The Config Editor tab is where you change how your Factorio server behaves. It has four files to choose from: Server settings, New world rules, New world map and Passwords. Most server settings take effect at once on a running server. A few wait for the next start. The rules for new worlds only matter when a world is made.
The four files
- Server settings is the game’s
server-settings.json. It has 28 settings: the name shown to players, who may join, saving, and network limits. - New world rules is the game’s
map-settings.json. It shows 11 settings: research cost, pollution, enemy growth and spoiling. The card Advanced says “(n) more settings are in this file. Most servers never change them.” and has Show them. - New world map is the game’s
map-gen-settings.json. It has 29 settings: map size, water, trees, cliffs, enemy nests and the six resources. - Passwords holds the values that the Startup page hides: Join password, factorio.com token and RCON password.
The page leaves out the game’s own _comment keys and the account password key.
New world rules and the new world map
These two files are used only when a world is made. Changing them does not change the world that is running. They apply the next time you make a world on the World page, when you pick Your own, from the Config Editor as the preset. See new world settings.
Server settings, group by group
Set by Loafhosts has the Server name, factorio.com username, factorio.com token and Join password. The name and username say “Set on the Startup page, which writes it on every start.” and have Open Startup. The token and join password say “The panel sets this every time the server starts, so it cannot be changed here.” Change those two under Passwords. All four are written into the game’s file at every start from those places, so a change in this file would not stay.
Server list has Description, Tags, Listed publicly and Shown on the local network. Listed publicly needs the factorio.com username on Startup and its token under Passwords. Without them the game says so and stays unlisted. Players can still join by address. Leave Shown on the local network off: it is for players on the same network as the server, and nobody is.
Joining has Most players (0 means no limit), Returning players skip the limit and Only factorio.com accounts.
Playing has Who may use console commands, Kick idle players after (minutes), Pause when nobody is on, Pause while a player joins and Only admins can pause. The default is admins only. This setting controls Lua commands (/c, /sc) only. Admin commands such as /kick and /ban need only the admin tag.
Saving has Autosave every (minutes), Autosaves kept, Autosave only on the server and Save without pausing. The game writes its autosaves into its own _autosave files. Leave Save without pausing off: Wube calls it highly experimental, at the risk of losing saves.
Network has Upload limit (KB/s), Players downloading the map at once, Smallest delay (ticks), Network updates a second and the four message part settings. They affect joining and lag, not saves. The defaults are fine for most servers.
What applies at once
When you save to a running server, these settings are sent to the game with its own /config set command and take effect at once:
- Description and Tags (a tag with a space waits for a restart)
- Listed publicly and Shown on the local network
- Most players, Returning players skip the limit and Only factorio.com accounts
- Who may use console commands
- Kick idle players after (minutes)
- Pause while a player joins and Only admins can pause
- Autosave every (minutes) and Autosave only on the server
- Upload limit (KB/s) and Players downloading the map at once
These wait for the next start:
- Pause when nobody is on
- Autosaves kept
- Save without pausing
- Smallest delay (ticks) and Network updates a second
- The four message part settings
The server name, username, token and join password are written at every start. Passwords apply at the next start.
After you change a setting, a bar reads “Unsaved changes: (n)” with Discard and Save. After Save on a running server the page says “Saved. Restart the server to apply the changes.” and lists what took effect at once and what waits. On a stopped server it says “Saved. The changes apply when the server starts.” On New world rules and New world map it says “Saved. A new world made on the World page uses these; the world the server runs keeps its own.”
Limits
The page keeps each number inside a range: Most players 0 to 1000, Kick idle players after (minutes) 0 to 1440, Autosave every (minutes) 1 to 1440, Autosaves kept 1 to 1000, Network updates a second 6 to 240 (60 is the game’s own).
Change a password
- Open the Config Editor tab.
- Choose Passwords (1).
- Change Join password (2), the factorio.com token (3) or the RCON password (4) and save.
- Start the server again. It applies at the next start.
- Passwords
- Join password
- factorio.com token
- RCON password
The RCON password must be 12 to 64 letters and digits. The panel’s Players and Map pages use it. Do not share it.
If it does not work
- A setting I changed went back. Name, username, token and join password come from Startup and Passwords at every start. Change them there.
- A new world rule changed nothing. The running world keeps the rules it was made with. Make a new world to use them.
- A setting says it will wait. It needs the next start. Use Restart at the top of the server page. A restart drops everyone who is on, so tell players first with Message everyone on the Players page.
More about the game on Loafhosts: Factorio servers.
Sources: wiki.factorio.com: Multiplayer, wiki.factorio.com: Map generator, wiki.factorio.com: Console