Newly build local server, world shows down but can create characters

[Fluff]

Good day,

Back after a long break. I wanted to set up a local server. I used the linux build script on a virtual machine and everything seems fine. I start the server with ./server_start_with_login.sh and it fires up. I can create an account.

After this point, world shows DOWN in the client. If I click play anyway, it brings me into Character Creation, where it will allow me to make a character, but I cannot then log in.

Because of all the automation (which is really great), I am kind of stumped what I might have missed.

I altered my login.ini and eqemu_config.json with some suggestions I found here for using a local server: http://www.eqemulator.org/forums/showthread.php?t=42341

My virtual machine has a bridged adapter set up, the client is running on the same system as the VM host - I can communicate with the machine enough to login so I don't believe it is a firewall issue (it is all technically within the same machine and lan). It created an account for me and I see the server name which I changed, so I am clearly getting some data from it.

Any thoughts on some things I could check? Thanks.