-= Gametoast.com =-

Hello Super_Shadowman,

Here are two definitions of a dedicated server.

1. The game is hosted on a server that is totally 'dedicated' to you and this one application. There are no other users or applications running alongside. This is an advanced and often expensive form of hosting (if you're renting).

It also refers to a situation when:

2. You run a dedicated server game application in which the computer can run the server portion of the game without needing the client application. This allows the server to handle several more concurrent connections, as the computer is not bogged down with tasks such as the rendering of graphics.

According to definition 2, if you are hosting a clan server and running the dedicated server portion of the game then you have already got a dedicated server.

If your PC also has good specs and your internet connection is reliable and has a good upload and download capacity then you don't need to think about building or hiring a new server as per definition 1.

Post your computer and internet specifications so we can see how you fare.

The 1.3 server thing is the application for running the dedicated server portion of SWBF.

This application runs seperately from the game. It runs on your computer without taking up a lot of system resources like the game will.

The 1.3 dedicated server application is still in BETA mode. It will eventually replace the current version once the bugs have been ironed out.

Many clans installed the 1.3 BETA version of the dedicated server but removed it soon after because it lacked stability and people weren't playing on the servers with it.

The PC game software is known as the client application.
The dedicated server software is know as the server application.

When you make a dedicated server on your computer you should go to another computer to join it. You cannot be on it.

SWBF has a PC non dedicated multiplayer function but you have to be in the game all the time to run it.

The dedicated server and game are not supposed to be played on the same computer.

BUT

It is possible to run the game and the dedicated server application on the same computer if you follow these steps.

1. Start the game. (Alt + Esc to come back to the desktop)
2. Start the dedicated server application.
3. Go back into the game and you should see your server listed in the multiplayer server list.
4. Join the game and you're playing on your own server on the same computer.

If you want to shut down the game and leave the dedicated server running then that's no problem. Yor clan can still play in it even though you closed down your game as the server application runs in the background.

However, you can not join the server again as you won't be able to start the game application. You have to start the game first and then the dedicated server application as per steps 1-4.

The game and dedicated server application are not designed to run on the same machine but I've tried it successfully and there hasn't been a single crash or complaint from other users about stability.

If you have a low spec PC and/or internet connection then running the server and game like this is not a good idea.