Almost everything about your Enshrouded server, from its name and slot count to passwords and difficulty, lives in one file called enshrouded_server.json, and you can edit it right inside the GuavaHost panel.
Where the settings live
Open the Files tab in your GuavaHost panel and look in your server's main folder for enshroudedserver.json. Click it to open the built-in editor, make your changes, and save. Many of the most common options are also exposed on the Startup** tab as simple variables (settings you can change without touching the file), so use whichever you prefer.
Two habits will save you a lot of grief:
- Stop the server before you edit the file, then start it again to apply your changes. Enshrouded reads the file at boot.
- Take a snapshot on the Backups tab first. If a typo breaks the file, restoring puts everything back.
The core server settings
These top-level values control the basics:
- name - the server name players see and search for in the browser.
- slotCount - how many players can join at once (Enshrouded currently supports up to 16).
- gamePort and queryPort - the UDP ports, 15636 and 15637 by default. GuavaHost sets these for you, so leave them unless you have a reason to change them on the Network tab.
- ip - leave this as 0.0.0.0 so the server listens correctly.
- saveDirectory and logDirectory - where saves and logs are written. The defaults are fine for almost everyone.
Players, passwords and permissions
Newer Enshrouded servers use a userGroups section instead of a single password. Each group, typically Admin, Friend and Guest, has its own password and its own set of permissions, such as:
- canKickBan - kick and ban other players.
- canAccessInventories - open other players' chests and inventories.
- canEditBase and canExtendBase - build, remove, and expand structures.
- reservedSlots - slots held open for that group even when the server is full.
Give the Admin password only to people you trust, hand Friend to your regulars, and use Guest for the public if you want a look-but-limited role.
Game settings and difficulty
The gameSettings block is where you tune the experience. Start with difficultyPreset (for example Relaxed, Default, or Hard) for a quick baseline, then fine-tune the individual multipliers if you want. You will find values such as:
- playerHealthFactor, playerStaminaFactor, and playerManaFactor for how tough your players are.
- enemyDamageFactor and enemyHealthFactor for how dangerous the world is.
- shroudTimeFactor for how long you can survive inside the Shroud.
- miningDamageFactor and resourceDropStackAmountFactor for gathering speed and yields.
Each factor is a multiplier, so 1 is normal, higher is more, and lower is less. Change one or two at a time so you can feel the difference.
Voice and text chat
If your file includes enableVoiceChat and enableTextChat, set them to true or false to turn each on or off. When voice is on, voiceChatMode chooses between proximity (only nearby players) and global (everyone hears everyone).
Save and apply
When you are done, save the file, start the server, and watch the Console tab until it reports ready. Load in and confirm your changes look right. If something is off, restore the backup you took and try again.
Still stuck? Jump into our Discord at discord.gg/GuavaHost and the team will help you out.