Web Hosting Talk : Web Hosting Main Forums : Specialty Hosting and Markets : Game Servers : Game Servers on a VPS

[Shinary]

I help run a non-profit gaming group and we have been contemplating
renting a server to host some games on. We also run LAN Parties in
the area every six months, and we have had some attendees show up with
some pretty interesting game server configurations. Our idea was that
we would create a CentOS image in VMWare or Zen and distribute it to
attendees so that they can setup their game servers and we could run
them all on a beefy server (or servers).

After the event we could then take some of the VMs we liked (IE: the
ones with the most interesting mods, maps, etc) and set them up on our
racked server. This would also allow the attendee to have full access
to the VM on our system, so that they could admin it, change
configurations, update maps, give friends access, etc.

Does this sound like something that would be a reasonable (if a bit
unorthodox) setup, or are we just massively over complicating this problem?

[jcroom]

wayyyy over-complicating it. Why not just get a physical server and run seperate game servers on it? why do you need a seperate OS image for each game server? I would also not recommend running game servers at all on a virtual machine.

[Creed3020]

While the concept would be possible and I don't think there would be any performance issues, the actual need to go to this length does not seem valid.

One host OS can run multiple game servers with many different configurations and mods. A web control panel can make this even easier when dealing with multiple users.

I do see though that these VMs would be distributed to attendees before the event and that some setup time would needed for these individuals to get their servers working before the event.

The servers that you did like after the event could just be copied to your racked servers and have their command lines adjusted as the IP would most likely change.

[tangogc]

I have a very log experience with game server and I don't suggest to host on a Virtual server

[Flumps]

way too complex as otheres have suggested.

If you want to host gaming servers on a VPS which by the way I dont suggest go with HyperVM much more easier feature wise and makes it more managable for practually anyone thats computer literate.

I have been on peoples game servers that are hosted on a VPS and have known to run very well however these are high spec VPS nodes not your average $29 2.4ghz celeron server.

[gspcomp]

Agree, would be much easier to rent your self server and have them running in about 30mins. Although your idea is possible but why would you put yourself through all that work.

Either Good Luck

[UH-Bobby]

Actually, a gameserver can definitely be run on a VPS. Awhile back, I ran a counterstrike server on a VPS from vpsland.com. It worked fine.

[NetHosted - Bret]

I've run a few game servers on VPS' before and they were fine, but it seems to me you just want to clone attendees servers and then use them on a dedicated machine. Why don't you just grab the configuration files off of them and install a server and apply the configs and mods? You could give each user a user on the machine (if you're to run Linux) and it would be easy! You're definately over-complicating it though by doing it the way you suggested in your original post

Bret Weber

[isparky]

IMHO, try to get private cloud somewhere and have the images distributed by it

[NetHosted - Bret]

A private cloud system to run some game servers? That's just complicating it even more

Bret Weber

[gspcomp]

Originally Posted by CL-Bret

A private cloud system to run some game servers? That's just complicating it even more

Bret Weber

Without sounding hostile or anything, but i would agree with Bret, keep nice and simple, we barely have enough time to eat these days let alone setting something up as your suggesting.

"Simple things are often the best"

[PEAK-Bobby]

Just spring some extra cash, and buy a dedicated server $135 for a Quad Core 4GB ram. Host whatever gameservers you want on it!

[Red Squirrel]

I run my UO server on a VM fine. I've had over 50 players at some times with large raids etc. Though it's still a dedicated server in a way. It's a Quad xeon box running CentOS then Windows in a VM. I have 2GB split off 50/50 so 1GB for the VM. You want a fast CPU for this though. Like, a celeron wont do, and a P4 is tight (but can be ok)

If you have no choice but to use Windows for the game server It's more secure this way as you can leave out RDP from being wide open to the internet and just use a SSH tunnel to get to it (set VM to NAT then forward the port internally). RDP is very susceptible to brute force as there is no logs or any indication that someone is trying to get in.