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Server-side mods run in the server process and usually do not need to be installed by every player. Client-side mods run only in an individual player’s game client and must be installed by that player. Universal mods run in both places and belong to the server’s required mod set. The distinction matters because the server owns shared rules and world data, while the client owns local controls, HUD elements, camera behavior and rendering. A mod can appear to work in single-player yet fail in multiplayer if it reads settings from the wrong side.
The three mod categories in Vintage Story
Vintage Story’s dedicated-server documentation separates mods by where their code executes. A server process and each connected client can load different code, so the side label is more important than a mod’s filename or what happened in a local world.
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| Mod type | Where it executes | Who installs it | What it normally changes | Can the server provide it automatically? | Removal risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Server-side | Dedicated server only | Server administrator | Shared world state, rules, simulation and server-controlled systems | Yes, when the server marks it as part of the required mod set | Can affect saved blocks, items, entities or world-generation data |
| Client-side | One player’s game client | Each player who wants the feature | HUD, controls, camera, rendering and other local presentation | No; players install these themselves | Usually limited to that player’s local experience |
| Universal (both-side) | Server and every participating client | Server administrator and clients, either manually or through server setup | Features that need shared logic plus client presentation | Yes, for the server-required portion and compatible client files | May affect persisted world content when it adds game objects or generation |
Ownership is the quickest way to classify a mod
Ask whether the feature changes something every player must agree on. A new block, item, creature, recipe, world-generation rule or gameplay calculation belongs to the server because the server is authoritative for the shared world. A personal minimap overlay, camera adjustment, keybinding helper or rendering effect can generally remain client-side because it changes only one player’s view or controls.
This is a rule of thumb, not a substitute for the mod listing. Some projects package server and client code together. Read the listing’s side label and required Vintage Story version before copying files.
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Why Vintage Story has both a server and a client instance
Vintage Story’s ModSystem is instantiated once on the server and once on each client. In a dedicated multiplayer session these are separate processes, often on different computers. In single-player they run together on one machine, which can conceal a side mistake: code may find a setting or service locally that would not exist on a remote client.
What the server controls
- The authoritative world state, including blocks, items, entities, inventories and simulation rules.
- World-generation decisions and rules that must produce the same result for all players.
- Permission, progression and other shared gameplay decisions.
- Server configuration and the mod list required for a particular world.
What the client controls
- HUD and menu presentation, local overlays and visual indicators.
- Input mapping, camera behavior and accessibility-oriented presentation changes.
- Rendering choices that do not alter the authoritative world.
- Per-player preferences that should not be stored as shared world state.
Why universal mods exist
A mod that adds a new gameplay system may need the server to calculate outcomes and the client to display controls or effects. Such a project is neither purely server-side nor purely client-side. Treat it as universal: the server needs its copy, and each participating client needs a compatible client copy. If the listing says both sides are required, a player who installs only the server copy may still be unable to join or may see missing interfaces.
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Single-player starts the server and client contexts together. That shared data path can make a mod look correct even when the client is not reading its own settings. The Vintage Story wiki’s server/client guidance warns that a server thread might read a configuration successfully while the client thread would fail to find it in multiplayer.
A reliable local split test
- Install the dedicated server files and choose a separate data directory for the test server.
- Launch
VintageStoryServer.exe --dataPath "C:VS-TestServer"on Windows. The quoted folder is an example; use a directory that is separate from your normal game data. - Place server-side and universal mod ZIP files in the test server’s
Modsfolder. - Leave client-only files in the normal client data path and install them in the client’s usual
Modsfolder. - Start the server, connect the game client to
localhost, and test the feature as a multiplayer client.
This split exposes assumptions about file paths, configuration ownership and side-specific APIs. If the mod works in single-player but fails in this test, inspect which context is supposed to load the setting or perform the operation instead of copying the same file into every folder.
Where to put Vintage Story server mods
For a dedicated server, use the Mods directory inside the server’s active data path. If you launched the server with --dataPath, use that selected data directory rather than the client installation’s folder. A server administrator should keep server files and client files conceptually separate even when the machine hosts both.
Server-side and universal files
- Confirm the mod supports the exact Vintage Story version running on the server.
- Read the listing’s side label. Server-side and universal mods belong in the server’s
Modsfolder. - Copy the downloaded
.zipfile into that folder. - Keep the ZIP intact unless the mod’s own instructions explicitly require another format. The official adding-mods guide says, “Do not extract the mod zip.”
- Restart the server. Watch startup and connection logs for a load confirmation or an incompatibility error.
The official wiki summarizes the basic operation as downloading the mod and dragging it to the game’s Mods folder. On a dedicated server, “the game’s” folder means the server’s active data path, not automatically the administrator’s personal client folder.
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Client-only files
Install a client-only mod in the normal client data path on the computer of the player who wants it. Do not wait for the server to send it: client-only presentation and input mods are not automatically distributed as part of the server’s required files. Other players can remain without that local feature unless the mod listing says the project is universal.
Joining a modded server
Starting with Vintage Story 1.16, joining a multiplayer server that offers a modded game can automatically create a per-server client folder under %AppData%RoamingVintagestoryDataModsByServer on Windows. This keeps server-specific files separate from the player’s general client mod collection. Automatic setup does not remove the need to check compatibility or install independent client-only tools manually.
How automatic mod distribution works
The server can identify files needed for the modded game and provide compatible server-required content to connecting clients. This is why a player may join a modded server without manually building the entire server’s mod folder. The mechanism is intended for the server’s required set, not for every optional client enhancement a player might use.
- A server-side mod remains a server responsibility; players normally do not install a second copy merely to connect.
- A universal mod requires compatible code on both sides. The server can help place the client portion when the mod is offered through the server’s required set.
- A client-only mod is a personal installation. The server does not promise to distribute it.
- Exact game-version compatibility still matters even when files are downloaded automatically.
When a server administrator updates a file but a client appears to retain an older copy with the same filename, the official adding-mods guidance recommends leaving the server, deleting that server’s subfolder under ModsByServer, and reconnecting. The client can then download the current files afresh.
Version matching is a hard requirement
Check two versions before troubleshooting anything else: the Vintage Story version reported by the server and the version range named by every mod. Hosting guidance also requires the mod and server versions to match. A file that loads in one game release may fail at startup, prevent joining or crash when a changed API is called in another release.
What to record before installing
- The server’s exact Vintage Story version.
- The mod’s supported game-version range and release version.
- Whether the mod is server-side, client-side or universal.
- Whether it adds persistent blocks, items, entities or world-generation data.
- Whether the author requires a dependency or a particular load order.
The Vintage Story Wiki’s server/client considerations page was last verified for Vintage Story 1.19.8. That verification date describes the page’s guidance, not a promise that every mod supports 1.19.8; always use the version information on the individual mod listing.
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Troubleshooting by symptom
| Symptom | Likely cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing loads after installation | The ZIP is in the wrong data path, the side label was misread, or the server was not restarted | Verify the active server or client Mods folder, confirm the side classification, keep the ZIP intact and restart |
| Players cannot join or the game crashes | A mod does not support the server’s Vintage Story version or a required side copy is missing | Compare the server version with every mod’s supported version, remove incompatible files and install the required universal/client component |
| An updated file with the same name is not arriving | The client retained the previous per-server download | Leave the server, delete that server’s ModsByServer subfolder and reconnect |
| Single-player works but multiplayer fails | Code or settings were read from the combined single-player data path instead of the correct side | Run the separate-data-path server test, then move shared-state logic to the server and local presentation logic to the client |
| A feature is visible to one player but not another | It is client-side or universal and is installed only on one client | Check the listing and install the client component for each player who needs the feature |
Read logs before changing several things
Restart after a controlled change and inspect the server and client logs. Change one mod group at a time so the first incompatible file remains identifiable. A clean restart after correcting the folder or version is more informative than repeatedly launching with several unverified ZIPs.
Updating or removing mods without damaging a world
Mod maintenance is also world maintenance. Before changing a live server, announce the maintenance window and make a backup. Then update or remove one logical group at a time, restart, and read the logs before allowing players back in.
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- Stop or schedule a controlled server shutdown.
- Back up the world and the current server
Modsfolder. - Change one mod or one compatible set of dependencies.
- Restart and verify that the server reaches a normal ready state.
- Connect with a test account and inspect affected areas or systems.
- Only then continue with the next update or removal.
Removing a mod can leave a world containing blocks, items, entities or world-generation data supplied by that mod. A server may start while saved content is missing or behaves differently, so retain the backup and consult the mod’s migration notes before removing anything that contributed persistent data.
Running mods on a rented or managed server
The important question is not the host’s brand but whether its control panel gives you the operations Vintage Story modding requires. Before choosing a service, verify that you can:
- Open or upload files to the server’s
Modsfolder. - Select the exact Vintage Story game version required by the mod set.
- Restart the server on demand after installing or updating a ZIP.
- Create and restore world backups.
- View startup, connection and crash logs.
A control panel that hides the data path, blocks ZIP uploads or offers no restart and log access turns ordinary side or version errors into support tickets. File access and recovery controls matter more than a short setup wizard.
A practical decision checklist
Use this sequence whenever you add a mod or diagnose a multiplayer problem:
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- Identify the feature’s owner: shared world and rules belong to the server; local display and input belong to the client.
- Read the mod listing’s explicit side label instead of inferring it from the feature name.
- Confirm the exact Vintage Story version and any dependencies.
- Place the ZIP, still compressed, in the correct active
Modsfolder. - Restart the server and inspect logs.
- Connect from a client and test the feature in multiplayer, not only in a single-player world.
- If the client has a stale same-name file, clear that server’s
ModsByServerfolder and reconnect. - Back up before updates or removals, especially for mods that add persistent world content.
The Vintage Story ecosystem contains 1,000 or more player-made modifications, according to the Vintage Story Wiki page accessed in 2026. With that many projects and differing release histories, treating the side label and supported game version as installation requirements is safer than assuming that every ZIP behaves alike.
Compare the two sides before you install
Six questions resolve most installation decisions quickly:
| Question | Server-side answer | Client-side answer |
|---|---|---|
| Where does code execute? | In the dedicated server process | In one player’s game client |
| Who needs a copy? | The administrator operating the world | Each player who wants the local feature |
| What does it change? | Shared state, simulation and rules | Presentation, controls and personal preferences |
| Can the server distribute it? | Usually, when it is in the required set | No; optional client-only tools are self-installed |
| What compatibility matters? | Server version and server-side dependencies | Client version plus any required universal component |
| What happens if removed? | Saved world content may be affected | Usually only that player’s local experience changes |
Universal mods occupy both columns. They are the right choice when a shared mechanic must be calculated authoritatively but also needs a client interface, renderer or input hook.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Putting files in the installation directory: the active data path, especially one selected with
--dataPath, determines whichModsfolder the server reads. - Extracting every ZIP: the official guide says to leave the mod archive intact unless its instructions say otherwise.
- Assuming automatic downloads cover everything: server-required files may be offered to clients, but a personal HUD or camera mod still belongs on the player’s machine.
- Copying a server-only mod into every client: extra files do not turn a server feature into a client feature and can create version or loading conflicts.
- Updating several mods at once: if the server then fails, logs cannot identify which change caused it. Change one compatible group at a time.
- Deleting a mod without a backup: blocks, items, entities and world-generation data can remain in saved worlds after the file is removed.
Keeping a modded server maintainable
Keep a written inventory of the server’s Vintage Story version, each ZIP filename, its side classification and its supported release range. Give players a short maintenance notice before restarts, and tell them whether a change affects only the server or requires a client reconnect. For a local staging test, use a separate --dataPath and a copy of the world so experiments cannot alter the live save.
When a player reports a failure, collect the exact symptom, the game version, the mod version and whether the problem occurs in single-player, on connection or after joining. That information narrows the issue to side ownership, version compatibility, stale per-server files or persistent-world migration instead of prompting blind reinstallations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do players need to install the same mods as the Vintage Story server?
Not always. Server-side mods normally stay on the server. Players need compatible client files for universal mods, while optional client-only mods must be installed individually by anyone who wants them.
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Why does my mod work in single-player but fail in multiplayer?
Single-player runs a server and client together on one machine, so a setting can be found through the shared data path. In multiplayer, the client may need its own copy or configuration. Test with a separate server data path and connect to localhost.
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Put server-side and universal ZIP files in the Mods folder inside the server’s active data path. If you use --dataPath, that selected directory is the one that matters.
Should I extract a Vintage Story mod ZIP?
No. The official adding-mods guide says to place the ZIP in the Mods folder without extracting it, unless the mod’s own instructions explicitly require another format.
Will a modded server automatically install client-only mods?
No. Starting with Vintage Story 1.16, joining a server can set up server-required files in a per-server ModsByServer folder, but optional HUD, camera, control and rendering mods remain the player’s responsibility.
What should I do when an updated same-name mod is not downloading?
Leave the server, delete that server’s subfolder under ModsByServer, and reconnect. This clears the cached per-server copy so the current file can be downloaded again.
Can removing a server mod corrupt a world?
It can affect saved content. Mods may add blocks, items, entities or world-generation data that remain in the world. Back up first, review migration notes and test the removal before reopening the server to everyone.
What should a hosting provider offer for modded Vintage Story?
Require access to the server’s Mods folder, exact game-version selection, on-demand restarts, restorable backups and visible startup and crash logs. Without those controls, routine compatibility problems are harder to diagnose.
The Bottom Line
Use the server for shared truth, the client for local presentation, and both sides for universal mods. Read the mod’s explicit side label, match the exact Vintage Story version, keep ZIP files intact, test with a split local server when single-player is misleading, and back up before changing anything that may have written persistent world data.
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