Live for Speed S2 ALPHA 0.5T5 DEDICATED HOST
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www.liveforspeed.net


Welcome to Live for Speed!


Important :
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This is a special dedicated host program for LFS S2 ALPHA.

ALPHA means : LFS S2 is still in the testing and development stage.

This software comes with no warranties of any kind.

By installing this software you agree that you do so at at your own risk
and you accept full responsibility for any damage caused by the use or
installation of the software.

The producers of the Live for Speed racing simulator make every effort
to ensure the program is safe but can not accept any responsibility
whatsoever for personal injury or death that may arise during the use
of the software, or any damage of any kind to your system including
corrupted files, lost data or damage to hardware.


Installation :
--------------
To install the program, unzip the file into a suitable folder on your
hard drive.  You must ensure that the directory structure is preserved
by using the appropriate option in your unzip utility.  You will know
that it has been correctly unzipped if you see a data folder beside the
LFS.exe program and some more folders inside the data folder.


To run LFS S2 DEDICATED HOST :
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Use a batch file, shortcut or any method you like to start LFS.exe with
a command line.  See options below.


Command line options :
----------------------
LFS can be run from a command line or another program.
A dedicated host mode is available with no hardware draw : "nogfx".
Before selecting your options, you may find it helpful to run LFS
and try out the options on the Start New Game screen - the required
upload bandwidth for those options is displayed on screen.

1) Host options :

Example :

LFS /host=test host /cars=ALL /dedicated=nogfx /maxguests=4

/host=Host Name      :FIRST IN LIST
/pass=Pass           :if required - password
/admin=Pass          :if required - admin password
/ip=X.X.X.X          :if required - local specified ip address
/port=63392          :a high number below 65536
/mode=demo           :demo / s1 / s2
/usemaster=yes       :no / yes / hidden
/track=XXCR          :track and config (e.g. BL1 / SO3R / FE4)
/weather=1           :weather : 1,2,3 in Blackwood
/cars=[cars]         :see below : "Car Strings"
/maxguests=4         :max number of guests that can join host
/carsmax=5           :max number of cars in a race
/carshost=1          :max number of cars (real+ai) on host pc
/carsguest=1         :max number of cars (real+ai) per guest pc
/pps=4               :smoothness (3-6) number of car updates per second
/qual=0              :qualifying minutes, 0 for no qualifying
/laps=5              :number of lap, 0 for practice
/wind=1              :0 no wind / 1 low wind / 2 high wind
/dedicated=no        :no / yes / nogfx / invisible
/vote=yes            :no / yes : can guests vote to kick or ban
/select=yes          :no / yes : can guests select track
/rstmin=X            :no restart for X seconds after race start
/rstend=X            :no restart for X seconds after race finish
/autokick=no         :no / yes / ban / spectate   (Wrong way drivers)
/midrace=yes X       :no / yes                    (Join during race)
/mustpit=no          :no / yes                    (Pit Stop Required)
/start=finish        :fixed/finish/reverse/random (Default race start)
/welcome=X.txt       :set welcome text file
/tracks=X.txt        :set list of allowed tracks

NOTE - alternative way to use the command line options :

A command file xxx.txt can be used instead of a long command line.
The command file would contain the command line parameters.
The parameters can be spread onto several lines.
The command file can contain comments, starting with two slashes //
Then the command line would be simply :

LFS /cfg=xxx.txt (where xxx.txt is the name of the config file)

2) Status file "host63392.txt" - updated whenever info changes :

63392 is the port number of the host.
It contains the following information:

lfs=0.5T5            :version
status=ingame        :offline / online / ingame
guests=4             :current number of guests
maxguests=4          :maximum guests allowed
host=Host Name       :game name as listed on master server
pass=Optional Pass   :host password
usemaster=yes        :no / yes / hidden
trackcfg=BL1         :short name for track and config
cars=[18x"0"or"1"]   :cars allowed on host (0=no / 1=yes)
qual=0               :qualifying minutes
laps=5               :number of laps
conn=Host            :player name
conn=Guest 1         :player name
conn=Guest 2         :player name
...


Host commands :
---------------
You can use text commands to control normal or nogfx dedicated hosts.

Using the normal text message system (pressing T in a normal host or
simply typing into a nogfx host), the message becomes a command if you
start it with a slash character.

Simple commands with no parameter :

/restart             :(re)starts the current race
/qualify             :(re)starts qualifying
/end                 :return to entry screen
/names               :toggle display between player and user names
/exit                :clean exit from nogfx host (host only)
/help                :get list of commands
/reinit              :total restart (removes all connections)

Commands with a parameter - entry screen mode :

/track XXCR          :track and config      (e.g. BL1 / SO3R / FE4)
/weather X           :lighting              (e.g. 1, 2, 3...)
/qual X              :qualifying minutes    (0 = no qualifying)
/laps X              :number of laps        (0 = practice)
/hours X             :number of hours       (if laps not specified)
/wind X              :0 no / 1 low / 2 high
/autox X             :load autocross layout named X for this track
/axclear             :clear autocross layout

Commands with a parameter - any time :

/axlist X            :get list of layouts for track X - e.g. AU1
/maxguests X         :max number of guests that can join host
/carsmax X           :max number of cars in a race
/carshost X          :max number of cars (real+ai) on host pc
/carsguest X         :max number of cars (real+ai) per guest pc
/pps X               :smoothness (3-6) number of car updates per second
/msg X               :send system message
/rstmin X            :no restart for X seconds after race start
/rstend X            :no restart for X seconds after race finish
/autokick X          :no/yes/ban/spectate         (Wrong way drivers)
/midrace X           :no/yes                      (Join during race)
/mustpit X           :no/yes                      (Pit Stop Required)
/start X             :fixed/finish/reverse/random (Default race start)
/pass X              :set new password            (BLANK = no password)
/welcome X.txt       :set welcome text file
/tracks X.txt        :set list of allowed tracks

Kick and ban commands - any time :

/spectate X          :make user X join the spectators
/kick X              :disconnect user X
/ban X Y             :ban user X for Y days (0 = 12 hours)
/unban X             :remove ban on user X

Host settings commands :

/vote X              :no or yes - guest voting
/select X            :no or yes - guest selection
/cars [cars]         :see below : "Car Strings"

Other text commands :

/out X               :ignored by LFS but seen by external programs

These commands are also available to any user who has connected to the
host using the admin password if one was specified when the host was
started.

To restrict the tracks allowed on a host :

Create a text file named "X.txt" in your LFS folder.
List all the tracks and configurations you want to allow.
Type one configuration on each line.
You must use the short name of the tracks :
[first two letters of name] [config number] [reversed]

Example :

BL1
BL2
FE1R

Use the command /tracks=X.txt in your startup command line


Car Strings :
-------------
The /cars command for the startup command line or for hosts / admins
now uses the three-letter S2 car codes.

Example :

/cars=XFG+XRG        :Allow XF GTI and XR GT
/cars=MRT            :Allow MRT5 only

These Car Groups can be used as well :

ALL    - all cars
ROAD   - road legal cars
RACE   - race cars
TBO    - same as XRT+RB4+FXO
LRF    - same as LX6+RAC+FZ5
GTR    - same as FXR+XRR+FZR

The plus and minus symbols can be used in conjuction with these :

/cars=TBO+LX4        :Allow XRT, RB4, FXO and LX4
/cars=ROAD-UF1       :Allow all road cars except the UF 1000


Thanks :
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Thanks to all internet hosts for your support.


Copyright :
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(c) 2002-2006 Scawen Roberts - Eric Bailey - Victor van Vlaardingen