Hosting your own server (No Port Forwarding!)

Hosting your own Unturned server without "Port Forwarding/Hamachi/Tunneling PTSD"

Introduction

https://youtu.be/lUu3ZRpz3vc?si=MjS1XJ1LxVGWeoOZ
Hello!
Recently (or maybe even not, lmao, honestly idfk when FakeIP with Server_Code were added) Unturned got few functions, that allow you to host a dedicated server, be it public or friends-only.

While i suck at explaining details (even more than i suck at Subterranean Animism), i'll do my best to explain every step. Hopefully, with knowledge from this guide, people will start hosting more PVE servers in attempt of countering the "♥♥♥♥♥♥ x100 loot Pay2Win PVP server" epidemic.
After all, it's best to show children the actual survival side of a game, instead of "raiding simulator" side.

Now, since i made fun of those who host x100 servers and their hosters for being losers, let's get into the guide itself!

1. Installation

Install "Unturned Dedicated Server" from there.
Unturned Dedicated Server Steam page as guide refuses to show it properly

After you installed the Dedicated Server, it should look like this:

2. Launching the server to create configuration files.

To launch the server, first we need to make a Batch File.
Right Click on "Unturned Dedicated Server" > Manage > Browse Local Files



Here, in Explorer, we Right Click on "U3DS" Folder Insides > New > Windows Batch File.
Name it any way you want. For Example, i named it "MyServer.bat"
Right Click > Edit, and then Notepad should popup. In notepad window, paste the Following text:

start "" "%~dp0ServerHelper.bat" +InternetServer/MyServer
exit

(note: you can replace "MyServer" with everything else you want, i did it entirely for testing purposes.)

Now, the server should create it's files, with primary ones we need being configuration files, as the GSLT (Game Server Login Token) Is not set, and well... without it the server code will be dynamic, and FakeIP won't work.

Now, after server has finished loading, close it.

3. Setting up GSLT.

to set up the GSLT:
1. go to https://steamcommunity.com/dev/managegameservers
2. Enter required data (Unturned AppID - 304930, choose any name you want).
3. The GSLT can be set in one of two places depending on your preference:
3.1 - Config.json - "Login_Token" line
3.2 - Commands.dat - "GSLT <Your_GSLT>" (remove the "<" and ">")

Now, you should be done with GSLT! Let's go to Second part of our configuration

4. Commands.dat

Can be found in U3DS/YourServer/Server.

All the info in this chapter below has been stolen from hosting service, because they ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ suck, and honestly idk what idiot would pay for game servers when tunneling services exist.

"Chatrate <integer>" - Assigns the minimum amount of time between chat messages in order to prevent spam

"Cycle <integer>" - Assigns the day/night cycle in seconds.

"Decay <integer>" - Assigns the amount of time a player, or their group members, can be offline before their structures can be removed by anyone. Default is 604800 (7 days)

"Gold" - Restricts the server to only allow Gold players (not recommended)

"Loadout x/x/x" - Assigns what all players spawn with. The first number value in the loadout is the Skillset ID.

"Map <map name>" - Sets the map that will be used for the server. Also, if server fails to load the map, PEI gets chosen instead.

"Maxplayers <integer>" - Sets the max amount of players the server will allow

"Mode Easy/Normal/Hard" - Sets the difficulty mode

"Name <My Server>" Sets the server's name
(Example: name patchy's Test server")

"Owner <SteamID64>" - Sets the server's owner, which gives them administrator commands and fully sets up the server
(example: "Owner 76561199364996193")

"Password <anything>" - Sets a password to the server to keep out unwanted guests, making the server more private

"Perspective First/Third/Vehicle/Both" - Assigns the perspective views. First allows only first-person, third allows only third-person, Vehicle allows third-person only when the player is in a vehicle, and both allows changing between first and third-person views freely

"Pve" - Sets the server to only allow Players VS Environment combat

"Welcome <Welcome message>" - Sets the welcome message
(example: Welcome Welcome to Patchy's PVE Survival!)

Here's an example of Commands.dat:

Name Patchy's Yukon Survival
Maxplayers 24
Map Yukon
Mode Normal
Pve
Cheats on
Owner 76561199364996193
Timeout 9999
Perspective Vehicle
Welcome Welcome to Patchy's Yukon Survival!

5. Config.json

I won't go into that many details, but rather just tell you how to enable the FakeIP, as there are way too many options, and it'll take a while for me to properly explain them to you.
Config.json can be found in U3DS/Servers/MyServer.

find the "Use_FakeIP", and change "false" to "true".

there's also bookmark host feature, that should help with bookmarking server and should work well with FakeIP's constantly changing IP address, but... i don't know how to setup it. and, probably not worth touching something that is too hard to setup ^^

5.1. Description

"Desc_Hint" - Message that appears under the server's name, after clicking on server.

"Desc_Full" - Message that appears under map description when clicking on server.

"Desc_Server_List" - Message that appears on server list, right under the server's name.

6. Launching the server.

After configuring the things, launch the MyServer.bat:

Icon's name is your Server's name, which can be used to find it in the server list.

Now, let's launch the game, and see, is the server visible in list, because if you did everything right, it should be visible.
(sorry for awful resolution on screenshots, just trying to see what will make my craptop load on Russia Server without giving me BSOD)
as you can see... everything works!

Extra: Installing LDM (RocketMod) for plugins.

Go to U3DS/Extras, and launch "Install Rocket.bat"
Now, your servers will have the "Rocket" folder, where you can put your RocketMod plugins inside

Plugins come usually in either single DLL file, or DLL with extra required libraries. they must be dragged in U3DS/Servers/YourServer/Rocket/Plugins. Also, yes, i don't know how to compile plugins too. Bet you can't even imagine how i had to improvise with assetmodifier after realizing that anti raid plugin was not already compiled...

Extra: Installing Steam Workshop items

To install mods/custom maps:
1. Go to U3DS/Servers/YourServer
2. Right click on "WorkshopDownloadConfig.json" > Edit
3. Add item ID into the "File_IDs" line. if you want multiple, use the ","
4. Done!

Workshop SteamID is that pile of numbers that gets picked for every single workshop item.
For example, the ID of this URL is 2086493433. Not sure, does the mod itself even works, but eh... might come in handy against 12 year old creatures and their cringy plate spam techniques used to break into others bases.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2086493433

End

Well, that's the guide on hosting servers for you. Now, go and host more PVE servers for the sake of saving this game's community from those evil x100 loot servers and their equally evil hosters.

hmm... x100 loot servers insulted... check. made fun of PVP/raiding players... also check. Made fun of server hosting services which are a scam... check too!
Yep, now the guide's def over.

Anyways, don't really want to be an advertising ♥♥♥♥♥, but i host a server every once in a while with this method.
code - 85568392925833298

[lirhat]

I found my mistake. Thank you very much for the Guide

[Ɛ: ʎɥɔʇɐԀ]

Launched server from client and not U3DS?

[lirhat]

When I start my server it says this: Hosting dedicated servers using client files has been deprecated since June 2019. What should I do?

[Ɛ: ʎɥɔʇɐԀ]

outdated map version? or maybe you're running original and not remastered on client/server?

don't really know anything about rio outside of the fact that it got it's own curated remaster instead of something like yukon getting a proper remastered version, nor want to play or talk about it.

[Muisig]

Seemed to work first day but now i'm running into issue with RIO map.
The client and server disagree on assets.

;/

[Ɛ: ʎɥɔʇɐԀ]

guessing, adding an example of Commands.dat (not so) straight from myself would be useful for this one... .w.

[Mister X]

oh my God it was that, i thought they were essential so the commands work, thanks lad

[Ɛ: ʎɥɔʇɐԀ]

You forgot to remove the " Symbols?

[Mister X]

howdy i have some problems to make Commands.dat work properly
idk if i need to put all the things you added to make it work i only added name, owner and welcome but they dont show, i tried adding a password but that didnt work either

[Chaos4unow]

oof