Welcome to GameCreate, a full-featured system commonly called a game panel but which we prefer to call a game server management system. This introductory chapter will explain what game panels commonly do, why we think a game server management system is different, and how GameCreate fits into the overall picture.
About Game Panels
For many years now, some game developers have created games that required the use of a dedicated server. For a while, running a dedicated server was an easy enough affair - install the game, maybe modify a configuration file or two and run the server program provided. Over time, however, this task became rather time consuming for two reasons:
ISPs started providing a wide array of dedicated game servers, which required the use of a large number of computers. Configuring each server by hand was tiresome and error-prone.
The number of different games requiring dedicated servers increased dramatically; each game had a different method of configuration that would have to be learned individually.
A variety of people noticed that these kinds of tasks could be simplified by the use of specialised computer software. From that, a variety of software packages called Game Panels were created that could alter configuration files and control a server using a web interface.
What GameCreate Is
GameCreate takes this basic functionality of game panels and then extends it to the next level by either simplifying or totally removing the tasks faced by a server administrator. Lets have a look at how a game server is created on a computer using GameCreate:
The GameCreate client software is downloaded and installed onto the computer. Note that you do not directly use the GameCreate client software, it is simply used to interact with the GameCreate.com website. At this point, you may never need to directly interact with that computer again.
Using the GameCreate.com website, you select to install Battlefield 2 on your computer. GameCreate installs the latest version of the game software available onto your computer.
Using the GameCreate.com website, you create a Battlefield 2 server on your computer. The server is configured using language that you can understand with reasonable default values supplied for you.
GameCreate starts the new server on your computer. GameCreate continues to monitor the server, reporting and correcting any issues so that you do not have to.
GameCreate makes the task of running game servers as easy as possible, while still providing the underlying configurability to support what your users want. In particular, GameCreate has a number of features we will learn about later that make it especially suitable for running tens or hundreds of game servers.
GameCreate is a centralized system - in particular, this means that you are not required to setup a web server, install the GameCreate web interface, and hope that you have followed the installation steps correctly. We manage the GameCreate service so that you can concentrate on the task at hand - managing game servers. This also means that any updates for GameCreate or the game software you install, can be obtained automatically from GameCreate with no extra work on your behalf.
What GameCreate Is Not
GameCreate is not a an end-user server rental service (although it can be used to create one). We do not provide game servers: we provide the ability to create and manage game servers.
As a GameCreate customer, you will need direct access to one or more computers on which you have permission to install the GameCreate client software.
GameCreate concepts
There are some words and phrases you should understand in the context of GameCreate before you begin. See Manual Glossary for a full reference.
* A game server, or Server as it is known in GameCreate, is the individual location that players connect to when playing a game. At the computer level, a server is a running instance of the dedicated server software provided by a game's developer. In particular, note that we will never use the word server when referring to an actual computer.
* A Host is a physical computer. Game software is installed on a host, allowing one or more servers to be run on the host. In GameCreate, a host is specifically a physical computer on which the Game Create Client software has been installed.
* A Game is the software and accompanying data files required to run a game server. A game can be installed on a host, allowing a game server to be created on that host. In particular, note that game modifications, or mods, are generally treated as separate games in GameCreate.
* A Domain is a virtual 'box' that GameCreate uses to store information on your servers, hosts, and games. It is also used to hold information about your games service, such as a name and contact email. As a GameCreate customer, you will receive your own domain name to access your domain and its contents.
The Game Create Service is the GameCreate.com web interface and associated software that the GameCreate client communicates with. Generally, we will not refer specifically to the 'service' and instead will just refer to GameCreate as a whole. However, we feel it is important to point out at a high-level how GameCreate works. By installing the GameCreate client on your host, you allow GameCreate.com and your host to communicate over the internet. In turn, by accessing GameCreate.com you can manage game servers on that host.
Next: Manual Requirements