Engine deveveloper rcl recommended that I verify that the server isn’t expecting a local controller, as this wouldn’t be available to a standalone dedicated server. To check this in a simple setting, I created a C++ VehicleTemplate project and surrounded any calls to
GetController()
with
if (Role < ROLE_Authority)
{
...
}
and logged everything. It doesn’t appear that the server is trying to access any controllers; with or without this Role check, movement is impossible and physics simulations do not run.