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To create a separate Abiotic Factor world, stop the server, give the world a new save name, and start it again. A panel-hosted server then generates a fresh save while leaving the previous world available under its old name. On a self-managed server, select a new save with -WorldSaveName=<name>; deleting a world folder is an irreversible reset unless you have a backup.
Choose the method that matches your server
The correct procedure depends on who manages the machine running the dedicated server:
- Panel-hosted server: your provider supplies a web control panel. The usual workflow is stop, change the world-name field, and start.
- Self-managed server: you start the dedicated-server executable or a service yourself. You select the save with a launch parameter or manipulate the save folders directly.
Do not change a world name while the server is running. The process may have files open, and a panel can overwrite your change when it shuts down. Always stop the instance first and make a copy or rename the existing save before experimenting.
Before creating the world
Confirm that you have the required access
- For a hosted instance, you need permission to stop/start the server and edit startup or advanced settings.
- For a self-managed instance, you need access to the installation directory, the server launch command or service definition, and the save directory.
- Keep a current backup outside the live server directory. A backup made while the server is running can be incomplete if files are being written.
Record the current save name
Write down the current world name exactly, including capitalization. That name is the key used to find the save later. The default world is reported as Cascade in the XGamingServer world-creation documentation, but a host or administrator may already have changed it.
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Decide whether you need a new world or only a setting change
Abiotic Factor sandbox difficulty and similar world options are stored inside the world save. Changing a server-wide text field does not necessarily alter an existing world. If you want a clean map or a different difficulty, create or select a different world name. If you simply want to resume the existing map, leave its name unchanged.
Create a new world on a hosting panel
Two hosting guides describe the same safe sequence: stop the server, change the save name, and start it again. See the GameHostBros procedure and the BisectHosting instructions for screenshots of their panels. Labels differ between providers, so look for the equivalent field rather than an exact visual match.
Step 1: Stop the server completely
- Open the hosting control panel.
- Choose the Abiotic Factor server and click Stop (or the panel’s equivalent).
- Wait until the status changes to stopped and no console process remains. Do not edit the name during a restart or while a backup is running.
Step 2: Change the world-name setting
Open the panel’s startup configuration. Depending on the provider, the field may be called World Name in a Startup tab, or World Save Name under Settings > Advanced. Enter a new name using letters, numbers, spaces, or punctuation accepted by your panel. A short, unique name such as lab-hard-01 makes later switching easier.
Do not replace the old name if you want to preserve quick access to the existing world. The new value is a selector; it is not a rename of the old files.
Step 3: Start the server and wait for generation
- Save or apply the panel setting.
- Click Start.
- Allow the server to finish its first boot before connecting. The first boot creates the directory and initial world data, so it can take longer than a normal restart.
- Join the server and check that the map is new and that the expected sandbox options are in effect.
The previous world remains on the server under its original save name. To return to it, stop the server, restore the old name in the same field, apply the change, and start again.
Panel labels at a glance
| What you see | Where to edit | What to enter |
|---|---|---|
| World Name | Startup tab | A new, unused save name |
| World Save Name | Settings > Advanced | The same new save name |
| No world field | Provider-specific configuration | Ask the host whether the field is hidden in an advanced or configuration-file view |
A field that is absent does not mean the game cannot create another world. It means the provider may expose the launch argument directly, require a configuration-file edit, or need support staff to change the setting.
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Switch between worlds without deleting them
Use distinct names for distinct saves
Treat each name as a separate slot. For example, cascade-main, weekend-hard, and creative-test can coexist. Before switching, stop the server, note which name is active, and start only after the new name is saved. Connecting during a transition can make it appear that progress vanished when you are simply viewing another save.
Back up before every destructive action
- Download or copy the entire world directory, not just a single configuration file.
- Store the backup outside the live
Saved/SaveGames/Server/Worlds/tree. - Include the save name and backup date in the folder name.
- Test that the backup contains files and has a plausible size before deleting anything.
Renaming or selecting another save is reversible. Deleting a folder is not reversible unless the backup is usable.
Create a new world on a self-managed server
On a machine you administer, the supported selection mechanism reported by server documentation is the launch parameter -WorldSaveName=<name>. Add it to the command, shortcut, service definition, or script that starts the dedicated server. The parameter tells the server which world directory to load or create.
Step 1: Stop the running process
Shut down the dedicated server cleanly and confirm that the process has exited. If it is managed by a service, stop the service rather than killing the process. Copy the current world directory before changing the startup command.
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Edit the launch command so the parameter appears exactly as follows, replacing the example value:
-WorldSaveName=lab-hard-01Keep the hyphen, capitalization, and equals sign. If the command already contains other options, append the parameter according to the syntax used by your launcher. A typo can cause the server to use its default save or create an unintended new directory.
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Step 3: Start once and verify the new directory
- Launch the server with the new parameter.
- Wait for a successful startup and connect once.
- Stop the server again before editing files or making a backup.
- Check that a directory bearing the new name now exists under the server’s world-save location.
If the server starts but loads the old map, inspect the actual command used by the service or wrapper. A graphical shortcut may not be the command that runs in production, and some management tools overwrite arguments from an environment variable or configuration file.
Installing or updating the dedicated-server files
The developer quickstart uses SteamCMD with anonymous login and app ID 2857200:
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The official tool is described as Windows-first. Linux hosting is reported through a Wine-based community workaround, so confirm current compatibility and launch instructions before migrating a live world to Linux. Do not assume that a Windows path, service file, or executable name will work unchanged on another operating system.
Reset by deleting a world folder (last resort)
Deleting the save is useful when you intentionally want to erase one world, but it is riskier than selecting a new name. The documented folder pattern is:
AbioticFactor/Saved/SaveGames/Server/Worlds/<worldName>/- Stop the server and wait for the process to exit.
- Copy the entire
<worldName>folder to a separate backup location. - Delete only the folder for the world you intend to reset.
- Start the server with that same world name.
- Confirm that the server generates a new world and that the old backup remains untouched.
When the server starts, a world with the same name is generated again. All progress in the deleted save is erased from the live server. If your goal is merely to experiment with a different map or difficulty, use a new name instead of deleting the old one.
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Set difficulty and sandbox options for the new world
Sandbox settings are stored inside each world, so changing them is a world-level operation. The reported file is:
Saved/SaveGames/Server/Worlds/<worldName>/SandboxSettings.iniThe file may not exist until that world has launched once. A practical sequence is to start the new world, stop the server cleanly, and then edit the file.
Reported difficulty values
| Value | Reported difficulty |
|---|---|
1 |
Normal |
2 |
Hard |
3 |
Apocalyptic |
The values and file location are documented in the Abiotic Factor server-settings reference. Preserve the file’s existing section and key names when editing; do not paste a setting into a different section or remove unrelated options. Make a backup before saving changes.
Safe editing sequence
- Start the new world once so its save and sandbox file are created.
- Stop the server completely.
- Back up the world directory.
- Open that world’s
SandboxSettings.iniin a plain-text editor. - Change the difficulty entry to the desired documented value, keeping the existing syntax and line endings.
- Save the file, start the server, and verify the setting in-game.
If the setting reverts, the panel may regenerate the file from a template, the server may not have been fully stopped, or the edit may have been made in a different world directory. Check the active save name and repeat the stop-edit-start sequence.
Panel versus self-managed creation
| Consideration | Hosting panel | Self-managed server |
|---|---|---|
| Primary action | Stop, edit World Name/World Save Name, start | Stop, add -WorldSaveName=<name>, start |
| Reversibility | High: restore the previous name | High when selecting another name; low if you delete a folder |
| Access required | Panel permissions | File-system and process/service access |
| Path knowledge | Usually unnecessary | Needed for backups, settings, and deletion |
| World-name field | Usually exposed, but label and location vary | Usually represented by the launch argument |
| Best use | Quick, low-risk world switching | Automation, custom services, and direct file control |
Troubleshoot a world that does not appear or load
The server still opens the old world
- Confirm the server was stopped before changing the name or command.
- Check the startup log or service definition to verify the new value is actually passed.
- Look for a second server instance using a different installation directory.
- Make sure the new name is not being trimmed, quoted incorrectly, or replaced by an environment variable.
The panel has no World Name field
Open advanced settings, startup variables, and configuration-file editors. Providers do not use identical labels. If none exposes a save-name option, ask support which setting maps to -WorldSaveName and whether they can create a backup before changing it.
The new world was not generated
Check that the name is not empty and that the server account can write to its save directory. Review the console for permission, disk-space, or malformed-argument errors. A first launch may need to complete before the folder and SandboxSettings.ini appear.
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The save directory is missing
Use the actual server installation path rather than assuming it is next to the executable. Search for an existing Saved/SaveGames/Server/Worlds/ tree, then verify which service account and working directory the server uses. Do not create a second empty tree unless the launch configuration explicitly points there.
Editing difficulty had no effect
- Stop the server before editing; a running process can overwrite your change.
- Edit the file inside the active world’s folder, not another world’s folder.
- Keep the documented value (1, 2, or 3) and the original key/section syntax.
- Restart and test with a newly connected player; some effects are not visible until a fresh session.
SteamCMD reports an app-ID or download error
Do not substitute a game-client ID or an older number copied from an unverified page. Confirm the current dedicated-server identifier in the developer’s quickstart or Steam, then rerun app_update. The best-supported value in the cited documentation is 2857200, but IDs can change as tooling is updated.
Players cannot connect after the reset
First verify that the server is fully started and that you are connecting to the same address and port as before. A new save should not require a different network endpoint, but a provider may have restarted the instance on another allocation. Check the panel’s live console and connection status before troubleshooting the world files.
Verify the new world before inviting players
- Confirm the active save name in the panel or launch command.
- Join once and verify that the map is not the previous world’s progressed state.
- Stop the server and confirm that the new world directory contains current files.
- Create a dated backup of the new world.
- If you changed sandbox settings, reconnect and verify the intended difficulty.
- Record the old save name and backup location so you can switch back without guessing.
Important limits and version caveats
Hosting pages disagree about player capacity: some describe a default of six with configuration up to 24, while official co-op descriptions have cited up to eight players per facility. Because those figures can depend on game version, server build, or terminology, check the current official documentation and your host’s limits before planning a large session. This guide does not treat any one number as universal.
Likewise, panel labels, folder locations, Linux support, and dedicated-server app IDs can change. The workflow—stop, select a distinct save name, start, and back up—remains the safest general pattern, but verify current labels and version-specific requirements when you perform the operation.
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Quick Recap
Sources for the procedures
- GameHostBros: How To Create A New World On Your Abiotic Factor Server
- BisectHosting: How to Create a New World on an Abiotic Factor Server
- XGamingServer: How to Start a New World on Your Abiotic Factor Server
- XGamingServer: Abiotic Factor Server Settings Reference
- DFJacob AbioticFactorDedicatedServer: Guide – Quickstart
- Supercraft: Abiotic Factor Dedicated Server Setup Guide
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