Launch A Local Netgame

This is a Basic Procedure page.

1. Start a Dedicated Server. Two ways to do this:
   • from within the game by checking the "dedicated server" checkbox
   • using the ucc server command – the latter is usually more convenient if you're frequently starting a test server. See Running A Dedicated Server With UCC for more on this.
2. If you are running Windows 9x/ME, you'll need to tell the operating system that it should run the server with a higher priority than normal, or the client will take all the processor resources and will leave none for the server. (Users of Windows NT/2000/XP don't need to do the following; their operating system handles processor resources more gracefully.)
   • Download the [Priority] command line tool.
   • In a DOS window, enter priority -title ucc. This increases the server process's execution priority.
3. Start the game client (ie, run UT2004 again) and connect to 127.0.0.1 (or "localhost", whichever you like better).

Related Topics

• Debugging Techniques
• Replication
• Running A Dedicated Server With UCC

Discussion

SuperApe: You can also simply go through the UT200x menu and select Host A Game → DedicatedServer. Then, launch UT200x again and select Join A Game → Your machine (or using Console Commands, "map 127.0.0.1"). Does this cause a lot of overhead on the Server?

Switch`: Server will be affected by resource-hungry apps (ie client, wotgreal, anything) running on the same or higher priority. Put server on high priority to avoid that. If your hardware is good enough to run a server and your mods arent buggy server will use only a small part of the cpu. When starting another client put the currently running ones on low priority temporarily to speed up loading significantly.

HunterKiller: Have you noticed that UT2004 is not allowing to be launched multiple times? At least from the same folder, running on Windows XP, whenever I try to start another copy, the running game gets focus. I am trying to test a listen server.

SuperApe: Right. ListenServer means your local machine wants to both be a server and a client machine. It won't allow multiple sessions. That's why this Basic Procedure talks about running it as a DedicatedServer, which means it will only act as a server. At that time, you can run a client session on the same machine.

Wormbo: Some things need to be tested on a listen server as well, because having a local player on the server can cause problems that don't appear in standalone or client/server games.

SuperApe: Point well taken. So in that case, HK would have to run his ListenServer with more than one machine to test, correct?

OlympusMons: Dunno if this would work but if you dont have a lan or internet server handy perhaps you could try running a copy from 2 different user profiles.