GMod server owner essentials
A starter pack for new DarkRP admins. Most of these are open-source and free. Install DarkRP and darkrpmodification first, then everything below. None of these are us - all credit to the authors linked on each card.
Admin and moderation
Get these in before your first players arrive. FPP and ULX in particular are expected to be present on every DarkRP server - players will ask if they're missing.
DarkRP essentials
The addons players interact with directly. DarkRP Modification is technically mandatory - it is where your jobs, entities, and weapons live.
server.cfg essentials
Goes in garrysmod/cfg/server.cfg and runs at every startup. Set your hostname, slot count, and workshop collection before going live.
# ── Identity ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── hostname "My DarkRP Server" sv_password "" # ── Slots ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── maxplayers 64 # ── Rate limits - tune down if players complain about lag ────────────────────── sv_minrate 0 sv_maxrate 80000 sv_mincmdrate 0 sv_maxcmdrate 66 sv_minupdaterate 10 sv_maxupdaterate 66 # ── FastDL (replace with your own URL) ──────────────────────────────────────── sv_downloadurl "https://your-fastdl-url.example.com" sv_allowdownload 1 sv_allowupload 0 # ── Workshop collection ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────── host_workshop_collection 0 # put your collection ID here # ── Sandbox limits ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── sbox_maxprops 150 sbox_maxvehicles 2 sbox_maxnpcs 0 sbox_maxragdolls 2 # ── Misc ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── physgun_noclip 0
sv_maxrate / sv_maxupdaterate - the values above are reasonable for a 64-slot DarkRP server. Lowering maxupdaterate reduces bandwidth but makes movement feel choppier. Do not go below 20.
sbox_maxprops - 150 is conservative but survivable for server performance. DarkRP servers with prop-heavy bases often creep this up to 200-250 and regret it when 40 players each place a full base.
physgun_noclip - set to 0. Disables the exploit where players fire a physgun through walls to grab entities on the other side. This is how most base-breaking happens on stock DarkRP.
host_workshop_collection - point this at a Steam Workshop collection containing all your server's content. Players auto-download it on join. Without it they spawn in with missing textures.
FastDL setup
Without FastDL, clients download custom content (sounds, models, materials) directly from your game server at ~20 KB/s per player. On a 32-slot server that is your entire upload saturated before the map even loads. FastDL points clients at an HTTP server instead - they download at full speed and your game port stays free.
The setup is three steps:
- Mirror your
garrysmod/content folders (sound/,materials/,models/,maps/) to a web-accessible location. - Set
sv_downloadurlin server.cfg to the root of that mirror. - Mark each custom file with
resource.AddFile()in a server Lua file so GMod knows to send clients the list.
Zeros Host panels handle the HTTP mirror automatically - upload your content once and the panel generates and maintains the sv_downloadurl for you. See the GMod hosting page for details.
Anticheat stack
GMod anticheat is layered. No single solution covers everything - a server-side system and a client-side system together give you real coverage.
LSAC - server-side github.com/TheL4stCookie/LSAC
Runs entirely on the server. Checks player movement against physics limits, detects speed hacks and fly hacks by comparing reported positions to what the server predicts is possible, and flags suspicious entity interaction patterns. Cheaters cannot disable or circumvent it because it never runs on the client. This is your baseline - install it first.
Client-side anticheat
Handles what LSAC cannot - aimbot detection, ESP, spinbot. These require reading local player input and camera angles, which only a client-side script can do. The tradeoff is that a determined cheater can disable a client-side script; server-side cannot be disabled. Run both. LSAC catches the movement cheats; a client-side AC catches the aim cheats. Check the GMod development resources for community-maintained options.
ZerosRP runs both. Our week-1 audit of a freshly escalated ZAC config caught zero legitimate false positives on modules covering aimbot, bunnyhop, velocity, and honeypots. Start strict - you can always loosen thresholds, but cheater damage is hard to undo.
Map and gamemode tips
Start with rp_downtown_v4c_v2
It is the default DarkRP map because it works. Good building density, clear zones, well-known layout. Players know where the bank, police station, and drug lab are without asking. Use it while you configure jobs and test addons.
Switch maps once your server has a population
Custom maps (rp_evocity, rp_rockford, rp_oviscity) differentiate your server and give regulars a reason to stay. The catch: they require FastDL to be practical - a 200 MB custom map downloaded at game-server speed takes 3 hours. Sort FastDL first, then consider custom maps.
DarkRP vs Sandbox
Sandbox is easier to start with (no economy to balance, no job system to configure) but harder to retain players on. DarkRP gives players roles and goals and keeps sessions longer. If you want a community, run DarkRP. If you want a casual build server, run Sandbox - but expect a different audience and a smaller one.
Backup and wipe rhythm
What to back up
DarkRP stores everything in garrysmod/data/ - player money, ranks, bank balances, and SQLite databases live here. Back up this directory and garrysmod/cfg/ (your server.cfg) nightly. Your addons and gamemode can be reinstalled; player data cannot.
Wipe rhythm - hobby servers
DarkRP does not have a natural wipe cycle the way Rust does. Most hobby servers run continuously and never wipe. If the economy gets broken (everyone is max rank, top items are worthless) a quarterly reset of player money and printers can rebalance things without losing player trust.
Wipe rhythm - paid servers
If players are donating for ranks or items, wipe carefully. A full economy reset on a paid server will lose donors. Consider resetting only in-game currency while preserving rank, or announcing resets months in advance with donor compensation. The bigger your community, the more a wipe is a political decision, not a technical one.
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