VIDEO: rFactor 2 Dedicated Server Tutorial

[Davy Jones]

Many thanks for this Davy.
I'd been trying on and off to get a server working using some hardware I salvaged from work before it went off for recycling. Got everything installed and working but for soem reason the graphics were dire. Anyway followed the first part of your video and all is working OK and I can get the server listed and connect to it. Planning on doing some further testing over the weekend now that COVID lockdown will be with us again.
Hardware should be up to the task - Dell R610 server with dual Xeon E5620 2.4GHz processors, 2Tb disk space, 96Gb DRAM and Windows 10 Pro. I also have another indentical R610 and a pair of R410 servers too.

My main problem is going to be broadband speed. Download is OK at a slow 12Mb to 18Mb, but upload is painfully speed at around 3Mb. I'm hoping that we'll be able to upgrade to a full fibre service when local independant teleco starts supplying the area. They offer 400Mb down and 35Mb upload.

Does anyone have any advice on what the broadband requirements are to successfully host multiple rF2 clients?

Great that you got it working and using recycled hardware too, I'm a firm believer in not wasting stuff if not necessary. In terms of the connection requirements I'm not sure. When running a server if a player joining.does not already have the content included in the package already installed in rF2 then it will need to be downloaded. This can take a while depending on the connection speed and the amount of data needed to join. I know that for organised leagues people will be asked to preinstall the required content so then all they need to do is join. Then any track condition settings (green, naturally progressing etc) would need to be synced along with player positions. Other than that everything is running client side of course so the bandwidth requirements might not be that high - worth testing maybe with a single smaller server first I guess...

 

[instinkt]

why it need to be so complicated
it's so frustrating

I did all things from ur video, but still some track/cars "combos" just doesn't work and I don't know why

Spa GTE, N24 GT3, Monaco LMP2 works
but on Sebring and Silverstone I got "package install/download error" when trying to join server
I have all files on my "host" pc and my "joining" pc
even redownloaded these 2 tracks like 3 times on "host" pc by using the command but it still doesn't help

https://forum.studio-397.com/index....sword-invalid-or-package-not-available.52321/
I tried this too but it didn't help either

I literally lost 2 days on that and still some parts not working like intended
after that experience I'm not surprised so little people playing that game
397 should totally rework that stupid system with downloading "events" and messing around with these files all the time
I've never had so much trouble in any other sim to setup things properly

 

[Davy Jones]

why it need to be so complicated
it's so frustrating

I did all things from ur video, but still some track/cars "combos" just doesn't work and I don't know why

Spa GTE, N24 GT3, Monaco LMP2 works
but on Sebring and Silverstone I got "package install/download error" when trying to join server
I have all files on my "host" pc and my "joining" pc
even redownloaded these 2 tracks like 3 times on "host" pc by using the command but it still doesn't help

https://forum.studio-397.com/index....sword-invalid-or-package-not-available.52321/
I tried this too but it didn't help either

I literally lost 2 days on that and still some parts not working like intended
after that experience I'm not surprised so little people playing that game
397 should totally rework that stupid system with downloading "events" and messing around with these files all the time
I've never had so much trouble in any other sim to setup things properly

I agree that the overall system is a lot more complicated than it needs to be.
I would begin by getting a server running with non DLC content first - so just content included with the base game or from the Steam Workshop.
If you can start and join a server correctly using that method then you will know that you are at least able to create a server correctly.
Once you have been able to setup a basic server correctly then try using DLC cars and tracks and remember that the DLC needs to be authenticated if you are using the separate dedicated server installation.

I assume you have already done all the above but just to point it out as its a step-by-step process...

 

[DamijanD]

I followed yours video and when I am using the mod manager files gets copied to installed folder but are not marked as installed and can't be used for creating an event. Any idea?

 

[Davy Jones]

I followed yours video and when I am using the mod manager files gets copied to installed folder but are not marked as installed and can't be used for creating an event. Any idea?

Can you make sure the mod manager is installing the content into the Installed folder inside the same installation where the mod manager is. I mean that if you are using the dedicated server on the same PC as you are running the game make sure that the mod manager in the separate dedicated server is not installing content into the Installed folder in the game. I pointed out in the video that you should check the directories that the mod manager is pointing to. I'm not sure if this is the issue based on your description but maybe start there...

 

[trichens]

As mentioned a good weeks back I've got this working based on your instructions and video, and have multiple servers running OK on some dedicated hardware.
Is there a way of having a server run a continuous practice session?
It seems like there might be a limit of 165 mins - the multiplayer.json file doesn't specify anything beyond that.
I'd like to have the server available to practice on in advance of any race event.
The only way that I can see this might be possible would be to use Dennis Coufal's Timed Server Control to restart every two hours.
Is there a better way of doing this?

 

[DamijanD]

Davy thx for your reply. The problem was that I didn't know the difference between paid and free content and I started with paid DLCs and it didn't work. When I switched to free content everything was OK. I later figured out how you need to do unlock procedure and now everything works.
For anyone interested:
- server must be first run (at least) once with the free content (it creates serverkey.bin)
- then you are able to do unlock procedure (copy serverkey.bin to your steam instalation of RF2 (the game not server), run it this generates the serverunlock.bin, then you need to copy this unlock file back to server)

 

[lagg]

As mentioned a good weeks back I've got this working based on your instructions and video, and have multiple servers running OK on some dedicated hardware.
Is there a way of having a server run a continuous practice session?
It seems like there might be a limit of 165 mins - the multiplayer.json file doesn't specify anything beyond that.
I'd like to have the server available to practice on in advance of any race event.
The only way that I can see this might be possible would be to use Dennis Coufal's Timed Server Control to restart every two hours.
Is there a better way of doing this?

IIRC, there is a parameter in the Multiplayer.json for this. It's something as Test Day (i'm not in the computer now)

 

[Davy Jones]

Davy thx for your reply. The problem was that I didn't know the difference between paid and free content and I started with paid DLCs and it didn't work. When I switched to free content everything was OK. I later figured out how you need to do unlock procedure and now everything works.
For anyone interested:
- server must be first run (at least) once with the free content (it creates serverkey.bin)
- then you are able to do unlock procedure (copy serverkey.bin to your steam instalation of RF2 (the game not server), run it this generates the serverunlock.bin, then you need to copy this unlock file back to server)

Yes all of this process is included in the video

 

[instinkt]

Yes all of this process is included in the video

u should add extra timestamp for that
I think overally more specified timestamps in video like that would be appreciated because when someone need to get some small information he missed is forced to waste like 10 minutes instead of 30 secs

btw I fixed my previous problems and ur video was crucial so thanks

but I still have 2 questions

is there any other way to update content beside redownloading whole file?

and how can I update existed mod from v1 to v1.1?
I tried to google it but I didn't found any clear tutorial (all these links redirect to dead isi forum) and u didn't showed it in ur video either (or I'm blind)
I think this would be way better option to apply updates because if u just create another mod with the same name it causing problem with joining to the server for people who didn't removed previous mod file
ofc u can just make another "somethingsomething" file with added v2 or simply 2 behind the name but this is annoying for me when I need to go and delete these useless mod files from my game folders all the time

 

[trichens]

Something that I don't think is mentioned in the video and documentation which is that you should install the Visual C++ runtime programmes that come as part of the downloaded files.
These are in the Support\Runtimes sub-folder.
There is a vcredist_2012_x64.exe and a vcredist_2013_x64.exe version.
It's likely that you only need the lastest one but they only take a few seconds to install.

Without installing these some of the DLL files in the Bin64\Plugins folder won't load.
Specifically the rFactor2SharedMemoryMapPlugin64.dll, KnockoutQualifying.dll and StockCarRules.dll failed to load for me

Thanks go to @Goanna for pointing this out to me

 

[Davy Jones]

u should add extra timestamp for that

39:10 - 6. Using content from Steam in the dedicated server
Does this timestamp already included in the video not answer your question?

but I still have 2 questions
is there any other way to update content beside redownloading whole file?
and how can I update existed mod from v1 to v1.1?
I tried to google it but I didn't found any clear tutorial (all these links redirect to dead isi forum) and u didn't showed it in ur video either (or I'm blind)
I think this would be way better option to apply updates because if u just create another mod with the same name it causing problem with joining to the server for people who didn't removed previous mod file
ofc u can just make another "somethingsomething" file with added v2 or simply 2 behind the name but this is annoying for me when I need to go and delete these useless mod files from my game folders all the time

Think about it. Third-party mods that are not on Steam can only be updated manually. And the dedicated server right now does not integrate with Steam so as to get access to the Steam Workshop to update mods. Downloading Steam Workshop mods manually is a kind of hack as it is so I think you're expecting miracles that may never happen.

Simplest thing to do - whatever mod you download to include in the dedicate server also subscribe to it in the Steam Workshop.
And if the mod is updated you can replace the copy of it in /Installed directory with the copy of it from the /Installed directory in the game.