Yes you're right. The serverlog will look like the following. As you can see the server starts a match each time the first player connects and does not have a map loaded and match running when no one is connected.
Quote:jack@old-rusty ~/assaultcube $ ./server.sh [start server]
reading commandline parameters from file 'config/servercmdline.txt'
logging started: console(INFO), file(DISABLED), syslog(INFO, "AssaultCube[local#8020]", local6), timestamp(DISABLED)
logging local AssaultCube server (version 1102, protocol 1130/104) now..
read 6 map rotation entries from 'config/maprot.cfg'
read 2 admin passwords from 'config/serverpwd.cfg'
read 903 (1023) blacklist entries from 'config/serverblacklist.cfg', 0 errors
read 0 + 0 entries from nickname blacklist file 'config/nicknameblacklist.cfg', 0 errors
dedicated server started, waiting for clients...
Ctrl-C to exit
looking up assault.cubers.net...
master server registration succeeded
[connect to server]
[x.x.x.x] client connected
[x.x.x.x] Bean logged in (default), AC: 1102|804
Map height density information for ac_douze: H = 10.80 V = 482626, A = 44669 and MA = 5606
Game start: one shot, one kill on ac_douze, 1 players, 15 minutes, mastermode 0, (map rev 17/5732, official, 'getmap' not prepared)
Demo recording started.
[disconnect from server]
[x.x.x.x] disconnected client Bean cn 0, 3 seconds played, score saved
Demo discarded.
[reconnect and new match starts]
[x.x.x.x] client connected
[x.x.x.x] Bean logged in (default), AC: 1102|804
Map height density information for ac_desert: H = 11.23 V = 266445, A = 23719 and MA = 2005
Game start: one shot, one kill on ac_desert, 1 players, 15 minutes, mastermode 0, (map rev 1/12018, official, 'getmap' not prepared)
Demo recording started.