This guide covers how to set up your Smalland: Survive the Wilds dedicated server on Legion Hosting, configure startup variables, adjust world and survival settings, enable PvP, connect to your server, and manage saves. Smalland is a survival game where players are shrunk to tiny size and must explore, craft, build, and tame creatures in a vast backyard world. For admin controls, world management, and troubleshooting, see Smalland Admin Commands.
Server Panel: All server management is done through GPanel at gpanel.legionhosting.net. Smalland servers are configured entirely through GPanel startup variables — there are no user-editable config files. All settings are passed as command-line parameters.
First Start
When you first receive your Smalland server, follow these steps to get it online:
- Log in to GPanel and select your Smalland server.
- Navigate to the Startup tab and review the default startup variables. Set the SERVERNAME to your preferred name and optionally set a PASSWORD.
- Review the world settings such as FRIENDLYFIRE, PEACEFULMODE, and day/season length to match your desired gameplay experience.
- Go back to the Console tab and click Start.
- The server will download and install the Smalland Dedicated Server files automatically on first boot (Steam App ID
808040). This may take several minutes. - Once the console confirms the server has started, your server is online and ready for players to connect.
First boot takes longer: The initial startup includes a full download of the server files. Subsequent starts will be much faster unless an update is available.
Crossplay required: Both the server host and connecting players must have the Cross Play option enabled in the game settings to see dedicated servers in the server browser.
GPanel Startup Variables
Smalland is configured entirely through command-line parameters exposed as startup variables in GPanel. Navigate to the Startup tab to view and modify these settings. Changes require a server restart to take effect.
Core Server Settings
| Variable | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
SERVERNAME |
My Server |
The display name shown in the server browser. Choose a unique name so players can find your server. Maximum 32 characters. |
PASSWORD |
(empty) | Password required to join (minimum 3 characters if set). Leave blank for a public server. |
WORLDNAME |
World |
The save file identifier. Must not contain spaces. Changing this creates a new world. Maximum 32 characters. |
PRIVATE |
0 |
Set to 1 to hide the server from the public server browser. Players must connect directly. |
Gameplay Settings
| Variable | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
FRIENDLYFIRE |
0 |
Set to 1 to enable PvP damage between players. |
PEACEFULMODE |
0 |
Set to 1 to disable all creature damage. Creatures will not attack players. |
KEEPINVENTORY |
0 |
Set to 1 to retain items in inventory after death. |
DETERIORATION |
1 |
Controls building deterioration. 1 = deterioration enabled (default). Set to 0 to prevent building decay over time. |
World and Difficulty Settings
| Variable | Default | Range | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
LENGTHOFDAYSECONDS |
1800 |
Any integer | Duration of one in-game day in seconds. Default is 1800 (30 minutes real time). |
LENGTHOFSEASONSECONDS |
10800 |
Any integer | Duration of one in-game season in seconds. Default is 10800 (3 hours real time). |
CREATUREHEALTHMODIFIER |
100 |
20–300 | Scales creature health as a percentage. 100 = normal. 200 = double health. |
CREATUREDAMAGEMODIFIER |
100 |
20–300 | Scales creature damage as a percentage. 100 = normal. 50 = half damage. |
NOURISHMENTLOSSMODIFIER |
100 |
0–100 | Rate of hunger depletion as a percentage. Set to 0 to disable hunger entirely. |
No config files: Smalland dedicated servers do not use editable config files. All settings are passed as command-line parameters through the startup variables above. There are no INI or JSON files to edit on disk.
How to Connect
Players connect to a Smalland dedicated server through the in-game server browser or by direct connect.
Option A — Server Browser
- Launch Smalland: Survive the Wilds.
- Select Play and choose your character.
- Navigate to the Join tab.
- Search for your server by name using the search bar.
- Select your server and click Join. Enter the password if one is set.
Enable Cross Play: Both the server and connecting players must have the Cross Play option enabled in game settings. Without this, dedicated servers will not appear in the server browser.
Option B — Direct Connect
- Launch Smalland: Survive the Wilds.
- Select Play and choose your character.
- Navigate to the Join tab.
- Use the direct connect option and enter your server's IP address and port from GPanel's Network tab:
<your-server-ip>:<port> - Enter the password if prompted and click Connect.
Connection issues? Verify your server is running in GPanel, check that you are using the correct IP and port from the Network tab, and ensure Cross Play is enabled. Ports are randomly assigned unless you have a private IP. See How to Find Your Server IP and Port for help.
Save Management
World Saves
Smalland save files are stored on the server and named based on the WORLDNAME startup variable. Each unique world name creates a separate save.
Multiple Worlds
To maintain multiple worlds on a single server:
- Change the
WORLDNAMEvariable to a new name (no spaces) and restart. - The server will create a new world with that name.
- Switch back to a previous world by setting
WORLDNAMEto the old name and restarting.
Manual Backups
- Stop the server from GPanel to ensure all data is written to disk.
- Connect to your server via SFTP or use the GPanel File Manager.
- Download the save data files for your world.
- Store the backup on your local machine.
Restoring a Save
- Stop the server from GPanel.
- Connect via SFTP and upload your backed-up save files, replacing the existing ones.
- Ensure the
WORLDNAMEvariable matches the save file you are restoring. - Start the server. It will load the restored save.
Back up regularly. Regular backups protect against save corruption, unwanted player changes, and issues after game updates. Always back up before updating the server.
Recommended Settings
Here are some suggested configurations for common play styles:
Casual / Relaxed
FRIENDLYFIRE=0
PEACEFULMODE=0
KEEPINVENTORY=1
DETERIORATION=0
CREATUREHEALTHMODIFIER=80
CREATUREDAMAGEMODIFIER=60
NOURISHMENTLOSSMODIFIER=50PvP Survival
FRIENDLYFIRE=1
PEACEFULMODE=0
KEEPINVENTORY=0
DETERIORATION=1
CREATUREHEALTHMODIFIER=100
CREATUREDAMAGEMODIFIER=100
NOURISHMENTLOSSMODIFIER=100Hardcore
FRIENDLYFIRE=1
PEACEFULMODE=0
KEEPINVENTORY=0
DETERIORATION=1
CREATUREHEALTHMODIFIER=200
CREATUREDAMAGEMODIFIER=200
NOURISHMENTLOSSMODIFIER=100Related Articles
- Smalland Admin Commands — Admin setup, world management, and troubleshooting
- How to Find Your Server IP and Port
- How to Upload Files via SFTP
- Server Startup Guide — General guide for starting any game server on Legion Hosting
Need Help?
If you run into issues with your Smalland server that are not covered here, open a support ticket and include your server IP, a description of the problem, and any relevant error messages from the GPanel console.
