SUPPORT FAQ: Information and Common Solutions

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SylenThunder

SylenThunder

Community Moderator / IT Guru
This is a small guide to some of the basics for information and troubleshooting purposes. As I discover new common issues, and solutions, I will be adding to this.



 
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Please Read This First

I'd like to start this with a little note.

While most of this data is correct, and I try to keep it updated as best as I can, the game is still in the Alpha stages. Things may change. Sometimes they can change drastically before I have a chance to get out here and make updates. Just keep that in mind please.

This is a collection of data that is designed to assist you as a whole. Whether trying to figure out why you're having an issue, or looking for some general information. It has been kind of tossed together, and I do have plans to get it better organized. That just requires a lot of free time I haven't had yet. :02.47-tranquillity:

If you see something off, or it is horribly wrong, feel free to shoot me a PM and I will take a look into it.

Oh, and a final note... The order is a bit jumbled at the moment. I need to clean it up and re-organize things.

 
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What are the system requirements for the game?

Currently minimum and recommended system requirements are as follows (though subject to change):

NOTE: This is usually a little more up-to-date than what is listed on the Support page.

Windows Minimum   (It should play, but it may not be very enjoyable.)

  • OS: Windows 7 (64-bit) (Note that Windows 7/8 support is ending in 2024 for Steam)
  • Processor: 2.8 Ghz Quad Core CPU
  • Memory: 8GB RAM
  • Graphics: 2GB Dedicated Memory*
  • Direct X: Version 11
  • Network: Broadband internet connection
  • Hard Drive: 18 GB available space
  • Sound Card: Direct X compatible


Windows Recommended

  • OS: Windows 7 or Higher (64-bit) (Note that Windows 7/8 support is ending in 2024 for Steam)
  • Processor: 3.2 Ghz Quad Core CPU or faster
  • Memory: 12 GB RAM
  • Graphics: 4 GB Dedicated Memory*
  • Direct X: Version 11
  • Network: Broadband internet connection
  • Hard Drive: 18 GB available space
  • Sound Card: Direct X compatible


Mac Minimum

  • OS: 10.13
  • Processor: 2.8 Ghz Quad Core Cpu
  • Memory: 8GB RAM
  • Graphics: 2GB Dedicated Memory
  • Network: Broadband internet connection
  • Hard Drive: 18 GB available space


Mac Recommended

  • OS: 10.13
  • Processor: 3.2 Ghz Quad Core CPU or faster
  • Memory: 12 GB RAM
  • Graphics: 4 GB Dedicated Memory
  • Network: Broadband internet connection
  • Hard Drive: 18 GB available space


Linux/Steam OS Minimum

  • OS: Ubuntu 16.04
  • Processor: 2.8 Ghz Dual Core Cpu
  • Memory: 8GB RAM
  • Graphics: 2GB Dedicated Memory
  • Network: Broadband internet connection
  • Hard Drive: 18 GB available space


Linux/Steam OS Recommended

  • OS: Ubuntu 18.04
  • Processor: 3.2 Ghz Quad Core CPU or faster
  • Memory: 12 GB RAM
  • Graphics: 4 GB Dedicated Memory*
  • Network: Broadband internet connection
  • Hard Drive: 18 GB available space


Additional Notes

Running the Dedicated Server and Client on the same computer will double ram requirements and put a heavier load on your CPU. Also, future releases may require more hard drive space.

 
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What are the system requirements for a dedicated server?

They are basically the same as the client, but you don't need a GPU for it. Also, I think the hardware differences don't really matter as much since any server-level platform is going to be similarly geared.

Minimum

  • Processor: 2.8 Ghz Quad Core Cpu
  • Memory: 8GB RAM
  • Network: Broadband internet connection (minimum upload bandwidth of 2.5Mbps recommended)
  • Hard Drive: 20 GB available space


Recommended

  • Processor: 3.2 Ghz Quad Core CPU or faster
  • Memory: 16 GB RAM
  • Network: Broadband internet connection (minimum upload bandwidth of 10Mbps recommended)
  • Hard Drive: 20 GB available space


NOTE: The more people you have connecting to your server, the more bandwidth and RAM you will need available.

Also note that you may need up to 15GB of drive space for a large RWG map, the client, and a large amount of player data.

The server setting for players downloading the map has a max of 1300KiB. This is roughly equivalent to 10Mbps.

Additionally, you will need to open the following ports in your firewall.

TCP

  • 8080-8081 (ONLY if you plan to administer your server remotely.)
  • 8082 (If you are using Alloc's mods, this is for the web map.)
  • 26900


UDP

  • 26900-26903


Required Ports for Steam

  • To log into Steam and download content:


    HTTP (TCP port 80) and HTTPS (443)
  • UDP 27015 through 27030
  • TCP 27015 through 27030


[*]Steam Client

  • UDP 27000 to 27015 inclusive (Game client traffic)
  • UDP 27015 to 27030 inclusive (Typically Matchmaking and HLTV)
  • UDP 27031 and 27036 (incoming, for In-Home Streaming)
  • TCP 27036 and 27037 (incoming, for In-Home Streaming)
  • UDP 4380


[*]Dedicated or Listen Servers

  • TCP 27015 (SRCDS Rcon port)


[*]Steamworks P2P Networking and Steam Voice Chat

  • UDP 3478 (Outbound)
  • UDP 4379 (Outbound)
  • UDP 4380 (Outbound)



Lastly, don't forget to set up port forwarding on your router.

Don't know how to port forward? follow these instructions:

  1. Go to this Site.
  2. Select your router brand
  3. Select your router version. (If your version is not there, pick the one closest to your version.)
  4. Select 7 Days to Die.
  5. Follow the instructions on the site.



Port


Default


Protocol


Direction


Used for


BasePort


26900


TCP


In


Game (Game details query port)


BasePort+0


26900


UDP


In


Game (Steam's master server list interface)


BasePort+1


26901


UDP


In


Game (Steam communication)


BasePort+2


26902


UDP


In


Game (networking via LiteNetLib)


BasePort+3


26903


UDP


In


Currently unused, but not opening may block joining the server.


WebDashboardPort


8080


TCP


In


Web based control panel


TelnetPort


8081


TCP


In


"Telnet" control interface - Use RAW connection


WebControlPort+2


8082


TCP


In


Web Panel of the Server fixes





 
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What effect does each video option have?

 ​

158d8694bf9aaeb8aab2970220a0973a.png


Display Resolution: Sets the screen resolution at which the game is displayed.

Performance Impact:
Very High
Larger resolutions will decrease your performance.
 
 
Fullscreen: Run the game in fullscreen or windowed mode.

Performance Impact:
Medium
Windowed mode will have a negative impact on performance in most operating systems.
 
 
Vertical Synchronization: Combats screen tearing by synchronizing the game to the monitors refresh rate.

Performance Impact:
Low
This is a great option to cap the FPS of the game at the FPS for your monitor.
 
 
Anti- Aliasing: Removes jagged edges from objects.

Performance Impact:
Medium
I would only recommend using this options on a higher-end card.
 
 
Texture Quality: Saves video memory and performance by setting the texture resolution.

Performance Impact:
Medium
 
 
Reflection Quality: How clear reflections are. Provides more realistic lighting.

Performance Impact:
Very High
At the time of this writing, "Very High" is a bit of an understatement. This feature still needs to be optimized better.
Reflected Shadows: Shadows are processed and displayed inside reflections.

Performance Impact:
High
Water Quality: Layers and effects occurring on surface of water planes.

Performance Impact:
Low
Low quality water is very dark and difficult to see through.
Gamma: How bright the game is.

Performance Impact:
Low
View Distance: How far the world can me viewed.

Performance Impact:
High
Field of View: How wide your view angle is.

Performance Impact:
Low
Higher settings can cause a "fisheye" look with curving at the outer edges of the screen.
Level of Detail: The overall maximum level of detail at which the world is displayed. As you move further away from an object, it switches to a lower quality version of the mesh

Performance Impact:
High
Lower values decrease quality of distanced textures and improve performance.
Shadow Distance: Quality and distance of object shadows.

Performance Impact:
High
This is the second largest item that affects overall performance on most mid/low-range cards.
Tree Quality: Overall quality of the trees based on how far away they are.

Performance Impact:
High
Setting this lower than high will cause distant trees to render as stick poles until you get into closer range.
(Like LOD for trees)
Grass Distance: The maximum distance at which you can see grass.

Performance Impact:
Medium
Motion Blur: Quality level of motion blur (more pixel samples & smoothing).

Performance Impact:
High
UI Background Opacity: UI wallpaper / background opacity / transparency.

Performance Impact:
Very Low
UI Foreground Opacity: UI outlines and text opacity / transparency.

Performance Impact:
Very Low
SSAO (Screen Space Ambient Occlusion): Use the image effect SSAO which draws more detailed shadows on objects.

Performance Impact:
Medium
DOF (Depth of Field): Distant objects get blurred.

Performance impact:
Medium
Can help to obfuscate a low LOD setting without as large of an impact on performance as a high LOD.
Sun Shafts: A.K.A. "God Rays". Shines rays of light from the sun past obstructing objects.

Performance Impact:
Medium
Author's note: With the above settings I get a very solid 60 FPS with an i7 3930k, and a GTX 660 Ti.

 
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What is the difference between a Voxel game, and all the other games I play?

Before Voxel games, just about everything out there is just polygons on vertexes. Polygons are easy to lay out, and overall the only real overhead you have with it depends on the size and resolution of the textures.

Polygon technology (Most non-voxel games)

Imagine three points in space. Join them up with lines to form a triangle, then fill that triangle in red. Congratulations, you've just rendered a polygon in the same way a graphics card does!

Essentially, this is how polygon graphics work: joining lots of points in space (vertexes) together, and filling the space between them (polygons) with colors (textures).

If we were to make a cube, we'd need 8 vertexes (the corners), and fill the space between them with six four-sided polygons. We never "see" vertexes – they're just the points in space, we only see the polygons between them.

Here's a video of how texture painting on vertexes/polygons works:




Polygon meshes are the most flexible and precise way of storing and rendering terrain. They are often used in games where precise control or advanced terrain features are needed.

Pros:

  • Very fast: You only have to do the usual projection calculation in the vertex shader. A geometry shader isn't needed.
  • Very precise: All coordinates are store individually for each vertex, so it's possible to move them horizontally and increase mesh density in places with finer details.
  • Low memory impact: This also means the mesh will usually need less memory than a heightmap, because vertices can be more sparse in areas with less small features.
  • No artifacts: The mesh is rendered as-is, so there won't be any glitches or strange-looking borders.
  • Advanced terrain features: It's possible to leave holes and create overhangs. Tunnels are seamless.
Cons:

  • Poor dynamic LOD: Only possible with pre-computed meshes. This will cause "jumps" when switching without additional data to map old to new vertices.
  • Not easy to modify: Finding vertices that correspond to an area that should be modified is slow.
  • Not very efficient for collision detection: Unlike in heightmaps and voxel data, the memory address for a certain location usually can't be calculated directly. This means physics and game logic that depend on the exact surface geometry will most likely run slower than with the other storage formats.


Voxel technology (7DTD, Landmark, Minecraft, ect.)

Voxel technology basically says: we want points in space that we can see. Voxels can be thought of as being visible points in 3d space, and are somewhat analgous to a 2-dimensional pixel.

Additionally, voxels can contain properties in much the way vertexes do and (depending on the engine and environment) can serve to decrease graphics acceleration requirements. These advantages aren't free, though.

Voxel terrain stores terrain data for each point in a 3D grid. This method always uses the most storage per meaningful surface detail, even if you use compression methods like sparse octrees.

(The term "voxel engine" was often used to describe a method of ray marching terrain heightmaps common in older 3D games. This section applies only to terrain stored as voxel data.)

Pros:

  • Continuous 3D data: Voxels are pretty much the only efficient way to store continuous data about hidden terrain features like ore veins.
  • Easy to modify: Uncompressed voxel data can be changed easily.
  • Advanced terrain features: It's possible to create overhangs. Tunnels are seamless.
  • Interesting terrain generation: Minecraft does this by overlaying noise functions and gradients with predefined terrain features (trees, dungeons).
Cons:

  • Slow: To render voxel data, you either have to use a ray tracer or compute a mesh, for example with marching cubes (There will be artifacts). Neighboring voxel aren't independent for mesh generation and the shaders are more complicated and usually produce more complex geometry. Rendering voxel data with high LOD can be very slow.
  • Huge storage requirements: Storing voxel data uses lots of memory. It's often not practicable to load the voxel data into VRAM for this reason, as you'd have to use smaller textures to compensate for it, even on modern hardware.


~Source1

~Source2

 
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Why do I get such low FPS on this when I can play _______ just fine at full settings?

There are two very big reasons behind this.

The first is the very nature of Voxel games. Rather than just displaying 2D images onto 3D planes that are fixed and don't require any additional calculations; the voxel game is constantly keeping track of position, texture, and stats for every single block in your range of view.

The second is simply optimization. This game is still in the Alpha state. Optimization is something that is incomplete, and still being worked on. As features get added, changed, or removed, it changes the overall balance, and then things have to be optimized all over again.

As the game gets closer to a final release, you will see a lot more work being put into overall optimization, and performance will very likely improve significantly.

 
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How to install and use the 32-bit client for low-end PC's

NOTE: Only valid for builds before Alpha 15.

For Windows user running a 64 bit version of the system.

You can use the game launcher to try downloading the 32 bit version of the game and check if that runs any different.

This is also very helpful for those with less than 12GB RAM, dual-core or low-end CPU's, or if you are using a GPU rated below a GTX650/Radeon 7790.

NOTE: The minimum requirement is 6GB RAM as of a16. If you have less, you need to upgrade.

  1. Right-click the game in your Steam Library
    e8b5c5511e80848d4f5826f08f3cab90.png
  2. Select Show Game Launcher from the menu
    a720f3f8a1ac84da9a0da8a5cf2b117d.png
  3. When the launcher opens select Switch to 32-bit
    edae767c174eb03ea7d75cdb884b4585.png
  4. Select Run & Save as default
a720f3f8a1ac84da9a0da8a5cf2b117d.png

 
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What is EAC, and why do I want it?

EAC is an anti-cheat engine. It's primarily used my dedicated servers to prevent hackers from joining and causing problems. The system isn't 100% effective, because hackers can be darn smart, but it does keep most of the riff-raff out.

If you are planning on joining a server that has the EAc client protection turned on, you will need to launch the game with EAC. One thing to be aware of, is that when launching with EAC, the game will take considerably longer to load as EAC must check and verify the integrity of the client files to ensure that they meet the checksums. On an average system, this can change the client startup time from 30 seconds to a couple of minutes.

Also I should mention, EAC will use more system resources and may impact your performance if you are on a moderate or low-end system.

If you wish to disable it, simply follow the above instructions and un-tick the option for EAC.

 
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EAC Basic Troubleshooting steps

Now you want to play that server, and it's got EAC enabled. For some reason, every time you start the client with EAC it crashes. Here's some things that may help get you running again.

1. System Specs

If you are running at the minimum recommended specs or below, it may just be a lack of available system resources.

In this particular case, running the 32-bit client may resolve your issue.

2. Launch error : Error validating EasyAntiCheat code signing certificate.

This is most common when you are not up-to-date on Windows Updates, and your Certificate Store is outdated.

To resolve the issue, fully update Windows and try again. You may also need to fully exclude your game client from your Antivirus software.

As a final resort you could try to manually import the GlobalSign "CodeSign" and "EV CodeSign" Root Certificates from https://support.globalsign.com/customer/portal/articles/1426602-globalsign-root-certificates

3. Kicked from server, or unable to join. EAC disconnected from server/backend error.

There are a few things that can cause this to occur.

  1. Your antivirus software is delaying the data.

    • The most common fix for this is to exclude the client folder from your antivirus software's active and passive scans.


[*]Your firewall is blocking/delaying the data packets.

  • Very much like the issue with antivirus software, you will need to add a rule to your firewall for the games .exe files.


[*]Network hardware driver issues.

  • Thank you to Almanac for finding this fix. After doing all the usual troubleshooting, he discovered that the issue was caused by an out-dated driver for his network adapter.


[*]You're on bad Wifi.

  • Yes, wifi is getting much faster, and can do a lot more. Unfortunately, most people don't have a good AC router with 6 antennas and a PC with dual-antenna support to take full advantage of it. That isn't even counting the 300 other things that can be causing interference, or completely interrupting your signal.


4.

 
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Why are you telling me to exclude the program from my Antivirus software?

Antivirus software is a must-have in today's age of computing if your PC is attached to the internet at all. (Some will argue otherwise, but for 95% of PC users this is a simple fact.)

Unfortunately, the scans that it runs on active processes can have an negative impact in your game clients performance. Since we trust Steam, and their vetting process, to prevent us from being sent malware through games we purchase, we can safely trust them as a publisher. As such, I recommend excluding the entire Steam folder rather than just your 7DaysToDie folder under SeamApps\Common.

In fact, I keep all of my games from trusted publishers in a "Games" folder, and have excluded that entire folder. Steam, Origin, and other such tools all reside inside of this folder, along with individually purchased games from other companies I trust.

You will also need to exclude your save folder in %appdata% It will be in C:\Users\<userName>\AppData\Roaming\7DaysToDie   Mine for example is C:\Users\sylen\AppData\Roaming\7DaysToDie

How to exclude the program from your Antivirus software.

Truly, the biggest hurdle in doing this is figuring out how to perform the exclusion in your particular software. As such, I have compiled a list of the top 10 Antivirus solutions and am providing links to their instructions. Microsoft Security Essentials does not make the top 10 by any stretch, but I'll include it just because it is common if you haven't purchased a real AV solution.

1. BitDefenter (#1 for 4 years straight BTW)

2. Kaspersky (Used to be that Kaspersky and AVG were heavy contenders for #1 and #2, but Kaspersky has held #2 solid for a while.)

3. McAffee

4. Norton (Page 44)

5. F-Secure

6. Avira

7. Panda (It's from 2012, but it's the best they have available)

8. Trend Micro

9. BullGuard (You'll have to scroll down the page a bit for the instructions.)

10. eScan

11. Avast!

12. AVG (I think the biggest thing keeping AVG from ranking higher is the large number of false positives and the high impact on system performance)

13. G Data

14. Norman (It's convoluted, but the instructions are there)

15. ESET NOD32

16. Microsoft Security Essentials

If you don't have one of the above programs, just do what I did to get the above links. Go to the website for your antivirus software, go to the support section, search for "exclude folder", then follow the instructions to exclude the entire client directory. (Alternatively, you can also Google "nameofantivirus exclude folder".)

 
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[DEDI] How to fix issue with "IOException: Too many open files"

Now this is an issue you will likely only see on a Linux dedicated server. However, if you have a rather large Random World Map, it is a very real issue. What surprised me even more, was how very little documentation there is on this. That may be due to a smaller number of servers using Linux. Even though Linux is faster with a lower resource overhead, most paid server hosts use Windows for easier management.

In any case, you've attempted to start your server, and it just isn't running. It appears to shut down moments after starting it up.

If you check the logs for the server, you will see the following inside of them....

Code: 
2024-06-21T05:12:13 0.024 WRN The open files limit is too low (1024) and may cause crashes. Recommended is at least 10240. Follow these steps to increment it:
- Open /etc/security/limits.conf with a text editor: 'sudo editor /etc/security/limits.conf'
- Add or update the line: 'a22test soft nofile 10240'
- Save the file and exit the editor
- Apply the changes: Log out and back in or restart the system
In this example "a22test" is the user account that is attempting to start the server. Your message will contain the user name according to the user account you are using.
By default, Linux sets the hard file limit at 1024. Basically, you have so many open client/save files that this limit is being exceeded with the client files open, and the other standard processes. 

To correct the issue, you will need to increase your hard and soft file limits.

Step 1. Run "ulimit -a". You will likely see an ouput similar to this.

Code: 
core file size (blocks, -c) 0
data seg size (kbytes, -d) unlimited
scheduling priority (-e) 0
file size (blocks, -f) unlimited
pending signals (-i) 515561
max locked memory (kbytes, -l) 64
max memory size (kbytes, -m) unlimited
[color=#FF0000]open files (-n) 1024[/color]
pipe size (512 bytes, -p) 8
POSIX message queues (bytes, -q) 819200
real-time priority (-r) 0
stack size (kbytes, -s) 8192
cpu time (seconds, -t) unlimited
max user processes (-u) 515561
virtual memory (kbytes, -v) unlimited
file locks (-x) unlimited
 
Step 2. Open /etc/security/limits.conf with your favorite editor, and follow the instructions provided in your error message.

Step 3. Go to the following section of the file where you see this...

Code: 
#*               soft    core            0
#root            hard    core            100000
#*               hard    rss             10000
#@student        hard    nproc           20
#@faculty        soft    nproc           20
#@faculty        hard    nproc           50
#ftp             hard    nproc           0
#ftp             -       chroot          /ftp
#@student        -       maxlogins       4
 
Then you will add this line of code...

Code: 
a22test soft nofile 10240
Again, in your case "a22test" will be different.
Now the bottom of your file should look like this....

Code: 
#*               soft    core            0
#root            hard    core            100000
#*               hard    rss             10000
#@student        hard    nproc           20
#@faculty        soft    nproc           20
#@faculty        hard    nproc           50
#ftp             hard    nproc           0
#ftp             -       chroot          /ftp
#@student        -       maxlogins       4
a22test soft nofile 10240

# End of file
 
Step 4. Reboot the machine/container to apply the new file limit and you should be good to go. Depending on the size of your map, you may need to increase the file limits. At one point I ended up just making mine unlimited because with two RWG servers I was having to double the limit every couple of days.

Step 5. Run "ulimit -a" again to verify the change. It should now look like the following.

 
Now you should be good to go!

Note that you may also encounter the following error...

Code: 
2024-06-21T05:12:13 0.026 WRN The vm.max_map_count setting is too low (65530) and may cause crashes. Follow these steps to increment it:
- Open /etc/sysctl.conf with a text editor: 'sudo editor /etc/sysctl.conf'
- Add or update the line: 'vm.max_map_count=262144'
- Save the file and exit the editor
- Apply the changes: 'sudo sysctl -p'


As you did above, simply follow the instructions to update the file. Validate the results with sudo sysctl -p.

 
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[sP] Where are my saves at?

In the Windows client they would normally be located in the following folder.

Windows XP (because some people still use it, even though no one supports it.)

C:\Documents and Settings\<User>\AppData\Roaming\7DaysToDie

Windows Vista/7/8/10/11

C:\Users\<User>\AppData\Roaming\7DaysToDie

C:\Users\<User>\AppData\Roaming\7DaysToDie\GeneratedWorlds\WORLD_NAME

Note that if you are using a prefabricated world from the Vanilla client, the latter folder is not required.

NOTE: On the Windows PC's the AppData folder is hidden. You can access it directly for the logged in user by entering %appdata% into the address bar of Windows Explorer.

Linux

<User>/.local/share/7DaysToDie

<User>/.local/share/7DaysToDie/GeneratedWorlds/WORLD_NAME

MacOS

<User>/Library/Application Support/7DaysToDie

<User>/Library/Application Support/7DaysToDie/GeneratedWorlds/WORLD_NAME

These locations are assuming standard client installs.

In the "7DaysToDie\SavesLocal" folder, you will find your locally stored data from the MP servers you have logged into and played.

In the "7DaysToDie\Saves" folder, you will find your local profile and SP save games.

In the "7 Days to Die\GeneratedWorlds" folder, you will find the saved world data for each map. The folders are named on the Generated map name.







Moving Save Location to Another Drive

This is especially helpful when you are short of space on your 😄 drive, or wish to move your save data to a faster drive for better performance.

  1. Open the Steam Client
  2. Navigate to your Games Library
  3. Right-Click on 7 Days To Die in the left navigation bar.
  4. Click Properties
  5. Click on the Local Files Tab
  6. Click the "Browse Local Files" Button
    -This will open a Windows Explorer Window. The next Steps Take Place in Windows Explorer
  7. Copy serverconfig.xml and rename the copy to serverconfig.SP.xml (or any other name you'll remember).
  8. Open serverconfig.SP.xml in notepad and edit the save path to where you want the 7DTD Gamesaves to be stored.
    Note: Most of the serverconfig.xml properties are ignored when running the Client version of the game, but that property does carry over correctly.
    Here is an example from my file:
    <property name="SaveGameFolder" value="D:\GameSaves\7DTD\Saves" />
  9. Save as serverconfig.SP.xml
  10. In the steam client.
  11. Right Click 7 Days To Die and select properties
  12. General Tab, Click Set Launch Options button.
  13. Place the following in the box:
    Code: 
    -configfile=serverconfig.SP.xml



Now when you start the game it will use your path for the save files.

NOTE: You probably want to move your old save files from "%appdata%\7 Days To Die\Saves" to the new location.

 
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A guide to migrating save files.

DISCLAIMER: Each new build (Stable or Experimental) requires that you start a new save. If you are playing an older save on a new build, you should expect to encounter problems/bugs. Starting with a15, it may be possible to continue from one stable build to the next, but you will not experience any new content. (You also may still get errors and bugs.)

OK, so you want to move your saves from one computer to another. Or from a SP game to a P2P MP game, or to a dedi. Or from dedi to SP, or any number of possible combinations. First, you need to know where the files are. Then you need to know where to put them.

Now, for the SP games, we already covered the paths above so I'll refrain from repeating that. Those same folder paths will also cover the P2P MP games launched from your local client.

The location of your dedicated MP save folders will differ though, and it depends largely on how the server was set up and configured.

Windows 2008-16 server will typically be using the same folder as your local client would in "%appdata%\7DaysToDie". It is possible that they were set up in a different folder such as "\SteamCMD\7_Days_to_Die_server\Saves".

Linux will differ even more depending on which Linux build you are using, and the way you set up the dedicated server. I personally recommend only using Alloc's dedicated server scripts.

If you are using Alloc's scripts to create the instance, it will be in the following folder.

/home/sdtd/instances/<instance name>

If you know other common save locations, please feel free to PM me and let me know so I can add them.


Now that you have found your saves, all you need to do is copy the data over.

If you have a Navezgane map, It will be saved in Saves\Navezgane\<name of save\.

If you have a Random Gen map, It will be saved in Saves\Random Gen\<name of save\.

With a17 there is an additional folder in your gameclient directory. 7 Days to Die\Data\Worlds\[WORLD_NAME]

As of a18/19 the generated worlds are now stored in "%appdata%\7DaysToDie\Generated Worlds\[WORLD_NAME]"

In the Save folder root of a MP game, there will be a file named "players.xml" which contains basic information about the players and their last login information. It also contains land claim block information if they have placed one. In the folder you will have a "Player" folder which contains the character information, inventory, and personal map for each player on your server. The "Region" folder contains all of the region files that make up the land in the map.

You will just need to copy the data you wish to migrate out of the original save folder, and into it's new home, following the same structure within the save folders. If you are migrating to a Linux dedi, be sure to check the file permissions after you have moved them over. They should be 644 on the files in the Saves Root, and 755 on all of the other files. Owner:group should be the same as the user account used for the dedi installation. (i.e. sdtd:sdtd if you are using Alloc's install script)


 
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Installing and Running a Dedicated Server

OK, this one is going to need a lot more meat to it, but I'll start with the basics.

First, lets cover the many different ways to run a dedicated server.

  • Installing the dedi build locally through Steam and running it.
  • Installing the dedi build locally via SteamCMD.
  • Setting up a separate PC to host the dedi server. (Windows or Linux are most common)
  • Renting a server in the "cloud". (Most expensive option, usually Windows server)


Your choice in how you host will largely depend on your hardware and network availability, stability, and how much load you need to support. It doesn't take super fast hardware, but you do need a good amount of RAM, a very stable system, and decent bandwidth.

My personal favorite is to use a local dedicated machine for the server with Linux. You can pick whatever flavor you like, but I find Ubuntu to be one of the easiest to set up.

A great thanks to Alloc on this for creating the Server Management Scripts and Server Fixes. Not only does a full setup take less than 15 minutes, but with his fixes you get loads of extra features that are extremely helpful for hosting a full-time dedi server.

https://7dtd.illy.bz/wiki

Here is a simple guide to installing the dedicated server on Windows using SteamCMD. (Easy to do on a dedicated box without Steam installed.)

https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/7_Days_to_Die_Dedicated_Server

For local install, you can just install the server via your Steam client from the Library > Tools menu. Then you'll follow a similar configuration as is laid out in the above link for SteamCMD.

Don't forget to open/forward your ports in your modem/router if you are hosting a local dedi.

Later I will add some more detailed information on setups, and using rented servers. I mostly wanted this done before I forgot about it though. :)

 
Why are only 8 players supported? When can we have more?

I'm going to refer to a recent post my madmole on this....

speaking of which where say on the list is optimizing for 32 players?
Click to expand...
Its not on the list. This was originally a SP game but we decided to support 8 coop, then later added 8 dedi. At some point if we can make some optimizations we'll increase it some, but optimizations can be pie in the sky, so we are never going to promise support for an unknown. Besides, most people who play this game play 2-4 player pve with friends. Its not a pvp game and never will be. The goal was to make the zombies such a threat that people would have to band together to survive and wouldn't have TIME to kill other players because of impending doom.
Click to expand...


ROFL No, it's not. In fact, it's 136 SqKm SMALLER than the default map size for A16. I did the math. Most servers, especially the good ones, run at 50 people playing at once. There is no way a map this tiny is going to work for that. I know you have said that "the game is made for 8 people" before. But, here's the thing, you make the game for your player base, not for you. And I can promise you that your player base doesn't want tiny little 64 sqkm maps. Now, if your goal is to stop people from playing the game, then by all means, continue the way you are going with A17.
Click to expand...
It was not designed for 8 people just because we felt like it. That number was so players could have a good experience based on the performance of the game. Every player adds overhead and slows down the server. Too many and it becomes a lag fest, then we get the blame.
Click to expand...
 
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Restore a Corrupted Save

This method may possibly/partially restore a save game that is corrupted by not exiting the client correctly.

  1. C:\Users[username]\AppData\Roaming\7DaysToDie\Saves\ [worldname]\ [savename]\Player
  2. Remove [number].ttp
  3. Rename [number].ttp.bak to [number].ttp


Player profile backup restored. Your items and everything you've built is still gone, AFAIK that's not backed up. But it's still better than having to start over entirely.

 
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Why All This Lag?

WHY ALL THIS LAG?

First off, we're going to define the most common complaint, LAG.

not to be confused with latency (the time it takes to send a packet to and recieve a response packet from a server along a network), lag is impaired computer functionality (slow application responses or reduced/choppy framerates) resulting from high latency, packet loss, or low-preformance (generally video) hardware
Click to expand...
So you can see, it's a pretty broad term, and can be easily confused. As a result, we won't use it in this context. We're going to separate "Lag" as "Latency" relating to a delay in the data transmission across the internet, and "FPS" as relating to the slowness of your PC to keep up.

 

This is an older article, but it explains a bit the different between Lag (latency) and low FPS.

Lag vs FPS

Also...

How to get rid of Lag guide.

Now that we've cleared that up, we're going to get on with Latency, which is the real cause for the slow responses from the servers, and your disconnections.

Now where where everyone gets really stupid. (No offense is meant here. Really.) Most people seem to think there's some magical connection between the port on their computer, and the port directly attached to the server. This Is Wrong.

Your data takes several stops between your PC and the server. Each stop is a cause for latency in the signal.

Oh, almost forgot, you guys may not know what Latency is yet...

Latency is a term used for the time it takes for a packet of data to be sent by an application, travel to and be received by another application. Higher latency means longer time taken, meaning more delay of the requested action.
Click to expand...
So, each step your data takes has a chance to slow it down. And it's not just your data either, if it's a regional router hub, it's handling the data for many millions of people.

So let's break this down with a sample traceroute...

I have my network sitting behind another network, then it goes to my ISP and off to the servers. Here's the path...

D:\PWI\PWI~Files>tracert pwigc2.perfectworld.com

Tracing route to pwigc2.perfectworld.com [66.151.133.71]

over a maximum of 16 hops:

1 1 ms <1 ms <1 ms 192.168.15.1 My Router

2 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms 192.168.1.254 My Gateway

3 11 ms 10 ms 9 ms 76.250.208.2 My ISP

4 * * * Request timed out. Regional Gateway

5 * * * Request timed out. Regional Gateway

6 * * * Request timed out. Regional Gateway

7 12 ms 11 ms 11 ms 12.83.32.169 Regional Gateway

8 69 ms 69 ms 69 ms 12.122.85.85 Regional Gateway

9 69 ms 69 ms 70 ms 12.91.70.6 Regional Gateway

10 70 ms 72 ms 71 ms 66.151.144.80 Regional Gateway

11 71 ms 72 ms 71 ms 64.95.143.190 PWE's ISP

12 72 ms 72 ms 72 ms 66.151.133.71 Server*

Trace complete.
Click to expand...
* You're not actually hitting the server itself, this is just a load-balancing firewall. The actual server consists of an array of blades. Each one is an individual set of instances. But I digress...

Now, each of those stops is a point of failure. The larger the number is, the higher the latency.

In my example hops 4, 5, and 6 have a * instead of a number. This means that the packets were dropped. In this particular case, I happen to know that it's because they don't return ping requests, and not because there's any issue. However it could just as easily be because the latency is so high, that the tool stopped waiting for a response. When that occurs, you will typically see much higher numbers on the other side of it.

If you look at this example, you can see where there is an issue with packets being lost and high latency.

D:\PWI\PWI~Files>tracert -h 16 pwieast1.perfectworld.com



Tracing route to pwieast1.perfectworld.com [74.201.183.20]

over a maximum of 16 hops:

1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms 192.168.15.1

2 1 ms <1 ms <1 ms 192.168.1.254

3 10 ms 10 ms 10 ms 76-250-208-2.lightspeed.livnmi.sbcglobal.net [76.250.208.2]

4 * * * Request timed out.

5 * * * Request timed out.

6 * * * Request timed out.

7 12 ms 10 ms 11 ms 12.83.32.129

8 21 ms 19 ms 19 ms ggr4.cgcil.ip.att.net [12.122.133.33]

9 * * 330 ms chi-bb1-link.telia.net [213.248.87.253]

10 404 ms 422 ms 411 ms nyk-bb1-link.telia.net [80.91.246.163]

11 189 ms 203 ms 220 ms nyk-b6-link.telia.net [80.91.254.32]

12 266 ms 272 ms 297 ms internap-ic-150761-nyk-b5.c.telia.net [213.248.81.150]

13 315 ms 333 ms 351 ms border1.pc1-bbnet1.nyj001.pnap.net [216.52.95.9]

Trace complete.
Click to expand...
In this example, I took multiple samples and it showed that the Regional Router at Hop 9 was having some issues. It's spiking on latency, and is often dropping packets.

In this example, hop 13 is the Regional router before PWE's ISP, 14 is the ISP, and 15 is the firewall.

So, in this example, where is PWE to blame? Can the blame be put on your network connection or ISP?

Nope it's neither!. It's completely outside of anyone's control.

In this particular example an extremely large number of people were getting disconnected and were experiencing high latency.

Of course they were. Look a the latency on all those Routers in the big New York hub. That's nothing wrong with the servers or PWE's connection. Though it could be argued that the pnap servers are partially PWE's fault since PWE uses that company for distribution balancing of the data.

Common causes for latency...

Your End

The World

PWE

You're using Wireless

There's a lot of streaming traffic on your local network.

You have a bad cable going from the wall to the modem.

There's a fault in the in-house wiring.

There's a fault in the wiring from your house to the pole.

There's a fault in the wiring to the CO of your ISP.

There's a fault at the CO of your ISP.

There's a fault at a Regional Hub in-between your ISP and their ISP.

There's a fault at a Regional Hub in-between your ISP and their ISP.

There's a fault at a Regional Hub in-between your ISP and their ISP.

There's a fault at a Regional Hub in-between your ISP and their ISP.

There's a fault at a Regional Hub in-between your ISP and their ISP.

There's a fault at a Regional Hub in-between your ISP and their ISP.

There's a fault at a Regional Hub in-between your ISP and their ISP.

There's a fault at a Regional Hub in-between your ISP and their ISP.

There's a fault at a Regional Hub in-between your ISP and their ISP.

There's a fault at a Regional Hub in-between your ISP and their ISP.

There's a fault at their ISP.

There's a fault at their local network/computer.

Now, just looking at the colors, you can see where the majority of the fault is going to lie. I can safely say that 98% of the time someone complains about latency, and provides me with data to track it down.., I find that the fault is either on their end, or with a regional hub. Of those, the majority is the regional hubs; particularly intersections at major undersea trunk lines.

 
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Why All This Lag? Part Deux

This is a funny list I made once for the possible causes of a high ping to the server and disconects. Each of these items has actually happened at least once to someone I've helped.

  1. You don't have the .exe files for the client set to run as administrator.
  2. You don't have the game directory set as an exception in your antivirus/security software.
  3. Your network adapter driver is out of date and needs to be refreshed.
  4. Your local area network settings are improperly configured.
  5. You have more than one firewall and don't realize it. (Common with some modems.)
  6. Your firewall settings are too strict. (VERY common with Norton360, ZoneAlarm, and Commodo firewall.)
  7. Your router is configured improperly. (Or it's just a cheap router that can't handle the traffic you're putting on it.)
  8. You have a bad network cable.
  9. You're using a wireless network connection. (Which leads to another huge list of possible issues.)
  10. You have a lot of traffic on your local network that is bogging your router/modem down. (All that streaming media eats up bandwidth ya know.)
  11. There's a fault in your router.
  12. There's a fault in your modem.
  13. You have a bad phone cord plugged into your modem.
  14. There's an issue with your house wiring.
  15. There's an issue with your outside wiring.
  16. A squirrel chewed on your phone/cable line at the pole and it's raining. (I have personally had this happen.)
  17. A switch/router at the CO for your ISP is having an issue.
  18. One of the many hubs between you and PWI is having an issue. (Most common)
  19. There is heavy sunspot activity. (Has happened within the past three years)
  20. There's a regional router outage. (This has happened more than a few times. More often occurs with trunk lines crossing large bodies of water)


That's just a few. Sometimes, the easiest fix is something like shutting down your Modem/Router/PC for three minutes and then bringing them back up. Usually, I'll take the time to additionally perform a static discharge on my PC.

7 Ways to Improve the Wi-Fi Signal In Your Home

Wi-Fi problems got you down? Don’t worry, you’re not the only one. All kinds of issues can prevent you from connecting to your wireless network, from the construction of your house to interference from your neighbors and even just old equipment.

 


So how can you speed up your home wireless network? We’ve assembled some tips and tricks to help you diagnose and solve some of the most common Wi-Fi problems.

 


1. Router placement is key

 


Where you place your router in your home makes a huge difference in signal quality, Entrepreneur.com says. Avoid placing the router in corner rooms, or worse yet, your basement. The more walls, piping, or ducting the signal passes through, the weaker the signal is going to be. The router should be placed as close to the center of the room as possible for optimal performance.

 


Radio signals should be able to make it through walls without much problem, but if you’re in a room with thick walls, expect to have trouble connecting even with a router close by.

 


2. Dual band router? Use it!

 


Many routers come with both 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi connectivity. USA Today recommends you use the 5GHz band whenever possible. With so many wireless networks out there, and Bluetooth becoming more common (it, too, operates in the 2.4GHz band), there is a lot of interference for your router to overcome at times.

 


We recommend you use the 5GHz band for video streaming and gaming, as data speeds are slightly faster. The 2.4GHz band should work well enough for everyday web use though.

 


3. Does everybody need to be wireless?

 


As more and more Wi-Fi enabled devices are added to the network, your router will slow the connection speeds of everyone to ensure all devices have enough bandwidth to connect, B&H Photo & Video says. If this is happening, consider networking the old fashioned way.

 


Devices closest to the router should be connected via ethernet cable rather than through Wi-Fi. Almost all Wi-Fi routers include at least two — and usually four — wired ethernet jacks. Yes, it’s not as pretty, but your wireless speeds should improve, not to mention those jacked-in devices will be cruising.

 


4. Lock it down!

 


B&H also brings up another good point, and that’s wireless security. Lock your wireless network down with a password. Anyone can connect to a password-free network, and mooch off of your Internet (i.e., clog up your bandwidth). It’s also a security risk, as hackers may be able to access data on improperly secured devices, PCWorld warns. If you have the option for “public access” (i.e., an open access version of your network that allows guests to connect without a password, but not access the main network), turn it off. Just give your trusted guests your password when they need to connect to the Internet.

 


Note: I recently got an email from AT&T stating I was torrenting movies. Turns out they pushed an upgrade which forced the guest wifi mode on, and someone was borrowing my network. There's more to worry about than just your local data.

 


5. Consider linking routers together

 


Even with proper placement, large homes or older buildings may have trouble with getting Wi-Fi to reach everywhere. MakeUseOf recommends linking two routers together in order to increase range. There are a few negatives of doing so, such as the fact that you may need to connect the second router via ethernet cable to the original one, but if you’re having problems getting Wi-Fi signals to your entire home, it may be the only option.

 


6. Maybe it’s time to upgrade

 


Wi-Fi routers are real workhorses, often operating almost continuously for years without issues. But like any electronic device, they’ll eventually wear out and begin to fail. ITProPortal points out that there’s other benefits to getting a new router: new wireless technologies. Especially if you’ve upgraded a lot of your gadgets and computers recently, there’s a good chance that a years-old router isn’t able to take advantage of the newer wireless technologies that are available.

 


Of course, sometimes all you’ll need to do is reset the router to fix slowness — but if that doesn’t work, maybe you’ve outgrown the capabilities of the router itself.

 


7. Try a better antenna

 


Some wireless routers allow you to replace the stock antennas with better ones, Yahoo reports. There are a variety of options for those routers that can, just make sure they’re compatible with your router. Buyer beware: Try to buy these better antennas from the companies themselves rather than ones made by a third-party that are “compatible” with your router. Sometimes the quality of these antennas found on eBay and other sites are quite low.




Source​​

 
SUPPORT FAQ: Information and Common Solutions

So my computer completely crashed while I was in the middle of my game with no BSOD or memory dump due to the stupid overclock I was running (I'll apply more voltage to that problem later), but this totally corrupted the main.ttw and main.ttw.bak files in the game save. Stopping me from being able to load that save.

I don't know what these files are for exactly, but from my other saves I can gather that they track NPC units, maybe?

The fix is relatively simple:

Step 1:

Navigate to: C:\Users\<your username>\AppData\Roaming\7DaysToDie\Saves\<map name>\<save name> (the error message should give you the exact path as well).

Step 2:

copy the <save name> folder to your desktop or somewhere else (you're making a backup just in case)

Step 3:

Create a new game on that same map and remember the save name, I'll refer to this as <new save name>, then quit the game.

Step 4:

Navigate to: C:\Users\<your username>\AppData\Roaming\7DaysToDie\Saves\<map name>\<new save name> and copy both the main.ttw and main.ttw.bak to the C:\Users\<your username>\AppData\Roaming\7DaysToDie\Saves\<map name>\<save name> folder. You will be told that "The destination has 2 files with the same names", click on "Replace the files in the destination" button.

Step 5:

Run 7DTD and try to continue your game. I don't know what the long term effects of this will be, if any, perhaps the devs can tell us what exactly the purpose of the main.ttw file is?

If this doesn't work, then perhaps you have another issue with your game save.

Attached is a zip of the broken main.ttw and main.ttw.bak files, but they are just filled with null bytes.

A WSL ubuntu hexdump of the main.ttw and main.ttw.bak files yields:

Code: 
/Desktop/Nucou County/My Game$ hexdump -x main.ttw
0000000    0000    0000    0000    0000    0000    0000    0000    0000
*
001622a
/Desktop/Nucou County/My Game$ hexdump -x main.ttw.bak
0000000    0000    0000    0000    0000    0000    0000    0000    0000
*
001622a
main.zip

 

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