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Freedom251 › Blog › game server administration

How to Manage Saves on a RimWorld Together Server

By Freedom251 Team · · 10 min read

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Back up the server’s entire persistent data directory, not just a visible save file. Stop the server before copying it, configure BackupConfig.json for automatic generations, and restore a complete known-good directory only after matching the server release and mod set. This approach protects a shared RimWorld Together world from bad updates, incompatible mods, and accidental changes.

What a RimWorld Together save actually is

RimWorld Together treats the shared world as server-owned persistent data. Players connect to that world; they do not each maintain an independent authoritative copy that can safely replace the server’s state. The practical recovery unit is therefore the complete server data directory, including its configuration and generated world data.

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If you run the official container example, a host directory named RWTData is mounted to /Data inside the container. That host directory is the material you must preserve in backups. A backup of only the container layer, a single visible save, or a client’s local RimWorld saves may omit data the server needs to start the same world.

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Who creates the initial world?

The first player to join is responsible for setting up the world everyone will play on. That makes the first connection a deployment step, not merely a routine login. Decide who will perform it, confirm the intended mod list first, and avoid letting an unprepared player create the initial state.

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Where are settings stored?

The server generates a Config directory containing settings administrators can later adjust. The exact location depends on how you installed the server, so treat the installation’s persistent data directory as the source of truth. In the container layout, preserve the host-side RWTData directory that is mounted at /Data.

The safe backup procedure

A reliable backup is a controlled maintenance operation. The sequence below prevents players from changing the world while files are being copied and gives you a recovery point that can be restored as a unit.

  1. Announce maintenance. Tell players when the server will stop and ask them to finish their current activity. Do not copy live files while players can still submit actions.
  2. Prevent new writes. Stop new logins or otherwise make the server unavailable before the copy begins. A backup made while the process is writing can contain an inconsistent mixture of old and new data.
  3. Stop the server cleanly. Use the normal stop procedure for your downloaded server or container. Wait for the process to exit rather than killing it immediately; the clean shutdown gives the server a chance to flush state.
  4. Copy the complete persistent directory. Copy the entire data directory to storage outside the live server directory. For the official container layout, copy the host RWTData directory that is mounted to /Data. Include configuration, world data, logs or metadata needed for diagnosis, and every other file in that persistent directory.
  5. Label the archive. Record the server release, date, and any mod-list change that preceded the backup. This is operational practice rather than a required filename format, but it makes selecting the right generation much safer.
  6. Verify the copy. Confirm that the destination contains the expected directory tree and that its size is plausible compared with the live data. Keep the original live directory untouched until you have verified the archive.
  7. Restart and test. Start the server, connect with a test account, and check that the expected map, colonists, permissions, and mod behavior are present.

Keep more than one generation. A single backup can preserve a mistake that was already present, while several dated generations let you step back before a bad update or mod change.

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Configure automatic backups with BackupConfig.json

RimWorld Together’s server configuration includes automatic-backup controls. Open BackupConfig.json in the server’s generated configuration area and review these properties:

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Setting Purpose Operational decision
AutomaticBackups Turns scheduled backup generation on or off. Enable it if you want the server to create generations without a manual copy each time.
IntervalHours Sets the interval between scheduled backups. Choose an interval that matches how much recent progress your group can afford to lose.
AutomaticDeletion Controls whether older generated backups are deleted automatically. Disable deletion when you need indefinite retention; enable it only with a deliberate retention policy.
Amount Specifies how many generations are retained when retention is enforced. Set a value that leaves several recovery points, not just the newest copy.

The project documentation states that a backup is generated at every server launch as well as at the configured interval. A launch backup is useful before maintenance, but it is not a substitute for an off-server copy: a disk failure or damaged live directory can affect both the server and backups stored beside it.

What automatic backups do not solve

  • They do not replace a copy outside the live server storage.
  • They do not make an incompatible server release or mod list safe.
  • They do not guarantee that a file-level copy made during active writes is consistent.
  • They do not preserve a backup forever when automatic deletion is enabled.

How to roll back after a bad update or mod

When a new release or mod change breaks the world, preserve evidence before replacing anything. The following rollback method keeps the failed state available for diagnosis while returning players to a known-good copy.

  1. Stop the server. Do not attempt repeated starts against a damaged or incompatible directory.
  2. Preserve the current directory. Rename or copy the live data directory to a separate forensic location. Keep its logs and configuration so you can identify what changed.
  3. Select a complete known-good generation. Choose a backup created before the release, mod-list change, or other event that introduced the failure. Restore the whole directory, not an individual visible save.
  4. Match the server release. Run the RimWorld Together server version that created the backup, or the documented compatible release. Release notes specifically warn administrators to back up before moving an existing save to a release with save-impacting changes; existing sites from previous saves may not work after an update.
  5. Match the mod files and order expected by that release. A restored world can still fail if the server loads a different set of files than the backup used.
  6. Start and test privately. Connect with an administrator account, inspect the world, and verify that the expected map and gameplay state load before announcing the server to everyone.
  7. Record the cause. Note the old and new release, mod changes, error symptoms, and selected backup so the next maintenance window is repeatable.

The documentation establishes the need for version matching and pre-upgrade backups, but it does not publish a separate universal restore command. Restoration is therefore a file-management operation: stop the process, replace the persistent directory with the chosen copy, and restart the matching software.

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Upgrading RimWorld Together without losing a world

Before the upgrade

  • Make a clean, off-server copy of the complete persistent data directory.
  • Write down the current RimWorld Together release and the complete mod list.
  • Read the release notes for save-impacting changes and warnings about existing sites.
  • Plan a maintenance window long enough to test the restored or upgraded world privately.

After the upgrade

Do not assume that a server that starts has successfully migrated the world. Check the map, colonists, faction relationships, research, permissions, and any systems supplied by mods. If the site fails to load or behaves incorrectly, stop the server and roll back the complete pre-upgrade directory rather than repeatedly modifying the same copy.

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Keep client and server releases identical

The version-management guidance requires clients and the server to use the same RimWorld Together version. When downgrading, download the matching release and replace the client mod files with that release’s files. A client/server mismatch can look like a corrupted save even when the server data is intact.

Managing mods that affect saves

The first player establishes the original mod list. Because world-affecting mods can change data structures or game behavior, the mod guide recommends making such mods required for all players. The server can distinguish required, optional, and forbidden mods.

Classify each mod before adding it

  • World-affecting: Treat as required and include it in every backup label and upgrade record.
  • Optional: Allow only when the server’s configuration and the game’s behavior support clients joining without it.
  • Forbidden: Block when a mod would create conflicts or an unfair or unstable shared state.

Back up before adding, removing, or changing a world-affecting mod. If the change fails, restore the pre-change directory and the matching server and client files together. Keeping only the old data while running new mod files is not a complete rollback.

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SyncLocalSave is not a backup

SyncLocalSave controls whether the server checks if a save was modified between logins. It addresses synchronization behavior, not retention or disaster recovery. Changing it does not create an archive, preserve previous generations, or replace the automatic-backup settings in BackupConfig.json.

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Use the admin panel for supported changes

Many supported server changes can be made through the in-game admin panel. The documented route requires developer mode and operator permissions:

  1. Enable dev mode in RimWorld.
  2. Use deeplist to identify the user’s UID.
  3. Grant operator status with op for the intended UID.
  4. Log in as that user and open the admin menu.

Treat the UID as sensitive administrative information. Grant operator status only to trusted accounts, and remove or review access when an administrator no longer needs it. Use the panel for settings it supports instead of editing unrelated files while the server is running.

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When a connection problem looks like a lost save

A player who cannot join may assume the world is broken, but the troubleshooting guidance calls for checking network and version prerequisites first. Before replacing any save, work through these checks:

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  • Versions: Confirm that the client and server use the same RimWorld Together release.
  • Address and port: Check the address and port configured in ServerConfigs.json.
  • Firewall: Verify that the server process and configured port are allowed through the host firewall.
  • Port forwarding: For internet play, forward the configured port to the server machine and confirm that the forwarding rule targets the correct local address.
  • VPN address: When using a VPN, connect to the server’s VPN address rather than its ordinary local or public address.
  • Local test: From the server machine, test with 127.0.0.1 and the configured port. A successful local test narrows the problem to firewall, forwarding, or address selection.

Only after these checks should you investigate save corruption. Replacing a healthy directory will not fix a blocked port or a mismatched client release.

Do not confuse local RimWorld saves with Together server backups

Ordinary single-player RimWorld supports manual named saves and automatic saves. Save entries display date, time, and version metadata, and a manual save can overwrite an existing save. Those behaviors apply to the local game’s save screen.

RimWorld Together uses the server’s persistent data and BackupConfig.json for the shared world. A local save visible to one player is not a complete substitute for the server directory and should not be treated as the authoritative backup for everyone.

Self-hosting versus managed hosting

The official project supports running downloaded server files or an official container. A managed host can be convenient, but the decision should be based on whether you retain practical control of the persistent data and recovery process.

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For a hosted RimWorld Together server, Godlike.Host provides its own Pterodactyl-based game panel, SFTP/FTP access, and up to three free backups a day with restore. RimWorld Together’s code is licensed CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, a NonCommercial licence (github.com/RimWorld-Together/Rimworld-Together, 10 Oct 2026).

Management concern Self-hosted server Managed host
Data-directory control You control the live directory and, in the container example, the host-side RWTData mount. Control depends on whether the provider exposes persistent storage and lets you download it.
Scheduled backups Configure BackupConfig.json and add your own off-server copy process. Ask whether backups are enabled, how often they run, and whether they are separate from the live disk.
Restore access You can stop the process and replace the directory yourself. Confirm that you can retrieve and restore a complete directory rather than only request provider support.
Version pinning You choose the server release and can keep clients aligned. Verify that the host permits the required RimWorld Together release and downgrade path.
Mod-file access You manage required, optional, and forbidden files directly. Confirm that you can upload, replace, and preserve the exact mod files used by a backup.
Uptime and maintenance You are responsible for the machine, network, updates, and maintenance windows. The provider may simplify availability, but maintenance and recovery policies vary.
Cost Depends on hardware, bandwidth, storage, and electricity; no universal figure is established. Pricing and included backup storage vary by provider and plan; verify current terms before subscribing.

Regardless of hosting model, insist on a downloadable or otherwise recoverable copy of the complete persistent data directory, documented version pinning, and a tested restore path.

A practical maintenance checklist

Before players join for the first time

  • Choose the administrator who will perform the first-player world setup.
  • Set the intended required, optional, and forbidden mods.
  • Confirm the server release and client files match.
  • Review ServerConfigs.json and test the address and port locally.

Before every upgrade or major mod change

  • Announce downtime and stop new writes.
  • Stop the server cleanly.
  • Copy the complete persistent directory outside the live location.
  • Label the archive with date, release, and mod change.
  • Read release notes for save-impacting warnings.

After a backup or restore

  • Check that the archive contains the full directory tree.
  • Start the matching server release.
  • Join with a test account before reopening the server.
  • Verify the map, colonists, permissions, and mod behavior.
  • Keep the failed directory for diagnosis until the issue is understood.

Bottom line

Manage a RimWorld Together world as server data: stop the server, copy the entire persistent directory, configure multiple automatic generations in BackupConfig.json, and keep archives outside the live storage. Before upgrades or world-affecting mod changes, create a known-good backup and keep client, server, and mod files aligned. If players cannot connect, check versions, addresses, ports, firewalls, forwarding, and VPN routing before assuming that the save itself is damaged.

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