Computer gaming is one of the most popular forms of entertainment throughout the world, with studies indicating that 65% of U.S. households play computer or video games regularly. Multiplayer games like Counter-Strike, Call of Duty and MineCraft are especially popular and offer gamers the chance to compete with others from around the country or throughout the world on public and private servers. Clans, guilds and other player groups cooperate to improve their competitive standings, making these games even more popular and immersive.
Enhancing the gaming experience
For some serious players, administrative restrictions, poor graphics performance and endemic lag present on many public game servers can significantly impact their performance in these fast-paced and competitive multiplayer games. Lag time is by far the worst offender in most cases, as most public servers are running at full capacity during peak gaming times. This can create significant lag and poor performance that can affect the ability of gamers to play at their full potential. As a result, many guilds, clans and other player groups eventually opt to create their own private server to improve performance and enhance the gaming experience for everyone involved. By limiting use of the server to invited guests and members of the group, lag times are reduced and the overall performance of the system is noticeably faster and more reliable.
Don’t go it alone
It may be tempting for some computer-savvy gamers to attempt to set up their own private server using existing equipment and internet connections from their private residence; however, in almost all cases this actually increases lag and reduces the playability factor for end users. Additionally, hosting a game server typically puts an added strain on the resources of the internet service provider, which in turn can lead to added fees or loss of the internet connection altogether. Choosing a hosted service provider also ensures that technical help is available when needed, making the entire process of set-up and implementation easier and faster.
Gaming VPS solutions
Virtual private server (VPS) technology can allow gamers to run their own servers for MineCraft, Counter-Strike and other popular multiplayer games. VPS systems are less expensive than dedicated servers, but offer many of the same benefits in reliability and reserved system resources, making them a favored choice among gamers who require dependable performance at an affordable price. Shared servers are typically not a good choice for game server applications due to the increased lag and spikes in usage experienced on these less expensive options, if they are even allowed in the first place. In most cases, players are advised to opt for professionally hosted gameserver VPS systems to ensure the best possible performance for end users. Most multiplayer games require servers that feature, at minimum:
• At least 2GB of RAM, although more is better
• 7200 RPM SATA drive
• 1024 kbps in bandwidth
These are baseline figures; actual requirements may vary somewhat depending on the number of players and the game itself.
Recommendations for MineCraft VPS set-up
While most gamer VPS hosts will provide a selection of control panel options for their clients, the McMyAdmin control panel is designed specifically to work with MineCraft, making it an obvious choice for most server administration novices. It can be configured for Windows, Linux and Mac and provides easy-to-use management tools for users, groups, logins and IP addresses to ensure optimal performance for end users.
Recommendations for Counter-Strike VPS set-up
Depending on the hosting solution chosen, Counter-Strike VPS packages may include a customized control panel designed specifically for Counter-Strike or a variant of an existing control panel application. Because Counter-Strike is heavily dependent on reaction time, the amount of bandwidth, speed and RAM required may be significantly more than minimum or average recommendations; it is advised that administrators test the system before settling on the final specifications for their gameserver VPS set-up.
