# ezQuake Manual - Server manual

2004-10-16
Server manual
Setting up a server

To play QW you always have to connect to a server. ezQuake has an in-built server that allows you to play e.g. the single player game. To start deathmatch for example on Claustrophobopolis, type /map dm2. This will start your localhost server (on port 27500) running map dm2. After that, if your IP is, say, 213.213.213.213, your friends can challenge you by entering /connect 213.213.213.213 in their clients.

If you want to run custom maps, you'll have to copy this maps to ../qw/maps/ or ../id1/maps/ and the server will find them if needed. Make sure that you use common ones, otherwise you have to allow the download to clients. There is a couple of good custom maps you'll need on your server, depending on the gametype you want to host. Most common on the servers are: death32c and base32b (maps for up to 32 players), aerowalk, dm7, warfare3, hop3 (a bunny hop map) and some map collections like cmt, ukool, efdm, skis, exdm, dapak and ukpak, ztndm (with the incredible ztndm3). Which one is used for what gametype, you'll find out by yourself by playing online :-)

QW gives players the possibility to use skins. When enabled, players can download needed skins from the server. You can take some skin collections from here and copy to ../qw/skins/, but most online players won't see them because they use their own enemy and team skin.

Modifications

If you want to set up a server, you'll have to decide which modification you use. Without any modification, it only makes sense to host a classic deathmatch game. If you need a good alround config for deathmatches, you can download this one and modify it in the way you want. Rename it to server.cfg and copy it to ../qw/ and they will be your standard config if you load the server without any modification.

For duels and teamplay you need a more advanced mod, because QW gives you no possibility to let clients change settings and maps without access to your server console. In Europe, serveradmins commonly use Kombat Teams Pro. Duels and teamplays can be held, without the need of an admin. Players can vote the map, important settings like timelimit, fraglimit and deathmatchmode or elect a referee for a game. Good alround kombat teams configs for duel and teamplay can be found here. Load kombat teams with the "gamedir" command and execute one of this configs. For further information read the kombat teams manual.

Free-for-all deathmatches (FFA) can also be hosted by using Kombat Teams Pro. This ensures a game without cheats and also provides the possibility of voting.

Another very popular modification is capture the flag. In this mod a team try to capture the enemy flag and return them to the own flag. Many modifications to modern games have their roots in this mod. Also Team Fortress is a ctf based modification, but it has some additions like different classes for players and advanced map control.

The modifications rocketarena and clanarena are round based games. Every player is provided with all weapons and a amount of ammo, health and armor. A round of a duel in rocketarena or a round of a teamgame in clanarena is over, if one side is hunted to death. The player or the clan who wins the most rounds is victorious.

Modifications needs to be installed in a separate directory in the quake root dir (e.g. ../modname/), they are loaded with the "gamedir" command. Sometimes it's recommended that also clients have installed the mods on their machine. You should have a look in the manuals for more informations. There are some other popular modifications for QW: holywars, painkeep and headhunters. Servers are rare, maybe you want to set up a server for this mods :-)

Controlling

There is the possibility to remotely control your QW server from another computer. After starting the QW client, enter the rcon_password and rcon_address of the server you want to control. Now you can control your server by typing rcon followed by console commands or variables. There are some tools which use this or similar techniques to control a server remotely, but don't need the graphics of the QW client. I recommend Watcher

If you want to see who is on your server, use status. The server will print out a table with informations on connected players, sorted by a key called userid. If you want, for example, kick a user, get the userid and write kick [userid] and the player will be disconnected. QW also provides a method to permanentally ban users or ip addresses.

To change a modification on a running server you have to use the gamedir command. Then manually execute the server.cfg and load a map. But be warned: some mods won't work if you change them on thy fly. The better method is to quit the server and restart with the new mod.

Console variables and commands

The following list give you a short view over the most importants console variables and console commands. In most cases you don't need them all and some aren't useful in a config file.

- deathmatch 1|2|3|4|5|6|7
  This variable modifies the gameplay in the following way:

      				1: Weapons don't stay on the map. Items and weapons will respawn.
      				2: Weapons stay on the map - you can only pick up a weapon once. Items will not respawn.
      				3: Weapons stay on the map - you can only pick up a weapon once. Items will respawn.

  The most popular deathmatch modes (dmm) are 1 and 3. Usually new clans and players prefer dmm3. Advanced clans often choose dmm1, because of the more tactical gameplay. Some mods also supports more modes: dmm4/5 are rocketarena style gametypes and good for duel.
- teamplay 0|1|2|3
  This will modify the way the server will handle the cases of insuring of teammates:

      				0: No teams. You can hurt yourself and others.
      				1: You can't hurt yourself nor your teammates.
      				2: You can hurt yourself, your teammates, and you will lose one frag for killing a teammate.
      				3: You can hurt yourself but you can't hurt your teammates.

  Duels and deathmatches are played with teamplay mode (tp) 0. For teamgames normally tp2 is choosed, even if some new clans prefer tp1.
- timelimit [x]
  fraglimit [x]
  This let you control the time a map is running. The server will change the map after a given amount of minutes via timelimit, if the fraglimit is not hit before.
- maxclients [x]
  maxspectators [x]
  With this variables you control the amount of players and spectators allowed on your server. Maxclients includes players and spectators, so maxspectators should always be equal-to or less-then the maxclients value. The maximum amount of clients on a QW server is 32.
- hostname ["name"]
  Here you can define a name for your server. This will be useful especially if you report your server to a masterserver.
- samelevel 0|1|2|3
  This variable determines the rules for level changing and exiting:

      				0: Allows advancing to the next level.
      				1: The same level will be played until someone exits.
      				2: The same level will be played and the exit will kill anybody that tries to exit.
      				3: The same level will be played and the exit will kill anybody that tries to exit, except on the Start map.

  On public servers you should always set samelevel to 2 or 3.
- serverinfo [key] [x]
  With this variable you can define informations about your server. There are some special values:

      				dq: Drop Quad Damage when a player dies.
      				dr: Drop Ring of Shadows when a player dies.
      				rj: Sets the multiplier rate for splash damage kick.
      				fpd: This is checked by most proxies and will disable some "cheat" features.

  You also can add some more keys with info about your server, like url or email.
- localinfo [key] [x]
  This variable is used in interaction with the mod. This variable also gives you the possibility of defining a mapcycle:

      localinfo oldmap newmap

  To get a complete cycle you have to return from the last map in your cycle to the first map! To initiate the cycle you have to launch a map included into it with the "map" command.
- map [mapname]
  You can change the map manually by using map.
- gamedir [directory]
  sv_gamedir [directory]
  If you want to use a custom mod, you have to use gamedir to give the server the directory where the mod is located. If this directory differs from the commonly used one you can correct this with sv_gamedir.
- allow_download 0|1

      				allow_download_maps "0/1"
      				allow_download_models "0/1"
      				allow_download_sounds "0/1"
      				allow_download_skins "0/1"

  Here you can control how the server reacts if a client need a file from the server. Most additional files likes skins or sounds are not necessary to play on a server. If you run a custom mod or have some additional maps on your server, you have to let the clients download this files, otherwise they can't play on your server. But remember: downloads can raise pings and packetloss!
- floodprot [number of messages] [number of seconds] [silence time in seconds]
- floodprotmsg [x]
  sv_spectalk 0|1
  These variables let you control the floodprotection. If players talk to much, their messages are blocked by the server. You also can disable spectator talk, but this should only be done if necessary.
- setmaster [x]
  heartbeat
  If you want to report your server to a masterserver, you have to define this masterserver. If clients use pingtools like gamespy or the internal serverbrowser of qizmo they can find your server. Every 5 minutes your server will send a heartbeat to the masterserver - you also can manually send one.
- password [x]
  spectator_password [x]
  rcon_password [x]
  If you want to lock your server for some reason, or need a locked admin spectator port, you should use this variables. If you want to control your server remotely from your client use rcon_password.
- sv_aim 0|1
  For competitions you should set this to 0, otherwise clients have the possibility to use the autoaim function, which is implemented into Quake for keyboard players.
- pausable 0|1
  To allow clients to pause a game set this to 1. But remember: some lame guys can disturb games in action.
- status [userid]
  kick [userid]
  This gives you the possibility to get information on players and kick them from the server if necessary. User are listed in a table sorted by a key called userid.
- alias
  exec
  quit
  say
  These commands works like in the client. Define aliases, execute configs, send messages to connected clients or quit the server.
Command line parameters

The here listed parameters could be used from the commandline. You can't alter them if the server is started. Also consolevariables from above can be set in the commandoline, they need + as prefix. All console variables you define over the commandline you can overwrite with the console or with a config.

- -condebug
  Use this parameter to activate logging. Logfiles can be used to calculate statistics with tools like gibstats. You can also use the console parameter "logfile".
- -mem [x]
  Limit the amount of ram the QW server allocates by using -mem. This value refers to megabyte.
- -port [port]
  If you want to start more than one QW server on one computer, you'll have to use one of the parameters above. The standard port is 27500, the standard ip refers to all open network connections. This parameters lets you choose the exact network port the server should use.
- -cheats
  Sometimes it's fun to enable cheats on a server. All clients will be warned when they connect.
- +gamedir [directory]
  Normally a console variable, the gamedir is often defined over the commandline, to start the server start with the right modification.