How to make your very own community server! - Plugins/Player Models/Custom Maps!

The one & only guide teaching you the basics of installing, configuring and managing a CSGO community server!
Tips are also included!

Before you read...

UPDATED 10 JULY 2020

Notice : COMMUNITY SERVERS are sort of dead and i do not recommend starting any server at all, it is at your own risk. Valve has been trying to kill community servers ever since. (with multiple updates that destroy player models, custom maps, and even plugins. Continue at your own behest.. and good luck!

The fact is, writing this years later, I've got no idea where the stage of community servers are with CS:GO. My passion is with exploring with devops and servers.

Just remember, I'm here to help and so are many others![forums.alliedmods.net] Just leave me a steam pm or comment on this guide. Also! this guide only showcases and lists out the golden things you have to do when creating your server.. and It may NOT be as simple as it seems!

I'm happy to help, but only with things related to devops, or servers.

The guide is also fairly lengthly & comprehensive(I hope so) and thus I recommend that you follow up any questions you may have immediately with a quick google search! Here are also some things you should know!

• Be prepared for long.. sleepless nights!
  
• Be wary of scammers! (I was once scammed when starting my first server!)
  
• This isn't easy!.. there are many steps involved including the many thousands you'll find whilst installing and configuring plugins..
  
• Are you passionate?

Lastly, a little about myself! : I'm one of the two community owners at RthaurG![rthaurg.net]. We're a APAC (Asia Pacific) gaming community based in singapore and we ran servers from 2014 only to be discontinued till now!

Intro : What is a community server?

Before creating your community server, you need to understand what a community server is! A community server is a server/ a series of servers run by the CSGO community to enjoy different variations of gamemodes other than competitive fights (normal 5v5/bombsites etc).

What types of community servers are there?

There are many sorts of community servers.

• Jailbreak servers
  
• Surf Wars (Surf RPG) servers
  
• Zombie Escape servers
  
• Zombie Mode servers
  
• PUG 5v5s servers
  
• Skillsurf servers
  
• 1v1 Aim servers
  
• AWP servers
  
• KreedZ (KZ) servers
  
• Many more....

You may have even played on several of these servers!

What makes a community server unique?

A community server is unique because of it's use of unique plugins. For example : Terrorists players play as the zombie on zombie escape servers because of it's unique plugins!.


The screenshot above showcases a jailbreak server

FAQ : Creating A Community Server.

Before we continue: Here are several FAQs before you start creating a community server.

FAQ

• Do I need to pay for a community server?

  This question pops up the most when one wants to create a community server. To answer this question, It depends on whether or not you are planning to dedicate time for your server. Thus the next FAQ question.
  
  

• Should I host my own server or buy it from a provider/reseller?

  When hosting your own server, there are usually more disadvantages when compared to advantages. However with a provider, things like fastdl, configuration and server uptime will be easily managed.
  
  Following the first question, If you decide to dedicate time to manage & make your community server, Purchasing a server from a reputable provider will be the better choice.(Which in return means you need to pay monthly for your server.)
  
  

• Can I make profit from running my own community server?

  Ultimately, you can. However this is not the case for us community owners. We strive to provide the best servers around and improve gameplay. This means using all donations/profits and sometimes even our own money to get that new plugin/or keep our servers up.

Hosting : Self & with Providers.

Hosting is the core to any good community server. Without a good host, you won't be able to play lag-free or with low latency on your server. Thus, I'd recommend you the following csgo server providers I've had expierence with.

Providers(I've had expierence with)

• Streamline Servers.[streamline-servers.com]
  Streamline servers has one of the best control panels around and I had an easy time when starting up my first CSGO community jailbreak server. They also have very good support as you're able to add them on steam and speak to them there.
  
  
• Fragnet Servers.[www.fragnet.net]
  I've personally ran my own websites/game servers with fragnet and they have top-notch servers. There weren't any down-time on my servers and everything was easily configurated with their game-server management console.

Other Providers

• NFO Servers. [www.nfoservers.com]
  
• Multiplay game servers[www.multiplaygameservers.com]
  
• Nitrous Network[nitrous-networks.com]
  
• Clanwarz[www.clanwarz.com]

As I don't recommend hosting your own server from your laptop or desktop, I will not be going through with that setup. However, This youtube video shows you how you can set up your server via steamCMD.

Hosting : Linux

If you decide to start running your own server from a provider using linux, This is my how to part on how to set it up. If you're unsure at any point of time. Please comment below or let me know by adding me.

In order to install the server properly, you & your server will need to have :

• Some knowledge on Linux CLI (Command Line)
  
• FTP installed - To view your files remotely (other than from the commandline)
  
• At least Ubuntu 12.04 LTS or greater
  
• Debian 6 or greater
  
• Fedora 17 or greater
  
• CentOS 6 or greater

We will be using Linux Game Server Manager[gameservermanagers.com] to install our csgoserver. LGSM makes this very easy by installing a bunch of scripts for you so you can readily install csgoservers quickly.

Follow the guide on their website here[gameservermanagers.com]
It should look something like this ;

Some IaaS Providers (Dedicated Servers or VPS)

• DigitalOcean[m.do.co]
  
• OVH[www.ovh.com]

Before purchasing a dedicated server or VPS, you should take note of the following :

• The space allocated to me (Will I be able to host my community server here?)
  
• Core/Procesors of a server (Will my servers be able to host 64 players smoothly?)
  
• Distro's available (Does this host have ubuntu/debian/fedora or centos?)
  
• Bandwidth (Am i going to be using this much bandwidth? - FastDL/Monthly uptime)

These options here are very important because game-servers can be very highly cpu intensive and take up a lot of bandwidth. You will need to consider the resources you require or else the server may not function too well.

https://www.youtube.com/c/BrianChew - my youtube channel where i constantly try to create and make visual, articulate and accurate videos about devops, servers, and fun.

Hosting : FastDL server or Steam Workshop

Before considering FastDL (a term we used for game-servers huge custom files...) i've also learned of the existence of a methodology and technolgoy called a CDN (Content Delivery Network), where a single block or blob of files can be cached on endpoints of the servers and be downloaded and viewed with much less effort from the requesting client.

In simple words: We can make use of a CDN much better rather than a FastDL. I'm sure the sourcemod community has implemented this some way. (Do note, this can be fairly expensive. and make sure to not spend any crazy.. amounts!)

FASTDL===========

This section is taken from here![github.com]

What is FastDL ?

FastDL for "fast download" is used for the client to download custom server content (maps, materials, models, particles, sounds, fonts, images). It's used as a workaround for Source (SRCDS) servers natively uploading at only 20KB/s to clients. It basically consists in sharing the required files with an HTTP server, that will allow clients to download those files much faster. But as the making of that shared folder is a pain to make manually, we developed a script to make it automatically.

Requirements

• HTTP Server (on game server)
  
• FTP/SCP/SFTP + HTTP on remote server

STEAM WORKSHOP===========

This section is referrenced from here!
Steam workshop offers a fast and quick way when it comes to download maps/models or etc for almost any game. For CSGO.. this is only restricted to maps as the valve team behind CSGO didnt' really support any custom-made weapons or so... but not to worry!

Way1:
To start.. you'll need to get the workshop IDS of the workshop items you want.. or alternatively you can add them into a workshop collection.. then get the collection ID of your collection. you'll store your collection id(s) in a file called "subscribed_collection_ids.txt" under your /csgo/ directory.

Way2:
Use the command [host_workshop_collection <collectionid>] in your server with your collection ID. (the command should be in your srcds command line (usually run together when you start the server))

Reference:
https://www.reddit.com/r/GlobalOffensive/comments/186z0g/map_workshop_and_servers/c8cantc/

FTP : Configurations I

After successfully installing your CSGO server with LGSM, you will need to change several configurations. Firstly, You will need to download a FTP Client. I personally recommend and use FileZilla[filezilla-project.org].

Once you're done installing Filezilla, opening it up will look like this: (You can ignore the red-highlighted section as it's the view for your local files on your local machine.)


Then open up the File tab at the top left and click on site manager;

A menu labelled Site Manager will pop up. :


Make a new site and key in your server FTP information;

Please note : FTP Information is given to you if you purchase a csgo game server from a provider. You will have to install FTP (most likely vsftpd) on your own if you buy your own dedicated server.

FTP : Configurations II

Once you're on your server via FTP, You need to navigate to your /home/csgoserver/ OR wherever you have your CSGO server. (PLEASE NOTE: This varies accordingly due to your provider or your own dedicated server.)

If you're not available to change ANY configurations from FTP, Please contact your provider as to how you'll be able to change any configuration files.[Usually FTP access will be given..]

To change configuration files : You will require...

• Notepad ++ (Recommended)
  
• Any sort of text-editor
  
• A folder you can store transfered files on your local machine.

If you're using LSGM, you'll need to edit the csgo-server file located in your /home/csgoserver & as well as the csgo-server.cfg file located in /home/csgoserver/serverfiles/csgo/cfg/ folder.

Otherwise, You will need to navigate to your serverfiles and into your /cfg folder. which will house the server.cfg file and all other gamemode.cfg files. There, you can edit your server's config and the gamemode's config files.

Your server's home directory should look something like this..

With this knowledge, You can easily transfer your files over and edit them on your local machine, before uploading them back to update your server!

Installation : Sourcemod & Metamod

At the time of writing this sentence (10 july 2020), i'm fairly sure this tutorial is still highly relevant as long as you follow it.

Sourcemod and Metamod are the very core of every community server ever created in CSGO. By installing these, you are opening many doors into the world of sourcemod plugins! There are MANY plugins created for csgo and specific servers. You can host your own server with your own combination of plugins!

Before starting on the installation of sourcemod, these are some of the wiki pages/guide pages you should consult prior.

• Sourcemod Documentation FULL[wiki.alliedmods.net]
  
• Sourcemod Configuration[wiki.alliedmods.net]
  
• The actual Sourcemod Page[www.sourcemod.net]

To install Sourcemod fully, you will need to firstly download metamod. Visit Metamod[www.sourcemm.net] to download your version of metamod, either the Windows, Linux or Mac. You will need to check with your host if you're unsure of your server's version. Using the wrong one is futile.


Then install Sourcemod, by downloading the stable and correct version from the website here[www.sourcemod.net]


To install both, drag it's contents into your server via FileZilla or a FTP client.(Remember to extract it into a directory using Winrar/7zip.)




Just like that, you're ready for the next step!

SM : Things you can do

With sourcemod, you're able to do some of the following amazing things!

• Utilize the public plugins database[www.sourcemod.net]
  
• Code your own plugins[wiki.alliedmods.net]
  
• Get to know more people from SM[forums.alliedmods.net]
  
• Many more things on the sourcemod website!

For this guide, I will be recommending you the plugins I've had expierence with, and those of which are successful. With sourcemod, you're able to install any plugins provided you have the requirements stated on the plugin's thread.

For example :
As for the picture shown above, The red-text highlight gives us a warning regarding the usage of the plugin on a different sourcemod version.. Furthermore, down the page under Requirements, you'll require individual .inc files (include files) in order to compile the plugin.

Following the installation guide of EVERY individual plugin is also a big plus since almost every plugin has a different way of working.. (For the most part, you just need to add the .smx file (Sourcemod plugin) into the addons/plugins directory of your server.)

To start off, the next content section will teach and show you how you can install a plugin, and how to configure it fully for your server.

SM Plugins : Installation & Configuration

To install a plugin, your server needs to have the proper sourcemod version, and etc..
For this case, I will be installing a simple plugin to make this simple.

For this video, I'll be installing a server plugin where you can queue messages to players. (Server Advertisements)[forums.alliedmods.net]

After watching that video, you may have the following questions!

• Where can i download filezilla, & is it free? :
  File zilla is totally free and you can get it here[filezilla-project.org]
  
  
• Are plugins free?:
  Some plugins are made by individual developers and they can sell their plugin for money & etc. There are many free plugins however, made by lovely developers such as Shanapu[github.com].
  
  
• How can i start on coding my own plugin? :
  I'm not a sourcepawn developer but I'd start of by reading more about the language's syntax and etc here[wiki.alliedmods.net].

SM : Adding Admins

Adding admins onto your server is almost essential on every server! You'll obviously want to give yourself an admin rank to moderate your own server. Before you read the rest of this section.. Please check out the following link

- https://wiki.alliedmods.net/Adding_Admins_(SourceMod)

All in all, this wikipedia page on the am website is still the best place to find what you need and to truly understand it all. Ranks are considered or labelled as flags in sourcemod. If you have a Z flag for example, you get all the other flags ; meaning you'll have access to everything (root).

Or.. if you have the a flag, It means that you'll have reservation access. This is how sourcemod ranks work, and you may wish to create different ranks for different players. You'll have to name your own ranks your own way and manage them accordingly.

To give yourself the z flag, all you need to do is to get your steam id, and list it in your admins_simple.ini file. Which will be located in your addons/sourcemod/configs directory as shown below.


Onced opened. it should look something like this :

To give yourself the z flag.. firstly visit a steam id finder website... (Or there are other alternatives to look for your steam ID)[www.wikihow.com]

Then put in your steam url..
and.. copy the steamID..

then paste it in quotation marks into your admins_simple.ini file and put the letter z in quotation marks after.. Just like this..

and you're done! now all you need to do is to reload/refresh the admin config on your server.. or restart the server!

Others : Management Tools

Management tools are important when it comes to managing your server, configurating & managing the staff.. Game server tools as I would like to call it are thus created to help!
Some of the known few :

• TCADMIN[tcadmin.com] - Extremely renowned and well known for game-server management.. (A lot of companies use this for their customers.)
  
• HLSW FIXES [hlswfixes.com]- The unofficial patch for HLSW, it fixes all the bugs and has more new features!
  
• SourceAdmin Tool[forums.alliedmods.net] - A HSLW alternative that is still being updated!
  
• GameCP[gamecp.com] - Another game server control panel software which is fairly well known..
  
• Bright Game Panel[www.bgpanel.net] - One of the few good ones out there..
  

All of the above tools have one important function.. to help you easily restart/stop or manage your server without any hassle. It's up to you to choose which one you'd like to go with!

PS : If you don't want to install any of the following tools.. It's still fine. You'll still be able to restart/stop and manage your server easily.. (As long as you follow my steps for FTP!) Please also note that if you've purchased a game server from a hosting company, you'll probably have one of the following Cpanels on the panel site mentioned above!

Final : Gamemode installation!

Hold behold!, we're finally at the end of the guide.. but we're still not yet done!
In order to make your final community server, you'll need to find the proper plugin for your servers, along with the maps, player models and more!. I will list out all community server types and link you to the sections/plugins for that server (which I've worked with in the past, and thus i find the most reliable.)

Before we start, I just want to mention that every resource used or link here is accessible from sourcemod. I also want to go through some very basic config files to show you how you can edit your own from the very bottom.

Server : Jailbreak

Jailbreak Server

The jailbreak gamemode consists of the entire server roleplaying life in the prision.

Plugins recommended

• SM-Hosties[github.com] (Compulsory Jailbreak Plugin), almost every server has a rewrite/version of this.
  
• MyJailbreak[github.com] (Recommended to add several special other new features inc : cool models, warden & etc..
  
• MyJailShop[github.com] (Recommended to add a customizable shop system on he server)
  
• Any other plugin you may require for your own server![www.sourcemod.net]

Maps recommended

Map types :
jb_name
ba_jail_name
Steam workshop maps!
Gamebanna maps[gamebanana.com]

Rules!
There are many rules you can come up with!, since it's your server, feel free to get some idea of how jailbreak works by joining a jailbreak server! Here are some of the rules from existing communities.

• http://hellsgamers.com/messageoftheday/jb
  
• http://reflex-gamers.com/showthread.php?t=3540
  
• https://www.prestige-gaming.org/rules/jailbreak/
  
• https://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?297632-Jail-Rulebook

Server : Surf wars/RPG Surf

Surf Wars/RPG Surf(Syrf deathmatch)

Surf war just includes team deathmatches across a surf map... and adds some fun aspects of sourcemod plugins such as RPG (special points/skills etc)

Plugins recommended

• SM RPG[github.com] SM RPG is very much needed if you wish to add an awesome aspect of RPG into your server.
  
• REDIE [forums.alliedmods.net] Redie allows your dead surf players to walk around & surf to try out the map while dead.
  
• A Bunnyhop plugin[github.com] Bunnyhop will definitely make your server a little more lively as your players will have a lot of fun!
  
• Any other plugins you may require![www.sourcemod.net]

Maps recommended

Map types :
surf_name
Steam workshop maps!
Gamebanna maps[gamebanana.com]
Be very careful with skillsurf maps & surfwar maps. They both have surf_ as their prefix..

Rules!
Surf wars has also it's unique rules for players.. such as
1. No camping
2. No glitching of any kind on the server
3. No mic-spamming
4. No cyber-bullying of any form
5. Abusing of any command is not tolerated
and any other generic server rules...

Server : Zombie Escape

Zombie Escape! aka ZE

Zombie escape is a roleplay game whereby the terrorists will be the zombies, and attempt to infect everyone on the server as they try to escape.

Plugins recommended

• Zombie:Reloaded[forums.alliedmods.net] - The absolute core to every zombie escape server. (There are many other plugins here you can look at which improves the plugin a lot.
  
• Any other plugins you may require![www.sourcemod.net]

Maps recommended

Map types :
ze_name
Steam workshop maps!
Gamebanna maps[gamebanana.com]
ZE maps are extremely huge in size & may require a FASTDL server to help improve player join times (FASTDL section coming soon)

Rules!
General server rules will apply on a zombie escape server.. including
1. No abusing of any plugin/command
2. No glitching/exploiting the map.
I've linked some helpful links below to help you out!
- http://zombieescape.wikia.com/wiki/Guide:_Getting_started
- https://forums.alliedmods.net/showthread.php?t=193883?t=193883 (Last edited 27/8/12)

Server : Pug 5V5

Pug 5v5 (Scrim server)

Pug 5v5 servers give competitive teams a place to practice against opponents and scrim with others!

Plugins recommended

• A pug plugin[www.sourcemod.net] Required if you want PUG to work.
  
• Any other plugin you may require![www.sourcemod.net]

Maps recommended

Map types :
normal csgo maps
de_name
ar_name
etc...
Steam workshop maps!
Gamebanna maps[gamebanana.com]
The normal csgo maps are aleready on your server when you first installed it, thus there really isn't a need to download new maps unless you wanted new maps to practice on!

Rules!
Pretty much no rules for this gamemode since it's just normal csgo... and most of the time the server would be private.

Server : Multiarena / 1v1

1V1 Multiarena (Arena)

1v1 or multiarena servers are espicially popular for training your aim!

Plugins recommended

• Multi- 1V1 Plugin - This plugin is the core![github.com]
  
• Multi- Headshot only[forums.alliedmods.net]
  
• Multi- Headshot options[forums.alliedmods.net]
  
• Multi- Challenges[forums.alliedmods.net]
  
• Multi- Challenge Redux[forums.alliedmods.net]
  
• Any other plugin you may require![www.sourcemod.net]

Maps recommended

Map types :
aim_name
am_name
Steam workshop maps!
Gamebanna maps[gamebanana.com]

Rules!
General rules like mic spamming, no abusing of commands and other general server rules are required for this server.

Server : AWP Wars

AWP WAR servers!

AWP wars with two teams fighting! ,only awps are allowed.

Plugins recommended (The plugins are NOT necessary)

• Simple Deathmatch (same weapon)[forums.alliedmods.net]
  
• Vote for AWP noscope[forums.alliedmods.net]
  
• Any other plugin you may require![www.sourcemod.net]

Maps recommended

Map types :
awp_name
Steam workshop maps!
Gamebanna maps[gamebanana.com]

Rules!
General rules like mic spamming, no abusing of commands and other general server rules are required for this server.

Server : Skill Surf/Surf Style

Skillsurf Server!/ Surf Style

Skillsurf is extremely popular & may require some tons of setting up before launching your server! [READ ON]

Plugins recommended (The plugins are NOT necessary)

• CKSurf - The absolute core of a skillsurf server (PS : there may be customized versions of these)[forums.alliedmods.net]
  
• Any other plugin you may require![www.sourcemod.net]

Maps recommended

Map types :
Note : You should know that skillsurf maps & surfwars may have simillar names but they are totally different maps.. eg: a skillsurf map will not work on a surfwar plugin.
surf_name
Steam workshop maps!
Gamebanna maps[gamebanana.com]

Rules!
General rules like mic spamming, no abusing of commands and other general server rules are required for this server.. especially cheating to get a better time.

Convar Section[WIP]
This section shows you specific convars you may want to consider adding onto your server, in order to perfect things out.

Server : KZ (KreedZ/Parkour)

KZ KreedZ/Parkour Server

KZ is a parkour/climb server that hosts climb maps and allow players the satisfaction of climbing and completing maps with a timer & cool things!

Plugins recommended

• KZTimer - Required for ALL KZ servers. (Customized versions are out there too)[github.com]
  
• Any other plugin you may require![www.sourcemod.net]

Maps recommended

Map types :
Note :
kz - default kz maps
bkz - bunnyhop kz maps
xc - kz maps too
kzpro_ - a kz map type
Although there are no real different

kz_name
bkz_name
xc_name
kzpro_name
KZ MAP Collection
Steam workshop maps!
Gamebanna maps[gamebanana.com]

Rules!
General rules like mic spamming, no abusing of commands and other general server rules are required for this server.. especially cheating to get a better time.

Tips!
If you're using KZTimer, You might wanna take a look at this FAQ/Troubleshooting page![www.kz-climb.com]

Server : Bhop / Bunnyhop

Bunnyhop Server

Bunnyhopping is something developped wayyyyyy back from CS1.6, and It's been growing ever since! The hopping movement makes it so addictive and fun.. when you add maps & a timer to it, waaalah! = bunnyhop server.

Plugins recommended

• A Bunnyhop timer!- This is essential!, you'll need it in order to get timers to work! (There are many other bhop timers out there.. this is just one of a kind![github.com]
  
• Any other plugin you may require![www.sourcemod.net]

Maps recommended

Map types :
Note :

bkz_name
bhop_name
Steam workshop maps!
Gamebanna maps[gamebanana.com]

Rules!
General rules like mic spamming, no abusing of commands and other general server rules are required for this server.. especially cheating to get a better time.

The End!

I hope this guide has helped you start something new! I wish you the very best to create your server & the very best maintaining it. I'm left some tips below to help you!

Tips

• Never give an admin rank out to a untrusted player.
  
• Remember to back up your server frequently!
  
• Make sure to allocate your resources out effectively
  
• Do not install too many plugins at once.. Some plugins may overlap & not work hand in hand..
  
• Do not trust anyone who wishes to help you but asks for FTP access for your server. [FTP access to your server is everything!]
  
• Make sure your budget for server hosting is allocated beforehand!
  
• Focus on what you have planned and make sure to implement it!
  
• Don't give false promises!
  
• Do not abuse on your own server! - Players will dislike you... & playing on your server.
  
• Make sure to recruit the proper people for the job! (Moderating)
  
• Test out your plugins beforehand if possible!
  
• Make sure the map you're adding works on your server prior to adding it!
  
• More tips will come soon!

Feel free to ask questions in the comments or add me (with a comment on my profile) if you have any doubts or require help.

Good luck! & the very best. Please take a second to favourite & rate this guide so others can use it!

[D A R K]

Make guide for cs2

[Hawaiian⁧⁧Snow]

+rep ty

[aDoubleYouPi]

hey guys, i tried to use this guid to configurate an 1vs1 arena server. But im stuck and i dont know where i started making mistakes (mb someone can support me by teamviewer?) just msg me, thank you

[Chewy]

@Marius there's literally an entire section and a video i made to show you how to INSTALL and CONFIGURE a single addons.

I understand it's only a single addons but you can possibly want someone to show you step for step on how to install every addon. There must be thousands and different steps for each one.

if you're going to install addons/plugins I highly recommend reading the addon's guides on how to install them yourself.

[асталоп епани]

mutual + rep

[The Blond Beast]

do you need a proxy server for that?

[『Marius』]

thx for not saying how to install the plugins

[Chewy]

This guide is still relevant as of today, the only changes you've to take note of are that some of the base supported plugins listed may not be updated.

[method]

I tried every single one of these and the only one that kind of worked was multi arena 1v1 and you can choose weapons or have more than one player in the game

[Boggy]

@et1r3ch that means you are behind NAT
You need your PC to have the public address. Either DMZ or cable ( if ethernet) directly into your computer.

@jonahau that has nothing to do with port forwarding

Google it up :)