This is the "I've got my server running, now what" guide for StarRupture on LOW.MS. If you're still setting up for the first time, start with the Getting Started guide instead — this one assumes you've already created a world via Manage Server.
StarRupture's dedicated server is surprisingly simple as far as config goes. There's really only one file you'll ever touch, and it only has a handful of keys. Most of the tuning is down to hardware rather than settings.
DSSettings.txt — the only config file you need
StarRupture reads a JSON file called DSSettings.txt from the server root, sitting next to StarRuptureServerEOS.exe. On a LOW.MS server you edit it through File Manager or SFTP.
Here's the full, working example:
{
"SessionName": "MyServer",
"SaveGameInterval": "300",
"StartNewGame": "false",
"LoadSavedGame": "true",
"SaveGameName": "AutoSave0.sav"
}
That's it. If you see any other key name in a guide somewhere on the internet, it's almost certainly not real — the dedicated server is still in experimental state and the set of supported keys is small.
SessionName
The session folder name. It's also the folder your save lives under, at /StarRupture/Saved/SaveGames/<SessionName>/. Changing it effectively creates a new save slot — your old save isn't deleted, you just can't see it until you change the name back.
SaveGameInterval
Autosave frequency in seconds, as a string. "300" is 5 minutes. Shorter intervals mean less potential progress loss on a crash but more disk writes; longer intervals are smoother but lose more on a bad exit. 3–5 minutes is a sensible range for most groups. We don't have a confirmed "official default" value from Iron Gate — set it explicitly and you don't have to wonder.
StartNewGame / LoadSavedGame
These are opposites. On first boot you want StartNewGame=true and LoadSavedGame=false, and after your world exists you flip them so the server auto-loads the save on every restart. The legacy KB mentions this twice because forgetting it is the number one cause of "my world is gone" support tickets.
Rule of thumb: once the world exists, the stable config is
StartNewGame=false,LoadSavedGame=true. Leave it that way.
SaveGameName
The filename inside your SessionName folder that should be loaded. StarRupture rotates autosaves (AutoSave0.sav, AutoSave1.sav, etc.), so if your most recent autosave turns out to be mid-corruption you can point this at a slightly older one and restart.
Managing multiple worlds
You can run more than one world on a single server by rotating SessionName values. Stop the server, flip SessionName to a new unique name, set StartNewGame=true briefly, start the server to generate the new world, then stop and flip back to StartNewGame=false, LoadSavedGame=true. Switching back to the old world is as simple as putting the original SessionName back.
More detail in Managing StarRupture Server Saves.
Hardware: what actually moves the needle
StarRupture's performance is much more sensitive to hardware than to any config flag. Three things matter, in order:
RAM. Your LOW.MS plan ships with 10 GB standard, which is fine for early-game 2–4 player co-op. Once you start building real factories — conveyor networks, stacked production chains — memory use climbs fast. If you see RAM usage sitting consistently above ~80% in your control panel, it's time to upgrade. You can go up to 30 GB.
CPU. StarRupture's simulation leans heavily on single-thread performance. The conveyor belt system is the biggest culprit. The optional Premium CPU upgrade on LOW.MS puts you on a guaranteed Ryzen 7950X/9950X, which noticeably improves tick rate on simulation-heavy bases. On a base-game casual server it's overkill; on a 4-player megabase it's worth it.
Disk. 10 GB SSD is included and is plenty. Save files are modest.
There's no hidden tick-rate slider or "server FPS" dial — tuning happens via hardware, not config.
Ports
StarRupture uses UDP port 7777 for the game, and a separate query port allocated by your server. On LOW.MS the query port is shown in your control panel alongside the game port — just use the values the panel tells you and everything routes correctly. You only need to worry about ports at all if you're changing them via -Port= / -QueryPort= launch parameters, or troubleshooting a firewall on a self-hosted install (see the ports & firewall guide).
If you want a clean connection string with guaranteed default ports, the Dedicated IP add-on (+£5/mo) gives you your own IP and locks the default ports to your server.
Update 1 (April 9 2026)
StarRupture's first major content update shipped on 9 April 2026. It adds new zones, resources, ziplines, higher-tier buildings and a stack of new recipes. None of the changes touch the dedicated server's config format — DSSettings.txt and its keys are the same — but bigger maps and more automation mean existing servers may want a bit more RAM than they did at EA launch. If your saves feel heavier post-Update-1, try bumping RAM by 5 GB before anything else.
Backing up before a game update
LOW.MS runs automated cloud backups, but for peace of mind before any major Early Access patch I still grab a manual copy:
- Stop the server.
- Open File Manager.
- Download the
SaveGames/<SessionName>/folder to your machine. - Start the server again.
It takes thirty seconds and it's saved me a handful of times.
Suggested DSSettings by play style
Starting points — treat them as opinions, not rules.
Casual 2–4 player co-op. Default 10 GB RAM, SaveGameInterval at "300". Nothing else to change.
Heavy builder group. 15–20 GB RAM, Premium CPU, SaveGameInterval at "180" so complex builds survive a crash with less lost progress.
Long-session survival run. 10–15 GB RAM is fine, SaveGameInterval at "600". Less save overhead, a bit more tension if something goes wrong between saves.
All of the above use the same stable StartNewGame=false / LoadSavedGame=true pair — only SessionName and SaveGameInterval really change per style.