I’d like to compile the dedicated server for linux. Maybe I could even debug the performance issues that seem to be all to common at the moment. Is there any reason that the dedicated server is closed source?
1 Like
Hey there,
If you would like to set up a Dedicated Server Launcher specifically for Linux, you should DM @Toolguy. A Linux client is currently a cancelled feature.
The Dedicated Server Launcher may be closed source as it is an official resource (copyright Funcom)
Since last years performance improvements for buildings, performance issues are now mostly caused by placeables (torches, decoration etc.)
Discuss the Dedicated Server Launcher here (can be used on Linux).
For how to set up a Linux / Wine server, see the wiki page:
Dedicated Server Setup: Linux and Wine
3 Likes
I wasn’t referring to the server LAUNCHER but rather the dedicated server itself. Which is only started and partly configured through the launcher.
Could you elaborate?
- What are you trying / would you like to be able to do?
- Provide screenshots or a video if it concerns multiple actions or features.
No I don’t want to poke around in the launcher app. I want to compile the dedicated server ON linux FOR linux.
The launcher app is a different program AFAIK.
Best person to talk to about it is probably ToolGuy, as mentioned by TheLoldxd2.
Nope, I mean, yes, you can talk with me, but I’m not an actual member of the Exiles development team 
From what I read, @eNTi clearly stated from the start that he was talking about the Game Server itself, not the Launcher Tool.
I do believe there was a Linux version of the server internally at some point, but that there was some issues with it.
Regarding why it’s closed source, well, it’s not just the game server, the game server is a special build of the actual game, so releasing the game server source code would be like releasing the entire game source, including a bazillion of things that Funcom would not be legally allowed to release anyway.
Regarding the performance issues, they are not Windows or Linux related, there are people looking at it, that has more to do with the fact Exiles was built on a now quite old version of the Unreal Engine, which did not benefit from all the optimizations introduced by Epic later, so even if you had the source code, I doubt you could find magical optimizations that make the game run much faster
That being said, if you are an experienced coder with a track record, I guess you could still contact the team with some suggestions, eventually even sign some NDA to see if you can put your hands in the engine - does not hurt trying, at worse nothing will happen, at best it will happen and you will find some good stuff in there
4 Likes
I’ve adjusted my wording and that of the wiki a little, but I personally prefer “client for setting up servers” over “game server”. Let me know if I should change it.
you talk about 2 different programs. a tooling to prepare a server setup and the server itself. 2 different programs. a quick example: the installation and setup program for microsoft windows (equals “client for setting up servers”) and microsoft windows (equals “game server”).
I think the use of the word “client” is totally misleading in the context.
The “Dedicated Server Launcher”, is a tool, that manages/updates/launches a “(game) server”.
The actual “Conan Exiles” game that people launch, is often called the “Game Client” because a “Client” is designed to connect to a “Server”.
I believe the following of words can be used without too much ambiguity
- “Server”, “Game Server”, “Exiles Server”, “Server Executable”
- “Game”, “Client”, “Exiles Client”, “Game Executable”, “Game Program”
- “Dedicated Server Launcher”, “Server Launcher”, “Launcher Tool”, “Launcher”, “Server Manager”
1 Like
Client/server are names usually applied backwards. XServer got it right.
We just call them “regions” and “physics engine” instead of client/server.
Please don’t derail the topic: It’s about open sourcing the game server. I don’t see how this could be a problem. If the server needs certain proprietary aspects of the client just don’t bundle those assets with the server code? Game assets should be platform independend anyway?
In terms of the thread’s original topic, I would argue that ToolGuy has already explained that getting compilable source code for the Conan Exiles server app (i.e. what the client connects to) is vanishingly unlikely as it is proprietary and not open source.
If you don’t include defunct or very old products, I can count the number of game companies that have released source code without running out of fingers. That is amongst companies that don’t explicitly make open source games, of course…
Don’t get me wrong, I would love the source to this and other Funcom servers; I would probably be happy messing with it for a decade. A VR rebuild of Conan, continuing The Secret World. It would be like a drug…
Between that and winning the lottery jackpot, it’s on my list of happy thoughts but I’m not holding my breath…
The dedicated server is basically a modified unreal engine dedicated server. The question is… how much it was modified and what the downsides would there be for Funcom releasing it to the public. Since it’s already free and you need to buy the game client to play on it anyway.
Maybe the modified code is just a mess and they wouldn’t want to have the public eye scrutinzing it? Or it’s another legal IP issue?
Sure, the core of it is developed using Unreal Engine; that’s not what you’re wanting. After all, you can just download that.
= Their proprietary IP. Mess or not is irrelevant, it’s theirs and they sell the product based upon it. Giving it out for free would blow their business model out of the water, so yes it’s another legal IP issue. Their IP. Like Toolguy said, it contains a subset of their game code.
Please do what he suggested and contact Funcom directly (not via the forum)
The “go on, I dare you! Are you embarrassed?” argument only really works in the playground.
I am a longstanding FOSS supporter and user, but even so I can understand why Funcom wouldn’t want to just give out their code if there is something they are selling based upon it…
2 Likes
Approaching the developer in this way will not give you access to the code… for me personally such statements only disqualify someone as a serious conversation partner.
from toolguys first answer and with this paragraph every thing is said. it’s a legal issue and not worth the effort (my guess) to split the freely attributable stuff from the copyright protected stuff so that a handful of people can look at the server code. i think the interest is actually quite low.
2 Likes
This is going to be my last answer on the topic
The “open source unreal” is just (as somebody wrote), the core of what Unreal is, but that does not include any of the following:
- Any modification made by a company (and trust me on that, if you are going to write anything significantly large, you WILL have to modify parts of the engine heavily)
- Parts provided by Epic to people who are registered developers for Xbox, PlayStation, etc… that contains integration with the SDKs of these platforms, even us, as developers, have access control on our own internal documentation and wikis to avoid leaking informations to third parties who are not authorized by Sega and Microsoft. Even disclosing that some specific APIs exists would engage the company’s responsibility.
- Third party code patches from middleware providers, like for example Granite Textures, VWise Sound System, etc… etc…
Regarding being scared about messy code, well, there are very few companies in the world that can spend years of cleaning, polishing and refactoring code before releasing the product and becoming instantaneously bankrupt.
Most games have terrible source code, the reason is that if you spend too much time on the game, you will release too late, either the market is crowded for the type of game you are doing, or simply the two years you spent refactoring everything mean that the game is just looking two years older than what players expect to see.
Cleaning and refactoring after launch is even more difficult: Any code change may break the live version of the game, and I believe players would rather see their financial involvement be invested in time spent for new features, new maps, new assets, exploits fixing and code stability, than actually making the code pretty (Which we try to do when we have to do some rework on a specific part of the code when trying to fix or extend something)
5 Likes
If there aren’t any ip/legal issues you can only benefit by dumping your code on github (or the like) and have people work on it in their spare time submitting patches.
The only real question is IF there are any legal hurdles and I don’t see anyone able to actually answer that question other than a Funcom employee. Guessing doesn’t help.
did you read the comment from toolguy? the last one? he IS a funcom dev
1 Like