Setting up a Palworld server
The first start
Your Palworld server downloads the game from Steam the first time it starts, then creates a new world. Watch the Console tab. When it stops printing new lines and says the server is running, players can join.
In Palworld, choose Join Multiplayer Game, type your server's address and port at the bottom of the server list, and press Connect. The address and port are at the top of your server's page in the panel.
The basic settings
The most used settings are on the Startup tab. Change one, then restart the server.
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Server Name | The name shown in the server list |
| Server Description | The text under your name in the list |
| Server Password | Leave it empty for an open server, or set one to keep it private |
| Max Players | Up to 32 |
| Admin Password | Lets you become an admin in game (see below) |
| Crossplay Platforms | Which platforms can join: Steam, Xbox, PS5 and Mac |
Game rules: PalWorldSettings.ini
Everything else, such as experience rate, Pal capture rate, day length, death penalty and raid settings, lives in one file. In the File Manager, open:
Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini
The whole file is one long line starting with OptionSettings=(. Each setting is a
name, an equals sign and a value, separated by commas. For example, ExpRate=1.000000
becomes ExpRate=2.000000 for double experience. Stop the server before you edit the
file, then start it again.
On every start the server writes the name, description, passwords, player limit and crossplay list from the Startup tab into this file. Change those on the Startup tab, not in the file, or your edit is replaced at the next start.
If the file is missing or empty, copy the defaults from DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini
in the main server folder, and keep the [/Script/Pal.PalGameWorldSettings] line at
the top.
Being an admin
New servers get a random Admin Password, which you can see and change on the Startup tab. In game, open chat and type:
/AdminPassword yourpassword
After that you can use admin commands in chat, such as /KickPlayer,
/BanPlayer, /Save and /Broadcast.
You can also run commands from the panel without joining. Type them into the
Console without the slash, such as Save,
ShowPlayers or Broadcast Restarting_in_5_minutes. The panel sends them to
the server over RCON.
Restart it once a day
Palworld's server uses more memory the longer it runs, and after a day or two it can run out and crash. The fix most servers use is a daily restart at a quiet hour.
- Open the Schedules tab and create a schedule, for example every day at 5:00.
- Add a task that sends the command
Broadcast Restarting_in_1_minute. - Add a task 60 seconds later that sends
Save. - Add a final task that sends the power action Restart.
Where the world is saved
The world is saved in Pal/Saved/SaveGames/0/, in a folder named with a long ID. The
Level.sav file is the world, and the Players folder holds each player.
Back these up with the panel's Backups tab before big changes.
You can upload a world from a co-op game, but the person who hosted it will find their character missing. The game stores the host differently from other players. Community tools can fix the host's save. Everyone else keeps their character.
Troubleshooting
My changes to PalWorldSettings.ini did nothing
The server only reads the file when it starts, and it saves its own copy when it stops. Stop the server, edit, then start it. Editing while it runs gets overwritten.
Players can't see my server in the list
The community list is slow and often incomplete. Connecting with the address always works and is what most servers tell their players to do.
Why does Palworld need such a big plan?
Every Pal in every base keeps working while players are away, and that uses a lot of memory. Smaller plans run out quickly once bases grow, so we only sell Palworld on the size that runs it properly.
