However, a lot of gaming servers can end up being limited. Instead of playing the kind of game you want to play, you’re stuck playing to the customized environment that’s required for massive server play.
Sometimes you just want a little more customization and control over your gaming environment. This is where dedicated gaming servers come in.
Below we dive into what dedicated gaming servers are, why you would want one, and how to create your own for a few select games.
A gaming server is a dedicated server or server cluster with the requisite amount of hardware and resources to be able to run the game fluidly. Most games, like World of Warcraft and Minecraft, will not allow a person to charge people to play the game, as the game is the property of the gaming company itself.
On the other hand, most private servers allow you to play a version of a game that’s different from the official version. So, if you want to add certain character customizations, or gameplay resections, then this is the best way to do it.
Well, to put it simply, these games are fun. World of Warcraft is a strategy game and Minecraft is like Legos for adults.
The more people playing, the more fun it can be, but in order to have multiple people playing these games with you, you either need to have a LAN party and a server at your house, or you need a dedicated server – with that you can play with your friends no matter where they are, as long as they have their computer and an internet connection.
These rental servers seem like a good course of action, as you don’t have to take care of any of the technical elements yourself. But, sometimes remote hosting for gaming can be sort of a headache. Sometimes the server software will be outdated, or there will be lag issues during gameplay.
If you’re looking to get the most from your online gaming experience, then setting up your own dedicated server is often the way to go.
Setting up a dedicated server can get a bit technical, but the freedom of having your own online gaming environment can be quite tempting for some gamers.
The steps for setting up your dedicated gaming server will be different based upon the actual game you want to play. We offer a few tips for getting your server setup for two of the most popular online multiplayer games, WOW and Minecraft.
Before we jump into creating your very own server it’s important to note that you shouldn’t charge people to play on your server environment. This will only get you into legal trouble. Create a private gaming server for passion, not profit.
World of Warcraft is played by millions of gamers around the globe. By utilizing the power of a private server you can emulate the experience of playing online while customizing certain elements for your own enjoyment.
Before you set up your World of Warcraft server and start customizing you need to have some basic tools. For starters, you’ll need to install a tool called AC Web Ultimate Repack. For the steps below we utilized this one .
Next you’ll need to collect your current map data. You can get this from your existing WOW account. You need to currently have access to the game to make the private server work.
Open up the WOW folder and locate the file titled ‘maps’. Now you’ll need to go to ‘C:/AC Web Ultimate Repack/ Tools/Map Extractor enUS’ and copy the ‘maps’ folder and the ‘ad.exe’ to the folder. Then, run the ‘ad.exe’ program.
Next, navigate to the file called ‘ascent-realms.conf’, and locate the portion that starts with ‘ Now go back to the WOW directory and find the file called ‘realm list.wtf’. Delete the contents of the file and replace it with ‘set realm list 120.0.1’. You can then start your server by running ‘Control Panel.exe’ within your ‘SC Web Ultimate Repack’ directory. Once that runs, click on the first three buttons that appear and your server will be live, and you’ll be ready to game. Running a Minecraft server is much easier than a WOW server, so if the tutorial above overwhelmed you, then give the Minecraft server a try. The steps below are for those who are running Windows machines. The first thing you’ll need to do is ensure your machine is setup to host a personal server. For starters you’ll need enough RAM. The common requirement is 1GB of RAM for every four to five players you’re going to host on your server. To test your machine you can use the tool called CanIHostaMinecraftServer.com. This will tell you how many players your current system can support. You’ll need to have the latest version of Java installed for your server to work properly. Navigate to this page and install the latest version if need be. Next, you’ll need to download the server file from this website. Once you download the file it’s a good idea to create a folder on your site where you’ll store all of the necessary server files. Now all you have to do is open the .jar file you downloaded and the program will install all of the necessary files for you. The final step you’ll need to do is locate a file called ‘eula.txt’, and change the value ‘eula=false’ to ‘eula=true’, then save the file. Now your server is ready to rock. For a full list of Minecraft customization tweaks you can check out the guide here.