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Set the difficulty value in the server’s serverconfig.txt, enable world creation with autocreate=1, choose a new worldname, save the file, and restart the server. The value is 0 for Normal, 1 for Expert, 2 for Master, and 3 for Journey on desktop servers. This setting is read when a world is generated; editing it does not convert an existing .wld world.
What the difficulty setting actually changes
Terraria stores the server’s requested difficulty as a numeric key in serverconfig.txt. The key is used while the server creates a world. Once the world file exists, guides consistently report that changing difficulty= in the configuration does not change that world’s mode.
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Therefore, changing from Normal to Expert, Master, or Journey normally means generating a new world. Set a new worldname as well as the desired difficulty; otherwise the server may continue opening the existing world and appear to ignore your edit.
The values below are the desktop values documented by the community Terraria Wiki and server guides. Master and Journey were added in desktop version 1.4.0.1. No separate change to these numeric values for version 1.4.4 was identified.
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Difficulty values for desktop servers
difficulty value |
Mode | Practical meaning |
|---|---|---|
0 |
Normal (Classic) | Default world difficulty. |
1 |
Expert | Creates an Expert world. |
2 |
Master | Creates a Master world. This value was introduced in desktop 1.4.0.1. |
3 |
Journey | Creates a Journey world. Journey permissions can restrict who changes settings in-game. |
Do not confuse the server’s world difficulty with a player’s character or inventory. The server setting determines the mode saved in the world that is created. Journey’s research and item-duplication features are part of Journey mode; one community guide reports that those features are not controlled by the journey-permission flags described below.
Change difficulty while creating a new world
Use this procedure when you are willing to start a new world. It applies to a dedicated server using a text configuration file; control-panel hosts generally expose the same keys through an editor.
- Stop the server completely. Do not edit the file while the server process is writing its configuration or world data. Use the stop control supplied by your operating system or hosting panel and wait until the process has exited.
- Back up the configuration and worlds. Copy
serverconfig.txtand any existing.wldfiles to a safe location. This gives you a way back if you select the wrong world name or overwrite a file. - Open the configuration file. Find the
serverconfig.txtfile used by the startup command. If a server has multiple Terraria installations or profiles, confirm that you are editing the file passed to the server rather than an unused example file. - Enable automatic world creation. Add or change this line:
autocreate=1The difficulty value is applied during this automatic creation step. If the server is configured to open an existing world instead, there is no new generation event for the value to affect.
- Set the desired difficulty. Add one of these lines:
difficulty=0for Normal,
difficulty=1for Expert,difficulty=2for Master, ordifficulty=3for Journey.Rank #2
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- Choose a world name that does not already exist. For example:
worldname=MasterWorldChanging
worldnameis what forces the server to create a fresh world rather than reopening the old.wldfile. Use a simple name without relying on a name you already used for another world. - Save the file as plain text. Keep the key names and equals signs intact. Avoid adding quotation marks around values unless your server panel specifically inserts them.
- Start or restart the server. During startup, the server should report that it is creating the newly named world. Allow generation to finish before connecting.
- Check the startup log. Confirm the log identifies the new world name and does not show a failure to parse
serverconfig.txt. If the old world opens, stop the server and check the file path, the world name, and whether another startup profile is being used.
Complete example: a new Master world
autocreate=1
difficulty=2
worldname=MasterWorldThis example follows the configuration shown in a community hosting guide. Replace MasterWorld with a genuinely new name. If that name already points to a world file, the server may open the existing world and the new difficulty will not be applied.
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Editing difficulty= does not change the mode of an existing .wld file according to the community guides consulted for this topic. The setting is a world-generation option, not a live toggle for an already-created world.
Safest supported workflow
- Keep the original world and its backup untouched.
- Create a new
worldnameinserverconfig.txt. - Set
autocreate=1and the required difficulty value. - Restart and verify the new world in the server log.
This preserves the original world so you can return to it by restoring its normal startup configuration.
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World-file editing is not a verified general solution
One unattributed search excerpt suggested opening a world in TEdit and changing its Game Mode setting. That approach was not independently verified against authoritative documentation, so treat it as an experimental option rather than a guaranteed server procedure. Make a complete copy of the .wld file before attempting any editor-based change, and confirm that the editor version supports the Terraria version that produced the world. If the file becomes unreadable or the setting does not take effect, restore the backup and generate a new world instead.
Mobile server difficulty values
The Terraria Wiki reports that mobile servers use an offset of one: add 1 to the desktop value. Under that rule, a mobile configuration value of 2 corresponds to Expert, not Master. This mobile behavior is community-documented and was not confirmed against a Re-Logic primary source, so verify it with the server software or hosting panel you are actually running before creating a world.
| Target mode | Desktop value | Mobile value reported by the wiki |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | 0 |
1 |
| Expert | 1 |
2 |
| Master | 2 |
3 |
| Journey | 3 |
4 (an extrapolation from the reported rule, not independently confirmed) |
If a mobile server produces an unexpected mode, do not assume the desktop table applies unchanged. Check the mobile server’s own startup output, confirm the platform and version, and test with a disposable world name before committing to a long-running world.
Journey mode and permission keys
Set difficulty=3 on a desktop server to generate a Journey world. Journey also has permission keys that control who can use certain Journey controls. The vanilla numeric permission values are:
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For example, this line allows everyone in a Journey world to change its difficulty through Journey’s in-game controls:
journeypermission_setdifficulty=2Use journeypermission_setdifficulty=1 when only the host should be allowed to make that change, or journeypermission_setdifficulty=0 to lock the control. These permissions affect access to the Journey setting; they do not turn a Normal, Expert, or Master world into Journey mode. The world must first have been generated with the Journey difficulty value.
Why the server appears to ignore your setting
The world name still points to the old world
This is the most common explanation. A changed difficulty does not rewrite an existing world. Set a new worldname, or deliberately remove the old world only after making a backup and understanding that deletion is irreversible without that backup.
autocreate is missing or disabled
The difficulty key is consumed during automatic generation. Ensure the active configuration contains autocreate=1 and that the startup process is actually using that file.
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You edited the wrong configuration file
Servers can have several profiles, test folders, or panel-generated configurations. Compare the file path in the startup command or panel with the location you edited. A successful save is not evidence that the running server read that file.
The server was not fully restarted
Stop the process, wait for it to exit, and start it again. A panel’s reload button may leave the old process and world open; use a complete restart when testing a new world-generation setting.
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The numeric value is wrong for the platform
On desktop, use the 0–3 table above. On mobile, the community-documented +1 offset means a desktop value may select a different mode. Verify the platform-specific interpretation before generating a permanent world.
Journey players cannot change difficulty
Inspect journeypermission_setdifficulty. A value of 0 blocks everyone and 1 limits the control to the host; use 2 only when every player should have access. Restart after saving the permission change so the server starts with the intended configuration.
The log does not show world creation
If startup opens a named world immediately instead of announcing generation, the world already exists or automatic creation is not active. Stop the server, select a fresh worldname, confirm autocreate=1, and try again.
Version and platform considerations
Community documentation places the introduction of Master and Journey values on desktop at version 1.4.0.1. The available documentation lists version 1.4.4 but does not identify a 1.4.4-specific change to the numeric difficulty values. Keep the server and client on compatible versions, and treat a platform-specific control panel’s labels as authoritative for that installation when they conflict with the desktop table.
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Quick Recap
Quick reference
| Goal | Configuration action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Create Normal | autocreate=1, difficulty=0, new worldname |
New Normal world. |
| Create Expert | autocreate=1, difficulty=1, new worldname |
New Expert world. |
| Create Master | autocreate=1, difficulty=2, new worldname |
New Master world. |
| Create Journey | autocreate=1, difficulty=3, new worldname |
New Journey world. |
| Let everyone change Journey difficulty | journeypermission_setdifficulty=2 |
All players can use that Journey control. |
| Change an existing world in place | Editing only difficulty= |
Not expected to work; the existing .wld remains in its original mode. |
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