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Godlike.Host offers hosted Soulmask servers with its own game panel, SFTP access and free DDoS protection, if you would rather not host it yourself.
Most Soulmask dedicated-server failures have a small number of causes: the process is still completing startup, the game or query UDP port is unreachable, the client and server builds or Workshop mods differ, Steam initialization fails, the save is damaged, or a long-running instance is overloaded. Work through those causes in that order. Do not delete or rename a world until you have copied its complete save directory.
Start with a safe triage order
Use this sequence before changing configuration files or reinstalling the server. It separates ordinary startup and network problems from save damage.
- Confirm the process is still running. A new world may spend several minutes loading the map, database, NPC data and Steam registration. A server can be absent from the browser during this phase.
- Check the log. On a standard installation, open
WS/Saved/Logs/WS.log. Look for the last successful startup message, Steam API errors, bind failures, permission errors and crash entries. - Verify the configured ports. The commonly documented defaults are UDP 8777 for game traffic and UDP 27015 for the Steam query. If command-line arguments changed either value, use the custom values instead.
- Match builds and mods. The joining player and server must be on compatible game builds, and Workshop subscriptions, enabled mods, versions and load order must agree.
- Preserve the save. Stop the server and copy the entire saved directory before testing a clean world, renaming folders or applying a patch.
This order matters: changing a world file cannot repair a blocked router port, and reinstalling an executable cannot explain a client that is using a different mod list.
Why the server is missing from the browser
Allow initialization to finish
New or recently patched instances commonly take several minutes to initialize the map, database, NPCs and Steam registration. During that interval the process may use CPU and disk while no listing is visible. One community troubleshooting guide summarizes the practical diagnosis as: “Nine times out of ten, the server just hasn’t finished starting.” Wait for the process to settle and inspect WS.log before editing settings.
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Check the query path separately from the game path
Browser visibility depends on the Steam query endpoint, not merely on the game process being alive. If the game port works but the query port is blocked, players may be able to connect directly while the server remains absent from the list. Forward the query UDP port configured for the instance (normally 27015) through the host firewall and router or NAT device.
Use a direct connection as a diagnostic
While repairing listing, try the server’s public IP address and configured game port. A direct connection bypasses the browser’s query result; it does not bypass a blocked game port. If direct connection succeeds, concentrate on the query-port rule, router forwarding and any upstream firewall. If it fails too, continue with the game-port and version checks below.
Inspect the host and NAT configuration
- Confirm the dedicated-server process is listening on the intended private address and ports.
- Create inbound UDP rules in the operating-system firewall for the game and query ports.
- Forward those same UDP ports from the router’s public interface to the host’s current private IP address.
- Make the private address stable with a DHCP reservation or equivalent; a changed address silently invalidates an old forward.
- Check whether the internet connection uses carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT). With CGNAT, a home router may not receive a routable public address, so ordinary port forwarding cannot expose the server.
- Ask the ISP whether inbound UDP is filtered when the router and firewall rules appear correct.
Container deployments can use different published ports. A dedicated-server README gives UDP 27050 and UDP 27051 as an example that must be open on both the router and the container host. Those values are not universal defaults; the published ports, container mapping and launch arguments must all agree.
Fixing timeouts and “Connection to Host Lost”
Check the game port and address first
A server that is listed but cannot be joined is most often failing on the game-port path. Verify that the player is using the configured game port, normally UDP 8777, rather than the Steam query port. Recheck the host firewall and router rule for that exact UDP value and destination machine.
Rule out an address or forwarding mistake
Direct-connect failures commonly result from forwarding to an old private IP, entering a local address from outside the network, or forwarding TCP when the server requires UDP. Test from a network outside the host’s LAN when possible; a router may not support reliable hairpin NAT for a local test. If outside testing fails while local clients work, investigate CGNAT, ISP filtering and the public address shown by the router.
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Confirm compatible software
Compare the server build with the client’s build after every game update. A client that has updated while the dedicated server has not can reach the endpoint and still be rejected. Update both sides to compatible versions before changing save files.
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Use a controlled no-mod test
Start one restart without the -mod parameter. If an unmodded client can join, the network is functioning and the mod set is the remaining variable. Record the server’s enabled list and load order, then restore mods one at a time, restarting and testing after each change. Every player must have the same Workshop subscriptions, enabled entries, versions and order. A mod that worked before an update can become a crash or join-failure trigger afterward.
When the dedicated server exits during startup
Read the last lines of WS.log
Open WS/Saved/Logs/WS.log immediately after an exit and search from the bottom upward. Distinguish a clean shutdown from an initialization failure. Useful clues include Steam DLL or API initialization errors, “bind” failures indicating that a port or address is already in use, and access-denied messages for the save directory.
Steam initialization warnings
The dedicated-server documentation records a “Failed to initialize Steam” warning and recommends using the supplied launch scripts or, where appropriate, adding the -NOSTEAM launch option. Treat that option as a diagnostic or deployment-specific workaround, not a universal cure: disabling Steam-related initialization can affect registration and discovery behavior. After applying it, check whether the process remains running and whether the intended connection method still works.
Port bind failures
A bind error means the process could not claim its configured address or port. Stop duplicate server processes, close another application using the same port, and make the command-line game and query values consistent with the firewall and router rules. If the host has multiple network interfaces, bind to an address that exists on the machine rather than an obsolete private IP.
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Permissions and container ownership
On Windows, the service account must be able to read and write the installation and saved directories. On Linux or in a container, inspect the owner and permissions of the mounted save path. The Docker README uses 10000:10000 as its default container-ownership example; use the UID and GID expected by your image rather than copying that number blindly. A process that can read binaries but cannot create logs or save files may exit or appear to start without producing a usable world.
Mod-related crashes and join failures
Prove whether mods are involved
- Stop the server and make a backup of the saved directory.
- Launch once with the
-modparameter removed or with the mod list disabled. - Join with a client that is also running without those mods.
- If the clean test succeeds, restore a single mod and its required dependencies.
- Restart and test after each addition, keeping a written record of the order.
This isolates a bad or outdated item instead of making several changes at once. Hosting troubleshooting guidance identifies Workshop mods as a frequent source of crashes after updates.
Keep the client and server state identical
- Use the same Workshop item versions where the platform permits version pinning.
- Enable the same items on every client; an unused subscription alone is not proof that the item is active.
- Preserve the server’s load order when players update their local lists.
- Remove a mod cleanly from both sides before concluding that the save is corrupted.
If the server crashes only when a particular item loads, capture the corresponding section of WS.log and check the mod author’s compatibility notes before reintroducing it.
Recovering a world that will not load or appears corrupted
Preserve the original before testing
- Stop the server normally if possible. Do not overwrite a failing save by repeatedly launching it.
- Copy the complete saved directory to a separate location, retaining the original folder name and timestamps.
- Keep at least one earlier known-good backup in addition to the newest copy.
- Only after those copies exist, perform a test that changes the active save path or folder name.
A partial copy can omit databases, configuration state or metadata needed to reproduce the problem, so preserve the whole directory rather than a single world file.
Restore a known-good save
Replace the active save with the most recent backup that was confirmed to load, then start the server with the same executable, settings and mod state used when that backup was created. If it loads, the failure is associated with changes after that backup. If it still fails, the cause may be the executable, permissions, dependencies or configuration rather than the world itself.
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Run a clean-world test
With the original backup secured, rename the active saved folder or select a separate empty save location and launch with mods disabled. A clean world that loads proves the server executable and basic permissions can work; it points back to the original save or mod set. A clean world that also fails points toward startup, port, Steam, permissions or installation problems. Do not delete the original folder until recovery is complete.
Fixing lag and slowdown after several hours
Measure the pattern before changing hardware
Note when degradation begins and whether it tracks uptime, player count, AI or NPC activity, world size, or save writes. Compare a lightly populated session with a busy one and record the time of each restart. This distinguishes a workload limit from a persistent leak or a particular in-world activity.
Use operational mitigations
- Schedule a routine restart during the quietest period, commonly once per day for a continuously occupied server.
- Lower
MaxPlayerswhen the machine is routinely serving more concurrent players than its simulation can sustain. - Reduce expensive simulation or AI settings that are not essential to the group.
- Review save intervals and disk capacity; a heavily loaded or nearly full volume can turn saves into visible pauses.
- Keep logs and monitoring so you can correlate memory, CPU and disk behavior with the slowdown.
Hosting guidance describes gradual long-uptime slowdown as consistent with reported memory-leak behavior and presents scheduled restarts as the practical mitigation. Adding generic CPU or RAM without addressing uptime, player load or simulation cost does not reliably remove that pattern.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Reading WS.log effectively
WS/Saved/Logs/WS.log is the first diagnostic file for Steam registration, startup and crash clues. Save a copy from each failed attempt before restarting again, because a new run may overwrite or rotate useful context.
- Steam initialization or DLL/API errors: review the launch script, required runtime files and the documented
-NOSTEAMworkaround for the deployment. - Bind or listen errors: find another process using the port, correct the address, and make command-line values match firewall and NAT rules.
- Access denied, cannot create file, or read-only messages: correct service-account or container ownership on the installation and save paths.
- Mod names immediately before a crash: repeat the no-mod test and reintroduce items individually.
- Save/database load errors: stop the server, preserve the complete save and restore a known-good backup before experimenting.
Include the timestamp, the last successful line and the first error when asking for help. That context is more useful than a screenshot of the server browser alone.
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Port and network reference
| Purpose | Common documented value | Protocol | What must match | Typical symptom when blocked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game traffic | 8777 | UDP | Launch arguments, host firewall, router forward and client connection | Timeout or “Connection to Host Lost” |
| Steam query and browser visibility | 27015 | UDP | Launch arguments, host firewall and router forward | Server absent from the browser despite a running process |
| Container deployment example | 27050 and 27051 | UDP | Container port mapping, host firewall, router forward and the image’s configuration | Listing or joining fails when only the usual defaults were forwarded |
The first two values are commonly documented defaults, not guarantees for every packaged server. Always treat the command line or configuration used by your instance as authoritative. Forward UDP, not just TCP, and avoid forwarding to a host whose private address changes.
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If the same network and maintenance failures recur, the decision is less about a brand and more about which responsibilities you want to own. Compare the operational boundaries before moving a world.
| Decision area | Self-hosting | Managed hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Firewall, NAT and CGNAT | You diagnose the public address, router rules, ISP filtering and private-IP changes. | The provider normally supplies a routable endpoint and support for port and connectivity diagnosis, subject to its network policy. |
| Backups and restore | You design schedules, retention, off-site copies and restore tests. | Backup tooling and restore controls may be included; verify retention, frequency and whether you can download a complete save. |
| Mods and updates | You control the executable, Workshop synchronization and rollback timing. | Look for documented mod installation, version pinning and update rollback support. |
| Monitoring and restarts | You configure logs, alerts and scheduled restarts. | Automatic restart and uptime monitoring may be built in; confirm what happens after a crash or failed update. |
| CPU, RAM and storage | You buy and maintain enough headroom and reliable storage. | You choose an allocated resource tier; check upgrade limits, storage type and whether resources are shared. |
| Configuration and logs | Full access to launch arguments, files and WS.log. |
Confirm that the control panel exposes the required settings and lets you retrieve logs and saves. |
Managed hosting is most useful when you do not want to troubleshoot CGNAT, maintain backup automation or operate a restart and monitoring system. Self-hosting remains practical when you need unrestricted file access, already control a public network endpoint and are comfortable maintaining backups and mod compatibility.
A maintenance routine that prevents repeat incidents
Before patches or mod changes
- Stop the server cleanly.
- Copy the complete save directory and label it with the date and build.
- Record the active mod list and load order.
- Note the game and query port values used by the launch command.
- Apply one category of change at a time so a regression has an identifiable cause.
After a restart
- Wait for map, database, NPC and Steam initialization to complete.
- Confirm the process remains running and that
WS.loghas no new fatal errors. - Test direct connection from an external network if possible.
- Check browser visibility separately from joining.
- Have one player enter the world and verify that a save completes before declaring the restart successful.
When an incident occurs
Write down the exact symptom, time, player count, recent update or mod change, configured ports and the last lines of WS.log. Restore service first with the last known-good configuration, then test one variable at a time. This prevents a network problem, a mod mismatch and a damaged save from being conflated into one destructive troubleshooting session.
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