factorio-clusterio/plugins/lobby/README.md

Clusterio Lobby Plugin

Lobby servers where players pick the instance to join, and listing of the cluster in the Factorio server browser. Works together with the player proxy on the controller.

• Players connecting to the player proxy are sent to a lobby instance running their Factorio version. The lobby shows a list of the instances in the cluster running that version, picking one moves the player there with LuaPlayer.connect_to_server. Instances on other versions can be shown greyed out with a checkbox.
• If there's no lobby for the version and built in mods of a player, one is created on a host that has that version of Factorio installed, or can download it.
• Picking a stopped instance starts it, the player waits in the lobby and is moved once it's running.
• Other instances with the plugin loaded get a Servers button that opens the same list.
• If the Player Auth plugin is loaded the list has a button for logging into the web interface, which does the same as the /web-login command.
• The cluster can be listed in the Factorio server browser as one game per Factorio version a lobby runs, showing the players online in the whole cluster.
• Instances can also be listed in the server browser as their own game on a dedicated proxy port, including while they are stopped.

The Server Select community plugin provides a similar in-game server list without the lobby, proxy and server browser parts.

Installation

Run the following commands in the folder Clusterio is installed to:

npm install @clusterio/plugin-lobby
npx clusteriocontroller plugin add @clusterio/plugin-lobby

Substitute clusteriocontroller with clusteriohost or clusterioctl if this a dedicate host or ctl installation respectively.

Setting up a lobby

Lobbies are created automatically the first time a player connects with a Factorio version and set of built in mods (base, Space Age and so on) no lobby runs. The lobby is created on a connected host that has the version installed, or a Linux host with a versioned host.factorio_directory that can download it, with a mod pack that has the same built in mods as the player. It's named after the version, has instance.auto_start set and is kept running. Players with mods that are not built in are asked by Factorio to sync their mods to the lobby, and again to the instance they pick. On a fast host the lobby is up before the Factorio client gives up on the connection, otherwise the first player has to connect again once it's running. Set lobby.auto_create to false to only use lobbies you create yourself:

1. Make sure the player proxy is enabled, it listens on controller.player_proxy_port which defaults to 34197.
2. Set controller.player_proxy_public_address to the address and port players reach the proxy on, for example play.example.com:34197. This is the address players are sent to when they pick an instance, and what's published in the server browser. If it's not set the host name of controller.public_url and controller.player_proxy_port is used.
3. Create an instance to act as the lobby, set lobby.is_lobby to true on it and start it. Lobbies always start the save lobby.zip, which is created the first time as an empty one tile map without the freeplay scenario, and players are made spectators in it. To use a different map, replace lobby.zip with a save of your own. Starting a specific save from the web interface or clusterioctl still works. Create one lobby for each Factorio version you want to accept players on, by setting factorio.version on it.
4. Optionally set lobby.listed to false on instances that should not be shown in the list.

Players who connect to the proxy now end up in the lobby for their version. If there's no lobby running their version they are routed as if the plugin wasn't loaded.

Server browser listing

Set lobby.server_browser_listing to true to list the cluster in the Factorio server browser. This needs controller.factorio_username and controller.factorio_token to be set, and a lobby instance to be running so its exact version and build can be listed. Factorio only shows games running the exact same version and build as the client.

To list an instance as its own game, set instance.player_proxy_port to a port the proxy should listen on for it and lobby.server_browser_listing on the instance to true. The instance stays listed when it's stopped, as long as it has been started once while the controller was running so its version is known. Players joining it while it's stopped wait in a lobby running their version until the instance has started.

Controller Configuration

lobby.auto_create

Create a lobby when a player connects to the player proxy with a Factorio version and built in mods no lobby runs.

Defaults to true.

lobby.server_browser_listing

List the cluster in the Factorio server browser as one game for each Factorio version a lobby is running.

Defaults to false.

lobby.server_browser_name

Name of the cluster in the server browser, uses controller.name if null.

Defaults to null.

lobby.server_browser_description

Description of the cluster in the server browser.

Defaults to an empty string.

lobby.server_browser_tags

Comma separated tags shown for the games listed in the server browser.

Defaults to "clusterio".

lobby.server_browser_max_players

Max players shown for the games listed in the server browser, 0 for no limit. This is only shown, it does not limit how many players can join.

Defaults to 0.

Instance Configuration

lobby.is_lobby

Players connecting to the player proxy are sent to a running lobby with their Factorio version, where they pick which instance to join.

Defaults to false.

lobby.listed

Show this instance in the server list of lobbies.

Defaults to true.

lobby.server_browser_listing

List this instance as its own game in the Factorio server browser, also while it's stopped. Requires instance.player_proxy_port to be set.

Defaults to false.