[moxie2020]

I am trying to setup a few L4D2 servers.

I am getting frustrated with a couple of things. When I launch the servers there games start without a lobby and start in campaign mode.

I want to start servers through lobbies and only have the sv_gametypes I define be available. I have found several guides on this but most of them contradict each other so apparently valve has made changes at some point.

Can someone point me in the right direction?

[moxie2020]

I am trying to understand the purpose mm_dedicated_force_servers.

What I am getting is servers are always running and a lobby merely connects groups of people to a server?

So essentially the lobby and the server exist separately?

[id5473]

servers are always "running". when there are no players connected it's hibernating.. (unless you enabled that bots are able to lead) I am unsure what exactly that state means or does.. I guess it's something like the ai director not being active at that time and nothing is happening in the map at all..

if you connect with a lobby to a server.. it gets reserved for your lobby.. and thus not available for other lobbies looking for a server. (you can use hlsw to check the reservation status of a server, you can also see if it's hibernating or not)

"mm_dedicated_force_servers" just tells your client (which is preferably the lobby leader) to try and reserve/connect to only this specific server(s). it overwrites the "official/best available" selection.

not sure if it's of much help to you.

I wasn't able to restrict gamemodes entirely on my server either.. 90% of the time it hosts campaign/realism games as it should.. but esp. right after a restart.. it sometimes ends up as a vs server.

[moxie2020]

Originally Posted by id5473 servers are always "running". when there are no players connected it's hibernating.. (unless you enabled that bots are able to lead) I am unsure what exactly that state means or does.. I guess it's something like the ai director not being active at that time and nothing is happening in the map at all.. if you connect with a lobby to a server.. it gets reserved for your lobby.. and thus not available for other lobbies looking for a server. (you can use hlsw to check the reservation status of a server, you can also see if it's hibernating or not) "mm_dedicated_force_servers" just tells your client (which is preferably the lobby leader) to try and reserve/connect to only this specific server(s). it overwrites the "official/best available" selection. not sure if it's of much help to you. I wasn't able to restrict gamemodes entirely on my server either.. 90% of the time it hosts campaign/realism games as it should.. but esp. right after a restart.. it sometimes ends up as a vs server.

How do I get it to launch into a certain gamemode on the first start without it reloading the same map?

mp_gamemode does nothing apparently and if I use +map MAPNAME GAMEMODE it only loads the map but not the gamemode.

I tried using +exec run##.cfg with +servercfgfile server##.cfg and tried to have run##.cffg load up the map and gamemode and server##.cfg load up the server settings but apparently exec does not work or it does not work together.

How do I just say run Versus you POS game!

[id5473]

the the only parameter I have in my server.cfg regarding gamemode is

sv_gametypes "coop,realism"

it's a rented gameserver here.. and I am unable adjust startup parameters the way you do. (I don't have access to that)

I don't really see the need for it to start in a certain gamemode or level. Depending on which lobby reserves it.. it will (re)load the level anyway with proper map/difficulty/gamemode specified in this lobby.

but that switch doesn't work all the time.

[PatriotGames]

Hi,

The only consistent way I've found to start the server in a specific game mode and keep it there is:

1. In your autoexec.cfg add "map mapname gamemode" where mapname is the name of the map you want as default on the server and gamemode is the preferred game mode:

• example: map c5m1_waterfront versus will load Parish in versus mode.

Now, if a lobby joins your server having choosen another gamemode (e.g. co-op), you server will switch to that mode. If you want the server to run only one game mode:

1. In your server.cfg add sm_cvar mp_gamemode "gamemode" where gamemode is the only game mode you want on the server.

• example: sm_cvar mp_gamemode "versus" will keep the server in versus game mode, allowing only versus lobbies to connect. Of course, using sm_cvar to unlock hidden cvars assumes you have installed Metamod and Sourcemod.
• note: since versus players from public lobbies are notorious for leaving games, make sure you also allow other players to connect to your server directly without using a lobby with sv_allow_lobby_connect_only "0" in you server.cfg.This allow players to join an existing versus match on your server as other players leave and open up slots.

Regards,

PG