2025-02-19

How to Install and Set Up an ARMA Reforger Server

Setting up an ARMA Reforger server can be a rewarding experience, allowing you and your friends to enjoy cooperative gameplay on a dedicated server. Follow this step-by-step guide to install and configure your ARMA Reforger server.

Prerequisites

  • A Windows-based server or PC with administrative access.
  • An internet connection.

Step 1: Install SteamCMD

SteamCMD is the command-line version of the Steam client. It is used to install and update dedicated servers for various Steam games.

  1. Download SteamCMD
    • Download the SteamCMD installer from the SteamCMD official website.
    • Extract the contents to a directory, e.g., C:\steamcmd.

Step 2: Create the Directory and config.json File

Before running the server, you need to create the necessary directory and the config.json file with the required configuration settings.

  1. Create the Directory
    "C:\steamcmd\steamapps\common\Arma Reforger Server"
  2. Create config.json: and populate it with the following
    {
    "publicAddress": "0.0.0.0",
    "publicPort": 2001,
    "bindAddress": "0.0.0.0",
    "bindPort": 2001,
    "a2s": {
        "address": "0.0.0.0",
        "port": 17777
    },
    "rcon": {
        "address": "0.0.0.0",
        "port": 19999,
        "password": "your_rcon_password",
        "permission": "monitor",
        "blacklist": [],
        "whitelist": []
    },
    "game": {
        "name": "YourServerName",
        "password": "your_game_password",
        "passwordAdmin": "your_admin_password",
        "admins": [],
        "scenarioId": "{ECC61978EDCC2B5A}Missions/23_Campaign.conf",
        "maxPlayers": 4,
        "visible": true,
        "crossPlatform": true,
        "supportedPlatforms": [
            "PLATFORM_PSN",
            "PLATFORM_XBL",
            "PLATFORM_PC"
        ],
        "gameProperties": {
            "serverMaxViewDistance": 1600,
            "serverMinGrassDistance": 150,
            "networkViewDistance": 1500,
            "disableThirdPerson": false,
            "fastValidation": true,
            "battlEye": true,
            "VONDisableUI": false,
            "VONDisableDirectSpeechUI": false
        }
    }
}

    Replace the placeholder values with your desired server settings. Details the various settings can be found here: https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Arma_Reforger:Server_Config

Step 3: Install and Update ARMA Reforger Server

  1. Create the Update Script:

    Open Notepad and create a new file named Start-server.bat in the C:\steamcmd directory and fill it with the following:

    @echo off
echo Updating SteamCMD...

:: Set the path to your SteamCMD installation
set steamcmdPath="C:\steamcmd\steamcmd.exe"
set steamcmdDir="C:\steamcmd"
set configPath="C:\steamcmd\steamapps\common\Arma Reforger Server\config.json"

:: Set paths for IP file
set localIpFilePath="C:\Temp\publicIP.txt"
set oneDriveIpFilePath="C:\Users\YourUserName\OneDrive\ARMA\publicIP.txt"

:: Ensure Temp directory exists
if not exist C:\Temp mkdir C:\Temp

:: Update SteamCMD
cd %steamcmdDir%
%steamcmdPath% +login anonymous +quit

echo Updating ARMA Reforger server...

:: Update ARMA Reforger server
%steamcmdPath% +force_install_dir "C:\steamcmd\steamapps\common\Arma Reforger Server" +login anonymous +app_update 1874900 validate +quit

echo Fetching public IP address...

:: Get public IPv4 address and write to local IP file
powershell -Command "(Invoke-RestMethod -uri 'http://ipv4.icanhazip.com').Trim()" > %localIpFilePath%
set /p publicIP=<%localIpFilePath%

echo Public IP address is %publicIP%

:: Attempt to write public IP address to OneDrive shared folder
if exist %oneDriveIpFilePath% (
    echo Writing public IP address to OneDrive shared folder...
    echo %publicIP% > %oneDriveIpFilePath%
) else (
    echo OneDrive shared folder not available. Using local temp folder for now.
)

echo Updating config.json with public IP address...

:: Update the IP address in config.json
powershell -Command "(Get-Content '%configPath%') -replace '\"publicAddress\": \".*\"', '\"publicAddress\": \"%publicIP%\"' | Set-Content '%configPath%'"
powershell -Command "(Get-Content '%configPath%') -replace '\"address\": \".*\"', '\"address\": \"%publicIP%\"' | Set-Content '%configPath%'"

echo Starting ARMA Reforger server...

:: Start the ARMA Reforger server
cd "C:\steamcmd\steamapps\common\Arma Reforger Server"
ArmaReforgerServer.exe -config "./config.json" -loadSessionSave
cmd /k

Explanation of ipFilePath

The line set ipFilePath="C:\Users\YourUserName\OneDrive\YourFolder\publicIP.txt" sets the variable ipFilePath to the path where the public IP address will be saved. Replace YourUserName and YourFolder with your actual username and desired folder name.

Writing the public IP address to a file on OneDrive can be useful for easily sharing the current IP address of the server with your friends. They can access the file from OneDrive and always have the latest IP address to connect to your server, ensuring a seamless gaming experience.

Explanation of -loadSessionSave

The -loadSessionSave parameter is used to load a previously saved game session. When you include this parameter in the launch command, it tells the server to load the game state from a saved session file instead of starting from scratch. By default, the server saves and loads the session data to:

C:\Users\YourUserName\OneDrive\Documents\My Games\ArmaReforger

Using OneDrive as a backup location ensures that your game progress is safely stored in the cloud. This provides the benefit of Automatic Backup so your session data is automatically backed up to the cloud, reducing the risk of data loss.

Run the Update Script

Double-click the Start-server.bat script in the C:\steamcmd directory to run it. The script will update SteamCMD, install or update the ARMA Reforger server, fetch the public IP address, update the config.json file, write the public IP address to a text file in OneDrive, and start the ARMA Reforger server.

Step 4: Verify and Update config.json

  1. Check the config.json File:

    Open the config.json file located in C:\steamcmd\steamapps\common\Arma Reforger Server\config.json.

    Verify that the publicAddress and address fields are updated with your current public IP address.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter any issues, here are some common troubleshooting steps:

  • Port Forwarding
    Ensure that the necessary ports are forwarded in your router settings.
    See: https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Arma_Reforger:Server_Config
    Required ports (UDP):
    • 2001
    • 17777
    • 19999
  • Firewall Settings
    Make sure your firewall is not blocking the required ports.  Your Windows PC may ask you to allow access the first time you run the script.  Do so.
  • Check Server Logs
    Review the server logs for any error messages that might provide more insight into the issue.

Stopping the server

To stop the server use the CTRL+C command and when prompted press Y

Conclusion

By following this step-by-step guide, you should have a fully functional ARMA Reforger server up and running. Enjoy the game with your friends.

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