Dedicated Servers - Setting up a Dedicated Server

BIA EIB SDK Documentation Volume

Dedicated Servers

Table of Contents

BIA EIB SDK Documentation Volume 3

Table of Contents

Introduction 

Setting up a Dedicated Server

Server Options 

Creating a batch file to run a Dedicated Server

DefMPMaps.* localized map list

Web Based Admin for Dedicated Servers

Known Issues 

Introduction

Dedicated Server is a new feature to Brothers in Arms, which is being provided to support mod-makers. This feature is currently BETA and therefore this feature is provided as-is for the benefit of mod-makers. Questions and concerns for this feature should be directed to the Gearbox Software SDK Forum.

Setting up a Dedicated Server

The dedicated server in Brothers in Arms is run via UCC commandlet called 'ServerCommandlet'. You run the dedicated server by changing to the Brothers in Arms System folder and specifying the argument 'server' to ucc.exe, in the following way:

UCC server <url> <-option> <-option> <-option>

Replace <url> with the URL line for the map that you want to start with.

For example:

MP_Warehouse?game=gbxGameplay.WargameMultiplayer?WasInvited=true?MaxPlayers=4?ServerName=MyServer?Password=secret?SystemLink

The map name appears first, followed by any optional URL arguments (pre-pended with a question-mark (?) character).

The '?SystemLink' option runs the server as a LAN server (no internet connections allowed).

The '?Password=' option will require the player connecting to the server to provide the server password. If no password is desired, simply leave off this URL option.

Server Options

The <-option> part of the 'UCC server' command can contain optional command line switches.

Some options are:

-ini=BiA_Server.ini

This will use the .ini file BiA_Server.ini instead of the game default BiA.ini file. If you use this option, you should copy Default.ini to BiA_Server.ini before running the dedicated server.

-log=server.log

This sends all log file output to the specified file name.

Specifying a '-ini=' option allows you to create a .ini file that is specifically geared to the dedicated server and will NOT be overwritten by the Profile folder .ini files.

-log=

This option allows you to run the dedicated server AND the client on the same machine and not have the output of one overwrite the output of the other.

Creating a batch file to run a Dedicated Server

You may want to create a .bat batch file that you can use to run the Dedicated Server.

For example:

@echo off

UCC server MP_Ambush?game=gbxGameplay.WargameMultiplayer?WasInvited=true?maxplayers=2?ServerName=GearboxDedicated -ini=BiA_Server.ini -log=server.log
copy server.log servercrash.log
goto 10

When the Dedicated Server is started, it will wait for the full number of players to join the lobby and be ready (i.e. selected a Fire or Assault team). Once all players are ready, the game will automatically start (with the standard 5 second countdown timer). If you start up a Dedicated Server with MaxPlayers=2, the server will wait for exactly 2 players to join and be ready. If you start a dedicated server with MaxPlayers=4, the server will wait for exactly 4 players to join and be ready (i.e. you can't start the game with only 3 players).

When the mission is over (one team completes the mission or the time limit expires), the Dedicated Server will automatically switch to the next map (after the timeout at the end of the After Action Report screen).

Currently the only way to specify which maps you want to run on the Dedicated Server is to edit the DefMPMaps.int file found in the Brothers in Arms System folder (note, for localized builds, this file will be DefMPMaps.est, DefMPMaps.det, DefMPMaps.frt, or DefMPMaps.itt). Just remove the lines for the map names that you do NOT want to run.

For example, to have the Dedicated Server only run the MP_Ambush and MP_Codebook map, you would have the following in that file:

[Public]
MPMissions Map='MP_Ambush',Id=1,Name='Ambush',NameLong='Ambush at Anterbien',Image='t_interface_mb.chaper_preview.mp_ambush',Briefing=' The American soldiers are trying to deliver orders to a convoy waiting on the far side of the village.| German troops have set up an Ambush to stop them.')
MPMissions=(Map='MP_Codebook',Id=5,Name='Dawn',NameLong='Etienville Dawn',Image='t_interface_mb.chaper_preview.mp_codebook',Briefing=' American troops have discovered a valuable German codebook in the town of Etienville.| The Germans must prevent the Americans from taking it and attempt to recover the codebook themselves.')

DefMPMaps.* localized map list

The DefMPMaps.* file as described above contains a list of all the multiplayer maps included with BIA: EIB. Although you may need to modify this file, you should ALWAYS back this file up before doing so. Trying to play a normal game with modified version of these files may cause the inability to connect to MP games.

Additionally, some of the MP map file names are different from their displayed names in the MP Lobby. To help you configure your servers, the following list is provided to identify the MP maps.

Web Based Admin for Dedicated Servers

You should create a custom BiA.ini file to use with your Dedicated Server. Copy the Default.ini file in the Brothers in Arms System folder and name the new file BiA_Server.ini, then use the '-ini=BiA_Server.ini' command line option when starting the Dedicated Server.

In your BiA_Server.ini file, search for the following line in the section: [Engine.GameEngine]

;ServerActors=UWeb.WebServer

Uncomment that line by removing the semicolon (;) character.

Then search for the following line in the section:

[UWeb.WebServer]

bEnabled=False

Change this to: bEnabled=True

This will start up the dedicated server Web based Admin feature.

It is also recommended that you change the Admin name and password.

To do this search for the following line in the section:

[UWeb.SimpleAdmin]

AdminName='Admin'
AdminPassword='secret'

Replace 'Admin' with the user name you wish to use, and 'secret' with the new password you will use.

Note: AdminName and AdminPassword are CASE SENSITIVE which means that you must enter the username and password with the same uppercase and lowercase letters as you have stored in the .ini file.

If you already have a web server running on port 80 of your dedicated server machine, you can change the port number that the HTTP Web based Admin service will use. You can do this by adding a 'ListenPort=' line below all the other lines in the [UWeb.WebServer] section.

For example, to have the Web based Admin service to listen on port 90, you would do the following:

[UWeb.WebServer
Applications[0]='UWeb.SimpleAdmin'
ApplicationPaths[0]='/Admin'
DefaultApplication=0
bEnabled=True
ListenPort=90

Save the BiA_Server.ini file and start up the dedicated server. Once the server is up and running, you should be able to log in to the Web based Admin service by using an internet web browser to connect to your server's IP address (if you have specified a 'ListenPort', be sure to append the port number with a colon after the IP address, like this: https://127.0.0.1:90).

You should get a window asking for the Admin name and password. Once you have entered the correct Admin name and password, you will see a simple interface showing the name of the server, how many players are currently on the server. If you want to kick a player off the server, there's a simple interface that allows you to select a player and then kick them from the server. There's also a simple interface that allows you to select a map to switch to if you want to change maps.

There is also a feature that allows you to broadcast a text message to all players on the server to alert them if you are going to switch maps or shut the server down (currently this broadcast message only works WHILE the game is being played, not while people are waiting in the lobby for the game to start or waiting in the After Action screen waiting for the next map to start).

The Web based Admin feature is VERY bare bones currently. There isn't any way to have multiple Admins each with their own AdminName and AdminPassword. There isn't any way to ban someone from the server.

Some of these features may be added at a later date.

Known Issues

It should be noted that some aspects of Dedicated Server are very rough. This code is provided as-is and in many cases known-issues exist. We felt it was better for mod-makers if we left these things open-ended rather than hard-coded. Questions and concerns for this feature should be directed to the Gearbox Software SDK Forum.

If you plan to use the Dedicated Server feature, you should be aware of the following nuances.

• Incompatible game files

If you ever see this error, one of two things has happened:

1. You have altered your source code and must un-do what you've done. You may need to uninstall, delete your BIA directory, and reinstall the game to get it to work.
2. Your BIA.ini file may not be updated properly. You can try recreating this file by deleting the one in your profile saved folder (<drive>:Documents and Settings<WindowsUser>Application DataGearbox SoftwareBrothers In Arms<ProfileName>). Alternantly the easiest solution is to delete your BIA profile, and recreate it.

• Clients can't join Dedicated Server on a LAN

BIA version 1.10+ adds lines to the BIA.ini which Dedicated Server requires in order to function properly. The most effective way to deal with this problem is to do the following:

1. Delete all BIA profiles located here: <drive>:Documents and Settings<WindowsUser>Application DataGearbox SoftwareBrothers In Arms
2. Delete the bia.ini file located here: <drive>:Program FilesUbisoftGearbox SoftwareBrothersInArmsSystem
3. Run the UCC Server string described earlier in this document.

Alternately, you can try running the UCC Server with the option "-ini=Default.ini".

Max Number of Players

You are allowed to specify any number of players while setting up a Dedicated Server. This can create some abnormal behavior if you specify invalid numbers such as 0 or 100. Typically you should only specify normal BIA equivalent player numbers (ie: 2-4).

Invalid Characters for Server Naming

Using some characters such as the question-mark for the server name will cause undesirable effects. Typically you should use straight alpha-numerical characters for the server name, and avoid punctuation or other special ASCI characters.

Extended Server Names

Attempting to set a server name longer than 32 characters will result in error. To avoid this, use names shorter than 32 characters.

Typo-mistakes result in crash-like error

If the Dedicated Server launch string you enter has a mistake, you will get a crash-error. Double-check your command parameters and retry.

Password length

Passwords should be no longer than 8 characters long. A password of more than 8 characters may result in inability to join the server online.

2005 Gearbox Software, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Published and distributed by Ubisoft Entertainment under license form Gearbox Software, LLC. Brothers In Arms Earned In Blood is a trademark of Gearbox Software and used license. Ubisoft, Ubi.com, and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries. Gearbox Software and the Gearbox logo are registered trademarks of Gearbox Software, LLC.