[Guide] How to make a successful server.

The silkroad private servers scene has changed upside down, its not a game anymore to most of developer, simply it became a business i personally know some servers that makes some real badass $$ monthly which isn't bad, because they offer you their services and you decides.

I've been in this VSRO community since 2011, and let me say that almost 95 percentage of private servers are made only to suck money from players then close for ever, no moral tho.

How do you make sure you are going to the right path?

You have to know couple things before start funding anyone to help you building your own private server.

You can't lead the ship alone, means a private server is a THING that needs a team, you can't just make everything alone and expect a 3k online players in 1 day. at least 3 mature guys are needed ( SQL Developer - Graphic designer & Social media expert - Sponsor )

SQL Developer

This guy must know how to fix everything, all procedures or systems must be smooth AF, If you don't know how to make something, don't risk and quit.

Graphic designer & Social media expert

This guy and i can say is the most important thing in the whole project, people expect a good server when they see a good well designed topic, ads every where and a decent English description, Also a professional way of replying to people's messages etc...

Sponsor

Funding projects is kinda risk, because you might lose all your money if something happened, so you have to make sure you select the right guys if you don't wanna lose your money, unless you're a drug dealer then OK.

Now what?

you have to think for a good name for your project, easy to pronounce, a good unique name that people would remember by the time.
you have to get a TEST VPS or Dedicated server [16GB ~ 32GB] i personally recommend you (Hetzner - OVH).
I don't trust the crap databases on the internet, most of them have thousands of bugs, so you can simply get a clean database and start working on it, time is not a matter you can keep working for 3 months but you have to make sure that your grand opening is smooth, no lag or bugs at all. so don't even think about publishing a topic or uploading your client unless you are 100% sure that the server is ready to go
once you finished your database, website ( you better buy one from a trusted web designer, because most of the published free websites have a backdoor and fucked up ), you buy the domain, and buy the dedicated server, i recommend you a 64GB dedicated server.
After buying the 64GB dedicated, you might have to divide it to 4 VPS
2GB for the website
2GB for the guild emblem
20GB for the second GameServer
40GB for the main project
You have to start advertising for your project at least 1 month before you publish the topic, maybe 1 weekly Facebook ad (10~20$) that will help you to build a good base of plenty player.
Protection, is the main theme here, you have to get a good protection like HyperFilter. some people here offering a good protection for cheaper money, also the HWID must be made by a badass guy, encryption should be on the point.

After you finished all that, you have to know that there's many forums that could be helpful for you to publish your topic at (Polish - Turkish - Arabian ).

I wish this guide could be helpful for someone, please press thanks if i helped.