Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsA Soulmask server that is missing from the browser is often still starting, not broken. Give initialization several minutes, then verify the server process, firewall and router paths before changing saves or reinstalling anything. The default dedicated-server network paths documented by multiple guides are UDP 8777 for game traffic and UDP 27015 for Steam queries; both must be reachable when you self-host. Join failures most often come from a client/server build mismatch, different Workshop-mod lists, or a blocked game port. For startup crashes and registration problems, begin with WS/Saved/Logs/WS.log, and preserve a complete save backup before every patch, mod change or world reset.
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Use this order before changing the world
Work from the least destructive checks to the most destructive. Network and version problems can look like a corrupted save, while a clean-world test is useful only after the original save is protected.
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- Confirm the process is actually running. Watch the server console and allow several minutes for map, database, NPC and Steam registration initialization. A community troubleshooting guide observes that “Nine times out of ten, the server just hasn’t finished starting.”
- Record the configured ports and launch options. Note the game port, Steam query port and any custom values. A client must use the game port, while the browser depends on the query path.
- Check firewalls and NAT. Permit the configured UDP ports in the host firewall and forward them to the server’s private IP on the router. A forward to an old DHCP address silently sends traffic to the wrong machine.
- Check build and mods. Compare the client and server versions, then test one restart with mods disabled before touching the save.
- Read the log. Inspect
WS/Saved/Logs/WS.logfor Steam initialization, registration, bind and permission errors. - Back up before recovery work. Stop the server and copy the complete save directory before renaming folders, restoring backups or testing a new world.
Server does not appear in the browser
Wait for initialization to finish
On a fresh start or after an update, the server must load the map and database, create or load NPC state, and register with Steam. During that period it may not be listed even though the process is healthy. Leave the process running for several minutes and watch for a completed startup indication in the console before editing configuration files.
Verify the query path
Steam browser visibility depends on the query port being reachable. The documented default is UDP 27015; if you changed it on the command line, the same custom value must be opened in the host firewall and forwarded through the router. Check both directions of the NAT rule: the destination must be the machine’s current private IP, and the protocol must be UDP.
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- Confirm the dedicated-server process is listening and has not exited.
- Allow UDP 27015 (or your configured query port) through Windows or Linux firewall rules.
- Forward that port from the public router address to the server’s private address.
- Check that the router is not forwarding to a stale DHCP lease.
- Review
WS/Saved/Logs/WS.logfor Steam registration or bind failures.
Use a direct connection while listing is repaired
A missing browser entry does not prove that game traffic is unavailable. Try the game’s direct-connect option with the server’s public IP and configured game port. If direct connection works, keep the world running and concentrate on UDP 27015, Steam registration and query/NAT rules rather than rebuilding the save. If direct connection also fails, continue with the game-port and version checks below.
Friends cannot connect or receive “Connection to Host Lost”
Check the game port first
The default game port is UDP 8777. The client must target that port, or the custom game-port value used by the server. Open and forward the game port separately from the Steam query port; making 27015 reachable does not make gameplay reachable.
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- Create an inbound UDP rule for that value in the host firewall.
- Forward the same UDP value on the router to the server’s private IP.
- Have the player retry direct connection using the public address and game port.
If the server is behind carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT), the router may not have a routable public address and ordinary port forwarding cannot accept unsolicited inbound traffic. ISP filtering can produce the same timeout. Ask the ISP whether inbound UDP is filtered and whether a real public IPv4 address or an alternative hosting arrangement is available. Do not alter the world save until these network checks are complete.
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Separate network failure from a version failure
Compare the client and server builds after every game update. A browser listing can succeed while a join is rejected because the two sides are on incompatible builds. Have every player fully update, restart the game and retry before changing server files.
Steam initialization errors and startup exits
Read WS.log before relaunching repeatedly
Open WS/Saved/Logs/WS.log immediately after an exit. Search for Steam DLL or API initialization errors, failed registration, address-bind failures and permission errors. The first error in time is usually more useful than the final generic crash line.
Handle Steam API warnings
The dedicated-server documentation describes a “Failed to initialize Steam” warning and recommends using the supplied launch scripts or, where appropriate, the -NOSTEAM launch workaround. Apply that workaround only when the log points to Steam initialization; it is not a general fix for a blocked game port or a bad save.
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Fix ownership and write access on Linux or containers
The service account must be able to read and write the mounted save and log directories. A container README gives 10000:10000 as its default ownership example. Use the UID and GID expected by your image, then verify that the account can create a file in the save directory and append to WS.log. A read-only mount or incorrect ownership can look like a startup crash because the server cannot create databases, lock files or logs.
Check for port binds and duplicate processes
A second instance, another game server or a stale process can already hold the configured UDP port. Stop duplicate instances, confirm the intended process owns the game and query ports, and then start once. If you changed ports on the command line, make sure no service file, container environment variable or shortcut still supplies the old values.
Mod crashes and failed joins
Run a controlled no-mod restart
Workshop mods are a frequent source of crashes after updates. Stop the server, remove or disable the -mod parameter for one controlled restart, and attempt a join with a client that also has no enabled mods. This test changes one major variable without deleting the world.
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Restore mods one at a time
- Confirm the unmodded server starts and a player can join.
- Enable one mod and restart completely.
- Test startup, listing and joining.
- Repeat for each mod until the failing item or combination is identified.
Every client must have the same Workshop subscriptions, enabled mods, versions and load order as the server. A single missing dependency, stale download or different order can cause a join failure even when the server itself appears healthy. After a Workshop update, retest the complete set rather than assuming yesterday’s list remains compatible.
World will not load or the save looks corrupted
Preserve the original save
Stop the server cleanly and copy the entire save directory to a separate location before experimenting. Keep the copy untouched and label it with the date and server build. A partial copy of individual files may omit world metadata needed for recovery.
Restore the newest known-good backup
Restore the most recent backup that was known to load. Start with the same executable and configuration that created it, and leave mods disabled until the backup is confirmed. If it loads, the failure is likely tied to later writes, a mod update or a configuration change; reintroduce changes one at a time.
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Use a clean-world test only after backup
The settings guidance recommends renaming the saved folder only after making a backup. Rename the active saved folder rather than deleting it, start a clean world with mods disabled, and test startup and joining. A clean world that works points toward save data or mod state; a clean world that also fails points toward the executable, permissions, ports or host environment. Restore the preserved save after the test instead of overwriting it.
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Lag and slowdown after several hours
Measure the pattern
Note whether performance worsens with uptime alone or tracks player count, AI/NPC activity, world events or save writes. Record the approximate time of day and number of players when the slowdown begins. This separates a long-uptime degradation from a load spike that needs different tuning.
Use scheduled restarts
Hosting guidance describes gradual long-uptime slowdown as consistent with reported memory-leak behavior and presents a scheduled daily restart as the practical mitigation. Schedule a restart during the quietest period, warn players, stop the process cleanly and allow it to initialize fully before reopening the server. A restart policy is operational maintenance, not proof that a particular hardware component is defective.
Reduce simulation and player load
Lower MaxPlayers if the server regularly approaches its capacity, and reduce expensive simulation settings when those options are available in your configuration. Review save intervals: very frequent writes can create spikes, while very infrequent saves increase the amount of progress at risk during a crash. Adding generic CPU or RAM alone is not a reliable cure when degradation follows uptime.
Port and hosting reference
| Function | Documented default | What must match | Typical symptom when blocked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game traffic | UDP 8777 | Server launch value, host firewall rule, router/NAT forward and client connection value | Timeout or “Connection to Host Lost” |
| Steam query and browser visibility | UDP 27015 | Server launch value, host firewall rule and router/NAT forward | Server absent from the browser |
| Container-specific example | UDP 27050 and UDP 27051 in one dedicated-server README | The image’s documented ports, container publish rules and host firewall | Container runs but cannot register or accept traffic |
The 27050/27051 pair is a container README example, not a replacement for the commonly documented 8777/27015 defaults. Use the values actually supplied by your image or launch configuration and keep every layer consistent.
Self-hosting or managed hosting?
Choose self-hosting when you can administer router and firewall rules, diagnose CGNAT, maintain backups and monitor the process. Managed hosting is worth considering when you need support with network diagnosis, automatic restarts, backup restoration and mod or version updates.
Quick Recap
| Decision area | Questions to answer before choosing |
|---|---|
| Firewall, NAT and CGNAT | Who will open UDP ports, maintain the private-IP forward and investigate ISP restrictions? |
| Backups and restore | Can you make complete, dated save copies and restore one without overwriting the original? |
| Mods and updates | Who keeps server and client builds aligned and handles Workshop changes? |
| Monitoring and restarts | Are crashes detected, logs retained and scheduled restarts available? |
| CPU, RAM and storage | Is there headroom for your player count, NPC activity, saves and log growth? |
| Configuration and logs | Can you access launch options and WS/Saved/Logs/WS.log when a problem occurs? |
Fast symptom-to-fix checklist
- Missing from browser: wait for initialization; verify the process; open and forward UDP 27015; inspect Steam registration logs; use direct connection temporarily.
- “Connection to Host Lost” or timeout: verify UDP 8777 or the custom game port, then check client/server builds, CGNAT and the private-IP forward.
- Immediate exit: read
WS.logfor Steam, bind and permission errors; test the supplied scripts or-NOSTEAMonly when Steam initialization is implicated. - Crash after a Workshop update: restart without
-mod, confirm a clean join, then restore identical mods one at a time. - Corrupted-looking world: stop, copy the complete save, restore a known-good backup, and only then test a clean world.
- Lag after hours: correlate uptime and load, schedule restarts, reduce
MaxPlayersor expensive simulation settings, and review save intervals.
Preventive maintenance
- Keep dated, complete save backups before patches, wipes and mod changes.
- Record the game and query ports in one administrator note so firewall, NAT and launch settings stay synchronized.
- Reserve a stable private IP for the host or update the NAT rule whenever DHCP changes it.
- Keep a known-good mod list and load order for rollback.
- Retain
WS.logfrom failed starts instead of deleting it during repeated retries. - Set a quiet-period restart schedule and communicate it to players.
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