Questions on server port configuration

[kelvin16]

Hi all,

I've set up a dedicated server on my oracle free tier machine as a docker container, and I have a few questions that is unexplained in the wiki and guides I read.

I'm following this guide (linked below) for general settings and file structure etc.

1. I don't see the instruction to open ports in the guide. Is it ok to not open the ports? If I understand correctly, the game uses steam net for traffics, so there should be no need to open the ports? I tried logging into the server and it seems fine. I'm a new player so I'm not sure what the cave server is for so I couldn't test it.

2. a friend of mine lives in the US, but the server is located in Asia, is there any server / VM level settings, or maybe some mods that I can use to mitigate the high latency, or the effect of it? I saw the tick settings and set it to 30. should I set it back to 15 instead?

 

[kelvin16]

just an additional piece of information, this is what I'm using to start the server for now.

```bash

params="-cluster MyDediServer -persistent_storage_root ${STEAMAPPDIR}/.klei -tick 30"

./dontstarve_dedicated_server_nullrenderer_x64 $params

```

[Daniel86268]

1. Opening Ports is not necessary for normal gameplay, however it is recommended.

While DST does some Magic to also work if ports aren't forwarded/opened, I feel it does work better if they are. I think it has to do because the DST Server doesn't have to do that roundabout magic, and instead use a direct connection with the clients, potentially reducing latency.

Also the Server listing will show ??? as ping if the Server can't be accessed from the internet over the configured port.

2. Geographical distance will always translate to latency in games, and in DST latency is extraordinarily noticable copmpared to other games.

This latency itself can't really be compensated, as no mods can overcome the laws of physics.

You can however play around with the tick rate settings to minimize the latency as much as possible. Setting it to 30 (over 15) might decrease latency, if the server can handle it, since it technically sends more packets to the client, essentially halving the wait time for the next packet to arrive. However it can also increase latency, if the server can't fully handle 30 ticks, and starts lagging.
Same with a Tickrate of 15 (over 30). Might feel slugish on faster servers, but snappier on slower servers.

Also keeping your Server clean (of ingame items lying about, and keeping entities within reason) can help with user experience, especially long term.

Since your Server is hosting using a Cloud provider, maybe you can change the geographical location of the server to somewhere between you and your friend. So each of you "shares" the bad latency, but it's better for your friend, as he's closer to the server.