ManualGettingStarted

GameCreate.com is completely free for use on up to two computers so that you can trial the service for as long as you like. In this chapter we will guide you through the process of subscribing, connecting your first host computer to the GameCreate service, and finally starting your first game server.

Note: GameCreate is a service for managing game servers on your own computers. We do not rent game servers, though GameCreate can be used to run a rental service.

Subscribe to GameCreate.com

Before using the service, you will need to create a user account and a GameCreate Domain a virtual box in which all server information is stored. Visit the following address to begin the subscription process:

http://www.gamecreate.com/subscribe.php

Choose the location of your host computers to proceed.

The first step of subscription is to enter the details for your new domain.

After reading the licence agreement, enter a Domain Name, Domain URL, and your Timezone. If you aren't confident of your choices you can change them later.

The Domain Name is important: not only does it identify the domain you are creating to the GameCreate, it is also automatically inserted into the server name of any servers you create.

Click 'Next' to proceed.

On the second step you will need to choose a domain username and password. This is not for your personal user account (that comes next) - these login details will be used by the computer/s on which you intend to run game servers. When you install the GameCreate client software (later in this chapter) you will need to have these details handy, so make a note of them.

Once you have selected a username and password, click 'Next' to proceed.

The third step is entirely optional, allowing you to enter details about your game service such as the website URL, email address, and location. If entered, GameCreate will use these details on server configuration files for games that support them. On supported games, this allows players to view these details while playing on your servers.

To finish creating your domain, an account must be selected as the Domain Administrator. If you have used GameCreate.com before, select "Use an existing GameCreate account" and supply your login details.

Otherwise, as a new user select "Create a new GameCreate user account":

After reading the service agreement, enter your name and email address you can be contacted on. Select a username and password you wish to use to access your domain on GameCreate.com, and finally click 'Finish' to create your new domain.

Your domain has now been created and is immediately available for use. You may wish to bookmark the displayed link so that you can easily login to your domain later. You can also login to your domain by visiting the GameCreate.com website, and clicking the "Login" link. You will need to know the region your domain was created in (for example: North America) and the name you gave to your domain.

For now, click the displayed link and you will be taken the login screen.

Enter your user account details (as entered in Step 4 - remember, this is different to the domain login created in Step 2). You are now ready to start using your domain.

Add Your First Host

You have now succesfully logged into your new domain and it is time to start using GameCreate. However, before you can start making you need to connect your computer/s to the GameCreate.com service. To do so, you must install the GameCreate Client.

Note: GameCreate requires that your host computer have an IP address directly accessible from the internet. "Private" IP addresses are not currently supported.

The information displayed (omitted from the above screenshot) briefly details how to add your first host. Either follow the on-screen prompts or continue reading this chapter for information on how to proceed. Be sure to keep your browser open while you install the GameCreate Client.

1. Visit http://www.gamecreate.com/downloads/ and download the client appropriate to your host computer's operating system (either Windows or Linux).

2. Run the client installation as an administrative user (typically "Administrator" on windows, "root" on Linux)

3. Start the GameCreate client - on Windows you can find GameCreate in the Start Menu's "Programs" folder. We highly recommend running the software with an unprivileged user account (ie, not "Administrator" or "root"). It is usually a good idea to create a new Operating System user to run the GameCreate Client with.

4. You will be prompted to enter the domain's location, username and password.

   • The domain's location was the first selection in the subscription process (such as "North America" or "Europe"). It should correspond to the physical location of your host computer(s).

   • The domain's username and password were selected during Step 2 of the subscription process (it is not the details you used to login to GameCreate.com). If you have forgotten your selection, click the "Domain" tab in GameCreate and look for the "Domain Login" and "Domain Password" fields. Use your browser's Back button once you have the required information.

At this point the software should connect to GameCreate.com and display messages like this:

If you see any errors, double check the domain location, username and password you entered have the correct values.

Once you have the client software installed and running, you can safely ignore it. The software is only used so that GameCreate.com can remotely start game servers and install software at your request. All interaction with the GameCreate service is via the GameCreate.com website.

Run GameCreate Client at Computer Start-Up

The GameCreate Client needs to be running at all times so that GameCreate.com can start servers, install software, and generate statistics on your computer's resource consumption.

• On Windows computers, we recommend placing a shortcut to the GameCreate client in your Start Up folder. You may wish to configure Windows so that after rebooting it will automatically login as the Operating System user you are running the GameCreate client with.

• On Windows computers, we recommend starting the client from a script in the /etc/rc.d , /etc/init.d , or similar location. The details vary between linux distributions.

If you do not setup the GameCreate Client to run on computer start-up and your host computer reboots, you will need to restart the GameCreate Client yourself after each boot.

Install Your First Game

After installing the GameCreate Client, return to the browser window where you are logged into your GameCreate.com domain (if you have closed your browser, you will need to login back in).

Click "Next Step" to acknowledge you have installed the GameCreate Client. If the client has not connected yet, the following message will appear:

If you see this error recheck your client installation's domain location, username and password.

When your host is successfully connected to GameCreate.com, the next step is to install some game software on the computer.

Some basic GameCreate terminology is described (not pictured); see Manual Introduction for a more detailed explanation of some of the terminology used. Click the link at the bottom to select a game to install on your host computer.

Choose the game you wish to install and click 'Next'.

Note: GameCreate does not distinguish between retail games and mods. All are listed as games, so if you wish to install the Half-Life 2 modification called Dystopia you need to select "Half-Life 2: Dystopia" from the list, not "Half-Life 2" itself.

You will be shown a summary of the actions GameCreate will take. In the picture, Counter-Strike Source is to be installed. As Counter-Strike Source requires Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2 has also been automatically included as well.

Click 'Install' to proceed.

Assuming that you currently have the GameCreate Client running, GameCreate.com will contact your host computer and begin copying the required files from GameCreate.com's content servers to your host computer. The installation progress is displayed on-screen.

If for some reason you do not have the GameCreate Client running, start it up on your host computer and the installation will begin.

The installation will continue without user interaction; there is no need to monitor its progress. Click 'Continue using GameCreate' to move to the final step of this chapter.

Create Your First Server

While your game installation proceeds, it is time to create your first game server.

Some basic tips on using the GameCreate interface are presented (removed in above picture); for a more thorough coverage see the next chapter Manual Interface.

Click the link at the bottom 'Create a game server on host' to move to the server creation screen.

When creating a new server, the first step is to select the game type for the server. At this stage we have only installed one game, so that is the only option available. To create servers for different games, install the game and then return to the "Create New Server" screen.

Having selected the game type for the server, click 'Next' to proceed.

The "Create Server" screen is broken up into two sections. At the top are settings common to all servers: the host computer to use, the host port, the server's name, and so on.

The second half of the screen contains properties specific to the server's game (Counter-Strike: Source in the picture). These properties correspond to settings that would otherwise be entered manually into the server's configuration file(s).

Next to each property is a blue question mark. Move your mouse cursor over a question mark to view a description of what that property does.

For now, let's use the default settings. Click 'Save' to create the new server.

You will be shown the Overview page for your new server. If the game software has not yet completed installation (as pictured) the status will be shown as "Updating". Once the installation completes, GameCreate will start the server and the status will change to "Running".

You have now created your first GameCreate-managed server. However, we have only scratched the surface of the functionality available to you through GameCreate. In the following chapters we will explore the functionality available such as:

• Start, restart, or stop servers on multiple hosts with a single click.

• Share configuration between multiple servers using templates.

• Directly modify configuration files for a single server or an entire game.

• Create multiple configuration file definitions which each server can choose between.

• Allow users to book "temporary servers" for a few hours on your host computers

• View detailed player and performance statistics across servers, games, or hosts

• Grant additional users access to as little or as much functionality as you like, such as restarting a single server, managing servers for a single game, or creating servers on a single host.

• Allow FTP access to host computers, which is particularly useful if renting servers

• Configure your domain to authenticate against your existing user database, allowing your website's users to access GameCreate.com with the same username and password.

Be sure to keep reading for information on these and many other features.

Next: Manual Interface