Talk:Dedicated server

This is how I run my setup, it's far from ideal, however it seems to work.

Currently I have a machine devoted to running EECH in server mode. This machine runs Windows XP, but is a really basic machine (I think its a Pentimum 4 something, but it might be a celeron)(although it does have 2GB or RAM - I had the RAM lying around). I edited eech.ini to basically turn all the graphics off that I could, as in Dedicated Server mode there is just no need for system resources to be devoted to them. Also, I don't use the setting to pause the server when no one is playing. I found that this caused many troubles with people not being able to join the server, so I gave up on it. I run the game through the Dedicated.bat batch file in the Cohokum directory. Currently I have just removed all the REM commands from the campaign lines, so that it will call each campaign one after the other. I also added some other campaigns (not all of them, as I have not got around to it) to the batch file. Basically what happens with this, as the PC calls that batch file and fires up the first campaign in the "list". When this endes, or crashes, EECH dies, drops back to the desktop and the batch file fires up the next campaign. In effect you get a "consstant" server. The other thing, the batch file is called by the OS when it boots. So if I want to make changes remotely (I can only make changes remotely, My server has no screen) I stop the server, and make the changes needed, and then reboot the machine, and the OS starts up and then it fires up EECH. If you want, I can send you my batch file or talk to you more about it if you like. I'm not sure how clear I am being.

This way does have some downsides. Mostly, it bugs me that in the event of a crash (Server not Helicopter) the server restarts in the next campaign right from the start. There is no continuity. (Perhaps a smart developer will read this and come up with a way to do it.) When running the server in dedicated server mode, I have been unable to load a saved game, so there is no option other than to restart the campaign right from the start. Also, there is currently no way to save the campaign in progress (which is no big deal as there is no way to load the saved game anyway).

I have found no way to remotely administor the server. I do it through a combinataion of Remote Desktop and behind the scene's file changes through shares. Although generally the batch file just kicks off the next campaign, and it just ticks along. Until it reaches the end of the batch file that is, then I have to kick it off again.