Multiplay Game Server Hosting and Steam (UNREAL ENGINE)

[domgamba]

Hi,

I am using Unity’s multiplay solution to host my Unreal Engine game.

I am curious if it is possible to have the dedicate server machine support steam. Currently, players in my game are able to matchmake for other lobbies that are registered through the SteamOnlineSubsystem.

Do these dedicated machines support steam usage? Or will I be forced to connect players through IP addresses.

[domgamba]

For reference, this is the error I am encountering

[danri]

Hello,

We have run a few tests based on the information you provided, thank you by the way! The problem here appears to be a failure to write to the current working directory of your game server. In theory there is nothing in the Multiplay system that will prevent you from using the SteamOnlineSubsystem. As it says on the UE docs, the steam_appid.txt needs to exist in the CWD - https://docs.unrealengine.com/5.2/en-US/online-subsystem-steam-interface-in-unreal-engine/

We’ll conduct some more investigation to resolve the underlying file permissions problem here.

[domgamba]

@danri

Hello,

We have run a few tests based on the information you provided, thank you by the way! The problem here appears to be a failure to write to the current working directory of your game server. In theory there is nothing in the Multiplay system that will prevent you from using the SteamOnlineSubsystem. As it says on the UE docs, the steam_appid.txt needs to exist in the CWD - https://docs.unrealengine.com/5.2/en-US/online-subsystem-steam-interface-in-unreal-engine/

We’ll conduct some more investigation to resolve the underlying file permissions problem here.

I appreciate the response!

I will be uploading a new build with an updated steam_appid file, and I will keep you updated.

[domgamba]

I have repackaged my project as a shipping build. I am now receiving an error stating the project does not grant proper permissions to the machine to access to appropriate files.

I am attaching a screenshot below, and advice is appreciate.

[domgamba]

My current issue appears to stem from a permissions related problem. I am not too familiar with Linux, however I understand there are ways to grant write permissions to directories. I am unaware of how I can achieve this on the server machine.

Again, any advice/input is appreciated.

[domgamba]

@""

Hi,

Yes, you can make use of dedicated server machines to support Steam in your Unreal Engine game hosted through Unity’s multiplayer solution. By integrating the SteamOnlineSubsystem, players can still matchmake and connect to lobbies via Steam services. This way, you won’t be forced to rely solely on IP addresses for player connections.

Hey, thank you for the reply.

Thats good to hear, my current issue revolved around permissions restrictions from Linux. I will attach an image of my logs below. It seems as though I need to provide the machine with Read/Write permissions for the project directory, however I am not familiar with how to do that.

Any advice?

[domgamba]

@""

Certainly! It sounds like you’re encountering permission restrictions in Linux that are affecting your project directory. To grant Read/Write permissions to the project directory, you can use the chmod command. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

• Open a terminal window.

• Navigate to the directory containing your project by using the cd command. For example:

bash
cd /path/to/your/project/directory

• To provide Read and Write permissions to the directory and its contents, you can use the following chmod command:

bash
chmod -R u+rwX,g+rwX,o+rX *

Here’s what this command does:

• u+rwX: Grants Read and Write permissions to the owner (user) of the directory.

• g+rwX: Grants Read and Write permissions to the group.

• o+rX: Grants Read and Execute permissions to others (users not in the owner or group).

• *: Applies these permissions recursively to all files and subdirectories.

• After running the chmod command, the permissions for your project directory should be updated to allow Read and Write access. You can confirm the changes by using the ls -l command to list the directory’s contents along with their permissions.

Remember that adjusting permissions should be done thoughtfully, especially for security reasons. Make sure you understand who needs access and why before making changes. If your project involves sensitive data or system files, it’s important to prioritize security.

I appreciate your help.

One final question: where would I execute these commands?

Because the folder structure is being hosted on the Unity Multiplay machines, I am unable to access the terminal of to grant read/write permissions for that machine/user. Is there a way to access the terminal for the Unity server machines?

[danri]

Hello again,

We have pushed out an update which should resolve the original problem of writing the steam_appid to the /game directory. You will need to create a new version of your build (Builds) in game server hosting for the fix to take effect.

[domgamba]

@danri

Hello again,

We have pushed out an update which should resolve the original problem of writing the steam_appid to the /game directory. You will need to create a new version of your build (https://docs.unity.com/ugs/en-us/manual/game-server-hosting/manual/concepts/builds) in game server hosting for the fix to take effect.

Thank you for your continued replies/assistance.

I am attaching a screenshot of a new test. It appears I am still receiving the same error. I even attempted starting a new build configuration and fleet.

I have also tried providing a pre-made steam_appid.txt file to see if that helps.

Any further advice/input is appreciated.

[danri]

Hello again,

Upon further inspection, we can see that while the /game directory now has the correct ownership, the files for your server build (including sub directories) are not writable. A follow up fix will be needed from our side, I will keep you posted with updates.

In the mean time, the messages shown in your screenshots are only warnings not full errors. So there should not be anything preventing Unreal Engine games from running, this is something we test and validate.

The events tab on your servers does show that the server is not responding to “query”. Query is what Multiplay uses to validate the state of your server and show player numbers in the dashboard - Query protocols. This is an optional feature, so you have two choices here:

1. Install the Multiplay Unreal SDK in your server build - Game Server Hosting SDK for Unreal Engine

2. Disable the query protocol in your build configuration, by setting query type to “None” (see attached)

At the moment, Multiplay will be killing your server after 120 seconds for not responding to an SQP query

[domgamba]

@danri

Hello again,

Upon further inspection, we can see that while the /game directory now has the correct ownership, the files for your server build (including sub directories) are not writable. A follow up fix will be needed from our side, I will keep you posted with updates.

In the mean time, the messages shown in your screenshots are only warnings not full errors. So there should not be anything preventing Unreal Engine games from running, this is something we test and validate.

The events tab on your servers does show that the server is not responding to “query”. Query is what Multiplay uses to validate the state of your server and show player numbers in the dashboard - https://docs.unity.com/ugs/en-us/manual/game-server-hosting/manual/concepts/query-protocols. This is an optional feature, so you have two choices here:

1. Install the Multiplay Unreal SDK in your server build - https://docs.unity.com/ugs/en-us/manual/game-server-hosting/manual/sdk/game-server-sdk-for-unreal

2. Disable the query protocol in your build configuration, by setting query type to “None” (see attached)

At the moment, Multiplay will be killing your server after 120 seconds for not responding to an SQP query

Understood, I have applied and enabled the Unreal Engine SDK and I intend to use the SQP method.

I have tried looking into the documentation for this, is the Querying done automatically when the plugin is applied? Or is there a function I must call in order to communicate with Unity Multiplay?

I appreciate your continued help.

[domgamba]

@danri

Hello again,

Upon further inspection, we can see that while the /game directory now has the correct ownership, the files for your server build (including sub directories) are not writable. A follow up fix will be needed from our side, I will keep you posted with updates.

In the mean time, the messages shown in your screenshots are only warnings not full errors. So there should not be anything preventing Unreal Engine games from running, this is something we test and validate.

The events tab on your servers does show that the server is not responding to “query”. Query is what Multiplay uses to validate the state of your server and show player numbers in the dashboard - https://docs.unity.com/ugs/en-us/manual/game-server-hosting/manual/concepts/query-protocols. This is an optional feature, so you have two choices here:

1. Install the Multiplay Unreal SDK in your server build - https://docs.unity.com/ugs/en-us/manual/game-server-hosting/manual/sdk/game-server-sdk-for-unreal

2. Disable the query protocol in your build configuration, by setting query type to “None” (see attached)

At the moment, Multiplay will be killing your server after 120 seconds for not responding to an SQP query

I have resolved my issues with SQP. Just looking for the directory permissions now and I should be good to go!

[domgamba]

@danri hey, any update?

[danri]

Hello,

We have a fix for your issue being tested at the moment. I’ll come back to you when it is ready.

[domgamba]

@danri

Hello,

We have a fix for your issue being tested at the moment. I’ll come back to you when it is ready.

Awesome thank you so much!

[danri]

Hello again.

We have pushed out a fix for the permissions to the /game directory, which should resolve the issue you are seeing with your game server @domgamba .

Let me know if this works for you.

[domgamba]

@danri

Hello again.

We have pushed out a fix for the permissions to the /game directory, which should resolve the issue you are seeing with your game server @domgamba .

Let me know if this works for you.

thank you so much!

I am now getting proper communication with the steam online subsystem.

However, a new problem has presented itself. The error reads “Warning: Steam Dedicated Server API failed to initialize”. I have attached a screenshot below of the error.

In doing some research, I see that this error can arise from not having the proper .so (.dll in windows) files, or having these files be outdated.

Any feedback is appreciated.

https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/steam-dedicated-server-with-playfab-warning-steam-dedicated-server-api-failed-to-initialize/648650/2

[GreggoryAddison_GodtierGames]

Hello @domgamba Sorry to tag you on an old thread. I’m also using Unreal Engine but cannot figure out how to get SQP working properly. What did you do to get it going. I would like to see metrics of players connected.