WoWee/docs/server-setup.md

Local Server Setup Guide

Date: 2026-01-27 Purpose: Testing wowee with a local WoW 3.3.5a server Status: Ready for testing

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Overview

The wowee client is pre-configured to connect to a local WoW 3.3.5a private server. This guide explains how to set up and test with popular server emulators like TrinityCore or AzerothCore.

Default Configuration

The authentication screen comes with local server defaults:

Setting	Default Value	Description
Hostname	localhost	Localhost (your machine)
Port	3724	Standard auth server port
Username	(empty)	Your account username
Password	(empty)	Your account password

These values can be changed in the UI before connecting.

Server Requirements

You need a WoW 3.3.5a (Wrath of the Lich King) server emulator running on your local machine or network.

Supported Server Emulators

Recommended:

• TrinityCore 3.3.5a - Most stable and feature-complete

  • GitHub: https://github.com/TrinityCore/TrinityCore (3.3.5 branch)
  • Documentation: https://trinitycore.info/

• AzerothCore - Active community, good documentation

  • GitHub: https://github.com/azerothcore/azerothcore-wotlk
  • Documentation: https://www.azerothcore.org/wiki/

• MaNGOS WotLK - Classic emulator, stable

  • GitHub: https://github.com/cmangos/mangos-wotlk
  • Documentation: https://github.com/cmangos/mangos-wotlk/wiki

Quick Setup (TrinityCore)

1. Install Prerequisites

Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install git cmake make gcc g++ libssl-dev \
    libmysqlclient-dev libreadline-dev zlib1g-dev libbz2-dev \
    libboost-all-dev mysql-server

macOS:

brew install cmake boost openssl readline mysql

2. Download TrinityCore

cd ~/
git clone -b 3.3.5 https://github.com/TrinityCore/TrinityCore.git
cd TrinityCore

3. Compile Server

mkdir build && cd build
cmake ../ -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$HOME/trinitycore-server
make -j$(nproc)
make install

Compilation time: ~30-60 minutes depending on your system.

4. Setup Database

# Create MySQL databases
mysql -u root -p

CREATE DATABASE world;
CREATE DATABASE characters;
CREATE DATABASE auth;
CREATE USER 'trinity'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'trinity';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON world.* TO 'trinity'@'localhost';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON characters.* TO 'trinity'@'localhost';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON auth.* TO 'trinity'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

# Import base database
cd ~/TrinityCore
mysql -u trinity -ptrinity auth < sql/base/auth_database.sql
mysql -u trinity -ptrinity characters < sql/base/characters_database.sql
mysql -u trinity -ptrinity world < sql/base/world_database.sql

# Download world database (TDB)
wget https://github.com/TrinityCore/TrinityCore/releases/download/TDB335.23041/TDB_full_world_335.23041_2023_04_11.sql
mysql -u trinity -ptrinity world < TDB_full_world_335.23041_2023_04_11.sql

5. Configure Server

cd ~/trinitycore-server/etc/

# Copy configuration templates
cp authserver.conf.dist authserver.conf
cp worldserver.conf.dist worldserver.conf

# Edit authserver.conf
nano authserver.conf

Key settings in authserver.conf:

LoginDatabaseInfo = "localhost;3306;trinity;trinity;auth"
RealmServerPort = 3724
BindIP = "localhost"

Key settings in worldserver.conf:

LoginDatabaseInfo = "localhost;3306;trinity;trinity;auth"
WorldDatabaseInfo = "localhost;3306;trinity;trinity;world"
CharacterDatabaseInfo = "localhost;3306;trinity;trinity;characters"

DataDir = "/path/to/your/WoW-3.3.5a/Data"  # Your WoW client data directory

6. Create Account

cd ~/trinitycore-server/bin/

# Start authserver first
./authserver

# In another terminal, start worldserver
./worldserver

# Wait for worldserver to fully load, then in worldserver console:
account create testuser testpass
account set gmlevel testuser 3 -1

7. Setup Realm

In the worldserver console:

realm add "Local Test Realm" localhost:8085 0 1

Or directly in database:

mysql -u trinity -ptrinity auth

INSERT INTO realmlist (name, address, port, icon, realmflags, timezone, allowedSecurityLevel)
VALUES ('Local Test Realm', 'localhost', 8085, 1, 0, 1, 0);

Running the Server

Start Services

Terminal 1 - Auth Server:

cd ~/trinitycore-server/bin/
./authserver

Terminal 2 - World Server:

cd ~/trinitycore-server/bin/
./worldserver

Server Console Commands

Useful commands in worldserver console:

# Create account
account create username password

# Set GM level (0=player, 1=moderator, 2=GM, 3=admin)
account set gmlevel username 3 -1

# Teleport character
.tele ironforge
.tele stormwind

# Get server info
server info
server set motd Welcome to Test Server!

# List online players
account onlinelist

# Shutdown server
server shutdown 10  # Shutdown in 10 seconds

Connecting with Wowee-Native

1. Start the Client

cd /path/to/wowee
./build/bin/wowee

2. Login Screen

You'll see the authentication screen with default values:

• Hostname: localhost (already set)
• Port: 3724 (already set)
• Username: (enter your account username)
• Password: (enter your account password)

3. Connect

1. Enter your credentials (e.g., testuser / testpass)
2. Click Connect
3. You should see "Authentication successful!"
4. Select your realm from the realm list
5. Create or select a character
6. Enter the world!

Troubleshooting

Connection Refused

Problem: Cannot connect to auth server

Solutions:

# Check if authserver is running
ps aux | grep authserver

# Check if port is listening
netstat -an | grep 3724
sudo lsof -i :3724

# Check firewall
sudo ufw allow 3724
sudo ufw status

# Verify MySQL is running
sudo systemctl status mysql

Authentication Failed

Problem: "Authentication failed" error

Solutions:

# Verify account exists
mysql -u trinity -ptrinity auth
SELECT * FROM account WHERE username='testuser';

# Reset password
# In worldserver console:
account set password testuser newpass newpass

# Check auth server logs
tail -f ~/trinitycore-server/logs/Auth.log

Realm List Empty

Problem: No realms showing after login

Solutions:

# Check realm configuration in database
mysql -u trinity -ptrinity auth
SELECT * FROM realmlist;

# Verify world server is running
ps aux | grep worldserver

# Check world server port
netstat -an | grep 8085

# Update realmlist address
UPDATE realmlist SET address='localhost' WHERE id=1;

Cannot Enter World

Problem: Stuck at character selection or disconnect when entering world

Solutions:

# Check worldserver logs
tail -f ~/trinitycore-server/logs/Server.log

# Verify Data directory in worldserver.conf
DataDir = "/path/to/WoW-3.3.5a/Data"

# Ensure maps are extracted
cd ~/WoW-3.3.5a/
ls -la maps/  # Should have .map files

# Extract maps if needed (from TrinityCore tools)
cd ~/trinitycore-server/bin/
./mapextractor
./vmap4extractor
./vmap4assembler
./mmaps_generator

Network Configuration

Local Network Testing

To test from another machine on your network:

1. Find your local IP:

ip addr show | grep inet
# Or
ifconfig | grep inet

2. Update server configuration:

Edit authserver.conf:

BindIP = "<bind-address>"  # Listen on all interfaces

Edit database:

mysql -u trinity -ptrinity auth
UPDATE realmlist SET address='<your-lan-ip>' WHERE id=1;  # Your local IP

3. Configure firewall:

sudo ufw allow 3724  # Auth server
sudo ufw allow 8085  # World server

4. In wowee:

• Change hostname to your server's local IP (e.g., )
• Keep port as 3724
• Connect

Remote Server Testing

For testing with a remote server (VPS, dedicated server):

Client configuration:

• Hostname: server.example.com or remote IP
• Port: 3724 (or custom port)

Server configuration:

# authserver.conf
BindIP = "<bind-address>"

# Database
UPDATE realmlist SET address='your.server.ip' WHERE id=1;

WoW Data Files

The client needs access to extracted WoW data (terrain, models, textures) indexed by manifest.json.

If you have a fresh WoW install (MPQs only), extract once with:

./extract_assets.sh /path/to/WoW-3.3.5a/Data wotlk

Setting WOW_DATA_PATH

# Linux/Mac
export WOW_DATA_PATH="/path/to/extracted/Data"

# Or add to ~/.bashrc
echo 'export WOW_DATA_PATH="/path/to/extracted/Data"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

# Run client
cd /path/to/wowee
./build/bin/wowee

Data Directory Structure

Your extracted data directory should contain (example):

Data/
├── manifest.json
├── interface/
├── sound/
├── world/
└── expansions/

Testing Features

In-Game Testing

Once connected and in-world, test client features:

Camera Controls:

• WASD - Move camera
• Mouse - Look around
• Shift - Move faster

Rendering Features:

• F1 - Toggle performance HUD
• F2 - Wireframe mode
• F8 - Toggle water rendering
• F9 - Toggle time progression
• F10 - Toggle sun/moon
• F11 - Toggle stars
• F12 - Toggle fog
• +/- - Change time of day

Effects:

• C - Toggle clouds
• L - Toggle lens flare
• W - Cycle weather (rain/snow)
• M - Toggle moon phases

Character/Buildings:

• K - Spawn test character
• O - Spawn test WMO building
• Shift+O - Load real WMO from MPQ (if WOW_DATA_PATH set)
• P - Clear all WMOs

Performance Monitoring

Press F1 to show/hide the performance HUD which displays:

• FPS - Frames per second (color-coded: green=60+, yellow=30-60, red=<30)
• Frame time - Milliseconds per frame
• Renderer stats - Draw calls, triangles
• WMO stats - Building models and instances
• Camera position - X, Y, Z coordinates

Server Administration

GM Commands (in worldserver console or in-game)

Character Management:

.character level 80              # Set level to 80
.character rename                # Flag character for rename
.character customize             # Flag for appearance change
.levelup 80                      # Increase level by 80

Item/Gold:

.additem 25 10                   # Add 10 of item ID 25
.modify money 1000000            # Add 10 gold (in copper)
.lookup item sword               # Find item IDs

Teleportation:

.tele stormwind                  # Teleport to Stormwind
.tele ironforge                  # Teleport to Ironforge
.gps                             # Show current position

World Management:

.server set motd Welcome!        # Set message of the day
.announce Message                # Server-wide announcement
.server shutdown 60              # Shutdown in 60 seconds

Performance Tips

Server Optimization

worldserver.conf settings for testing:

# Faster respawn times for testing
Corpse.Decay.NORMAL = 30
Corpse.Decay.RARE = 60
Corpse.Decay.ELITE = 60

# Faster leveling for testing
Rate.XP.Kill = 2
Rate.XP.Quest = 2

# More gold for testing
Rate.Drop.Money = 2

# Instant flight paths (testing)
Rate.Creature.Normal.Damage = 1
Rate.Player.Haste = 1

Client Performance

• Keep performance HUD (F1) enabled to monitor FPS
• Disable heavy effects if FPS drops:
  • Weather (W key to None)
  • Clouds (C key to disable)
  • Lens flare (L key to disable)

Security Notes

⚠️ For Local Testing Only

This setup is for local development and testing purposes:

• Default passwords are insecure
• No SSL/TLS encryption
• MySQL permissions are permissive
• Ports are open without authentication

Do not expose these settings to the internet without proper security configuration.

Additional Resources

Server Emulators

• TrinityCore: https://trinitycore.info/
• AzerothCore: https://www.azerothcore.org/
• MaNGOS: https://getmangos.eu/

Database Tools

• Keira3 - Visual database editor: https://github.com/azerothcore/Keira3
• HeidiSQL - MySQL client: https://www.heidisql.com/

WoW Development

• WoWDev Wiki: https://wowdev.wiki/
• TrinityCore Forum: https://community.trinitycore.org/
• AzerothCore Discord: https://discord.gg/azerothcore

Map/DBC Tools

• WoW Blender Studio: https://github.com/Marlamin/WoW-Blender-Studio
• WDBXEditor: https://github.com/WowDevTools/WDBXEditor

Example Testing Session

Complete Workflow

1. Start Server:

# Terminal 1
cd ~/trinitycore-server/bin && ./authserver

# Terminal 2
cd ~/trinitycore-server/bin && ./worldserver

2. Create Test Account (in worldserver console):

account create demo demopass
account set gmlevel demo 3 -1

3. Start Client:

cd /path/to/wowee
export WOW_DATA_PATH="/path/to/extracted/Data"
./build/bin/wowee

4. Connect:

• Username: demo
• Password: demopass
• Click Connect

5. Test Features:

• Create a character
• Enter world
• Test rendering (F1-F12, C, L, W, M keys)
• Spawn objects (K, O, Shift+O, P keys)
• Test movement (WASD, mouse)

6. Stop Server (worldserver console):

server shutdown 10

Troubleshooting Checklist

• MySQL server running
• Databases created and populated
• authserver running and listening on port 3724
• worldserver running and listening on port 8085
• Realmlist configured with correct address
• Account created with proper credentials
• Firewall allows ports 3724 and 8085
• WOW_DATA_PATH set correctly (if using MPQ assets)
• Client can resolve hostname (localhost for localhost)

Next Steps

Once you have a working local server connection:

1. Test network protocol implementation
2. Validate packet handling
3. Test character creation and login
4. Verify world entry and movement
5. Test rendering with real terrain data (requires WOW_DATA_PATH)
6. Profile performance with actual game data

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Status: Ready for local server testing Last Updated: 2026-01-27 Client Version: 1.0.3 Server Compatibility: WoW 3.3.5a (12340)