Windrose Server Configuration Guide

This guide covers Windrose server configuration including server settings, world customization, and difficulty options.

Important: Always back up your server files before making configuration changes. Stop your server before editing any configuration files.

Configuration File Locations

File	Location	Purpose
ServerDescription.json	R5\Saved\SaveProfiles\Default\	Main server settings (invite code, password, max players).
WorldDescription.json	R5\Saved\SaveProfiles\Default\RocksDB\<version>\Worlds\<world_id>\	Per-world settings (difficulty, multipliers).

ServerDescription.json

The main ServerDescription.json controls how players find and connect to your server.

Important: This file can only be changed manually when the server is shut down. Any field might be automatically changed by the server in case of any issue.

{
  "Version": 1,
  "ServerDescription_Persistent":
  {
    "PersistentServerId": "1B80182E460F727CEA080C8EEBB1EA0A",
    "InviteCode": "d6221bb7",
    "IsPasswordProtected": false,
    "Password": "",
    "Note": "",
    "WorldIslandId": "DB57768A8A7746899683D0EEE91F97BF",
    "MaxPlayerCount": 10,
    "P2pProxyAddress": "127.0.0.1"
  }
}

Setting	Description	Notes
PersistentServerId	Unique server ID.	Do not edit — auto-generated by the server.
InviteCode	Code players use to find your server.	Min 6 characters, case-sensitive. Allowed: 0-9, a-z, A-Z.
IsPasswordProtected	Require password to join.	true or false.
Password	Server password.	Only used when IsPasswordProtected is true.
Note	Server description.	Helpful for identifying servers with similar invite codes.
WorldIslandId	Active world ID.	Must match a WorldDescription.json's IslandId.
MaxPlayerCount	Max simultaneous players.	Default 10.
P2pProxyAddress	IP for listening sockets.	Set to your server's IP address.

Editing Configuration Files

For Survival Servers Customers

1. Log into your control panel.
2. Click Stop to shut down your server.
3. Open the Server Config tool to adjust settings through an easy interface.
4. The config tool has sidebar sections for Server Settings, Gameplay, and Multipliers.
5. Choose a save mode:
   • Apply & Restart — Saves settings and restarts your server.
   • Apply — Saves settings without restarting.
   • Save form only — Saves your form values locally without writing to config files.
6. Click Save.

Additional tools available in the control panel:

• ServerConfig.ini — Edit advanced engine configuration.
• Engine.ini — Edit Unreal Engine settings.
• Launch Parameters — Toggle options like Vehicle Physics.

For Self-Hosted Servers

1. Stop your server.
2. Open the config file in a text editor.
3. Make your changes and save.
4. Start your server.

WorldDescription.json

Each world on your server has its own WorldDescription.json file. You can create multiple worlds — the first is generated automatically on first server start.

Location:

R5\Saved\SaveProfiles\Default\RocksDB\<game_version>\Worlds\<world_id>\WorldDescription.json

Setting	Description
IslandId	Unique world ID — must match the folder name.
WorldName	Display name of the world.
CreationTime	Time of creation (internal format).
WorldPresetType	Difficulty preset: "Easy", "Medium", or "Hard".
WorldSettings	Custom world parameters (see below).

Note: If any custom values are present in WorldSettings, the preset will be automatically set to "Custom" on the next server launch.

World Difficulty Presets

Windrose offers three built-in difficulty presets:

Preset	Description
Easy	Lower enemy health and damage, easier ship combat and boarding.
Medium	Balanced defaults — the standard Windrose experience.
Hard	Higher enemy health and damage, tougher combat encounters.

Set the preset in WorldDescription.json by changing WorldPresetType, or use the Server Config tool in the Survival Servers control panel.

Custom World Settings

For fine-grained control, you can customize individual world parameters. Setting any custom value will change the preset to "Custom".

Tip: It may be easier to configure custom settings in-game first, then copy the values to your dedicated server's config file.

Parameter	Description	Default	Range
CoopQuests	When a player completes a co-op quest, it auto-completes for all players who have it active.	true	true / false
EasyExplore	Disables map markers for points of interest (called "Immersive Exploration" in-game — makes exploration harder despite the name).	false	true / false
MobHealthMultiplier	How much health enemies have.	1.0	0.2 - 5.0
MobDamageMultiplier	How hard enemies hit.	1.0	0.2 - 5.0
ShipHealthMultiplier	How much health enemy ships have.	1.0	0.4 - 5.0
ShipDamageMultiplier	How much damage enemy ships deal.	1.0	0.2 - 2.5
BoardingDifficultyMultiplier	How many enemy sailors must be defeated to win a boarding action.	1.0	0.2 - 5.0
Coop_StatsCorrectionModifier	Adjusts enemy health and posture loss based on player count on the server.	1.0	0.0 - 2.0
Coop_ShipStatsCorrectionModifier	Adjusts enemy ship health based on player count on the server.	0.0	0.0 - 2.0
CombatDifficulty	Overall boss encounter difficulty and enemy aggression.	Normal	Easy, Normal, Hard

Custom WorldDescription.json Example

{
  "Version": 1,
  "WorldDescription":
  {
    "IslandId": "DB57768A8A7746899683D0EEE91F97BF",
    "WorldName": "My Server",
    "CreationTime": 6.3905278455349005e+17,
    "WorldPresetType": "Custom",
    "WorldSettings":
    {
      "BoolParameters":
      {
        "{\"TagName\": \"WDS.Parameter.Coop.SharedQuests\"}": true,
        "{\"TagName\": \"WDS.Parameter.EasyExplore\"}": false
      },
      "FloatParameters":
      {
        "{\"TagName\": \"WDS.Parameter.MobHealthMultiplier\"}": 1.5,
        "{\"TagName\": \"WDS.Parameter.MobDamageMultiplier\"}": 1.2,
        "{\"TagName\": \"WDS.Parameter.ShipsHealthMultiplier\"}": 1.0,
        "{\"TagName\": \"WDS.Parameter.ShipsDamageMultiplier\"}": 1.0,
        "{\"TagName\": \"WDS.Parameter.BoardingDifficultyMultiplier\"}": 1.0,
        "{\"TagName\": \"WDS.Parameter.Coop.StatsCorrectionModifier\"}": 1.0,
        "{\"TagName\": \"WDS.Parameter.Coop.ShipStatsCorrectionModifier\"}": 0.5
      },
      "TagParameters":
      {
        "{\"TagName\": \"WDS.Parameter.CombatDifficulty\"}":
        {
          "TagName": "WDS.Parameter.CombatDifficulty.Hard"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Managing Multiple Worlds

You can create multiple worlds on a single server:

1. Create a new folder in R5\Saved\SaveProfiles\Default\RocksDB\<version>\Worlds\.
2. Add a WorldDescription.json file with a unique IslandId (matching the folder name).
3. To switch worlds, update WorldIslandId in ServerDescription.json to the new world's ID.
4. Restart your server.

See Also

• How to Create a Windrose Server Guide
• How to Join a Windrose Server
• Windrose Admin Commands
• Windrose on Steam
• Rent a Windrose Server from Survival Servers