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Enshrouded server settings

Change your Enshrouded server's name, passwords, difficulty preset and custom gameplay settings, and know when each change takes effect.

Updated 3 min read

Your Enshrouded server's settings live in two places: the Startup tab holds its name, passwords and updates, and the Server Settings tab holds the difficulty and every gameplay setting. Both apply when the server next starts.

Startup tab

SettingWhat it does
Server NameThe name players search for in the game's Join Game list. Up to 64 characters.
Join PasswordThe Friend role's password: what your friends type to join.
Admin PasswordThe Admin role's password, for you. It can kick and ban.
Guest PasswordOptional. Empty means the Guest role is off.
Visitor PasswordOptional. Empty means the Visitor role is off.
Auto UpdateOff (0) checks Steam on every start and only downloads when there is a new build. On (1) runs the full Steam update on every start, which is slower. Leave it off.

The roles and what each one may do are explained in Enshrouded roles and permissions. Every role needs its own password, or the server won't start.

The player cap isn't a setting: your plan sets it (4, 8 or 16 players), and the console prints it on every start as [PYW] Player cap for this plan: 4.

Server Settings tab

The Server Settings tab edits enshrouded_server.json for you, a card per section, each with its own Save. Search at the top finds a setting by name. The server writes the file the first time it starts, so start it once before you change anything here.

Difficulty preset

The first card holds Difficulty preset:

PresetWhat it means
DefaultThe game as Keen intended.
RelaxedFewer enemies and more resources.
HardMore enemies, and more aggressive ones.
SurvivalAdds survival mechanics on top.
CustomUses every setting on the cards below.

The same card has Text chat, Voice chat and Voice chat range (Proximity or Global), which work with any preset.

Custom settings

The other cards only take effect with the Custom preset:

  • Players: health, mana, stamina, body heat, diving time, time in the Shroud, food buff length, hunger and starving, item durability, what you drop on death and glider turbulence.
  • World: the length of day and night, weather, Shroud curses, mining speed, resources per drop, plant growth, workshop speed and fishing difficulty.
  • Progression: XP from combat, mining and exploring, perk upgrade cost and the Runes back from recycling.
  • Enemies: how many roam, how many attack at once, their damage, health, stamina and awareness, how often they attack, boss damage and health, peaceful enemies and taming.

When changes apply

Enshrouded reads its settings when it starts. Change them while the server is stopped, so nothing the game writes to the file while it runs (a new ban, for one) can undo your change:

  1. Stop the server.
  2. Change and save your settings.
  3. Start the server. The console line Game settings: the ... preset. confirms the preset it loaded.

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