Terraria server settings and world choice

A Terraria server config file is short, but half of its choices are final: they cannot be changed without creating a new world.

World size is final

Small, medium and large differ by a large factor. The choice is made at creation and it is the most structural decision of the server's life.

Difficulty is final too

Classic, expert and master set enemy strength and loot. This cannot be changed mid-run: a wrong choice means a new world, not a new setting.

Journey mode is a separate world

A Journey world cannot be opened in normal mode and vice versa. It is a distinct game type and the group decides together.

The seed determines the world

It decides where biomes and structures sit. Special seeds change the game strongly and deserve a conversation with the group.

Password and allow list

A password is the simplest protection, but on a larger server allowing named players is worth considering.

Automatic saving

The server saves regularly and the interval is adjustable. Too rare costs hours; too frequent causes short pauses mid-play.

The welcome message

This is where the rules belong. On Terraria, where building and dismantling are equally easy, written rules beat explaining afterwards.

The console and commands

The console lets you save, message and remove players without stopping the server. A few commands avoid many restarts.

Write the choices down

Size, difficulty and seed belong with the backups. A year later nobody remembers which seed was used.

Decide early

Decisions taken before the start go down easily. The same decisions mid-run feel like a punishment.

Check in game

One connection tells you more about the settings than reading the file.

Most of what precedes is a matter of organisation rather than technique: the decisions are made before you start, the backups have to actually run, and the rules are written while nothing has gone wrong yet. Our Terraria server hosting takes on the part there is no reason to do by hand — automatic backups, tModLoader support and instant setup, along with a panel where settings, files, mods and restarts are handled without ever opening a command line.