How To Create A Server! (The Easy Way)

[shorty97]

Version 2.2 Release

Added All Of The Settings In The Read me File
Support For Multiple Admin's and Marshals
Save Servers To Program
Export Servers

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/26383964/MXS%20 ... 20Tool.exe

[BrutalMX]

Good job on this but....I need some instructions on what to do next? Like Once its running what do I even go to to run it? Whats the servers address? ......

[shorty97]

Once The Black CMD Style Box Comes Up The Server Is Running. If You Read The Tutorial It will Give You IP

[BrutalMX]

Ok, but how do I give it commands and whatnot? Im yet to see a detailed way of doing this...

[shorty97]

You can only give it commands in game.

[Servatis]

This post is meant as feedback. I have been programming for quite a while now. So I hope my experiences can help you in making this application better. This post is in no way meant to bust your balls, it is meant as honest feedback on what can be improved.



Some additional notes:
I looked at this in a way someone with no experience with setting up a server would look at it.

I add trackcomp1.saf, I entered correct information in the config screen (atleast what i think is correct, the application doesn't tell me anything). but when i press "start server" it shows a console for about 1 second and then the server is nowhere to be found.

I can't find the server in the running processes so i'm assuming it failed to launch. Why does the application not tell me that it failed to launch?

I have yet to find my server files that I downloaded apparently. I don't like clutter on my pc, so I would like to know where it put this server.

when I shut down the application with the little red X at the top right the application crashed.

I now know that my server wasn't starting at all, because i had bad settings entered. but even with the right settings it didn't work. How am i supposed to know this?

Final verdict:
You have not payed attention at all to what a user can do wrong. When creating an application it is important to always keep in mind all the things a user can do wrong, and then either prevent them from doing the wrong thing or show what they are doing wrong.

Give feedback to the user. Users like to know what is happening.
When i press a button and suddenly it says that the server was downloaded, I get a little frustrated that I don't know what exactly it did, for all i know it's downloading a virus, there is no way for me to check.

This application is supposedly geared towards people that don't know anything about setting up a server, yet it is very difficult to use with no knowledge about that.
I know i couldn't get one going, how is someone not familiar with this stuff supposed to?

You were planning to charge people $0.99 for this? The first version of my MXS Bike Setup Application was more solid than this, and I wouldn't have dared to ask money for that, not in my wildest dreams.
Asking donations for this software is not going to get you much either I'm afraid.

Put some effort into this. make it fool proof. make it work. and people might start using this application.
Also it might be a good thing for you to look into some tutorials and texts about how to design a user friendly and solid program. Search on google and you will find a plethora of information about it.

[Servatis]

sorry double post.

Just had a look at your latest version. And it has all the same problems. so consider the above feedback to be still relevant to the latest version.

[shorty97]

Thankyou So Much For Your Feedback. I will work on these things straight away.

[shorty97]

The console flashed because it was not setup right.

Sorry For Double Post

[shorty97]

The Files That It Downloaded Are In C:/MXSimulatorServer

[Servatis]

yeah, thats good, but the program needs to tell me these things.
better yet, let the user select the location they want to save the server at.

I assume you have the path hardcoded into the program now. hardcoding paths is always risky. since for example there are some pc's that don't have a c: drive.
Instead use a config or settings file for your application to save settings. like the path, let users browse to the path they want to save it at. then once they chose the path, save that path in the settings and keep using that path. that way you know you have the right path.
Then you have to keep in mind that users might delete or move the server files in which case you have to re-download the server before you can continue.
It is those kind of checks that need to be in place to make sure the program functions under any condition, and if a check fails you need to inform the user of what went wrong, and what steps are going to be taken to fix the problem (in this case re-dowloading)

A good watertight application takes a lot of time to make. A big portion of your time should go into exception handling. Just run through your code and think about every possible thing that could go wrong and build a safety net around it. It's not the most interesting part of creating an application, but it is definitely important.

Also make sure the user can enter only valid input, if there is a possibility for the user to enter wrong input someone is guaranteed to do it. Keep Murphy's law in mind when programming.

[cpt_Slow]

Can you not have the program run a .bat file with the relevant targry in place to save people having to do stuff in game, like a join server tab where the user enters their ip presses a button and MXsim automatically loads up on the right server? I can't remember the exact target you have to put in the bat file to make this happen but I know it's possible and a quick search on the forum will probably do the trick. I know it's not essential but saves a bit of time and makes the program look a little more polished I think

[shorty97]

Thanks For The Great Idea's keep them coming

[Servatis]

no need for a bat file.
I don't know what language you use to program this, but in C# you can use something like this:

Code: Select all

System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(filePath, parameters);
/*
filePath would be the mx.exe file on the user's computer
And parameters would be "--connect " + serverAddress
*/

should be something similar in C++(.NET) and VB.NET

[shorty97]

Or even easier process.start("mxsimulator:" & serverip)

Automatically finds path and connects.

Will release new version soon. Servatis you seem to know a lot about coding could you help and work on it with me.
I will send source code. Send me a email at shorty97@live.com.au