⚙️ Dad's MMO Lab

August 22, 2026 · View on GitHub

"The games we grew up with deserve to live forever. This project makes that possible on a single handheld device."

🎯 What Is This?

This is a collaborative collection of step-by-step guides, Docker scripts, and automated installers for running classic MMO private servers completely offline on a Steam Deck, any Linux machine, or Windows 10/11 (via WSL2). See the Guides folder!

No subscription. No internet required. No servers getting shut down. Just you and the games you love — forever.

Every guide here is built around:

✅ Open source emulators only — no copyrighted assets, no game files distributed
✅ Docker-based — clean, repeatable, easy to remove
✅ Steam Deck tested — every setup verified on SteamOS; also runs on Linux and Windows 10/11 (WSL2)
✅ Dad-friendly — written for people who love games, not just developers
✅ One command install — automated installers handle everything

🌍 The Story

I'm a dad who grew up on MMOs. Like a lot of you, I watched the servers for games I loved get shut down one by one. Nostalrius. Felmyst. Games that meant something — gone.

Then I got a Steam Deck.

And I started wondering: what if I could bring them back? Offline. On a handheld. Forever.

Turns out — for a lot of classic MMOs — you can. The emulator community has done incredible work over the years. This project is about packaging that work into something any dad (or mom, or kid) can actually use.

This is not piracy. We use open source server emulators. You supply your own legally obtained game clients. We just help you run them.

📺 Videos

▶️ Dad's MMO Lab — YouTube Channel

Video	Description
It Still Lives	The proof of concept — WoW running offline on Steam Deck
Full Install Guide	Complete walkthrough from scratch using the auto-installer

✅ Currently Working

Game	Emulator	Bot Support	Status	Guide
⚔️ WoW Vanilla 1.12.1	CMaNGOS Classic + Playerbots	Playerbots	✅ Complete	View Guide
⚔️ WoW The Burning Crusade 2.4.3	CMaNGOS TBC + Playerbots	Playerbots	✅ Complete	View Guide
⚔️ WoW Wrath of the Lich King 3.3.5a	AzerothCore + Playerbots	Playerbots	✅ Complete	View Guide
⚔️ WoW Wrath of the Lich King — Unbound Add-on	AzerothCore + Wrath Unbound	Playerbots	✅ Complete	View Guide
🏃 RuneScape 2009 (SD)	2009scape Singleplayer	Bots	✅ Complete	View Guide
🏃 RuneScape 2009 (HD)	2009scape + Saradomin Launcher	Bots	✅ Complete	View Guide
🍄 MapleStory v83 Pre-Big Bang	Cosmic	None	✅ Complete	View Guide
💎 Mu Online	OpenMU	None	✅ Complete	View Guide

🔥 In Progress

Game	Emulator	Status
🐉 Monster Hunter Frontier Z	Erupe CE	🔨 In Progress
🌿 Ragnarok Online	rAthena	🔨 In Progress
🏰 Dark Age of Camelot	OpenDAoC	🔨 In Progress

📋 Planned

Game	Emulator	Notes
⚡ PSO Blue Burst	newserv / Archon	Steam Deck proven
🌌 Phantasy Star Universe	Clementine	Community server
🧱 LEGO Universe	Darkflame Universe	For the kids
🏨 Habbo Hotel	Havana	Browser client
⚔️ Tibia	The Forgotten Server
🗡️ Cabal Online	Freya
🌟 Final Fantasy XI	LandSandBoat	High demand
🌟 Final Fantasy XIV	Sapphire	High demand
🏰 EverQuest 1	EQEmu
🚀 Star Wars Galaxies	SWGEmu
⚔️ Lineage 2	L2J / Mobius
🌐 Ultima Online	ModernUO + ClassicUO	Linux native client — no Proton needed
🏹 Asheron's Call	ACEmulator
🗝️ RuneScape Classic	OpenRSC	The original 2001 era

📦 What's In This Repo

WoW Vanilla 1.12 (`guides/wow-vanilla/`)

File	What it does
`install-wow-vanilla.sh`	Full automated installer — one command does everything
`HOWTO-WOW-VANILLA.md`	Beginner install guide — zero Linux knowledge needed

WoW The Burning Crusade (`guides/wow-tbc/`)

File	What it does
`install-wow-tbc.sh`	Full automated installer — one command does everything
`WoW-TBC-HOWTO.md`	Beginner install guide — zero Linux knowledge needed

WoW Wrath of the Lich King (`guides/wow-wotlk/`)

File	What it does
`install-wow-wotlk.sh`	Automated installer for Steam Deck / Arch Linux
`install-wow-wotlk-fedora.sh`	Automated installer for Fedora / Bazzite
`install-wow-wotlk-ubuntu.sh`	Automated installer for Ubuntu / Debian / PopOS! / Mint
`Install-WoW-WotLK.ps1`	Automated installer for Windows 10/11 (WSL2)
`wow-manage.sh`	Interactive menu-driven server manager (start, stop, mods, config)
`dml-start.sh`	Lightweight server start script
`WoW-WotLK-HOWTO.md`	Full install & beginner guide (Steam Deck / Linux)
`WoW-Wotlk-NETWORKING.md`	LAN and internet multiplayer setup
`WoW-WotLK-CONTROLS-1.md`	Server management reference — Part 1 (start/stop/accounts)
`WoW-WotLK-CONTROLS-2.md`	Server management reference — Part 2 (GM console, troubleshooting)
`WoW-WotLK-CREATE-ACCOUNTS.md`	Quick reference for creating player accounts
`WoW-Playerbots-Windows-HOWTO.md`	Windows-specific Playerbots setup guide
`ALE-Kegs/`	Optional Eluna Lua mods (Black Market AH, Season of Discovery)

Wrath Unbound Add-on (`guides/unbound-wrath/`)

Requires a working WotLK Playerbots server first. This is an add-on that layers onto an existing install — run the WotLK installer before this one.

File	What it does
`install-wrath-unbound-addon.sh`	Installs the Wrath Unbound multi-class mod onto your WotLK server
`uninstall-wrath-unbound-addon.sh`	Removes the Wrath Unbound mod cleanly
`Wrath-Unbound-Addon-HOWTO.md`	Setup guide — multi-class system, the Mentor NPC, unlocks

RuneScape 2009 (`guides/runescape/`)

File	What it does
`install-runescape.sh`	Full automated installer — one command does everything
`upgrade-runescape-hd.sh`	Adds the Saradomin HD client on top of an existing install
`HOWTO-RUNESCAPE.md`	Beginner install guide — zero Linux knowledge needed
`RuneScape-HD-HOWTO.md`	HD upgrade guide — Saradomin Launcher setup and first run

MapleStory v83 Pre-Big Bang (`guides/Maplestory/`)

File	What it does
`install-maplestory.sh`	Full automated installer — one command does everything
`MapleStory-v83-HOWTO.md`	Beginner install guide — zero Linux knowledge needed

Mu Online (`guides/Mu-online/`)

File	What it does
`install-muonline.sh`	Full automated installer — one command does everything
`MU-Online-HOWTO.md`	Beginner install guide — zero Linux knowledge needed

Windows Support (`guides/DML-Windows/`)

File	What it does
`Install-DML.ps1`	Windows substrate installer — sets up WSL2 + Arch Linux + Docker + the `dml` CLI and tray app
`Uninstall-DML.ps1`	Cleanly removes the DML Windows environment
`DML-Windows-HOWTO.md`	Full Windows install walkthrough
`HOWTO-WINDOWS-WSL2.md`	WSL2 setup and troubleshooting reference
`Uninstall-DML-HOWTO.md`	Uninstall guide for Windows

Uninstalling (`guides/`)

File	What it does
`uninstall.sh`	Removes a Dad's MMO Lab server install
`Uninstall-HOWTO.md`	Uninstall guide

🚀 Quick Start

Pick your game and run the installer. Each one handles everything automatically.

WoW Vanilla 1.12:

chmod +x install-wow-vanilla.sh && ./install-wow-vanilla.sh

WoW The Burning Crusade:

chmod +x install-wow-tbc.sh && ./install-wow-tbc.sh

WoW Wrath of the Lich King:

chmod +x install-wow-wotlk.sh && ./install-wow-wotlk.sh

WoW Wrath of the Lich King — Unbound Add-on (run after the WotLK installer):

chmod +x install-wrath-unbound-addon.sh && ./install-wrath-unbound-addon.sh

RuneScape 2009:

chmod +x install-runescape.sh && ./install-runescape.sh

RuneScape 2009 HD upgrade (run after the base installer):

chmod +x upgrade-runescape-hd.sh && ./upgrade-runescape-hd.sh

MapleStory v83 Pre-Big Bang:

chmod +x install-maplestory.sh && ./install-maplestory.sh

Mu Online:

chmod +x install-muonline.sh && ./install-muonline.sh

Windows 10/11 (any game): Open PowerShell as Administrator and run the Windows substrate installer first, then install your game:

Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process; .\Install-DML.ps1

Full walkthrough in guides/DML-Windows/DML-Windows-HOWTO.md.

Every WoW installer:

✅ Detects SteamOS and fixes the pacman keyring
✅ Installs Docker if needed
✅ Downloads and compiles the server
✅ Creates a default admin / admin account with GM Level 3
✅ Populates the world with bots
✅ Builds a Gaming Mode launcher

🔐 About sudo and the docker group — the installers need root once to install Docker and add your user to the docker group so you can run docker without typing sudo every time. This is a root-equivalent privilege change (a docker group member can mount the host filesystem into a container), so the installers ask for your consent first and deliberately do not drop any passwordless sudo rules into /etc/sudoers.d. Decline if you want to keep the machine locked down — you can still run every command with sudo docker.

New to Linux? Read the HOWTO guide for your game first — every step explained in plain English, zero assumed knowledge.

🤖 Bot Options (WoW)

All WoW installers ship with Playerbots pre-configured — bots that roam the world, fill dungeons and raids, and keep the economy alive so the game feels like a real server, not an empty shell.

	Vanilla	TBC	WotLK	WotLK Unbound
Bot engine	CMaNGOS Playerbots	CMaNGOS Playerbots	AzerothCore Playerbots	AzerothCore Playerbots
Bot count	600-800 active	600-800 active	600-800 active	600-800 active
Level range	Endgame 50-60	Outlands 57-70	Full 1-80 (syncs to player)	Full 1-80 (syncs to player)
Auction House	Stocked	Stocked	Stocked	Stocked
Install time	~30 min	~30 min	~30 min	~30 min

⚔️ Wrath Unbound — Multi-Class Add-on

Wrath Unbound is a multi-class mod that layers onto Dad's MMO Lab's WotLK Playerbots server. Play WotLK as a classless hybrid — unlock additional classes through an NPC called The Mentor and buy that class's abilities with gold.

Requires the WotLK server installed first. Run install-wow-wotlk.sh (or the Windows/Fedora/Ubuntu equivalent) before installing the add-on.

Milestone	Unlock	Cost
Level 5	Dual Class	Free
Level 25	Triple Class	3g
Higher levels	Further unlocks	See guide

Full weapon, armor, and dual-wield access across all class combinations
Hundreds of Playerbots fill the world
Runs completely offline — your server, your rules, forever
Open source under AGPL-3.0, consistent with AzerothCore
Covers 9 of WotLK's 10 classes (all except Death Knight)

📖 Full Guide

🎮 Gaming Mode Setup

Play entirely from Steam Gaming Mode — no Desktop Mode needed after setup:

Each installer creates a Gaming Mode launcher in your home folder
Add it to Steam as a Non-Steam game via Konsole:
- Target: /usr/bin/konsole
- Launch Options: --hold -e bash ~/[game]-launcher.sh
- Proton: OFF (WoW uses Proton for the game client, not the server)
Launch from your Steam library
Wait for "[GAME] IS READY!"
Launch the game client from your library
Close the client → server auto-shuts down

Full setup instructions in each game's HOWTO guide.

🔧 After a SteamOS Update

If Docker stops working after a Steam Deck update:

chmod +x guides/Steam-Update-Fix/fix-after-update.sh
./guides/Steam-Update-Fix/fix-after-update.sh

Rebuilds the pacman keyring and reinstalls Docker automatically.

🛠️ How It Works

Steam Deck Gaming Mode
        │
        ▼
   Docker Container      ← Runs silently in background
   (Server Emulator)
        │
        ▼
  MySQL / MariaDB
   (Game Database)
        │
        ▼
Game Client via Proton
   → connects to localhost
   → completely offline

(RuneScape runs without Docker — pure Java on Linux. No Proton needed.)

⚠️ Legal & Ethical Notes

Dad's MMO Lab and WoW Unbound are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or associated with Blizzard Entertainment or any of its products.

We do not operate, host, or endorse any public or third-party servers — including any servers at unboundwow.com or similar domains. WoW Unbound is an open source educational project built on AzerothCore (GPL licensed), intended for personal use cases wholly dependent on end user choices.

We do not claim ownership of any Blizzard intellectual property. No Blizzard game files are distributed by this project. Users must supply their own legally obtained game client.

Any public server operating under the "WoW Unbound" or "Unbound" name is doing so without our knowledge, authorization, or support.

This project:

✅ Uses only open source server emulators
✅ Does not distribute game assets, client files, or copyrighted content
✅ Requires you to supply your own game client
✅ Is intended for personal, offline, single-player use
❌ Does not help run public servers
❌ Does not support monetization of private servers
❌ Does not provide or link to game client downloads

Huge credit to the communities that make this possible:

AzerothCore — the incredible open source WoW WotLK emulator
CMaNGOS — the Vanilla and TBC foundation
2009scape — the RuneScape 2009 emulator
Saradomin Launcher — the HD experimental client
Every emulator project linked in our guides

Go give them a star. They deserve it.

"This is preservation, not piracy."

🤝 Contributing

Found a bug? Got a game working that's not listed? PRs are welcome!

Please read CONTRIBUTING.md before submitting.

Special thanks to the community testers who have helped improve these installers through real-world bug reports. You know who you are. 🙏

💬 Community

Reddit: u/Kingspoken
Reddit Thread: The post that started it all
YouTube: youtube.com/@DadsMmoLab

☕ Support the Project

This project is free and always will be.

If it helped you relive something you thought was gone forever — a coffee goes a long way toward keeping this going and eventually making it a full time mission:

☕ ko-fi.com/dadsmmolab

Or just:

⭐ Star this repo — helps more people find it
📢 Share it with other dads who miss their old games
💬 Comment on the YouTube videos

📜 License

Installer scripts and guides in this repo are released under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0, consistent with AzerothCore's licensing.

Game emulators linked here are subject to their own licenses. Game assets belong to their respective owners and are NOT included here.

Built with love by a dad who just wanted to play WoW on the couch without a subscription.

And then things got out of hand. 😄

We're just getting started. ⚔️