How to set up a 7 Days to Die server: blood moons, loot, and mods

Setup and configuration

Server settings live in serverconfig.xml. The main choices are the world, either the handmade Navezgane map or a random generated world, plus difficulty, day length, blood moon frequency and horde size, loot abundance, and experience rate.

Random generated worlds take time to build the first time, so we generate the world before launch and check it before players join.

1. 01Choose Navezgane or a random generated world and its size.
2. 02Set difficulty, day length, and blood moon frequency.
3. 03Tune loot abundance, loot respawn, and experience.
4. 04Set land claim and PvP rules.
5. 05Add admins and schedule backups.

Mods and plugins

Mods in 7 Days to Die are called modlets and go in the Mods folder. Modlets that only change XML settings can run server-side, so players do not need to install anything. Modlets with new assets or code need every player to install them.

Large overhauls change the whole game and need matching installs on every client. We confirm which type each mod is before adding it.

Discord connection

A Discord channel that counts down to the next blood moon and posts restarts helps players plan. Status bots show the current day and player count.

Support after launch

Game updates can change settings and break mods, so we back up the world before every update and test the mod list after it. Long-running worlds also benefit from regular restarts.