This guide walks you through the process of hosting an experimental build of 7 Days to Die on your dedicated server, covering necessary steps from obtaining the build to ensuring a smooth setup.

Step 1: Understanding Experimental Builds

Experimental builds in 7 Days to Die are beta versions of the game that include the latest features and bug fixes that are still being tested. These versions may not be as stable as the official releases, so it’s important to keep this in mind before setting up your server.

Step 2: Preparing Your Server

Before you begin, ensure that you have the following:

• A dedicated server with sufficient resources (CPU, RAM, storage, and bandwidth) to host the game.
• Basic knowledge of using the command line.
• SteamCMD installed on your server. If you haven’t installed SteamCMD yet, you can download and install it by following the instructions on the official SteamCMD wiki.

Step 3: Using SteamCMD to Install the Experimental Build

1. Open the SteamCMD Interface

Access your server via SSH or a remote desktop connection, and navigate to the SteamCMD installation directory. Launch SteamCMD by entering the following command:

./steamcmd.sh

2. Login to SteamCMD

If you haven’t logged in yet, use the following command to login anonymously:

login anonymous

Note: If you are running a private server or a server that requires specific Steam game ownership, you may need to login using a Steam account that owns 7 Days to Die.

3. Set the Installation Directory

Set the directory where you want the server files to be installed. Replace <your_server_directory> with the path of your server directory:

force_install_dir <your_server_directory>

4. Install the Experimental Build

To download the latest experimental build, you need to use the app_update command with the appropriate AppID and beta branch. For 7 Days to Die, the AppID is 294420. Use the following command:

app_update 294420 -beta latest_experimental validate

Tip: Sometimes, the branch name may vary slightly. If the above command doesn’t work, check the branch name in the Steam client’s beta properties and replace latest_experimental with the correct name.

5. Validate and Complete the Installation

After the download completes, the validate option will ensure that all the files are correctly installed and up to date. This process might take a few minutes.

Step 4: Configuring Your Server

1. Edit Configuration Files

Navigate to the server’s configuration files directory. You may need to edit files like serverconfig.xml to configure your server settings, such as server name, game difficulty, player limits, and more.

Here’s a rewritten guide about the serverconfig.xml file for 7 Days to Die, providing a detailed explanation of how to locate, edit, and manage various settings:

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A Comprehensive Guide to Editing Your serverconfig.xml File in 7 Days to Die

Locating Your serverconfig.xml File

To find your serverconfig.xml file, navigate to your GameServerKings Manager Panel. After logging in, select your Game Service and click the Configuration Files button. By default, you’ll see two files listed. Click the Text Editor button located to the far right of the serverconfig.xml file to open and edit it directly within the panel. Alternatively, you can access this file through FTP and modify it using a text editor of your choice, such as Notepad++ or Sublime Text. Also take note that variables can differ from version to version, here is a serverconfig.xml as taken from 7 Days to Die version Alpha 20.5 b2, best practice is coping the default one before editing it, this can be done with

cp serverconfig.xml serverconfig.xml.org

Editing the Configuration Values

Once you have the file open, it’s crucial to ensure all changes are made correctly. Any incorrect or misplaced characters can lead to server errors. Here’s an example of a configuration setting:

<property name="ExampleMode" value="1"/> <!-- 1 = Easy, 2 = Normal, 3 = Hard -->

Understanding the Components

• Property Name: This refers to the setting you are adjusting. Generally, you won’t need to modify these names.
• Value: This is the component you’ll be editing. It can be a number, a true/false statement, or a string, depending on the setting.
• Comments: Located to the far right of each line, comments explain the type of value you should enter to achieve your desired setting. In the example, a value of 1 enables Easy mode, 2 for Normal, and 3 for Hard.

Saving Your Changes

After you’ve made your adjustments, click the Save button in the top-left corner of the editor and restart your server for the changes to take effect.

Tip: To quickly find a specific property, use Ctrl + F to open a search box, type the name of the property, and press enter to jump to the line you need.

Restoring a Clean Configuration File

If you encounter errors after editing the serverconfig.xml file, you can reset the configurations without reinstalling your server. Visit this Pastebin to copy and paste a fresh configuration file. This approach prevents the loss of any custom modifications or installed mods and plugins.

Customizing Your Server Name and Description

You can adjust the following properties to customize your server’s display information on the game’s master server list:

Property Name	Default Value	Notes
ServerName	“My Game Host”	Enter your desired server name within the quotes.
ServerDescription	“A 7 Days to Die server”	Provide a description of your server within the quotes.
ServerWebsiteURL	” ” (blank)	Enter your website’s URL within the quotes. If you don’t have a website, consider our web hosting services.

Making Your Server Private

To prevent random players from joining your server, you can modify the following properties:

Property Name	Default Value	Notes
ServerIsPublic	true	Change this to false to hide your server from the master list. You can revert this change at any time.
ServerPassword	” ” (blank)	Set a password for your server within the quotes. Note that this is case-sensitive.

Enabling Randomly Generated Maps

You can opt for randomly generated maps instead of the default Navezgane map by changing the following settings:

Property Name	Default Value	Notes
GameWorld	Navezgane	Use "RWG" for a randomly generated map. "Navezgane" will use the default game map. Ensure the world size is a multiple of 1024 and no larger than 16384.
GameName	My Game	Enter any name within the quotes. This name will act as a seed, allowing you to recreate the map later by using the same value.

General Game Settings

Customize your server’s gameplay by editing the following properties:

Property Name	Default Value	Notes
GameDifficulty	2	Set the overall difficulty on a scale of 0 to 5, with 0 being the easiest and 5 the hardest.
ZombiesRun	0	Choose zombie behavior: 0 for default, 1 for never running, and 2 for always running.
DayNightLength	60	Set the number of real-time minutes for a full in-game day. By default, it’s 60 minutes (1 hour).
DayLightLength	18	Define the number of in-game hours of daylight per day. For example, setting it to 5 results in only 5 in-game hours of light.
PlayerKillingMode	3	Configure PvP options: 0 for No PvP, 1 for Allies only, 2 for Strangers only, and 3 for All PvP.
DropOnDeath	0	Determine what players drop upon death: 0 for everything, 1 for only the toolbelt, 2 for only the backpack, 3 for nothing.
DropOnQuit	0	Similar to DropOnDeath, but applies when a player quits the game.
BloodMoonEnemyCount	8	Set the number of zombies that spawn per player during a blood moon.
EnemySpawnMode	true	Enable or disable enemy spawns by setting this to true or false.
EnemyDifficulty	0	Choose the enemy difficulty: 0 for default and 1 for all zombies to be feral.
BlockDurabilityModifier	100	Adjust block durability as a percentage. For instance, setting it to 200 doubles the durability.
LootAbundance	100	Modify the loot availability as a percentage. Setting it to 200 doubles the amount of loot.
LootRespawnDays	30	Define the number of in-game days it takes for loot to respawn.
MaxSpawnedZombies	60	Control the maximum number of zombies on the map at any time. Beware of performance issues if set too high.

Land Claim Settings

Adjust these properties to manage land claim settings, particularly useful for servers with many players or PvP enabled:

Property	Default Value	Notes
LandClaimSize	41	The size in blocks that a Land Claim protects. Adjust this value for larger or smaller claims.
LandClaimDeadZone	30	The minimum distance in blocks between Land Claims. This restriction does not apply to friends.
LandClaimExpiryTime	3	The number of real-time days a user has to log in before their Land Claim expires.
LandClaimDecayMode	0	Control the decay mode for offline players’ Land Claims: 0 for Linear Decay, 1 for Exponential Decay, 2 for No Decay.

AirDrop Settings

Manage airdrops frequency and visibility with these properties:

Property	Default Value	Notes
AirDropFrequency	72	Set the number of in-game hours between airdrops. Setting it to 0 disables airdrops.
AirDropMarker	false	Enable this to show airdrop locations on every player’s map.

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2. Check Port Settings

Ensure that your server’s ports are correctly configured and opened in your firewall settings. The default ports for 7 Days to Die are:

• Game Port: 26900
• Web Port: 8080
• Telnet Port: 8081

3. Starting the Server

Once everything is configured, start your server using the provided script or by executing the server binary directly:

./startserver.sh -configfile=serverconfig.xml

Step 5: Troubleshooting

Here are some common issues you might encounter while setting up your experimental server and how to solve them:

1. Version Mismatch Errors

If you get a version mismatch error when connecting to the server, ensure that both your game client and server are on the same experimental build version. You may need to update either one to match the other.

2. Server Crashes or Unresponsiveness

If your server crashes or becomes unresponsive shortly after starting, it could be due to misconfigured settings in your configuration files. Revert any recent changes and try starting the server again.

3. Connection Issues

If players are unable to connect to your server, ensure that the server’s ports are correctly opened and forwarded in your router and firewall settings.

Wrapping Up and Additional Resources

Hosting an experimental build of 7 Days to Die on a dedicated server can be a rewarding experience, allowing you and your players to test the latest features and provide valuable feedback. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can ensure a smooth setup and operation of your experimental server.

If you encounter any issues not covered in this guide, consider reaching out to the 7 Days to Die community on forums or platforms like Steam, where experienced players and developers can offer assistance, as in this thread.

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This guide provides detailed instructions and covers common issues to help users host experimental builds effectively on their dedicated servers.