first-script.md

Make the server say something

You are about to write a complete SER script. No variables, loops, or language theory yet—just a result you can see immediately.

1. Create the file

Run serhelp start and open the script directory it prints. Create a file named hello.ser and put this inside:

Reply "Hello from my first SER script!"

Reply is a method: an instruction that asks SER to do something.

2. Run it

Use the server console or Remote Admin:

serrun hello

Use the script name, not hello.ser and not its full path. You should see your message followed by confirmation that hello was requested to run.

Remote Admin senders need the ser.run permission.

3. Make players see it

Add another method:

Reply "Sending a message to everyone..."
Broadcast @all 5s "This server can be scripted!"

Run serrun hello again. SER refreshes the file before executing it, so the new broadcast should appear for every connected player.

Read the second line from left to right:

• Broadcast is what SER should do;
• @all means every player;
• 5s is how long the message stays visible;
• the quoted text is what they see.

That pattern—method, then arguments—already covers a surprising amount of SER.

Try one change

Change 5s to 10s, edit the message, and run the script again. If you want a smaller on-screen message, ask SER how Hint works:

serhelp Hint

If nothing happens

Run:

serstatus

It tells you whether the file was accepted, failed to compile, is disabled by a leading #, lives inside a disabled folder, or conflicts with another file using the same script name.

Next: discover methods that change the game.