks here at the Reactor in the meantime.

SkyRipper

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