How to Set Up a Ragnarok Online Private Server Using rAthena on Windows

Follow this step-by-step guide to create a Ragnarok Online private server using the rAthena emulator on Windows.

Step 1: Download and Install Dependencies

Download and install the following dependencies for Windows:

MySQL Server (required for the database)
Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015 (required for compilation)
Git for Windows (for downloading the rAthena source)
OpenSSL for Windows (required for secure connections)

Step 2: Clone the rAthena Repository

Open Git Bash or Command Prompt and clone the rAthena repository:

git clone https://github.com/rathena/rathena.git
cd rathena

This will download the rAthena source files to your local machine.

Step 3: Configure MySQL Database

Log into MySQL to set up a new database and user for your server:

mysql -u root -p

Run the following commands inside MySQL:

CREATE DATABASE ragnarok;
CREATE USER 'ragnarok_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON ragnarok.* TO 'ragnarok_user'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Replace password with a secure password.

Step 4: Configure the Emulator

Open the following files in the conf directory and edit as necessary:

char_athena.conf: Set the userid and passwd fields with your MySQL user credentials.
map_athena.conf: Configure your server IP address and ports here.
inter_athena.conf: Enter the MySQL connection information to link your database.

Step 5: Compile rAthena

Use CMake to compile rAthena:

Open CMake GUI and set the source path to your rAthena directory.
Set the build path to a new folder inside the rAthena directory, like rathena/build.
Click Configure and select Visual Studio 16 2019 as the generator.
After configuration, click Generate, and then open the generated project in Visual Studio to build it.

Step 6: Download and Configure the Client

1. Download a compatible client: Obtain the kRO or another client version compatible with rAthena.

2. Patch the client: Use NEMO patcher to modify the client for your server.

3. Update client files: Modify the server address in clientinfo.xml or similar file to match your server's IP and port.

Step 7: Start the Server

In the compiled rAthena folder, launch each server component by running:

login-server.exe
char-server.exe
map-server.exe

Each component should start without errors if configured correctly.

Step 8: Test the Server

Launch your patched Ragnarok Online client and connect to your server. If this is your first time, create a default admin account in MySQL with:

INSERT INTO login (account_id, userid, user_pass, sex) VALUES (2000000, 'admin', 'password', 'S');

Replace admin and password with your preferred credentials.