NGCP Game server control panel
Documentation
Contents

Getting started

Your first game server

This walkthrough creates a game server on a node you have just added. It uses Minecraft (no Steam account needed) and then shows what changes for ArmA 3.

You need: a SuperAdmin or Admin account, one node that is Online, and the game offered in Games (the shipped games are offered by default).

Create a Minecraft server

  1. Open Services and choose Create a service. The New service dialog opens.
  2. Name: for example Survival.
  3. Game: Minecraft: Java Edition.
  4. Node: pick your node. Nodes that cannot take the game say why (wrong OS, draining, disabled, offline).
  5. Player slots: keep the default (20) or change it.
  6. Under Game settings:
    • tick I accept the Minecraft EULA (the server does not start without it; read https://aka.ms/MinecraftEULA first);
    • keep Server software paper and Minecraft version latest, or enter a version such as 1.21.4;
    • set Java heap (MiB) to what the node can spare.
  7. Keep Start it after the install switched on.
  8. Administrators can open Limits and crash policy (administrators) to set a CPU limit (100 % = one core), a memory limit and what happens when the server stops on its own. These can only be set when the service is created.
  9. Choose Create service.

Watch the install

The service page opens on its Console tab. The status is installing and a progress panel shows each step: the Java runtime (Eclipse Temurin), the server jar, the EULA file and the default server.properties. Downloads are HTTPS only and their checksums are verified.

When the install finishes the server starts. The console shows its output live; when the server prints Done (...)! the status turns running.

Connect

Open the Overview tab. It shows the address and the ports the service received. Minecraft uses one port for the game (TCP and UDP) and one for RCON, from the node’s port range. Connect your Minecraft client to <node address>:<game port>.

While the server runs, the agent also asks it for its player count, maximum and server name every few seconds (see RCON and player counts). These values are in the service header, the services list and a “Players online” chart on the Overview tab.

Try the basics

  • Console: type a server command (for Minecraft, list or say hello) and press Enter. Every command is recorded in the audit log.
  • Stop / Start / Restart / Kill: the buttons at the top of the page. Stop sends the game’s own stop command (stop for Minecraft) and waits up to 60 seconds before forcing it.
  • Configs: edit server.properties through a form, for example the difficulty or the message of the day. See Config editors.
  • Files: browse, upload and edit the server’s files. See Files and SFTP.
  • Settings: rename the server, change variables and the slot count.

ArmA 3: what is different

ArmA 3 needs a few extra things:

  1. A Steam account. Before creating the service, add one under Settings -> Manage Steam accounts and make it the default. The account must own ArmA 3 if you want Workshop mods. See Steam and the Workshop.
  2. Linux nodes need SteamCMD’s 32-bit libraries (Requirements).
  3. Create the service as above with the game ArmA 3. Set Headless clients (0-8) if your missions use them; they start 15 seconds after the server and connect to it on 127.0.0.1.
  4. The first SteamCMD login on a node may ask for a Steam Guard code. The service page then shows “SteamCMD is waiting for a Steam Guard code”: type the code from the account’s e-mail or authenticator into the service’s console.
  5. The install downloads about 5 GB. ArmA’s console output on Windows goes to its own log files; the panel console shows the .rpt log tail.
  6. Players connect to the game port shown on the overview; the server browser query uses the next port up.

Next steps