Start a dedicated Vintage Story server by running the installed server executable with the arguments that match your operating system and deployment. The safest baseline is to verify the binary first with --version and --help, then launch it with a separate --dataPath. Use --ip, --port, --maxclients, --logPath, --addOrigin, and --addModPath for process-level settings. Keep gameplay and access rules in serverconfig.json or the in-game /serverconfig commands.
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What Vintage Story server launch arguments control
Vintage Story has two configuration layers. Startup arguments tell the operating system how to run the server process: which executable to use, where its data and logs live, which address and port to bind, how many clients to allow, and where to find additional assets or mods. A second layer controls persistent server behavior such as passwords, advertising, whitelist mode, PvP, fire spread, entity spawning, tick rate, chunk radius, and spawn settings.
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Use launch arguments when a setting belongs to the process or must differ between launch environments. Use /serverconfig or the server’s serverconfig.json when the setting describes the world or the rules players experience. Mixing the two layers can make troubleshooting difficult: a command-line override may take precedence for one launch, while a JSON edit may not be read until the process is restarted.
Check the options implemented by your installed build
The startup-parameter reference is version-specific. It was verified for Vintage Story 1.19.8, while the multiplayer setup documentation was verified for 1.20.0. Newer or older binaries can add, remove, or rename flags. The installed executable is therefore authoritative.
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- Open a terminal or Command Prompt in the directory containing the dedicated-server executable.
- Run
VintageStoryServer.exe --versionon Windows, or the equivalent Linux command for the binary or .NET assembly. - Run
VintageStoryServer.exe --helpand read the options printed by that exact build. - Save the output with your server notes before building a long-running service or wrapper script.
The Vintage Story Wiki’s startup reference explicitly instructs administrators to call VintageStoryServer.exe --help from the game directory to obtain the currently implemented command-line arguments. Treat copied examples as starting points, not as a substitute for this check.
Launch argument reference
| Argument | Function | Documented behavior or default |
|---|---|---|
-v, --version |
Print the game version and exit. | Exits after displaying the version. |
-h, --help |
Print available startup parameters and exit. | Output depends on the installed build. |
-s, --standby |
Wait for the first connection attempt before fully launching. | Useful when you want to defer full startup until a player connects. |
--genconfig |
Create a fresh default serverconfig.json and exit. |
Warns that an existing configuration will be deleted. |
--setconfig |
Set persistent configuration values and create serverconfig.json if it is absent. |
Uses the JSON-like syntax shown by the startup reference. |
--withconfig |
Apply configuration values for the current launch. | Launch-time override; it is not the same as permanently editing the file. |
--dataPath |
Choose the directory for server saves, configuration, and related data. | A separate path is recommended when the client and server share a machine. |
--logPath |
Choose an absolute directory for logs. | Path must be absolute. |
--addOrigin |
Load additional assets from a specified path. | Use for extra asset content outside the normal installation location. |
--addModPath |
Load mods from one or more additional paths. | Useful when mod files are maintained outside the default data directory. |
--ip |
Bind the server to a particular IP address. | Overrides the configured address for that launch. |
--port |
Choose the listening TCP port. | The documented default is 42420; an explicit value overrides configuration. |
--maxclients |
Set the maximum number of simultaneous clients. | The documented default is 16. |
--archiveLogFileCount |
Set how many old log files are retained. | The documented default is 5 archived files. |
--archiveLogFileMaxSizeMb |
Set the maximum archive size. | The documented default is 1024 MB. |
The defaults in this table come from the startup reference and can change between releases. A missing default is not evidence that no default exists; it means the cited reference does not state one. Confirm behavior with --help and the generated configuration from your binary.
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Use a dedicated data path
--dataPath is the most important option for a reliable installation. It keeps dedicated-server worlds, configuration, and logs separate from the client or single-player data on the same computer. That separation prevents a client update, profile change, or accidental file edit from affecting the server’s files.
Choose a directory that the account running the process can read and write. Back up that directory as a unit: it contains the world data and the configuration needed to restore the instance. If you run more than one server, give each instance its own data path and, preferably, its own log directory.
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The documented Linux/.NET form is:
dotnet VintagestoryServer.dll --dataPath /srv/vintagestory/dataThe native Linux form is:
./VintagestoryServer --dataPath /srv/vintagestory/dataOn Windows, quote a path containing spaces:
VintageStoryServer.exe --dataPath "C:VSDataMyServer"The server creates or reads its configuration beneath the selected data location. If a command appears to have no effect, first verify that you are inspecting the configuration and logs under the same --dataPath used to launch the process.
Windows and Linux launch examples
Windows direct launch
The official self-hosting guidance describes a dedicated server as the server executable launched from the game’s installation path. A practical command combining documented options is:
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Linux with the .NET assembly
dotnet VintagestoryServer.dll --dataPath /srv/vintagestory/dataUse an absolute path for logs when adding --logPath:
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dotnet VintagestoryServer.dll --dataPath /srv/vintagestory/data --logPath /var/log/vintagestoryLinux native binary
./VintagestoryServer --dataPath /srv/vintagestory/data --port 42420Make sure the binary is executable and that the service account owns or can write to the data and log directories. The assembly and native-binary forms are alternatives; use the one shipped for your installation.
Understand --genconfig, --setconfig, and --withconfig
--genconfig: reset to a new default
Run --genconfig when you intentionally need a newly generated default configuration. It exits after generating the file. The startup reference warns that an existing configuration is deleted, so stop the server and copy the current serverconfig.json before using this flag. This is a reset tool, not a routine startup option.
--setconfig: write persistent values
--setconfig changes configuration values and creates serverconfig.json when the file does not exist. The reference shows a JSON-like form:
VintageStoryServer.exe --setconfig="{ key: 3, foo:'value' }"Use the exact spelling and value format accepted by your build’s help output. Shell quoting differs between Windows Command Prompt, PowerShell, and Linux shells, so test the command in the same shell that will run your automation. Because this option writes persistent settings, treat it like a configuration change and back up the file first.
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--withconfig: override one launch
--withconfig applies values while the process starts without being the normal method for permanently editing the configuration. It is useful for a temporary test, a staging instance, or a launch profile that should differ from the saved world settings. Record the override in your service definition so another administrator does not mistake the on-disk file for the effective setting.
Put gameplay and access rules in server configuration
Use the in-game /serverconfig command for runtime changes supported by the server, or edit serverconfig.json for file-based administration. The command reference includes these patterns:
/serverconfig maxclients <number>changes the client limit through server configuration./serverconfig password <password>sets the server password./serverconfig advertise <true|false>controls whether the server is advertised./serverconfig WhitelistMode <default|off|on>selects whitelist behavior./serverconfig maxchunkradius <number>sets the chunk radius value.
Other persistent rules documented for this layer include PvP, fire spread, entity spawning, tick rate, and spawn point. The exact key capitalization matters when editing JSON or issuing commands, so copy names from the command reference or from the configuration generated by your version.
Stop the server before editing serverconfig.json. After saving a file change, relaunch the server so it reads the new values. A launch argument such as --maxclients can override the configured client limit for that process, so remove conflicting command-line values when you want the JSON setting to govern.
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Dedicated servers use whitelisting by default as of version 1.20 according to the dedicated-server guide. Check the generated configuration and your access policy before opening a new instance to players, especially when migrating from an older release.
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Choose a process and lifecycle method
| Approach | Best for | Operational trade-off |
|---|---|---|
Direct executable or dotnet process |
Testing, occasional play, and manual administration. | Simple, but the server stops when the terminal or user session ends unless you provide your own persistence. |
Linux server.sh |
Operators who want a documented wrapper for routine lifecycle actions. | The Wiki documents start, stop, status, update, restart, setup, and command; you still manage the host and its permissions. |
| systemd | Always-on Linux servers that should start at boot and be supervised. | Requires a service definition, a dedicated account, correct working and data paths, and log/upgrade planning. |
| Managed hosting | Owners who do not want to maintain the operating system or lifecycle scripts. | The provider is still operating the same executable, data directory, configuration, and restart layer. Verify supported Vintage Story versions, mod handling, backups, network settings, and commercial terms before committing. |
An ad-hoc world opened to LAN is different from a dedicated server. The official self-hosting guidance describes the dedicated mode as keeping the server available by launching VintageStoryServer.exe from the installation path, rather than relying on a player to open a world through the client.
Practical startup recipes
Isolated Windows instance
VintageStoryServer.exe --dataPath "C:VSDataSurvival" --logPath "C:VSDataSurvivallogs" --port 42420 --maxclients 16Use this profile when the server shares a Windows machine with the game client. The explicit data and log paths make backups and diagnosis straightforward.
Minimal Linux instance
dotnet VintagestoryServer.dll --dataPath /srv/vintagestory/survivalStart minimally, confirm that the world loads and the process listens, then add a custom log path, bind address, or mod path one at a time. Incremental changes make a bad path or incompatible asset easier to identify.
Temporary staging override
./VintagestoryServer --dataPath /srv/vintagestory/staging --withconfig="{ advertise:false }"This pattern illustrates a launch-only configuration change. Confirm the accepted syntax in your binary and shell before using it in automation.
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The command is rejected or an option is unknown
- Run the executable with
--helpfrom its installation directory. - Check
--versionand compare it with the documentation you followed. - Confirm spelling, capitalization, hyphens, and whether your shell stripped quotation marks.
The server starts with the wrong world or settings
- Print or inspect the complete launch command and verify
--dataPath. - Look for multiple copies of
serverconfig.jsonand edit the one beneath the active data path. - Remove a temporary
--withconfigor conflicting process-level override when testing persistent settings. - Stop the process before editing JSON, then relaunch it.
Players cannot connect
- Confirm the process is listening on the intended
--ipand--port. - Check that another service is not already using the port.
- Verify host firewall and router rules separately; a successful local launch does not prove Internet reachability.
- Check whitelist mode, password, and advertising settings in the server configuration.
Logs are missing or disk usage grows
- Verify that
--logPathis an absolute, writable directory. - Use
--archiveLogFileCountto control the number of retained archives. - Use
--archiveLogFileMaxSizeMbto cap the archive size and monitor the filesystem.
Mods or extra assets are not loaded
- Check each path passed to
--addModPathor--addOrigin. - Use absolute paths while diagnosing permissions and working-directory problems.
- Read the startup log for path, file, or version errors before changing gameplay settings.
Pre-launch checklist
- Record the output of
--versionand--help. - Create a dedicated, writable
--dataPathand back it up. - Choose an absolute
--logPathif logs should live outside the data directory. - Set
--ip,--port, and--maxclientsonly when you need to override configuration. - Keep gameplay and access rules in
/serverconfigorserverconfig.json. - Stop the server before editing JSON and relaunch afterward.
- For Linux, select direct execution,
server.sh, or systemd based on the required persistence. - For a managed host, confirm version, data-path access, backups, mods, and restart policy in the provider’s terms.
Version and default caveats
The documented startup defaults are configuration defaults, not performance guarantees: port 42420, 16 maximum clients, five archived logs, and a 1024 MB archive-size limit. No independent benchmark establishes how many players a particular machine can support. CPU, memory, storage, world generation, mods, network conditions, and chosen simulation settings all affect practical capacity.
Because the startup page and multiplayer guides cover different releases, re-check every copied command after an update. A reliable upgrade routine is to stop the process, back up the data directory and configuration, run the new binary with --version and --help, then start with the same explicit data path and inspect the first log for warnings.
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