Running a multiplayer server for friends can be one of those options, which is quite efficient. You have an opportunity not only to play on your own, but also to have a say in the settings of the server, in who is going to play there and in the creation of the persistent world.
There are basically two options that you may choose from – either to run the server from a computer at home or rent a virtual server. All these choices will be good in their own way and will depend on the game, number of players and your Internet connection.
Home PC or Virtual Server?
Using your own PC as a server would be the most economical solution since you use equipment and connection which you already possess. This works perfectly well for a small number of gamers and a rather simple game. Disadvantages include the need to keep your computer running all the time when other players want to join. Also, your computer must have enough upload bandwidth, and there is a possibility that your home internet service utilizes carrier-grade NAT or simply doesn’t allow incoming connections.
Virtual private servers give a completely different solution. The machine is located in the data center, and you can leave it working 24/7. Usually, you receive remote control, allocated resources and a public IP address, but it depends on your provider. If you prefer not to take care of the server in your own house, game VPS hosting might be a solution for you. If you require your server to be up even if your gaming PC is powered down, then a VPS would be a more appropriate solution.
Choosing CPU and RAM
The hardware needs will largely depend on the type of game and number of players using the server. While small servers running lightweight multiplayer games may do fine with minimal hardware, those with heavy mods need much more powerful servers.
CPU power is an important consideration since a lot of servers have their processing power centred on just one or two threads of CPU execution. Having a fast single-core processor may prove better than having lots of CPU cores. The RAM needs to rise when there are a lot of players, mods, plugins and complexity of the game world. The following RAM is recommended as a rule of thumb:
- Lightweight games: 2–4 GB could do for a few people.
- Slightly heavy survival or sandbox servers: 4–8 GB.
- Very heavy or large or modded servers: 8 GB or more.
These are just a few suggestions. It depends on the particular game and number of players. Please always consult the game’s server documentation first.
Don’t Forget Storage
The storage is often ignored since most multiplayer games at first do not need large amounts of disk space. The reason is that some worlds will get bigger over time, especially if a player keeps exploring and creating new territories. There could also be other reasons for using up space such as mods, plugins, maps, logs, backups, and software updates. The better choice here would be an SSD compared to an older hard drive due to its better world loading speed.
A small private server can use 20-50 GB of SSD storage for most games, depending on the game itself and how much extra material you will install. Backup of the server is more important than having a massive storage capacity. Losing months of progress due to the corruption of one file or simply deleting the wrong folder could be much worse than running out of space.
Location Can Make a Big Difference
The position of the server influences latency, which can be defined as ping. The closer the server is to the players, both in terms of physical proximity and in terms of the route via which data will travel, the lower the latency will be. When most of your friends live in Toronto, for instance, it would make sense to pick a server in a data centre located near your home city, rather than one situated across the country.
However, for an international community of friends, it may be difficult to find an ideal spot. In this case, you need to pick the location which would be a suitable middle ground for the majority of your friends. There are, however, other factors which influence gaming besides ping.
What Does a Virtual Server Cost?
The cost of VPS servers differs greatly based on the host, geographic location, CPU speed, memory capacity, storage, and the bandwidth provided.
In the case of a small and private game server, an entry-level plan costs about C10 – C20 per month, while a more powerful server will cost C20 – C50 or even more per month. More advanced games, higher numbers of users and dedicated game servers would be much more expensive.
It is better to compare the resources offered, not only the cost per month. For example, an inexpensive server with poor CPU speed could be worse than a slightly more expensive server with better hardware.
Common Setup Mistakes
Server setup may require more troubleshooting than anticipated. There are several frequent issues that may occur.
The first issue is that the incorrect ports may be opened or the firewall may be incorrectly configured. This will cause your friends to be unable to get access even if the server itself works fine. Another possible issue is not enough allocation of resources. While the server will perform great with two players, it will start to lag once several users start playing at once.
There are other common issues such as:
- Not setting up automatic backups.
- Installation of incompatible mods/plugins.
- Outdated server software.
- No updates for the operating system and security patches.
- The data centre is located far away from most users.
Which Option Should You Choose?
Your own computer at home would be the optimal solution if you had a stable internet connection, appropriate hardware, and no plans to use the server continuously. This will save you from expenses and provide total control over the computer. A virtual server is the better option if you require the game world to be up 24/7, if your home network is complicated to set up, and if your gaming computer is not a good host for the server.
In either case, begin by determining the specifications of the game you play, estimate the number of players, select a suitable server location, and keep some space for backups and potential development. With appropriate hardware, this task can be quite simple.
