How to run a Cliffs of Dover server - Launcher64.exe -server

How to run a Cliffs of Dover server - Launcher64.exe -server - Printable Version

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How to run a Cliffs of Dover server - Launcher64.exe -server - Flug - 05-07-2020

TWC_Kaper & I were talking and we realized there is really no list of instructions anywhere for how to run your own Cliffs of Dover server.

This is handy to do, either to run a server permanently, or temporarily for an event or training session for a few people, or just to test a mission that you are planning to run on another server.

Starting a server - Steps
Setting up and running a server is pretty easy to do but there are also several somewhat persnickety steps to follow.

Set up confs.ini, including the server name and other details.
Start steam.
Start Launcher.exe -server (I have a Windows shortcut set up with that command line)
In CloD server type "f server-campaign.cmd"
That loads the -settings.cmd file I want to use, and also the .mis file I want to run, and starts the battle.

More details about those steps:

#1. Confs.ini

A sample Confs.ini is attached to this message. It includes your server name, description, and a few more necessary things. This lives in your C:\Users\XXXXXXX\Documents\1C SoftClub\il-2 sturmovik cliffs of dover folder.

#1A. Setting your port in Confs.ini and options for connecting to the Server with your Launcher64 game client
One important setting in confs.ini is the port. The sample file is set to port 27021:

Code:
localPort=27021

You can set the port to be anything you like, as long as it does not conflict with any other port used on the machine the server is running on. Typically the port is set to 27015 or something else in the 270XX range.

Also, depending on your particular network setup, router, internet connection, etc, you may need to change some settings on your router to allow port 27021 (or whichever port you choose to use) to be visible from the internet.

How exactly to do this depends very much on your particular internet connection. For my router this is called "port forwarding" and I have forwarded TCP and UDP for port 27021 to the machine where the server runs.

When the server runs, it reaches out to Steam with the port and your internet IP address. If all goes well, within a few seconds of your starting the server, it will show up--under the name you specify in the confs.ini file--in the online server list for CLoD servers in everyone's in-game listing under Multiplayer/Server Browser.

If your server does not show up there, you can try connecting directly to the server at Multiplayer/Server Browser/Direct Connect, using your machine's public IP address and the port you entered in confs.ini (27021, in the example above). You can find your current public IP address using a service like this one: https://whatismyipaddress.com/

Another option: If you don't expose your Launcher64 -server port to the internet using port forwarding on your router, you can still connect to the server from your local network. Find your server machine's IP address on your local network and join using that local IP address and the port (27021 or whatever you have set in confs.ini) using Multiplayer/Server Browser/Direct Connect.

You can find your current internal IP address by looking in Windows Control Panel/Network and Sharing Center/Local Area Connection/Details.

#1A. Setting your port in Confs.ini and options for connecting to the Server with your Launcher64 game client
One important setting in confs.ini is the port. The sample file is set to port 27021:

Code:
localPort=27021

You can set the port to be anything you like, as long as it does not conflict with any other port used on the machine the server is running on.

Also, depending on your particular network setup, router, internet connection, etc, you may need to change some settings on your router to allow port 27021 (or whichever port you choose to use) to be visible from the internet.

How exactly to do this depends very much on your particular internet connection. For my router this is called "port forwarding" and I have forwarded TCP and UDP for port 27021 to the machine where the server runs.

When the server runs, it reaches out to Steam with the port and your internet IP address. If all goes well, within a few seconds of your starting the server, it will show up--under the name you specify in the confs.ini file--in the online server list for CLoD servers in everyone's in-game listing under Multiplayer/Server Browser.

If your server does not show up there, you can try connecting directly to the server at Multiplayer/Server Browser/Direct Connect, using your machine's public IP address and the port you entered in confs.ini (27021, in the example above). You can find your current public IP address using a service like this one: https://whatismyipaddress.com/

Another option: If you don't expose your Launcher64 -server port to the internet using port forwarding on your router, you can still connect to the server from your local network. Find your server machine's IP address on your local network and join using that local IP address and the port (27021 or whatever you have set in confs.ini) using Multiplayer/Server Browser/Direct Connect.

You can find your current internal IP address by looking in Windows Control Panel/Network and Sharing Center/Local Area Connection/Details.

#2 Starting Steam
However you usually start Steam before launching Launcher64.exe to play CLoD, do that. To run the server, you don't even need to be logged into Steam--just the app must be running.

#3 Starting launcher

At a DOS command line:

Code:
  launcher64.exe -server

OR

  launcher64.exe -server pwd mypassword

Now, I'm assuming you know how to start programs from the command line under Windows or using a utility like Powershell. If you're not familiar with this, you'll have to google instructions. But generally you'll need to switch to the directory containing launcher64.exe before issuing the command above.

So in reality the above command line sequence might look more like this

Code:
<<start CMD.exe ("Command Prompt") under Windows 10>>>

cd "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\IL-2 Sturmovik Cliffs of Dover Blitz"

launcher64.exe -server pwd canterbury

If you want a server password you set that up in the server command line, as shown above. It looks something like "launcher64.exe -server -pwd mypassword"

Rather than typing these commands into a DOS command prompt window, you can also set up a Windows shortcut to start the server. I have a desktop shortcut to start CloD when i want to play the game (ie, launcher64.exe with its full path etc). So I just make a copy of that shortcut and then edit it to add the "-server" part to the end of the command line. You can also add the "pwd mypassword" part to the command line in that shortcut if you like.

#4. Starting your mission within the server
Once the Launcher64.exe -server is started, it has a text interface. Using that, to start the mission, you type something like:

Code:
missLoad mymission.mis

battle start

"missLoad" and "battle" are two of many commands the server can run. Type "help" at the text prompt to get a full list of commands. "host", "chat Hi this is a message!", "kick TWC_Boss", "battle start" "battle stop", "file mycommandfile.cmd", and "exit" are a few of the most useful commands.

#4A. Automating server setup and mission start

Most people put together a mission command file with various settings and the command to load the mission and start the battle. Then you can run that from within the server with a command like:

Code:
file server-start.cmd

Most commands can be abbreviated, so this is a very common command:

Code:
f server-start.cmd

Attached to this message is a .zip file with example files:

server-start.cmd - run this as suggested above
clod-server-settings-outside-views-unlimited-ammo.cmd - this is automatically called from server-start.cmd. A couple more settings .cmd files are included for you to try
confs.ini - sample file, as discussed above.

All of these example files from the attached .zip should be placed in CloD documents folder, which usually looks something like:

C:\Users\XXXXXX\Documents\1C SoftClub\il-2 sturmovik cliffs of dover

More information & resources

Useful resource--somewhat out of date, but still has most of the basics:

http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/showthread.php?t=22038

Also, for running an ongoing server many people use the server watchdog program. Info on that here, including many tips on getting a server up & running: