For a private cooperative Empyrion group, start with a password-protected PvE server, a descriptive name, a player cap just above your usual peak, Normal ore and enemy settings, Low food consumption, Normal constructor speed, conservative blueprint and structure limits, generous offline protection, and no scheduled wipe. Edit dedicated.yaml for server identity, networking and lifecycle rules; edit the save’s gameoptions.yaml for difficulty and multiplayer options. Stop the server, back up both files, preserve YAML indentation, then verify the result with gopt after restarting. This baseline is deliberately easy to raise in difficulty or speed without forcing a small group to rebuild its world.
What is the best Empyrion server configuration for a small group?
The best starting configuration is one that protects a persistent cooperative campaign while leaving room to tune pacing after players have experienced the first sessions. Use the following profile as a baseline rather than a permanent rule.
| Area | Starting choice | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Password, descriptive name, and Srv_MaxPlayers slightly above expected peak attendance |
Friends can join without public-server administration, and a late arrival is less likely to hit the cap. |
| Networking | The documented server port; forward TCP and UDP 30000–30004 only when the host network requires it | Forwarding is router-dependent, so confirm the actual port in your file before opening ports. |
| World rules | PvE for the campaign; reserve selected planets or orbits for PvP later if desired | Empyrion administrators can set the entire game or individual playfields to PvE or PvP. |
| Progression | Normal ore, deposits, enemy presence and attack strength | Normal gives the group a reference point before changing several variables at once. |
| Survival pressure | DiffFoodConsumption: Low; reduce oxygen consumption only if the group wants the same convenience |
Short or irregular sessions spend less time on routine maintenance. |
| Production | Normal constructor and blueprint speed | Change to Faster only when waiting, rather than construction or exploration, is clearly the bottleneck. |
| Performance | A conservative MaxAllowedSizeClass and structure limit |
Raise limits only after observing the host under real play. |
| Persistence | Generous ProtectTime, WipeTime: 0, and a deliberately chosen DecayTime |
The group keeps its campaign and agrees in advance when abandoned structures may be removed. |
There is no authoritative player-count or latency benchmark in the available configuration documentation. Host capacity depends on the world, playfields, structure sizes, simulation load and network. Treat every limit as a measured policy decision, not a guaranteed performance number.
Which Empyrion file should you edit?
Use dedicated.yaml for server launch, identity and persistent server-policy controls. Use the existing save’s gameoptions.yaml for difficulty and save-specific multiplayer rules. Editing the wrong file is the most common reason a setting appears to do nothing.
What belongs in dedicated.yaml?
The dedicated-server configuration contains the server’s identity and many controls that apply before and during launch. Relevant properties include Srv_Port, Srv_Name, Srv_Password, Srv_MaxPlayers, Srv_ReservePlayfields, Srv_StopPeriod, Telnet settings, GameName, Mode, Seed, DecayTime, WipeTime, ProtectTime, MaxStructures, anti-grief distances and zones, trading controls, blueprint restrictions and related toggles.
Each property can be disabled by placing # at the start of its line. Remove that comment marker to enable the property. Keep a backup because updates can overwrite or alter configuration files; restoring a known-good copy is faster than reconstructing a long YAML file.
What belongs in a save’s gameoptions.yaml?
Difficulty and multiplayer survival options are stored inside the save under /Saves/Games/. The multiplayer-survival section is identified by ValidFor: [ MP, Survival ]. For an existing save, the values in that file take priority over corresponding values in dedicated_config.yaml. If a key is absent, add it using the scenario’s spelling and location, normally found in Content/Scenarios/<ScenarioName>/gameoptions.yaml.
Some difficulty choices are intended for world creation and may not affect an already-created world in the same way. Treat “starting a new world with a setting” and “editing an existing save” as separate operations, and test changes on a copy when the campaign matters.
How do I change Empyrion server settings safely?
Make changes while the server is stopped, keep a reversible backup, and verify the live values after startup. The following sequence avoids edits being overwritten or applied to a different save.
- Stop the server. Do not edit a live YAML file. The hosting guidance explicitly requires stopping the server before changing configuration.
- Back up both locations. Copy
dedicated.yamland the relevant save’sgameoptions.yamlto a dated backup folder. Include the save name in the backup filename so you cannot restore options to the wrong world. - Classify the change. Put identity, ports, access, lifecycle, anti-grief and blueprint-limit changes in
dedicated.yaml. Put difficulty and multiplayer survival changes in the save’sgameoptions.yaml. - Edit exact keys. Preserve indentation, capitalization and spacing. YAML treats indentation as structure; a visually minor change can make a section unreadable or cause a value to be ignored.
- Start the server. Watch the startup output for parsing errors and confirm that the intended save loaded.
- Inspect live options. Use
goptto list current options. Usegopt setwhen you need the command to report the valid values for a setting before changing it. - Test with one variable. Have a player connect, create or inspect the affected object, and record the result. Changing several difficulty values together makes troubleshooting ambiguous.
For planned maintenance, issue saveandexit <timeout>. The timeout gives players a warning and allows the world to save before shutdown, which is safer than closing the process abruptly.
How should I configure access, ports and player capacity?
How do I make a friends-only server?
Set Srv_Password and choose a name in Srv_Name that identifies the group or campaign. Share the password privately and change it if it leaks. A password is an access control, not an anti-grief system for people who already have administrator credentials, so keep Telnet and administrative details separate from the player password.
What should Srv_MaxPlayers be?
Set the simultaneous-player cap just above the group’s expected peak. A cap that exactly matches the usual headcount leaves no space for a late joiner, while an unnecessarily high cap can increase the amount of simulation and connection load the host must be prepared to handle. The setting controls admission; it does not establish a performance guarantee.
Do I need to forward ports 30000–30004?
When the host is behind a router that blocks unsolicited connections, forward the documented 30000–30004 range for both TCP and UDP. Confirm the actual server port in dedicated.yaml first, because router layouts, host operating systems and provider panels vary. If the server is rented or already has a public address, the provider may manage forwarding for you; do not create duplicate rules without checking its instructions.
What does Srv_ReservePlayfields do?
It controls how many playfield server processes are held in reserve. One is a sensible starting point for a small private group. Larger, busier communities may need more, but each reserved process consumes host resources, so increase it only when players experience delays creating or entering playfields.
Should our world be PvE or PvP?
Choose PvE for a cooperative baseline. Empyrion’s official FAQ says administrators can make the whole game PvE or PvP and can assign individual planets or orbits separately, allowing a protected home area with selected PvP destinations.
When does mixed PvE/PvP make sense?
Mixed rules work when the group wants a safe construction and storage area but still wants voluntary conflict, competitive resource runs or event arenas. Publish the affected playfields and rules before enabling them. A player who travels from a PvE planet into a PvP orbit should be able to understand the risk from the server’s naming and group documentation, not discover it only after losing a vessel.
How do anti-grief distances and zones fit in?
The dedicated configuration includes anti-grief distances and zone controls. Set a distance around bases that prevents accidental crowding in the zones your group uses, then document exceptions for shared towns, trading areas and public landing sites. The exact number is a policy choice: a larger radius protects privacy but consumes more building space.
How do I tune food, oxygen, enemies and progression?
What are the valid food-consumption values?
DiffFoodConsumption accepts Off, Low, Normal and High. Low is a practical choice for adults who play in short sessions or do not want routine hunger management to dominate exploration. Off removes that pressure entirely; High creates a deliberate survival challenge. Make the change in the multiplayer-survival section of the save’s gameoptions.yaml and verify it with gopt.
Should oxygen consumption also be reduced?
Use a lower oxygen-consumption option only when the group wants the same convenience as Low food consumption. Oxygen and food affect different preparation habits, so changing both at once can hide which system players actually find tedious. If the group is learning the game, leave oxygen at Normal for the first sessions and adjust after observing how often players run out.
What should ore, deposits, enemies and attacks be?
Keep ore, deposit richness, enemy presence and attack strength at Normal initially. Normal gives players a stable reference for identifying whether the economy or combat is the real obstacle. Increase or decrease one category at a time; multiplying resource abundance and reducing enemy strength together can remove the progression decisions the group expected to make.
When should constructors and blueprints be faster?
Leave constructor and blueprint production at Normal until the group understands its resource economy. Move to Faster only when waiting, rather than gathering, designing or exploring, is clearly the bottleneck for everyone. Faster production can make a large group’s shared stockpiles snowball, so agree on the change before applying it to a persistent save.
How do protection, wipes and decay affect a persistent campaign?
What does ProtectTime control?
ProtectTime determines how long offline structures receive protection. Choose a period that covers the group’s normal absences, including weekends when nobody can log in. Excessively short protection punishes real-life schedules; an unlimited-feeling period can leave abandoned bases occupying desirable locations.
Why leave WipeTime at zero?
Set WipeTime to 0 when the group wants a persistent campaign. A scheduled wipe is appropriate only when everyone agrees to reset progress on a timetable, such as for a seasonal challenge. Announce any nonzero wipe schedule before the world is created and keep a backup of the final pre-wipe save if the group may want an archive.
When should I enable DecayTime?
DecayTime governs cleanup for qualifying abandoned structures. Decide how long “abandoned” should mean for your group before enabling aggressive cleanup. A short period frees space and can improve order in a busy world, but it can also remove a returning player’s base. Explain which structures qualify and whether administrators can restore a mistaken deletion.
How do blueprint and structure limits protect performance?
What does MaxAllowedSizeClass mean?
The developer’s documented scale uses size class 1 for small blueprints, 10 for very large blueprints, 50 for gigantic blueprints and 0 for no limit. The setting is in dedicated.yaml. Start with a class your host can handle, then raise it only after observing the server while players spawn, move and fight near large creations. A higher allowance expands creative freedom but increases the worst-case simulation load.
How should I set MaxStructures?
MaxStructures is a structure-count control that can limit accumulated bases, vessels and other builds. Set it conservatively for a small host and explain what counts before players plan a large settlement. Increase it only after checking memory, CPU load, playfield transitions and save times during the busiest session you can reproduce.
What if players want a gigantic blueprint?
Do not remove the cap simply because one design is exciting. Test the blueprint on a copy of the world or during a scheduled maintenance window, record how the host behaves, and raise the class only if the group accepts the performance risk. The documented scale makes the trade-off explicit: 0 means no limit, not “best performance.”
How do trading and related server policies change the group economy?
EnableTrading controls the available player-trading scope. Keep the default that fits your intended economy at first, then decide whether trading should be limited to trusted players, encouraged across the group or disabled for a challenge run. Pair the setting with clear rules for shared storage, gifts and replacement ships so a technical permission does not become an argument about ownership.
The same policy discussion applies to blueprint restrictions, maximum structures, anti-grief zones and other toggles in dedicated.yaml. Write the group’s rules before enabling a restrictive setting; a setting that is technically reversible can still damage trust if players learn about it after losing access to a build.
What is the difference between self-hosting and renting an Empyrion server?
Self-hosting gives you direct control over files and hardware. Renting transfers machine maintenance and much of the networking work to a provider. Neither option has a universally correct monthly cost or player capacity; prices, hardware plans and provider availability change, and no authoritative capacity benchmark is established by the configuration documentation.
| Factor | Self-hosted dedicated server | Rented server |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | No hosting subscription, but you supply hardware, electricity and network service. | A recurring plan fee; current prices and included resources vary by provider. |
| Administrative control | Full access to the installed files, saves, launch options and backups. | Control through a provider panel and file manager, subject to the provider’s limits. |
| Maintenance | You handle Steam Tools or SteamCMD installation, updates, port forwarding, backups and recovery. | The provider handles the machine and usually network exposure; you still manage saves, settings and updates. |
| Player count and performance | Bound by your hardware, upload capacity and home-network conditions. | Bound by the selected plan, shared infrastructure and the provider’s fair-use or resource policies. |
The official dedicated-server information identifies providers such as Nitrado, GTXGaming, FoxGamingServers, GamerzHost, PingPerfect, BlackBoxServers, BlueFangSolutions, LowPingGameservers, PlugPayPlay, RoxServers, CitadelServers and Host Havoc. Treat that list as an availability reference rather than an endorsement, and check current terms before paying. For a few friends who already own a suitable always-on machine, self-hosting maximizes control; for a group that cannot maintain a machine or router, renting usually reduces operational work.
What should I do when a setting does not work?
The server ignores my edited value
Check that the server was stopped, the key is spelled exactly, and you edited the save that actually loaded. For an existing world, inspect its gameoptions.yaml because save values override corresponding dedicated_config.yaml values. Use gopt after startup instead of assuming the file was parsed.
The server fails to start after a YAML edit
Restore the last backup, then reapply one change at a time while preserving indentation. Remove accidental tab characters, unmatched punctuation and malformed comments. A dated backup lets you determine whether the problem is syntax or the value itself.
Friends cannot connect
Confirm the server’s actual port, forward the required TCP and UDP range only when the host router requires it, and verify that the password and server name are the ones currently loaded. A rented server may require changes in its control panel rather than the local router. Do not promise an open port until an off-network player has successfully connected.
Players are disconnected during maintenance
Use saveandexit <timeout> instead of terminating the process. Give players enough warning to reach a safe location, and keep the backup made before the maintenance window until the next successful startup and save.
Large builds cause instability
Lower MaxAllowedSizeClass or MaxStructures, remove or relocate the largest test build, and compare behavior during a busy session. Increase one limit only after the host remains stable; do not trade an unexplained performance problem for a no-limit setting.
How should I document the group’s final configuration?
Keep a short change log beside the backups. Record the date, world name, edited file, key, old value, new value, reason, and the result observed after restart. Note whether a value was chosen at world creation or changed on an existing save. This record makes it possible to reproduce a successful campaign after an update, provider migration or accidental overwrite.
Recheck the live scenario’s gameoptions.yaml and your provider’s current instructions after Empyrion updates. File names, scenario defaults and provider offerings can change, so a configuration that worked for one version should not be assumed to be identical in the next.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add a game option that is missing from my save file?
Yes. Use the key name and spelling from the active scenario’s Content/Scenarios/<ScenarioName>/gameoptions.yaml, and place it in the multiplayer-survival section. Make a backup first, because an incorrectly named key may simply be ignored.
Will changing a difficulty option reset our existing world?
Editing an option does not automatically mean the world is regenerated, but some difficulty choices are designed for world creation and may not affect an existing save identically. Test on a copied save when the change could alter progression or resource availability.
Can I run a private server without opening router ports?
Only if the host is already reachable through a public address, a managed host supplies the forwarding, or your network uses another secure connectivity method. On a typical home router, players outside the network need the documented TCP and UDP rules or they will not be able to reach the server.
How can I tell whether a provider plan is sufficient?
Ask the provider which CPU, memory, storage and network resources are dedicated or shared, and whether backups and file access are included. Because there is no authoritative universal player-capacity benchmark, compare the plan’s limits with your expected structures, playfields and peak attendance rather than relying on a single advertised player number.