when you run a online server from halflife it is dubbed a "listen server" , usually people use listen servers to start a quick game for 4 of there mates to have a game or something (quick and dirty) ..
Dedicated servers, dont put you in the game as the host, they run as a hlds.exe session and are totally dedicated to acting as a server, they process different configuration files than the listen servers files and can be set up to run as you want them more.. in other words you can have a more personal custom server if its dedicated, although oyu can achieve the same svar settings on a listen server via console, it is usually better and easier to use a dedicated server... also remembering if you were wanting to run a server 24/7 or for a large period of time and it was a listen server.. you would have to be in the game all the time you wanted to run it.. where as a dedicated server just needs to be running.. (looks like a dos prompt console sort of..) the server hlds files need updated scertainly as you said, if its a counter strike server you will need to install the latest version in the cs directry on the server files you are going to be using.. to make a hlds session urn a cs server you append the following to the target of the hlds shortcut.. " -game cstrike " some optiponal switches oyu can also use owuld be " -port 27016 " for setting the port your hlds server ran on.. the core files for a dedicated server are hlds.exe , server.cfg, liblist.gam, autoexec.cfg (found in your mods directory) to run the hlds.exe as a tfc server you would add a switch after the exe when you run it, either by creating a shortcut and adding the switches, hlds.exe -game tfc to urn it hidden so its not in the system tray, the way most of us do that is runnoing the server as a SERVICE, this can be only done on windows2k, nt, xp machines.. it is done by using a program called fire daemon which you can get from, www.firedaemon.com alterantively if you want it hidden and your running oyur server of a win9x box you could get a program called DO HIDE which woul djust hide it from your taskbar... i hpoe this helps you a little bit etc etc. i know im not perfect at expolaning this but it should get you started.. im sure some of the other more LITERATE poeple here could help you a bit more.. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lance Pehrson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2001 5:56 PM Subject: Im a Server newbie (patience please?) > > > > What is the difference between a dedicated server and just running HLDS out > of HL? Especially if no one is playing on the server. If running a dedicated > server do you install just the 4.1.0.8 then install CS into that dir? > Because it comes standard with TFC and DMC from what I could tell. > But any way I have my server up and running it is a CSTRIKE server > "UTAH Bring it!!!" if any one is interested. Last and certainly most > important. I need to know if it is possible to do some thing like append the > target string of the short cut so that there will be nothing in the system > tray and nothing on the task bar? Thank you all in advance Im hopeing to > learn tons from this list. lance > >
