How to Configure Headless Clients on Your Arma 3 Server

Headless clients (HC) are game instances that run without graphics, used to offload AI processing from the server. This improves performance in missions with many AI units.

What is a Headless Client?

A headless client:

• Runs as a separate Arma 3 instance without rendering
• Takes over AI processing from the server
• Improves server FPS and reduces lag
• Is especially useful for large-scale missions with many AI

Configuring Headless Client Access

1. Navigate to the Wabbanode Control Panel and Stop your server.
2. Click the Settings tab and select Arma 3 Server.cfg.
3. Add the headless client configuration.
4. Click Save and Start your server.

Headless Client Configuration

Add these lines to your server.cfg:

headlessClients[] = {"127.0.0.1"};
localClient[] = {"127.0.0.1"};

Settings Explained

headlessClients

Array of IP addresses allowed to connect as headless clients:

headlessClients[] = {"127.0.0.1", "192.168.1.100"};

• 127.0.0.1 - Allow local headless client
• Add additional IPs for remote headless clients

localClient

IPs that receive unlimited bandwidth (important for HC performance):

localClient[] = {"127.0.0.1", "192.168.1.100"};

Example Configuration

Local Headless Client Only

headlessClients[] = {"127.0.0.1"};
localClient[] = {"127.0.0.1"};

Multiple Headless Clients

headlessClients[] = {"127.0.0.1", "192.168.1.10", "192.168.1.11"};
localClient[] = {"127.0.0.1", "192.168.1.10", "192.168.1.11"};

Important Notes

• Headless clients count toward the maxPlayers limit
• Your mission must be scripted to distribute AI to headless clients
• Not all missions support headless clients
• Multiple headless clients can further distribute AI load