Frequently asked questions
Does LonelyIce include the game?
No. LonelyIce contains no game data and downloads none. It works only with a 3.3.5a game client you already have, and reads what the server needs from it: game tables, maps, building models and navigation are built from your client on your computer.
LonelyIce itself is free software under the GNU GPL 2.0 or later; each plugin carries its own license (Settings › About). The game and its trademarks belong to their owners; LonelyIce is not affiliated with them.
Which client do I need?
The 3.3.5a client, build 12340. The wizard checks Wow.exe and refuses other
builds. Any language of that client works; if the client has several, you choose which one the game starts in
(see Languages).
What do I need to run it?
- Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit. Linux and macOS builds exist in the source code but are not tested yet (Linux and macOS).
- A graphics driver with OpenGL 3.3 for the launcher window.
- Disk space for what the wizard builds, in the server folder:
| Part | Size | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Databases | 0.4 GB | about 1 min | always |
| Building models (vmaps) | 0.6 GB | about 5 min | always |
| Disk cache | 0.5 GB | about 3 min | optional |
| Navigation (mmaps) | 6 GB | 20–60 min | optional, needed for bots to find their way |
The wizard warns when less than 9 GB are free and navigation is selected.
The number of bots is up to your computer: the wizard offers 0, 100, 500 or 1000 random bots, the last marked "powerful PC".
Can I play with friends?
LonelyIce is made for one player on one computer, and the launcher sets everything up for that: the server
listens only on this computer and the game is pointed at 127.0.0.1.
Friends in the same local network can join, though. Turn This computer only off in Settings › Network and
resources and restart the server: it then gives the realm this computer's address in the local network, while
your own game keeps using 127.0.0.1. Allow the login and world ports (3724 and 8085) in this computer's firewall,
create an account for each friend on the Accounts tab, and have them set their realmlist to your computer's
address, for example set realmlist 192.168.1.20. Each friend needs their own 3.3.5a client. The steps are in
Settings.
The limits: only computers in the same local network, LonelyIce does not open the firewall for you, and it has nothing for playing over the internet.
Does it need the internet?
Only for the package catalog: listing, installing and updating packages. The server, the wizard and the game run without a connection.
Where does my data live?
| What | Where |
|---|---|
| Launcher settings | lonelyice.ini next to LonelyIce.exe |
| Installed packages | plugins next to LonelyIce.exe (disabled ones in plugins\.disabled) |
| Server folder | where you chose in the wizard: inside the game folder (<game>\LonelyIce), next to LonelyIce.exe, or another folder |
| Server settings | configs in the server folder |
| Databases | db in the server folder, unless you moved them to a database server |
| Game data built from the client | data in the server folder |
| Logs | logs in the server folder |
| Backups | backups in the server folder |
Settings › About shows the exact paths (Program folder, Server data, Server config, Plugins folder), and the Server folder quick action opens it.
LonelyIce also writes to your game folder: realmlist.wtf (the old one is kept as realmlist.wtf.bak),
WTF\Config.wtf, the add-ons and client patch of your packages, and it clears Cache\WDB before a start if you
leave that setting on.
How are my characters kept safe?
The launcher backs up all databases (accounts, characters, the world and the bots) every day at 04:00, storing only what changed, so you can also choose a backup every few hours. It keeps every backup of the last day, one per day for 14 days and one per week after that, within 2 GB, and restores one from Maintenance › Backups. See Backups and restoring.
Can I use my own AzerothCore modules?
Not by dropping a module's source into a folder. LonelyIce loads server features as plugins: packages with a
plugin.json and a library built for the LonelyIce server core. An AzerothCore module can be wrapped into such a
plugin and built; see the developer guides on wrapping a module and
writing a first plugin. Several well-known modules are already in the
catalog this way, for example mod-transmog and
mod-ah-bot.
Can I keep the databases in MySQL?
Yes, with the MySQL database package. See Moving the databases to MySQL.
Why does the first start take so long?
The first setup builds the databases and the game data from your client: from twenty minutes to an hour, mostly for the navigation maps. After that, the world takes about a minute to load on its first start. You can minimize the wizard while it works; it runs in the background at low priority.
How do I update?
See Updating LonelyIce and packages.
Something does not work
See Troubleshooting.