This guide covers administration and world management for your Stormworks: Build and Rescue dedicated server, including admin setup, player management, vehicle control, Workshop content, save management, and troubleshooting common issues.

Admin Setup

Stormworks uses a Steam ID-based permission system for server administration. Admins have elevated privileges including the ability to kick and ban players, manage vehicles, and modify world settings.

Configuring Admin Accounts

1. Stop your server from GPanel.
2. Open the File Manager or connect via SFTP.
3. Locate the server_config.xml file.
4. Add admin entries within the admin section:

<admins>
    <admin steam_id="76561198012345678" />
    <admin steam_id="76561198087654321" />
</admins>

5. Save the file and restart your server.

Host Privileges

The server host (the Steam account that originally created the save) automatically has full admin privileges. Additional admins added via the config file receive the same level of access.

Player Management

Admins can manage players through the in-game server tools menu or via server commands. Access the admin panel in-game by pressing Esc and navigating to the Players tab.

Player Management Actions

Managing the Ban List

Bans are stored in the server configuration. To unban a player, stop the server and edit the ban list in server_config.xml:

<banned_players>
    <!-- Remove the line for the player you want to unban -->
    <player steam_id="76561198099999999" />
</banned_players>

Vehicle Management

Vehicles are the core of Stormworks gameplay, but unmanaged vehicles can cause performance issues. Here is how to keep your server running smoothly.

Despawning Vehicles

As an admin, you can despawn vehicles through the in-game map view:

1. Open the map (M key by default).
2. Click on a vehicle icon to select it.
3. Click the Despawn or Remove button.

Clearing All Vehicles

If the server becomes cluttered with abandoned vehicles, you can clear them all at once. Use the admin console or the in-game admin tools to perform a mass despawn. This is particularly useful when:

• Server performance degrades due to too many vehicles.
• Preparing the server for an event or fresh session.
• Cleaning up after griefing incidents.

Vehicle Count Limits

Configure vehicle limits in the server config to prevent performance issues:

<vehicle_settings
    max_vehicles="50"
    vehicle_despawn_time="1800"
    auto_clean_vehicles="true"
/>

Workshop Content and Custom Vehicles

Stormworks has an extensive Steam Workshop with thousands of player-created vehicles and addons. Managing Workshop content on your server is important for both gameplay and performance.

Enabling Workshop Vehicles

Workshop vehicle spawning is controlled in the server config:

<workshop_settings
    allow_workshop_vehicles="true"
/>

When enabled, any player can spawn vehicles they have subscribed to on the Steam Workshop. The vehicle data is transferred from the spawning player's client.

Managing Workshop Content

• Allow all Workshop content: Set allow_workshop_vehicles="true" for an open creative server.
• Disable Workshop content: Set allow_workshop_vehicles="false" to restrict players to built-in vehicles or vehicles they build from scratch on the server.

World Settings Management

Admins can modify certain world settings at runtime through the in-game settings menu. These include:

Save Management

Multiple Save Slots

Stormworks supports 4 save slots, allowing you to maintain different worlds. To switch save slots:

1. Stop the server.
2. Edit the save_name attribute in server_config.xml to point to a different save.
3. Start the server. It will load the specified save.

Creating Backups

Regular backups protect against data loss from corruption, accidental deletion, or griefing:

1. Stop the server to ensure save data is flushed to disk.
2. Connect via SFTP or use GPanel's File Manager.
3. Navigate to the save directory (typically save/ in the server root).
4. Download the entire save folder for your active slot.
5. Store backups with date labels (e.g., save_slot1_2026-02-26.zip).

Restoring a Backup

1. Stop the server.
2. Connect via SFTP.
3. Rename the current save folder (e.g., save_slot1 to save_slot1_old) as a precaution.
4. Upload your backup files to the original save directory location.
5. Start the server. It will load the restored save data.

Troubleshooting

Server Crashes

• Check vehicle count: Too many vehicles (especially complex ones) are the most common cause of crashes. Reduce max_vehicles and enable auto_clean_vehicles.
• Review server logs: Check the server console output in GPanel for error messages before the crash.
• Update the server: Ensure your server is running the latest version. Game updates often include stability fixes.
• Corrupted save: If the server crashes immediately on startup, the save data may be corrupted. Try loading a different save slot or restoring a backup.

Player Desync

• Desync occurs when players see different states of the world. This is common with complex vehicles.
• Reduce the number of active vehicles to minimize desync.
• Players with high latency (200+ ms) experience more desync. Consider setting a server region expectation in the server name.
• Having players respawn or rejoin often resolves individual desync issues.

Vehicle Lag

• Complex vehicles with hundreds of logic components are the primary cause of server lag.
• Set lower max_vehicles limits (20-30 for public servers).
• Enable auto-cleanup to remove abandoned vehicles.
• Monitor which specific vehicles cause lag and despawn them. Vehicles with excessive sensors, cameras, or logic gates are common culprits.

World Corruption

• World corruption can occur if the server is force-stopped during a save operation.
• Always use the Stop button in GPanel rather than force-killing the process.
• If corruption occurs, restore from your most recent backup.
• As a last resort, you can start fresh on a new save slot.

Related Articles

• Stormworks Server Setup Guide
• How to Find Your Server IP and Port
• How to Upload Files via SFTP
• Getting Started with Your New Server

If you encounter issues not covered in this guide, please open a support ticket and our team will help resolve the problem.