For a small private Soulmask group, start with a PvE server capped at 20 players, 1.5–2× gathering, logging and mining, 2× awareness and character XP, and about 1.5× for other XP categories. Set saves to 300–600 seconds and backups to 900 seconds. If your group plays irregularly, reduce building decay to 0.5; if invasions overload the machine, lower invasion strength toward 0.7 and cap simultaneous invasion monsters near 64.
Those values are practical starting points, not developer guarantees. Soulmask uses two configuration layers: launch parameters for identity, networking, passwords, mode, player capacity and save jobs, plus WS/Saved/GameplaySettings/GameXishu.json for gameplay rates and limits. This guide shows where each setting belongs, how to edit it safely, and how to choose hardware or hosting without making your world unstable.
What are the two Soulmask server configuration layers?
Launch parameters establish the server’s identity and operating behavior. The gameplay JSON changes the simulation itself. Editing the wrong layer is a common reason a setting appears to do nothing.
Launch parameters
Use the server’s launch command or hosting-panel startup fields for:
- Server name and identity
- Map selection
- Game mode, including
-pveor-pvp - Maximum players, such as
-MaxPlayers=20 - Join and administrator passwords, such as
-PSW=and-adminpsw= - Save and backup intervals
- Network ports and optional remote administration
A representative small-group command might include -pve -MaxPlayers=20 together with your own password values. Do not publish real passwords in screenshots, scripts or support posts.
GameXishu.json
The gameplay file is created after the server completes its first full start. It contains multipliers and limits for harvesting, XP, tribesmen, invasions, time, crafting, crops, durability and related systems. Its default location is WS/Saved/GameplaySettings/GameXishu.json beneath the server installation.
How do I edit GameXishu.json without breaking the server?
- Start the server once. Let it finish initialization so the gameplay directory and world save exist.
- Shut it down cleanly. Use the host panel’s stop action or the documented console shutdown command. Closing the window or killing the process can leave saves incomplete.
- Make two backups. Copy
GameXishu.jsonand the world-save directory to separate storage. A portable external SSD is useful when keeping an offline copy. - Check the installed build’s template. The numbered sections in the file are not guaranteed to mean the same thing in every build.
- Edit only the values you intend to change. Preserve quotation marks, commas, braces and numeric types. JSON does not allow comments or a trailing comma after the final item.
- Record the old values. A small change log makes rollback possible after an update or a failed experiment.
- Restart the server. Join the world and test one affected action before changing more settings.
If the server refuses to start, restore the last known-good JSON, validate the syntax with a JSON editor, and restart. If the server starts but the setting has no effect, confirm that you edited the active installation and the correct block, then stop and restart again.
What do the three blocks in GameXishu.json mean?
Documentation currently disagrees. One hosting guide describes repeated sections and recommends applying the same edit in all three. A September 2026 package analysis by Soulmask Systems Wiki examined 132 dedicated-server templates and reported that 131 were not identical across blocks; 181 of 282 settings had block-dependent ranges or defaults. That means blindly flattening every block can overwrite distinctions shipped with your build.
Use the template or checker included with your installed server version. Compare neighboring defaults, preserve values you do not understand, and change all blocks only when the current build’s documentation explicitly says they are mirrors. The safe rule is build-aware editing rather than assuming that a tutorial written for another package still applies.
What are the best Soulmask PvE rates for a small group?
Moderate boosts reduce routine grinding while leaving exploration, technology and combat meaningful. The following values are a sensible first pass for a private group; adjust one category at a time.
| Area | Suggested start | Relevant key or flag | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | -pve |
Launch parameter | Cooperative play, with no player combat or base raiding |
| Player cap | 20 | -MaxPlayers=20 |
Leaves capacity unused if your hardware or group grows |
| Gathering | 1.5–2 | CaiJiDiaoLuoRatio |
Less material grinding, faster stockpiles |
| Logging | 1.5–2 | FaMuDiaoLuoRatio |
Construction resources accumulate quickly |
| Mining | 1.5–2 | CaiKuangDiaoLuoRatio |
Metal and stone progression accelerates |
| Butchering drops | About 1.5 | DongWuShiTiDiaoLuoRatio |
Food and animal materials become easier to obtain |
| Enemy drops | 1–1.5 | Normal and boss drop multipliers | Higher values can flood the loot economy |
| Save interval | 300–600 seconds | Launch parameter | Shorter intervals protect progress but can cause save pauses |
| Backup interval | 900 seconds | Launch parameter | More disk writes in exchange for recovery points |
Which XP multipliers should I change?
Every listed XP category defaults to 1 in the guide. For a group with limited play time, set awareness and character-level XP to 2 and the remaining categories to approximately 1.5.
| Progression | JSON key | Small-group value | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Awareness XP | ExpRatio |
2 | Mask awareness milestones arrive sooner |
| Monster-kill XP | ShaGuaiExpRatio |
About 1.5 | Combat contributes more progression |
| Character XP | ChengZhangExpRatio |
2 | Levels rise faster |
| Proficiency XP | ShuLianDuExpRatio |
About 1.5 | Weapon and skill proficiency advances faster |
| Mask XP | MJExpRatio |
About 1.5 | Mask development accelerates |
Maximum rates are not automatically better. On a PvP server, extremely fast XP can compress the progression arc and remove reasons to keep playing after the first tier of technology. If your group wants a longer season, leave most categories near 1 and raise only the activity that feels slow.
How should I set tribesmen, food and water limits?
Tribesmen are both a convenience system and a server-load variable. Each recruit continues to consume simulation time for pathing, jobs and needs, even when no player is watching that base.
| Setting | Key | Documented default | Practical approach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recruits per player | GeRenMaxZhaoMuCount |
6 | Use 8–10 for a small friend server |
| Tribe recruitment limit | GongHuiMaxZhaoMuCount |
50 in one guide section | Keep conservative until memory use is known |
| Deployed combat tribesmen | ManRenChuZhanCount |
3 in one guide section | Raise only when combat and hardware justify it |
| Food consumption | ShiWuXiaoHaoRatio |
1 | Leave at 1 unless upkeep is the specific problem |
| Water consumption | ShuiXiaoHaoRatio |
1 | Leave at 1 for the default survival balance |
Doubling every tribe limit can increase memory use over time, especially when players build several bases. Raise recruit counts in small increments and watch the process’s RAM footprint after a full play session rather than judging immediately after startup.
How can I make building decay and invasions less punishing?
Building decay
JianZhuFuLanMul defaults to 1. A value of 0.5 is useful for PvE groups that may be away for a week because it reduces the penalty for an empty base. The trade-off is persistence: abandoned structures remain in the world longer and consume space and simulation resources.
Invasion pressure
ReDuXiShu controls invasion heat, RuQinQiangDuXiShu controls invasion strength, and RuQinGuaiCountMax caps simultaneous invasion monsters. The guide lists defaults of 1, 1 and 128. If a small group is overwhelmed, lower strength toward 0.7 first; if the machine struggles during the event, reduce the simultaneous count toward 64. Lowering both makes invasions safer and visually smaller.
PvP combat
Select PvP with -pvp. The guide lists separate melee and ranged player-damage multipliers, both at 0.4. PvP also increases moderation, base-defense and tribe-management pressure, so a rate profile that feels comfortable in PvE may produce a short, chaotic progression season in PvP.
What time, crafting and durability settings improve quality of life?
| Setting | Key | Documented default | Suggested adjustment |
|---|---|---|---|
| World time flow | GameWorldTimePower |
24 | Lower it when you want the day-night cycle to last longer in real time |
| Daytime share | GameWorldDayTimePortion |
0.7 | 0.8 adds daylight without extending the complete cycle |
| Crafting time | ZhiZuoTimeRatio |
1 | 2 substantially reduces workbench waiting |
| Crop growth | ZuoWuShengZhangRatio |
1 | Raise only if farming is the bottleneck |
| Durability | NaiJiuXiShu |
1 | Keep at 1 until equipment wear feels excessive |
Time flow and daytime share affect different things. Lowering time flow lengthens the cycle in real time, while raising daytime share changes how much of that cycle is daylight.
What hardware does a self-hosted Soulmask server need?
GAMES.GG reports that the server process alone consumes more than 12 GB of RAM, lists 16 GB as a minimum and recommends 24 GB or more for headroom. It also lists 30 GB of free storage and strongly prefers an SSD. GamezServers reports roughly 11–12 GB shortly after a fresh startup; tribesmen, invasions, bases, connected players and mods can push usage higher.
- RAM: 16 GB is a floor, not a comfortable guarantee. Choose 24 GB or more if the machine also runs the game client, voice chat or other services.
- Storage: Keep at least 30 GB free and leave additional space for rotating backups, updates and logs.
- Drive: SSD storage improves load and save behavior compared with a hard disk.
- Network: Forward the game and query ports only when your network requires it, and restrict administration ports to trusted addresses.
Which Soulmask ports and networking options matter?
The commonly cited ports are 8777 UDP for game traffic and 27015 UDP for Steam query visibility. The guides also identify 18888 TCP and 19000 TCP as optional administration paths. Your host panel or current dedicated-server package may use different bindings, so confirm the active values before opening a firewall.
For home hosting, forward only the required ports to the server’s fixed local address, allow the server executable through the operating system firewall, and test from outside your home network. If players can see the server but cannot join, check UDP forwarding and the local firewall before changing gameplay JSON.
Should I self-host or use managed hosting?
Self-hosting gives complete control over launch flags and JSON, but you own the maintenance work. Managed hosting moves port forwarding, updates and many backup tasks into a control panel. The right choice depends less on the player count than on whether someone in the group wants to operate a small service.
| Decision factor | Self-hosting | Managed hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront hardware cost | Requires an existing or purchased PC, RAM and SSD | Usually no dedicated hardware purchase |
| Ongoing monthly cost | Electricity and internet costs; no fixed server fee | Recurring rental charge |
| RAM and storage headroom | Limited by your machine; upgradeable | Defined by the selected plan |
| JSON and launch-flag control | Full file-system access | Depends on the provider’s panel and file access |
| Backups and recovery | You design, test and store them | Often integrated, but retention and restore tools vary |
| Ports and firewall work | You configure forwarding and security | Usually handled by the provider |
| Updates | You schedule and troubleshoot them | Provider tools may simplify them, but timing still matters |
| Support | Your own troubleshooting | Provider response times and expertise vary |
GamezServers currently displays an introductory Soulmask price of $14.99 for the first month and $29.99 per month afterward, with a separate three-day trial price shown on its site. Prices, trial terms, data-center locations and referral availability can change, so verify them before subscribing.
Why are my Soulmask server settings not applying?
The file was edited while the server was running
Stop the server, save the file, then restart. A running process may retain values loaded during startup.
The JSON is invalid
One missing comma or brace can prevent loading. Restore your backup or validate the file in a JSON-aware editor, then retry with one small change.
The wrong installation was edited
Hosts often keep separate folders for test and production instances. Confirm the path shown by the startup command or panel before changing the file.
The setting is in another block
Because the three-block structure varies by build, inspect the shipped template and compare defaults. Do not copy one block over the others merely because an older guide says to duplicate them.
The value is outside the current build’s range
Some settings have block-specific limits. Return to a documented range, restart, and test before making a larger adjustment.
Players joined before the server identity was finalized
Set the server ID before inviting players and keep it stable. Sara Serenity warns that changing the ID after account creation can make existing player data inaccessible.
How should I protect saves and player data?
Use the server’s clean shutdown path before copying files or applying updates. Keep GameXishu.json in one backup set and the world save in another, then retain at least one copy outside the server machine. Back up before major configuration changes, game updates and mod changes; test a restore on a separate instance when the world matters to your group.
Stable identity is as important as stable files. Choose the server ID once, document it with the backup, and avoid changing it during troubleshooting unless you accept the account-data risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change Soulmask rates after starting a world?
Yes, most multiplier and limit changes can be made between clean shutdowns. Make a world backup first, change one category, restart, and check whether existing inventories, recruits and structures behave as expected.
Do Soulmask server multipliers affect players who are already online?
Treat changes as startup configuration: have everyone leave, stop the server, edit the file, and restart. Testing after a restart avoids confusing cached values with the new settings.
What is a safe way to test a new GameXishu.json value?
Duplicate the world and configuration into a separate test instance, apply one change, and perform the affected action there. Keep the production backup untouched until the test survives a save and restart.
How much storage should I reserve for Soulmask backups?
The cited minimum is 30 GB of free space for the server, but backups and update files require additional room. Reserve enough for several world snapshots plus the current installation rather than treating 30 GB as a complete backup budget.