Two things a Dragonwilds server cannot do on its own
- Change the rules of the world it runs. Its configuration has no setting for the world type, PvP or the Custom rules, so they stay as they were chosen when the world was created.
- Create a world with the rules you want. A dedicated server with no world makes a Standard one, and that is the only kind it can make by itself.
The World Settings tab in your server dashboard does both, without the game open on your PC.
Change the rules of the world you are playing
Open World Settings and the dashboard shows the current world: its type, whether it is Hardcore, whether PvP is on and, on a Custom world, every rule. Change what you want and save. The server restarts with the new rules and the same world, so every base, chest and discovery stays where it was.
That includes the world type. A group that started on Standard and finds it too easy can move the same world to Hard, and a Hard world that is too punishing can go back to Standard, with the same characters. The world can also move to Custom to tune every rule, or to Creative, with one thing to know first, in the note below the table.
| What you can change | On which worlds |
|---|---|
| World type: Standard, Hard, Custom or Creative, in any direction | Every world, except that a Hardcore world cannot become Creative |
| PvP (friendly fire), on or off | Every world type |
| Every Custom rule: player health, stamina and damage, XP gain, carry capacity, gravestones, keeping your inventory on death, hunger, thirst and endurance, spell and teleport costs, crafting and building costs, world event frequency, and the damage, health and resistances of each enemy type | Custom worlds |
| Hardcore | Kept as the world was created. Start a new world to change it |
Start a new world with any rules
The same tab creates a fresh world with the choices of the game's own create world screen:
- World type: Standard, Hard, Custom or Creative
- PvP on or off
- Hardcore, on every type except Creative
- On a Custom world, every rule, with the same ranges and steps as in the game
A Custom or Creative world is played with characters made for it, so on those types each player creates a new character when they first join.
The new world takes your server's world name, so your group finds it in the Public tab exactly where the old one was. There is nothing to build on your PC and nothing to upload.
Why this is usually not possible
Dragonwilds keeps the rules of a world inside the world, not in the server's configuration. The dedicated server's settings only cover the owner, the admin and join passwords, the server name and the world name, and the create world screen only exists in the game. That is why the usual advice for this game is to recreate your world on your PC with the rules you want and upload it to the server.
Uploading still works here, and it is the way to bring over a world you have already played alone. But if all you want is PvP turned on, a Hard world instead of a Standard one, or a faster XP rate on your Custom world, you no longer have to start from nothing.
A new feature, in beta
World Settings is new and marked beta in the dashboard. It asks you to confirm before it changes anything, and it reminds you to back up first. If a change is not what you wanted, upload the backup again from the Backup tab, or open a support ticket and we will help.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change the world settings of an existing Dragonwilds world?
On a server hosted with us, yes. The World Settings tab in the dashboard turns PvP on or off on any world, Standard and Hard included, changes every rule of a Custom world, and moves the world between Standard, Hard, Custom and Creative. The server keeps the same world with everything built on it. The dedicated server's own configuration has no setting for any of this.
Can I turn on PvP in a Dragonwilds world we already play?
Yes. Open World Settings in the dashboard, turn PvP on and save. The server restarts with PvP on, in the same world.
Can I change the XP rate or other Custom rules after the world was created?
Yes, on a Custom world. Every Custom rule the game offers can be changed from World Settings, with the same ranges as the game's create world screen.
Can I turn a Standard world into a Hard, Custom or Creative one?
Yes, on a server hosted with us. Pick the new type in World Settings and save, and the server restarts with the same world on that type. It works in any direction, Hard back to Standard included. Only Hardcore stays as the world was created, and a Hardcore world cannot become Creative. Between Standard and Hard your characters come along; a Custom or Creative world is played with new characters, because the game only lets a character join the kind of world it was made for.
Why did our characters disappear after we changed the world to Custom?
They were not deleted. A Dragonwilds character is made for one kind of world, and the game keeps Standard, Custom and Creative characters apart, so characters made on a Standard world cannot join a Custom one and the game offers a new character instead. Your characters are still saved on your own PCs. Switch the world back to Standard in World Settings and they appear again, with their levels and inventory.
Can we get a faster XP rate and keep our Standard characters?
Not in the same world. The XP rate is a Custom rule, and Standard characters cannot join a Custom world. Your group can keep the world on Standard with your current characters, or move it to Custom and play it with new characters: the world, your bases and your chests are kept either way.
Can I change a Dragonwilds world from Hard to Standard?
Yes. In the dashboard's World Settings tab, pick Standard and save. The server restarts with the same world, everything built on it kept, on Standard rules. Standard back to Hard works the same way.
Can I create a Custom or Creative world on my server without the game on my PC?
Yes. World Settings starts a new world of any type, with PvP, Hardcore and the Custom rules you choose, under your server's world name. There is nothing to create on your PC and nothing to upload.
Will changing the world settings delete our base?
No. Changing the rules keeps the world and everything on it. Only starting a new world replaces the current one, and the dashboard asks you to confirm before it does. In both cases, download a backup first. Your characters are a separate matter: moving the world to or from Custom or Creative means playing it with other characters, as explained above.