So you've finally taken the plunge and started your Beyond the Wire Server journey! Well, maybe not - if thats the case and you need a Beyond the Wire server, click the link here to start your journey. Otherwise, if you already have a server for Beyond the Wire - congratulations! Here are some things you'll need to know to make the job of administrating your server easier.
"Where can I find the config file for...?"
Within the File Tool of the Control Panel, you will be able to find the following configuration files in the WireGame > ServerConfig folder - the file tool is found either by clicking the blue wrench icon next to your server in the main menu, or can be found by clicking your server's name, and selecting "Files" in the tools menu at the top.
Your Server Name: Server.cfg
The maps you wish to play: MapRotation.cfg
A Server Password: Server.cfg
The Admin/Whitelist List: Admins.cfg
Where bans go: Bans.cfg
RCON Setup for Battlemetrics or Third Party Tools: Rcon.cfg
Advertisements or rules broadcasts: ServerMessages.cfg
The MOTD: Motd.cfg (You will have to create this file)
Your Server License: License.cfg (Paste the whole license into this, don't miss anything or it won't work!)
Additional information can be found on the BTW wiki page at https://beyondthewire.fandom.com/wiki/Server_Configuration
Note: Southnode Customers set their Max Players, Max Tickrate and Map Randomisation settings through the "Variables" tab on your server's control panel.
"My server says "No Response" when I first start it. What's wrong?!"
Nothing. The panel takes approximately 30 seconds to recognise the server is back online. Give the page a refresh, it will show the response from the server.
"I can't find my server in BTW. It doesn't work!"
Brand new servers purchased through Southnode are "Unlicensed" which means they appear in the Custom Browser for BTW until they are licensed. See below for more details.
"My server is in the Custom Browser in BTW - how can I have it on the Server Browser instead?"
BTW servers appearing on the Server Browser as opposed to the custom browser are "Licensed Servers", and as such require to be held to higher standards than your run of the mill server. Fortunately, Southnode is a Hosting Partner for BTW, Post Scriptum and Beyond the Wire, and as such servers that are 80 slots or more are eligible for licensing through OWI - the developers and publishers of BTW/PS/BTW. If you rent an 80 slot or higher server through us here at Southnode, you can visit the licensing application form at *insert here* and select Southnode as your Game Server Provider. We handle the hardware side of things so you can focus on building and maintaining a great server experience for players. Note that Licensed Servers are required to adhere to particular standards of rules and play.
"Ok, so how do I get licensed then?"
Simple! If you have a server with 80 or more slots, head to *insert here* and fill out the form. In the section labelled "Game Server Provider" you can select Southnode as your provider, and hit send. Within a few days the licensing representative from OWI will be in touch with us to make sure everything is in order, and you'll receive your license via email if everything checks out. Once you have this license (Which is essentially just a string of text) you place the text into the License.cfg file found in the ServerConfig folder of your instance as described above. Save, restart the server, and you're good to go!
"Where can I go for more help?!"
Here's a few helpful links for you:
https://beyondthewire.fandom.com/wiki/Server_Configuration - for how to configure your server
https://beyondthewire.fandom.com/wiki/Server_Administration - for how to administrate your server
https://discord.gg/ZQyT5Zh - the OWI Hosting Discord
