By now, you’ve probably already played GTA V and already beat the game. If you’re playing on XBOX or Playstation, you might have dipped your pinky toe into Rockstar’s version of online gaming, but have you heard of GTA5 roleplay?
I’m not talking about masking up and pretend-robbing a bank in the middle of a large field. I’m talking about roaming the virtual GTA streets as an avatar you’ve created. This is possible on PC only, and has a huge following. Ever wanted to see what it was like to be a “peace” officer or even a lawyer? GTA5 roleplay servers offer that opportunity.
But why am I writing about it… well, after literally tuning into hours of streamed content by Townsend Gaming, I decided to enter this world and see what it was all about. It did not disappoint! After a bit of a wait, you’re dropped into the world where Non-Player Characters (NPCs) roam the streets, just like a normal GTA5, but something else is going on. I’m seeing customer vehicles, updated clothing, and characters dancing in the middle of the street. Those would be the role players. It didn’t matter which one you talked to, they all had a story and were sticking to the script. Rarely would someone drop out of character to talk about a “monitor, video card, or menu” instead, using cover terms like “think about doing x” to direct other players to do “in real life” actions.
Still, I had to know more. What did it take to launch your own GTA server? Does it have to be cloud-hosted, or can I host this myself? All answers I now know. If you’ve been following, you know I’m on a “self-hosted” kick. This is mostly due to the deployment of my TRUENAS home server (which I’ll discuss in a different post). In this server, I can spin-up virtual machines, and that’s just what I did for this “project.”
I referenced more than a few Youtube tutorials on how to spin up a FiveM GTA5 server. After the Windows 10 VM was up and stable, I downloaded the required files to get everything up and running. This mostly consisted of a mySql database, GTA 5, and the server software, cfx.re, otherwise known as FXServer. FiveM is more of a middleman who manages the server listing and provides additional resources to add to your server, like custom clothes, cars, and helicopters.
While I was learning to launch my own server, I became exposed to the wide array of mod items available to the community, like weapons and exotic vehicles, and I also realized that role players pay big “In Real Life” money to have access to these items in-game. As an example, players can spend $400 USD to own a shiny executive helicopter in-game. If you own your own server, however, that helicopter is free.
While I haven’t monetized my server (and don’t plan to do so) it was an awesome experience to learn first-hand what it takes to launch my own GTA5 roleplay server. I’ve expanded my experience with mySql, Windows Virtual Machines, and scripting.
If you’re ever looking for a city (server) to drop in one, consider C4streamingGTA5!
