How to set up an online autohost like Llamaserver?

[Gandalf Parker]

Innocence said:
I'd like to set up online PBEM autohost (like Llamaserver) for a game I'm currently hosting manually.

Two questions:
1) Is there any premade web-stuff (PHP/ASP/HTML) available for player/host interaction (GUI), or do I have to write this myself?
2) Can I use my own serial when I install Dom3 on the non-playing autohosting server - or maybe I don't need to install the entire game when I only need hosting (Dom3.exe commandline)

Just for the sake of answering..
There are lots of examples of code. But it would help to know what OS you are talking about. Windows XP, Vista, Mac, Linux?

You can use your own serial. Thats a wonderful thing that the devs did. The host doesnt check its own serial unless you use it to play in someones game (avoid that). Plus you can install your dom3 on a windows desktop for your own playing, and install it on a mac or linux server for hosting without having to buy another version.

[Innocence]

Gandalf Parker said:There are lots of examples of code. But it would help to know what OS you are talking about. Windows XP, Vista, Mac, Linux?

Actually OS shouldn't matter too much if written in a webserver script like ASP/PHP. True, OS-specific calls like checking for and executing files would need an overhaul, but the code for player interaction would be similar. Apart from that, I was planning on using a Windows 2003 server (since I work with those daily )

The host doesnt check its own serial unless you use it to play in someones game (avoid that)

Perfect

[lch]

Innocence said:
Actually OS shouldn't matter too much if written in a webserver script like ASP/PHP.

Right, so I'd like to ask you to do this in PHP for greater portability, if you intend to share your code later.

I've been eying at the Symfony PHP Framework to implement something like this for a long time, but I'm lacking the time and determination at the moment to really pull through with this. Maybe you want to give it a try?

[Gandalf Parker]

Well there is Llamabeasts.

And Mine..
Linux Hosting

And Esben Mose Hansen Dom2 Server
Esbens Server

And then lch and Velusion have done extensive coding on the server end.

[lch]

I have the files that Esben was using for his web host, by the way, in case somebody is interested in those. As he writes in the post that Gandalf has linked to, it's powered by Apache/Perl/SQL. I was mostly interested in the web interface, but you could use it for hosting Dom3 games with it, too, I think. There hasn't changed much from Dom2 to Dom3 regarding hosting games.

[Innocence]

Gandalf Parker said:And Mine..

Ah, glad to hear you're up and running again after the crash the other month

[Gandalf Parker]

Actually only one of my servers crashed. The one that was mostly hosting other peoples games (and domains, email, etc). The lesser server, which was running the blitz games and such, was running the whole time.

But thanks. I am very thankful to everyone here that helped get me back up (and improved).

[Wrana]

Gandalf Parker:
Plus you can install your dom3 on a windows desktop for your own playing, and install it on a mac or linux server for hosting without having to buy another version.

Sorry for OT, but could you elaborate what exactly did you mean? I ask because I'm thinking about buying a Lynux version to install it while trying out Lynux...

[llamabeast]

Wrana, if you have Dominions you already have a Dominions version. All three are on the same CD.

[Gandalf Parker]

Right. I think its above and beyond for the devs to empower us that way. Particularly for me where I install it on my windows desktop for play, and then install it on my linux server for hosting. They have approved of that use. (not that it mattered all that much for me since I actually have 5 legal copies)