The Tool Desk
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Playing with friends? Godlike.Host runs hosted Vintage Story servers from 10 data-center locations, with free DDoS protection.
Most Vintage Story server failures fall into one of six categories: the server process never starts, players cannot reach it from outside the host network, authentication or whitelist rules reject them, a mod breaks loading or joining, a save becomes inconsistent, or the server is overloaded. The fastest fix is to classify the symptom first, record the exact client and console messages, check server-main.log and process status, then change one variable at a time.
Do not begin by deleting mods, editing a save, or repeatedly restarting. Make a backup, verify that client and server versions match, and test a minimal configuration. The procedures below take you from the least destructive checks to recovery and hosting decisions.
Start with a controlled diagnosis
Write down three things before changing anything: the exact message shown to the player, the server-console output around the failure time, and whether the failure affects everyone or only one player. Note the game version, server build, operating system, mod list, and whether the player is on the same local network as the host. A connection that works locally but fails over the internet is a reachability problem, not usually a world or mod problem.
Classify the symptom
- Startup or runtime: the executable exits, repeatedly crashes, or reports an exception.
- Outside-network connection: local players can join but friends on the internet cannot.
- Whitelist or authentication: the server is reachable, but a named player is rejected.
- Mod loading: failure begins after installing, removing, or updating a mod.
- World or save integrity: a particular world no longer loads, crashes while entering, or reports mapping errors.
- Performance: long pauses, rubber-banding, timeouts, or an apparently frozen process while the machine is still running.
Confirm that the process is alive
Read the server console and server-main.log (or the equivalent log supplied by your container or hosting panel). Check operating-system process status and available memory. A server that still responds should be queried before it is restarted: use the installed version’s status, statistics, and client-list commands to determine whether ticks, memory, and player connections are progressing. Capture the output so you can compare it after each change.
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When the server will not start or crashes
Check versions before files
The client and server must run the same Vintage Story version. After a game update, install mod releases that explicitly support that version; a third-party mod compiled for another release can stop startup or prevent clients from joining. Have every player confirm the version shown by their launcher, not merely the operating system or launcher version.
Read the first meaningful error
In a long stack trace, the first mod name, missing dependency, invalid asset, or configuration path is generally more useful than the final shutdown line. Compare the timestamp with the moment the process stopped. If the log ends without an error, check file permissions, the working directory, available disk space, and whether another process already occupies the configured port.
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- Stop the server cleanly and make a full copy of the save and configuration.
- Move non-vanilla server mod ZIP files out of the configured
Modsdirectory; do not delete them. - Start the server and test the same world or a temporary new world.
- If vanilla starts, add compatible mods back in small groups, restarting and checking the log after each group.
- When a group fails, halve it until the offending mod or dependency is identified. Check that the ZIP is in the server’s configured
Modspath and that required dependencies are present.
This binary-search approach is safer than changing the entire list at once and preserves a clear rollback point.
Why friends cannot join
Prove local reachability first
From another computer on the same home network, connect using the host’s private IP address and configured port. If local joining fails, troubleshoot the server process, firewall, address, or port before touching router settings. If local joining works, the game and local service are functioning; continue with the internet path.
Allow the server through the host firewall
Create an inbound firewall rule for VintagestoryServer.exe (or the server binary used by your platform) on the profile that applies to your network. Permit the protocol required by your release and deployment; documentation and packages can differ on whether TCP, UDP, or both are needed, so verify the current server configuration rather than assuming. Re-test locally after changing the rule.
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Forward the port to the correct machine
The commonly documented default server port is 42420. Treat it as a configuration value, not a guarantee: confirm the value in your server configuration and forward that same external port to the host’s current private IP address. Reserve the host’s address with a DHCP reservation or static assignment so the rule does not silently point to another device.
- Sign in to the router that actually owns the public internet connection.
- Create a port-forward entry for the server port, selecting the verified protocol (TCP, UDP, or both).
- Set the destination to the host’s private IP, not the router address or a container’s unrelated address.
- Allow the server process through the host firewall.
- Have a friend outside your home network test while the server is running; testing from inside may be affected by a router’s lack of NAT loopback.
Use automatic mapping only when appropriate
The official self-hosting procedure can ask the router to create a route. In the server console, the documented command is /serverconfig upnp 1. It works only when the router supports and permits UPnP; inspect the resulting mapping and disable UPnP if your security policy forbids automatic port changes. Manual forwarding gives you a more predictable rule.
Recognize CGNAT and double-NAT
Some internet providers place customers behind carrier-grade NAT, and a second router can create double-NAT. In either case, a local test can pass while unsolicited internet connections never reach your host. Check the router’s WAN address against the public address reported by your internet service; if they differ in a way that indicates carrier NAT, ask the provider for a public address, place the second router in bridge or access-point mode, or use a VPN-based private network. A VPN avoids inbound forwarding but requires every intended player to install and join the same VPN and may add latency.
Port, address, and connection errors
Use the right address for each player
- Players on the same LAN use the host’s private address, such as its router-assigned address.
- Players outside the LAN use the public address or a DNS name that resolves to it, plus the forwarded port when the client asks for one.
- Players in a VPN use the host’s VPN address and must have routes and firewall rules that permit the game traffic.
Do not give friends localhost or 127.0.0.1; those names point back to each player’s own computer.
Check for address changes
After a reboot, router lease renewal, or network adapter change, the host’s private IP may change. Confirm the current address on the host and compare it with the forwarding rule. If your public address changes regularly, use a dynamic-DNS service you control and verify that its record is current; this is separate from the game’s server configuration.
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Whitelist, roles, and authentication rejections
A reachable server can still reject a player because of whitelist or role settings. Check the player’s exact in-game name and the server’s whitelist entries, including capitalization and accidental spaces. Confirm that the account is authenticating through the expected game service and that the player is not connecting with a different account than the one granted access.
Most edits to serverconfig.json require a server restart before they take effect. The file must be valid JSON: use double-quoted property names and string values, remove comments, and do not leave trailing commas. Make a copy before editing, change one setting, restart, and inspect the log for a parse error. If the server refuses to start after an edit, restore the copy and reapply the change with a JSON-aware editor.
Mods that break joining or loading
Keep client and server mod sets compatible
Install server ZIPs in the configured Mods directory, verify each mod’s game-version support and dependencies, then restart. A server-only utility may be acceptable, but content and code that changes networking, blocks, entities, or world generation commonly requires a matching client installation. The connection log usually identifies a missing, extra, or incompatible mod.
Isolate a large mod list
When the list is large, first run with only the game’s vanilla mods. If that succeeds, restore the third-party list in small groups. Keep a written order and versions so you can reproduce the working set. Do not update several dependencies simultaneously unless the mod author requires a coordinated release; otherwise you lose the information needed to identify the change that caused the failure.
After removing or updating a mod
Stopping a mod does not necessarily remove blocks, items, entities, or mappings already stored in a world. If the world loads only with the old mod, stop further experimentation, preserve the original save, and restore a known-good backup. A version-appropriate mapping repair command such as fixmapping applyall may help in some releases, but command availability and behavior vary; confirm it against the installed server version and run it only on a backup copy.
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Lag, freezes, and timeouts
Distinguish a pause from a dead process
Autosave can create a short, expected lag pause. A persistent freeze is different: check status, statistics, and the client list, then inspect CPU, memory, disk activity, and log growth. If the console still accepts commands and players eventually move, reduce workload before restarting. If the process is unresponsive and the operating system reports exhaustion or a crash, record the evidence and perform a controlled stop when possible.
Reduce resource pressure
- Remove unnecessary mods; every mod consumes memory, and some consume substantially more than others.
- Lower extreme client and server settings that increase loaded chunks, entity counts, or simulation work.
- Separate the dedicated server from a demanding client on the same computer. A dedicated local server gives the server and client separate memory space, which can help at extreme settings.
- Move the server to a machine with more CPU, memory, or faster storage when the host is consistently constrained.
There is no universal “safe” player count or benchmark that applies to every world and mod set. Measure your own server during normal play and during exploration, chunk generation, and autosave.
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Restart only after capturing logs and, if possible, forcing a save. Repeated hard kills increase the chance of losing recent changes and make the underlying fault harder to diagnose. Schedule restarts during low activity after mod or configuration maintenance, not as a substitute for finding a runaway mod or resource leak.
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Save before planned work
- Warn players and stop new activity.
- Use the server console’s
autosavenowcommand to force a save. - Run
genbackupif supported by your installed version, and verify that a backup file was created. - For an additional copy, stop the server cleanly and copy the complete save directory, not just selected region files.
- Store at least one backup on separate storage and retain a pre-update and pre-mod-change copy.
The dedicated-server guidance recommends copying a save while the server is stopped. Label backups with the date, game version, and mod set so you know which environment can open them.
Restore after corruption or a bad mod
- Stop the server and preserve the damaged directory unchanged for later diagnosis.
- Choose the newest known-good backup from before the update or mod change.
- Restore it to a new location, install the matching game and mod versions, and test with no players connected.
- Only after the restored copy loads should you reintroduce later configuration or mod changes one at a time.
If no backup exists, keep the original and test repairs on a duplicate. Mapping repair may recover a version-specific problem, but it cannot reliably reconstruct data that was overwritten or deleted.
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Choosing a hosting approach
Self-hosting is practical when you control the computer, firewall, router, backups, and maintenance window. A managed host removes much of the networking and uptime work, while a VPN-based private network avoids inbound forwarding for a small, trusted group. Compare the options against the actual bottleneck rather than choosing solely on monthly price.
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| Factor | Self-hosted at home | Managed hosting | VPN-based private server |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inbound connectivity | Requires firewall and router forwarding; CGNAT can block it. | Usually supplied by the host. | No public inbound port, but every player needs VPN access. |
| Ongoing cost | Existing hardware and electricity; no hosting fee. | Recurring monthly fee. | VPN service or self-managed infrastructure may add a fee. |
| Setup effort | Highest: OS, updates, forwarding, backups, and monitoring. | Lower; follow the provider’s panel and support process. | Moderate: install VPN clients, manage memberships, and test routes. |
| Mods and files | Full filesystem and configuration control. | Depends on supported upload, mod, and version workflow. | Full control of the server, but VPN policy still applies. |
| Backups and restore | You must automate and verify them. | Compare retention, download, and one-click restore features. | You still manage server backups yourself. |
| Version support | You choose when to update and can pin a tested build. | Check which Vintage Story versions and mod loaders are offered. | Same as self-hosting; the VPN does not manage game versions. |
| Latency and region | Excellent for nearby players; upload bandwidth matters. | Choose a location near the group and inspect network quality. | Traffic follows the VPN route, which can add latency. |
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A maintenance routine that prevents repeat failures
- Record the currently working game version, mod versions, and configuration.
- Keep the host’s private address reserved and document the forwarding rule and protocol.
- Back up before every game update, mod change, mapping repair, or configuration migration.
- Test a restored backup periodically; an untested archive is not a recovery plan.
- Review logs after updates and after adding each mod group.
- Plan a rollback window and tell players which version to run if an update fails.
- Monitor disk space, memory, and backup destination capacity.
Quick decision tree
- Does the process start? If no, check versions, dependencies, logs, permissions, disk space, and port conflicts; then run the minimal-mod test.
- Can a local player join? If no, fix the server address, firewall, port, or process. If yes, continue.
- Can an outside player join? If no, verify forwarding, public address, protocol, CGNAT, and double-NAT; use a VPN when forwarding is impossible.
- Is one player rejected? Check whitelist, role, account, and valid JSON configuration.
- Did the fault follow a mod change? Restore the prior set, back up the world, and reintroduce compatible mods gradually.
- Is the server slow or frozen? Capture status and resource data, account for autosave pauses, reduce mod and simulation load, and move the server if the hardware remains constrained.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the default Vintage Story server port?
Operational documentation commonly lists port 42420. Confirm the configured value and required protocol for your release before creating firewall or router rules.
Why does port forwarding work locally but not for friends?
Local success does not test the public path. Check the router’s WAN address for CGNAT or double-NAT, verify the forward targets the host’s current private IP, and test from an external network.
Can I repair a world after removing a mod?
First preserve the save and restore a known-good backup if available. A version-appropriate fixmapping applyall command may help in some releases, but availability and results vary, so use a duplicate save and confirm the command for your installed version.
Do all players need the same mods?
Players need versions compatible with the server and any content or code mods that affect the connection or world. The join log normally identifies missing, extra, or incompatible client mods.
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Should I use a VPN instead of port forwarding?
A VPN is useful when CGNAT, double-NAT, or router restrictions prevent inbound forwarding. Every player must join the same VPN, and the added route can affect latency and administration.
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