Prerequisites

Before starting this guide you will need a working multiplayer Unreal Engine 5 project and a source build of Unreal Engine.

What is a Dedicated Server?

A dedicated server, in game development terms, is a computer that can run a standalone piece of software which only handles the game world and server code.

It does not spawn a player character and does not count as a connected player.

The first method when setting up networking in a multiplayer game for many is a listen server.

A listen server is perfect for many styles of multiplayer games as it works well with games with small player counts per server (2 to 16), keeps costs down for developers and make developing features easier with faster testing between two clients.

For some games this isn’t ideal as players might cheat, have sync inconsistencies between clients that would be game breaking (fighting games over large latency) and larger scale games causing the host machine to slow down impacting other player’s experiences.

Dedicated servers are perfect to remedy these issues. Running the files that we will be creating on its own machine, with ports setup correctly, will only process your game world and keep an server of your game running 24/7.

Automatic Session

We need our server to automatically create a session and then load the map on launch.

In our example project, which can be downloaded in a first person or third person format, we create our MainMenu widget and add it to the screen in our main menu level blueprint.

We need to adjust this so if it is a dedicated server then we ignore the menus entirely and create a session for our players to join!

To achieve this, we simply add a branch and an “Is Dedicated Server” node before our widget creation.

This is then connected together on the False pin as we don’t want the code to run if our platform is “Dedicated Server”.

On the True pin we then add a Create Advanced Session node with our desired settings.

If our session creation was a success we then open our level with the option ?listen so that our server can accept connections to the map.

Lastly, we compile and save our changes!

Choosing the Default Server Map

By default our dedicated server loads into an engine map called “Entry”. We need to change this to our own map to ensure that we can load players into the game.

Firstly, open the edit menu in the top left and then click Project Settings.

We then click the “Maps & Modes” section of the Project Settings.

We then click the Advanced drop down option in the “Default Maps” section.

Finally, set the “Server Default Map” option to the map that you want to start your server on. In this case we are using our “menu” map and making changes later in the guide to add dedicated server functionality.

No Default Character in the Level

As we are using a dedicated server, we no longer need a character spawned for the authority (server host).

Our level has a character blueprint inside of the level that gets controlled by the first player connected.

We need to remove this to prevent a character standing in the level with no player!

The Project Launcher

The project launcher is a built in tool of Unreal Engine that allows you to build versions of your game based on profiles that you can create.

One of the abilities of the project launcher is the dedicated server!

We can open the project launcher by opening the Tools menu at the top of the editor window and selecting the Project Launcher in the tools section of the menu.

You should now see a large empty menu! We now need to add our custom profile for our game!

We need to create our custom profile to specify to the engine that we want a dedicated server build.

Creating the Custom Profile

Firstly, click the Add button in the bottom right, then click “Create Custom Profile”.

You should now see a large menu of options appear.

In the cook section, we need to open the drop down menu and change “On the fly” to “By the book”.

We then scroll down the Cooked Platforms list and find the server platform we want to build for. For this guide we are building a dedicated server for Windows.

You can choose LinuxServer if you need an x86/64 Linux server or LinuxArm64 if you want to host your server on Linux Arm. If you do not understand this, simply choose WindowsServer.

We then scroll down further and select all of the maps that you want to include in your server. In this guide we have selected both of the maps in the Unreal Engine 5

Next in the Package section, click the drop down menu and change “Do not package” to “Package & store locally”.

This then generates you a default path inside of your project folder to build the server. This can be changed to anywhere you want using the directory picker “Browse” button.

Then, in the Deploy section, click the drop down menu and change “Copy to device” to “Do not deploy”.

Finally, we can give our new profile a name to remember what this Profile builds.

Creating the Dedicated Server

Now that we have our profile all setup, we can now build our dedicated server!

Click the back button to return to the main Project Launcher menu.

We can now see our new profile in the list of custom launch profiles.

Building the Files

To build the dedicated server using our custom profile, simply press the launch button (Controller and display icon).

You now see the process of your dedicated server automatically building!

Now wait until the process has completed. The first time you run your profile it can take a long time. Leave this to fully complete before moving onto the final step!

Testing the Dedicated Server

Now that our dedicated server has built successfully, navigate to the folder you selected earlier to see the executable.

If you left this option default in the previous step, the folder found in your project folder then Saved/StagedBuilds and then the platform name. In this case “WindowsServer“.

From here we can open our Server.exe to open the server. This will open in the background and is hard to monitor and close.

To make this easier to use, firstly create a shortcut in Windows for your server executable.

We then open the executable and add the “-log” launch option to the end of the target section. This will make the server open as a window and print any logging messages on to the screen.

Now open the shortcut to your server and text will fill the window. This is your server initializing and setting up a session for your players to join!

On the client’s view it now shows the dedicated server session!

Demonstration

With three clients open inside the editor and our dedicated server open, the clients can connect to the session and see each other move without needing a full client open to host the game!

Project Files

Conclusion

You now have a dedicated server of your game building with the ability to be connected to!

With this knowledge, you’re one step closer to launching a fully featured multiplayer game that performs well and delivers a consistent experience to players!

Further Reading

• Click here to read the Unreal Engine Dedicated Server Guide
• For more networking fundamentals click here for the UE Networking Overview
• It’s always great to read up on how to build projects based on our learning of the project launcher, Click here for the UE documentation on Building Projects

The post How to build a Dedicated Server for your Unreal Engine 5 Game appeared first on Couch Learn.

Network Replication Advice

When dealing with multiplayer games, bandwidth and packet sizes have to be considered.

Sending too much too quickly (multi cast events on Event Tick) impacts network performance and prevents voice chat from being sent as the network is too saturated.

Make sure you consider every replicated variable, event and blueprint node that is run over the network.

Many problems can be fixed by optimizing your networking replication!

Common Issues and Fixes

Players can’t hear voice chat after joining (UE 4.25)

• Run the “Register Remote Talker” function on begin play for your character actors. Suggested by CouchLearn user pftq

This can be done with C++ or the Advanced Sessions Plugin.

https://docs.unrealengine.com/en-US/API/Plugins/OnlineSubsystem/Interfaces/IOnlineVoice/RegisterRemoteTalker/index.html

Voice chat audio is not following the character

• Check your character/pawn is replicated and has replicate movement enabled.

No voice chat audio

• Follow our voice chat tutorial exactly and make sure to double check each step.
• Make sure you are using the multiplayer session system.
• Make sure that both players have a working microphone plugged in.
  
  If those steps didn’t fix the problem try:
• Following the “Stuttering or Robotic Sounding Voices” steps.

Stuttering or Robotic Sounding Voices

• Reducing the number of replicated events running on Event Tick and on timers.
• Make sure only essential events are replicated.
• Reduce the amount of multi cast events.
• Remove redundant parameters from replicated events.
• Remove audio and texture parameters from multi cast events.
• Lower your mic threshold value by -5

Voice chat only works on certain levels

• Make sure your other maps have an actor that is setup for voice chat on a key press.
• When changing levels make sure to use the servertravel command
  
  If those steps didn’t fix the problem try:
• Following the “Stuttering or Robotic Sounding Voices” steps.
  – Some levels in your game may include actors have poor replication performance.

Positional voice chat isn’t working

• Follow our positional voice chat tutorial exactly and make sure to double check each step.
• Make sure you are using the multiplayer session system.
• Lower your mic threshold value by -5
• Make sure that both players have a working microphone plugged in.
• Increase the volume of the VOIP audio class.
• Ensure your VOIPTalker’s attach to component is set.
• Replicated your VOIPTalker enabled actor.
• Make sure your VOIPTalker sound attenuation is assigned and setup correctly.
  
  If those steps didn’t fix the problem try:
• Following the “Stuttering or Robotic Sounding Voices” steps.

The post Common Voice Chat Fixes in Unreal Engine 4 appeared first on Couch Learn.

If you haven’t installed Discord Rich Presence in your Unreal Engine 4 project click here our guide.

The first step is to download all of the required files.

Downloading the Files

To download the library files necessary for compilation, navigate to the releases section of the DiscordRPC GitHub page.

Click here to view the Releases

This file is hosted on the official Discord GitHub page and not CouchLearn.com

Find the latest release (Green text on the left) and download the discord-rpc-linux.zip file.

Unzip the discord-rpc-linux.zip file somewhere you can easily access it.

Installing the Files

Include Files

Navigate to the /ThirdParty/DiscordRpcLibrary folder in your project’s plugins folder and check if you already have the Include folder.

If you have this folder move on to the next step.

If you do not have this folder follow the “Copying files to Compile the plugin” section.

Linux Build Files

Create a new folder named Linux:

Navigate to the /linux-dynamic/lib folder from the files extracted earlier. Simply copy and paste the libdiscord-rpc.so file into the Linux folder created in the last step.

Conclusion

Your Discord Rich Presence enabled game will now successfully compile and package for the Linux platform!

Packaging for the Linux platform is possible from a Windows machine but requires extra steps to enable this in your project.

A guide for packaging Linux executables from a Windows PC is being developed and will be linked here on completion.

To set up the blueprints required for Discord Rich Presence, read the guide here on CouchLearn.com

The post How to Compile and Package Discord Rich Presence for Linux appeared first on Couch Learn.

If you haven’t installed the Discord Rich Presence plugin in your Unreal Engine 4 project click here for our guide.

The first step is to download all of the required files.

Downloading the Files

To download the library files necessary for compilation, navigate to the releases section of the DiscordRPC GitHub page.

Click here to view the Releases

This file is hosted on the official Discord GitHub page and not CouchLearn.com

Find the latest release (Green text on the left) and download the discord-rpc-osx.zip file.

Unzip the discord-rpc-osx.zip file somewhere you can easily access it.

Installing the Files

Include Files

Navigate to the /ThirdParty/DiscordRpcLibrary folder in your project’s plugins folder and check if you already have the Include folder.

If you have this folder move on to the next step.

If you do not have this folder follow the “Copying files to Compile the plugin” section.

OSX Build Files

Create a new folder named Mac:

Navigate to the /osx-dynamic/lib folder from the files extracted earlier. Simply copy and paste the libdiscord-rpc.dylib file into the Mac folder created in the last step.

Conclusion

Your Discord Rich Presence enabled game will now successfully compile and package for the Mac platform!

Packaging for the Mac platform is not possible from a Windows machine as Apple’s XCode licensing allows only official Apple products to package for their platform.

Regardless of this having the plugins setup and configured correctly will prevent headaches later down the road if you choose to deploy your game on the Mac platform.

To set up the blueprints required for Discord Rich Presence, read the guide here on CouchLearn.com

The post How to Compile and Package Discord Rich Presence on Mac appeared first on Couch Learn.

In this guide we will be working through how to use Discord Rich Presence in Unreal Engine 4 by downloading, installing and implementing Discord RPC and Rich Presence into your Unreal Engine 4 project.

Discord has released their newer GameSDK which runs entirely using either C# for Unity or C++ for Unreal Engine. GameSDK is beyond the scope for this difficulty level which is why we will be using Discord RPC.

Adding the Discord Plugin

Downloading the Discord Plugin

Many features for Unreal Engine are built into the engine using C++ and others are compiled into a plugin. Discord has already prepared a ready made plugin for use with Unreal Engine on their GitHub page.

Method 1:

Click here to download the Discord RPC master zip.
This file is hosted on the official Discord GitHub page and not CouchLearn.com

After downloading, unzip the discord-rpc-master.zip file somewhere you can easily access it.

Method 2:

If you would like to manually clone the repository yourself click here to visit Discord’s GitHub page.

Library Files

To download the library files necessary for compilation later on navigate to the releases section of the DiscordRPC GitHub page.

Click here to view the Releases

This file is hosted on the official Discord GitHub page and not CouchLearn.com

Find the latest release (Green text on the left) and download the discord-rpc-win.zip file.

Unzip the discord-rpc-win.zip file somewhere you can easily access it.

Installing the Discord Plugin

Copying the Plugin

In our project folder we need to make sure there is a Plugins folder.

Create a new folder in your project folder named Plugins.

If you already have this you can move onto the next step.

Included in the extracted discord RPC master folder is an example project for Unreal Engine 4.

This project has a pre-compiled Discord plugin ready for your project.

To find this plugin navigate to examples:

Next, navigate to the unrealstatus folder:

Finally, navigate to the Plugins folder:

Inside the Plugins folder is a folder named discordrpc. We need to copy and paste this folder into our own project’s Plugins folder created earlier.

After copying and pasting the discordrpc folder, our project’s Plugins folder now looks like this:

Copying files to Compile the plugin

In the discord-rpc-master folder copy the include folder.

Navigate to the /ThirdParty/DiscordRpcLibrary folder in your project’s plugins folder and paste the include folder.

Rename this folder to Include (make sure it has a capital I).

Create a new folder named Win64:

Navigate to the /win64-dynamic/lib folder then copy and paste the discord-rpc.lib file into the Win64 folder created in the last step.

Navigate to the /win64-dynamic/bin folder then copy and paste the discord-rpc.dll file into the Win64 folder.

Once completed your Win64 folder will look like this:

To add Mac support for Discord to your Game click the link here for our guide for Compiling and Packaging Discord on Mac OSX.

To add Linux support for Discord to your Game click the link here for our guide for Compiling and Packaging Discord on Linux.

Compiling the Plugin

The plugin is made ready but your project doesn’t know that the files are there and hasn’t created its own files in preparation. This is why we compile the plugin on the first launch.

To compile the plugin, firstly launch your project.

As your new plugin hasn’t been compiled for your project this new prompt will show.

Press Yes to compile the plugin for your project:

The compile window will show and display the progress. This process takes a few minutes upto 10 minutes depending on the size of your project.

Enabling the Discord Plugin

Once the editor has launched, navigate to the plugins section and scroll to the bottom.

In the messaging section make sure the Discord RPC plugin is enabled.

If this plugin wasn’t enabled make sure to reload your editor after enabling it.

Using Discord in your Blueprints

Creating the Discord Object

In your Game Instance create a new variable named DiscordInstance and set its type to DiscordRPC object reference.

In your level blueprint, on the Begin Play event, create a Construct Object from Class node.

For the Class node select the DiscordRpc class.

The outer pin is the owner of the DiscordRPC object. This should be set to your Game Instance.

Create a Cast node to your Game Instance.

Set the DiscordInstance variable from your Game Instance to the return value of the Construct Discord RPC node.

Initializing the Connection

The Discord client needs to be notified to recieve any Rich Presence information. To notify the client, firstly create an Initialize Connection node.

In the Application Id pin, copy and paste your client id from the Discord Developer Portal.

Setting Discord Presence Information

Before sending the rich presence information to Discord, we need to set the variable containing the message that will be sent.

To set this create a Set Rich Presence Info node from the Discord Instance variable.

Right clicking and clicking break pin on the input pin of the new Set Rich Presence Info will show all the possible settings.

With this node created the entire Rich Presence data can now be set.

Formatting

The formatting is very specific as certain strings in the Set Rich Presence Info node are used for the Discord UI elements.

Below is the formatting from the Discord Developer page on Rich Presence.

Complete the Rich Presence information in the Set Rich Presence Info node with the formatting above.

Setting up the Timestamp (Advanced)

If your game needs to show the duration of play, follow this next section to setup the timestamp.

Discord uses the UNIX epoch system for time. Unreal Engine 4 has no built in blueprint nodes for getting the UNIX epoch time so we will have to create a few nodes to compensate for this.

Create the blueprint nodes below and connect the truncate return value to the start timestamp to count up showing duration of play since starting the game.

Using Images

To add an image to your Discord App, go to the Discord Developer Portal and in the Rich Presence art assets section upload the images your game requires.

The uploaded file’s name is the key name used for the Set Rich Presence Info node. I used the Unreal Engine logo and the key is ue4logo shown above.

Sending information to the Discord Client

To send the rich presence information simply create a Send Presence node from the DiscordInstance variable as the target. Once you load your level the discord information will appear.

Here’s the final result using the settings above:

Conclusion

Your game now has full use of Discord’s Rich Presence system in Unreal Engine 4!

Setting the presence data based on current level or your characters situation can then be used to update the client based on their current session. Just make sure to send the presence data once you have set it!

This is my largest and most comprehensive guide yet. If you found this helpful, please share with friends, other developers or on social media as more guides are coming soon.

If you want a specific guide, more guides of a specific difficulty or even different engine guides contact CouchLearn using the Contact Us link at the top of the site.

For more information on Discord Rich Presence system, click here for the full documentation.

The post How to use Discord Rich Presence in Unreal Engine 4 appeared first on Couch Learn.