Game Server Launch Checklist

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Game Server Launch Checklist
Technical, Moderation & Community Readiness
This guide may be updated as GGU policies, procedures, platforms, and organizational needs change.

Use this checklist before launching a new public GGU game server.

 

Technical Readiness

• Server installs and updates successfully.
• Startup command and environment variables are documented.
• Ports and firewall/network mappings are verified.
• Backups or recoverable configuration exist.
• Logs are accessible.
• Monitoring/restart behavior is understood.
• Administrative authentication works.
• Dependencies and Workshop/content downloads are verified.

 

Game Team Readiness

• Published server rules.
• Published Rule Enforcement Procedure.
• Moderator and Staff permissions tested.
• Ban/report workflow tested.
• Escalation contact assigned.
• Server listing/name/branding approved.

 

Launch

1. Run a private test.
2. Resolve launch-blocking issues.
3. Confirm public connection.
4. Add the server to the GGU server directory.
5. Publish the launch announcement.
6. Monitor closely after release.

 

Change Control

• Know what you are changing and why.
• Back up or ensure a rollback path for high-impact changes.
• Avoid combining unrelated changes.
• Record material production changes.
• Test before production when practical.

 

Validation

• Confirm the service starts successfully.
• Review logs for new errors.
• Test the exact behavior changed.
• Confirm permissions and integrations still work.
• Monitor briefly after deployment for delayed failures.

 

Escalation

If a change affects systems outside your responsibility, creates a security concern, or cannot be safely reversed, stop and escalate rather than continuing to experiment in production.

 

Pre-Launch Test Matrix

• Fresh connect.
• Reconnect after restart.
• Moderator/admin authentication.
• Map rotation.
• Persistence/data save.
• Workshop/content downloads.
• Ban/report workflow.
• External listing/monitoring.

 

Launch Rollback

If a critical issue appears after launch, have a defined method to disable the server, revert the image/configuration, or restore the previous known-good state.

 

Prerequisites

• Confirm you are authorized to make the change.
• Confirm the target system/server/repository.
• Read current project or service documentation.
• Identify the expected result.
• Identify a rollback or recovery path for high-impact work.

 

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Copying commands or values from a different server without checking context.
• Making several unrelated changes before testing.
• Ignoring warnings because the service still appears to start.
• Editing production directly when a safer test or review path exists.
• Deleting old files or backups before the replacement is verified.
• Treating permissions errors as a reason to grant broad administrator access.
• Failing to record what changed.

 

Operational Record

For material changes, record enough information for another administrator to understand the target, change, reason, result, and rollback point. This may be a ticket, issue, pull request, deployment note, incident record, or appropriate Leadership message.

 

If Something Goes Wrong

1. Stop making unrelated changes.
2. Preserve the current logs and error output.
3. Determine whether immediate rollback is safer than continued troubleshooting.
4. Restore the last known-good state where practical.
5. Escalate with the exact error, target service, recent changes, and reproduction steps.
6. After recovery, document the cause and any preventative follow-up.

 

A server is not launch-ready until both the software and the people are ready.