Getting started with your Abiotic Factor server
Boot your facility server, set Startup variables, SandboxSettings.ini and Admin.ini, move a save onto the server, and keep backups for your co-op party.
Abiotic Factor is a co-op survival horror crafting game set in an underground research facility. Your server keeps a persistent facility online for your whole party, with smooth co-op.
First Boot
Open your hosted Abiotic Factor server in the panel.
Click Start.
First boot downloads the dedicated server (about 8 GB), which takes 10 to 15 minutes.
The console shows server-ready lines after world load.
To connect: in Abiotic Factor, Multiplayer > Direct Connect, enter the IP and port from the Address at the top left of your panel.
Configuration: Startup Tab, SandboxSettings.ini and Admin.ini
Abiotic Factor has no single server config file. Deep Field Games' dedicated server reads its settings from three places: launch parameters, a per-world SandboxSettings.ini, and Admin.ini.
Startup tab. The server's identity comes from launch parameters, which our panel builds from these Startup variables:
| Startup variable | Launch parameter | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Server Name | -SteamServerName= |
Server browser display |
| Server Password | -ServerPassword= |
Players need it to join. The panel does not accept a blank value |
| Number of Players | -MaxServerPlayers= |
Default 6. The developer supports up to 24 and warns that going over 6 is not recommended; players see a warning before joining a larger server |
| Query Port | -QueryPort= |
Read-only. Set with your allocation |
Ports come from your allocation
The game port (
-PORT=) and query port (-QueryPort=) are passed on the start line from your server's allocation. Neither lives in a file you can edit, and the stock 7777/27015 pair is usually not what your server runs on. Read your real numbers off the Network tab.
SandboxSettings.ini (gameplay). Difficulty, loot respawn, the day and night cycle and the other gameplay rules live in SandboxSettings.ini, which the game creates for each world save. Our start line does not pass -WorldSaveName=, so the world is the default Cascade and the file is at AbioticFactor/Saved/SaveGames/Server/Worlds/Cascade/SandboxSettings.ini. Keep the [SandboxSettings] header at the top. A few of the options, with the developer's defaults:
[SandboxSettings]
GameDifficulty=1
HardcoreMode=False
LootRespawnEnabled=False
PowerSocketsOffAtNight=True
DayNightCycleSpeedMultiplier=1.0| Setting | Notes |
|---|---|
| GameDifficulty | 1 = Normal, 2 = Hard, 3 = Apocalyptic |
| HardcoreMode | One life per character, and difficulty is forced to Apocalyptic |
| LootRespawnEnabled | Resources respawn around the Facility (furniture does not) |
| PowerSocketsOffAtNight | False keeps power on at night, which makes the game much easier |
| DayNightCycleSpeedMultiplier | 0.1 to 3. Speeds up clock time only |
Abiotic Factor console commands lists more of the options.
Admin.ini (admins). Admins are listed by SteamID64 under [Moderators] in AbioticFactor/Saved/SaveGames/Server/Admin.ini, for example Moderator=76561198053306820. This works for Steam players only. The developer's other route, the -AdminPassword= launch parameter, has no Startup field on our servers.
Stop the server before editing either file, and start it again afterwards.
Admin Tools
Abiotic Factor has no admin command console, so command lists with give, godmode or teleport do nothing on your server. Admins, set up through Admin.ini as above, get an Admin panel in-game on the Player Management screen. Abiotic Factor console commands covers what it can do and which gameplay rules SandboxSettings.ini controls instead.
Save Management
The world save is the Cascade folder in AbioticFactor/Saved/SaveGames/Server/Worlds/. Our start line does not pass -WorldSaveName=, so the server always loads the folder named Cascade. If you are not sure which local world folder to upload, Abiotic Factor save location explains where each one lives. To upload a Steam single-player or player-hosted save:
On your PC, open
%LocalAppData%\AbioticFactor\Saved\SaveGames\<your SteamID>\Worlds\. Each folder in there is one world.Stop the server, then upload that world's folder to
AbioticFactor/Saved/SaveGames/Server/Worlds/on the server.Rename the uploaded folder to
Cascade, replacing the existing one (download the old one first if you want to keep it).Start the server.
PS5, Xbox and Windows Game Pass saves are not supported on dedicated servers.
Deleting the save folder wipes the world
To wipe, stop the server and delete the
Cascadefolder.
Mods
Abiotic Factor's modding scene is young. Some community tools exist via the Steam Workshop and Nexus Mods, but no plugin-style server mods are widely adopted yet.
Backups
Small save sizes make daily backups very cheap. Use the panel's Backups tab.
Common Issues
- Cannot connect: Confirm port and that you're using the dedicated server's IP, not a host's IP. Players sometimes confuse co-op hosting with dedicated.
- Uploaded save not loading: The server only loads the world folder named
CascadeinAbioticFactor/Saved/SaveGames/Server/Worlds/. A folder with any other name is ignored. - Slot count not honored: The player cap is the Number of Players field on the Startup tab (
-MaxServerPlayers=). No config file sets it.
What to Read Next
- Abiotic Factor console commands — there is no player console; here is what actually exists
- Abiotic Factor mods — which mods go on the server, which on each client, and how to install them
Made with 💜 by GameServerKings
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