How to Host a Wargame: Red Dragon Server on your PC (2022)

How to run a Wargame: Red Dragon server. Steps should be similar for Steel Division 2

Overview

If you are a technical user, follow the instructions on Docker Hub: https://hub.docker.com/r/eugensystems/wargame3



Requirements:
* Windows 11 (Or Windows with WSL 2 support)
* Access to the controls of your router

Software that will be installed:
* Docker
* WSL
* WSL Linux image (Debian, Ubuntu)

Optional software:
* Visual Studio Code (VSCode)
* Wolf's Wargame RCON Client

Obtaining Access Key

Email Eugen Support @ [e-mail]

Example Email:

I would like to host a dedicated server for Wargame: Red Dragon.

My login is [YOUR Wargame/EugNet USERNAME].

Thank You

It will take a few business days to respond. Once they do they will give you your access key.

DO NOT share your access key with anyone else or post it online.

Environment Setup

1. Install WSL 2 : https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install
   
2. Verify that you are using WSL 2 by running:

   wsl -l -v

3. Install Docker using WSL 2 Backend: https://docs.docker.com/desktop/install/windows-install/

Project Setup

Create the following file and folder structure in WSL:

wargame/
├── settings/
│   ├── login.ini
│   └── variables.ini
└── readme.md

This would be when you could use VSCode: https://code.visualstudio.com/ . Once you have it installed and you are in the parent directory in WSL, you can run

code .

and VS code will open the current folder.

This is what you put in each file:

login.ini

login="[EugNet USERNAME]"
dedicated_key="[API KEY]"

variables.ini

ServerName="[YOUR SERVER NAME]"

You can find additional variables to set at the end of this page: https://hub.docker.com/r/eugensystems/wargame3

readme.md is where you can put your notes on how to run your server.

Port Forwarding

You need to forward a port from your router to the computer you want running the server. In your router settings look for a section called port forwarding. You can google your router name port forwarding to find instructions on how to do that. It also may be in your router's manual.

1. Pick a port number between 1024 and 65535. Write it down in your readme:

   Wargame Server Port: ##### 

2. Forward that port number from your router to your computer running the server for both TCP and UDP. You can find your computer's local IP address in the router, by looking at the network device's properties or by running

   ipconfig

   in powershell under the property called

   IPv4 Address

Running the Server

1. Download the Wargame server through docker by running the following in WSL
   

   docker pull eugensystems/wargame3

2. Normally home network connection IP addresses can change so if your server cannot be found after a while you may want to check if your Public IP address has changed. You can find your public IP address in your router's UI, by googling it[www.google.com], or by using a website that check what your IP address is.
   
3. While your terminal is in the wargame folder, run

   export EXPOSEDIP=[YOUR PUBLIC IP ADDRESS]
   export EXPOSEDPORT=[THE PORT YOU PICKED]
   docker run -d --name war3-server -e EXPOSEDIP -e EXPOSEDPORT --mount type=bind,src=$(pwd)/settings,target=/server/settings -p $EXPOSEDPORT:$EXPOSEDPORT/udp -p $EXPOSEDPORT:$EXPOSEDPORT eugensystems/wargame3
   

If you cannot find your server in the wargame list, are having problems with settings or want to check what your server has done, you can view the logs of the server inside of docker by clicking on it in the list of docker images.

If you want to change properties of the docker run command, you will have to delete the docker image in the UI before you can rerun the command, otherwise you will get an error.

RCON Controller

The Wolf's Wargame RCON Client is used to remotely control the server settings, ban people, change the map and otherwise manage your server using a GUI and without having to restart the server. I do not have a reliable link to download the Client so you will have to do a web search.

1. Download Wolf's Wargame RCON Client
   
2. Add the following to the end of the launch wargame command:

   +rcon_password [A PASSWORD OF YOUR CHOOSING WITHOUT SPACES] +rcon_port [A DIFFERENT PORT]

   The final command should look something like

   docker run -d --name war3-server -e EXPOSEDIP -e EXPOSEDPORT --mount type=bind,src=$(pwd)/settings,target=/server/settings -p $EXPOSEDPORT:$EXPOSEDPORT/udp -p $EXPOSEDPORT:$EXPOSEDPORT eugensystems/wargame3 +rcon_password admin +rcon_port 12000
   

3. Launch the client.
   
4. There are three IP addresses you can use to connect to the server:
   
   • If you are on the same computer: 127.0.0.1
     
   • If you are on the same router: [YOUR COMPUTER's LOCAL IP ADDRESS]
     
   • If you are anywhere in the world: [YOUR Public IP Address]
5. Use the port you set earlier in this section
   
6. Click Connect

[Erasmo]

Hi, I'm having a similar problem than some users in previous comments. I already set up the server, and it works and it connects, people can join and I can control it through commands. But I can't connect the RCON. I tried 127.0.0.1, my local ip (192...) and even my exposed IP with no results. It always says "Error Message: Could not establish a connection."

The obvious things have been tried (the port of the RCON is open, i tried another port and opened it on router, also I reinstalled all of this just in case).

There is a guy on the comments @Relish that says that "IF YOU USE RECON YOU NEED TO ADD IT TO THE DOCKER PORTS!!" but when I copied his docker command, docker says that "invalid containerPort: RCONPORT".

The strange thing is that in the last year I had the server and EVERYTHING WORKED, but two months ago I did a clean install of Windows and now it isn't working. (the exe of wolf's RCON is the same than my old windows so this is not the problem)

[Thefabric]

Hello, this guidd has been very helpfull. I just have one question with the RCON client. When I see the log in docker it just says that RCON port and password was specified. Any guess why it does not work?

[Martian Patriot]

Hmmmm, well I'm not aware of where you even mention passing it to the docker image. All I know is I followed this guide up to the RCON stuff and its not finding my .inis.

[Rafael09ED]

Create the files anywhere. I would suggest under home (~/wargame/). The file path structure isn't that significant iirc you just have to pass the files into the docker image where it says ` src=$( pwd) /settings,`. I suggest the given structure for organization.

[Martian Patriot]

"Create the following file and folder structure in WSL:"
Can you tell me explicitly *where* in WSL I'm making this wargame folder? I've tried several locations, including modifying the docker container itself and I've had no luck with it finding things like the login.ini I setup.

[Daniql1]

Important note! It is necessary to specify not the public IP address, but the address of the machine (127.0.0.1). In other cases, my server is not visible in the list of servers.
_________________________________________________________________

Важное замечание! Нужно указывать не публичный Ip адрес, а адрес машины (127.0.0.1). В других случаях в списке серверов у меня мой сервер не видно.

[TnE.CsTrk]

How to configure maps.ini to automatically change the map after the game ends?

[Relish]

docker run -d --name war3-server -e EXPOSEDIP -e EXPOSEDPORT --mount type=bind,src=$(pwd)/settings,target=/server/settings -p $EXPOSEDPORT:$EXPOSEDPORT/udp -p $EXPOSEDPORT:$EXPOSEDPORT -p RCONPORT:RCONPORT eugensystems/wargame3 +rcon_password admin +rcon_port 12000

IF YOU USE RECON YOU NEED TO ADD IT TO THE DOCKER PORTS!!

[Growley]

https://codeberg.org/buster_daemon/wargame_server/issues/10

[Rafael09ED]

I don't think you need vram for the server. I think you will be fine with that hardware even with other things running. I have never tested the hardware usage of a loaded 10v10 sever. I say try it out!