Edit the active PalWorldSettings.ini, not the default template. On Windows it is PalSavedConfigWindowsServerPalWorldSettings.ini; on Linux it is Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini. The files and folders appear after the dedicated server starts. Pocketpair’s Version 1.0.4 guide separates process and discovery controls (startup arguments) from world and gameplay controls (the INI file). This guide explains that split, every option identified in the guide, and safe starting configurations.
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Before changing anything
Stop the server before editing its configuration. Make a copy of the current active INI and save data so a bad value can be reversed. Option names and availability are version-sensitive; re-check Pocketpair’s Server Guide after a game or dedicated-server update. Values in the INI are comma-separated settings inside a single [/Script/Pal.PalGameWorldSettings] section. Preserve that section and the existing syntax when changing a value.
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A practical line might look like ServerName="Weekend Co-op",ServerPassword="your-secret",ExpRate=1.5,bIsPvP=False. Keep quotation marks around text values, use the spelling and capitalization shown by Pocketpair, and do not add a second settings section. If a control is absent from your copied file, compare the current Version 1.0.4 template before adding it rather than guessing a name.
The file you must edit
| Platform | Active configuration path | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Windows dedicated server | PalSavedConfigWindowsServerPalWorldSettings.ini |
Editing DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini, which is only a template |
| Linux dedicated server | Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini |
Editing the template or looking before the first server start creates the directories |
Copy DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini into the platform-specific saved-config directory, rename the copy to PalWorldSettings.ini, then edit that copy. Editing the default file does not apply changes. A hosted control panel may expose the same file through a text editor, but the underlying active path and filename still matter.
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Safe change cycle
- Stop the dedicated-server process cleanly.
- Back up the active INI and the save-data directory.
- Change one related group of values, keeping the original commas, quotation marks and capitalization.
- Start the server and join with a test account.
- Check the server log and verify the result in game before making another batch of changes.
- Record what changed, when it changed and which players were online. That record makes rollback and troubleshooting much faster.
Self-hosting or a managed host?
| Approach | Advantages | Responsibilities |
|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted machine | Full access to files, launch arguments, firewall and hardware | Port forwarding, operating-system updates, backups, monitoring and security |
| Managed Palworld server host | Provisioning, public networking, restart tools and support are usually simpler | Confirm that the plan permits editing PalWorldSettings.ini, changing ports, creating backups and using RCON, REST API and crossplay |
Whether you run the process at home or rent a Palworld dedicated server host, verify those capabilities before moving a world. A provider’s game panel can hide launch arguments or expose only a subset of INI keys. Ask specifically where the active save and configuration are stored, how snapshots are restored, and whether the advertised player count is limited by the plan.
Startup arguments versus PalWorldSettings.ini
Use startup arguments for the server process, network listener and server discovery. Use the INI for world rules, rates, access controls and simulation limits. Mixing the two is a frequent reason an apparently correct change has no effect.
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|---|---|---|
| Listening port | Startup argument | -port=8211 |
| Maximum participants | Startup argument (the documented process setting) | -players=32 |
| Community-server listing | Startup argument | -publiclobby |
| Address shown to the listing | Startup argument | -publicip=your.address and -publicport=xxxx |
| Log format | Startup argument | -logformat=text or -logformat=Json |
| Game-data API process switch | Startup argument | -enable-gamedata-api |
| World rules, passwords and rates | Active INI | ServerPassword, ExpRate, bIsPvP |
-publicport is discovery metadata; it does not change the port on which the server listens. Change -port when you need a different listener, and forward that port through the firewall and router. A listing can therefore display one address while the process is actually listening elsewhere if the arguments are mismatched.
-publicip and -publicport describe the address that community-server discovery should publish. They do not replace router forwarding, firewall rules or the actual -port value. Test from outside your local network instead of relying only on a local connection.
Pocketpair documents -useperfthreads -NoAsyncLoadingThread -UseMultithreadForDS as performance flags, but notes that leaving this parameter unset may improve performance in Version 1.0 and later. Treat these as an experiment, not a universal optimization: benchmark a normal busy period, watch CPU and memory, and keep the configuration that is more stable on your hardware.
Access, identity and multiplayer controls
Names, descriptions and capacity
ServerNameis the name players see in the browser.ServerDescriptionadds identifying text so players know the rules or schedule.ServerPlayerMaxNumsets the player capacity in the world settings. The startup-playersargument is the process-level participant limit; keep the two values aligned when you use both.AdminPasswordgrants administrative privileges. Treat it as a secret and change it if it is exposed.ServerPasswordrequires a password to join. Leave access open only when that is intentional.
Capacity is a policy decision as well as a hardware decision. A small private group may gain nothing from a large cap, while a public listing needs enough room for its advertised community. Set the cap, test simultaneous connections and publish the same number players will actually encounter.
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Crossplay and platform access
CrossplayPlatforms controls which platforms may connect. The documented default is (Steam,Xbox,PS5,Mac). Restrict the list when your community needs a narrower platform mix, and verify the current supported names after updates. Crossplay should be decided before advertising a server because changing platform access can strand players who already created characters there.
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Community listing
Add -publiclobby to advertise a community server. Supply -publicip and -publicport when the address shown to players differs from the machine’s local address. Again, -publicport does not rebind the listener; network forwarding must match -port.
Administration APIs, chat and backups
RCON, REST API and game-data API
RCONEnabledturns remote-console access on or off.RCONPortselects the RCON port.RESTAPIEnabledenables the REST API.RESTAPIPortselects the REST API port.-enable-gamedata-apiis a startup switch for the game-data API and is separate from the INI switches for REST API access.
Expose these ports only when required, restrict them at the firewall, and use strong credentials and network access controls. Enabling an API without securing its port makes server administration an unnecessary attack surface. If a management tool cannot connect, confirm that the feature is enabled, the port is forwarded only where needed, and the tool is using the current address rather than the community-listing metadata.
Chat and join messages
bIsShowJoinLeftMessagedisplays join and leave notifications.ChatPostLimitPerMinutelimits how many chat posts are accepted per minute, helping control spam.bShowPlayerListenables the player list in the ESC menu.
These controls are useful for public servers with many strangers, but they also affect the social feel of a small group. Tell players when chat is rate-limited so a moderation rule is not mistaken for a connection problem.
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Automatic world backups
Set bIsUseBackupSaveData to enable backups. The server creates a backup directory in the save-data directory. Pocketpair documents this cadence: five save data per 30 seconds, six per 10 minutes, 12 per hour and seven per day. Those rolling sets can generate substantial disk activity and storage use, so monitor free space and establish your own retention and off-machine-copy policy.
Backups protect against a bad setting, corruption or an unwanted world event, but they are not a substitute for testing restores. Keep at least one copy outside the live server when the world matters, and make sure your retention process does not delete the only usable save. On a managed host, ask whether the provider’s snapshot system is in addition to, or instead of, the in-game backup directory.
World rules and travel
Player-versus-player and death
bIsPvPenables player-versus-player combat.bHardcoreprevents respawn after death. Use it only when every player understands the permanent consequence.DeathPenaltyaccepts four documented choices:
| Value | What is lost on death |
|---|---|
None |
Nothing |
Item |
All items except equipment |
ItemAndEquipment |
All items, including equipment |
All |
All items and every Pal on the team |
Death penalty and hardcore are separate decisions. A server can have a severe item penalty without preventing respawn, or enable hardcore while using a lighter item rule. Document both settings in the welcome message, especially on a public or crossplay server where players may not know the house rules.
Fast travel and starting location
bEnableFastTravelenables fast travel.bEnableFastTravelOnlyBaseCamprestricts fast travel to base-to-base travel.bIsStartLocationSelectByMapallows a player to choose a starting location on the map.bExistPlayerAfterLogoutdetermines whether a player remains sleeping at the logout location.
Fast travel changes the value of distance, roads and remote resource sites. Base-only travel preserves some logistics while still reducing backtracking. Decide whether players should be vulnerable where they log out before enabling persistent sleeping at the logout location.
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Invaders, voice and randomized spawns
bEnableInvaderEnemycontrols invading enemies.bEnableVoiceChatenables voice chat. The voice-distance settings determine how far players can hear one another; keep those values consistent with the social style of the server.RandomizerTypeacceptsNone,RegionorAll.RandomizerSeedsupplies the seed for randomized Pal spawns, allowing a repeatable world when the same seed and type are used.
Randomized spawns can make a fresh world feel different, but they also change progression expectations. Record the randomizer type and seed with your server notes so a rebuild can reproduce the intended world.
Progression, survival and combat multipliers
Rate settings are multipliers, not flat “minutes” or guaranteed percentages. A value above the normal baseline accelerates or increases the affected output; a lower value slows or reduces it. Change one family at a time and test because several multipliers compound. For example, faster XP, easier capture and faster work speed can remove early-game friction simultaneously, while stronger hunger and stamina depletion can make exploration much harder even when combat damage is unchanged.
| Setting | Controls | Practical effect of increasing it |
|---|---|---|
ExpRate |
Experience gain | Players and Pals progress faster |
PalCaptureRate |
Capture probability | Capturing Pals becomes easier |
PalSpawnNumRate |
Pal spawn quantity | More Pals appear; higher values can hurt performance |
DayTimeSpeedRate |
Day-cycle speed | Day passes faster |
NightTimeSpeedRate |
Night-cycle speed | Night passes faster |
| Pal and player attack multipliers | Damage dealt | Stronger attacks for the affected side |
| Pal and player defense multipliers | Damage resistance | Greater survivability for the affected side |
| Stamina and hunger depletion rates | Resource drain | Higher values increase the rate of depletion, making survival harder |
| Natural and sleep HP regeneration | Health recovery | Faster recovery |
WorkSpeedRate |
Pal work speed | Base tasks complete faster |
| Collection and drop rates | Resource gathering and item drops | More materials or drops from the relevant activity |
PalEggDefaultHatchingTime |
Default egg incubation duration | Eggs hatch sooner when the duration is reduced |
SupplyDropSpan |
Supply-drop interval | Changes how frequently supply drops occur |
Pay particular attention to the direction of the survival settings: increasing a hunger- or stamina-depletion multiplier increases pressure, while increasing regeneration reduces downtime. Egg hatching is a duration setting rather than a generic reward multiplier, so read its unit and test a single egg after changing it. Day and night speed rates are also separate; changing only one can create an unexpectedly long or short half of the cycle.
Combat settings should be evaluated for both sides. Raising player attack without adjusting Pal defense can make human characters disproportionately powerful, while raising Pal attack and lowering player defense can turn ordinary encounters into sudden defeats. Write down the intended difficulty before changing several combat multipliers together.
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| Setting | Limit or behavior | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
BaseCampMaxNum |
Total bases on the server | More bases increase world simulation work |
BaseCampMaxNumInGuild |
Bases per guild; official default 4, maximum 10 | Raising it increases processing load |
BaseCampWorkerMaxNum |
Pals assigned to one base; maximum 50 | More workers raise processing load |
MaxBuildingLimitNum |
Buildings per player; 0 means unlimited |
Unlimited construction can increase save and replication work |
PhysicsActiveDropItemMaxNum |
Maximum physics-enabled dropped items | Higher limits permit more simulated objects |
ItemContainerForceMarkDirtyInterval |
Container UI re-synchronization interval, in seconds | Shorter intervals refresh more often and may add overhead |
ServerReplicatePawnCullDistance |
Pal synchronization distance from players; documented range 5,000–15,000 cm | Longer distances replicate more actors and can cost performance |
PalSpawnNumRate also affects performance. If players report rubber-banding, delayed base activity or rising CPU use, return spawn, worker, base and replication limits toward conservative values before increasing hardware or adding more features. Raising every limit at once makes it difficult to identify the cause and can turn a short event into a persistent simulation problem.
The cull distance is especially relevant on large shared worlds. A longer synchronization range may make distant activity appear more consistently, but it also sends more pawn state to clients. Start inside the documented 5,000–15,000 cm range and change it only after observing real player traffic.
Choosing a practical configuration
| Preset | Progression | Survival and combat | Multiplayer and operations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casual cooperative | Moderately higher XP, capture, collection and work speed | PvP off, light death penalty, normal regeneration | Private password, backups on, conservative limits |
| Hard survival | Near-normal or slower progression and hatching | Hardcore only with consent, meaningful death penalty, stronger hunger and stamina pressure | Base-only travel or no fast travel; communicate rules clearly |
| Competitive public | Consistent rates published in the server description | PvP decision made before launch; balanced attack and defense values | Public listing, aligned player caps, protected APIs, backups and monitoring |
Casual cooperative world
- Keep PvP disabled and choose
DeathPenalty=NoneorItem. - Use moderate XP, capture, collection and work-speed increases rather than maximizing every rate.
- Keep base and worker limits near their documented defaults until the server is stable.
- Enable backups and set a clear password if the server is private.
- Allow normal fast travel unless exploration time is part of the group’s challenge.
Hard survival world
- Enable
bHardcoreonly after explaining that death prevents respawn. - Use a meaningful death penalty, normal or slower regeneration, and carefully chosen hunger and stamina depletion.
- Disable unrestricted fast travel with
bEnableFastTravelOnlyBaseCampif travel is meant to be part of the challenge. - Keep progression changes modest so survival decisions, not instant unlocks, define the difficulty.
Competitive or public community server
- Decide PvP, crossplay and player capacity before publishing the address.
- Use
-publiclobby, and provide the public address with-publicipand-publicportwhile forwarding the actual-port. - Set passwords and administrative access separately; never treat a listing as authentication.
- Enable RCON or the REST API only when needed, protect their ports, and enable backups.
- Publish the death penalty, travel rules, voice-chat behavior and rate multipliers so new players can make an informed choice.
Troubleshooting changes that do not apply
The server ignores every INI edit
Confirm that the file is named exactly PalWorldSettings.ini and is under the active WindowsServer or LinuxServer directory. If you edited DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini, copy it again and edit the active file. Stop the process before saving, then restart it. Check for a second installation or a hosting panel that points to a different instance.
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Only one setting appears to fail
Compare the line with the template for spelling, capitalization, commas, quotes and Boolean format. A malformed value can make the server ignore that option or fail to parse the surrounding list. Restore the last known-good copy, reapply one change and test again rather than editing a long batch blindly.
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The listed port is open but nobody can connect
Check the listener set by -port, firewall and router forwarding. Do not rely on -publicport to open or move the listener; it only tells a community listing which port to display. Test from a separate network and confirm that the public IP is the one players should use.
Players see the wrong capacity
Check both -players and ServerPlayerMaxNum. A lower process-level limit can constrain the server even when the INI value is higher. Restart after changing either setting and make sure a hosting plan has not imposed a separate cap.
Crossplay players cannot join
Review CrossplayPlatforms, the listing mode and the current platform names supported by the server version. Confirm that the public address and port are reachable from the affected platform instead of assuming that a successful local Steam connection proves cross-platform access.
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Reduce PalSpawnNumRate, base count, workers per base, building limits, physics drops or ServerReplicatePawnCullDistance. These settings increase simulation or replication work; raising several at once makes the cause difficult to isolate. Test the documented performance flags separately because Pocketpair notes that leaving them unset may perform better in Version 1.0 and later.
Backups consume unexpected disk space
Inspect the save-data backup directory and account for the documented 30-second, 10-minute, hourly and daily sets. Move or prune copies according to a retention policy only after confirming that the live save is separate and protected. If disk use rises quickly, pause nonessential experiments and verify that the host has enough free space for both active saves and rolling backups.
Operational checklist
- Record the server version and keep a dated copy of the active INI.
- Change one setting family at a time and test with a non-administrator account.
- Verify that player limits, ports and crossplay choices match what you publish.
- Document PvP, hardcore, death-penalty, travel and voice-chat rules for players.
- Watch CPU, memory, tick or simulation symptoms after raising spawn, base, worker or replication values.
- Enable backups before experimenting with irreversible or high-impact rules, and monitor their disk usage.
- Secure RCON and REST API ports at the firewall and disable features you do not use.
- Review the official Version 1.0.4 option list after updates because names, defaults and availability can change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is PalWorldSettings.ini on Windows?
After the dedicated server has started, copy the default template into PalSavedConfigWindowsServer and edit the resulting PalWorldSettings.ini. Changes to DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini do not apply.
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Where is PalWorldSettings.ini on Linux?
Use Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini. Start the server once if the directories do not yet exist, then copy the default template and edit the active copy.
What is the difference between -port and -publicport?
-port selects the listening port. -publicport supplies discovery metadata for a community listing and does not move or open the listener.
How do I change the maximum player count?
Set the startup participant limit with -players=32 or another value, and check ServerPlayerMaxNum in the active INI. Keep both aligned; a lower process-level limit can still constrain connections.
How do I enable PvP or hardcore mode?
Set bIsPvP for player combat and bHardcore for no respawn after death. Restart the server and clearly publish the consequences before inviting players.
Which DeathPenalty value drops everything?
None drops nothing, Item drops items except equipment, ItemAndEquipment drops all items, and All drops all items plus every Pal on the team.
How do I make eggs hatch faster?
Adjust PalEggDefaultHatchingTime, which is a duration setting. Reduce the duration, restart, and test one egg because it is not a generic reward multiplier.
How do I enable backups?
Set bIsUseBackupSaveData to enable them. The server creates a backup directory with documented 30-second, 10-minute, hourly and daily save sets; monitor storage and maintain a separate retention policy.
How do I enable RCON or the REST API safely?
Enable RCONEnabled or RESTAPIEnabled, choose the corresponding port, and restrict access with firewall rules and strong credentials. Disable either feature when it is not required.
Why did increasing Pal spawns or base workers cause lag?
PalSpawnNumRate, base counts, workers per base and replication distance increase simulation or network work. Return them toward conservative values, change one group at a time and measure before raising limits again.
The Bottom Line
For a reliable Palworld server, edit the active copied PalWorldSettings.ini, keep process arguments separate from world rules, and restart after changes. Treat rates as multipliers, publish PvP and death rules clearly, raise simulation limits cautiously, secure RCON and REST API access, and monitor the documented backup cadence and disk usage. Recheck Pocketpair’s Version 1.0.4 guide after every major update.
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