Hytale Server Configuration

Hytale Server Configuration

Hytale provides a flexible configuration system that lets you control nearly every aspect of your server. From world generation settings to player limits and game rules, understanding these configuration files is essential for creating the experience you want for your community.

Configuration File Overview

Your Hytale server stores its configuration in several key files, all accessible through the Files tab in your dashboard or via SFTP (port 2022):

• server.properties — The primary configuration file containing core server settings such as player limits, server name, and network configuration
• game-rules.json — Controls in-game mechanics like PvP, mob spawning, and item drops
• world-config.json — World generation parameters including seed, biome distribution, and structure generation
• permissions.json — Player roles and permission levels

Always stop your server before making changes to configuration files to avoid data loss or conflicts. After saving your changes, start the server again from the dashboard.

Core Server Settings (server.properties)

The server.properties file controls fundamental server behavior:

Setting	Description	Default
server-name	The display name of your server	Hytale Server
max-players	Maximum number of concurrent players	20
server-port	The port your server runs on (set by Witchly, do not change)	Assigned
view-distance	How far players can see, in chunks	10
gamemode	Default game mode for new players	adventure
pvp-enabled	Whether player-versus-player combat is allowed	true
whitelist-enabled	Restrict access to whitelisted players only	false
motd	Message displayed in the server browser	A Hytale Server

Recommended adjustments by plan:

• The Scout (4 GB): Keep max-players at 10-15 and view-distance at 8 for smooth performance
• The Explorer (8 GB): Supports 20-30 players comfortably with view-distance at 10
• The Creator (16 GB): Can handle 40+ players with view-distance at 12-14

Game Rules (game-rules.json)

Game rules let you fine-tune gameplay mechanics without mods:

{
  "pvp": true,
  "mob-spawning": true,
  "natural-regeneration": true,
  "keep-inventory": false,
  "daylight-cycle": true,
  "weather-cycle": true,
  "fire-spread": true,
  "block-destruction": true,
  "fall-damage": true,
  "hunger-depletion": true
}

Common configurations:

• Creative/Building server: Disable pvp, hunger-depletion, fall-damage, and mob-spawning. Enable keep-inventory.
• Hardcore survival: Enable all damage and survival mechanics. Disable keep-inventory and natural-regeneration.
• PvP arena: Enable pvp and keep-inventory. Disable mob-spawning and hunger-depletion to focus on combat.

World Settings (world-config.json)

World configuration controls how your server’s world is generated:

{
  "seed": "",
  "world-type": "default",
  "generate-structures": true,
  "biome-size": "normal",
  "ore-distribution": "default",
  "spawn-protection-radius": 16
}

Setting	Description	Options
seed	World generation seed (leave empty for random)	Any string or number
world-type	Type of world generation	default, flat, custom
generate-structures	Whether to generate dungeons, villages, etc.	true / false
biome-size	Scale of biome generation	small, normal, large
spawn-protection-radius	Blocks around spawn that only admins can modify	Number (0 to disable)

To regenerate your world with new settings, you must delete the existing world folder and restart the server. Always create a backup before doing this.

Player Limits and Performance

Adjusting player limits affects both gameplay and server performance. Here are guidelines for each plan:

The Scout (4 GB):

• Maximum recommended players: 15
• Keep view-distance at 8 or lower
• Limit mob spawning rates if performance drops

The Explorer (8 GB):

• Maximum recommended players: 30
• View-distance up to 10 works well
• Moderate modding and custom content supported

The Creator (16 GB):

• Maximum recommended players: 50+
• View-distance up to 14 for expansive worlds
• Heavy modding and scripting fully supported

Difficulty Settings

Hytale offers several difficulty presets that affect mob behavior, damage values, and survival mechanics:

• Peaceful — No hostile mobs spawn. Ideal for building and exploration-focused servers.
• Easy — Hostile mobs spawn but deal reduced damage. Good for casual survival communities.
• Normal — Standard mob behavior and damage. The default balanced experience.
• Hard — Mobs deal increased damage, spawn more frequently, and may have additional abilities. For experienced players seeking a challenge.

To change difficulty, update the difficulty value in your server.properties file or use the appropriate admin command from the console.

Whitelist Configuration

To restrict your server to approved players only:

1. Set whitelist-enabled to true in server.properties
2. Add players to the whitelist using the console command: whitelist add <playername>
3. Remove players with: whitelist remove <playername>
4. View the current whitelist with: whitelist list

The whitelist is stored in whitelist.json and can also be edited directly through the Files tab.

Editing Configuration Files

You have two options for editing server configuration:

Through the Dashboard:

1. Log in to Dashboard and select your server
2. Go to the Files tab
3. Navigate to the configuration file you want to edit
4. Click on the file to open it in the built-in editor
5. Make your changes and click Save
6. Restart your server for changes to take effect

Via SFTP:

1. Connect to your server via SFTP on port 2022 using a client like FileZilla (see our SFTP guide)
2. Download the configuration file, edit it locally, and re-upload
3. Restart your server from the dashboard

Best Practices

• Back up before changes — Always create a backup before modifying configuration files. See our Backups guide.
• Change one thing at a time — Make incremental changes so you can identify what caused any issues.
• Monitor performance — After changing settings, watch the console and server resource usage in your dashboard to ensure stability.
• Document your settings — Keep notes on what you changed and why, so you can revert if needed.

Need help with a specific setting? Join our community at Discord for assistance.