Soulmask Tribe Management Guide for Dedicated Servers (2026)

Manage Soulmask tribes through two separate configuration layers: launch arguments control server identity and runtime behavior, while gameplay and tribe limits are stored in WS/Saved/GameplaySettings/GameXishu.json. To change a tribe limit safely, stop the server, back up the save and JSON file, edit the relevant value, restart, and verify the effective setting in game.

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How Soulmask dedicated-server settings are divided

Administrators usually look in the wrong place because Soulmask does not keep every server option in one file. The documented configuration split is:

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• Launch arguments: server name, ports, passwords, maximum players, PvE or PvP mode, save interval, and backup interval.
• GameXishu.json: gameplay coefficients and tribe-related limits, including values under the Management_Kunnan section.

GamezServers’ technical documentation describes this same division: command-line options establish the server and its runtime controls, while GameXishu.json supplies gameplay multipliers and tribe settings. Changing a launch flag will not alter a tribe-member cap, and editing the gameplay file will not change the server’s public name or listening port.

Where GameXishu.json is located

In a dedicated-server installation, the file is at:

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WS/Saved/GameplaySettings/GameXishu.json

The path is relative to the server’s installation or instance directory. Managed hosts may expose it through a file manager instead of a normal desktop folder. If you cannot see it, stop the instance first and look in the server’s actual save/configuration tree rather than the client installation. Do not create a second copy elsewhere: the server reads the copy inside its active WS/Saved directory.

Changing the maximum number of tribe members

The tribe-player cap is a gameplay setting, so edit GameXishu.json, not a launch parameter. A developer-template reference for dedicated-server package build 25117130 lists a tribe member cap of 20 in Management_Kunnan. That is a reference value for that package build, not a promise that every template or future build uses the same number.

1. Shut down the server cleanly. Use the hosting panel’s stop action or the normal server shutdown procedure. Editing while the process is writing the file can result in a lost change or a malformed JSON file.
2. Back up both data sources. Copy the current save directory and WS/Saved/GameplaySettings/GameXishu.json to a dated backup location. Keep the original file unchanged so you can roll back.
3. Open the active JSON file. Use a text editor that preserves UTF-8 and JSON punctuation. Find the Management_Kunnan object and identify the tribe-player or tribe-member value used by your template. Do not change unrelated coefficients in the same pass.
4. Change one related value group. Enter the intended integer, preserve commas and braces, and avoid adding comments because standard JSON does not support them. If your editor has JSON validation, run it before saving.
5. Save, then restart the server. The documented behavior is that gameplay-file edits are applied on the next start, not while the process is running.
6. Verify the effective result. Join with an account that can inspect tribe information, check the in-game tribe interface, or use an administrative inspection command such as gm ShowInfo. Record the value, package build, and template name in your server notes.

If the number reverts, first confirm that you edited the file belonging to the running instance and that the host did not restore a template copy during startup. Then compare the active file with your backup and check the server log for JSON or permission errors. A successful save alone does not prove that the server loaded the value.

Default tribe and creature limits

The following figures are published configuration defaults, not universal hard limits. They can differ by game mode, official template, host configuration, and build. Restart the server and verify the effective values after any change.

The Soulsmask Systems Wiki documents explicit permitted ranges and defaults for settings such as TribalExplorationKaiGuan across multiple official templates. That is why copying a value from another server can produce an invalid or ineffective configuration: the same setting may have a different allowed range, default, or template name. Treat a template’s own permitted range as authoritative for that installation.

Launch arguments you should configure separately

Use launch arguments for server-level controls rather than gameplay coefficients. Exact panel labels differ between self-hosted scripts and managed control panels, but the underlying options normally include:

• Server name and identity shown in the browser.
• Game and query ports.
• Server password and other connection credentials.
• Maximum concurrent players.
• PvE or PvP mode.
• Automatic save interval.
• Automatic backup interval.

Keep a written copy of the final command line or panel values. This makes a migration or restore reproducible and prevents an upgrade from silently dropping a flag. Passwords should not be posted in screenshots, public issue reports, or shared configuration repositories.

Becoming an administrator

Local dedicated-server method

For a locally managed server, define an administrative password at launch with:

-adminpsw="YourStrongPassword"

After the server is fully online:

1. Connect to the server with an account that can open the in-game console.
2. Open the console using the key bound to console input in your current client and keyboard layout.
3. Run gm key YourStrongPassword.
4. Confirm that the GM panel or administrative controls become available.

Use a long password that is different from the player join password. If gm key is rejected, check that the launch argument was applied to the running process, that capitalization matches, and that you joined the intended server instance. Restart after correcting the argument; changing a panel field without restarting may leave the old process running.

Telnet and RCON for remote operations

The administrative reference also documents loopback Telnet on the server’s EchoPort. Loopback means the service is reachable from the machine hosting the game server, not automatically from the public internet. If you need remote access, use a secured tunnel or an access method that keeps the port off the open internet; do not broadly expose a Telnet endpoint.

RCON is configured with the launch options:

• -rconpsw="YourRconPassword"
• -rconport=<port>

The documented setup also requires an IP whitelist in Engine.ini. Add only the administrator or management network addresses that need access, and review the list whenever your office, VPN, or hosting address changes. RCON credentials should be separate from both the player password and the in-game admin password.

Useful administrative commands

The community command reference lists several operations that are useful for routine maintenance. Command names and arguments can change between builds, so test them on a backup or quiet server before using them on a live world.

Keep an administrator runbook with the exact build, command syntax, and the person authorized to approve destructive actions. A command that worked on an earlier client or server package may be renamed, restricted, or removed after an update.

Designing tribe permissions and ranks

Soulmask tribes use rank-based permissions for tribe and base-management categories. The technical setting that increases capacity does not decide who may use that capacity. Define roles before recruiting widely.

Reserve ownership for trusted ranks

• Ownership and leadership: limit transfer, disband, and succession controls to the owner and a small number of deputies.
• Configuration: allow only trusted ranks to change tribe settings, permissions, or server-facing options.
• Deletion: restrict removal of buildings, storage, ships, animals, and recruited tribesmen to people who can be held accountable.
• Storage and shared assets: use separate access rules for ordinary supplies, rare materials, vehicles, and valuables.

Document operational responsibilities

Write down who may build in each base, access shared containers, command recruited tribesmen, deploy or move those tribesmen, and change other members’ permissions. Explain the policy to new recruits before granting access. If several people share the same rank, make sure they understand whether that rank can delete structures or alter ownership; rank names alone are not a safety boundary.

Review access after membership changes

When a player leaves, is demoted, or loses trust, remove the associated permissions immediately and inspect shared storage and deployed assets. Capacity increases make a tribe more useful, but they also enlarge the number of people who could affect the same world state. A smaller set of well-defined roles is easier to audit than giving every member broad access.

A safe change and maintenance workflow

Use this sequence for tribe limits, other gameplay coefficients, and administrative maintenance:

1. Announce a maintenance window. Tell players when the server will stop and what type of change is planned.
2. Save the world. Run gm BaoCun while the server is online if your build accepts it, then shut down cleanly.
3. Back up the save and configuration. Include GameXishu.json, relevant launch scripts, Engine.ini, and the date in the backup name. Keep passwords out of shared backup locations.
4. Edit one related setting group. A single focused change makes it possible to identify the cause of a failure.
5. Validate syntax and permissions. Confirm that JSON remains valid and that the server account can read the file.
6. Start the server and watch the startup result. Check that it reaches a ready state without a configuration error or automatic template replacement.
7. Verify in game or through administration tools. Confirm the limit, rank behavior, and any affected tribe or base action.
8. Record the result. Note the effective value, template, package build, date, and rollback location.

Troubleshooting common failures

The new tribe limit has no effect

• Make sure the server was stopped before editing and restarted afterward.
• Confirm that the path is the active instance’s WS/Saved/GameplaySettings/GameXishu.json, not a client copy or an inactive backup.
• Check whether the host reapplied an official template during startup.
• Verify that the chosen value is within the permitted range for the selected template.
• Use in-game inspection rather than assuming the text file’s value was accepted.

The server will not start after editing JSON

Restore the last known-good backup, then compare the edited file for a missing comma, brace, quotation mark, or accidental comment. Save the file as UTF-8 and avoid editors that add formatting or hidden characters. Once the server starts again, reapply only a validated change.

The admin password does not work

Check that -adminpsw belongs to the process you actually joined, that the password is spelled exactly, and that the server was restarted after changing it. Do not confuse the admin password with the player join password or the RCON password. If the GM panel still does not appear, verify that your client has opened the correct console and that the current build still supports the documented command.

RCON connections are refused

Confirm the RCON port and password, then inspect the IP whitelist in Engine.ini. A correct password cannot bypass a whitelist that excludes your current address. Check firewall rules and VPN routing without exposing the port to unrestricted internet traffic.

Members can access more than intended

Review the member’s rank and each tribe or base-management category rather than changing the server-wide capacity. Remove unnecessary storage, building, deployment, or permission-management rights, then test with a non-owner account. Record the intended role policy so a later promotion does not silently grant destructive privileges.

Self-hosting versus managed hosting

Both models can run a Soulmask tribe, but they shift different responsibilities. Choose based on the controls your group actually needs.

Before moving a world, export the save, document launch arguments and template values, and confirm that the destination host allows access to the files and limits your tribe relies on. A migration that preserves the save but changes the template can produce different capacity or permission behavior.

Build, template, and freshness warnings

Build numbers, defaults, administrative interfaces, and hosting compatibility can change. The 20-member reference is tied to dedicated-server package build 25117130, while the limit table reflects a hosting configuration page accessed in 2026. The figures and procedures above are current to October 15, 2026; recheck the active package, template, and command reference when republishing or after a major update.

The practical rule is simple: treat published defaults as starting points, permitted ranges as constraints, and the value you verify after restart as the effective configuration for your server.

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