web hosting companies that provide master server functionality

Hello,

Does anyone know web hosting companies who provide master server functionality exactly like Unity 3D - for testing purposes - but that is always available?

Thanks.

 

You can not host a unity master server through a webhost. You must have root access (dedicated or virtual dedicated) as it needs to run on the OS for the connection tester and nat facilitator. Without them the master server is useless as people must setup portforwardings to host any games at all.

the cheapest VPS offerings from vpsland and 1 1 are enough btw

 

You can host a master server on an amazon EC2 micro instance. You get a free one for a year when you sign up.

 

Thanks for the reply.

It's not really a question of shared vs. vps web hosting. I already have to look after 1 vps and that is not my favorite task.
It probably seems lazy, because I probably could roll out my own pretty easily, but with my current work schedule, I would gladly pay a small monthly fee for not having to worry about it.

Same functionality as Unity. But when it's down, I can call someone to put it back up.

Thanks again.

 

@PrimeDirektive thanks for the tip. If it comes to having to have my own, that surely will be useful info.

Thanks.

 

Ohh I see.. you're looking for a hosting company that will set up the master server for you? Like those specialty hosts like minecraft hosting or something? Nah, I don't think anyone does that.

 

Definitely not no as Unity is no game and game hosters only focus on dedicated game servers, not on some traffic generating 0 advertising thing

 

Wow !!! PrimeDerektive Great info !

 

To be honest, I think the Unity Master Server is fine for testing. It's far more stable since v3 rolled in. It was historically thoroughly unreliable and primarily there for UT to do tests. Now, I get the impression, that UT is aware of the need in the community for fast testing to the UT Master Server. I've been intermittently testing multiplayer games thru the Master server for a couple years now and have never actually seen it unavailable.

If you are looking for something to host a professional game on, I would suggest you find a way to host your own.

 

I can only agree on the master server here though even that one flucked from time to time.
But the NAT Facilitator was unavailable pretty regularly and without it the master server is absolutely useless as you require to setup portforwardings whenever the connection tester or nat facilitator fail.

Zumwalt used to host one for the community on a 1 1 vps I think, unsure if that is still the case.

I could potentially setup one on my otherwise unused linux vdedicated until that subscription runs out next year (was meant to be used for JIRA but even with 1GB ram, JIRA and tomcat degenerate to uselessness) but I'm worried that I would get mail bombed whenever it goes down.

Its too bad that unity forgot to add verification to the master server connection attempts, that way we are unable to offer a solid and supported service for others as we can't verify the user in any form.

 

Has anyone managed to actually get the Master Server on the EC2 working? I have been getting the same error for some time and I don't have any more clues about how to fix it: "Failed to connect to master server at 54..xxx.xxx.xxx:23466". I've set up the security groups, turned off firewalls, but I don't seem to get it working.