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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallTo keep a Don’t Starve Together dedicated server running while nobody is connected, stop the server, open DoNotStarveTogether/config/server/cluster.ini, and set pause_when_empty = false in the [GAMEPLAY] section. Save the file, then start or restart the server. The change keeps the world simulation advancing between play sessions.
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The exact setting to change
The setting is a cluster-level gameplay option in cluster.ini. Your entry should look like this:
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[GAMEPLAY]
pause_when_empty = falsefalse is the literal value that disables automatic pausing. Keep the key as pause_when_empty, use lowercase false, and place the line in the [GAMEPLAY] section rather than in a shard, client, or unrelated configuration file.
Step-by-step: disable pausing on a dedicated server
- Stop the server completely. Use the server console or your hosting panel’s Stop, Shut Down, or equivalent command. Editing while the process is running can allow the server to overwrite your change when it saves its configuration.
- Open the active cluster configuration. Navigate to
DoNotStarveTogether/config/server/cluster.ini. On a common Linux game-server container, the full path is/home/container/DoNotStarveTogether/config/server/cluster.ini. - Find the gameplay section. Search the file for the heading
[GAMEPLAY]. Configuration headings use square brackets and must remain intact. - Locate the option. Find
pause_when_empty. If the key is already present, edit only its value. If it is absent, addpause_when_empty = falsebeneath[GAMEPLAY]. - Save the file. Confirm that the panel or text editor reports a successful save and that the filename is still
cluster.ini, not a newly created text file such ascluster.ini.txt. - Start or restart the server. The server must load the edited cluster configuration before the new behavior takes effect. If you used a hosting panel, use its normal Start or Restart control rather than merely closing the file editor.
After the restart, disconnect every player and leave the world empty for a period. Reconnect and check whether time-dependent parts of the world have advanced. This is the practical confirmation that the active server loaded the new value.
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What pause_when_empty actually does
The Steam Community dedicated-server guide defines the option as “Pause the server when there are no players connected.” The value determines whether the world simulation stops when the last player leaves.
| Value | When nobody is connected | World-management consequence |
|---|---|---|
true |
The server pauses. | World time and its simulation wait until a player returns. |
false |
The server continues running. | Time-based systems can continue progressing while the server is empty. |
With false, the interval between sessions is no longer a frozen gap. Seasons can advance, spoilage timers can continue, crops can grow or change state, mobs and other simulation elements can progress, and other timed processes can keep running. That behavior is useful when the server is intended to feel persistent rather than waiting for the next login.
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Decide whether continuous simulation is right for your world
Reasons to use false
- Farms and crops: Growth and other time-dependent farm activity can continue between visits instead of waiting for a player to return.
- Timers and scheduled activity: Processes designed to unfold over real elapsed world time can keep advancing while the server is empty.
- Continuous progression: A group that wants one persistent world can let seasons and other simulation systems move forward even when everyone is offline.
Reasons to keep true
- You want a world that waits for players: Pausing prevents the empty period from consuming in-world time.
- Players need a predictable return state: If the group only wants changes to occur during an active session, the default pausing behavior is more appropriate.
- Long absences should not affect the world: Leaving the option enabled prevents unattended progression during a break.
There is no universally correct value. The important distinction is whether your server measures progression by calendar time even when empty, or only while at least one player is present.
Where cluster.ini is located
Self-managed Linux server
Look inside the server’s DoNotStarveTogether/config/server/ directory. A frequently used container layout is:
/home/container/DoNotStarveTogether/config/server/cluster.iniThe leading directory can differ on a self-managed installation, so use the location of the server’s own DoNotStarveTogether data directory. The important path components are DoNotStarveTogether, then config, then server, followed by cluster.ini.
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Managed game-server host
A managed provider normally exposes the same file through a control panel. Depending on the provider, look for labels such as Files, Configuration, or File Manager. Open the server’s configuration area, enter DoNotStarveTogether/config/server/, and edit the cluster’s cluster.ini there.
Some panels offer a dedicated settings form instead of a raw editor. If the panel exposes pause_when_empty, set it to the equivalent false/off value and save. If it does not, use the file manager and edit the INI line directly. Apply the change through the panel rather than editing a local copy that the provider will never load.
Do not edit the wrong file
A client configuration, an old backup, or an inactive cluster can look similar but have no effect on the running world. Confirm that the file belongs to the cluster selected by the server’s startup configuration and that it is under config/server. If the provider uses several clusters, check which one your server instance actually starts.
Formatting rules that prevent a failed change
- Use the exact key:
pause_when_emptycontains underscores and no extra spaces or punctuation in the name. - Use a Boolean value: enter the lowercase word
false, notFalse,0,off, or a quoted string. - Keep the section header: the line belongs under
[GAMEPLAY]. Do not remove the brackets or rename the section. - Preserve the INI file: do not save the document with a second extension or replace it with a rich-text format.
- Change only the intended option: unrelated gameplay values can alter the world in ways that are difficult to diagnose.
A complete minimal excerpt can therefore be written as:
[GAMEPLAY]
pause_when_empty = falseIf the section already contains other options, leave them in place and add or edit this line without deleting neighboring settings.
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Restarting and verifying the result
Why a restart is required
The dedicated server reads its cluster settings when it starts. A panel can show the edited text immediately while the running process continues using the old value. Stop the server before editing, save the file, and then start or restart it so the process loads the new configuration.
A practical verification sequence
- Start the server after saving the file.
- Join once to confirm that the intended cluster and world load normally.
- Have every player disconnect so the server is empty.
- Leave enough real time for a visible world change, such as a clock, season, crop state, spoilage state, or another timer-driven element, to differ from the moment everyone left.
- Reconnect and inspect the world. Continued progression indicates that the active configuration is using
false.
A short disconnect may not produce an obvious visual difference, so lack of an immediate change is not by itself proof that the setting failed. Use a meaningful interval and make sure no player remains connected, including an unattended client.
Multi-shard and multi-machine clusters
pause_when_empty is a cluster-level gameplay setting, but a cluster can contain multiple shards or run across more than one machine. In those arrangements, do not assume that editing whichever cluster.ini you find first is sufficient.
- Identify the authoritative cluster: follow the host’s startup or cluster-management instructions to determine which configuration the running instance reads.
- Check shard rules: the Steam dedicated-server guidance notes that some settings are master-only while others must match in each
cluster.ini. Follow the rule used by your particular cluster layout. - Keep required copies consistent: if the host requires matching settings across shards, apply the same line to each authoritative configuration rather than changing only one machine.
- Restart the complete arrangement as required: restarting one process may not reload a setting that is controlled by a master or shared cluster service.
If you are unsure which file is authoritative, ask the provider for the active cluster and shard paths before making changes. A correct value in an inactive copy has the same effect as no change at all.
Troubleshooting when the world still pauses
The key or value is misspelled
Reopen the active file and verify the exact text pause_when_empty = false. Check for a missing underscore, an extra character, capitalization, or a value such as False or 0. The expected value is the literal lowercase false.
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The edit was made in the wrong location
Confirm that you edited DoNotStarveTogether/config/server/cluster.ini for the running cluster. A client file, an inactive backup, or another cluster’s directory will not change the server you are joining.
The server was not stopped before editing
Stop the process, make the edit again, save it, and then restart. A running server or an orderly shutdown can write its in-memory configuration back to disk, undoing a change made during play.
The panel restored a template
Some managed panels regenerate configuration files from a template or startup profile. After restarting, inspect the file again. If the line reverted, use the panel’s configuration mechanism or ask the provider how to make the value persistent instead of repeatedly editing a generated copy.
The wrong cluster or shard was restarted
In a multi-shard setup, verify that the server process you restarted is the one that owns the world you are testing. Check the active cluster selection and apply the host’s required master-only or per-shard procedure.
Players were not actually all disconnected
The setting applies when there are no players connected. Check for another player, an unattended game client, or a connection to a different shard before judging the result. Test again with every player fully disconnected.
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Managed-host checklist before you choose a setup
If you are selecting or evaluating a managed Don’t Starve Together server, the provider’s ability to expose this one setting is a useful test of how much control you will have over the world. Confirm the following before committing to a plan:
- Panel support: can you edit
cluster.inithrough a Files, Configuration, or File Manager interface? - Clean lifecycle controls: can you stop, start, and restart the server without relying on a forced process termination?
- File access: can you download, edit, and verify the active configuration rather than only changing a limited set of form fields?
- Shard support: does the service support the number and arrangement of shards your cluster needs?
- Geographic location: is the server location suitable for the players who will connect?
- Price: what recurring charge applies to the selected resources and configuration?
- Backups: can you restore the cluster configuration and world data if a setting change or template update causes a problem?
Providers publish different procedures for editing this setting, so use the instructions for your specific panel and confirm how configuration persistence works. A host that hides the active file may still support the option, but you need a documented way to set and verify it.
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Common mistakes to avoid
- Changing a local client file: the server’s cluster configuration controls the dedicated world; a client-side edit does not.
- Editing an inactive backup: similarly named copies are harmless unless the server starts from them.
- Saving while the server is online: the process can overwrite your change during a save or shutdown.
- Using the wrong Boolean syntax: keep the value as lowercase
false. - Forgetting the restart: an unscheduled panel save does not necessarily reload a running process.
- Changing every shard blindly: some settings are master-only, while others must match across cluster files; follow the rule for your topology.
- Expecting paused behavior after disabling it: once set to
false, seasons, spoilage, crops, mobs, and other timers may advance while nobody is online. That is the intended result, not a malfunction.
Configuration example for reference
When you open the active file, the relevant portion should contain the gameplay heading followed by the option:
[GAMEPLAY]
pause_when_empty = falseDo not copy the excerpt over the entire file if it already contains other settings. Edit the existing key or insert this line in the existing [GAMEPLAY] section, save, and restart the server.
When to switch the option back
You can restore the original behavior at any time by stopping the server and changing the line to:
pause_when_empty = trueSave and restart again. The world will then pause whenever no players are connected. This is useful when your group wants elapsed time to stop between sessions rather than allowing unattended seasons, spoilage, crop changes, mob activity, or other timers to continue.
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