Running a host is a piece of cake. Here's how it works:
Click Multiplayer. Click 'Start New Game'. This will bring you to the configuration page of your host. Fill out your host name, provide a password if you want your host to be private, select if you want to report your Host on the Master Server and finally select the maximum number of players you wish to host. Click GO and your host is running and waiting for people to join.
Running a Dedicated Host:
If you would like to run a long term host and not join in yourself and have no gfx drawn and physics calculated to save on cpu, you can run a 'Dedicated Host'. There is the option to run LFS from the command line with additional parameters (or run it from a schortcut to lfs.exe). Using these command line options, your host will run straight away after loading LFS with the settings you have stated in the command line options.
We now have a dedicated host for download, especially for people who only want to run a dedicated host but with full s1 abilities. See the download pages for more information.
Here's all the options laid out as well as in the readme.txt that comes with your copy of LFS:
Command line options :
----------------------
LFS can be run from a command line or another program.
A dedicated host mode is available with no hardware draw : "nogfx".
Before selecting your options, you may find it helpful to run LFS
and try out the options on the Start New Game screen - the required
upload bandwidth for those options is displayed on screen.
/host=Host Name :FIRST IN LIST
/pass=Pass :if required - password
/admin=Pass :if required - admin password
/ip=X.X.X.X :if required - local specified ip address
/port=63392 :a high number below 65536
/mode=demo :demo / s1 / s2
/usemaster=yes :no / yes / hidden
/track=XXCR :track and config (e.g. BL1 / SO3R / FE4)
/weather=1 :weather : 1,2,3 in Blackwood
/cars=[cars] :see below : "Car Strings"
/maxguests=4 :max number of guests that can join host
/carsmax=5 :max number of cars in a race
/carshost=1 :max number of cars (real+ai) on host pc
/carsguest=1 :max number of cars (real+ai) per guest pc
/pps=4 :smoothness (3-6) number of car updates per second
/qual=0 :qualifying minutes, 0 for no qualifying
/laps=5 :number of lap, 0 for practice
/wind=1 :0 no wind / 1 low wind / 2 high wind
/dedicated=no :no / yes / nogfx / invisible
/vote=yes :no / yes : can guests vote to kick or ban
/select=yes :no / yes : can guests select track
/rstmin=X :no restart for X seconds after race start
/rstend=X :no restart for X seconds after race finish
/autokick=no :no / yes / ban / spectate (Wrong way drivers)
/midrace=yes X :no / yes (Join during race)
/mustpit=no :no / yes (Pit Stop Required)
/start=finish :fixed/finish/reverse/random (Default race start)
/welcome=X.txt :set welcome text file
/tracks=X.txt :set list of allowed tracks
NOTE - alternative way to use the command line options :
A command file xxx.txt can be used instead of a long command line.
The command file would contain the command line parameters.
The parameters can be spread onto several lines.
The command file can contain comments, starting with two slashes //
Then the command line would be simply :
LFS /cfg=xxx.txt (where xxx.txt is the name of the config file)
2) Status file "host63392.txt" - updated whenever info changes :
63392 is the port number of the host.
It contains the following information:
lfs=0.5U :version
status=ingame :offline / online / ingame
guests=4 :current number of guests
maxguests=4 :maximum guests allowed
host=Host Name :game name as listed on master server
pass=Optional Pass :host password
usemaster=yes :no / yes / hidden
trackcfg=BL1 :short name for track and config
cars=[18x"0"or"1"] :cars allowed on host (0=no / 1=yes)
qual=0 :qualifying minutes
laps=5 :number of laps
conn=Host :player name
conn=Guest 1 :player name
conn=Guest 2 :player name
...
Host commands :
---------------
You can use text commands to control normal or nogfx dedicated hosts.
Using the normal text message system (pressing T in a normal host or
simply typing into a nogfx host), the message becomes a command if you
start it with a slash character.
Simple commands with no parameter :
/restart :(re)starts the current race
/qualify :(re)starts qualifying
/end :return to entry screen
/names :toggle display between player and user names
/exit :clean exit from nogfx host (host only)
/help :get list of commands
/reinit :total restart (removes all connections)
Commands with a parameter - entry screen mode :
/track XXCR :track and config (e.g. BL1 / SO3R / FE4)
/weather X :lighting (e.g. 1, 2, 3...)
/qual X :qualifying minutes (0 = no qualifying)
/laps X :number of laps (0 = practice)
/hours X :number of hours (if laps not specified)
/wind X :0 no / 1 low / 2 high
/autox X :load autocross layout named X for this track
/axclear :clear autocross layout
Commands with a parameter - any time :
/axlist X :get list of layouts for track X - e.g. AU1
/maxguests X :max number of guests that can join host
/carsmax X :max number of cars in a race
/carshost X :max number of cars (real+ai) on host pc
/carsguest X :max number of cars (real+ai) per guest pc
/pps X :smoothness (3-6) number of car updates per second
/msg X :send system message
/rstmin X :no restart for X seconds after race start
/rstend X :no restart for X seconds after race finish
/autokick X :no/yes/ban/spectate (Wrong way drivers)
/midrace X :no/yes (Join during race)
/mustpit X :no/yes (Pit Stop Required)
/start X :fixed/finish/reverse/random (Default race start)
/pass X :set new password (BLANK = no password)
/welcome X.txt :set welcome text file
/tracks X.txt :set list of allowed tracks
Kick and ban commands - any time :
/spectate X :make user X join the spectators
/kick X :disconnect user X
/ban X Y :ban user X for Y days (0 = 12 hours)
/unban X :remove ban on user X
Host settings commands :
/vote X :no or yes - guest voting
/select X :no or yes - guest selection
/cars [cars] :see below : "Car Strings"
Other text commands :
/out X :ignored by LFS but seen by external programs
These commands are also available to any user who has connected to the
host using the admin password if one was specified when the host was
started.
To restrict the tracks allowed on a host :
Create a text file named "X.txt" in your LFS folder.
List all the tracks and configurations you want to allow.
Type one configuration on each line.
You must use the short name of the tracks :
[first two letters of name] [config number] [reversed]
Example :
BL1
BL2
FE1R
Use the command /tracks=X.txt in your startup command line
Car Strings :
-------------
The /cars command for the startup command line or for hosts / admins
now uses the three-letter S2 car codes.
Example :
/cars=XFG+XRG :Allow XF GTI and XR GT
/cars=MRT :Allow MRT5 only
These Car Groups can be used as well :
ALL - all cars
ROAD - road legal cars
RACE - race cars
TBO - same as XRT+RB4+FXO
LRF - same as LX6+RAC+FZ5
GTR - same as FXR+XRR+FZR
The plus and minus symbols can be used in conjuction with these :
/cars=TBO+LX4 :Allow XRT, RB4, FXO and LX4
/cars=ROAD-UF1 :Allow all road cars except the UF 1000
Running a Host behind a Firewall or Internet Connection Sharing:
However, it may be that your computer is located behind a Firewall or Internet Sharing network (when your computer is not directly connected to the internet, but through a Router of some kind). To be able to run a host in this situation, you have to open a 'Port' in your routers Firewall and/or Internet Sharing settings. Unfortuantely every OS and firewall software has it's own way of doing this. We'll try to explain how to open a port using standard Windows firewall and ICS (sharing) software.
Opening a PORT on a router with Windows XP:
If your router uses Windows XP, you will have to add a service device in your firewall settings. You can find these settings in: My Network Places -> View Network Connections -> RIGHT click the network device connected directly to the internet and choose properties. On this next window, there will be 3 tabs (General, Authentication, Advanced). Click Advanced and you should see your firewall and sharing ena*cenzura. Click the bottom right SETTINGS button. Here you will be in the next window and tab called 'Services'. Click Add to add a new service. In this Service Settings window, fill out a name for your own recognition, the IP of the computer on your network where you wish to run the host, and twice the port number 63392 in the external and internal fields. (We recommend running the host on your router, but it should work from anywhere on your network provided you fill out the correct IP adress of the computer running the host)
If you fail to do this, you may seem to still be able to run a host, but nobody will see you and thus no one will ever connect to you and people will have to wait longer to get the host list from the master server.
Opening a PORT on a router with Windows 98 SE/Windows ME:
If you fail to do this, you may seem to still be able to run a host, but nobody will see you and thus no one will ever connect to you and people will have to wait longer to get the host list from the master server.
Opening a PORT on a router with Windows 98:
This is quite impossible since Windows 98 does not share internet connections.