Day of Defeat Server Guide

📋 Quick Info

Server Specifications

Game: Day of Defeat (GoldSrc Engine)
Platform: Windows, Linux
Default Port: 27015/UDP
Max Players: 32 (typical: 16-32)
Control Protocol: RCON
Server Binary: hlds_run (Linux), hlds.exe (Windows)
Mod Folder: dod
Special Features: WW2 team-based combat, class system

🔌 Ports & Firewall Configuration

Day of Defeat servers require specific ports for proper operation:

Port	Protocol	Purpose	Required
27015 (configurable)	UDP	Game port	Yes
27015 (same as game)	TCP	RCON remote control	Optional
27005	UDP	Client port (outbound)	Yes
26900	UDP	Master server communication	Optional

Firewall Examples

UFW (Ubuntu/Debian):

sudo ufw allow 27015/udp comment 'DoD Game Port'
sudo ufw allow 27015/tcp comment 'DoD RCON'
sudo ufw allow 27005/udp comment 'DoD Client Port'

FirewallD (CentOS/RHEL):

sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=27015/udp
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=27015/tcp
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=27005/udp
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

iptables:

iptables -A INPUT -p udp --dport 27015 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 27015 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p udp --dport 27005 -j ACCEPT

⚙️ Installation & Setup

System Requirements

OS: Linux (Ubuntu 18.04+, Debian 9+, CentOS 7+) or Windows Server
CPU: 1+ cores @ 2.0GHz minimum
RAM: 512MB minimum, 1GB+ recommended
Disk: 2GB for game files
Network: Stable connection, 5Mbps+ bandwidth

Installation via SteamCMD (Linux)

Install SteamCMD:
sudo apt-get install steamcmd # Debian/Ubuntu sudo yum install steamcmd # CentOS/RHEL
Run SteamCMD and install DoD server:
steamcmd +login anonymous +force_install_dir /home/steam/dod +app_update 90 validate +quit
Create server.cfg: Navigate to /home/steam/dod/dod/ and create configuration file

Installation via SteamCMD (Windows)

Download SteamCMD from Valve's website
Extract to C:\steamcmd\
Run: steamcmd +login anonymous +force_install_dir C:\dod +app_update 90 validate +quit
Create server.cfg in C:\dod\dod\

📝 Configuration

Basic server.cfg Example

// Server Name
hostname "My Day of Defeat Server"

// RCON Password
rcon_password "your_secure_password"

// Server Password (leave blank for public)
sv_password ""

// Network Settings
sv_region 255  // 0=US East, 1=US West, 2=South America, 3=Europe, etc.
sv_contact "admin@example.com"

// Game Settings
mp_teamplay 1
mp_friendlyfire 0
mp_fraglimit 0
mp_timelimit 30  // Minutes per map
mp_maxrounds 0

// Team Balance
mp_autoteambalance 1
mp_limitteams 2  // Max player difference between teams

// Class Limits (per team)
mp_limit_allies -1    // -1 = no limit
mp_limit_axis -1

// Specific Class Limits
mp_limit_rifleman -1
mp_limit_assault -1
mp_limit_support -1
mp_limit_sniper 2      // Limit snipers
mp_limit_mg 2          // Limit machine gunners

// Spawn Settings
mp_respawnstyle 0     // 0=wave spawn, 1=instant
mp_respawndelay 0

// Hit Registration
sv_maxrate 20000
sv_minrate 5000
sv_maxupdaterate 101
sv_minupdaterate 20

// Server Performance
sv_maxspeed 320
sv_fps_max 1000

// Logging
log on
sv_logblocks 1
sv_logecho 0
sv_logfile 1
sv_log_onefile 0

// Map Cycle
mapcyclefile "mapcycle.txt"

// Execute additional configs
exec banned.cfg

mapcycle.txt Example

dod_anzio
dod_avalanche
dod_caen
dod_charlie
dod_chemille
dod_donner
dod_flash
dod_forest
dod_glider
dod_kalt
dod_kraftstoff
dod_merderet
dod_northbound
dod_palermo
dod_saints
dod_sturm
dod_vicenza
dod_zalec

🚀 Startup Parameters

Parameter	Description	Example
-game	Specify game mod (dod)	-game dod
-port	Server port	-port 27015
+maxplayers	Maximum player slots	+maxplayers 32
+map	Starting map	+map dod_avalanche
+exec	Execute config file on startup	+exec server.cfg
-ip	Bind to specific IP	-ip 192.168.1.100
-console	Enable console output	-console
-condebug	Log console output to file	-condebug

Example Startup Command (Linux)

./hlds_run -game dod -port 27015 +maxplayers 32 +map dod_avalanche +exec server.cfg -console

Example Startup Command (Windows)

hlds.exe -game dod -port 27015 +maxplayers 32 +map dod_avalanche +exec server.cfg -console

Example Startup Script (Linux)

#!/bin/bash
cd /home/steam/dod
./hlds_run -game dod -port 27015 +maxplayers 32 +map dod_avalanche +exec server.cfg -console

🔧 Troubleshooting

Server Not Appearing in Browser

Issue: Server not visible in the in-game server browser.

Solutions:

Verify UDP port 27015 is open in firewall
Ensure sv_lan 0 is set (not LAN-only mode)
Check that master server communication port (26900/UDP) is open
Try direct connect using IP:PORT to verify server is running
Wait 5-10 minutes for server to appear in master server list

Connection Issues

Issue: Players cannot connect or timeout.

Solutions:

Verify firewall allows traffic on game port
Check server is not full (maxplayers limit)
Disable password if testing: sv_password ""
Verify clients have same game version
Check server logs in dod/logs/ for connection errors

High Ping/Lag Issues

Issue: Players experiencing high latency.

Solutions:

Increase sv_maxrate and sv_maxupdaterate
Set sv_fps_max 1000 for smoother gameplay
Check server CPU usage (should be under 50%)
Verify network bandwidth is sufficient
Reduce maxplayers if server is overloaded

RCON Not Working

Issue: Cannot connect via RCON.

Solutions:

Verify rcon_password is set in server.cfg
Ensure TCP port (same as game port) is open
Use RCON tools compatible with GoldSrc/HLDS
Test RCON from in-game console first

Server Crashes on Startup

Issue: Dedicated server crashes immediately.

Solutions:

Check dod/logs/ for error messages
Verify all game files are present (validate with SteamCMD)
Ensure server.cfg syntax is correct
Remove custom plugins/mods temporarily
On Linux, check library dependencies: ldd hlds_linux

Maps Not Loading

Issue: Server fails to load specific maps.

Solutions:

Verify map files exist in dod/maps/
Check mapcycle.txt for typos in map names
Custom maps require .bsp, .nav, and .txt files
Validate game files via SteamCMD

🎮 Game Modes

Day of Defeat features team-based World War 2 combat with objective-based gameplay:

Territory Control: Capture and hold flag points to win
Round-Based: Teams alternate attacking/defending objectives
Team Deathmatch: Eliminate enemy players (custom servers)

Player Classes

Rifleman: Basic infantry with semi-automatic rifle
Assault: Close-quarters specialist with SMG
Support: Provides ammunition and light machine gun fire
Sniper: Long-range specialist with scoped rifle
Machine Gunner: Heavy suppression with mounted MG

🗺️ Default Maps

Official Maps

dod_anzio - Italian beach landing
dod_avalanche - Mountain village combat
dod_caen - French city ruins
dod_charlie - Dense jungle warfare
dod_chemille - French countryside
dod_donner - Snowy mountain pass
dod_flash - Urban street combat
dod_forest - Woodland fighting
dod_glider - Crashed glider site
dod_kalt - Winter village
dod_kraftstoff - Fuel depot raid
dod_merderet - River crossing
dod_northbound - Train station assault
dod_palermo - Sicilian city
dod_saints - Church district
dod_sturm - Bunker assault
dod_vicenza - Italian plaza
dod_zalec - Eastern European town

Popular server modifications compatible with Day of Defeat:

AMX Mod X - Popular plugin platform for Half-Life engine games with admin commands, custom plugins, and gameplay modifications
Metamod - Core plugin loader for Source/GoldSrc engines
DoD Stats: Player statistics and ranking systems
Custom Maps: Thousands of community-created maps available

📚 Resources

SteamCMD: https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/SteamCMD
DoD Community: Forums and mapping communities
Map Resources: GameBanana, DoD-Central
RCON Tools: HLSW, SourceMod admin panels

Important Notes

Day of Defeat runs on the GoldSrc engine (original Half-Life engine)
Maximum 32 players supported per server
Regular updates via SteamCMD recommended for security patches
Class limits should be configured to prevent team imbalance
Custom maps require clients to download .bsp and associated files
AMX Mod X provides extensive admin and gameplay features
Always secure your RCON password
World War 2 theme with historical Allied vs Axis combat
Territory control is the primary game mode
Server browser may take 5-10 minutes to update after changes

Day of Defeat Server Guide

📋 Quick Info

Server Specifications

🔌 Ports & Firewall Configuration

Firewall Examples

⚙️ Installation & Setup

System Requirements

Installation via SteamCMD (Linux)

Installation via SteamCMD (Windows)

📝 Configuration

Basic server.cfg Example

mapcycle.txt Example

🚀 Startup Parameters

Example Startup Command (Linux)

Example Startup Command (Windows)

Example Startup Script (Linux)

🔧 Troubleshooting

Server Not Appearing in Browser

Connection Issues

High Ping/Lag Issues

RCON Not Working

Server Crashes on Startup

Maps Not Loading

🎮 Game Modes

Player Classes

🗺️ Default Maps

Official Maps

🔌 Related Mods & Plugins

📚 Resources

Important Notes