Insurgency (2014) Server Settings Explained: The Best Config for Your Group

For a small Insurgency (2014) group, the most reliable setup is a password-protected internet server (sv_lan 0) with a separate RCON password, a custom co-op or PvP mapcycle, and mode-specific files for bots and round rules. Keep global identity and access settings in insurgency/cfg/server.cfg, then let the more-specific mode and map files override them. Remember that maxplayers includes bots, so your ceiling must cover humans and AI together.

This guide covers the legacy 2014 dedicated server that uses srcds, server.cfg, and text mapcycles. Insurgency: Sandstorm uses a different configuration layout and Scenario_* names; do not copy Sandstorm instructions into a 2014 installation.

What does the Insurgency (2014) server configuration control?

The configuration determines who can join, how the server starts and rotates maps, how many humans and bots fit, and how strictly teams, voice, voting, and administration are handled. A clean setup separates those jobs instead of putting every command in one file.

• Access: sv_lan controls LAN-only versus internet operation, while sv_password protects a private group.
• Administration: rcon_password is a separate credential for remote console commands.
• Capacity: maxplayers is the total slot ceiling, including bots.
• Rotation: mapcyclefile names the text file used after the first map.
• Mode behavior: checkpoint bot counts, round limits, capture timing, and similar rules belong in mode-specific files.

These are legacy Insurgency settings. Sandstorm’s archived guidance uses Insurgency/Config/Server/MapCycle.txt and scenario names, so a Sandstorm mapcycle or server layout will be ignored by a 2014 server.

Where should each Insurgency server file go?

Place the files under the dedicated server’s Insurgency Dedicated Server/insurgency/cfg directory. Use the broadest file for defaults and narrower files only when a rule genuinely changes by mode or map.

Recommended layout

1. Startup script: Set -game insurgency, the listening port, and a valid initial map/mode pair with +map.
2. server.cfg: Keep hostname, passwords, sv_lan, logging, mapcyclefile, voice policy, friendly-fire policy, and global timing here.
3. Mode file: Use server_checkpoint.cfg, another server_<mode>.cfg, or the relevant default mode file for co-op bots, round limits, and mode rules.
4. Mapcycle: Create a separate text file for your group’s rotation and point to it with mapcyclefile.
5. MOTD: Put motd.txt in the documented Insurgency folder so players see your rules and connection information.

Which file wins when values conflict?

The documented load order runs from broad to specific: server.cfg, default_server_<mode>.cfg, server_<mode>.cfg, optional server_<map>.cfg, then server_<map>_<mode>.cfg. The last conflicting value wins. If friendly fire is enabled globally but disabled in server_checkpoint.cfg, checkpoint uses the mode file’s value.

This order makes troubleshooting predictable: first find the file that loads last, then check whether it resets the command you edited in server.cfg.

How do I create a private internet server for friends?

Use sv_lan 0 for an internet server, set a non-empty player password, and keep RCON’s password different. A password alone does not make a server reachable; your router and firewall must also pass the server traffic.

Minimal global configuration

hostname "Your Group's Insurgency Server"
sv_lan 0
sv_password "choose-a-player-password"
rcon_password "choose-a-different-admin-password"
mapcyclefile "mapcycle_coop.txt"
sv_alltalk 0
mp_friendlyfire 1
mp_tkpunish 1

Replace the sample passwords before starting. Do not give the RCON credential to every player: anyone with it can issue administrative commands. Put your expectations about friendly fire, team-kill punishment, voice, and voting in motd.txt so new players see them before joining a round.

LAN-only testing

Set sv_lan 1 only when the server is intentionally limited to the same local network. This is useful for validating files and map pairs without opening internet access, but friends outside that network cannot discover or join it until you switch back to sv_lan 0 and configure forwarding.

What should I put in server.cfg?

Use server.cfg for settings that should remain stable across every map and mode. Keep mode-only bot quotas and round rules out of it when a mode file is meant to replace them.

Global settings worth keeping together

• Identity: hostname and any logging options your administration process requires.
• Access: sv_lan, sv_password, and the separate rcon_password.
• Rotation: the exact filename assigned to mapcyclefile.
• Social rules: sv_alltalk, dead-player voice or chat behavior, HUD death messages, and target indicators.
• Team policy: mp_friendlyfire and mp_tkpunish, unless a mode or map deliberately changes them.
• Timing: global timer values that are not replaced by a mode file.

After editing, restart the server or execute the file from the server console to confirm it parses. A typo or command removed in a later file can otherwise look like a failed setting.

How do startup maps and mapcycles work?

The launch command chooses the first map and mode; mapcyclefile controls what loads afterward. They are separate mechanisms, so a correct mapcycle cannot repair an invalid startup pair.

Choose a valid startup pair

srcds.exe -console -game insurgency -port 27015 +map district checkpoint

district checkpoint is an example of the required map-plus-mode form. Use a map and mode that are actually installed on your server; if the pair is unsupported, the process may fail to start or fall back unexpectedly. When hosting more than one server, choose a different forwarded port for each instance.

Create a text rotation

Make a plain-text file such as mapcycle_coop.txt in the location expected by your installation. Put one supported map/mode pair on each line, then reference that filename in server.cfg.

district checkpoint
ministry checkpoint
<another-installed-map> checkpoint

The angle-bracket entry is a code-template marker: replace it with an installed map name, and do not leave the brackets in the live file. Avoid editing shipped defaults when possible; a custom file is easier to back up and preserves vendor updates.

Why is a mapcycle being ignored?

• Confirm the file is spelled exactly as the value of mapcyclefile, including capitalization where the host filesystem cares.
• Check that every line uses a map/mode combination supported by this 2014 installation.
• Verify the server actually loaded the edited server.cfg; execute it in the console and inspect errors.
• Remember that the first map comes from +map; the mapcycle is used for subsequent rotation.

How many players and bots should a co-op group use?

Start by deciding the human group size, then reserve slots for the maximum AI population. The documented legacy setup counts bots inside maxplayers, so a server that appears to have spare human capacity can still reject players when bots fill the ceiling.

Bot quotas belong in the co-op mode file

Use the checkpoint mode’s minimum and maximum bot controls (for example, ins_bot_count_checkpoint_min and ins_bot_count_checkpoint_max, or the equivalent names in the installed mode file). A documented guide illustrates five bots for one player and sixteen bots for eight players. Those figures are examples, not universal balance requirements.

// In the checkpoint mode configuration
ins_bot_count_checkpoint_min 5
ins_bot_count_checkpoint_max 16

A community template dated 26 April 2026 instead uses mp_coop_lobbysize 6, mp_coop_min_bots 5, and mp_coop_max_bots 18, alongside the nwi/coop playlist. Treat that template as a starting point for its particular build, not as an official guarantee for every server version.

Practical profiles

Group	Starting choices	Why it works	Main trade-off
Private co-op, 3–6 friends	sv_lan 0, a player password, separate RCON password, co-op mapcycle, lobby sized to the group, and mode-specific bot minimum/maximum	Friends get controlled access while AI fills empty spaces predictably	More bots increase pressure and consume the shared slot ceiling
Small PvP group	Passworded internet server, focused PvP mapcycle, agreed mp_friendlyfire/mp_tkpunish values, and conservative voting	Rounds stay coherent instead of being repeatedly changed by votes	Less variety and less player-driven map selection
Same-machine or LAN test	sv_lan 1, a known map/mode pair, and a minimal rotation	Fastest way to validate files before exposing the server publicly	Internet friends cannot connect while LAN-only mode is enabled

Which friendly-fire, voice, and HUD settings fit a group?

There is no single best social configuration: choose rules that match whether your group values realism, relaxed co-op, or competitive clarity. Make the choice visible in the MOTD rather than surprising players during a round.

Team damage and punishment

mp_friendlyfire determines whether teammate damage is active. mp_tkpunish determines how team kills are handled. A trusted private group may tolerate friendly fire with an agreed punishment policy; a casual group can disable damage or punishment to reduce accidental interruptions.

Voice and information

sv_alltalk changes whether both teams can hear one another. Dead-player voice and chat rules, HUD death messages, and target indicators alter how much information survives a death and how competitive the server feels. Test these together: a voice rule that sounds fair in a private co-op lobby may reveal too much in PvP.

Should voting be enabled?

Voting is a control-versus-variety decision. Leave map, next-level, kick, bot-count, and bot-difficulty votes available when the group wants player-driven discovery; disable or narrow them when a fixed rotation and consistent difficulty matter more.

Keep authority proportional to trust

• Private friends’ server: allow only the votes your group will actually use, and keep RCON with one or two administrators.
• Open or semi-public server: retain a kick option and a carefully limited map vote, but avoid letting every round be overridden.
• Training or testing: disable disruptive votes until the map, mode, and bot behavior are confirmed.

Because vote controls can vary by installed build, generate a fresh CVAR list from the running server before adding an unfamiliar vote command.

What hardware, ports, and network settings are required?

A historical Steam Community guide lists 10 GB of hard-drive space, 2 GB of free RAM, and at least 2 Mbps download and upload for a six-player co-op or six-versus-six PvP server. Those are dated guide requirements, not a modern performance guarantee; actual load depends on the operating system, server build, map, and bot population.

• Default server port: 27015.
• Typical client port listed by the guide: 27005.
• Forwarding: configure the required TCP and UDP rules for the chosen server port, and allow the executable through the host firewall.
• Connection quality: a stable wired connection is preferable for a home-hosted server, especially when several players and bots are active.

If you run multiple instances, assign each one a distinct port and forward that port to the correct machine. A correct configuration file cannot compensate for blocked traffic or a still-enabled sv_lan 1.

How do I troubleshoot ignored settings and failed joins?

Work from the configuration files outward to the network. This order separates syntax and load-order mistakes from capacity and connectivity problems.

1. Confirm the filename and path. Make sure the file is exactly server.cfg under insurgency/cfg, not a text file with an extra extension.
2. Execute and inspect. Run the file from the server console and read any unknown-command or parse errors.
3. Trace overrides. Check the mode, map, and map-mode files in load order; the last conflicting value wins.
4. Validate the startup pair. Test the +map map and mode independently of the rotation file.
5. Validate every rotation line. Remove unsupported or misspelled pairs from the text mapcycle.
6. Recalculate capacity. Compare maxplayers with the intended human count plus the highest bot count. Bots consume the same ceiling.
7. Check access settings. For internet play use sv_lan 0; confirm players have the exact sv_password.
8. Check forwarding and firewall rules. Verify TCP/UDP access on the selected server port and ensure the router points to the host running the server.
9. Refresh the CVAR list. Generate a new list from the running server after updates before relying on an unfamiliar command.

What is the safest way to maintain the configuration?

Keep a backup of the working server.cfg, mode files, and custom mapcycle before changing several variables at once. Change one category at a time—access, rotation, bots, then social rules—so a failure has an obvious cause.

Use comments in configuration files to record why a value exists, but keep the command syntax clean. When a game update changes available CVARs, regenerate the running server’s list, compare it with your notes, and remove commands that no longer exist instead of copying a newer Sandstorm configuration.

Which configuration is best for most groups?

For three to six friends, use a passworded internet server with sv_lan 0, separate RCON credentials, a custom co-op mapcycle, and checkpoint bot limits tuned to leave room under maxplayers. Keep friendly-fire and team-kill behavior explicit in the MOTD, limit votes to the controls your group trusts, and test the same files with sv_lan 1 before opening the port.

For PvP, keep the password and access pattern but use a focused rotation, conservative voting, and an agreed team-damage policy. For a LAN test, change only sv_lan, start with one known map/mode pair, and do not diagnose internet connectivity until the local configuration works.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a Sandstorm MapCycle.txt file on an Insurgency (2014) server?

No. The 2014 server expects its legacy configuration and text mapcycle conventions, while Sandstorm uses a different directory and scenario naming system. A file can be perfectly valid for Sandstorm and still be ignored by the older dedicated server.

Do I need to restart the server after editing server.cfg?

Not always: the server console can execute the configuration file so you can inspect errors immediately. Restarting is still the clearest way to verify startup-only arguments and the complete load order from a clean process.

Why can’t a friend join even though the password is correct?

Check that the server is using sv_lan 0, that the selected port is forwarded for both required protocols, and that the host firewall permits the server. Also verify that bots have not consumed all slots under maxplayers.

Where should I change co-op bot counts if server.cfg keeps resetting them?

Set checkpoint bot minimum and maximum in the checkpoint or other relevant mode file. A later mode-specific file overrides the global value, which is why a bot command placed only in server.cfg may not survive loading.