Arma 3: STEAMWORKSquery

Available Functionality

Steam API provides an ability to register a game server to Steam master server for players to find it and get its ip and port, that is later used by the client to directly connect to the game server.
In order to players find/select server they want the game server has to send an information about itself to Steam master server.
This information could be used to filter out server the player is not interested in.

Server Query

Available means to set information about the server (what can be set to Steam master server and be retrieved by clients from Steam).
Values set by (marked by the orange italic underlined text ) functions are accessible by the clients, rest is used only by the Steam master server.

Main Table

Function/variable	type	max. size	description	what value is set by the Arma3 server
SteamGameServer_Init			Initialize steam server object, and set server properties which may not be changed. Sets the version of the server.	To set version of the server
SetProduct()	string		Game product identifier. Identifies to what Steam game the session belongs.	constant string "Arma3" for all sessions
SetGameDescription()	string	64 chars	Description of the game. This is a required field and is displayed in the steam server browser	mission name
SetModDir()	string	32 chars	If your game is a "mod," pass the string that identifies it.	constant string "Arma3" for all sessions
SetDedicatedServer()	bool	true/false	Is this is a dedicated server? The default value is false.	set to true if server is dedicated, false otherwise
SetMaxPlayerCount	int		Max player count that will be reported to server browser and client queries	maximum possible number of players in the mission
SetBotPlayerCount	int		Number of bots. Default value is zero	not used
SetServerName	string	64 chars	Set the name of server as it will appear in the server browser	game session name
SetMapName	string	32 chars	Set name of map to report in the server browser	name of the map (altis, stratis...)
SetPasswordProtected	bool	true/false	If session is password protected	set to true if server is password protected
SetSpectatorPort	int		Spectator server. The default value is zero, meaning the service is not used.	not used
SetSpectatorServerName	char	32 chars	Name of the spectator server. (Only used if spectator port is nonzero.)	not used
SetGameTags	char	128 chars	Sets a string defining the "gametags" for this server, this is optional, but if it is set it allows users to filter in the matchmaking/server-browser interfaces based on the value	used for various parameters, described below.
SetGameData	char	2048 chars	Sets a string defining the "gamedata" for this server, this is optional, but if it is set it allows users to filter in the matchmaking/server-browser interfaces based on the valuedon't set this unless it actually changes, it's only uploaded to the master once (when acknowledged)	not used
SetRegion	char		Region identifier. This is an optional field, the default value is empty, meaning the "world" region	not used
SetKeyValue	char, char	127 chars per pair max 1300 for all pairs	sets key/value pair for the session. All pairs can't take more than 1300 characters (about 11 pairs max).	used for storing: GLoadedContentHash (1 pair), modHashes (2 pairs), modNames (2 pairs), sigNames (2 pairs), param1 (1 pair), param2 (1 pair), timeLeft (1 pair), country (1 pair).

SetGameTags

Arma 3 is currently using SetGameTags parameter to pass multiple information about the session.
All these parameters are encoded into the single string, each parameters is separated by the colon.

Values

• BattleEye - bool flag
• EqualModRequired - bool flag
• RequiredVersion - value
• RequiredBuildNo - value
• GameType - int
• ServerState - int
• Dedicated - bool flag
• Lock - bool flag
• VerifySignatures - bool flag
• Language
• Difficulty
• Platform - windows/linux
• LongLat - position of the server

Table

first character of each tag defines it is type, rest is a value.

Value in the string	identifier	value	meaning	internal id
bt,	b	true	BattleEye	0
r120,	r	1.20	RequiredVersion	2
n0,	n	0	RequiredBuildNo	3
s1,	s	1	ServerState	5
i2,	i	2	Difficulty	10
mf,	m	false	EqualModRequired	1
lf,	l	false	Lock	7
vt,	v	true	VerifySignatures	8
dt,	d	true	Dedicated	6
ttdm	t	tdm	GameType	4
g65545,	g	65545	Language	9
c0-52,	c	long.=0 lat.=52	LongLat	12
pw	p	Windows	Platform	11
h281d1fec	h	281d1fec	LoadedContentHash	13
oDE	o	Germany	Country	14
e15	e	15 minutes	timeLeft	15
j0	j	?	param1	16
k0	k	?	param2	17
f1	f	true	allowedFilePatching	18
y?	y	?	island? (unimplemented)	19

Game Type

See CfgMPGameTypes. Note that max game tag length seems to be 8 chars.

• tapex - Apex: "Campaign - Apex Protocol"
• tcoop - Coop: "Cooperative Mission"
• tctf - CTF: "Capture The Flag"
• tcti - CTI: "Capture The Island"
• tdm - DM: "Deathmatch"
• tendgame - EndGame: "End Game"
• tescape - Escape: "Escape"
• tkoth - KOTH: "King Of The Hill"
• tlastman - LastMan: "Last Man Standing"
• tpatrol - Patrol: "Combat Patrol"
• trpg - RPG: "Role-Playing Game"
• tsandbox - Sandbox: "Sandbox"
• tsc - SC: "Sector Control"
• tsupport - Support: "Support"
• tsurvive - Survive: "Survival"
• ttdm - TDM: "Team Deathmatch"
• tunknown - Unknown: "Undefined Game Mode"
• tvanguar - Vanguard: "Vanguard"
• twarlord - Warlords: "Warlords"
• tzeus - Zeus: "Zeus"

Server State

s param (see above table)

• s0 - "NONE" /* no server */
• s1 - "SELECTING MISSION" /* server created, no mission selected */
• s2 - "EDITING MISSION" /* mission is in editing phase */
• s3 - "ASSIGNING ROLES" /* mission is selected, assigning roles */
• s4 - "SENDING MISSION" /* mission is in sending phase*/
• s5 - "LOADING GAME" /* game (island, vehicles etc.) is loading */
• s6 - "BRIEFING" /* prepared to launch game */
• s7 - "PLAYING" /* game is launched */
• s8 - "DEBRIEFING" /* game is finished */
• s9 - "MISSION ABORTED" /* game is aborted */

Example

gameTags = bt,r120,n0,s1,i2,mf,lf,vt,dt,ttdm,g65545,c0-52,pw,

Another example of GameTags returned by API for an official server: bt,r192,n145639,s3,i0,mf,lf,vt,dt,tapex,g65545,hf694848c,f0,c14-50,pw,e0,j0,k0,

STEAMWORKS vs GameSpy

GS param	Steam equivalent	Description
"numteams"	none	in GS always set to 0
"password"	SetPasswordProtected
"param1"	SetKeyValue
"param2"	SetKeyValue
"equalModRequired"	SetGameTags
"reqSecureId"	none	A3 no longer uses cd keys
"dedicated"	SetGameTags
"sv_battleye"	SetGameTags
"gamever"
"timelimit"
"currentVersion"	SteamGameServer_Init
"requiredVersion"	SetGameTags
"difficulty"	SetGameTags
"verifySignatures"	SetGameTags
"numplayers"	none	this value is update by Steam automatically
"maxplayers"	SetMaxPlayerCount
"language"	SetGameTags
"hash"	SetKeyValue
"gameState"	SetGameTags	now under serverState
"reqBuild"	SetGameTags
"mod"	SetKeyValue
"mapname"	SetMapName
"gametype"	SetGameTags
"mission"	SetGameDescription
"gamename"	SetProduct()
"signatures"	SetKeyValue
"modhash"	SetKeyValue
"gamemode"	none
"platform"	SetGameTags

Additional Details

Server

Read details about (customizable) STEAM ports on server.

ⓘ

reportingIP is obsolete and deprecated option in server.cfg, STEAM ports will be fixed value in relation to gameport in upcoming update (+1 query +2 report to master).

Client

For hosting MP game locally (so called listen server) behind NAT please ensure the default STEAM ports are forwarded and open!

When you have issues with the in-game server browser then try to use the STEAM client server browser instead.
STEAM > menu View > Servers > at bottom in filters choose game "Arma 3" > pick server and play
note: Try to join password protected server via STEAM client's server browser returns wrong password, will be fixed next patch/hotfix

External Documentation

• https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Server_queries#Implementations
• https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Master_Server_Query_Protocol

Server Browser Protocol

For details about SBP, see Arma 3: ServerBrowserProtocol3.