Complete Guide to Palworld Server Settings: Configure Everything from A to Z

Setting up a Palworld server can quickly resemble an incomprehensible wall of text when you open the PalWorldSettings.ini file for the first time. However, each parameter has a specific role — mastering them is what allows you to create exactly the experience you want for your community.

This guide reviews all available parameters, categorized for your convenience. For each one, we explain what it does, its default value, and how to adjust it according to your preferences. Whether you're setting up a chill server with friends or a ruthless hardcore survival, you'll find everything you need to fine-tune the details here.

To learn how to apply these parameters on your OuiHeberg server, go to the Settings tab in your panel — most settings can be modified directly without touching the config file.

General Settings and Connection

Let's start with the basics: your server name, the number of players, passwords, and connectivity options. These settings define your server's identity and who can access it. Remember to restart the server after any changes for them to take effect.

ServerName — The public name of your server, which appears in the list. Default: Default Palworld Server. With OuiHeberg, you can modify it directly from the panel without manually editing the file.

ServerDescription — An optional description visible to players. Default empty. Use it to indicate the type of server, your rules, or your Discord.

ServerPlayerMaxNum — The maximum number of players connected at the same time. Default around 4, but you can increase it up to 32. The more you increase, the more resources your server will need to remain stable.

ServerPassword — Password to join the server. Default empty (open access). Set one if you want to restrict access to your friends or community.

AdminPassword — Administrator password. Default empty. This is essential to obtain admin rights in-game via the /AdminPassword command. Choose something strong and do not share it.

CrossplayPlatforms — The platforms allowed to connect: Steam, Xbox, PS5, Mac. By default, all are accepted. You can restrict it to Steam only if you want a PC-only server, for example. This parameter replaces the old AllowConnectPlatform which is now obsolete.

Region — The geographical region of the server (EU, NA…). This is purely informational, it does not affect performance but helps players find a server close to them.

PublicIP — The public IP address of the server. Leave empty unless in very specific cases (NAT, particular network configuration). Misconfigured, this field can make your server inaccessible.

PublicPort — The public port of the server. Default: 8211. Only modify it if you have a good reason, as it does not change the internal listening port.

bUseAuth — Verifies the identity of players upon connection. Default: True. Never disable this parameter — setting it to False opens the door to unofficial clients and can corrupt player data.

BanListURL — The URL of the ban list. By default, it points to the official Pocketpair banlist. You can theoretically point to a custom list, but modifying this URL may prevent the server from starting correctly.

RCONEnabled — Enables the remote administration console (RCON). Default: False. Set to True if you are using external tools to manage your server. Don't forget to set an RCON password.

RCONPort — The RCON port. Default: 25575. Avoid changing it without reason — some hosts block the modification of this port for security reasons.

RESTAPIEnabled — Enables the server's REST API. Default: False. This is an advanced feature that opens a local web interface to interact with the server from third-party applications.

RESTAPIPort — The port for the REST API. Default: 8212. Modify only in case of conflict.

Gameplay Rules and Game Modes

This is where it gets interesting. These parameters define the rules of your world: PvP, hardcore, death penalties, invasions, fast travel… It's with them that you shape the experience your players will have.

Difficulty — World difficulty level. Note: this parameter currently has no effect on dedicated servers. The "Normal" difficulty is applied by default regardless of what you set. To actually adjust the difficulty, use the damage, hunger, etc. multipliers detailed below.

bHardcore — Activates Hardcore mode. Default: False. When set to True, a player who dies cannot respawn. Their game is over on this server. Combine with death penalties for a truly ruthless server.

bCharacterRecreateInHardcore — Allows recreating a character after a hardcore death. Default: False. If you enable Hardcore but find the penalty too harsh, set this parameter to True to allow your players to start over on the same world instead of being permanently excluded.

DeathPenalty — What a player loses when they die. Default: All (everything). Available options:

None: no loss, the player keeps everything
Item: loss of inventory except for equipped items
ItemAndEquipment: loss of all inventory including equipment
All: total loss, inventory + Pals from the active team

Tip: For a beginner-friendly server, set to Item or None. For an interesting compromise, ItemAndEquipment forces players to recover their stuff from their corpse without losing their Pals.

bPalLost — Permanent loss of Pals upon death. Default: False. When set to True, the player's Pals disappear for good when they die — no recapture possible. Combined with DeathPenalty=All, this is the most punitive configuration in the game.

bEnablePlayerToPlayerDamage — Enables damage between players. Default: False. Set to True to allow PvP on your server.

bEnableFriendlyFire — Enables friendly fire. Default: False. When set to True, members of the same guild can harm each other. When set to False, only enemy players take damage.

bIsPvP — Global indicator for PvP mode. Default: False. For a functional PvP server, enable both bIsPvP=True and bEnablePlayerToPlayerDamage=True. For pure PvE, leave everything set to False.

bEnableInvaderEnemy — Enables enemy raids on your bases. Default: True. Waves of AI enemies can attack your guilds' bases. Disable to False for a more peaceful environment.

EnablePredatorBossPal — Enables boss/predator Pals in the wild. Default: True. When set to False, these special creatures no longer appear. Useful if you want to simplify exploration or lighten the server load a bit.

bEnableFastTravel — Enables fast travel via statues. Default: True. Disable it to force your players to move on foot — more immersive, but also much more demanding.

bEnableNonLoginPenalty — Penalizes players who do not log in for a long time. Default: True. Pals of a player absent for too long may become depressed or less effective. Set to False if you do not want to punish inactivity.

bIsStartLocationSelectByMap — Allows choosing spawn point on the map. Default: True. When set to False, the spawn will be imposed or random.

bExistPlayerAfterLogout — The character remains in the world after logout. Default: False. When set to True, the body of the disconnected player remains vulnerable in the world (like in Rust or Ark). Other players can kill or loot it. By default, a player who leaves disappears immediately.

bEnableDefenseOtherGuildPlayer — Allows automatic defenses to target enemy players. Default: False. When set to True, your turrets and guardian Pals will target players from other guilds. A little-documented setting, use with caution.

bInvisibleOtherGuildBaseCampAreaFX — Hides the area circle of enemy bases. Default: False (circles visible). When set to True, your players will no longer see the boundaries of enemy bases — it complicates exploration and enhances immersion.

bAllowGlobalPalboxExport — Allows sending Pals to the global inter-server storage. Default: True. When set to False, your players will not be able to export their Pals off your server.

bAllowGlobalPalboxImport — Allows importing Pals from global storage. Default: False. When set to True, players can bring Pals from another server. Enable export + import for a world open to transfers, or keep import set to False for a closed ecosystem.

ChatPostLimitPerMinute — Anti-spam limit for chat. Default: 10 messages per minute. Sufficient for normal discussion. Lower for a quieter chat, increase slightly if your players are chatty.

bShowPlayerList — Displays the list of connected players via Escape. Default: False. When set to True, everyone can see who is online. Leave False for more immersion or to avoid meta-gaming.

LogFormatType — Server log format: Text (readable) or Json (structured). Default: Text. JSON is useful if you analyze your logs with analysis tools.

Player and Pal Statistics

All these parameters are multipliers. By default, they are set to 1.0 (standard game balance). Above 1, the effect increases. Below 1, it decreases. It is with these values that you precisely dose the difficulty of your server.

General principle: a value of 2.0 doubles the effect, 0.5 halves it. Combine several adjustments to create the difficulty profile that suits you.

Player Side

ExpRate — Experience gain. Default: 1.0. Increase to 2.0 for fast progression, decrease to 0.5 for a much longer leveling.

WorkSpeedRate — Work speed (crafting, automatic harvesting). Default: 1.0. Increase to boost your bases' productivity, decrease for a more laid-back pace.

PlayerDamageRateAttack — Damage dealt by players. Default: 1.0. The higher it is, the harder your players hit. Example: 2.0 doubles their damage, 0.8 reduces it by 20%.

PlayerDamageRateDefense — Damage taken by players. Default: 1.0. Above 1, they are more fragile. Below, more resistant. At 0.5, they take only half of normal damage.

PlayerAutoHPRegeneRate — Natural health regeneration. Default: 1.0. Increase for your players to recover faster between fights.

PlayerAutoHpRegeneRateInSleep — Health regeneration during sleep. Default: 1.0. Increase the value for a night in a bed to heal more.

PlayerStaminaDecreaceRate — Rate of stamina loss. Default: 1.0. Above 1, your players tire faster when running or fighting. Below, they last longer.

PlayerStomachDecreaceRate — Rate of hunger loss. Default: 1.0. The higher it is, the more often your players need to eat. An effective lever to make survival more demanding.

Pal Side

PalDamageRateAttack — Damage dealt by allied Pals. Default: 1.0. Increase for more powerful Pals, decrease for longer fights.

PalDamageRateDefense — Damage taken by Pals. Default: 1.0. At 0.5, your Pals become twice as resistant.

PalAutoHPRegeneRate — Health regeneration of Pals. Default: 1.0. Same logic as for players.

PalAutoHpRegeneRateInSleep — Regeneration of Pals while resting in the Palbox. Default: 1.0. Increase for your Pals to recover quickly when stored.

PalStaminaDecreaceRate — Stamina loss of Pals. Default: 1.0. Above 1, they tire faster at work and in combat.

PalStomachDecreaceRate — Hunger loss of Pals. Default: 1.0. The higher it is, the faster they empty their feeders.

PalCaptureRate — Capture success rate. Default: 1.0. At 2.0, you double your chances of capturing a wild Pal. At 0.5, it's twice as hard. A key parameter for balancing your server.

PalSpawnNumRate — Density of wild Pal appearances. Default: 1.0. Increase for a more populated world, decrease for a more empty and hostile world. Note: too many Pals can seriously impact server performance.

Resources, Loot, and Items

These parameters control the abundance of resources, the generosity of loot, and the management of items in the world. They directly influence the progression pace of your players.

CollectionDropRate — Amount of resources gathered (wood, stone, ores…). Default: 1.0. At 2.0, each tree gives twice as much wood. Ideal for speeding up the start of the game.

CollectionObjectHpRate — Resistance of gatherable resources. Default: 1.0. Above 1, trees and rocks require more hits. Below, they break faster. At 0.5, gathering goes twice as fast.

CollectionObjectRespawnSpeedRate — Speed of resource respawn. Default: 1.0. Increase for forests to regrow faster, decrease for a world where resources become scarce.

EnemyDropItemRate — Loot from defeated enemies. Default: 1.0. The higher it is, the more items monsters drop. At 0.5, farming becomes much longer.

EquipmentDurabilityDamageRate — Wear of equipment. Default: 1.0. Above 1, your weapons and tools break faster. Below, they last longer. A good lever to make survival more demanding.

ItemWeightRate — Weight of items in inventory. Default: 1.0. Increase for items to weigh more (more demanding stock management), decrease for your players to carry more.

DropItemMaxNum — Maximum number of items on the ground simultaneously. Default: 3000. Reduce to lighten performance (1000 for example), increase if your players often leave loot lying around. Too many items on the ground = guaranteed lag.

DropItemAliveMaxHours — Lifespan of items on the ground before disappearing. Default: 1 hour. Increase if you want loot to stay longer, decrease for more frequent automatic cleaning.

DropItemMaxNum_UNKO — Maximum number of "UNKO" drops. Default: 100. Poorly documented internal parameter. Leave the default value.

SupplyDropSpan — Interval between supply drops. Default: 180 minutes (3 hours). Lower for more frequent drops, increase to make them rarer and more valuable.

Structures and Construction

Everything related to your players' buildings: resistance, degradation, construction limits, and protected zones.

BuildObjectDamageRate — Damage taken by structures. Default: 1.0. Above 1, buildings are more fragile against attacks. At 0.5, they withstand twice as well.

BuildObjectDeteriorationDamageRate — Natural degradation of structures outside the base. Default: 1.0. Increase to force regular maintenance, decrease or set to 0 to remove deterioration.

MaxBuildingLimitNum — Maximum number of structures per player. Default: 0 (unlimited). Set a limit to prevent massive constructions from overloading the server. Find a balance: too low and it stifles creativity, too high and it serves no purpose.

bBuildAreaLimit — Prohibits building near points of interest (statues, dungeons…). Default: False. Activate to True to prevent griefing in important areas of the map.

ServerReplicatePawnCullDistance — Synchronization distance of entities (in cm). Default: 15000 (150 m). Min: 5000, Max: 15000. Reducing improves performance but "puts to sleep" Pals closer to the player. Adjust only if you have performance issues.

ItemContainerForceMarkDirtyInterval — Synchronization interval for chests/containers. Default: 1 second. Technical parameter to leave as is unless performance issues arise due to a large number of chests.

Guilds and Cooperation

These parameters govern the social life of your server: guild sizes, number of bases, management of inactive guilds, and cooperation rules.

GuildPlayerMaxNum — Max players per guild. Default: 20. Increase for large clans, decrease for smaller, more intimate groups.

BaseCampMaxNumInGuild — Max bases per guild. Default: 4 (configurable maximum: 10). The more bases you allow, the more active zones the server has to manage. 4 is a good compromise for medium-sized groups.

BaseCampMaxNum — Total number of bases on the server, across all guilds. Default: 128. Sufficient for most servers (32 guilds × 4 bases = 128).

BaseCampWorkerMaxNum — Max worker pals per base. Default: 15 (configurable maximum: 50). Going beyond 15 may impact performance. Note: this setting does not always work correctly in the current version of the game.

CoopPlayerMaxNum — Max size of a coop group. Default: 4. Known bug: changing this value currently has no effect, the game remains stuck at 4.

bAutoResetGuildNoOnlinePlayers — Automatic dissolution of inactive guilds. Default: False. Enable to True to automatically clean up abandoned guilds according to the timeout defined below.

AutoResetGuildTimeNoOnlinePlayers — Timeout before dissolution (in hours). Default: 72h (3 days). If no member logs in during this time, the guild is dissolved. Increase to 168 to allow a week before deletion. Only takes effect if the previous setting is enabled.

bCanPickupOtherGuildDeathPenaltyDrop — Allows looting of another guild's death loot. Default: False. When False, only members of the same guild can recover items from a dead teammate. When True, anyone can loot — perfect for wild PvP.

bActiveUNKO — Reserved setting, currently has no known effect. Default: False. Leave as is.

Backups and Technical Settings

The last category, but not the least important. These settings affect the security of your data and performance. Only modify them if you know what you are doing.

bIsUseBackupSaveData — Enables automatic world backups. Default: True. The server creates backups at regular intervals: every 30 seconds (5 copies), every 10 minutes (6 copies), every hour (12 copies), and every 24 hours (7 copies). It consumes a bit of disk space, but it's your safety net in case of a crash or rollback. Never disable this setting unless you manage your backups differently.

Good to know: At OuiHeberg, automatic backups complement this integrated system. Double protection for your world.

File WorldOptions.sav — On dedicated servers, this file is no longer used. All configuration is done through PalWorldSettings.ini or directly through your host's panel. At OuiHeberg, settings are managed via the interface without having to import an outdated file.

Non-functional settings — Palworld is still under active development. Some settings do not work correctly yet: BaseCampWorkerMaxNum beyond 15, CoopPlayerMaxNum beyond 4, or the Difficulty=Hard mode on dedicated servers. Developers are fixing and enabling these options over time with patches. If in doubt, check the official documentation or the community before concluding that your config is broken.

In summary

You now have all the configurable parameters of a Palworld server at your fingertips. Whether to create a relaxed coop adventure or a merciless survival server depends on what you want to offer your players.

After each modification, remember to restart your server to apply the changes. And if you're looking for hosting that simplifies all this, OuiHeberg allows you to configure the essentials directly from the panel, without digging through files manually.