What is Required? [Arma 3 Life Server Start-Up]

[Snoop-Doge 0]

Hi, I was interested in creating a custom/modded Arma 3 life server, and I was wondering what is required in terms of who I would need to build it from the ground up and what computer specs I would need in order to run the server? Are there any licenses/fees that I would need in order to run the server or have certain things implemented in the server? What's going to draw interest to my server and actually get a player base, because I have seen many posts saying that it's very difficult to build player bases but especially now? Will developers even bother to help if I'm not offering money straight off the bat but at a later time when money is actually be earned off of donations or sponsors if the server reaches a high reputation or a good playerbase? I'm not new to owning a server but if I were to own one on Arma 3 one day with a large player base would it be any more difficult than lets say, running a server on other games such as Garry's mod or FiveM? Will people not work with me because I don't have much experience with Arma 3 or making servers on Arma 3? If I'm not able to get developers to work with me because of lack of payment should I learn to develop myself and work alone? And finally my last question should I even bother creating a server from the ground up right now or ever, will it be too difficult to find developers willing to help or a decent player base in order to pay off server fees or even said developers if they join me?

 

Thank you so much for answering any of the questions even if you answered one question I appreciate you greatly! Thank you for reading my questions and/or answering them and have a lovely day on the Bohemia Interactive Forums and maybe one day I can own a server at the top just like some of you : ) .

[stanhope 409]

I can't help you with the specs for the server or the license. You'll need to look around this forum and the internet for these.

However what I can tell you is that if you plan on actually earning money off of your server via any other way than the traditional donation you'll need to monetize your server.  (see: https://www.bohemia.net/monetization)

 

Getting a large playerbase requires 1: a server people like to play on that 2: is well moderated and has 3: enough exposure so people hear about it and play on it.  The initial problem will be to get people on it, people have a tendency to join servers that already have a bunch of people on.

If your goal is to actually make money off of the server there will be a few guys here that will want some coin if they do a lot of work to make your server work.  However if you ask very specific questions in the troubleshooting subforum (or others) you'll probably get an answer 100% for free.  That doesn't apply to questions like 'how do I set up a life server?' though.

 

However you shouldn't even need to ask that question as there are plenty of guides out there on how to set up a server.  Here is something to get you started:

 

I've not yet seen anyone here not work with someone that has a problem because they lack experience in a certain thing they're trying to do.  People usually stop working with someone because either that person has unrealistic demands/expectations, is a condescending know-it-all, ...
Oh yea, something I should mention.  Not everyone in the arma community likes people who play altis(/startis/malden/...) life.  

 

Should you bother making a new altis life server?  Well I suggest you open the server browser and set the mission name filter for life.  Then have a look at the amount of servers and their population.  If you think you can become one of the more populated servers, are willing to put a lot of time into it for next to no money and are not just another guy who wants to host his own life server then yes, it's worth it. 

[Dedmen 2590]

On 22.7.2018 at 7:01 PM, Snoop-Doge said:

Are there any licenses/fees that I would need in order to run the server or have certain things implemented in the server?

No. Unless you intend to run a monetized server.

 

On 22.7.2018 at 7:01 PM, Snoop-Doge said:

And finally my last question should I even bother creating a server from the ground up right now or ever

There are tons of Life servers already. I'd almost say the market is saturated.

 

On 22.7.2018 at 7:01 PM, Snoop-Doge said:

Will developers even bother to help if I'm not offering money straight off the bat

I'd personally say unlikely. Developers who want to do life stuff might aswell go and join a bigger server that's known to work instead of joining something that might fail.

And starting up a life server is nothing you just do in a week because you feel like it.
You might just take other peoples mods and use them and create yet another modded life server with stuff stolen from other people. But we already have hundreds of these.
But that won't really make you special. And if you try to monetize such a life server with other peoples stuff I will personally throw unhealthy stuff at you.

 

On 22.7.2018 at 7:01 PM, Snoop-Doge said:

What's going to draw interest to my server and actually get a player base, because I have seen many posts saying that it's very difficult to build player bases but especially now?

Being yet another cheap, stolen/together life server won't get you a player base.. Unless you are a big Twitch Streamer and get all your viewers to play on it.
You'd need to do something special. But that's lots of work. If you want to get into "making" life stuff I'd recommend to just apply to a existing one to join as a developer.