Self Hosted Servers
Introduction
Note: what is called a World in-game is called a “battlegroup” in this document. What is called a Sietch in-game is usually called a “server” in this document.
Self-hosting is a way for users to host Dune Awakening battlegroups on their own machines and connect to them. Hosts will be able to tweak various settings in configuration files to change the behavior of the game servers to their liking.
Requirements
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A Windows machine that has Virtualization and HyperV enabled (Windows Pro is required for this)
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20GB of memory, depending on how many servers the battlegroup will have
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Access to the network’s router to apply port forwarding if players outside the network are to join the battlegroup
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A token generated from our account page https://account-pts.duneawakening.com/
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You will need to port forward the following ports:
- 7777-7810 UDP for the game servers.
- 31982 TCP For RMQ
Usage
After enabling hardware virtualization on their BIOS and turning the HyperV feature on, users will be able to download the Dune: Awakening Public Test Client Server product on Steam and begin the process.
On the Dune: Awakening Public Test Client Server Steam product, users will find a Virtual Machine (VM) along with two bat files. Running initial-setup.bat will start a commandline setup wizard that will take the user through installing the VM on their local machine. At the end of the process, they will get information on what ports they’d need to port forward on their router to allow external access to their battlegroup.
During the setup, users will be prompted to select options for their VM, and then for their battlegroup. They will also be prompted for the token they got from the account page.
After the battlegroup setup is done, running battlegroup.bat will give the server host options for controlling and monitoring their battlegroup, along with various other functionalities like getting logs, accessing the file browser and shell access to the VM or any part of the battlegroup.
Changing Battlegroup Settings
By opening the file browser (option 9 in battlegroup.bat), hosts will find a UserSettings folder with user ini config files that allow them to change the behavior of the servers in the battlegroup. Some options are documented for them to change, but they are able to create various other User ini files to manipulate any exposed setting. Changing settings there requires a battlegroup restart to take effect.
Afterwards, users will be able to find the server under the Experimental tab.
Technical Breakdown
This self-hosting solution uses an Alpine Linux Virtual Machine hosted on a Windows host through HyperV. Inside the VM, we have a kubernetes cluster prepared. The initial setup will set the VM to use an external switch (bridge mode) so the VM will get an IP from the network’s router, and hosts will be able to port forward that if external access to the battlegroup is needed.
During setup, we download the latest server images, kubernetes resources and other configuration files from the latest game revision, and begin updating the cluster. The cluster is mounting the /home/dune/server/DuneSandbox/Saved folder on all game servers so configuration settings can persist after pod restart.
After the initial setup, the VM will be checking for updates, download them and apply them on the battlegroups, so they’re always compatible with the current Steam client.
