Multiplayer videogames have always been very popular, and fortunately, the options and technology in place today make it quite easy for gamers to set up their own dedicated gaming servers, even if they have very little technical knowledge. Here’s one of the easiest ways to get a server set up for you and other players.
What Do You Need?
First, it’s important to make sure that you have all of the right gear and equipment for the job. This starts with a high quality PC that is running the Windows operating system. Keep in mind that the PC itself should have at least a gig or more of RAM. More is typically a better option. The graphics components for the PC are not necessarily as important, as this machine will act only as the server. The machine should be fast though, especially if you are setting up a server that has a large number of players.
Those servers that will run more than 30 players should have a minimum of 3.0GHz. For smaller games with fewer people, such as a private Minecraft server, having a bit less speed is allowable. However, since the components are relatively cheap, going faster is your best option. It will allow you to do more with and expand the server later if you find that you need to.
Since the majority of servers today will want to have remote players – players over the web – interact with it, you will need to have a dedicated line. High-speed cable connections or T1 connections are ideal for large groups of players. This helps to reduce the latency that the players experience online. For games such as first person shooters, having a low latency is essential. In those fast twitch-shooting environments, any lag is bad and will affect the outcome of the game. A lagging server and lagging players can ruin the experience.
Additionally, you will need to have game server software for the game to run, as well as game client software. Everyone who wants to play the game will need to have a copy of the game. The server will recognize that the player owns the game and will then allow them into the server.
Although it is possible to run more than one type of game on a single dedicated server, this is not generally a good idea. It can demand too much from a single machine, and the gaming experience could suffer. In the beginning, it’s always best to keep things as simple as possible, and this is possible when you are running just a single game. If you find that you enjoy the process and you like having your own server that you control, you can always expand later.
You have other options with creating a dedicated gaming server though, and these other options are typically an easier solution. Some choose to have a dedicated server machine rather than a PC playing the role of the server. This is typically the most expensive option, but it does tend to give the owner more options and power. You could also choose to have a virtual dedicated server, which is a fantastic choice. Instead of hosting the server, you would do so virtually, which can cut down on costs quite substantially.
Building the Dedicated Gaming Server
Once you have all of your hardware in place, and you’ve installed the game server software from the developer, you can get on with setting it up and getting started.
You will then be able to launch the game server through the Windows Start Menu, which will allow you to set the server up with the stipulations and options that you want, including adding passwords. Setting up the software is the most important aspect of setting up the server, and will typically take the longest amount of time simply because of the number of choices.
It’s important to note that each of the various games that people may want to build servers for, from Team Fortress to Minecraft, have different settings and options. It’s vital to learn more about the specific game server software you are using and set it up according to your preferences.
Some of these can include things such as setting the number of allowed players in a match. You can change game modes and make certain customizations to different games specifically for your server. It can also allow the owner to kick or ban certain players from the server. This can be helpful when encountering cheaters and hackers, and it allows kicks to be used to make room for VIP players, such as clan members for Battlefield or Call of Duty games.
Some of the most common configuration options through gaming server software include configuring the win limit, round limit, time per round, maps, friendly fire, idle kicks, and the like. Again, since all games are different, the exact specifications that you will be able to configure will vary.
One of the most important aspects of setting up your configurations is determining how you want people to be able to access the server. Are you going to allow for remote access of players through the Internet? This is the most common option today. However, it’s also possible to choose a LAN connection only. This is beneficial to those who are gaming in the same room. The reason that many would choose to set up a LAN system is for competitions, where everyone will be together and they want to eliminate as much of the lag as possible.
During the setup process, you will also have to create a password. Players who want to join the server will be able to utilize this password to get onto the game. Having a password protected server is very important when you are running popular games that you need to remain private and amongst only a relatively small group of players. An example would be Battlefield or Call of Duty, where the server owner only wants to allow players who are part of a clan on for practice sessions.
Check the Performance
When you first set up your server, you will likely need to go back in and reconfigure some of your settings once you see how everything is running. This allows you to fine-tune the experience for everyone. See how the server performs under high stress, which would be the maximum number of players. If you start to encounter what appears to be lag on the server, it could be because some of the players have a slow connection. This can affect the overall game play on the server, and it could cause lag for some of those players.
Getting Help
Setting up a dedicated gaming server is not overly difficult, but because of the sheer variety of games out there, and the continually improving technology, some may still find that it is more than they want to handle without help. Fortunately, a number of companies today are able to offer virtual dedicated servers, and they can help to set up the basics of the server for you.