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Pavlov VR Setup

Pavlov VR is unforgiving about latency—anything above ~25 ms can break immersion. Mamba Host deploys Pavlov servers on Dell PowerEdge R630 hardware (dual Intel E5-2680v4, 128 GB RAM, NVMe storage) with optimized routing so VR players stay comfortable.

Before You Begin

Section titled “Before You Begin”
  • Decide on primary game modes (S&D, TTT, Gun Game, Zombies, Push, custom).
  • Gather Steam Workshop IDs for the maps you plan to rotate.
  • Prepare ServerSettings.ini, Game.ini, and /Config/ files with admin SteamIDs, ban lists, and rotations.
  • Outline your RCON workflow (desktop admin tool, SquadJS variant, etc.) so you can manage servers without removing the headset mid-match.

Plan Selection

Section titled “Plan Selection”
Server TypeRecommended PlanPlayer Count
Private lobbies / testingStarter10–12
Public TTT / casual serversPro16–20
Large community hubs / eventsPremium24–32

Upgrade when latency exceeds 20 ms for local players or when CPU spikes during custom modes.

Provision the Server

Section titled “Provision the Server”
  1. Visit https://panel.mambahost.com → Create Server → Pavlov VR.
  2. Pick plan/region and deploy (~2 minutes).
  3. Fetch FTP credentials and default config from /Pavlov/Saved/Config/.
  4. Enable automated backups (daily) before importing custom map packs.

Install Maps & Modes

Section titled “Install Maps & Modes”
  • Use the panel’s Workshop integration: paste collection IDs into startup variables so maps sync automatically.
  • For manual installs, upload .pak files under /Pavlov/Saved/Maps/ and list them in Rotation.txt.
  • Configure game modes in Game.ini and ServerSettings.ini (e.g., GameMode=SND, bCustomServer=True).
  • Reload the server through the panel or RestartMatch after editing configs.

Admin & RCON

Section titled “Admin & RCON”
  • Set AdminSteamIDs in ServerSettings.ini for in-game commands.
  • Configure RCON via RconSettings.txt and connect with PavlovRCON or community dashboards.
  • Automate map votes and kick/ban workflows with scripts or Discord bots tied to RCON endpoints.

Performance & Operations

Section titled “Performance & Operations”
  • Keep tickrate at default unless you host high-precision competitions; higher tickrates increase CPU.
  • Schedule 1–2 restarts per day to clear memory after heavy Workshop rotation.
  • Limit simultaneous custom modes on Starter plans; each modded ruleset can add ~10% CPU.
  • Monitor panel metrics + in-game ping overlay and upgrade tiers when spikes coincide with map changes.
  • Document SOPs for admin actions so staff know how to handle griefing quickly.

Troubleshooting

Section titled “Troubleshooting”
  • Players crash on join: verify Workshop maps downloaded fully, delete partial .pak files, and restart.
  • Voice chat broken: ensure VoiceChat=T and firewall allows required ports; confirm headsets use the correct region.
  • High ping despite close region: make sure players select the correct server name and aren’t on VPNs/proxies.
  • RCON not responding: confirm IP allowlist, port, and that the RCON service is enabled; restart the RCON service if needed.
Section titled “Helpful Links”