Zombie Panic: Source Server setup guide
Requirements:
half a brain
ability to use google
the internet
a computer capable of running zombie panic
Installation of SRCDS
go to
http://www.srcds.com/ and follow the tutorial there,
however replace the game to be installed with zps instead of hl2mp or cstrike:
hldsupdatetool -command update -game "zps" -dir C:\srcds
this will install the server files and content for zombie panic source off of the steam servers, this will take some time so go watch a movie or something.
Installation size for the zps server is around 1.2gb
Creating an Update script
you can use the above method described by the srcds tutorial to update your game, or you can create a bat file to do it for you so you don't have to do as much work if zps brings out an update.
Create a text file in the same folder as your hldsupdatetool.exe
open it up and paste this into it.
Code:
@echo off
title SRCDS Update Utility
echo (%date%)
echo (%time%)
echo ===================================
echo = Updating Zombie Panic: Source Server =
echo ===================================
hldsupdatetool -command update -game "zps" -dir c:\SRCDS
echo (%time%) Zombie Panic: Source Content is Up to Date
echo (%time%) SRCDS is now up to date!
pause
now you need to rename your text file to something like zpsupdate.bat this will pretty much just update zps for you or tell you it is all upto date already once it has checked that it is all uptodate.
Creating your server configuration
you will need to go into your server folder and find your zps folder, it should be somewhere along the lines of c:/srcds/orangebox/zps/
inside of your zps folder you prettymuch have all of your game content, you should see a maps folder, a cfg folder and a bunch of other folders.
First go into the cfg folder and create a text file and name it server.cfg once this has been created you should open it with notepad.
Now there is all manner of server configs out there, you might try getting one but here is a basic one for you to use along with notes on what each command does.
Code:
// server name
hostname "My Zps Server" <---name of server here
// rcon passsword
rcon_password "paasswooord" <----- you seriously need one of these, anyone who joins and enters rcon_password then the correct password can do all kinds of commands.
// server cvars
//sv_usescustom 0 <----- this is commented out but if you are running gameplay changing mods you should set this to 1 as per the developers requests, it makes spotting altered gameplay servers much easier for new players.
mp_friendlyfire 0 <---- self explanatory
sv_alltalk 0 <----- allow everyone to speak and be heard
sv_cheats 0 <----- makes sure cheats are off\
sv_allowupload 1 <------ allow uploading from clients to allow people to use custom sprays
sv_allowdownload 1 <----- allow players to download maps and sounds from server
sv_voiceenable 1 <----- enable or disable voice chat in the server
mp_timelimit 25 <---- time in minutes that each map runs for
sv_timeout 65 <---- how long before a player is kicked by the server after not reciving info from them
// bandwidth rates/settings
//this stuff is kinda fiddly, many different schools of thought exist on propper b/w settings, I myself let the server defaults do it for me. Use these or not, or go look up some settings.
sv_minrate 4000
sv_maxrate 8000
decalfrequency 60
sv_maxupdaterate 60
sv_minupdaterate 10
// server logging
//keep these enabled unless you dont need logging, I suggest you clear your logs folder every month or so.
log on
sv_logbans 1
sv_logecho 1
sv_logfile 1
sv_log_onefile 1 <----- this keeps the number of logs down
// operation
sv_lan 0 <---- set to 1 for running a lan server
sv_region 5 <---- this is set to australia, there is a list somewhere that tels you the number of each region.
// execute ban files
exec banned_user.cfg
exec banned_ip.cfg
//these will run on map change, sometimes a crash may wipe a recent ban from your banlist, this minimises that issue.
writeid <------ writes bans to banned_user.cfg
writeip <------ writes IP adresses to the ban folder
Region Codes NEW
these go in the sv_region section of your server.cfg the different values correspond to various global regions and make it easier for people in your area to use the server browser to pick your server if they live near it.
* eastcoast - sv_region 0
* westcoast - sv_region 1
* south america - sv_region 2
* europe - sv_region 3
* asia - sv_region 4
* australia - sv_region 5
* middle east - sv_region 6
* africa - sv_region 7
* world - sv_region 255
Running your server, GUI vs Console
you can simply run your srcds.exe and set options from there, this is good for langames and other quick one off servers.
However if you intend to run the server for long periods you will likely want it to run in console mode, this is largely because in console mode it can be automatically restarted using a bat like the one above, in order to make this bat you will need to make a text file in the same folder as your srcds.exe
once it is made add this
Code:
@echo off
cls
echo Protecting srcds from crashes...
echo If you want to close srcds and this script, close the srcds window and type Y depending on your language followed by Enter.
title srcds.com Watchdog
:srcds
echo (%time%) srcds started.
start /wait srcds.exe -console -game zps +map zps_silence +maxplayers 20
echo (%time%) WARNING: srcds closed or crashed, restarting.
goto srcds
ok there are some settings here that you may want to change before running it.
Go to the line where it says:
start /wait srcds.exe -console -game zps
the +map command is used to set the map the server will start on, set this to whatever map you wish.
The +maxplayers command is used to set the maximum number of players, the lower the number of players the less bandwidth required for the server, so if your getting lag with lots of players, lower this number.
There are other commands that can be added in that line, although they are not really required unless you are having connection issues.
Ok so now all you do is rename your text file zps.bat then run it, a window should pop up and text should scroll across it, eventually it should say something along the lines of VAC enabled.
Then you simply connect to it as normal from your server browser.
Configuring your network for gaming
ok so you have a server, you have your settings, but no-one can connect to it?
Here are a few things you can try doing to fix it.
1.check your firewall settings and allow your server to access the Internet
2.check your router and open up the port the game is using, usually 27015
If your problems persist, you may want to try going to the srcds website and asking on the forums or simply searching for the information you require.
Source server guide (this has lots of information about setting up your network for source servers including port forwarding)
Ok now thats how you set up and get your server running.
Its quick its fast and it takes about 2 hours to go from start to finish.
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Some helpful links
heres a few links Ill be updating whenever I come across some information you might find useful for running a server.
Valve Development Wiki (good for server commands, map editing and other source engine information)
How to set up a ZPS server
Linear Mode
