RektT5 server guide.

Xerxes

Requirements:
A PC to host the server.
An Internet connection.
T5 on said server. (You only need MP and can delete all .iwd files but iw_00.iwd after the first step this can save you a LOT of disk space.)
Notepad++
A brain.

Preface

All relative paths are as seen from t5m.exe
Certain things require you to disable the playlist, this however also disables the automated maprotation.
Please don’t create any 24/7 servers as they are cancer and might get treated as second class servers later.

1. Downloading and installing RektT5:

1.1 Downloading and installing RektT5:

Download the RektT5 Launcher from here.
Put it into a subfolder of your T5 folder.
- I will name it rektt5 in this tutorial.
Run t5m.exe it will ask for your T5M install, point it to the right folder.
Click cancle when it asks you to log into your getrekt account as we don’t need one to host a server and all configs needed for a server are set now.

1.2 Sliming down T5 and deleting unneeded files (Optional)

This is ONLY for people that only want to host a server from their T5 install and not to play with it.
The first step should be obvious: Don’t upload the ZM and SP files to your server, if you are unsure do uninstall the game and only install MP before you upload the files.
For running a server we only need iw_00.iwd inside the main folder. You can also get rid of the soundtrack (if included) and the players folder.

1.3 Enabling transparent compression

This step is useful if you choose to enable game logs as it will save up to a GB per server.

Open the properties of your ./rektt5/data folder
Click on Advanced...
Check the Compress contents to save disk space box
Press OK
Press Apply
Choose Apply changes to this folder, subfolders and files
Press OK

2. Basic configuration and the first start

Download the dedicated server cfg and save it to ./rektt5/data/
Open the cfg in Notepad++.
Edit the file to your likings.
Download the bat file from GitHub.
- Optionally open them with Notepad++ and change the 5 variables on the top.
Place the bat file where your t5m.exe is.
Double click the bat file.
Wait for the server to finish loading.
If you followed it correctly your server should now be up and running.

3. (Optional) Advanced configuration

Please read the instructions first before changing your config.
It’s always a good idea to backup your config before you edit it.

3.1 Changing the game mode

Open the server CFG.
Change the playlist to a different one with the game mode(s) you would like to host.
Save the file.
Restart your server

3.2 Enabling hard core mode

Open the server CFG.
Change the playlist to a Hardcore playlist.
Save the file.
Restart your server

3.4 Custom settings

Open the server CFG.
Disable the playlist and setup your maprotation as the playlist forces its settings.
Set-up your map rotation (sv_maprotation)
Scroll to the settings of the game mode(s) you want to change and make your changes.
- Make sure you did remove the //.
Save the cfg and restart your server.

4. (Optional) Install a server management tool

Both tools need you to enable the game log and to set a rcon password in the server config, for your own safety use a long and safe (generated) password you will never have to remember this password! And make sure to enable the game log with g_log. You should only install one of those 2 tools.

4.1 Adding IW4m-Admin to your server (Recommended)

Download IW4m-Admin from RaidMax’s website.
Follow his guide on GitHub.

4.2 Adding B3 (Big Brother Bot) to your server

Follow this tutorial to install B3.
- I recommend the source code install with the latest stable release.
Fire up the bot, and QUICKLY join the server to run !iamgod
- A PW protection for the time between you add the bot and you run the command is recommended but not necessary!

5. (Optional) Hosting a second server from the same directory.

Make a copy of the bat file and the cfg file and rename them.
Edit the copy of the bat file to have a different port and to use your second cfg.
(You must forward the second port as well if you are behind a DNAT!)
Edit the .cfg file.
Start the server through the new .bat file.

FAQ

Q: You said we can delete game files to save disk space, is it worth it?
A:In my opinion it is, it also HIGHLY speeds up loading times as unnecessary files are not loaded.

Q: So which files can we safely delete?
A:You can safely delete the players, redist and soundtrack folders and all .iwd files inside main but `iw_00.iwd`.

Q: Why can’t I find my server hosted at home while others can?
A:Your router probably doesn't support NAT-Loopback (aka. NAT-Reflection) and that's why it doesn't know how to forward the network traffic. In order to connect it use your internal IP or 127.0.0.1 if its hosted on the same machine. More information about what NAT-Loopback is and how it works can be found on Wikipedia.

rockstarrem

Thanks a lot for this guide Xerxes. I was having issues with it but I finally figured it out. I tried to zip up my game directory downloaded from Steam and put it on my VPS but that did not work. I had to actually get the files “another way” in order for it to function at all. My second issue was that my VPS was out of memory from another process running, but at least the program told me about that error instead of failing silently.

Again, awesome guide, thanks a ton!