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Stop the Soulmask server before copying or replacing any save. For a normal dedicated server, back up the complete WS/Saved/Worlds/Dedicated/Level01_Main folder, including world.db. If the server uses Shifting of Sands, back up DLC_Level01_Main instead. Copy WS/Saved/GameplaySettings/GameXishu.json as well when gameplay rates and rules must be preserved. Keep the archive outside the live server host, label it with the map and date, and retain the current files until a restored world has been checked.
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.
This procedure covers rented-host FTP panels, a local Windows co-op save, Docker/self-hosted installations, restoration, automatic-backup limitations, and moving a local save to a dedicated server.
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world.db is the central database for the world. The folder containing it identifies the map, so restoring a file into the wrong map directory can make the expected world appear to be missing. The gameplay-settings file is separate and does not sit beside the database.
| World or data | Path | What to preserve |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud Mist Forest dedicated world | WS/Saved/Worlds/Dedicated/Level01_Main/world.db |
Prefer the complete Level01_Main folder, not an unlabelled database file |
| Shifting of Sands dedicated world | WS/Saved/Worlds/Dedicated/DLC_Level01_Main/world.db |
Prefer the complete DLC_Level01_Main folder |
| Gameplay rates and rules | WS/Saved/GameplaySettings/GameXishu.json |
Copy this with the world when settings must travel with it |
| Local Windows co-op | %LocalAppData%WS<SteamID>2646460AutoGames<InviteCode> |
The invite-code folder can contain world.db and GameXishu.json |
The dedicated-server locations and the local AutoGames location are documented by XGamingServer’s Soulmask save-import guide. The two dedicated map folders and the settings file are also identified in GhostCap’s automatic-backup guide.
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Prepare a safe backup
A database can change while the game is running. Copying it during a write can produce an inconsistent snapshot, and replacing files while the server process is active can cause the process to recreate or overwrite them. Use this checklist every time:
- Stop the server from the hosting panel or console and wait until its status is fully stopped.
- Record the map in use: Cloud Mist Forest uses
Level01_Main; Shifting of Sands usesDLC_Level01_Main. - Make a separate rollback copy of the current live folder before deleting or replacing anything.
- Include
GameXishu.jsonwhen custom rates, progression rules, or other gameplay settings matter. - Store the backup on another computer, an external drive, or another independent storage service rather than only inside the server’s disk.
- Use a descriptive name such as
soulmask-cloudmist-2026-10-15and keep the map, server identity, and date in the label.
Keeping an independent copy protects against a failed update, a damaged server disk, an accidental deletion, or a hosting-panel snapshot that expires sooner than expected.
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The exact buttons differ between hosts, but the files and order are the same. ZAP-Hosting’s save-game instructions describe downloading the dedicated save folder through FTP, while XGamingServer’s instructions emphasize stopping the server before creating a backup or replacing world.db.
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- Stop the server. Use the panel’s Stop button or the server console’s shutdown control. Do not begin the download while the process is still running.
- Open the file manager or FTP client. Browse to
WS/Saved/Worlds/Dedicated. - Download the complete active map folder. Download
Level01_Mainfor Cloud Mist Forest orDLC_Level01_Mainfor Shifting of Sands. A complete folder keeps associated files and any existing backup subfolder together. - Copy the settings file when required. From
WS/Saved/GameplaySettings, downloadGameXishu.jsonand place it beside the world archive in your backup storage. - Preserve the directory structure locally. Do not rename
world.dbto a generic filename that loses its map association. If you compress the files, include the map name and date in the archive name. - Confirm the download. Open the archive or downloaded folder and verify that
world.dbis present in the expected map folder. Keep the server stopped until the transfer is complete if you are also performing maintenance. - Store and label the copy independently. Put it on a separate PC, external drive, or other independent location. Retain more than one dated generation if the storage allows it.
Back up a local Windows co-op save
Close Soulmask before copying a local save. The local host’s data is under the Windows Local AppData directory, not in the dedicated-server directory:
%LocalAppData%WS<SteamID>2646460AutoGames<InviteCode>
- Exit the game completely on the computer that hosts the co-op session.
- Open File Explorer and paste
%LocalAppData%WSinto the address bar. - Open the folder for the relevant Steam ID, then
2646460,AutoGames, and the invite-code folder for the world. - Copy the entire invite-code folder to a separate location. It may contain
world.dbandGameXishu.json; keeping the folder intact avoids losing related data. - Add the date and a map or session description to the copied folder’s name. Never use the backup folder as the live working folder.
If the game recreates the live folder after a crash, do not overwrite your independent copy until you have determined which version contains the desired progression.
Create an archive on a Docker or self-hosted server
The ARM64 Soulmask Docker project stores persistent game data under /home/steam/soulmask/WS/Saved. Its documented backup pattern is to stop the container, create a tar archive from that persistent data, and extract the archive back into the volume for restoration; see the project documentation.
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- Stop the container using the command or compose workflow used by your deployment. Wait for the container to exit rather than archiving a mounted directory that is still changing.
- Create a dated archive of the persistent save tree. A generic tar pattern is
tar -czf soulmask-saved-YYYY-MM-DD.tar.gz -C /home/steam/soulmask WS/Saved; adapt the archive name to your date and retain the same source path used by your installation. - List the archive before relying on it. For example,
tar -tzf soulmask-saved-YYYY-MM-DD.tar.gzshould showWS/Saved/Worlds/Dedicatedand, when present,WS/Saved/GameplaySettings/GameXishu.json. - Copy the tar file outside the host or Docker volume. An archive stored only in the same volume does not protect you from volume loss.
- Keep multiple dated generations. A recent archive can contain a mistake that was introduced before anyone noticed, so retaining history is more useful than repeatedly overwriting one file.
Restore a dedicated-server backup
Restoration is the reverse of a backup, but the order matters. GhostCap describes a sequence using panel-created folders such as Backups_Level01_Main and Backups_DLC_Level01_Main: stop the server, obtain the selected backup, upload it into the matching map folder, replace the active database, and start the server.
- Stop the server completely. Confirm that the panel reports it as stopped and that no server process is still writing the save.
- Choose a backup from the correct map. Use a
Level01_Mainbackup for Cloud Mist Forest and aDLC_Level01_Mainbackup for Shifting of Sands. Do not mix the folders merely because both contain a file namedworld.db. - Preserve the current live database. Before removing anything, download or rename the active
world.dbas a rollback copy with the date and “pre-restore” in its name. - Upload the selected backup. Place it in
WS/Saved/Worlds/Dedicated/<matching-map-folder>. If the backup is compressed, extract it so that the resulting file is inside the map folder rather than one directory level too deep. - Remove the active database only after the rollback copy exists. Delete the existing
world.dbfrom the matching map folder, not from the other map folder. - Rename the restored file. The selected database must be named exactly
world.dbin the active map folder. If the archive used a date in its filename, remove that date from the live copy’s name only. - Restore settings when needed. Put the desired
GameXishu.jsoninWS/Saved/GameplaySettings. Keep the previous settings file as a rollback copy if the backup came from a different ruleset. - Start and inspect the world. Confirm that expected characters, tribes, structures, and progression are present. Check the map and gameplay rates before allowing players to resume.
- Keep the rollback copy until verification is complete. Do not delete the pre-restore files immediately; they are the fastest recovery path if the selected backup is incomplete or from the wrong date.
Restore a Docker archive
For the ARM64 Docker layout, stop the container first and make a copy of the current persistent directory before changing it. Extract the selected tar archive back into the volume so that it recreates /home/steam/soulmask/WS/Saved and its subdirectories. List the archive before extraction to confirm that it contains the expected map folder and settings file. Start the container only after extraction has finished, then inspect the world in-game. Keep the pre-restore directory or a second archive until the result is accepted.
Can automatic backups be trusted on every host?
No. Hosting panels may create periodic snapshots and expose restore folders, while self-hosted installations can use a startup backup option and a backup directory. The schedule, number of retained generations, and storage location vary by host and configuration.
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- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
Games.gg’s server setup guide identifies WSSavedWorldsDedicatedLevel01_Mainbackup and describes a -backup startup option. GhostCap also documents automatic-backup folders. Treat these features as an additional layer, not as your only copy, until you have checked the actual panel schedule, retention count, and restore behavior.
Open the panel’s backup page or startup script and record:
- How often a snapshot is made.
- How many generations remain before older copies are deleted.
- Whether the snapshot includes only
world.db, the complete map folder, andGameXishu.json. - Whether the backup is stored on a different disk or host.
- Whether restoration requires the server to be stopped and whether it replaces files automatically.
Manual copies, host snapshots, and Docker archives compared
| Method | Recovery speed | Storage independence | History and retention | Testing | Settings included? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual FTP or file-panel copy | Moderate; requires download and upload | Independent only if you move the download off the host | You control dated generations | Easy to inspect by opening the downloaded folder | Only if you also copy GameXishu.json |
| Hosting-panel snapshot or backup folder | Usually fastest when a one-click restore exists | Not established; depends on the host’s storage design | Varies by the host’s interval and retention policy | Test procedure and availability vary by panel | Verify exactly what the snapshot contains |
| Docker tar archive | Fast on the same host; slower if the archive must be transferred elsewhere | Independent only after copying the tar file outside the volume | You choose archive names and generations | Easy to test by listing the tar contents before restoration | Included when the archive covers the complete WS/Saved tree |
A resilient setup combines a quick local snapshot or panel backup with a dated copy on independent storage. The second copy matters when the host, volume, or account becomes unavailable.
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Move a local save to a dedicated server
A local co-op save can be prepared for a dedicated server by taking the save from the local AutoGames folder and placing the database in the dedicated map directory. Do not modify either copy while the game or server is running.
- Close Soulmask on the local computer and make a complete copy of
%LocalAppData%WS<SteamID>2646460AutoGames<InviteCode>. - Identify the local
world.dband, if the local session uses custom rules,GameXishu.json. - Stop the dedicated server and download its current
Level01_MainorDLC_Level01_Mainfolder as a rollback copy. - Choose the destination map folder that matches the world you are moving. For Cloud Mist Forest, use
WS/Saved/Worlds/Dedicated/Level01_Main; for Shifting of Sands, useWS/Saved/Worlds/Dedicated/DLC_Level01_Main. - Upload the local database into that destination and name it
world.db. If the panel already contains a file with that name, preserve the existing one before replacement. - Copy the local
GameXishu.json, when present and desired, toWS/Saved/GameplaySettings/GameXishu.json. - Start the dedicated server and verify the expected world content before inviting players. If the wrong map loads or settings differ, stop the server and restore the pre-import copies rather than deleting them.
The local path and dedicated import locations are shown in XGamingServer’s documentation. Keep the original local folder untouched so it remains a fallback if the transfer needs to be repeated.
Troubleshoot a missing or incorrect restore
| Symptom | Likely check | Action |
|---|---|---|
| The server starts a new world | The database is in the wrong map folder or is nested one directory too deep | Stop the server and verify the exact Level01_Main or DLC_Level01_Main path; the live file must be named world.db. |
| Characters or structures are absent | An older backup was selected, or the upload was incomplete | Compare the archive date and inspect its contents; retain the current rollback copy and try the intended generation. |
| Rates or rules changed | GameXishu.json was not copied or the wrong settings file was restored |
Stop the server and place the desired settings file in WS/Saved/GameplaySettings. |
| The panel reports a file-in-use or write error | The server or container is still running | Stop it fully, wait for the stopped state, and repeat the transfer. |
| A Docker restore appears empty | The tar archive was extracted to the wrong level | List the archive and ensure it recreates WS/Saved under /home/steam/soulmask, not an extra nested directory. |
| A backup cannot be opened | The download or archive is incomplete | Use the original live rollback copy, obtain the backup again, and inspect the archive before another restore. |
A practical retention plan
Keep a recent backup for quick recovery and several older dated generations for problems discovered later. At minimum, maintain one copy outside the server host and one rollback copy of the files you are about to replace. For a busy world, create additional generations before major updates, configuration changes, or map changes. Label every copy with the server, map, date, and whether it includes gameplay settings; that makes selecting the right restore safer than relying on an unlabeled world.db.
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