Choose the task and finish the next step
Protect both world and player records before a transfer. Identify the source platform, destination server, version and identity mapping, then test the copied world before retiring the original.
Work from a reproducible starting point
- Check the prerequisite, selected game revision and the current state of the save.
- Use the actual linked Pals, item recipes and map/tool entries for the next step.
- Verify the intended outcome, then record the inputs so another player can repeat the task.
Evidence boundary
The factual tables preserve the stated source snapshot. Source-specific recommendations and mechanics have not been independently reproduced in the current game. Exact gameplay rule gaps remain in the coverage notes rather than being filled with invented quantities.
Decide what is moving
A server world, the characters attached to it, and selected Pals exported to the Global Palbox are different records. A full-host migration is not a character merge, and Palbox export is not a base, inventory or quest backup. The primary documentation checked here is labeled 1.0.4; the locally captured game news reaches 1.0.5, so no current server runtime has been certified by this guide.
Choose a hosting model by ownership and uptime
| Model | Useful when | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Invite-code co-op | The group plays with one available host | Host keeps the world and must be online |
| Windows Steam server tool | You want a straightforward persistent setup | Process uptime, router/firewall and backups remain yours |
| SteamCMD Windows/Linux | You need a headless or managed host | You maintain installation, service, configuration and restores |
| Official Docker deployment | You understand Linux containers and storage | Follow the official image guidance; do not assume Docker Desktop is equivalent |
Size the host from the official baseline
Pocketpair’s live requirements page recommends at least four CPU cores, lists 16 GB memory and recommends more than 32 GB for larger deployments. It says 8 GB can boot with greater out-of-memory risk. It recommends fast SSD storage and warns about low-performance storage. UDP 8211 is the changeable default listening port; ensure the route reaches the intended server.
| Resource | Documented planning baseline | What to verify on your host |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 4+ cores recommended | Busy-base and peak-player load |
| RAM | 16 GB listed; >32 GB recommended for larger servers | Peak use and headroom during saves/updates |
| Storage | Fast SSD | Free space and write behavior during saves |
| Network | UDP 8211 default, changeable | Host firewall, router and public address route |
| OS | 64-bit Windows or Linux | Supported distribution/runtime for the chosen method |
Create a clean installation before importing a world
- Prepare the 64-bit host and a dedicated installation directory.
- For SteamCMD, the official install/update command is: steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 2394010 validate +quit. The exact command appears below.
- Start PalServer.exe on Windows or ./PalServer.sh on Linux once, then stop it cleanly so its Saved/Config directories exist.
- Copy DefaultPalWorldSettings.ini to the active platform-specific path, then edit the copied file. Do not edit the template and assume the live world changed.
- Set the world identity, participant limit, separate access/admin credentials and allowed platforms. Preserve the configuration with the world backup.
- Enable automatic backups, start the server, and confirm a backup directory is actually created.
The exact update command and active files
Run updates only after a stopped-server backup. The app ID and command were read directly in the official deployment documentation. The paths are relative to the Steam library or your chosen install root.
| Purpose | Command or relative path |
|---|---|
| Install/update | steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 2394010 validate +quit |
| Windows live configuration | steamapps\common\PalServer\Pal\Saved\Config\WindowsServer\PalWorldSettings.ini |
| Linux live configuration | steamapps/common/PalServer/Pal/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/PalWorldSettings.ini |
| Windows start | PalServer.exe, from the server installation |
| Linux start | ./PalServer.sh, from the server installation |
Use the controls that govern this version
| Setting or argument | Meaning established by the current docs |
|---|---|
| bIsUseBackupSaveData | Enables world backups; adds storage I/O |
| bAllowGlobalPalboxExport | Allows saving selected Pals to the Global Palbox |
| bAllowGlobalPalboxImport | Allows loading Pals from it |
| CrossplayPlatforms | Allowed clients; documented default Steam, Xbox, PS 5, Mac |
| MaxBuildingLimitNum | Per-player building count cap;0 means unlimited |
| -port=8211 | Sets the listening port |
| PublicPort / -publicport | Advertises a community-server external port; does not change the listener |
| Old threading argument trio | Docs say leaving -useperfthreads -NoAsyncLoadingThread -UseMultithreadForDS unset may perform better in 1.0+ |
Run an actual backup/update/restore cycle
- Announce downtime and prevent new joins. Stop via the supported shutdown/service workflow and confirm the process has exited.
- Copy the complete Pal/Saved tree, including world/player records and configuration, to a dated location. A lone Level.sav is not the same restore point.
- Keep another copy outside the host so an in-place update or disk failure cannot remove both.
- Update with the official command, compare the new default template for added parameters, and preserve intentional live values.
- Start a separate restore test or the copied instance. Join with an existing character, inspect guild/base ownership and Pals, place a disposable object, log out, shut down cleanly and restart.
- Only retire the original host or redirect players after the restored save cycle succeeds.
Automatic backup bands do not replace a restore test
The inspected backup documentation lists five saves at the 30-second band, six at 10 minutes, twelve at one hour and seven at one day. These are the documented retention bands, not proof that your instance is writing them. Inspect the actual backup directory and periodically load a separate restore copy.
Choose the correct transfer boundary
| Scenario | What this procedure can preserve | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Dedicated server to a new host | A complete stopped save/config copy can preserve the same world | Automatic remapping to a different character/account identity |
| Official-server wipe | Exported Pals may be useful when imports are permitted | A guarantee that world, bases, inventory or characters survive |
| Global Palbox movement | Selected Pals under the source/destination permissions | A complete world backup or an unrestricted import policy |
| Single-player to another multiplayer world | A new character plus allowed Pal transfer | An official raw character-file merge procedure |
| Different friend becomes co-op host | A copied world can be tested | That identity/guild ownership is correct without validation |
Keep unsupported character rewriting on duplicate saves
The reviewed Pocketpair pages do not supply a raw single-player-to-multiplayer character merge or arbitrary ID-remapping procedure. Community tools may depend on storefront, account identity, game version and save shape. If you evaluate one, duplicate both worlds first and check inventory, missions, guild, bases, Pals and a restart cycle before continuing play. Do not overwrite the only recoverable original.