HLTV Readme

The core of HLTV is the hltv.exe proxy application. To broadcast a game

running on a certain game server, the HLTV proxy connects to this game
server and collects all the needed data. Spectator clients join a
multicast stream that is used by the HLTV proxy to broadcast this game.
If multicast technology is not available because the LAN or ISP routers
do not support multicast, clients can connect directly to the HLTV
proxy. The number of clients that one HLTV proxy can serve depends on
available hardware and network resources. HLTV proxies can also connect
to each other to offer more spectator slots.

In all configurations, only one HLTV proxy is connected to the game.

This HLTV proxy is called the Master Proxy. This Master Proxy sets the
game delay and analyzes the game data to position the camera in directed
spectator mode. All other HLTV proxies that are connected to the Master
Proxy as described above (called Relay Proxies) form a chain, or tree.
Each Relay Proxy transmits the game only to spectator clients that are
connected to itself. The Relay Proxies can not delay the game or alter
how the game is viewed; this is done by the Master Proxy. Only the Master
Proxy is allowed to send to a multicast group (Class D IP). It is very
important that each proxy uses its own multicast group, otherwise the
different game streams interfere with each other.

The HLTV proxy tells the WON master servers about its broadcasted game.
Thus, users can spectate a game simply by using the built-in Half-Life
server browser, connecting to a HLTV proxy the same way as connecting to
a normal game. Users also can use the console to connect to a HLTV proxy
with the 'connect' command, the same way as connecting to a normal game.
If the HLTV proxy broadcasts the game via multicast, the client
automatically tries to join the multicast stream, if possible.

The HLTV proxy's console accepts the following commands:

connect <host:port> - connect to server/proxy on the given port (default

27015)
disconnect - disconnects the proxy from server/proxy
quit - quits the HLTV appliaction
exit - same as quit
retry - reconnects to last server/proxy
name <string> - set the proxy's client name
password - sets the server password

clients - lists all connected spectator clients with IDs (not

players in game)
kick <ID> - kicks a spectator client from proxy
say <string> - sends a text message to all spectators
chatmode <0|1|2> - if chatmode is 0, spectators can't cheat. If set to 1,
only
spectators connected to the same proxy can see their chat
messages. In chatmode 2 all spectators can chat between
each other (then Master and all Relay proxies must have
set chatmode 2). Multicast spectators can't chat at all,
since they don't have a real connection.

ping <host:port> - pings a HL server on the given port (default 27015)

heartbeat - sends a status packet to registerd WON master servers
 rcon <string> - sends a remote control command to other
server/proxy
rcon_address <IP:port> - sets the remote control target address
rcon_password <string> - sets the password for the remote controlled host
proxypassowrd <string> - the proxy's rcon password

rate <n> - bandwith rate the server sends data to the proxy in
bytes/second
updaterate <n> - updates per seconds send from server to proxy
maxclientrate <n> - sets the maximum bandwith rate for spectator clients

delay <n> - delays the game stream for n seconds on the Master Proxy.

The default value is 30 seconds to avoid cheating. A

minimum
of 10 seconds is needed for the director module.
loop <0|1> - if loop is 1 and the proxy disconnects or the demo file
is over, all clients are kept connected and the last game
is replayed.

multicast <0|1> - starts or stops multicast on Master Proxy

connectip <IP:Port> - sets the class D IP for the multicast connect group
(default 234.5.5.1:27025)
gameip <IP:Port> - sets the class D IP for the multicast game group (default
234.5.5.2:27025)
fullupdateinterval <n> - all n frames an uncompressed packet is transmitted
to allow clients to recover
from packetloss in multicast (default all 20 frames)

cmdlist - shows all registered proxy commands

logfile <0|1> - starts/stops console logging in hltv.log
status - prints status informations about all active modules
exec <filename> - executes a .cfg file
developer <0|1> - additional status messages are shown in developer
mode
fakeloss <n> - simulates packet loss, n = probability of a missing
unit (default 0.0)

record <filename> - records all following games into files like filename1.dm
to filename99.dem
playback <filename> - starts broadcasting a previously recorded demo
(endless if loop is 1)
stop - stops demo file playback

The console tries to complete a command name by hitting 'TAB'. All

commands in the config file "hltv.cfg" are executed during startup.

Some parameters can only be set in the command line:

-maxframes <n> - sets the minimum buffered frames (default 2400)

-cachesize <n> - frame cache size (default 32 frames)
-port <n> - sets the HLTV proxy port that spectators connect to
(default 27020)
-maxclients <n> - how many clients can be served by this HLTV proxy (
default 128 )
-comm <filename> - sets a master server info file other than woncomm.lst
-multicastttl <n> - sets the Time-To-Live value for multicast packets
 -highpriority - starts the HLTV proxy as high priority process
-nomaster - the HLTV proxy doesn't report to WON master servers at
all

These parameters cannot be changed during runtime, thus they can't be

used in the config file.

All console commands can be used in the command line, if a "+" is prepended
to them:

hltv.exe +connect localhost:27015 -port 27021 +rate 7000

A Half-Life server can set sv_proxies <n>, to determine how many proxies
are allowed to connect. If HLTV proxies should be forbidden, set it to 0,
otherwise 1 to allow for a Master Proxy. Other values are experimental.

With the new Half-Life voice technology, one client can comment the game
for all other spectators. This commentator has to connect to the
Master Proxy as a normal spectator and then enter:

commentator <password>

The password is the same as the proxy's RCON password. The commentator
then can speak as in a normal game and all other spectators will hear the
commentary at the same time. If a spectator records this game, the speech
is stored within the demo file.