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Short answer: refineries and assemblers only process materials when the Space Engineers world simulation is advancing. In a player-hosted world, simulation depends on the player who is hosting; when that host leaves, other players cannot keep production running. A dedicated server runs as its own process, but its PauseGameWhenEmpty setting can deliberately stop the simulation whenever no players are connected. Disable that setting for unattended production, then verify that the server process, world, simulation speed and individual blocks are healthy.
What an “empty server” actually means
An empty server is a running Space Engineers world with zero connected players. That condition is different from a server that has crashed, been shut down, lost its world, or is still running but processing ticks very slowly. Refineries and assemblers consume time from the simulation: ore is converted, queue items complete and inventories change only as simulation updates occur.
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Player-hosted world versus dedicated server
Player-hosted sessions
In a player-hosted session, the player running the world is also providing the simulation process. When that host exits, the practical simulation service ends for everyone else. Other players cannot keep refinery or assembler queues advancing after the host has left because there is no independent server process continuing the world.
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This is expected behavior rather than a refinery fault. Rejoining later resumes the world from its saved state; it does not create an unattended production process that ran while the host was away.
Dedicated servers
A dedicated server is a standalone process. Keen Software House describes dedicated servers as not depending on any player and as running without rendering or visual/audio effects. That independence is what allows a world to remain available when every player disconnects.
The server can nevertheless pause its simulation when empty. The controlling option is named PauseGameWhenEmpty. When it is enabled and the last player leaves, the world stops advancing, so refinery and assembler queues appear frozen. When it is disabled, the process can continue simulating with no connected players, subject to server performance and ordinary block conditions.
How to identify which hosting model you are using
Start with the hosting model before changing block settings. The same symptom has a different fix in each environment.
| Question | Player-hosted world | Dedicated server |
|---|---|---|
| Does the world depend on one player? | Yes. The host’s game process provides the simulation. | No. The server is a separate process. |
| Can production continue after the host exits? | No; the practical simulation ends when the host leaves. | Potentially, if the process remains online and PauseGameWhenEmpty is disabled. |
| Where is unattended behavior controlled? | It is fundamentally limited by the host staying in the session. | In the dedicated-server configuration, including PauseGameWhenEmpty. |
| What should you inspect first? | Whether the host is still running the world. | The server process, world status and empty-server pause setting. |
If you normally launch the world from the game client and friends join you, treat it as player-hosted. If a separate service or machine launches a server process and you manage it through a server console or control panel, treat it as dedicated.
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Disable the empty-server pause on a dedicated server
Use the following sequence when you want production to continue while nobody is connected. The exact screen names vary between server managers, but the setting name is PauseGameWhenEmpty.
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- Open the dedicated-server configuration. Look for a world or server gameplay section containing
PauseGameWhenEmpty. If your control panel presents an advanced setting list, use its search field for that exact name. - Set the option to disabled or false. The goal is for the simulation to remain active when the connected-player count reaches zero. Do not confuse this with an operating-system sleep option or a control-panel auto-stop schedule; those are separate mechanisms.
- Save the configuration and restart the server if required. Many server managers read gameplay settings only during startup. A restart also confirms that the edited configuration is the one actually used by the running world.
- Test with a controlled disconnect. Join the world, place a small refinery or assembler queue, note its position in the queue and disconnect. After a suitable interval, reconnect and check whether the queue advanced. Record the server’s simulation-speed or UPS reading during the test so a slow server is not mistaken for a paused one.
Leaving the option enabled is reasonable when you want to conserve CPU time while the world is empty or when your host’s policy requires an empty-world pause. In that case, a frozen queue is the configured result, not evidence of a broken production block.
Confirm that the server process and world are still running
Disabling PauseGameWhenEmpty cannot help if the process has stopped. Check the service status or console in the system that launches your dedicated server.
- Process state: verify that the server is running rather than stopped, restarting repeatedly or waiting for a scheduled maintenance task.
- World loaded: confirm that the intended save is loaded. A restarted service can sometimes be pointed at a different world, making the expected production queue appear missing.
- Recent save and log activity: look for normal save operations and continuing timestamps. A completely static log, repeated startup errors or a crash loop indicates a service problem before it indicates a refinery problem.
- Control-panel actions: inspect automatic shutdown, restart, update and backup schedules. A panel can stop a server during maintenance even when the game setting permits empty-world simulation.
- Connection test: reconnect after the observation period and verify that you returned to the same world and location. If the world rolled back, investigate shutdown or save failures rather than production settings.
Use UPS to distinguish a pause from slow simulation
Space Engineers performance is commonly discussed in updates per second (UPS), the rate at which the simulation advances. Keen’s performance guidance uses roughly 60 UPS as the normal reference point. Lower values indicate reduced simulation speed: refinery and assembler work may still progress, but it takes longer in real time.
This distinction matters when diagnosing an “empty server” problem. A configured empty-world pause prevents normal simulation progress. A busy server with low UPS is still advancing, just slowly. Measure the server while it is empty and again while players are connected. If UPS falls sharply only when production is heavily loaded, the cause is capacity rather than the empty-player rule.
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Do not use a single queue observation as your only measurement. Note the queue item, wait a known interval, reconnect and compare the remaining amount. Pair that observation with the performance overlay or server statistics. A queue that advances by fewer items than expected may reflect low UPS, not a complete stop.
Check server load from refineries and assemblers
Keen warns that an overloaded dedicated server can cause lag and that running many refineries and assemblers simultaneously can hurt performance. Every active production block adds work to the simulation, and a large base can combine production load with inventories, conveyor networks, scripts, physics and other entities.
When UPS is low, reduce the workload methodically and observe the result:
- Pause or remove nonessential production queues and check whether UPS recovers.
- Spread large production runs over time instead of starting every refinery and assembler at once.
- Review unusually large or duplicated production setups and disable blocks that are not needed.
- Check the server’s CPU and memory readings while the world is empty and while production is active.
- After each change, allow enough simulation time to see whether queue progress becomes consistent.
These steps address slow simulation. They do not override PauseGameWhenEmpty; if that option is enabled, reducing load will not make an empty world continue running.
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When only one refinery or assembler is stuck
If the server has healthy UPS and other production blocks are progressing, investigate the affected block itself. Empty-server pausing is a world-wide behavior; a single-block failure usually has a local cause.
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Power and block state
Confirm that the grid has sufficient power and that the refinery or assembler is switched on rather than disabled. A grid can appear generally active while a particular block is unpowered or manually turned off.
Input material
Check that the required ore or components are actually present in the block’s input inventory or can reach it through the connected conveyor system. An empty queue with no input will wait normally; it is not evidence that the server paused.
Output capacity
Inspect the output inventory and connected inventories for available space. A full destination can prevent a completed product from being moved, which can make the block look stalled even though the world continues to simulate.
Conveyor routing
Trace the conveyor path between the production block and its inventories. A disconnected segment, incompatible connection or closed conveyor access can isolate the block from supplies or output storage.
Ownership and permissions
Verify that the block and the grid have compatible ownership or share settings. A block controlled by another owner may not accept the resources or commands you expect.
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Queue and enable state
Open the block’s production screen, confirm that the intended item remains in the queue and check that the block has not been disabled. If only one queue is affected while neighboring blocks advance, capture the block’s inventory and status details before rebuilding it.
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Choosing a hosting approach for unattended production
The right choice depends on whether you need a world to exist independently of your personal game session and how much administration you can provide. The evidence does not establish universal prices; hosting cost varies by provider, platform, region and configuration.
| Decision factor | Player-hosted | Self-managed dedicated | Managed dedicated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simulation while empty | Not available after the host exits. | Available when the process remains online and PauseGameWhenEmpty is disabled. |
Available under the same game setting, provided the service stays online. |
| Administrative control | Simple in-session controls; tied to the host. | Highest control over process, files, schedules and performance. | Control depends on the provider’s panel and policies. |
| Simulation-speed headroom | Depends on the host machine while the session is active. | Depends on the dedicated machine and its workload. | Depends on the allocated service resources and workload. |
| Persistence and recovery | Dependent on the host launching and saving the world. | You manage saves, updates, restarts and recovery. | The provider may supply tools, but the exact backup and recovery terms are not stated here. |
| Maintenance burden | Low setup burden, but the host must remain available. | You handle installation, updates, monitoring and troubleshooting. | The provider handles infrastructure tasks; you still manage world settings and production load. |
| Hosting cost | No separate dedicated-service cost established here. | Depends on hardware and electricity; no universal figure is established. | Provider pricing varies; no universal figure is established. |
For an always-on industrial world, the decisive requirement is not a particular host brand. It is an independent dedicated process, an empty-server pause setting configured the way you want, and enough simulation capacity to keep UPS near the normal reference.
A practical diagnostic decision tree
- Was the world player-hosted? If yes, the host must keep the session running; moving to a dedicated process is the structural fix for unattended production.
- Is it dedicated? Check
PauseGameWhenEmpty. If enabled, disable it, save and restart as required. - Is the process and correct world online? Check service status, logs, schedules and save activity.
- Is UPS close to the normal reference? If it is low, reduce workload and investigate CPU pressure before judging queue timing.
- Do other production blocks progress? If none do, continue with server-level checks. If only one fails, inspect power, inputs, outputs, conveyors, ownership and block state.
This order prevents the most common misdiagnosis: rebuilding a refinery when the entire simulation is paused, or changing server settings when only one block lacks ore or inventory space.
Preventing future production surprises
Before leaving a world unattended, run a short checklist:
- Confirm that the world is on a dedicated server rather than a client-hosted session.
- Record the current value of
PauseGameWhenEmptyand decide whether an empty world should simulate. - Verify that the server process is online and that no maintenance task is scheduled during your production window.
- Check UPS with the intended refinery and assembler load, not just with an idle base.
- Fill input inventories, leave output capacity and test conveyor paths.
- Confirm power generation, ownership and block enable states.
- Run one disconnect/reconnect test and compare queue progress after a known interval.
With those checks complete, a queue that stops while everyone is offline has a clear explanation: either the world is correctly configured to pause when empty, or the server process, simulation performance or individual block needs attention.
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