How not to run your server [and how my first server failed]: A guide and a cautionary tale.

[XphX]

Recently I had to shut down a server that I really liked, and wanted to keep going. It was a humble, whitelist server with all the right intentions but all the wrong execution. I'm going to list the five reasons why my server failed, and I urge everyone who reads this to never do the things I did in this list. Don't try this at home, kids.

Number 5: Be aware (and beware) of what you are getting into.

Alright, I'm not really in any sort of infraction of this rule. I've run servers part-time-ish before. Never a tekkit server and never something that was meant to last, mostly I'd just do LP's with my friends.

A few things I was guilty of:

• Not knowing exactly how I was going to run the server, before I started the server. I didn't know what permissions all my plugins (of which there were few) were, and I didn't know how I planned to distribute them about the mods. I didn't know why factions wasn't working, so I switched to the equally glitchy Towny and started advertising the server before I even knew, 100%, how it worked. This is a bad idea.
  
• Not knowing how to take your server "public". Not knowing, basically, what's going to happen to the whitelist you currently keep on your server. Should I take the whitelist off? Should I open applications to everybody? Should I close applications permanently? I HAVE NO IDEA.
  
• Pretending the griefers aren't interested. Because they are.
  

Beware of the above. They'll sneak up from behind you after you start the server. But once you have those out of the way, you still have these to deal with.

Number 4: Set down the guidelines for what is banned and what isn't.

I had a certain player (he knows who he is and he isn't a bad person, I'm just using this as an example) who would use equivalent exchange to his advantage. He was really good at it. He had this really amazing energy condenser/collector/glowstone setup and he was on the verge of making a red matter katar.

I also had an admin who was strongly anti-Equivalent Exchange. He wanted all the antimatter relays and all the energy collectors, along with the condensers, gone. I was entirely torn who to follow; the player who made a castle out of, like, nothing, or the admin who calls the mod "Over-powered"?

One thing I should have specified - before the server even started - what was banned, and what wasn't. That way, people who wanted certain items unbanned wouldn't come on the server. You need to know what your target server audience is, before you start the server.

Number 3: Get 24/7 hosting. Don't host locally. Seriously.

Hosting locally makes you freak out so bad if anything at all happens to the server. It magnifies your fear tenfold because they aren't messing with someone else's server rack, they are screwing with your laptop. Suddenly, it gets personal.

Non-24/7, local hosting is really needed for a server like the one I was running. It's the type of server you just get on and play. It's not the type of server you plan to get on in advance, knowing exactly what time it comes up and being primed for when it does. If you want to host a server, I can recommend Fluctis Hosting. (I'm not giving you a link. Google it.)

Number 2: Don't expect a popular server. Be ready if it happens.

I broke both those statements. I expected everyone to instantly fall in love with my perfect, tiny 10-slot server. This did not happen. I got about 10ish applications and then, when I reopened them, I had one person apply. One! I was really, really hoping for more.

I also was not primed if the server did reach a state of relative "popularity". I didn't have a "anti-noob" system setup like I told myself I would, where you would have to get to a certain level to get certain items, like all the real servers do. I barely had permissions set up. The server was charming, but in reality it was a total mess.

Number 1: Grief happens. Don't panic.

Eventually, someone will blow something up. Someone else will be pissed.

Things happen! Even if there is a rule preventing it, it's only a written rule. 12 year old griefers suck. But it happens. You are not invulnerable if you are a small, charming server, even if everyone who comes on the server is greeted warmly. (Although, a really good way to combat griefers is to just be nice to them, before they start griefing. Be proactive. Welcome everyone to the server. Give them a starting kit. It helps.)

Don't panic when it does happen! A player managed to wriggle past the whitelist (see our first honorary mention) and subsequently blew up our "admin town". Which we had built a nuclear reactor to power.

The server nearly fell over from the lag. But then, I treated the world like a virus. It wasn't that bad. I had SWatchdog, I could just do a rollback, right?

No. Instead, I panicked. I treated the server folder as a virus and I tossed it in the trash. This is entirely my fault. If I had an ounce of common sense, I would have not panicked, because this happens. Instead, I decided it was all a failed experiment.

Honorary Mentions:

• online-mode: true
  
• You don't need worldedit unless it's a CMP server.
  
• You do need essentials. You do.
  
• Nuclear reactors need to be housed in reinforced stone.
  
• 4 Nova Cataclysms are as bad as 1 nuke. Ban them too.
  
• Former recuperating griefers should never be given admin. Especially if they have their own server.
  
• Don't accept invitations to be head admin of another server if you already have your own.
  
• Don't make an "admin town(or palace, or chunk)".
  

Everyone should beware these things before starting a server. Otherwise, you could end up like me...

[jodelahithit]

Good job! For new server owners this will be nice, thanks for putting your time in this :)

[Abysinian]

It's nice to see a post like this and I can identify with it all.

The setting out a very specific plan and item blacklist, etc. is something I regret not doing in the beginning as it was a nightmare to manage. Once I finally had that all nailed down it made things MUCH easier. You can list them all and not be stumped when someone asks you if something is banned or why something is or isn't.

Griefing was another thing I struggled with in the beginning and it took a while to try and fix all of the little loopholes that people will use (they are disgustingly devious). Proper research into what people suggest banning (a search on here will come up with plenty) and patches & plugins to combat griefing are definitely a must.

Number 5 combined with Number 2 were also two things I didn't account for. I bought my modest hosting package and set to work, posted on a few places like here and it didn't take long to get a decent little playerbase going, I was surprised and unprepared for that. Before I had only hosted locally (see Number 3) and only Bukkit Servers. One thing I can't stress enough is do not get into hosting a Tekkit Server lightly unless you just want it for you and your friends. People can and will be demanding and expect everything from you, don't get me wrong, you get plenty of nice players, but it can get overwhelming at times. Tekkit is much harder to administer and requires much more work. Plugins don't always work properly and require hunting down Dev Builds and making sure they're for 1.2.5 R4 and not the latest version etc, etc. You will get weird errors and crashes and all sorts due to compatibility issues and have to find the cause. All in all it's not easy, it's a lot of work, your job is never done, but it's very rewarding when it's running smoothly and people are happy/enjoying themselves.

I would say that the 2nd Honorary Mention isn't quite true. While you don't NEED it, it's proven invaluably helpful on my server for things like making Events and whatnot.

To any aspiring hosts:

Don't let this thread and my/any other comments put you off. Just make sure you take everyone's advice on board because it really is useful. I wish I'd seen a post like this before I started mine!

[XphX]

To any aspiring hosts:

Don't let this thread and my/any other comments put you off. Just make sure you take everyone's advice on board because it really is useful. I wish I'd seen a post like this before I started mine!

True that. I stress the negative aspect of hosting in the guide, but once you learn to get past this it's a blast. Otherwise, I wouldn't be trying again, now would I?

[VideoBoy]

I can totally relate to your tale about EE. I had no idea how shitty and OP that mod was until it was too late. I shut down my first Tekkit server because everyone left after I disabled EE. lulz.

To any aspiring hosts:

Disable EE to start with unless you run a creative server.

[jodelahithit]

disabling EE2 isn't needed if you know how to fix ALL bugs like i do and believe me, the are a lot of bugs and dupe thingys with EE2

[VideoBoy]

disabling EE2 isn't needed if you know how to fix ALL bugs like i do and believe me, the are a lot of bugs and dupe thingys with EE2

It's not about the bugs; the whole mod is about having creative mode in survival.

[XphX]

It's not about the bugs; the whole mod is about having creative mode in survival.

EE is a matter of personal opinion. The point of No. 4 is know if you are keeping it on before you turn the server on.

[jodelahithit]

No it's not, if you just ban the condensors and such you can have a great time with EE2

[XphX]

No it's not, if you just ban the condensors and such you can have a great time with EE2

I...Never mind.