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SkyFactory 4 Level Types Explained for Server Owners

A practical guide to SkyFactory 4 world-generation presets, their progression differences, and the exact server.properties workflow for creating the right map.
Length8 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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SkyFactory 4’s level type determines how a new world is generated and which ruleset that world uses; it is not a difficulty slider. For most servers, Classic is the baseline tree-based skyblock start. Choose Skygrid for a block-grid challenge, Compactsky for a confined progression start, Lostcities for floating glass biodomes, or a themed preset when your group wants a specific constraint. On a dedicated server, the choice is made with both generator-settings and level-type, and changing it requires generating a new world.

What “level type” means in SkyFactory 4

In Minecraft server terminology, a level type is the world-generation preset used when the world folder is created. SkyFactory 4 uses that setting for much more than terrain shape: presets can change the starting workspace, resource access, advancement path and intended style of play. The result is a different ruleset and progression experience, not merely a different seed.

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Maintained server documentation lists more than 30 SkyFactory 4 world types, while the official project listing describes additional world types and modes as continuing content. The exact menu names and availability can therefore differ between pack versions. Check the version installed on your server before promising players a particular preset. MineYourMind’s SkyFactory 4 server documentation records the “30+ world types” figure, and the official CurseForge listing documents the project’s ongoing world and mode additions.

Classic: the normal SkyFactory 4 starting point

What players get

Classic is the familiar tree-based skyblock opening. Players begin with a small floating start and build outward through resource automation, crafting chains and advancements. It is the easiest preset to explain to new players because most SkyFactory 4 guides, server tutorials and progression discussions assume this style of start.

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When Classic is the right choice

  • Choose it for a conventional cooperative SkyFactory playthrough.
  • Use it when your players expect the standard early-game tree and resource progression.
  • Prefer it for a public server where you want the largest pool of compatible guides and troubleshooting advice.

Classic is not automatically “easy.” SkyFactory 4 still expects players to automate resources and follow modded advancement chains; Classic simply supplies the baseline environment those systems were designed around.

SkyFactory 4 level types by purpose

The following groups are more useful than memorising every preset name. They compare the dimensions that matter to a server owner: available working space, resource and automation constraints, progression rules, multiplayer risk and the kind of run each preset supports.

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Preset or family Starting environment What changes for progression Best fit
Classic Tree-based skyblock start Standard SkyFactory 4 resource and advancement route General cooperative servers and first playthroughs
Skygrid Blocks and resources arranged in an infinite grid Movement, collection and safe expansion become the central constraints Experienced groups seeking a more dangerous, spatial challenge
Compactsky A 3×3×3 starting box that expands through progression Space is deliberately gated; automation must be planned around expansion Small groups and players who enjoy strict building limits
Lostcities Floating glass biodomes The environment changes the way players establish a base and obtain resources A skyblock run with a city-like or enclosed visual setting
Tutorial A guided starting setup Dedicated tutorial advancements direct early actions New players or a teaching server
Peace Out SkyFactory environment with a pacifist objective The advancement route supports avoiding hostile-player choices and combat-oriented play Players wanting a pacifist challenge
Prestige-oriented setups Environment depends on the selected world type Mods, items and mechanics can be locked behind prestige progression Long-running servers that want a gated, replayable route
Themed presets Examples include villages, oceans, lava, bedrock, stone, TNT and low-light conditions The theme imposes a specific survival or building constraint Events, challenge maps and groups with a clearly defined gimmick

Skygrid, Compactsky, Tutorial, Peace Out and the other named presets should not be advertised as cosmetic variations. SkyFactory 4’s language resources contain dedicated advancement text for several of these modes, including Tutorial, Skygrid, Compact Machines, Pacifist and Prestige, which indicates that their progression expectations differ from Classic. The project’s English language resources expose those mode-specific advancement names.

How to choose a level type for a multiplayer server

For a first or public server

Use Classic unless your server description explicitly promises another experience. It gives players the least surprising opening, makes support questions easier to answer and avoids forcing newcomers to learn a special map rule before they understand SkyFactory’s core automation loop.

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For a challenge-focused group

Pick Skygrid when the challenge should come from navigation, exposed platforms and a distributed resource layout. Pick Compactsky when the challenge should come from limited floor space and staged expansion. These are different kinds of difficulty: Skygrid changes how players travel and collect, while Compactsky changes how they design and schedule automation.

For teaching or a relaxed run

Tutorial is the natural teaching option because its advancement text is designed to direct players through early actions. Peace Out suits a group that wants to avoid a combat-centred playstyle while still following a structured objective.

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For an event or themed season

Village, ocean, lava, bedrock, stone, TNT and low-light presets work best when the theme is part of the event rules. Tell players the constraint before they join: a lava- or TNT-themed world can affect safe building and recovery in ways that are difficult to reverse once the season starts.

For a long progression season

Consider enabling Prestige as a separate progression decision rather than treating it as another terrain type. Prestige can lock mods, items and mechanics and gives players an open-ended route through advancements or the Parabox. It is suitable when the server wants progression to continue after the basic automation milestones.

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Setting the level type on a dedicated server

Back up the world before changing anything. A level type is applied during world creation; reusing an existing world does not safely convert it to another preset. The hosting procedure documented by Shockbyte is to stop the server, edit both generation fields, change the world name, and then start the server so Minecraft creates a fresh world. Follow the same sequence on a control panel or a self-hosted installation. Shockbyte’s SkyFactory 4 level-type guide provides the documented field values and workflow.

1. Stop the server and make a backup

Shut the server down cleanly rather than editing files while it is running. Copy the current world folder and server.properties somewhere outside the live server directory. A backup gives you a way to return to the original world if the new preset is wrong or a player needs old builds restored.

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2. Edit both generation settings

Open server.properties and set the two related fields. For the standard Classic preset, the documented combination is:

generator-settings={"Topography-Preset":"Sky Factory 4"}
level-type=DEFAULT

Keep the JSON punctuation, capitalization and spacing required by your server version. The spelling shown above is the Classic example from the hosting guide; other presets may require a different Topography preset value. If the pack or server documentation for your exact version uses different capitalization, follow that version-specific spelling instead of copying a value from an older installation.

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3. Change the world name

Set level-name to a new folder name, or rename the old world folder only after it has been backed up. This is the step that prevents the server from simply reopening the existing world with its old terrain. Do not delete the original until the new map has loaded and you have verified the result.

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4. Save, start and verify

Save server.properties, start the server and join as an operator. Confirm the spawn environment, check that the expected advancements are present and test a few early resource interactions before inviting the whole group. Keep the previous world backup until the new map has been accepted.

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Why a server generated a normal world instead of SkyFactory skyblock

The existing world was reused

If level-name still points to an existing world folder, Minecraft will load that world rather than generate terrain from the new settings. Stop the server, restore the backup if necessary, choose a new world name and start again.

Only one of the two fields was changed

generator-settings and level-type work together for the documented Classic setup. A correct Topography value paired with an incompatible level type, or the reverse, can produce an unexpected generation result. Check both lines character by character.

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The value does not match the installed pack version

Preset names and availability can vary by SkyFactory 4 version. Compare the exact installed pack version with the relevant server documentation, including capitalization and punctuation. The official listing’s continuing-content language is why a preset shown in one guide may not appear identically in another release.

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The wrong configuration file was edited

Control panels sometimes expose multiple server instances or templates. Confirm that the file belongs to the running SkyFactory 4 instance, restart after saving, and inspect the startup log for the effective world name and generation settings.

The map was generated successfully but looks unfamiliar

Not every non-Classic preset resembles the floating-tree opening. Skygrid, Compactsky and Lostcities intentionally have different starting spaces, and themed worlds may look like villages, oceans, lava fields, bedrock or stone. Verify the selected preset against its intended description before treating a different-looking spawn as a failure.

Prestige: a separate progression switch

Prestige is optional and should be explained to players before the world opens. The official project description says it can unlock mods, items and mechanics through an open progression path; points can be earned from advancements or the Parabox. The project configuration states that Prestige Mode can be toggled per world, so a server owner can decide whether the selected world uses that gated progression. The project’s prestige.cfg documents the configuration switch.

Prestige points and unlocks persist across prestige-enabled worlds. In multiplayer, however, prestige applies only to that server, not to a player’s progress on unrelated servers. Players moving between servers should therefore expect each server’s prestige state to be independent. The mechanics and point behaviour are summarised in the SkyFactory 4 Prestige points reference.

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Server-owner checklist before launch

  • Record the exact SkyFactory 4 pack version and the preset name shown by that version.
  • Decide whether the server is Classic, a challenge preset, a tutorial run or a themed event.
  • Tell players whether Prestige Mode is enabled and what that means for locked content.
  • Stop the server before editing server.properties.
  • Back up the existing world and configuration.
  • Set both generator-settings and level-type.
  • Use a new level-name so the selected generator actually creates a fresh map.
  • Start privately, verify the spawn and advancements, then open the server to players.
  • Keep the old world backup until the new generation and progression have been accepted.

Bottom line for choosing a preset

Choose Classic for the standard SkyFactory 4 experience. Choose Skygrid when the grid itself should be the challenge, Compactsky when space management should gate progression, Lostcities when biodomes fit the server’s theme, Tutorial when players need guided onboarding, and Peace Out for a pacifist objective. Treat village, ocean, lava, bedrock, stone, TNT and low-light worlds as deliberate event rules, not interchangeable seeds. Whatever you select, configure both generation fields and create a new world; a level type cannot safely retrofit terrain into an already generated map.

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