How to Host a Veloren Server (settings.ron, Port 14004, Admins)

To host a Veloren server, download the server build that matches your players' client (weekly or nightly), run veloren-server-cli once so it creates userdata/server/server_config/, then edit settings.ron for the name, player cap, world seed and PvP rules. Open TCP port 14004, add yourself as admin by typing admin add <username> admin in the server console, and players connect with their free Veloren account and your address. The single most common failure is a version mismatch, so pick one build channel and keep the whole group on it.

What you are setting up

Veloren is a free, open source voxel RPG written in Rust. Its server is one program, veloren-server-cli, that generates and runs the world, stores characters in a database, and checks players against the official account server. There is no separate world file to download: the world is generated from a seed the first time the server starts.

Step 1: Pick a build channel

Veloren ships two rolling channels besides tagged releases:

• Weekly: a build cut once a week. Most players run this through the Airshipper launcher, and it is the safer choice.
• Nightly: built every day with the newest changes. More features, more breakage.

Client and server must be on the same build. A weekly client cannot join a nightly server, and after the weekly build rolls over, an old server stops accepting the updated clients. Decide on one channel for the group before you install anything.

Step 2: Download and first start

1. Download the server for your platform and channel from the Veloren download page, or grab the matching veloren-server-cli build from the project's CI artifacts.
2. Unzip it into its own folder.
3. Run veloren-server-cli (add .exe on Windows). The first start generates the world, which takes a few minutes on the default map.
4. Wait until the console reports the server is ready, then stop it.

The first start creates this layout:

userdata/server/
  server_config/
    settings.ron
    whitelist.ron
    banlist.ron
    admins.ron
    description.ron
  saves/            (characters database)

Stop the server with shutdown graceful 10 in its console, not by killing the process, so the character database closes cleanly. shutdown immediate exists for emergencies.

Step 3: Edit settings.ron

settings.ron uses Rust's RON format: fields in parentheses, commas after each value. A trimmed example:

(
    server_name: "The Wandering Inn",
    max_players: 20,
    world_seed: 59686,
    max_view_distance: Some(65),
    max_player_group_size: 6,
    client_timeout: (secs: 40, nanos: 0),
    gameplay: (
        battle_mode: PerPlayer(default: PvE),
        explosion_burn_marks: true,
    ),
)

Battle mode has three useful values:

• Global(PvP): everyone can fight everyone.
• Global(PvE): players cannot damage each other.
• PerPlayer(default: PvE): each player starts peaceful and can switch with /battlemode pvp while in a town.

If the server cannot parse settings.ron after an edit, it falls back to defaults and writes a settings.template.ron next to it. A missing comma is the usual culprit, so compare your file against the template.

Step 4: Whitelist, bans and admins

Whitelist. Once whitelist.ron has entries, only listed players can join. Moderators can add players from in game with /whitelist add <name>, which saves you editing the file.

Admins. Type this in the server console:

admin add YourName admin
admin add FriendName moderator

admin remove <name> takes the role away. There is no in game command that grants a permanent admin role, on purpose. Our Veloren admin commands guide lists what admins and moderators can do once they have the role.

Bans are stored in banlist.ron, but you normally use /ban in game instead of editing the file.

Step 5: Open the port

The game listens on TCP 14004. On a home connection, forward that port to the server machine and allow it through the firewall, as in our port forwarding guide. If your provider uses carrier grade NAT, forwarding will not work and you need another way to host.

Step 6: Players join

1. Install Veloren with the Airshipper launcher and choose the same channel as the server.
2. Create a free account at veloren.net/account.
3. On the title screen, enter the account username and password.
4. Type your server address in the server field (add :14004 only if you changed the port) and click Multiplayer.
5. Create a character. Characters belong to this server.

If someone gets "Mismatched server and client version", their build channel or update day differs from the server's. Our guide to Veloren connection errors covers that and the other login messages.

How much server does it need?

The default world with a handful of players runs on 2 GB, and 4 GB is comfortable for 10 to 20 regulars. Map size drives memory hardest: every time you double a map dimension, generation time and RAM rise sharply. Lowering max_view_distance is the easiest way to save resources on a busy server.

The easy option

A Veloren server from GamezServers installs the weekly or nightly build you choose in the panel, sets the server name for you, and gets its own address so there is no port to forward. settings.ron, the whitelist and the ban list are in the file manager, and the live console takes admin add. Changing the build is one setting and a restart, and a one click backup before a world change keeps your old world safe.

FAQ

What port does a Veloren server use?

TCP 14004 for the game. The server also opens a query port, 14006 by default, for server information.

Do players need an account to join my server?

Yes, on a normal server. Accounts are free at veloren.net and are checked by the official authentication server.

How do I make myself admin on Veloren?

Type admin add <your username> admin in the server console. There is no in game command for permanent admin.

Can I change the world seed later?

Yes, but a new seed makes a new world on the next start. Back up userdata first if you want to keep the old one.

Weekly or nightly: which should my server run?

Weekly, unless your group wants the newest features and accepts breakage. Everyone must run the same channel.