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World desk9 min

Space Engineers Server Mod Load Order Explained

The in-game list loads bottom to top, while the dedicated-server GUI and sandbox_config.sbc use a flipped top-to-bottom effective order.
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For a normal in-game world, Space Engineers processes the mod list from bottom to top, so the entries nearer the top take precedence when two mods replace the same definition. A dedicated server is easy to misread: its server GUI and sandbox_config.sbc show the order flipped, with the effective precedence read from top to bottom. Put the version of a definition you want to win above the competing mod in that dedicated-server order, restart, and verify the result in the log and in-game.

There is no universal “best” sequence for every collection. The correct order depends on which definition IDs each mod changes, its dependencies, the platform, and whether a conflict is actually caused by load order rather than a failed download or an incompatible file.

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What “load order” controls

A Space Engineers mod can add new content or replace an existing game definition. Definitions are the data records that describe blocks, items, components, sounds, blueprints and other behavior. When two active mods provide a value for the same definition ID, the mod with precedence supplies the value that the world uses. A cosmetic addition that introduces unique definitions may never conflict; two mods that both edit the same block, weapon, component, or assembler definition can.

Load order does not merge every field intelligently. One mod may replace an entire definition, while another may change only a related value. If the winning file does not include a change made by the losing mod, that change disappears even though both mods remain enabled. This is why a mod can appear in the active list and still seem “inactive.”

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The two order views you must distinguish

Where you are looking How the list is processed How to choose the winner
In-game world/mod screen Mods load from bottom to top. The entry nearer the top has priority when definitions overlap.
Dedicated-server GUI The display is flipped compared with the in-game presentation. Read the effective order from top to bottom and place the desired winning mod above its competitor.
sandbox_config.sbc on a dedicated server The saved file uses the same flipped presentation as the dedicated-server GUI. Interpret the entries top to bottom as the server’s effective order; do not reorder it as if it were the in-game list.

Keen Software House describes the dedicated-server distinction this way: “The mod order is flipped for the dedicated server GUI and the save files (sandbox_config.sbc), which show the mods in the real load order from top to bottom.” The apparent reversal is a display convention, not evidence that the server randomly ignored your list.

Keep two notes when documenting a collection: the order as it appears in the client’s world screen and the order as it appears in the server configuration. A list copied from one context and pasted into the other can produce the opposite result.

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How to set and test a dedicated-server order

Use a controlled change rather than dragging a large collection into a new sequence all at once. The following process preserves a rollback path and makes the resulting log useful.

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  1. Record the current state. Export or copy the active-mod list, including its order, and save a copy of the world before editing anything. Keep the original sandbox_config.sbc or a dated copy of the server configuration.
  2. Identify automatic requirements. Required items are normally added automatically by the game. After the list is populated, inspect where those dependencies actually landed instead of assuming they are adjacent to the requesting mod.
  3. Read the server view correctly. In the dedicated-server GUI, or in sandbox_config.sbc, read the entries from top to bottom. This is the effective order for the server, not the bottom-to-top presentation used in the in-game list.
  4. Choose one conflict. Identify the two mods that change the same block or definition. Place the mod whose definition should be used above the competing mod in the dedicated-server order.
  5. Restart the server. A running session may retain definitions loaded at startup. Stop it cleanly, apply the edited list, and start it again rather than judging the change from an already-running world.
  6. Check the startup log. Look for download failures, missing identifiers, dependency messages, definition errors, or a crash at the point where the edited collection loads. Save the log from both the failing and working attempts.
  7. Verify in-game behavior. Test the exact block, item, recipe, or behavior that was supposed to change. Check a newly placed instance as well as an existing one; some changes only become obvious when the definition is instantiated again.
  8. Change one variable at a time. If the result is wrong, restore the backup, move only one competing mod, restart, and test again. Once the winning order is confirmed, write it down with the server date and collection version.

This procedure cannot make two incompatible full-file replacements coexist. It does, however, tell you whether precedence was the cause and leaves the save recoverable when it was not.

Dependencies: why an automatically added mod can still cause a conflict

A required mod is usually added for you, but the dependency may load after the mod that requested it. That arrangement is normally harmless when the first mod only references definitions supplied by the dependency. It becomes significant when the requesting mod also tries to override a definition that the dependency supplies.

When the dependency order is harmless

If Mod A asks for a component, block, or API definition from Mod B and does not replace that definition, the relative position generally does not alter the result. The important check is that Mod B is present, downloaded, and listed in the server’s active collection.

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When the dependency order matters

If both entries change the same definition ID, test the two possible positions against one another. Keep the position that gives the intended definition and produces a clean startup. Do not remove a required dependency merely because it appears in an unexpected place; first determine whether the conflict is an override, a missing file, or an incompatible version.

What to document

  • The mod that declares the requirement.
  • The dependency the game inserted automatically.
  • The definition or feature that both entries appear to change.
  • The tested order and the observed result after a full restart.

Diagnosing a mod that appears to lose

The order changed but nothing changed in-game

First confirm that the server actually loaded the edited configuration. Compare the startup log with the saved list and check that you restarted the correct instance. Then inspect the download. A failed or partial Workshop/mod.io download can leave the expected entry present while its definitions are unavailable.

If both files load successfully, the conflict may be outside simple precedence. Some mods replace a complete definition file, so the winning file necessarily hides fields from the other one. Others use scripts or runtime logic that does not follow the same definition override pattern. Isolate the pair by disabling unrelated mods, restart, and test the two entries alone.

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The world will not load or the server crashes

Stop changing the order on the only copy of the save. Restore the backed-up world and the last known-good list, then preserve the failing log. Keen warns that incompatible mods can crash the game or break a saved game. A missing mod can leave holes in the world’s definitions, prevent a save from loading, or cause a crash during startup.

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Reintroduce the suspect entries in small groups. If the crash returns when one mod is added, test its download and compatibility before experimenting with another order. Keep the failing collection separate so it cannot overwrite the working backup.

A feature is present but the wrong version appears

Check for duplicate definitions rather than only checking whether the mod is enabled. Move the intended winner above the competing entry in the correct server view, restart, and test a newly created object. If the older version still appears, the mod may be replacing a different definition, using a script, or loading a cached asset; the log and an isolated two-mod test are more reliable than the list alone.

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Platform and distribution constraints

Platform or distribution Practical implication for a server collection
Steam Workshop Primarily serves PC users. A collection built only from Workshop items may not be available to console players.
mod.io Supports multiple platforms, but an individual mod still has to support the target platform and feature set.
Console clients Consoles cannot execute user code locally, so script-heavy mods have platform limits. SBC-only definition mods are the safer cross-platform choice.
PC dedicated server with supported crossplay A PC server can provide server-side scripts to console clients in supported configurations, but this does not remove the platform restrictions of the client or the mod.

Before publishing a collection, record where each item is hosted, whether it is available to every client, and whether it requires scripts. A definition-only mod may work across a crossplay setup while a client-side or script-dependent feature does not. Platform compatibility is a separate question from which definition wins.

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Torch, plugins and ordinary world mods

Torch can provide administration and plugin features for a server, but it does not replace the game’s own precedence rules for world definitions. Continue to interpret the Space Engineers mod list using the dedicated-server top-to-bottom convention even when a third-party administration layer is present.

Plugins also deserve a separate risk decision. Keen’s current policy states: “Plugins are not permitted on the Steam Workshop or Mod.io and will be removed if posted.” The company warns that plugins can affect systems outside the game and are used at the user’s own risk, and points users toward an open-source Plugin Loader. Do not treat a plugin as merely another entry in a normal world-mod order: evaluate its source, installation method, permissions, update path, and rollback plan independently.

Comparing two collections or hosting approaches

When deciding between an existing collection, a rebuilt list, or a different server setup, compare the factors that determine reliability rather than counting mod entries.

Decision axis Questions to answer
Effective precedence Is the order documented for the dedicated-server view, and is the intended winner above each competing definition?
Dependency depth How many automatic dependencies are inserted, and could any of them also override a definition?
Override risk Do the mods add unique content, or do several replace the same blocks, recipes, weapons, or other IDs?
Platform reach Are all items available through the distribution used by the target clients, and are scripts supported?
Download reproducibility Can every player and the server obtain the same versions, and can a failed download be detected from logs?
Backup and rollback Is there a dated world copy, an old configuration, and a record of the last working list?
Administration layer Does the setup use the game’s native server controls, Torch, or plugins with separate security implications?

A shorter collection with unique definitions and a tested backup procedure is often easier to maintain than a larger collection containing several full replacements. That is a maintenance conclusion, not a universal ranking: the actual definitions and dependencies decide the outcome.

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A repeatable maintenance checklist

  • Keep a plain-text ordered list in addition to the server configuration.
  • Label whether each list came from the in-game screen or the dedicated-server GUI/file.
  • Back up the world before changing a large mod set.
  • Let required items be added automatically, then inspect their final placement.
  • Change one order relationship at a time and restart after each test.
  • Retain startup logs for both the failing and working configuration.
  • Test the exact definition that was expected to win.
  • Check download integrity before blaming precedence.
  • Isolate mods when a conflict persists after reordering.
  • Keep scripts, plugins, and ordinary SBC definition mods in separate compatibility and security assessments.

The key habit is to write down the context with the order. “Mod X is first” is incomplete unless it says whether “first” means the in-game display, the dedicated-server display, or the effective precedence you observed after a restart.

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