• Please make sure you are familiar with the forum rules. You can find them here: https://forums.tripwireinteractive.com/index.php?threads/forum-rules.2334636/

Server Setup Reserve Slots Tutorial (Windows/Linux)

Paulski

Grizzled Veteran
Nov 21, 2005
225
0
40
Canada
www.comrades-in-arms.com
Heres the situation...
A nice program called ServerExt does work with RO and gives you the abbility to have reserve slots.

It does have some minor issues, so i suggest not using "ExpandPlayerLimit". This forces a +1 to the max player limit, but once someone leaves it doesn't take it away. Meaning, your server has 32 slots, a reserve jumps in, the server changes to 33 slots. When someone leaves, the server doesn't move back down to 32. I suggest using the Kick Method.

There might be other problems. Reason is, ServerExt was built for UE2.0, RO is UE2.5, there are some capability issues.


USE AT OWN RISK!!

SETUP

(Windows)
1. Close server
2. Download ServerExt
3. Extract to <RO_Server_Dir>


(Linux)
[URL="http://www.redorchestragame.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3427"]
1. Close Server
2. Download ServerExt
3. Extract to <RO_Server_Dir> Useing lowercase
Code:
unzip -L ServerExt-v110.zip
-L = extracts in lowercase

OR

3. Extract to safe location
4. Convert all DIRs and sub-DIRs to lowercase
5. copy contents to <RO_Server_Dir> or manually move each file to proper location.


**RO install has all lowercase values because of HLDS converts everything to lowercase. ServerExt has upper case DIR's, since its the standart for UE games.

Installation

If you are using the single admin system you will have to change the following setting in RedOrchestra.ini:
Code:
[Engine.GameInfo]
AccessControlClass=ServerExt.ReservedSlots
If you are using the multiple admin system (xAdmin) you will have to change it to in RedOrchestra.ini:
Code:
[Engine.GameInfo]
AccessControlClass=ServerExt.ReservedSlotsIni


Start Server

Configuration

The reserved slots can be configured via the WebAdmin. A new page is added to the main list, this page allows you to edit the reserved slots. The other settings might be available via the "defaults" page.

Add users in ReserveSlots section on top.
CDKeyHash=Global ID seen in Current>Players List

I would suggest using Kick Newest Player, for reason I stated in my intro.

Everything else is pretty self explanatory

You can also change settings in RedOrchestra.ini
should be the last section.

***EDIT

if all global ids are the same, you need to update to one of the beta server releases. look through the forums. reading is good for you
 
Last edited:
First, thanks for putting this together Paulski. The server is setup with a password and to kick the newest player.

I gotta couple of questions:

1. The "Reserved Slots" located under the "Defaults" option has absolute max players. I assume this is referring to the max number of private slots?

This statement kinda confuses me:
This is the absolute maximum limit for players, the player count will never increase more than this value. If this value is zero or less there won't be a limit
2. Is there a way to add the password to a shortcut so players don't have to enter it everytime they go to play on a full server?

Would this work:
Right-click Red Orchestra in Steam and select properties->Under the General tab select Launch options->add ?password=[somepassword]

Maybe editing the server favorite's IP?

*Edit*
I see it added a Team Balancer mutator. Anyone know if it works?
 
Upvote 0
1. The "Reserved Slots" located under the "Defaults" option has absolute max players. I assume this is referring to the max number of private slots?

Maximum number the server will raise to, example 35/32 players.

2. Is there a way to add the password to a shortcut so players don't have to enter it everytime they go to play on a full server?

Would this work:
Right-click Red Orchestra in Steam and select properties->Under the General tab select Launch options->add ?password=[somepassword]

possibly havn't tried it

*Edit*
I see it added a Team Balancer mutator. Anyone know if it works?
[/QUOTE]

this isn't the greatest team balancer but it might, it worked a funny way in the mod.
 
Upvote 0
Thanks for the contribution, Paulski.

I do have a problem that I'm still struggling with. I have the whole thing installed and working. I'm actually kicking the player that has been playing the LONGEST because I want to allow people to get in and spend some time playing with us before being booted by a reserved slot holder.

My problem lies in the fact that I am not using the web admin to add/remove the reserved slot members. I wrote a PHP script that queries my vBulletin database and automatically pulls out a field from the database for particular groups and then builds a custom UserSlots.ini file. I have modified my UCC startup script to use this UserSlots.ini file for all the user information.

I have another script that runs on the ROOST server that goes out and grabs this file every 10 minutes. So the UserSlots.ini file is constantly updated. All of this works great.

The problem is that UT seems to cache the UserSlots.ini file when it starts up. So the only way for me to get the engine to see that the UserSlots.ini file has changed is to completely shut down and restart the server. I had expected that it might require a map change to reload the .ini files, but this isn't the case.

Is there any way that you, or anyone else, can think of to force the ROOST server to reload these files on map change? I could also deal with a UCC Commandlet that would force this.
 
Upvote 0
Paulski said:
i dont know the way. Yes the server keeps cached files. and restores them after map restart.

webadmin has the abbility to update files so there should be a way somehow.
It doesn't seem to be reloading the ServerExt reserved slot .ini file after a map restart though. That's what's bugging me. I have the whole system working including the automatic updates of reserved slots, I just have to shut down the server and start it back up again to make it reload.

I do appreciate the help you've given though! Thank you.
 
Upvote 0
I apologize in advance, as I know some of you will think this is a totally NOOB question...and it probably is. Sorry.

When installing ServerEXT, you state above to extract it into the <RO_Server_Dir>

When I ftp into my server, I have file structure as...

clientnumber/ror/all other folders

Where all other folders is the system folder, and all the other folders.

Do I extract the ServerEXT stuff into the the same place as all the other files or into some other location.

Again..I apologize for the dumb questions, but I'm fairly new to admining and configuring stuff with the UT engine.

Thanks in advance. And go easy on me.... lol
 
Upvote 0
Well, this noob is getting there. I have the ServerExt installed and running. So far, so good. Thanks for the help.

Now...more questions...sorry...

Can someone explain how I now set up the reserved slots? I want to configure it so anyone in our clan can log into a reserved slot.

Do I need to make a reserved slot for each member, or do I make a reserved slot based on the info I want to allow them to sign in with and it will then work for everyone who meets that criteria.

In my web admin, I see these fields...

Data - Not sure what goes here?

Type - Has 4 options to choose from

Spectator Only - Not sure what this does

Method - Self explanatory...I'll use the kick newest player

Comment - Not sure what this does

Can someone explain the various input fields to me?

This noob thanks you again in advance.
 
Upvote 0
Data would be one of the 4 type choices.

i.e 123.234.56.789 = Data; the Type = IP;
Comment=anything descriptive you want. It goes no where and does nothing. (Not positive, but easy enough to check).

or

=rTr=Floyd = Data; Type = NickName

To my knowledge, Webadmin in RO does not use the SteamID or CDKey....someone else can verify.

Spectator only would more than likely allow that person to "Spectate Only" and not join a team.

Floyd
 
Upvote 0
Thank you. So... If I set up a reserved slot for each of my clan members, then anyone can join the server up to 32 people. But if it fills up and one of my clan members joins, it will kick the newest non clan member?

I'd set each member up with a reserved slot based on their nickname and will kick newest player?

Thank you for your help and advice.
 
Upvote 0