# Abiotic Factor Server Hosting - everything RE:NODE has published > A Abiotic Factor server on RE:NODE: plans, how the panel runs it, and every tutorial RE:NODE has published about it. Generated from https://www.renode.space/game-servers/abiotic-factor, the live catalogue, the deploy docs, the panel guides and the RE:NODE blog. English. Source of truth for anything that changes: https://www.renode.space/game-servers/abiotic-factor. Contents: what it is, plans and prices, panel how-to, tutorials, rules for the assistant. ## What it is Abiotic Factor servers for a co-op run through the facility. - Genres: Action, Adventure, RPG, Simulation - Developer: Deep Field Games - Released: 22 Jul, 2025 - Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/427410/ ### What comes with every Abiotic Factor server - Configured before you see it: The install runs, the configuration is written and the server starts. No first-boot checklist, and nothing left on a default password shared with every other Abiotic Factor server on the internet. - The real console: Live output, command input and the server's own logs - not a filtered summary. Web-server noise is folded behind a counter you can switch off. - Files and SFTP: A full file manager with an editor, plus SFTP credentials. Upload mods, edit configs, pull a world down to your machine. - 2-2 backup slots: Taken on demand or on a schedule, restored with a button. Deleting a server takes its backups with it, on purpose. - 2 ports allocated: Add and remove ports yourself from the Network tab, including the query and RCON ports where the game wants them. - People on the same server: Invite friends or staff with granular permissions - console only, files only, no billing - through subusers, roles and teams. ### Which Abiotic Factor plan do you need? Memory is what decides whether a server holds together, so start there. The Starter tier gives 4 GB and 1 vCPU, which suits a private group. The Advanced tier at 8 GB is where most public servers sit, and Premium at 12 GB exists for the servers that stay full. Storage matters more than people expect once mods and backups are involved - plans here run from 25 GB to 85 GB of NVMe. Moving up or down a tier later does not rebuild your world; it changes the limits on the container you already have. If you are not sure, take the middle tier. It is cheaper to move up after a busy weekend than to spend one explaining lag to your players. More game servers: https://www.renode.space/ai/game-servers.md ### General questions ### Getting started **How quickly is my server ready?** Game, app, web and database servers are created the moment payment clears, usually inside a minute. The game or runtime is installed and started for you, and the console is live in your browser while it happens. VDS and dedicated servers are prepared by hand and delivered within 24 hours. **Do I need to configure anything before it works?** No. The install runs, the configuration is written, and admin passwords are generated for your server rather than shared with everybody else's. The exception is four games whose publisher issues a credential to a person - those say so on the shop before you pay, and ask for it on a Setup tab afterwards. **Which games need a key from me?** Counter-Strike 2 needs a Steam game-server token, Don't Starve Together a Klei cluster token, FiveM a Cfx.re licence, and DayZ, Project Zomboid, 7 Days to Die, Arma 3 and Unturned need a Steam account or token of your own. We cannot create any of them and we never share one between customers. Your server is built immediately and the installation waits until you paste yours in. **Can I try before buying?** There is no free tier. The entry plans start at $1.50 a month precisely so that trying something costs about as much as a coffee. **Can Claude or ChatGPT set my project up?** Yes, and the panel gives it what it needs. On a server's Console tab, pick a purpose and press Connect AI: the panel copies a private link with the runtime, the port the code must read from SERVER_PORT, the code path, the GitHub branch, the databases and the limits. Paste it into Claude, ChatGPT or any assistant that can open links; the same link followed by /mcp works as an MCP server URL. It stops by itself after 7 days unused. You can also connect Claude, or any MCP client, to your whole account at https://panel.renode.space/api/client/mcp. Linked repositories get a pre-flight check that shows what will break before a deploy, no AI needed. No password or token is ever shown to the assistant - the AI setup page explains it all. ### Running the server **Do I get full file access?** Yes - a complete file manager with an in-browser editor, plus SFTP credentials. There is no plan on which the file manager is disabled or read-only. **Can I install mods and plugins?** Yes. Upload them through the file manager or SFTP, or use the game's own workshop support where it has any. Nothing here whitelists which mods you are allowed to run. **Can other people help me run it?** Yes. Invite subusers with granular permissions - console only, files only, no billing - or build a team with a role and grant it access to several servers at once. Permissions are a union, so nobody loses access they were given elsewhere. **What happens if my server runs out of memory?** New servers are configured so the kernel stops the container and it restarts clean, rather than swapping and dragging the whole machine down. If a server restarts repeatedly we warn you on the server page and open a support ticket before anything is suspended - you get told twice before it stops. **Is the CPU limit a hard limit?** Yes, and it cannot be breached: the container is throttled to the share you bought. A server sitting at 100% is slow, not broken, and is never suspended for it. ### Backups and safety **Are backups included?** Every plan carries backup slots - two on the entry tiers, more further up. Take them on demand or on a schedule, and restore with a button rather than a support ticket. **Where are backups stored?** Off the machine they protect. A backup sitting on the same disk as the thing it is insuring covers you deleting your world and covers nothing at all about the disk failing. **What happens to my backups if I cancel?** Deleting a server deletes its backups with it, deliberately and including locked ones. Download anything you want to keep first - the panel lets you. ### Billing **How do I pay?** PayPal, card, your wallet balance, or bank transfer. Every method produces a proper invoice you can download or print, with our details and the bank account on it while it is unpaid. **Can I pay in Georgian lari?** The panel displays every figure in lari at the National Bank of Georgia's published rate, marks converted figures as approximate, and always shows the amount that will actually be charged. Invoices stay in the currency they were raised in, because an invoice is a demand for a specific amount. **What happens when my subscription is due?** An invoice is raised and emailed to you seven days before expiry, and again on the day. Paying it settles that same document rather than raising a second one. **Can I upgrade or downgrade later?** Yes, and it does not rebuild anything. Changing plan changes the limits on the container you already have - your world, files and database stay exactly where they are. **Do you offer refunds?** There is no automatic refund button. If a server cannot do what it was sold to do, open a ticket and we will sort it out - including refunding you. We would rather fix the plan than argue about the policy. ### Support and the honest bits **How do I get help?** Open a ticket from the panel - it reaches every member of staff and every administrator, not a queue aimed at nobody in particular. Attach a screenshot if it helps; attachments are private to your ticket rather than sitting at a guessable public URL. Discord is there for faster, less formal questions. **Where are the servers?** Germany, on hardware we run. That is one location: if you need players in another region on a low ping, say so before buying rather than after. **Is there an uptime guarantee?** We measure node availability every five minutes and report it in the panel rather than printing a number with four decimal places we have not earned. If something is down you will usually hear it from us first. **Who actually runs this?** A small team that writes the panel, the shop and the automation itself. When something is wrong the fix is a code change, which is why the list of things wrong keeps getting shorter. ## Plans and prices Read from the live catalogue at 2026-10-15 03:07 UTC. Prices are in US dollars per month; checkout also takes Georgian lari and bills for 1, 3, 6, 12 or 24 months. Prices change - re-check on https://www.renode.space/game-servers/abiotic-factor or in the panel shop at https://panel.renode.space before quoting one. | Plan | Price / month | Memory | CPU | NVMe disk | Databases | Backups | Ports | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Starter | $10 | 4 GB | 1 vCPU | 25 GB | 1 | 2 | 2 | | Standard | $14 | 6 GB | 1.5 vCPU | 35 GB | 1 | 2 | 2 | | Advanced | $19 | 8 GB | 2 vCPU | 50 GB | 1 | 2 | 2 | | Pro | $24 | 10 GB | 2.5 vCPU | 65 GB | 1 | 2 | 2 | | Premium | $29 | 12 GB | 3 vCPU | 85 GB | 1 | 2 | 2 | ## Panel how-to From the panel guides at https://www.renode.space/guides. ### Ordering a server Ordering takes about a minute and happens in three screens: find what you want to run, pick a plan, and pay. Pay by card or PayPal and the server is set up the moment the payment goes through - you can watch it install in its console. - Takes: About a minute - Pay with: Card, PayPal or bank transfer - Billed for: 1, 3, 6, 12 or 24 months - Prices in: US dollars or Georgian lari Open the shop and find what you want to run: 1. Sign in to the panel and open the shop. The tabs along the top are the product lines: VDS, Game Servers, App Hosting, Web Hosting and Databases. 2. Find your game - there is a search box - and press View plans. The card already shows the lowest price and the range of memory on offer. Compare the plans and pick one: 3. Every plan lists its memory, CPU and NVMe storage, roughly how many players it suits, and what is included - updates, backup slots, file and SFTP access. 4. Press Get Started on the one you want. Not sure? Start smaller: you can move to a bigger plan later without losing your world. Choose how long, then pay: 5. Pick a billing period - 1, 3, 6, 12 or 24 months. The total for the whole period is shown before you pay, so there are no surprises. 6. Pay with PayPal, or press Debit or Credit Card - paying by card does not need a PayPal account. The server is created as soon as the payment completes. Paying by bank transfer instead: Prefer to pay from your bank? Choose bank transfer at checkout. The server is set up once the payment arrives, usually the next working day. 1. Switch the payment tab to Bank transfer. The account details for Bank of Georgia and TBC Bank appear, each with a Copy button. 2. Press Order & get invoice, then pay that invoice from your banking app, quoting the reference on it. After you pay: - The server appears under My Servers and installs itself. Open it to watch the install in the console. - Your orders, invoices and subscriptions are under Finances in the side menu. - Stuck at any step? Open Support in the side menu and raise a ticket. ### The console Live output, a command line, power controls and the resource graphs. It is the server's own output rather than a filtered summary - if the game prints it, you see it. - Start, stop, restart and kill, with the current state always visible. - Command history with the arrow keys, and tab completion for common commands. - Web-server noise - the internet knocking on doors that are not there - is folded behind a count you can switch off. A real error always prints. - Graphs for memory, CPU and disk against your limits, so whether it is the plan or the mod is answerable. ### Files and SFTP A complete file manager with an editor in the browser, plus SFTP credentials for the tools you already use. Upload a modpack, fix a config, pull a world down to your machine. - Drag files in, or upload a folder. Archives can be unpacked in place. - Edit any text file with syntax highlighting and save without downloading it. - PDFs and images preview in the panel rather than downloading first. - SFTP on the same credentials - use FileZilla, WinSCP or your editor's remote mode. ### Backups Take one before you try something. Restore it when the something goes wrong. Lock the ones that matter so they are not rotated away. - Slots on every plan - two on the entry tiers, more further up. - Take one on demand, or on a schedule you set. - Download any backup to your own machine. > Important: Deleting a server deletes its backups, including the locked ones. A lock stops you removing a backup by accident; it is not a claim on the disk after the server is gone. Download what you want to keep before you cancel. ### Subusers, roles and teams Give somebody the console without giving them your files, or the files without your billing. Three separate ideas, kept apart deliberately. - A role holds permissions - what may be done. - A team holds people. - A grant joins a team to a server with a role, so adding a moderator to the team gives them the same access everywhere at once. - Invite by link, by a join code, or by email address - and require approval on the codes if you would rather vet people. - Access can be time-boxed, and expiry stops working immediately rather than overnight. ### Scheduled tasks Restart nightly, back up before the restart, announce it to players first. Tasks run in order with delays between them, so a schedule can be a small routine rather than one action. - Send a console command - a warning to players, a save, a world flush. - Take a backup. - Power actions: start, stop, restart. ### Games that need a key from you A few games want a credential their publisher issues to a person - a Steam game-server token, a Steam account that owns the server files, a Klei cluster token, a Cfx.re licence. We cannot create one and we never share one between customers. > Note: Those games say so on the shop before you pay. Your server is built immediately, and the game installation is held until you paste the value into a Setup tab, because installing without it produces a server with no game files in it and no explanation. ## Tutorials 2 posts, newest first. Each one follows in full after the list. - [Abiotic Factor sandbox settings and saves](https://www.renode.space/blog/abiotic-factor-sandbox-settings-and-saves) (2026-10-07): Every Abiotic Factor SandboxSettings.ini key with defaults and ranges, settings recipes for different groups, and moving a hosted world onto a dedicated server. - [Abiotic Factor dedicated server setup](https://www.renode.space/blog/abiotic-factor-dedicated-server) (2026-09-21): Run an Abiotic Factor server: SteamCMD install, every launch parameter, SandboxSettings.ini, crossplay, admins, ports, saves and the usual crashes. --- ### Abiotic Factor sandbox settings and saves Published 2026-10-07 by RE:NODE Team. https://www.renode.space/blog/abiotic-factor-sandbox-settings-and-saves An Abiotic Factor world is one folder, and that folder holds everything: the facility state, every deployable, each player's character in a `PlayerData` subfolder, and the world's rules in `SandboxSettings.ini`. On a dedicated server those folders live under `AbioticFactor/Saved/SaveGames/Server/Worlds/`, and the `-WorldSaveName` launch argument picks which one loads. That design makes two jobs easy that are awkward in most survival games. Moving a world you hosted from the game onto a server is a folder upload and one argument. And because the sandbox file sits inside the world, the rules travel with it. This guide goes through every sandbox key with its default and range, suggests settings for different kinds of group, and covers moving, backing up and restoring worlds. For installation, launch arguments, ports and admins, see the [Abiotic Factor dedicated server guide](https://www.renode.space/blog/abiotic-factor-dedicated-server). This post assumes the server runs and concentrates on the world. #### Where the sandbox file lives On current builds, each world carries its own sandbox file: ```text AbioticFactor/Saved/SaveGames/Server/Worlds//SandboxSettings.ini ``` Older builds and older guides put a single sandbox file under `AbioticFactor/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/`, and the `-SandboxIniPath=` launch argument can point the server at any file you like. If your edits seem to do nothing, the server is reading a different file from the one you are editing. The start of the server log shows which files were loaded; read it once and you will never wonder again. [Reading the console](https://www.renode.space/blog/reading-the-console) covers finding that line quickly. The file must begin with the `[SandboxSettings]` header, keys are case-sensitive, and booleans are written `True` and `False`. Edit it with the server stopped. Changes apply on the next start. #### SandboxSettings.ini, key by key The values below are from the official dedicated server documentation. Ranges are what the in-game sliders allow; values outside them may be clamped or behave strangely. ##### Difficulty and death | Key | Default | Range | What it does | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `GameDifficulty` | `1` | `1`-`3` | Normal, Hard, Apocalyptic | | `HardcoreMode` | `False` | | One life per character | | `AllowIronMode` | `True` | | Allows iron mode characters | | `DeathPenalties` | `1` | `0`-`5` | From keep everything to items destroyed | | `DurabilityLossOnDeathMultiplier` | `0.1` | `0`-`1` | Gear damage on death | | `HostAccessPlayerCorpses` | `True` | | Whether the host can loot other players' corpses | | `ShowDeathMessages` | `True` | | Death notices in chat | | `FirstTimeStartingWeapon` | `0` | `0`-`6` | From none to random | ##### Enemies | Key | Default | Range | What it does | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `EnemySpawnRate` | `1.0` | `0.5`-`3` | How often enemies spawn | | `EnemyHealthMultiplier` | `1.0` | `0.75`-`3` | Enemy health | | `EnemyPlayerDamageMultiplier` | `1.0` | `0.25`-`3` | Damage to players | | `EnemyDeployableDamageMultiplier` | `1.0` | `0`-`5` | Damage to your base. `0` makes it untouchable | | `DetectionSpeedMultiplier` | `1.0` | `0.1`-`3` | How fast enemies notice you | | `EnemyAccuracy` | `2` | `0`-`4` | Ranged accuracy, pathetic to precise | | `ApocalypticAbilities` | `False` | | Apocalyptic enemy abilities at lower difficulty | | `MaximizeEnemySpawns` | `False` | | Spawns at maximum density | | `DamageToAlliesMultiplier` | `0.5` | `0`-`3` | Friendly fire. `0` turns it off | ##### Survival needs | Key | Default | Range | What it does | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `HungerSpeedMultiplier` | `1.0` | `0`-`2` | Hunger drain | | `ThirstSpeedMultiplier` | `1.0` | `0`-`2` | Thirst drain | | `FatigueSpeedMultiplier` | `1.0` | `0`-`2` | Tiredness | | `ContinenceSpeedMultiplier` | `1.0` | `0`-`2` | Bathroom needs | | `FoodSpoilSpeedMultiplier` | `1.0` | `0`-`2` | Spoilage | | `RefrigerationEffectivenessMultiplier` | `1.0` | `0`-`2` | How well fridges slow spoilage | | `SinkRefillRate` | `1.0` | `0`-`10` | Water refill speed | | `TaintedSinkWater` | `False` | | Sink water needs treating | | `RadiationDealsDamage` | `False` | | Radiation hurts directly | ##### Items, progression and building | Key | Default | Range | What it does | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `PlayerXPGainMultiplier` | `1.0` | `0`-`3` | Skill levelling speed | | `BonusPerkPoints` | `0` | integer | Extra perk points at creation | | `ItemStackSizeMultiplier` | `1.0` | `1`-`30` | Stack sizes | | `ItemWeightMultiplier` | `1.0` | `0`-`5` | Carry weight of items | | `ItemDurabilityMultiplier` | `1.0` | `0.1`-`10` | How long gear lasts | | `BaseInventorySize` | `12` | integer | Starting inventory slots | | `AllowRecipeSharing` | `True` | | Recipes learned by one are learned by all | | `AllowPagers` | `True` | | Pager communication | | `AllowTransmog` | `True` | | Cosmetic appearance changes | | `DisableResearchMinigame` | `False` | | Skips the research minigame | | `AllowCharacterReset` | `True` | | Players can respec | | `StructuralSupportLimit` | `5` | integer | How far you can build unsupported | | `PlayerFurnitureDestruction` | `False` | | Whether players can destroy furniture | ##### World and environment | Key | Default | Range | What it does | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `LootRespawnEnabled` | `False` | | Loot comes back over time | | `PowerSocketsOffAtNight` | `True` | | Facility power cuts at night | | `DayNightCycleState` | `0` | `0`-`2` | Normal, always day, always night | | `DayNightCycleSpeedMultiplier` | `1.0` | `0.1`-`3` | Day length | | `WeatherFrequency` | `3` | `1`-`5` | Never to daily | A few more keys exist - `StorageByTag` (default `True`), `BridgeSupports` (`2`, range `0`-`2`), `HomeWorlds` (`True`) and `InvisibleRadiation` (`False`) - and their exact effect is best read from the descriptions on the in-game sandbox screen, which uses the same names. New keys also arrive with content updates. If you are setting up a server months after this was written, generate a fresh world once and compare its sandbox file with yours; anything missing from yours is simply at its default. #### How the settings interact Most sandbox values are easy to understand one at a time and surprising in combination. A few pairs are worth thinking about together before you change either. **Needs and spoilage.** Lowering hunger and thirst without touching `FoodSpoilSpeedMultiplier` means food rots in the fridge long before anyone needs it, and the group learns to stop cooking. If you slow needs, slow spoilage by a similar amount, or raise `RefrigerationEffectivenessMultiplier`, so the kitchen stays part of the game rather than a place where rations go to die. **Death penalties and durability.** `DeathPenalties` decides what you drop; `DurabilityLossOnDeathMultiplier` decides what happens to what you keep. A harsh first setting with a gentle second one still punishes a player who dies far from base, because they have to walk back to their corpse. A gentle first setting with harsh durability loss turns every death into a repair bill. Pick the experience you want - a run back for your gear, or a slow drain on resources - and set both to support it. **Spawn rate and loot respawn.** More enemies with finite loot means a group burns ammunition it cannot replace. If you raise `EnemySpawnRate` on a server meant to last, turn on `LootRespawnEnabled` at the same time, or the server becomes harder every week for reasons nobody chose. **Stack size and weight.** Raising `ItemStackSizeMultiplier` without touching `ItemWeightMultiplier` makes a full stack heavier, which can feel like a nerf. Groups that want convenience usually lower weight slightly as well. **Power at night.** `PowerSocketsOffAtNight` is one of the game's more interesting pressures - nights mean generators and planning. Turning it off is a large quality-of-life change for a part-time group and removes a whole layer of base design for everybody else. Decide as a group, not as an admin on their own. The general habit: change one setting at a time, write down what and why in your server's Discord, and look at it again after a week of play. A settings file that has been edited by four people over three months without notes is a file nobody can reason about. #### Settings recipes for different groups These are starting points, not answers. Change two or three values, play a week, and adjust. ##### Part-time friends The default needs are built for people who play several hours at a stretch. A group that plays an hour after work spends half of it eating. SandboxSettings.ini: ```ini [SandboxSettings] GameDifficulty=1 HungerSpeedMultiplier=0.6 ThirstSpeedMultiplier=0.6 FatigueSpeedMultiplier=0.6 ContinenceSpeedMultiplier=0.5 FoodSpoilSpeedMultiplier=0.7 AllowRecipeSharing=True DeathPenalties=1 DamageToAlliesMultiplier=0.0 ``` Recipe sharing matters most here. Without it, the person who only plays at weekends spends every session behind everyone else. Friendly fire off avoids the evening ending in an argument about a stray shot. ##### A long-running public server The facility is finite. With loot respawn off, a server open for months is picked clean and new players arrive to empty cabinets. ```ini [SandboxSettings] LootRespawnEnabled=True EnemySpawnRate=1.25 EnemyDeployableDamageMultiplier=0.5 PlayerFurnitureDestruction=False HostAccessPlayerCorpses=False DeathPenalties=2 ``` Halving deployable damage stops raids from undoing a week of building while keeping base defence meaningful. Turning off host access to corpses matters on a public server, where "the host" may be somebody no player knows. ##### A hard campaign ```ini [SandboxSettings] GameDifficulty=2 EnemyHealthMultiplier=1.25 DetectionSpeedMultiplier=1.25 EnemyAccuracy=3 ItemDurabilityMultiplier=0.8 DeathPenalties=3 ``` Leave `HardcoreMode` off unless everyone has agreed in advance. One life per character on a server where a disconnect can kill you is less fun than it sounds. ##### Larger groups than the game expects The default cap is six players, and the economy is built for that. If you raise `-MaxServerPlayers`, compensate: turn loot respawn on, raise `ItemStackSizeMultiplier` to `2`, and consider `EnemySpawnRate` above `1` so a dozen people still find something to fight. [How many players fit on a server](https://www.renode.space/blog/how-many-players-fit-on-a-server) covers why game design, not hardware, is usually the real limit. #### Inside a world folder ```text Worlds/ Cascade/ SandboxSettings.ini PlayerData/ (world save files) ``` `PlayerData` holds a character per player who has joined that world. Characters are not portable between worlds - a scientist belongs to one world - and when somebody joins your server for the first time, their character is created here, not on their PC. That is the opposite of games such as Terraria or Valheim, and it is worth telling people before they invest an evening in a test world. Treat the folder as one unit. Copying individual save files between worlds produces a world that references things that do not exist. #### Moving a hosted world onto the server A world you hosted from the game lives on the host's PC: ```text %LocalAppData%\AbioticFactor\Saved\SaveGames\\Worlds\\ ``` 1. Have the host close the game so the world is fully saved. 2. Copy the whole world folder, including `PlayerData` and `SandboxSettings.ini`. 3. Stop the server. 4. Upload the folder into `AbioticFactor/Saved/SaveGames/Server/Worlds/`. Over SFTP this is one drag; [SFTP and the file manager](https://www.renode.space/blog/sftp-and-the-file-manager) has the connection details. 5. Set `-WorldSaveName=` to the folder's name exactly, capitals included. Alternatively rename the folder to the current world name - but only after moving the existing folder of that name out of the way. 6. Start the server and watch the log for the world loading rather than a new one being created. The group's characters come across inside `PlayerData`, including the host's. Each player picks up where they left off as long as they join with the same account they played with. Sandbox rules come too, because the file is inside the folder - check it after the move, because a world created in a single-player sandbox may have settings you would not choose for a server. ```diagram title: Moving an Abiotic Factor world host = Host's PC | Worlds/WorldName upload = SFTP upload | whole folder server = Server Worlds | -WorldSaveName backup = Backup | off the machine spare = Spare world | test name host -> upload upload -> server server -> backup : scheduled backup -> spare : test restore server -> host : download to play offline ``` ##### Going the other way To take a server world back to a PC - to keep playing when the server ends, or to give it to someone else to host - stop the server, download the world folder and place it in the host's local `Worlds` folder. It appears in the game's world list. Do this before cancelling any server: on most hosts, deleting the server deletes its saves. ##### Between servers, and starting over Moving from one host to another is the same upload with a download in front of it: stop the old server, download the world folder, upload it to the new one, set `-WorldSaveName` and start. Check the game version on both ends first - a world saved by a newer build may not load on an older one. Starting a new campaign never requires deleting anything. Set `-WorldSaveName` to a new name and start; a fresh world is created beside the old one, with a fresh sandbox file at defaults. Stop it once the folder exists, copy your preferred `SandboxSettings.ini` into it and start again before the group joins, so the first session is not played on settings you meant to change. The old world stays on disk, and switching back is one argument. #### Backups and restoring The game keeps rolling backups of local worlds in a backups folder beside the worlds, which has saved many hosted campaigns. Do not rely on the server doing the same; check whether your build writes them, and even if it does, they sit on the same disk as the world. A sound routine: - **Nightly backup of the `Worlds` folder**, kept off the server, while the group is active. - **A manual backup before every game update.** Abiotic Factor is in active development and content updates are exactly when save compatibility is tested in production. - **A manual backup before changing sandbox values** that alter state, such as turning loot respawn on, so you can undo the decision. - **A practice restore.** Restore a backup under a different world name, point `-WorldSaveName` at it, join and check your character exists. Then point it back. [Backups that actually restore](https://www.renode.space/blog/backups-that-actually-restore) is the long version of why the last step is the important one. On RE:NODE, `-WorldSaveName` and the other launch arguments are fields on the Startup tab, so pointing the server at a test world and back is two edits. Backups are taken on demand or on a schedule, stored off the machine, downloadable, and restored with one button. A Schedules entry can run a nightly backup followed by a restart as ordered tasks, and the Restart button sends a clean stop so the world is saved first. If the server reaches its memory limit it is stopped and restarted clean rather than left to swap, which is an unsaved stop - another reason the nightly backup is worth having. #### Troubleshooting **Sandbox changes do nothing.** The server reads a different file. Check the log for the sandbox path, check for a `-SandboxIniPath` argument, and confirm the `[SandboxSettings]` header is spelt exactly. **An uploaded world is ignored and a fresh one starts.** `-WorldSaveName` does not match the folder name exactly, or the files are nested one level too deep - the folder named in the argument must contain the world files directly. **Players start as new characters on a moved world.** `PlayerData` was not uploaded, or they joined with a different account from the one they played with. **A value has no effect at an extreme.** It is outside the slider range and was clamped. Use the ranges in the tables above. **The world loads but the facility is empty.** Loot does not respawn by default. Turn on `LootRespawnEnabled` for long-running servers, and accept that existing empty containers refill over time rather than immediately. **The server crashes loading an old world after an update.** Restore the pre-update backup into a spare world name and check whether it loads; if not, wait for a patch rather than repeatedly loading the original. #### FAQ ##### Where is SandboxSettings.ini on an Abiotic Factor dedicated server? On current builds, inside the world's folder: `AbioticFactor/Saved/SaveGames/Server/Worlds//SandboxSettings.ini`. The `-SandboxIniPath` argument can point elsewhere, and older builds used `Saved/Config/WindowsServer/`. ##### Can I change sandbox settings on an existing world? Yes. Stop the server, edit the file and start it again. Settings that affect future events, such as loot respawn or enemy spawn rate, take effect from then on rather than rewriting what already happened. ##### Do characters carry over when I move a world to a server? Yes, as long as the `PlayerData` folder comes with it and players join with the same accounts. Characters belong to the world, not to the player's PC. ##### Can I use my character on someone else's server? No. A character exists in one world only. Joining a different server means starting a new scientist there. ##### How do I keep two worlds on one server? Give each its own folder under `Worlds` and switch with `-WorldSaveName`. Only one runs at a time, and the other is untouched while you play. ##### What should I change for a server that runs for months? Turn on `LootRespawnEnabled`, otherwise the facility empties for good. Consider lowering deployable damage so raids do not undo a long-running base. Abiotic Factor servers on RE:NODE start at 4 GB with both UDP ports allocated, the launch arguments including the world name as Startup tab fields, and each world's `SandboxSettings.ini` editable in the browser. World folders upload over SFTP, and backups on every tier restore with one button. [See Abiotic Factor plans](https://www.renode.space/game-servers/abiotic-factor) --- ### Abiotic Factor dedicated server setup Published 2026-09-21 by RE:NODE Team. https://www.renode.space/blog/abiotic-factor-dedicated-server An Abiotic Factor dedicated server is a free SteamCMD download (app id `2857200`) that is configured almost entirely through command-line arguments, with one extra file for the world rules. Six players fit comfortably on 4 GB of memory; a long-running world with a built-out base and a dozen people wants 8 GB or more. It needs two UDP ports, `7777` for the game and `27015` for the Steam query, and it will happily run for months if you stop it cleanly and back up one folder. The thing to understand before you start is where settings live. There is no single `server.cfg`. Identity, ports, slots and passwords are launch arguments. World rules - difficulty, spawn rates, hunger speed, death penalties - are in `SandboxSettings.ini`. Moderators are in `Admin.ini`. Change the wrong one and nothing happens, which is most of the support traffic around this game. #### What the Abiotic Factor dedicated server is Abiotic Factor is a co-op survival game set inside a research facility, and its multiplayer is built around a small group: the default player cap is six, and the encounters, loot and crafting economy are tuned for roughly that. The dedicated server exists so the world keeps running when the host logs off, and so nobody's frame rate is everybody's simulation. A few facts that shape everything else: - **The server tool is a Windows build.** The Steam depot for app `2857200` ships a Windows executable. Linux hosting is done by running it under Proton or Wine, which works well and is what most Linux and container-based hosts do. If a native Linux build has landed by the time you read this, it will appear as a separate depot on the same app. - **It is free and anonymous.** `login anonymous` in SteamCMD is enough. You do not need an account that owns the game to run the server. - **Characters are server-side.** Your character, your perks and your inventory belong to the world save on that server, not to your Steam account. Joining a different server means starting a different character. This is worth telling your group before somebody spends an evening on a test server. - **Crossplay is on by default** and is restricted, not enabled, by a flag. That is the opposite of most games and catches people who assume they have to switch it on. #### Requirements and resource usage The facility is a set of connected levels rather than one open map, and the server keeps the occupied ones loaded. Memory climbs with player count, with how many levels the group has opened up and with the number of deployables they have built. | Players | RAM | vCPU | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1-4, early game | 4 GB | 1 | A fresh save, one or two levels open | | 6, mature world | 6 GB | 1.5 | The default cap with a real base | | 8-12 | 8-10 GB | 2 | Above the intended group size | | 16-24 | 12 GB | 2.5-3 | Possible, not balanced. Expect oddities | - **CPU**: an Unreal server bound by one dominant thread. Clock speed beats cores. The load comes from enemy AI and from simulated deployables, so a base full of machines costs more than an empty corridor. - **Disk**: allow 10-15 GB for the install and remember it grows with every content patch. The save itself is small, a few tens of megabytes. - **Network**: light. A six-player co-op server is not a bandwidth problem; latency between players and the server is what you can feel. Raising `-MaxServerPlayers` past six is supported by the parameter but not by the game. Enemy scaling, loot density and the crafting economy were built for a small team, and the practical result of twelve players is a world that is stripped bare in two evenings. If you want a bigger group, raise loot respawn and enemy multipliers in the sandbox settings to compensate rather than hoping it works out. [How many players fit on a server](https://www.renode.space/blog/how-many-players-fit-on-a-server) makes the general argument. #### Installing the server with SteamCMD ```bash $ steamcmd +force_install_dir C:\abiotic\server +login anonymous \ +app_update 2857200 validate +quit ``` The executable lands at `AbioticFactor/Binaries/Win64/AbioticFactorServer-Win64-Shipping.exe`. Start it once with nothing but `-log`, let it create its folders, then stop it. You now have: ```text AbioticFactor/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/SandboxSettings.ini AbioticFactor/Saved/SaveGames/Server/Admin.ini AbioticFactor/Saved/SaveGames/Server/Worlds/Cascade/ AbioticFactor/Saved/Logs/ ``` On a panel-based host none of this is typed by hand: the install runs when the server is created, the arguments are fields on the Startup tab, and the files are edited in the browser or over SFTP. [SteamCMD explained](https://www.renode.space/blog/steamcmd-explained) covers app ids, validation and update scripts if you are doing it yourself. ```diagram title: Where an Abiotic Factor server reads its settings args = Launch arguments | name, ports, slots sandbox = SandboxSettings.ini | world rules admin = Admin.ini | moderators server = Server process | one per world save = World save | Saved/SaveGames args -> server sandbox -> server admin -> server server -> save : autosave and clean stop ``` #### Launch parameters are the configuration This is the full start line, and for most servers it is the only place you will ever set anything: ```bash AbioticFactorServer-Win64-Shipping.exe -log -useperfthreads \ -NoAsyncLoadingThread -SteamServerName="Cascade Nightshift" \ -MaxServerPlayers=6 -PORT=7777 -QueryPort=27015 \ -ServerPassword=hallway-42 -WorldSaveName=Cascade \ -AdminPassword=change-this ``` | Parameter | Default | What it does | | --- | --- | --- | | `-SteamServerName=` | a generic name | The name in the server browser. Quote it if it has spaces | | `-MaxServerPlayers=` | `6` | Slots. Accepts more, the game is built for six | | `-PORT=` | `7777` | Game port, UDP | | `-QueryPort=` | `27015` | Steam query port, UDP | | `-ServerPassword=` | empty | Join password. Empty means public | | `-WorldSaveName=` | `Cascade` | The save folder name, so also how you keep two worlds | | `-AdminPassword=` | empty | Lets a player claim admin in game | | `-AdminIniPath=` | default | Alternative `Admin.ini` location, relative to `Saved` | | `-SandboxIniPath=` | default | Alternative `SandboxSettings.ini` location | | `-PlatformLimited=` | off | `PC`, `Playstation` or `Xbox`. Restricts crossplay | | `-LANOnly` | off | Local network only | | `-MultiHome=` | all | Bind to one address on a multi-homed machine | | `-log` | off | Write to standard output, which is what a panel reads | | `-newconsole` | off | Opens a separate console window. Pointless when headless | | `-useperfthreads` | off | Unreal task-graph threading, in the stock start script | | `-NoAsyncLoadingThread` | off | Also in the stock start script | > [!WARNING] > Do not add `-NOSTEAM`. It looks harmless and it breaks server browser registration and Steam authentication, which is a confusing failure to debug because the server itself starts perfectly. `-WorldSaveName` deserves more attention than it gets. It names the folder under `Saved/SaveGames/Server/Worlds/`, so changing it starts a brand new world and leaves the old one untouched on disk. That is the safe way to test a patch or a sandbox change: point the server at a new save name, break things, then point it back. It is also the way people accidentally "lose" a world - nothing was deleted, the argument just changed. #### Ports, crossplay and connecting | Port | Protocol | Purpose | | --- | --- | --- | | `7777` | UDP | Game traffic | | `27015` | UDP | Steam query, the server browser | Both are UDP. A firewall rule that only opens TCP gives you a server that runs, logs and accepts nobody, which is the single most common "it does not work" report for any Steam-based game. [Game server ports explained](https://www.renode.space/blog/game-server-ports-explained) covers why the query port is separate and what breaks when only one of the pair is reachable. Players get in three ways: 1. **The in-game server list**, which is driven by the query port. A password-protected server still appears; players are prompted for the password. 2. **Steam favourites.** In the Steam client, View, then Game Servers, then Favorites, add `203.0.113.10:27015` - the query port, not the game port. The server then shows in the in-game list reliably even when the public list is slow. 3. **A hostname instead of an address**, if you would rather hand out something memorable than an IP. [Connecting a domain to a game server](https://www.renode.space/blog/connecting-a-domain-to-a-game-server) has the A record details. Crossplay is enabled unless you disable it. `-PlatformLimited=PC` restricts the server to Steam players, and the other values do the equivalent for the console platforms. The reason to restrict is consistency rather than performance: platform-limited servers avoid the mismatched-version window that appears when a patch reaches one store before another. #### SandboxSettings.ini: the world rules This file is the equivalent of the sandbox screen in single-player, and it is the only settings file most servers ever need. It must begin with the section header, and keys are case-sensitive: AbioticFactor/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/SandboxSettings.ini: ```ini [SandboxSettings] GameDifficulty=1 HardcoreMode=False EnemySpawnRate=1.0 EnemyHealthMultiplier=1.0 EnemyPlayerDamageMultiplier=1.0 DetectionSpeedMultiplier=1.0 EnemyAccuracy=2 HungerSpeedMultiplier=1.0 ThirstSpeedMultiplier=1.0 FatigueSpeedMultiplier=1.0 DamageToAlliesMultiplier=0.5 PlayerXPGainMultiplier=1.0 DeathPenalties=1 DurabilityLossOnDeathMultiplier=0.1 ItemStackSizeMultiplier=1.0 BaseInventorySize=12 LootRespawnEnabled=False PowerSocketsOffAtNight=True DayNightCycleState=0 FoodSpoilSpeedMultiplier=1.0 StructuralSupportLimit=5 AllowRecipeSharing=True ``` The settings that change how a server plays, rather than how it feels by five per cent: | Key | Default | What it does | | --- | --- | --- | | `GameDifficulty` | `1` | `1` normal, `2` hard, `3` apocalyptic | | `HardcoreMode` | `False` | One life. Forces the hardest difficulty | | `AllowIronMode` | `True` | Ironman, only meaningful with hardcore on | | `LootRespawnEnabled` | `False` | The big one for long-lived servers, see below | | `EnemySpawnRate` | `1.0` | How often enemies come back | | `EnemyHealthMultiplier` | `1.0` | Enemy health | | `EnemyPlayerDamageMultiplier` | `1.0` | Damage enemies do to players | | `EnemyAccuracy` | `2` | Ranged accuracy on a `0`-`4` scale | | `DetectionSpeedMultiplier` | `1.0` | How quickly you are noticed | | `DamageToAlliesMultiplier` | `0.5` | Friendly fire. `0` removes it entirely | | `DeathPenalties` | `1` | Penalty tier on a `0`-`6` scale | | `DurabilityLossOnDeathMultiplier` | `0.1` | Gear damage when you die | | `HungerSpeedMultiplier` | `1.0` | Hunger drain. Lower is kinder to a part-time group | | `ThirstSpeedMultiplier` | `1.0` | Thirst drain | | `FatigueSpeedMultiplier` | `1.0` | Tiredness | | `PlayerXPGainMultiplier` | `1.0` | Levelling speed | | `BonusPerkPoints` | `0` | Free perk points at character creation | | `ItemStackSizeMultiplier` | `1.0` | Stack sizes | | `ItemWeightMultiplier` | `1.0` | Carry burden | | `BaseInventorySize` | `12` | Starting inventory slots | | `DayNightCycleState` | `0` | `0` normal, `1` always day, `2` always night | | `PowerSocketsOffAtNight` | `True` | Facility power cuts out at night | | `FoodSpoilSpeedMultiplier` | `1.0` | Spoilage | | `StructuralSupportLimit` | `5` | How far you can build unsupported | | `AllowRecipeSharing` | `True` | Recipes learned by one are learned by all | | `AllowCharacterReset` | `True` | Players can respec | `LootRespawnEnabled=False` is the default and it is the right default for a group of six who play a campaign together and finish it. It is the wrong default for a persistent public server: the facility is finite, and once it has been stripped there is nothing for a new player to find. Turn it on for anything that will run longer than a couple of months, and expect the economy to feel very different. The other setting worth deliberate thought is `AllowRecipeSharing`. Leave it on for a group with different schedules, or the person who can only play Sundays will spend every session behind. Turn it off if the group wants specialisation to mean something. Sandbox changes apply on the next start. Stop the server, edit, start; editing a live server risks the file being rewritten under you. #### Admins and moderation There are two routes to admin, and most servers use both. The first is `-AdminPassword=` on the start line, which lets a player claim admin powers in game with that password. It is convenient and it is a shared secret, so treat it like one: rotate it when somebody leaves the group, and do not put it in a public Discord. The second is `Admin.ini`, created at `AbioticFactor/Saved/SaveGames/Server/Admin.ini` on first start. It takes SteamID64s under a section header, one per line: AbioticFactor/Saved/SaveGames/Server/Admin.ini: ```ini [Moderators] Moderator=76561198012345678 Moderator=76561198087654321 ``` Open the file the server generated and follow the header it wrote rather than assuming - this is the part of the game that has moved between builds. The ID you need is the 17-digit SteamID64, not a profile name; the reliable way to read one is from the server log after the person has joined once. Give each admin their own way in rather than sharing one login. On a panel host that means a subuser with console permission and nothing else, which also gives you a per-server activity log showing who restarted what. [Subusers and least privilege](https://www.renode.space/blog/subusers-and-least-privilege) covers why that matters more than it sounds. #### Saves, backups and starting over The world lives in one folder: `AbioticFactor/Saved/SaveGames/Server/Worlds/Cascade/`, or whatever you set `-WorldSaveName` to. That folder holds the facility state, the built deployables and each player's character. Back up that folder and you can rebuild everything else from SteamCMD in ten minutes. - **Stop the server cleanly.** A clean shutdown flushes the save. Killing the process, or a host that goes away without warning, can cost you whatever has happened since the last autosave. - **Back up before every patch.** Content updates to a game in active development occasionally change save formats, and the backup you did not take is the one you needed. - **Keep the backup somewhere other than the server.** A copy in a second folder on the same disk protects you from a mistake in the file manager, not from losing the machine. - **Two worlds, one server.** Because `-WorldSaveName` selects the folder, you can keep a second save for testing and switch by editing one argument. It is the cheapest staging environment any game gives you - [staging and production on one account](https://www.renode.space/blog/staging-and-production-on-one-account) applies the same idea more generally. A backup nobody has restored is a hypothesis. Restore one into a spare world name occasionally and log in to confirm your character is there; [backups that actually restore](https://www.renode.space/blog/backups-that-actually-restore) explains why that second step is the whole point. On RE:NODE the Restart button sends a clean stop, backup slots are included on every Abiotic Factor plan, restores are one button, and a Schedules entry can take a nightly backup and restart at an hour when nobody is playing. If the server ever reaches its memory limit the container is stopped and restarted clean rather than swapping, so an unsaved stop is the risk to plan around - which is the argument for the nightly backup rather than the weekly one. #### Troubleshooting **The server starts but does not appear in the list.** Check both UDP ports, then add the server to Steam favourites by `address:27015` and join from there. If that works, the server is fine and the public list is being slow. Also confirm you have not added `-NOSTEAM`. **Players see the server but time out joining.** The query port is open and the game port is not. They are separate rules. **Nothing in `SandboxSettings.ini` takes effect.** Either the `[SandboxSettings]` header is missing or misspelled, the file is in the wrong folder, or a `-SandboxIniPath` argument is pointing somewhere else. Check the log at startup, which names the files it loaded. **Everyone spawned into an empty new world.** `-WorldSaveName` changed, or was never set and the default differs from what you expected. The old folder is still under `Saved/SaveGames/Server/Worlds/`. Stop the server, set the argument to that folder's name, start. **The server crashes after a game update.** The server tool updates separately from the client. Run the SteamCMD update with `validate` and confirm the build matches; mismatched versions are rejected at connection rather than crashing, so a crash after a patch is usually an incompatible save or a mod-free reinstall being needed. **Memory climbs over days.** Normal up to a point, as more of the facility is opened and more is built. A scheduled restart keeps it flat - see [restart schedules that help](https://www.renode.space/blog/restart-schedules-that-help). If it climbs to the limit within hours, the slot count or the build density is beyond the plan. **Something is wrong and you do not know what.** Read the log before changing anything. The last lines before an exit are usually explicit about the file or the argument at fault; [reading the console](https://www.renode.space/blog/reading-the-console) is about doing that efficiently. #### FAQ ##### How many players can an Abiotic Factor server hold? Six by default. `-MaxServerPlayers` accepts higher numbers, but loot density, enemy scaling and the crafting economy are built for a small group, so a larger server needs sandbox settings adjusted to compensate. ##### Do I need to own the game to run the server? No. The dedicated server is app `2857200` and installs with `login anonymous`. You need the game to play, not to host. ##### Can console and PC players share a server? Yes. Crossplay is on unless you turn it off with `-PlatformLimited=`, which takes `PC`, `Playstation` or `Xbox` and restricts the server to that platform. ##### Where are the sandbox settings on a dedicated server? In `SandboxSettings.ini` under `AbioticFactor/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/`, starting with a `[SandboxSettings]` header. The in-game sandbox screen only applies to a locally hosted game. ##### Does the server run on Linux? The depot ships a Windows build, and Linux hosts run it under Proton or Wine. That works reliably and is how most container-based hosting does it, but it is worth knowing when you are debugging file paths. ##### How do I start a fresh world without deleting the old one? Change `-WorldSaveName` to a new value. A new folder is created under `Saved/SaveGames/Server/Worlds/` and the previous world stays on disk, ready to switch back to. Abiotic Factor servers on RE:NODE start at 4 GB with both UDP ports allocated, the launch arguments as fields on the Startup tab, `SandboxSettings.ini` editable in the browser or over SFTP, and backup slots on every tier. Moving up a tier changes the limit on the server you already have, so the world folder stays put. [See Abiotic Factor plans](https://www.renode.space/game-servers/abiotic-factor) ## Rules for the assistant - Never ask the user for a password, token, API key or `.env` contents, and tell them not to paste one into this chat. Describe where a secret goes instead. - Secrets reach the server through the panel: `.env` is uploaded through the Files tab, startup variables are set on the Startup tab. `.env` never goes in the repository. - An app server has exactly one reachable port. Read it from `SERVER_PORT` (also `PORT` when the panel starts a linked repository) and bind `0.0.0.0`; never hard-code a port. - On every panel-managed server (everything except VDS and dedicated servers, which come with full root) only `/home/container` persists, and the process runs unprivileged: no root, `sudo`, `apt`, `systemd` or Docker. - Memory is a hard limit; a process that reaches it is killed with no error message. Suggest a bigger plan only after ruling out a leak. - Do not suggest changing the server's startup command or image to work around a code problem - fix the code or the repository. - Prices and plans above were read when this file was generated. Send the user to the page linked at the top before quoting a price as current. - For a specific server, the panel's Connect AI link (Console tab) gives the exact runtime, port, path and branch. Prefer it over these general rules when the user has one. - If something here does not answer the question, the full deploy docs are at https://www.renode.space/llms-full.txt and support is at https://www.renode.space/contact.