BASIC IDENTIFICATION
SERVER NAME
The public name of the server that all players see in the Steam server browser. Choose something recognizable - for example "Ivan and Friends Server". Avoid special characters as they may display incorrectly.
PLAYERS AND DIFFICULTY
MAX PLAYERS
The maximum number of players allowed on the server simultaneously. Set it according to your needs.
- 1-4 - Small group / friends
- 4-8 - Recommended
- 8+ - Only with the last hosting plan
DIFFICULTY
The game difficulty. You have three options:
- Peaceful - No enemies, survival only
- Normal - Recommended for most players
- Hard - Enemies are stronger and more aggressive
ACCESS AND SECURITY
STEAM ACCOUNT TOKEN
A special token from Steam, required to run a public server. It is generated for free from the Steam Game Server Login Tokens page using App ID 242760 - that is The Forest's App ID. Without it, the server cannot be launched as public.
SERVER PASSWORD
A password that players must enter
before joining. If you leave the field empty - the server is public and anyone can join. If you want only your friends to play - set a password.
ADMIN PASSWORD
A password for gaining administrator rights in-game. With it you can kick players, ban them, and use console commands. It is entered in-game through the console.
ENABLE VAC
VAC (Valve Anti-Cheat) - Steam's system for detecting cheaters. When ON, players caught cheating are banned by Steam.
Set to ON for public servers.
Disable only if you are testing mods or running a private server where everyone is trusted.
WORLD AND SAVING
INIT TYPE
Determines whether the server starts a new world or loads an existing one.
- New - Generates a brand new world from scratch
- Continue - Loads the last saved game
Use "New" only on the very first start. After that always choose "Continue", otherwise you will lose your progress.
SAVE SLOT
The save slot used by the server - from 1 to 5. If you are running only one server, leave it at 1. If you are running multiple servers on the same machine - use different slots for each so they do not overwrite one another.
AUTO SAVE INTERVAL
How often the server automatically saves the game, in minutes. Saving too rarely = risk of losing progress on a crash. Saving too often = slightly higher disk load.
GAME MODES
VEGAN MODE
When enabled - no enemies spawn at all. Perfect for servers focused purely on building and survival without any threat. Similar to Peaceful, but can be toggled independently of the overall difficulty setting.
VEGETARIAN MODE
Enemies are only active at night. During the day you can work in peace; at night you must hide or fight. A good option for beginners who want a bit of both worlds.
RESET HOLES MODE
When a save is loaded - all holes in structures are reset. This should normally be OFF. Enable it only if you have a specific technical issue with "stuck" holes in buildings.
TREE REGROW MODE
When players sleep, a small portion of cut-down trees grows back.
Recommended for long-term servers so that trees for building and firewood do not run out.
ALLOW BUILDING DESTRUCTION
Allows enemies (and players) to destroy structures. For public and community servers - it is recommended to keep this OFF so other players' builds are not destroyed. For realistic survival gameplay - turn it on.
ALLOW ENEMIES IN CREATIVE MODE
Allows enemies even when the game is in Creative Mode. This should almost always be OFF - Creative Mode is designed for free building without threats.
ALLOW CHEATS / DEVELOPER CONSOLE
Allows clients (players) to use the built-in developer console with cheat commands. For public servers - must be OFF. Enable only for private testing with trusted people.
PERFORMANCE AND ADDITIONAL OPTIONS
TARGET FPS IDLE
The target FPS of the server when no players are connected. A lower value means less CPU and memory usage. Recommended: 5-15. There is no point running the server at 60 FPS when nobody is inside.
TARGET FPS ACTIVE
The target FPS of the server when at least one player is connected. Higher FPS = smoother gameplay, but more hardware load. Recommended: 30-60. Do not exceed 60 unless the server is running on a very powerful machine.
SHOW LOGS
Displays additional event messages in the server console. Normally - OFF. Enable it only when diagnosing a problem or searching for the cause of an error. During normal operation it just fills the log with unnecessary information.
SERVER CONTACT
An optional admin email or contact visible in the server's configuration file. Useful if you are running a public server and want people to be able to reach you in case of an issue.
CUSTOM SAVE FOLDER PATH
Allows you to specify a different folder for saving progress instead of the default location. Leave it empty unless you have a specific reason to redirect the files - for example when managing multiple servers from one machine.
On the very first start, set Init Type to "New", launch the server, then stop it and switch to "Continue". This guarantees the world is created and that all future starts load your saved progress.
