Stormworks: Build and Rescue Server Configuration Guide

Introduction

Once your Stormworks: Build and Rescue server is up and running, you'll want to start tweaking things. The main configuration file is server_config.xml, and between that and a handful of in-game admin commands, you've got control over pretty much everything -- day/night timing, physics, who's allowed in, Workshop content, the lot.

If you haven't got your server running yet, head over to the Getting Started Guide first and come back here when you're ready to customise.

Editing server_config.xml

On a LOW.MS server, the easiest way to edit this file is through the Configuration Files section in your control panel sidebar. Open it up, find server_config.xml, and you're away.

After any changes, you'll need to restart your server for them to take effect.

Core Server Settings

Here's the breakdown of what you can set in server_config.xml:

Server Identity and Access

Setting	Default	Description
`name`	`Stormworks`	The name that shows up in the server browser.
`password`	(empty)	Leave it blank for a public server. Set a value and players will need to enter it to join.
`max_players`	`32`	Maximum simultaneous players. Range is 1-32.

World Settings

Setting	Default	Description
`seed`	Random	World generation seed. Use the same seed to get the same map layout -- handy if you want to share a particular world with someone.
`save_name`	(empty)	The save file name. Leave it empty and the server creates a default save. You can use this to maintain multiple worlds and switch between them by changing the value and restarting.
`base_island`	(empty)	The starting island file path, e.g. `data/tiles/island12.xml` or `data/tiles/arctic_island_playerbase.xml`. Leave empty for the default starting base. This only applies when creating a new save -- changing it on an existing save won't move your base.

Day/Night and Weather

Setting	Default	Description
`day_night_length`	`60`	Length of the full day/night cycle in minutes. Higher values mean longer days. Set it to something like 180 for very long days, or drop it to 30 if you want things moving faster.
`override_weather`	Not set	A float value (0-1 range) that overrides the dynamic weather. This isn't a simple on/off toggle -- it's a specific override value. Leave it unset for normal dynamic weather.
`override_time`	Not set	A float that overrides the time of day.
`override_wind`	Not set	Overrides wind conditions.

I want to be clear here: Stormworks doesn't have a single "weather on/off" switch. Instead, you get individual override settings for weather, time, and wind. If you don't set any of these, the game runs its normal dynamic weather systems -- storms, fog, rough seas, all of it. That's honestly part of what makes Stormworks what it is, so I'd only recommend overriding weather for dedicated building or testing servers.

Physics

Setting	Default	Description
`physics_timestep`	`180`	Controls the physics simulation resolution. Valid values are `60`, `120`, `180`, or `0` (auto). Higher values give more accurate physics but use more CPU. Most servers run fine at 180, but if you're seeing performance issues with complex vehicles, you could try dropping to 120.

Network

Setting	Default	Description
`port`	`25564`	The primary game port (UDP). The server actually uses three consecutive ports -- so if your game port is 25564, it also uses 25565 and 25566. On LOW.MS, ports are assigned automatically during provisioning, so don't change this.

Other Settings

Setting	Default	Description
`despawn_on_leave`	`true`	Automatically removes a player's character when they disconnect.
`wildlife_enabled`	`true`	Toggles wildlife spawning in the world.

Admin Commands

Stormworks has a small set of admin commands you can run through the in-game chat. One thing that trips people up: all commands use peer IDs, not player names. You can find a player's peer ID through the in-game players menu.

Player Management

Command	Description
`?kick <peer_id>`	Kicks a player from the server. They can rejoin unless banned.
`?ban <peer_id>`	Bans a player from the server.
`?add_admin <peer_id>`	Grants admin privileges to a player.
`?remove_admin <peer_id>`	Revokes admin privileges from a player.
`?add_auth <peer_id>`	Authenticates a player (grants them authorised status).
`?remove_auth <peer_id>`	Revokes a player's authorised status.

World Management

Command	Description
`?save`	Forces an immediate world save.
`?save <savename>`	Saves to a specific save file name.

That's the full vanilla command set. You might see references to commands like ?unban, ?clear_vehicles, ?teleport, or ?tp elsewhere online -- those don't exist in vanilla Stormworks. Some of them come from popular addons like Carsa's Commands, but they're not built into the base game.

Setting Up Admins

You can pre-configure admins in server_config.xml using Steam IDs:

<admins>
  <id value="76561198000000000"/>
</admins>

Or use ?add_admin <peer_id> in-game once you're already an admin.

Adding Workshop Content

Stormworks supports two types of Workshop content on servers: playlists (missions and scenarios) and mods. Both are configured in server_config.xml using file paths that point to downloaded content.

Playlists (Missions)

Playlists go in the <playlists> section. The default missions use paths relative to the game's ROM data:

<playlists>
  <path path="rom/data/missions/default_ai"/>
  <path path="rom/data/missions/default_cargo"/>
</playlists>

If you start a server with no playlists defined, it'll automatically load the default missions.

For Workshop playlists, you need to download the content first, then reference the file path where it was downloaded. On a LOW.MS server, you can browse the downloaded content through the File Manager in your control panel.

Mods

Mods work similarly -- they go in the <mods> section and use file paths:

<mods>
  <path path="data/mods/some_mod_folder"/>
</mods>

Workshop mods downloaded via Steam typically end up in the Steam Workshop content directory (e.g. steamapps/workshop/content/573090/<workshop_id>/). You'll need to reference the actual path on your server.

Tips for Workshop Content

Add items one at a time and test after each. It's much easier to troubleshoot when you know exactly what you just changed.
After Stormworks updates, some Workshop content can break. If your server starts having issues after an update, check your mods and playlists.
More Workshop content means more server load, so keep it to stuff your group will actually use.

Multiple World Saves

You can run multiple worlds on the same server by changing the save_name value:

Back up your current world using Cloud Backup in the control panel.
Change save_name in server_config.xml to a new name.
Restart the server -- it'll generate a fresh world with that save name.
To switch back, change save_name to the original value and restart.

This is handy if you want separate worlds for building, missions, and messing about.

Performance Tips

Stormworks runs all physics calculations server-side, so complex vehicles are the main thing that'll drag performance down. A few practical things:

Vehicle complexity matters more than player count. One player with a 500-component monstrosity will tax the server more than ten players in simple boats.
Encourage players to despawn vehicles they're not actively using.
If performance gets rough, try lowering physics_timestep from 180 to 120.
You can always upgrade your server's resources through the LOW.MS order page if you need more headroom.

Security

A few sensible defaults:

Set a password if your server is for a specific group.
Only give admin to people you trust -- there's no ?unban command in vanilla, so bans are more permanent than you might expect.
Use the Cloud Backup feature in your control panel regularly, and especially before making big config changes.
Keep an eye on the Web Console for unusual activity.