How to Move a Stormworks Save to a Dedicated Server

To move a Stormworks save to a dedicated server, copy the save's folder from %APPDATA%\Stormworks\saves\ (it holds scene.xml plus an XML file per spawned vehicle) and upload it into the server's saves folder. Then set the save_name attribute in server_config.xml to the folder's exact name, with the server stopped, and start it. The server must be on the same Stormworks version as the players and have the same addons and missions in its playlists.

What you can and cannot move

What goes where

Press Windows + R, paste %APPDATA%\Stormworks\saves and press Enter. Each save is a folder with the name you saved it under. The autosave folder is the game's rolling autosave; copy the named save you actually want.

Before you start

• Save and quit Stormworks on the PC that hosted the world, so scene.xml is fully written.
• Back up the save folder.
• Match the version. Players on a newer build cannot join an older server. On GamezServers, auto update is off by default for Stormworks, so turn it on or update from the panel and restart before uploading.
• List your addons. Note every addon and mission the world was created with.
• Stop the server before touching anything. A running server autosaves over your upload.

Step 1: Start the server once and stop it

Let the server start so it creates server_config.xml and its saves folder, then stop it. On GamezServers both live in server_data/.

Step 2: Upload the save folder

Upload your save folder into saves/, so you have saves/OurHarbour/scene.xml and the vehicle files beside it. A short name without spaces is easiest. Big saves with many vehicles upload better zipped, or over SFTP with FileZilla or WinSCP.

Step 3: Set save_name in server_config.xml

Open server_config.xml with the server stopped and set save_name on the first line to your folder's name:

<server_data port="25564" name="Our Harbour" seed="24225" save_name="OurHarbour"
  max_players="8" password="foam" base_island="data/tiles/island12.xml"
  despawn_on_leave="false" infinite_money="false">

The rest of the attributes are your server rules: money, damage, despawning, map display, physics detail. Set them to match how you played. seed and base_island do nothing for an existing save, so leave them.

Step 4: Add your addons and admins

Inside server_config.xml, add each SteamID64 that should be admin, and every addon or mission the save uses, after copying its folder into the server's data folder:

<admins>
  <id value="76561198000000000"/>
</admins>
<playlists>
  <path value="rom/data/missions/default_cargo"/>
  <path value="data/missions/our_addon"/>
</playlists>

Keep the default rom/data/missions/... entries your world relies on, such as cargo and mission zones. Save the file, start the server and wait for Server: ready to spawn for peer, then join through Multiplayer, Join Game.

The gotcha: save_name is the only save the server reads

A Stormworks dedicated server loads exactly one save, the folder named in save_name, and it saves back into that same folder. Leave it blank or misspell it and the server creates a fresh world and starts autosaving into that instead, so your upload looks ignored. It is not deleted; it is just not the folder the server is reading.

Two related traps finish people off. Editing server_config.xml while the server runs does nothing, because it is only read on start. And uploading a save while the server runs gets overwritten at the next autosave. Stop, upload, edit, start, in that order. Rules such as base_island and seed only apply to a new save, so changing them will not move your base.

Common problems

• Server starts a brand new world: save_name does not match the folder exactly, or the folder is nested one level too deep inside saves/.
• Cannot join, version mismatch: the server did not update after a Stormworks patch. Turn on auto update or update from the panel, then restart.
• Missions or addon features missing: the addon folder is not on the server, or its path is not in playlists.
• Upload vanished after an hour: the server was running and its autosave replaced your files. Restore your backup with the server stopped.
• Server slows down: every spawned vehicle runs physics. Despawn what nobody uses, or set despawn_on_leave="true".

Moving it to GamezServers

On a Stormworks server from GamezServers, you upload the save over SFTP (login in Settings) or in the file manager, which also does zips, extract and downloading a file from a link straight to the server, and edit server_config.xml right in the browser. Our panel does not rewrite that file, so your edits stick. Click Backup before replacing anything. For the config file in depth, see how to host a Stormworks server.

FAQ

Where are Stormworks saves stored?

In %APPDATA%\Stormworks\saves\ on Windows, one folder per save with scene.xml and the vehicle files inside.

What is save_name in Stormworks server_config.xml?

It is the save folder the server loads and saves into. It must match your uploaded folder's name exactly.

Can I change the base island on an existing Stormworks save?

No. base_island and seed only apply when a new save is created. Change save_name to start a new world with new settings.

Do my money and career progress move with the save?

Yes. Money, research and career progress are part of the save, so they come across with the folder.