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To change a Sons of the Forest dedicated server’s difficulty, stop the server, open its dedicatedserver.cfg file, and change GameMode to normal, hard, or custom. Custom difficulty also requires configuring CustomGameModeSettings. Create a new save slot before restarting: difficulty and custom settings generally apply to new worlds, not an existing save.
The exact file path depends on your host. Common locations shown by hosting setups include /serverconfig/, /saves/, and home/container/serverconfig/. If you use a control panel instead of direct file access, the same operation is usually exposed as a GameMode or difficulty setting.
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On a dedicated server, the setting that selects the overall difficulty is GameMode in dedicatedserver.cfg. The commonly reported values are:
| Value | Use | What to know |
|---|---|---|
normal |
Standard preset | Uses the game’s normal difficulty rules for a newly created world. |
hard |
Hard preset | Uses the hard preset when a new world is generated. |
custom |
Per-setting configuration | Requires both GameMode=custom and a valid CustomGameModeSettings configuration. |
Changing the value does not act like a live switch for a running world. Difficulty-related settings are tied to world creation, so changing the configuration while retaining the same save can leave that save on its original rules. Plan to create a new save slot when you change difficulty, especially when moving to or from custom mode.
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Before editing: checks that prevent lost saves
Stop the server completely
Use the host’s Stop or Shut down control and wait until the process is fully offline. Editing while the server is still running can be overwritten when the process saves its configuration or exits. Do not make the change while players are connected.
Back up the data directory
Make a copy of the server’s data directory before changing a long-running installation. This is good operational practice rather than a stated game requirement. Include the existing configuration and save data so you can restore the previous world if the new setup does not load as expected.
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The file name reported for the dedicated-server configuration is dedicatedserver.cfg, but its on-disk directory is host-dependent. You may see it under a serverconfig directory, alongside save data, or in a container path such as home/container/serverconfig/. Open the file generated by your server rather than creating a second file with a similar name.
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Preserve the file’s existing syntax
Guides describe the file differently, and some installations present it as JSON-like text. Treat the file you have as authoritative: keep its quotation marks, commas, braces, and line structure. Change only the relevant value unless your host’s editor explicitly provides a form for that setting.
Change normal or hard difficulty in a self-managed server
These steps apply when you can browse and edit the server files directly, including a local machine, rented virtual server, or container with a file manager.
- Stop the server. Confirm that its status is offline before touching the configuration.
- Back up the data directory. Store the copy outside the live server directory and label it with the date and the previous difficulty.
- Open
dedicatedserver.cfg. Use the file path shown by your host. If several copies exist, use the one associated with the active server instance and its save directory. - Locate
GameMode. Set its value tonormalfor the standard preset orhardfor the hard preset. A JSON-style entry will look like"GameMode": "hard"; retain the exact formatting already used in your file. - Save the file. Make sure the editor did not append a second extension such as
.txtor replace the original file. - Create a new save slot. Do not overwrite the only copy of the old world. The new slot is where the selected difficulty is expected to take effect.
- Start or restart the server. Allow the process to finish loading before connecting.
- Confirm the result. Check the server’s startup or status information, then join the newly created save. If the old slot still behaves as before, that is consistent with difficulty being established when the world is created.
Do not change unrelated settings while diagnosing a difficulty change. Keeping the edit limited to GameMode makes it easier to identify a syntax or file-selection mistake.
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Set a custom difficulty
Custom mode has two parts. First, select it with GameMode. Second, supply the values in CustomGameModeSettings. Setting only the first part can result in a custom world that uses defaults, ignores the intended options, or fails to load if the accompanying structure is malformed.
Configure the mode
- Stop the server and make a backup as described above.
- Open the active
dedicatedserver.cfg. - Set
GameModetocustom. - Find the existing
CustomGameModeSettingssection. Edit the values already present rather than pasting a block from an unrelated server version. - Save the file without changing its syntax.
- Create a new save slot.
- Restart the server and test the new world.
Choose custom rules deliberately
Hosting examples describe custom controls for areas such as enemy spawning, player immortality, and building resistance. The exact key names and accepted values differ between configuration examples, so do not assume that a label copied from a guide is valid for your generated file. Use the key names and value format already supplied by your installation. If a setting is not present, consult the documentation for your host or the configuration comments rather than inventing a new spelling.
A safe workflow is to change one custom rule at a time on a test save. For example, first create a custom world with the default custom values, verify that it loads, then adjust an enemy-spawn option and create another test slot. This separates a bad value from a problem with the overall GameMode selection.
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Why a custom edit may appear to do nothing
Custom values are world-creation settings. If you edit them and reconnect to an older save, you may see no change even though the file is correct. Always test with a newly created save slot after changing either GameMode or CustomGameModeSettings.
Use a hosting control panel
Many game-server providers expose GameMode in a startup, configuration, or settings menu instead of requiring direct file editing. Labels vary, and panel-specific paths are not uniform, but the underlying sequence remains the same.
- Stop the server from the panel. Wait for the status to show that it has stopped.
- Back up the world. Use the panel’s backup function if available, or download the save and configuration files.
- Open the server settings or startup menu. Look for GameMode, Difficulty, or a setting that writes to
dedicatedserver.cfg. - Select
normal,hard, orcustom. If custom is available, open the additional custom-settings fields and configure them there. - Save or apply the panel changes. Some panels write the file immediately; others require a separate Save, Apply, or Reinstall action. Confirm what the panel reports before continuing.
- Create a new save slot. Changing the panel value does not convert the existing world.
- Start the server. Watch the console or status page for a successful startup.
- Join the new slot and verify. Keep the old slot until you are satisfied with the new rules.
If the panel offers only a preset selector and no custom fields, it may support normal and hard but not every custom option. Do not manually add undocumented fields to a panel-managed configuration unless the provider explains how those fields are supported.
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Existing worlds, new saves, and safe migration
Why the old world is not converted
Difficulty and custom rules are generally applied while a world is generated. The server can read a new GameMode value while an existing save continues to contain the state created under its original rules. That is why a restart alone is not a reliable way to convert an established world.
Keep the old slot as a fallback
Give the new world a distinct save name and leave the previous slot untouched. This lets you compare the behavior and return to the original campaign without restoring files. Once players have confirmed that the new slot loads correctly, retain the backup according to your normal retention policy.
When you must preserve an ongoing campaign
If starting over is unacceptable, first determine whether your host or the game version offers a supported migration mechanism. The configuration procedure itself does not establish that an existing save can be converted. Avoid deleting or renaming the original slot until you have a verified backup and a confirmed replacement.
Troubleshooting
The server still starts in the previous difficulty
- Check that the server was stopped before the edit and restarted afterward.
- Verify that you edited the active
dedicatedserver.cfg, not a template or an unused copy. - Confirm that
GameModeis spelled exactly as shown in the generated file and that the value is one ofnormal,hard, orcustom. - Test a new save slot. An existing world can retain its original difficulty by design.
Custom mode loads, but a custom rule is ignored
- Confirm that
GameModeis set tocustom; editingCustomGameModeSettingswhile a preset is selected will not make the preset custom. - Check the exact key names and value format in the file generated by your server. Names shown in different guides are not necessarily interchangeable.
- Create another new save after correcting the setting.
- Change one option at a time so you can identify which value is not being accepted.
The server fails to start after saving
- Restore the backup to confirm that the failure is caused by the edit.
- Compare quotation marks, commas, braces, and capitalization with the original file. A malformed JSON-style section can prevent a configuration from being parsed.
- Remove only the last custom change, save, and test again. Do not replace the whole configuration with a sample from a different host.
- Use the host’s console or support channel if the generated file has a format you cannot validate.
You cannot find the configuration file
- Use the panel’s file manager or startup settings to locate the server’s configuration directory.
- Search for the exact filename
dedicatedserver.cfg, including directories namedserverconfig. - Check whether the host separates configuration and saves into different mounted directories. Reported layouts include
/serverconfig/,/saves/, andhome/container/serverconfig/, but no single path applies to every provider.
The panel overwrites manual edits
Some panels regenerate configuration values at startup. If your manual change disappears, use the panel field that owns GameMode, or disable the conflicting managed value according to the provider’s instructions. Keep a copy of your intended settings so you can re-enter them after a panel update.
Quick Recap
Self-managed file versus hosting panel
| Approach | Advantages | Trade-offs | Best practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct file editing | Full access to GameMode, custom settings, backups, and the generated configuration. |
You must locate the correct file, preserve its syntax, and recover from mistakes. | Stop first, back up the data directory, make a minimal edit, and test on a new save. |
| Hosting panel | Convenient selectors and provider-managed restarts. | Labels and available custom fields vary; the panel may rewrite manual changes. | Use the provider’s GameMode control, apply the change while stopped, and create a new save slot. |
Final verification checklist
- The server was fully stopped before configuration changes.
- A backup of the existing configuration and save data exists.
- The active file is named
dedicatedserver.cfg. GameModeis set tonormal,hard, orcustom.CustomGameModeSettingsis configured when custom mode is selected.- The file’s original syntax and formatting were preserved.
- A new save slot was created after changing difficulty.
- The server was restarted and the new slot was tested.
- The original world remains available until the new configuration is confirmed.
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