So, you’re diving into the world of Palworld and want to tweak things to your liking? Awesome! Setting up your own server lets you create the exact experience you and your friends want. This isn’t just about having a server; it’s about crafting a world that fits your playstyle. Let’s break down how to get into those settings and what they all mean.

Finding Your Configuration File

First things first, you need to find the magic file that controls everything. This is usually called PalWorldSettings.ini, and its location depends on your operating system:

• Windows (Steam): It’s tucked away in steamapps\common\PalServer\Pal\Saved\Config\WindowsServer\PalWorldSettings.ini.
• Windows (SteamCMD): Same location as above: steamapps\common\PalServer\Pal\Saved\Config\WindowsServer\PalWorldSettings.ini.
• Linux (SteamCMD): You’ll find it at steamapps/common/PalServer/Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini.

Important Note: You will have to run the server at least once to create the necessary folders. Also, don’t edit the DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini file – it won’t do anything. Make a copy and edit that one in the .../WindowsServer/ or .../LinuxServer/ directory.

Understanding the Settings

Now that you’ve found the file, let’s look at what all those parameters do. This is where you get to fine-tune everything. Here’s a breakdown of the key options:

Core Gameplay

• AdminPassword: This is how you get admin powers. Set a strong one, and keep it secret.
• AllowConnectPlatform: Decide who can join your server (Steam, Xbox, Mac).
• bHardcore: Want a real challenge? Enabling this means no respawns after death!
• bPalLost: Talk about a gut punch. Enable this to lose your Pals permanently on death.
• DeathPenalty: Choose what you lose when you die: nothing, just items, items and equipment, or everything including your Pals.
• ExpRate: Crank this up to level faster, or slow it down for a more grindy feel.
• PalCaptureRate: This controls how easy it is to capture Pals. Crank it up for fast collection, or make it difficult for a real challenge.
• PalSpawnNumRate: How often Pals appear in the world. Be careful, higher settings can impact performance.
• ServerPlayerMaxNum: The maximum number of players allowed on your server.
• ServerPassword: Set a password if you want a private server.

World and Resources

• BaseCampMaxNumInGuild: Limits how many bases a guild can have. More bases can mean more strain on your server, so keep that in mind.
• BaseCampWorkerMaxNum: How many Pals can work at a base. More workers means faster production, but can also impact performance.
• BuildObjectDamageRate & BuildObjectDeteriorationDamageRate: How much damage structures take and how quickly they decay.
• CollectionDropRate & CollectionObjectHpRate & CollectionObjectRespawnSpeedRate: These control how much you get from gathering, how much health nodes have and how fast they respawn.
• DayTimeSpeedRate & NightTimeSpeedRate: Adjust how long days and nights last.

Combat and Damage

• PalDamageRateAttack & PalDamageRateDefense: Multipliers for how much damage Pals do and take.
• PlayerDamageRateAttack & PlayerDamageRateDefense: Multipliers for how much damage players do and take.
• bEnableInvaderEnemy: Whether or not to have enemy raids on your base.

Other Tweaks

• bEnableFastTravel: If you want to keep Fast Travel in your world.
• ItemWeightRate: How much items weigh, if you want to make inventory management easier or harder.
• PalAutoHPRegeneRate & PalAutoHpRegeneRateInSleep: How fast Pals regenerate health, and how much they heal in their Palbox.
• PlayerAutoHPRegeneRate & PlayerAutoHpRegeneRateInSleep: Same as above, but for players.
• SupplyDropSpan: How often supply drops appear.

Server Specific

• PublicIP Explicitly specify an external public IP in the community server settings
• PublicPort Explicitly specify the external public port in the community server configuration. This does not change the server’s listen port.
• RCONEnabled & RCONPort: Remote server control options.
• RESTAPIEnabled & RESTAPIPort: Options for using the server’s REST API.
• ServerDescription & ServerName: Customize how your server appears in the server list.
• ServerReplicatePawnCullDistance: Controls how far away Pals sync with players. Lower numbers reduce server load.

Setting Up Server Arguments

Alongside the config file, server launch arguments provide more ways to optimize the server.

Here’s a rundown:

• -port=8211: Change the port the server listens on. (Default is 8211)
• -players=32: Set the max players.
• -useperfthreads -NoAsyncLoadingThread -UseMultithreadForDS: Performance arguments for multi-core CPUs.
• -NumberOfWorkerThreadsServer=X: Set the number of threads for the server to use for better performance.
• -publiclobby: Make your server appear as a community server.
• -publicip=x.x.x.x & -publicport=xxxx: Manually set the server’s public IP and port for community servers.
• -logformat=text: Choose between text or Json for log format.

Important Note: For -NumberOfWorkerThreadsServer, use your number of CPU threads – 1. For example, an 8 core CPU with hyperthreading has 16 threads. You would want to use 15 in this case.

How to Apply:

1. If you are running through Steam, right click on Palworld Dedicated Server and go to Properties. You will find the launch options here.
2. If you are running through SteamCMD, you will need to add these when you run the server.

Editing the Settings

Okay, time to put it all together. Here’s how you edit the server settings

1. Stop your server, if it’s running.
2. Open the PalWorldSettings.ini file in a text editor.
3. Make the changes you want, keeping the syntax intact.
4. Save the file.
5. Start the server.

Wrapping Up

That’s it. Playing around with these settings is key to getting the Palworld experience you want. Whether it’s a challenging hardcore server or a relaxed farming haven, your server is your canvas. Don’t be afraid to experiment, and remember, backups are your best friend when making significant changes. Happy gaming!